AMSAT-BB June 2018

175 participants
211 discussions

Re: [amsat-bb] Field Day (whew)
by Stephan Greene 26 Jun '18

26 Jun '18

You wrote....<snip> > > After the chaos of AO-91, I prepped to get ready for CAS-4B at 1929z. This > time, I pulled out the stops. I tuned up quickly at AOS, and started > calling CQ with all the watts, smack dab in the middle of the passband. > There were stations all around me, but none of them were hearing each > other.. as opposed to them, I could actually hear. I worked KB6LTY > quickly, followed by WD9EWK, and then just kept following the bird east. 12 > minutes later I lost the bird behind some buildings after working a VE2. 14 > total stations logged, California to Quebec, in 1 pass. The crowd went > nuts. I spent the next 2 hours showing local hams how to improve their > arrows by using things like good coax, and a couple of the kids mentioned > how sitting around with headphones turning dials was boring, but working > satellites looked like fun. After that I packed up my stuff and headed back > home, and didn't make another contact til after 1800z on Sunday. For ops wanting to get more folks interested, THIS is the way to do it. Excellent job! I worked you (K4LRG) on that pass. CAS-4A and B were our best producers (26 and 20 QSOs), I think my best run of the weekend was 9 QSOs on 4B the following pass. I shared a shelter with our GOTA station, and showed satellite ops to our visitors, but not with THAT degree of success. 73 Steve KS1G

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Re: [amsat-bb] FM sats and FD
by Burns Fisher 26 Jun '18

26 Jun '18

Excellent condensation of what we were saying Greg, not to mention the additional concept of a net control getting extra points, as well as the need for training. Now--in a normal emergency net, a net control is pre-designated (I think). How do you think we could do that for FD while still being in the spirit of "practice for the real thing"? I have no good answer. Good discussion! Burns WB1FJ On Mon, Jun 25, 2018 at 7:40 PM, Greg D <ko6th.greg(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Tossing in my $.02 here, for what it's worth... TL:DR: it's not the > rules, it the training that we need to fix. > > From this chair, the issue isn't so much about the points as about getting > the most number of successful contacts through during the 24hr FD window. > The premise of the single-QSO rule for FM birds is that the single channel > is a scarce resource, and we don't want any one op to hog it. Limiting the > number of QSOs by any one operator gives more time for the rest. Nice in > theory, but as we experience every year, this is ineffective in practice. > I fact, I think it's possibly counter productive to the objective. Let me > explain... > > We see the effect all the time when checking into a net. Net control > calls for checkins, and there's a roar of RF thrown at him/her from which > some morsel of a callsign is extracted. Net control narrows the field down > to that morsel, and the process repeats until a single whole call is > extracted and logged, then on to the next person. > > Now look at what happens if there is no net control. At the end of a > contact, everyone throws their callsign out, but lacking a net control, > there is no clear process for extracting and filtering callsign morsels to > make a 2-way contact. Instead of trying to succeed making a 1-to-n > connection, you're trying to create a winning pair out of an m-by-n zoo. > Eventually timing (yes, a skill), luck, and big hammers (amplifiers) will > result in one of those m-by-n pairings to succeed, but it will take time. > If the rules are constructed to remove the winning participants after every > successful contact, you are forcing that m-by-n chaos to repeat for every > contact. I submit that this is nuts, given the limited time a satellite is > within view, the limited bandwidth (especially for FM birds), and with the > limited number of them that we have. > > Rather, I think it would be better to encourage through the points system *and > through documentation and training* to let a net control role naturally > emerge. The net control station gets some small additional benefit for > ascending to this role by the additional QSOs completed, and the overall > rate of QSOs completed goes up because you're back to a 1-to-n process, so > everyone wins in the end. The process also helps develop the operator > skills of the net control role, just as it does when a station on HF > "holds" a frequency for a while during a contest. If the station can't > hold the frequency, due to technique, equipment, or the loss of propagation > at end of a pass, net control will naturally pass to the next operator with > the skill and equipment to take on that role. > > The current ARRL rules giving 100 points for the first contact, and 1 > point for each contact beyond that, are aligned with this strategy, though > I think that adjustments can be made to make it even better. The single > QSO rule needs to be removed, and in its place should be a set of > guidelines (training) for good behavior. These include the acknowledgment > of the net control role, and the documenting of the inefficiency that > results when there is a power struggle for net control. In this regard, I > think that lowering the prize for additional contacts to 1 point for every > two contacts might be better. We don't want the role to be so juicy that > everyone fights for it; better for some to take that 100 points for the > first contact as a check-in, and go somewhere else for the incremental ones. > > Bottom line, EMike and others are on the right path with the net control > role, but we're missing the training aspect showing why it's a good idea, > and how to behave when you're net control, or just trying to check in. > > Thoughts? > > Greg KO6TH > > > >

