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

CM79 Activation
by Anthony Wiese 11 Jul '18

11 Jul '18

I'm looking to activate CM79 this Saturday and maybe Sunday. I'll be on the FM Birds as well as 20 and 40m. This is a recon expedition for a grander activation later on in the year. I hope to become proficient on the Linear Birds by then to use them next time. Wish me luck,AnthonyKG6LHW.

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FS: Yaesu FT100D HF/VHF/UHF all mode radio
by John Geiger 11 Jul '18

11 Jul '18

I have for sale a Yaesu FT100D HF/6m/2m/70cm transceiver in nice condition that operates like it should, with one small issue. This is the model that does 100 watts on HF and 6 meters, 50 watts on 2 meters, and 20 watts on 70cm. This would make a nice rig for part of a satellite station. Just get another 2 meter or 70cm all mode radio and you are ready to do full duplex on the satellites. It is small enough to take portable on satellite grid expeditions as well. It has DSP noise reduction, mic equalization, an auto notch filter, and a very effective audio peak filter for CW, and bandpass filtering (AF DSP) for SSB. Also has a built in CW memory keyer, and SWR meter. It is a 2000 year model and has had the SWR/Grounding mod done to it. Being a D model it has the 500hz CW filter, TCXO, and CTCSS decode options installed in it at the factory. I tried to plug a couple of different CT-62 computer control cables into the CAT port on the end of the pigtail on the FT100D, and I couldn't get them to fit right. Not sure if there is something wrong with the jack. You might not be able to do computer control with this radio It comes with the power cord, and a almost new MH-48 hand mic. A previous owner did install a couple of circular rubber feet on the front bottom, but these won't interfere with the prop up feet if you want to use them. I am asking $420 shipped in the US for the radio, and can take paypal/check/MO. 73 John AF5CC

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Spid RAS rotor issue
by kb2mjeff＠att.net 11 Jul '18

11 Jul '18

Looks like the elevation up relay is fried in my RAS controller box. I'm going to take Harald's advice and replace all 4. Before I order the parts has anyone else experienced a relay failure with their RAS? If so what relay did you replace it with, make, part # ? I'm at this time running the controller and rotor at 13.8 volts, was going to try 28 volts to the rotor with the Spid approved mod, but now not so sure :-) 73 Jeff kb2m -----Original Message----- From: Harald Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2018 7:07 PM To: kb2mjeff(a)att.net Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Spid RAS rotor issue Hello Kb2m jeff, I don't know if you have ELFA over there but from elfa the part nr. is PCB power relay 12VDC 400mW 137-44-376. It is more or less a standard relay. They are a littel bit hard to get out of the pcb but I used solder sucking wick as they called it, you may have to resolder some points to get it totally free. Not too much heat, ,,,,take some breaks :-) good luck in finding them. Harald la7qta Wednesday, July 11, 2018, 12:34:25 AM, you wrote: > Hi Harald. thank you for the reply. I'm sure my control box has a failed > relay also. I hear a faint click when going both ways in azimuth, but only > hear a click on down elevation. So I'm sure the up elevation relay is > defective. I'm going to take your advice and swap out all four relays. > Would > you be so kind to give me a part number and a source of the relays you > replaced with. Thanks in advance.... > 73 Jeff kb2m > -----Original Message----- > From: Harald > Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2018 3:07 PM > To: kb2mjeff(a)att.net > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Spid RAS rotor issue > Hello Kb2m jeff, > I recently had the exact same problem but the rotor was running. > To get it out of that position I took the plug out of the az > conn. and put the conn. from ez into az and drove it all the way > around again. they are equaly pinned. test which way you have to > rotate with the az buttons,,,,(or connect 12v with the right > polarity to the ez plug directly),,,,,,, much easyer to use the az conn. > I replaced the 4 relays, zeroed the controller and all is working > again. > The relays are some cheap ones so the best is to change them > anyway. > I have used it for 3 years and had truble before with those. > Hope this will help in solving your problems ! > Best 73's > Harald > LA7QTA > PS: questions,,,just ask ! > Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 12:32:26 PM, you wrote: >> I’m having a problem with my RAS rotor at my winter home. When I turned >> it >> on yesterday, after an absence of about 2 months the elevation went into >> a >> complete backflip when powered up, and is jammed against the roof with an >> elevation reading of 195 degrees on the control box. I’m at my Florida >> home for just a few weeks to do some fishing, so before starting to work >> on it to maybe speed up the repair process a bit I’m asking here if >> anyone >> else had this problem. When the roof dries off I plan on going up there >> and remove the antennas before trying to move the rotor, to diagnose. >> Right now the azimuth will turn, but the elevation is stuck, it wont move >> up or down. I’m hoping it is just jammed into the roof, once unstuck >> hopefully all it would need is a re-calibration. Thanks for any useful >> information.... >> 73 Jeff kb2m --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com

