June 2018 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: [amsat-bb] : DSLWP: First Amateur Radio Transmissions from
by Robert Ehresman 07 Jun '18

07 Jun '18

Bob: Thanks very much for the detailed reply! I'm sure I'm not the only appreciative reader either. So from your description it sounds like a station with approximately 1/4 the antenna elements typically considered necessary for closing an EME echo path on CW might be the lower margin of success. I have had 22 elements in the air on 70cm before but not now unfortunately, and not on an "EL" rotor before. I have some work to do. I'm not familiar with the Airspy's dynamic range off hand, but the RTLSDR's is not great. Seems like SDRs with a few more sampling bits would provide a leg up like the Lime. Anyway, it certainly helps to know where to start. Thanks again! 73; Bob KV4PC On Wed, Jun 6, 2018, 11:36 PM N6RFM1 gmail <n6rfm1(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Bob, > > > > As you have read in earlier posts, several of us (and the list grows > slowly I think) have been able to both receive and decode signals. My > understanding is that early in the launch PY2SDR, CD3NDC, PY4ZBZ, K4KDR and > myself received signals. By some quirk of fate, I was able to report the > first properly decoded packet back to the team’s server. > > > > The setup here – 11 elements on 70cm (custom “Alaskan Arrows” with solid > elements), SSB E. SP-7000 on UHF preamp, 28 meters of ½ inch hardline, > bias-T, > > Airspy rtl-sdr dongle. Not a superstation by any stretch. > > > > At this point the DSLWP-B is in a lunar orbit. While DSLWP-A has been > reported on S-band, we don’t know its status or location. > > > > See http://destevez.net/2018/06/dslwp-bs-journey-to-the-moon-part-iii/ > for much more detail. This blog reflects a tremendous effort by many > experts including EA4GPZ, BG2BHC and Scott Tilley, among others. (Early > this year Scott discovered that the “long dead” IMAGE satellite was in fact > alive.) > > > > The DSLWP team has now conducted several tests after the lunar injection. > Cees Bassa and Jan PA3FXB have had some amazing results with the Dwingeloo > radio telescope in the Netherlands, during a lunar test window a few days > ago. Alas, we can only dream of such an antenna, and place to put it! > > > > Perhaps more relevant to your question - a very big round of applause for > Piotr SP5ULN who was successful with a decode from the lunar orbit. > Piotyr’s setup is a Cushcraft 719B 19 el Yagi, SSB Electronics LNA > (SP-7000), 30m of RF-10 coax, bias tee and simple RTL-SDR. So, we remain > hopeful… Others may have also been successful, but the DSLWP telemetry > server seems to be down and I can’t tell if there were any other recent > contributors. Perhaps Wei BG2BHC will give us another update and we can > find out what the setup was. > > > > BTW, there is another test and hopefully some of the friends in Japan will > be successful too. > > > > One more point, as far as I am aware only GMSK has been transmitted. But, > there is also a JT4G transmitter on –B. Hopefully, JT4G will be easier to > receive. I for one hope that will be the case. > > > > 73, > > > > Bob > > N6RFM > > >

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AMSAT at Ham-Com, June 8-10, 2018
by Mac A. Cody 07 Jun '18

07 Jun '18

All, AMSAT will have a booth at the 2018 Ham-Com in Plano, Texas, June 8 - 10. The AMSAT booth will be at two tables on the Main Hallway, north of the Snack Bar and across from the ARRL booth. There will be two presentations: one of Friday, June 8, at 2:00 PM and one on Saturday at 11:00 AM. I will be providing demos on the FM birds using my call sign AE5PH. Below is a tentative schedule of the satellite passes I'll be working. I will not be available Sunday morning, due to other commitments. DATE Satellite AOS (UTC) 08 Jun 18 AO-91 18:05:08 08 Jun 18 AO-91 19:41:14 08 Jun 18 SO-50 21:03:04 09 Jun 18 AO-85 13:31:08 09 Jun 18 AO-85 15:11:48 09 Jun 18 AO-92 16:40:54 09 Jun 18 AO-91 18:26:32 09 Jun 18 AO-91 20:03:55 09 Jun 18 SO-50 21:27:15 10 Jun 18 AO-91 18:48:13 (Subject to demand) I hope to hear you on the satellites this weekend and if you hear me, I'd appreciate a QSO from you. 73, Mac Cody / AE5PH