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FM sats and FD
by Tom Schuessler 26 Jun '18

26 Jun '18

Well first of all the article that appeared in QST a little while back made it sound too darn easy, which yes it is, but not on field Day. The problem with Satellites and field day in my mind it relates to the way the rules are set up. Yes ARRL and AMSAT both stipulate that only one FM QSO per FM Satellite per field day station. The issue is in ARRL rules is that all Satellite contacts whether FM or SSB are seen as the same, then if somebody does hog the transponder trying to get multiple contacts on an FM bird, there is no way on the field day logging rules to throw those extra contacts out. On 91, I threw my call out twice made one contact and was gone. I spent most of my effort on linear satellites and ignored other FM passes. I do think you should look at this in a positive light. The growth in the number of amateur radio satellite has spurred a renewed interest in this aspect of a hobby and thus we have a potential easier time promoting AMSAT to more and more hams. Field day is a great place to do that because most of the people that come out are either already into amateur radio or new to the hobby and get excited about interest areas and that’s where AMSAT people need to get out of their house and to local clubs and field day set ups to do what we do will help to educate people and maybe save some of the bad behavior on the FM birds. I had my share of issues and problems this weekend, but I had fun and in ONLY six hours of operating beat my score from last year so that was a win. I also got to do some education too and that helps the future of our aspect of the hobby. 73. Tom. N5HYP

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AMSAT change the satellite rules for FD!
by Stefan Wagener 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

Hi folks, Every year we have the same issue. Folks who want to collect their "100" points for the contest, folks who just want to operate on the satellites, folks who want to use FD for demonstration and education and all the above plus more. I have never understood why ARRL or whoever made FD a "competitive" thing. FD is so much more. If we (and AMSAT) take the satellites out of the equation (no more points), we can still have fun, educate, show off on FD and more. Yes, some satellites based on location, pass, time etc will always be congested, others will not. At least the pressure of getting the "100 points" is off and the non-pressure fun/hobby part gets back in the equation. Personally, I don't need "100" points at FD, I like have folks observing, learning and enjoying the hobby and test the equipment. That's my FD spirit. FD is about to get out, working with others, invite the community to see what we are doing, learn how our equipment works etc. Let's start an FD "transformation" and get rid of "points" for satellites :-) My 2 cents and honest opinion :-) 73, Stefan VE4NSA

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SatPC32 observer changes unexpectedly
by Butch 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

Fresh install of ver. 12.8d on Win 10 Running for first time and doing the following: Enter lon & lat (in my case -84.3, 36.0) Register > enter data and password > get password is OK! Tap OK, program runs, Obs. (in lower left corner) reads -84.3/36.0 All looks good, do nothing else but quit. Run program again, get Obs. 8.9/51.9 … why? Did this several times with same results. What am I doing wrong? Butch K8KO

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HM76
by Pedro Sousa 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

Hi all, As a reminder, my HM76 operation is due to take place from June 27th 09:00 through 28th 16:00. I'll be FM full-duplex and SSB half-duplex equipped. As far as I know this grid, that covers most of Santa Maria island, has been only active when Yuri is around. 73 Pedro CU2ZG --- Este e-mail foi verificado em termos de vírus pelo software antivírus Avast. https://www.avast.com/antivirus -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.