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WARNING -- PHISHING masquerading as amsat.org
by Jim Sanford 10 Jul '18

10 Jul '18

All: Just deleted a phishing email which purported to be from the webmaster -- my account is full and will be deleted unless I clicked a link, which did NOT go to amsat.org. Beware! 73, Jim wb4gcs(a)amsat.org --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Re: [amsat-bb] Trying to understand downlink corrections
by k6vug＠sbcglobal.net 10 Jul '18

10 Jul '18

A big thank you for all the replies ! W3AB/GEO, Just to clarify, SatPC32 has the latest TLEs and does all the work during the pass. However, at AOS I have to apply a small correction to the downlink frequency (via SatPC32's feature) in order to zero beat the CW beacon. After that, it tracks nicely throughout the pass. So my question was (a) why do I need the correction and (b) why is the correction different for different satellites. Jay, Thanks, I did calibrate it as much as SDRsharp would allow and it seems to be dead-on for ground VHF transmissions. Assuming it was still off by a little, I thought it would be off by the same amount for all satellites. Alan, Thanks for the detailed explanation, the temperature based drift was my first guess due to the size limitations. I had not thought of the component degradation and esp., seasonal changes and the PC clock. Pedro, Thanks for the TLE updating tip. I guess TLEs change to keep up with orbit drift, etc. right? Again, thanks everyone, this is fascinating and it looks like there is no way to "Set-it-and-Forget-it"... So, for now, I'm making a list of downlink corrections for the satellites that I'm playing with and that have a CW beacon. Some day, if I get my hands on some SDR code I may look into adding auto-zero-beat like FLDIGI or DM780 or CWGET. Best 73s, Umesh k6vug On Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 12:59:21 PM PDT, W3AB/GEO <w3ab(a)yahoo.com> wrote: Umesh, Are you asking about doppler corrections that must be made during the operation or a fixed frequency before you start? ___ Sent from my two way wrist watch 73 de W3AB/GEOOn Jul 10, 2018, at 12:43, Jay Cox via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: Don't forget your SDR could be off by a few parts per million in frequency if you haven't calibrated it to a known frequency source. At 435 MHz, being off by 3 parts per million would translate to a 3*435 =1305 Hz or 1.305 KHz offset from the actual intended frequency of reception. Jay F. CoxKG5BZW "Knowledge can only exist if doubt is possible." -- stolen from an amazon.com review of "On Certainty:" by by Ludwig Wittgenstein. On Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 1:43:09 PM CDT, Alan <wa4sca(a)gmail.com> wrote: Umesh, There are two primary satellite issues. First, the published frequencies are usually nominal values obtained during ground checkout. Over time due to normal component aging, radiation, loss of voltage regulation, etc they can drift. The second is the temperature effect you mentioned. You will find that the beacon and transponder calibration will change slightly with the spacecraft temperature as it goes through periods of eclipse and full illumination. There is also a slight seasonal shift which you can see. This is most prominent in CubeSats which have very little thermal inertia. Also, the are tradeoffs to be made in terms of power consumption, radiation resistance, and performance. AO-7 also drifts due to the lack of a battery to stabilize the voltage. Another issue is your station computer clock. They can drift rather badly, and the operating system may not do a very good job of syncing them with a reliable time standard. There are some free programs which do an excellent job available. 73, Alan WA4SCA <-----Original Message----- <From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of <k6vug(a)sbcglobal.net <Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2018 12:28 PM <To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> <Subject: [amsat-bb] Trying to understand downlink corrections < <Greetings, <I have been using a SDR dongle to receive the downlinks of SSB satellites. The <combination of SatPC32's Downlink Correction feature and the SDR's visual <display helps to zero beat the CW beacon exceptionally well. The Lat/Lon is <good to 6 decimals. However, I find that the downlink correction needed is <quite different for different satellites. Could it be due to rounding off errors or <due to temperature variations at the satellite itself ? Maybe this has been <explained earlier, but I wonder why ? < <Obviously, the more I learn, shows how less I know... Thanks for any pointers <! < <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