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Re: [amsat-bb] DSLWP: First Amateur Radio Transmissions from Lunar Orbit and Subsequent Test Plan
by John Mitchell 07 Jun '18

07 Jun '18

Bob Kv4PC said: "...It might be useful for the rest of us to hear what the successful configurations are (receiver, antenna, preamp, etc)...." (Bob read my mind) I just saw a Twitter feed from supertrack that he is using "4x23 yagi and 0.5/35 dB LNA". https://twitter.com/supertrack_it/status/1004615612386172928 johnm KK4VUR

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Oscar News #220 - Your input will be very welcome
by Graham Shirville 07 Jun '18

07 Jun '18

Hi All, The editors of the quarterly OSCAR NEWS magazine are now starting their hard work to put together the next edition. This will be published around the end of this month. Your news, views and articles for Oscar News are always very welcome. These really are the most exciting times to be involved win the amateur satellite world with so many unique new projects underway. The magazine continues to provide interesting details about these various space missions and the groundstations needed to communicate with them. We are able to accept your input in almost any of the usual formats but please keep the images separate or put them at the end of the document. Please contact us at ON-editor(a)amsat.org with your information or if you have any questions. thanks and 73 Graham - G3VZV

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Fox-1A (AO-85) in safe mode over Europe Jun 5 21:25?
by Zach Metzinger 07 Jun '18

07 Jun '18

Hello all, I've been using (the most amazing) http://vhf.pi5fts.nl/ WebSDR to listen to passes on the other side of the globe. I noticed that Fox-1A was announcing "Safe Mode" with what sounds like 9600 bps telemetry. Is this normal? I didn't catch the voice announcement, but I do have a WAV file of the telemetry. --- Zach N0ZGO

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M2 keo pack coax connections
by wa7dxz 06 Jun '18

06 Jun '18

As I understand it, both the vhf and uhf antennas use N connectors, is that correct?My ic-910h uses a pl 259 type connector for the vhf side.Im ordering coax...should I order N connectors, then simply use an adapter (pl259 type to N) on the radio end of the vhf coax?BibWa7dxz Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

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PSAT NO84 back up
by Robert Bruninga 06 Jun '18

06 Jun '18

DK3WN, Mike informs me that he has commanded PSAT digipeater back on. It has been in safe mode for almost a month and so, maybe it is time to bring it back on line and hope that it stays up through Field Day. Our Naval Academy ground station has been moved to a basement building for 18 months while renovations are in progress, so we are off line and dependent on our excellent volunteer station DK3WN for the honors... Bob, WB4APR -----Original Message----- From: Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) FalconSat-3 takes a little more to set up on a D72, but it is currently our only orbiting digipeater on 24/7. NO-84 is occasionally on, and maybe we can hope for its batteries to be charged enough so a command station can turn the digipeater on for Field Day weekend.... <snip>

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DSLWP: First Amateur Radio Transmissions from Lunar Orbit and Subsequent Test Plan
by Robert Ehresman 06 Jun '18

06 Jun '18

Folks: It has been reported that some few hams have received DSLWP signals and some fewer have decoded GMSK packets following Lunar Orbit insertion. . It might be useful for the rest of us to hear what the successful configurations are (receiver, antenna, preamp, etc). I believe having a sense of what the minimum successful system gain and Noise Figure required would help the rest of us get something working. 73; Bob KV4PC

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No Phone Serve
by Martha 06 Jun '18

06 Jun '18

The AMSAT office has had no phone service today. COMCAST says they expect it to be up by 3:00PM. -- 73- Martha

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D72 to Falconsat-3 "User Phrases"
by tjschuessler＠verizon.net 06 Jun '18

06 Jun '18

I am confused, which is not an uncommon thing. I have been wanting to try and figure out how to work Falxonsat-3 via my Kenwood D72a. I read Pat Stoddard's AMSAT Journal article but he does not do a step by step per se. I also read KB6IGK and WD9EWKs other article on the same subject. Mention is made on setting "User phrases". Looking at several different D72 manuals, I cannot for the life of me, see how one selects the phrase to use and how that gets into the string that is sent. I see the ability to set several phrases from inside RT systems D72 menu program (Not sure how those get entered in manual radio programming), nor do I see any instructions for sending). I watched a YouTube video of a guy making Falconst APRS contacts, but no explanation on how he got the phrases out. Wisdom please, 73 and thanks for the patient mentoring. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP EM12ms

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