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

Additional comments on VHF QHA antenna project
by Francis Geraci 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Hello again, Sat Heads - WB1FXX I had quite a few comments/questions on this antenna. First : I have to give a HUGE "Shout-out" to David P. Finell, N7LRY for his extremely concise article in the May, 2018 issue of QST. David is the 2nd place winner in the 2017 QST Antenna Design Competition. He is "amazingly" quick to answer my Emails with questions I had during the Project. Thank You again, David. I don't have a lot of performance reports yet. My Sat Shack is down for some house renovations. The station is under plastic sheets. Yes, It's a pretty exacting build. David does most of the dimensions in MM / CM . I had to "re-calibrate" my brain for the metric system. I'll never go back to inches / feet. I had a great time building the antenna. It WAS a challenge to my metalworking skills. Installing the "phasing harness" was the toughest part. Very small space to work in. Patience Preservers. Take your time, walk away when You get frustrated and "admire" your progress. As an "aside", my YL, K3FXX said it's the coolest antenna I've built, which is many. Calls it "A work of Art". I agree. I hope all can find the QST article and consider building one. Maybe David will "weigh-in" and provide a copy of the article to the Amsat group. Best to Group - WB1FXX

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PI5FTS at Fontys University Eindhoven needs a new home!
by Zach Metzinger 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Hello all, I was sad to hear this: > Unfortunately this amateur radio station PI5FTS will have to be > closed down and completely dismantled sometime in August 2018. If we > can find a new location, we shall try to reactivate the station at > the new location, using a different call sign. http://vhf.pi5fts.nl/ Anyone have a location for this fine setup to call home? --- Zach N0ZGO

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What is this phenomenon?
by Hans BX2ABT 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Could you please take a look at this image <http://bx2abt.com/main/data/_uploaded/image/20180715_1747-baffled.png>? I'm new to the VHF/UHF world and I have no idea what this is? Anybody? 73 de Hans BX2ABT

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Essex Heights Primary School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Essex Heights Primary School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 17 July. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:24 UTC. It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutes before this time.The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and VK4KHZ. The contact should be audible over portions of Australia. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. Essex Heights Primary School is situated in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne within the municipal boundaries of the City of Monash (approx. 183,000 residents) approximately 20km from Melbourne CBD. Essex Heights is one of 27 primary schools and 9 secondary schools in the City of Monash. Essex Heights is a Prep to Year 6 School of 576 students. The school has a strong partnership with Deakin University and is part of a number of educational research projects. Essex Heights has a rich cultural mix and also caters for a number of students funded under the Program for Students with Disability (4%). About 60% of the parent population were born outside of Australia, with China (18%), Malaysia (6.3%) and India (6.1%) being the predominant countries of birth. Through the 'School Values' of friendliness, honesty, inclusiveness, persistence and respect, children develop positive attitudes and acquire skills that equip them for their future. All children are valued within a supportive and stimulating school environment where each child is encouraged to reach his / her potential. The whole community encourages high expectations and promotes innovative and contemporary curriculum, differentiated to cater for the needs of all children. The school engenders a culture of connectedness and creativity and whilst focussed on developing literacy in a variety of ways as well as positive relationships, students are actively involved in learning programs covering a wide range of domains. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Why did you want to be an astronaut?2. How long and what training did you do to be selected as an astronaut?3. Does your body react differently in space?4. What different jobs do you do as work on the Space Station?5. What happens if you fall seriously ill on the Space Station?6. What emergency back up plans are there if something very serious happens to the Space Station?7. What was the most difficult part of astronaut training?8. Why is it important to conduct experiments in space?9. Sometimes animals like insects and spiders are taken into space. Have any been hatched in space and does zero gravity affect them?10. What do you do on a typical day?11. Why does food taste differently on the Space Station and do you eat your meals together?12. Does space junk cause a potential problem for the Space Station?13. How many spacewalks have you and the crew done and was it scary?14. What is your favourite food to eat on the Space Station and what food are you missing the most?15. What differences have you noticed in your body while you have been in space and how will you get used to gravity when you return to earth?16. Have any of the past scientific experiments on the Space Station had a real world impact on Earth?17. Why don't you run out of oxygen on the International Space Station?18. How long does it take to get used to zero gravity?19. What plans are there for the future expansion of the International Space Station?20. What types of experiments are you currently running and how does zero gravity affect them?21. Why can the International Space Station stay in orbit around the Earth, without falling?22. How do you communicate with astronauts on the Space Station that come from other countries?23. Is exercising harder in space and do you do any special exercise to help you stay fit?24. What is the most amazing sight you have seen when you looked through your window? 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): 1. 7th International Aerospace School. I.N. Sultanova Rep. Bashkortostan, Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Artemyev Contact is a go for 2018-07-20 20:15 UTC 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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KG6LHW's CM79 trip last Friday afternoon
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Hi! Last Friday, Anthony KG6LHW made a scouting trip to grid CM79 in northern California. This is one of the rarest grids in the continental USA. It isn't an easy place to reach, as KB5WIA discovered when he operated from the CM79/CM89/CN70/CN80 4-grid intersection in 2011: http://kb5wia.blogspot.com/2011/08/cm79-grid-expedition.html KG6LHW ended up working one western SO-50 pass late Friday afternoon, and he uploaded his CM79 log to LOTW in the past hour. He also posted a YouTube video showing where he went, and the SO-50 pass he worked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzo_gdgBNrE Anthony is planning a multi-day trip out there, and wants to get familiar with working SSB/CW satellites before that trip. It will be interesting to see how those plans work out... 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