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Trying to understand downlink corrections
by k6vug＠sbcglobal.net 10 Jul '18

10 Jul '18

Greetings, I have been using a SDR dongle to receive the downlinks of SSB satellites. The combination of SatPC32's Downlink Correction feature and the SDR's visual display helps to zero beat the CW beacon exceptionally well. The Lat/Lon is good to 6 decimals. However, I find that the downlink correction needed is quite different for different satellites. Could it be due to rounding off errors or due to temperature variations at the satellite itself ? Maybe this has been explained earlier, but I wonder why ? Obviously, the more I learn, shows how less I know... Thanks for any pointers ! 73! Umesh k6vug

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Space Port Area Conference for Educators (SPACE), Kennedy Space Center, FL
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 10 Jul '18

10 Jul '18

An International Space Station school contact has been planned at the Space Port Area Conference for Educators (SPACE), Kennedy Space Center, FL with participating students from Burns Science and Technology Charter School in Oak Hill, FL. on 13 July. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 14:00 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 W6SRJ. The contact should be audible over the west coast of the U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. Burns Science and Technology Charter School is a K-8 public charter school operating within the Volusia County School District. It is a tuition free school, with an open admission policy. It is located in a rural area in the town of Oak Hill, Florida. The school is a STEM school, offering core curriculum, with emphasis on science, technology, and 21st century skills. The school has a strong belief that in order to prepare students for success in the 21st century, today's learners must be able to think critically and creatively, work collaboratively, and master an ever-growing arena of skills. The school has 450 students, 25 classroom teachers, seven special area teachers, and two teaching assistants. The school's mission is to cultivate learners and leaders who are inspired, able, and prepared to make a positive difference in the world. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What is the most valuable item you've ever found or discovered in space? 2. What experiments or items do you think would best help astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft on the trip to Mars? 3. Do they allow you to bring any lucky charms aboard the ISS? What did or would you bring as your lucky charm? 4. In 12 years, do you think you might get to go to Mars in the Orion MPCV for EM-2? 5. What do you want to do as soon as you get back home? 6. How does CIMON stabilize in antigravity? And, can CIMON be used as a Wi-Fi hotspot for games? 7. Does CIMON have the capability to monitor air quality (gasses in particular), and are there multiple air quality sensors throughout the different sections of the ISS? 8. Yesterday was my birthday, how many birthdays have been celebrated aboard the ISS? 9. Will absolute zero ever be accomplished in the ISS, and if so, will the cooled atoms in the CAL have no motion at all; creating a wonderful opportunity to observe and experiment with quantum physics? 10. What does it feel like wearing a spacesuit? Have there been any special suit modifications for astronauts who are more sensitive to having things touch their skin? 11. Is Commander Drew Feustel going to try to beat his third-place record for cumulative time spacewalking during this mission? 12. What sensors are used to collect data and determine the amount of Cosmic rays aboard the ISS? And who monitors that data over time? 13. How do you draw blood in space for all the experiments requiring that? Do you have to use a special type of syringe? 14. Is your daily routine regimented to a time zone, or can you sleep, wake, and work at times you choose? 15. How long did it take to make CIMON and get it approved for this mission, and has anyone nicknamed it "HAL" yet? 16. Do ambient noises sound different in the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) compared with the other sections of the ISS, and can you please record ambient sounds inside the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) for us? 17. What happens if you take apart a jumbled Rubik's cube and reassemble it correctly in front of CIMON? Will it detect that as cheating and call you out on it? 18. Would Infrared lights help the High Definition Earth Viewing (HDEV) cameras to see Earth when the ISS is looking at the night sides? 19. Have you watched the new episodes of BattleBots on Discovery Channel? Our school S.T.E.A.M. Director JediJill, and I, and Ethan, and Cayden, and Sara from Team Kraken-BattleBots are all here today. Our robot's primary weapon is a pneumatic crusher. What kind of pneumatics are used on board the ISS or the Soyuz? 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. Essex Heights Primary School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via VK4KHZ. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT Contact is a go for: Tue 2018-07-17 08:24 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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Spid RAS rotor issue
by kb2mjeff＠att.net 10 Jul '18