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Re: [amsat-bb] Field Day (whew)
by David Bartholomew 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

Guys, guys, I didn't intend to start an argument, that was not my intent at all. Maybe "dismayed" wasn't the right term to use. My interpretation of the rules was "do one FM contact and that's all." The spirit of it was to help keep the satellite clear for others to make their contact. I thought the spirit of this was to also apply to the other sats to help reduce crowding on them, even though the rule didn't say so. As it happened, I was fortunate to get a good contact on the first sat we tried and then I got off of there. The guy at the other FD station had mentioned how many FM sat contacts he'd made during FD and I saw him make more. I didn't say anything, figured it was his choice. Besides, he had such a nice setup with three antennas and a rotator, and all of that for one contact? Why not make more and get on more passes. It just wasn't what I would have done. 73... Dave AD7DB

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WTB: Icom IC490
by John Marranca, Jr 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

Happy Day After FD, all. Does anyone have an Icom IC490 they are interested in selling? I am assembling a "W2RS KISS station", and already have the IC290....just need the 70cm model now. 73 de KB2HSH

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium, Leverkusen, Germany
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium, Leverkusen, Germany on 27 June. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 10:32 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between DP0ISS from the ISS and DL0IL/DL0SGH. The contact should be audible over Germany and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. School Story: Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium Das Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium war eine der ersten Schulen, die dem MINT-EC - einem nationalen Netzwerk naturwissenschaftlicher Exzellenz-Schulen - beigetreten ist und bietet das Internationale Abitur (International Baccalaureate) an. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ist der französisch-bilinguale Zweig. Wir haben sichergestellt, dass die naturwissenschaftliche und sprachliche Ausrichtung gleichzeitig verfolgt werden können, da die Begabungen der Schüler in diesen Bereichen oft korrespondieren. Das Leitmotiv des WHG ist: Gemeinschaft entwickeln, Persönlichkeit stärken, gerne und erfolgreich lernen. Im MINT-Bereich werden zunächst solide Grundlagen in den Fächern Mathematik, Physik, Chemie und Biologie geschaffen, aber auch Zusatzkurse in Astronomie und Informatik angeboten. In den fachübergreifenden Differenzierungskursen Science und Physik-Technik der 8. und 9. Klasse liegt der Schwerpunkt auf praktischer Arbeit und Anwendungen. Die Schüler arbeiten in Kleingruppen, suchen sich ihr eigenes Forschungsprojekt und stellen es am Ende auf einer "Science Fair" einer Jury vor. Außerdem gibt es ein vielfältiges AG-Angebot: Die Jazzband und die Theater AG haben vielbeachtete Auftritte in der Region und die Astronomie AG hat ein maßstabsgetreues Planetensystem auf den Schulhof gezeichnet und betreibt Mond- und Planetenfotografie. In den französisch-bilingualen Klassen gibt es zusätzliche Französischstunden und die Fächer Geschichte, Erdkunde und Politik werden auf Französisch unterrichtet. Mit ihrem Abitur haben die Schüler dieses Zweiges dann Zugang zu französischen Universitäten. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ist die Sozialerziehung. So machen z.B. in Klasse 9 alle Schüler ein zweiwöchiges Sozialpraktikum in Behindertenwerkstätten, Pflegeheimen oder Kindergärten, um frühzeitig ihre soziale Verantwortung und Hilfsbereitschaft zu fördern. Translated: Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium The Werner-Heisenberg-Gymnasium in Leverkusen was among the first schools that joined the national MINT-EC network of excellence schools in science and is an IB world school offering its students the International Baccalaureate (IB). Another focus is set on language in our French-German bilingual