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new 20ah bioenno battery for sale.
by Matthew Stevens 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

I have a brand new condition 20ah bioenno and charger for sale. It has been charged twice, was used for about 2 hours on the Tortugas this past weekend, and 45 minutes on field day. It's great for use while roving, or for portable HF etc. I bought it as a backup battery for the K4R expedition, and now that we are back home it is just excess to my needs with all the other batteries I own. Including charger, I’m asking $190. You pay shipping. I paid $220 for this battery and charger from HRO a month and a half ago. For a photo, visit the link below. https://twitter.com/matt_nj4y/status/1017814120559796224/photo/1 73, - Matthew nj4y

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Audio file to KISS
by Hans BX2ABT 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Is there a (hopefully Linux) way to turn an audio recording into a KISS file? Why? Because...... I got fairly strong signals from XW2D today and saw the GMSK data stream showing up for the first time. Having no idea about what to do with it I decided to simply record an audio file. I downloaded the XW2 telemetry program from DK3WN's website and after an hour of trying got it to work on Linux, under Wine. But....it only takes KISS files. I googled around a bit, but didn't fine any program or method for turning my audio file into a KISS file. Does anybody have any experience with doing such a thing? Cheers, Hans BX2ABT

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Completed QFH Ant project - WB1FXX
by Francis Geraci 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Hello Sat Heads Just wanted to "share" a project I just finished. It was a really fun VHF satellite antenna project. Great looking and NO "pointy" antenna elements to poke You in the Eye. Here's the kink to the photo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/CAfYxyosnRe3c3zVA Best to the Sat community. WB1FXX

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N8R final wrap up
by aa8ch＠aol.com 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Hi: I have posted some photos and a short recap with statistics from the N8R rove on the N8R QRZ.com page if anyone's interested. Thanks to all for calling me, AMSAT is the best! 73 Chris AA8CH

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Re: [amsat-bb] You can't go wrong with AO-91 and AO-92 (U/V FM)
by k6vug＠sbcglobal.net 16 Jul '18

16 Jul '18

Sorry, looks like Yahoo email did something to the link, here it is again https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11CWQLH7B3qu6BBLm6plXpp3V4XMvssVc Thanks,Umesh On Sunday, July 15, 2018, 4:55:31 PM PDT, H. Stephen Nipper <stephennipper(a)gmail.com> wrote: Your pictures didn't attach. On Sun, Jul 15, 2018 at 5:48 PM, k6vug(a)sbcglobal.net <k6vug(a)sbcglobal.net> wrote: I guess I feel bad for the few hams here and on the air who seem to find it difficult to get on these amazing birds. Below is a link to an ultra-portable ultra light weight setup for working these birds with a HT (4 watts). The Duplexer is zip tied on the short center boom and the coax is just some RG-8X. A set of short (24 inch) home-brew Yagis are set at fixed elevation of about 30 degrees, and don't need any phase angle rotation. The camera mount center rod was replaced with a 1/2 inch PVC pipe, which can be raised to catch very low angle passes, and lowered in windy situations. The HT, a headset, an old android smartphone and a small writing pad completes the setup. AO-91 and AO-92 can be worked down to 3 degrees full quieting, beyond the hills, from my city lot house back yard. See pics Ultra_Portable_Setup_Working_ FM_Satellites - Google Drive | | | | Ultra_Portable_Setup_Working_ FM_Satellites - Google Drive | | | Actually, it would take a bit of work to NOT work these sats, happened once when the coax cables to the duplexer were reversed ! Good luck to the folks trying hard work them, wish I could help... 73! Umesh K6VUG ______________________________ _________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/ listinfo/amsat-bb -- Stephen Nipper Boise, Idaho N7DJX

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