10 Jul '18

I’m having a problem with my RAS rotor at my winter home. When I turned it on yesterday, after an absence of about 2 months the elevation went into a complete backflip when powered up, and is jammed against the roof with an elevation reading of 195 degrees on the control box. I’m at my Florida home for just a few weeks to do some fishing, so before starting to work on it to maybe speed up the repair process a bit I’m asking here if anyone else had this problem. When the roof dries off I plan on going up there and remove the antennas before trying to move the rotor, to diagnose. Right now the azimuth will turn, but the elevation is stuck, it wont move up or down. I’m hoping it is just jammed into the roof, once unstuck hopefully all it would need is a re-calibration. Thanks for any useful information.... 73 Jeff kb2m --- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-07-10 02:00 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 10 Jul '18

10 Jul '18

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-07-10 02:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Space Port Area Conference for Educators (SPACE), Kennedy Space Center, FL (CASIS#4), telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for: Fri 2018-07-13 14:00:22 UTC 42 deg Essex Heights Primary School, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, telebridge via VK4KHZ (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS (***) The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT (***) Contact is a go for: Tue 2018-07-17 08:24:52 UTC 85 deg (***) ****************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ******************************************************************************* All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. ******************************************************************************* Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 132 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 129 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Sergey RV3DR with 103 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2018-07-10 02:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1236. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1184. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2018-06-28 19:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 55 on orbit Drew Feustel Oleg Artemyev Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Exp. 56 on orbit Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT Alexander Gerst KF5ONO Sergei Propopev **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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ANS-190 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT-NA Files Comments on FCC Docket
by JoAnne Maenpaa 09 Jul '18

09 Jul '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-190.01 In this Special Bulletin: * AMSAT-NA Files Comments on FCC Docket #18-86 Small Satellite Licensing Procedures SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-190.01 ANS-190 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 190.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE July 9, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-190.01 On July 9, 2018, AMSAT filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission on their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking In the Matter of Streamlining Licensing Procedures for Small Satellites (International Bureau Docket #18-86). AMSAT's comments as filed can be found at: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filing/10709067911864 (A copy of AMSAT's comments document can be accessed on the ECFS page, using the Document Download link) In the comments, AMSAT reviewed the significant contributions made by the organization and the amateur radio community. The comments note that the many scientific and technological achievements made by AMSAT satellites directly led to many groups, including government, non-profit, and commercial organizations becoming interested in developing small satellites of their own. AMSAT also discussed the suitability of authorizing certain satellites built by universities and non-profit organizations in the amateur satellite service and expressed opposition to satellites licensed as experimental under Part 5 of the Commission's regulations operating in the amateur satellite service bands. Interested parties may file reply comments on or before August 7, 2018. [ANS thanks AMSAT Executive Vice-President, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM for the above information] /EX

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