program. Care has been taken that both degrees may be pursued simultaneously as we have found that one talent is often connected to the other. The WHG mission is: To build and develop a social community, to strengthen personality and character, and to enjoy and succeed in learning. In STEM classes, students focus on core subjects like mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology with additional optional courses in astronomy and computer science. In 8th and 9th grade, students take science classes covering interdisciplinary subjects with a special application focus. In small groups, students define and research their own projects, which they present to a jury from local industry during a science fair at the end of 9th grade. In addition, there is a diverse choice of project courses (AGs): Our students may join the Jazz band or the Theater AG, which are well-known for their performances. The Astronomy AG has constructed a large, scaled version of the solar system in the schoolyard and has specialized in moon and planet photography. In the French-bilingual class, more lessons are allocated to French, and history, geography and politics are taught in French. With their high school diplomas, students in this branch are granted access to French universities. Complementary to science and language education, WHG also focuses on social education: In 9th grade, students participate in a mandatory practical training at a social organization (kindergarten, hospital, retirement or nursing home, work with handicapped or homeless people) to help develop social responsibility. Schickhardt-Gymnasium Unsere Schule, das Schickhardt-Gymnasium Herrenberg, befindet sich in einer kleinen Stadt südlich von Stuttgart. Diese liegt in einer weltweit anerkannten Technologie-Region, bekannt u. a. für ihre Automobilindustrie und Informationstechnik, sowie für ihre altehrwürdigen Universitäten und ihre Geschichte. Neben den üblichen Fächern, wie z. B. Mathematik, Deutsch, Englisch, Sport, Kunst, Musik und Sozialwissenschaften, spiegelt sich das in den Profilen unserer Schule wider, aus denen die Schüler_innen ihren Schwerpunkt wählen dürfen: Auf der einen Seite das Sprachen-Profil mit Französisch, Spanisch und Latein als Wahlmöglichkeit. Auf der anderen Seite das naturwissenschaftliche Profil mit den Fächern NwT (Naturwissenschaft und Technik), Biologie, Physik, Informatik und Chemie. Beide Profile sind darüber hinaus sichtbar in den angebotenen Arbeitsgemeinschaften und Austauschprogrammen: z. B. Aerospace Lab, Robotik, ISS, Theater, Musical, Druck und das KuCa (organisiert kulturelle Veranstaltungen - in dem unter anderem Professor Dr. Heinz Voggenreiter einen Vortrag halten wird). Desweiteren gibt es soziale Projekte, wie z. B. Fairtrade, Model United Nations, Schule gegen Rassismus und Casa-Alianza. Austauschprogramme existieren mit Schweden, Frankreich, den USA, Botswana und Ungarn. Das Schickhardt-Gymnasium mit seinen rund 750 Schüler_innen und 70 Lehrer_innen ist stolz Teil des ARISS-Projektes zu werden. Unser Projekt-Team besteht aus Schüler_innen unterschiedlicher Alterstufen, angetrieben durch ihre jeweils eigenen Interessen in Weltraum, Technik, Raumfahrt, Journalismus und vielen weiteren Spezialgebieten, um das Projekt Wirklichkeit werden zu lassen. Schickhardt-Gymnasium Our school, the Schickhardt-Gymnasium, is located in Herrenberg which is a small city south of Stuttgart. This is in the heart of a region known nationally and internationally for technology (i. e. automobiles) and IT advancement but also for its old universities and its history. Beyond the regular subjects like Maths, German, English, P.E., Arts, and social sciences, this is reflected in the profiles our school offers from which the students can choose their focus. On the the one hand, the language profile with French, Spanish and Latin as options. On the other hand, we have the profile of natural sciences and technology, i. e. NwT (science and technology), Biology, Physics, IT and Chemistry. Both profiles are also visible in the clubs and exchanges which are offered: Aerospace Lab, Robotics, ISS, Theatre, Musical, Print and the KuCa (which organizes cultural events - among others a presentation by Professor Dr. Heinz Voggenreiter), among others. Students are also dedicated to social projects, e. g. Fairtrade, Model United Nations, schools against racism and the aid-organization Casa-Alianza. Exchanges go to Sweden, France, the USA, Botswana, and Hungary. This secondary school with about 750 students and 70 teachers is excited to be taking part in the ARISS program. The project team consists of members of different age levels motivated by their interests in outer space, technology, space travel, journalism, and many other talents which are contributing to making this project a reality. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Wie verändert sich der menschliche Körper im Weltall? 2. Verändert sich auch Ihr Biorhythmus im All und können Sie gut schlafen? 3. Stimmt es, dass man im Weltraum nicht rülpsen kann? 4. Welche alltäglichen Dinge und Gewohnheiten vermissen Sie am meisten? 5. Kann man eine Kerze in der Raumstation anzünden, wenn ja wie sieht sie dann aus? 6. Sieht man an Silvester das Feuerwerk von der ISS aus? 7. Finden Sie die Idee Mond und Mars in naher Zukunft zu besiedeln realistisch? 8. Haben Sie schon einmal etwas außerhalb der ISS verloren? 9. Was halten Sie von der Entsorgung von Müll, z. B. von Elektroschrott, im Weltraum? 10. Was würden Sie einen Astronauten fragen, wenn Sie selber nicht Astronaut wären? 11. Wie sauber ist die Luft auf der ISS, muss man Staubwischen? 12. Womit hat Ihr Assistent CIMON Sie am meisten überrascht? 13. Wie fühlt es sich an, einen Raumspaziergang zu machen? 14. Was war das Außergewöhnlichste, was sie im All erlebt haben? 15. Wie schwer ist es, sich nach einem längeren Aufenthalt im All wieder an das Leben auf der Erde zu gewöhnen? 16. Wenn Sie die Wahl hätten zwischen der bewährten Sojus-Kapsel oder der neuen Dragon-V2, welche würden Sie für einen Flug zur ISS bevorzugen? 17. Wie schnell ist Ihr Internetanschluss auf der ISS? 18. Was würde bei einem akuten medizinischen Notfall, z. B. einer Blinddarmentzündung, passieren? 19. Kann man direkt von der ISS aus zum Mond fliegen? 20. Was ist Ihr Lieblingsessen auf der Raumstation? Translated: 1. How does the human body change in outer space? 2. Does your biorhythm change in space and can you sleep well? 3. Is it true that people cannot belch in space? 4. Which everyday commodities and habits do you miss most? 5. Is it possible to light a candle in the space station, and if so, what does it look like? 6. Do you see the fireworks on New Year's Eve on the ISS? 7. Do you think that the idea of populating the Moon and Mars in near future is realistic? 8. Have you ever lost anything outside the ISS? 9. What do you think about the disposal of waste, e. g. electronic scrap, in outer space? 10. What would you ask an astronaut if you were not an astronaut yourself? 11. How clean is the air inside the ISS? Do you need to do dusting? 12. What did your assistant CIMON surprise you the most with? 13. What does it feel like to go on a spacewalk? 14. What was your most exceptional experience in outer space? 15. How difficult is it to readjust to life on earth after a long stay in space? 16. Which spaceship would you take to fly to the ISS if you had the choice between the time-tested Soyuz capsule or the new Dragon V2? 17. How fast is your internet connection on the ISS? 18. What would happen in case of an acute medical emergency, e. g. appendicitis? 19. Is it possible to fly directly to the moon from the ISS? 20. What is your favorite food on the space station? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): TBD About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Cayman on Satellite
by JoAnne K9JKM 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

Cayman opportunity ... K3TRM re-tweeted by Daily DX: I will be operating as ZF2RM from Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands (Grid Square FK09) between June 24 - July 7, 2018. Activity will be on 40-10M using SSB, CW, Digital (RTTY & FT8) and satellite. (thanks to Daily DX) -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org

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AMSAT-BB June 2018