January 2019 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

AO-85 recent post on the BB
by Jean Marc Momple 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

Dear All, Just to say that I made a few QSO (to myself) on AO-85 these days and received strong signal from the Bird. 73 Jean Marc (3B8DU)

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OrigamiSat-1 granted FO-98 OSCAR number
by Andrew Glasbrenner 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

On January 18, 2019, OrigamiSat-1 was launched on an Epsilon launch vehicle from the JAXA Uchinoura Space Center in Japan. The first satellite of the ORIGAMI (ORganizatIon of research Group on Advanced deployable Membrane structures for Innovative space science) Project of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, OrigamiSat-1 includes a deployable membrane structure experiment, as well as a 5.8GHz high speed downlink experiment. Telemetry has been received and decoded around the world since the launch. More information may be found at http://www.origami.titech.ac.jp/ At the request of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, AMSAT hereby designates OrigamiSat-1 as Fuji-OSCAR 98 (FO-98). We congratulate the owners and operators of FO-98, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects. 73, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator

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Lunar-OSCAR 94 will reach EOL around August
by Nico Janssen 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

All, BG2BHC announced last week that Lunar-OSCAR 94 has successfully carried out a maneuver to reduce its perilune, so that the spacecraft will impact the lunar surface around August this year. This is done to avoid space junk in lunar orbit. For the time being normal operations with LO 94 continue, so further telemetry transmissions will be planned and pictures of the Moon and Earth will be transmitted. The satellite is also available for digital QSO experiments. 73, Nico PA0DLO

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Question abt the moon rover on the far side
by k6vug＠sbcglobal.net 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

Sorry if off-topic but I have a burning question and thought I'd ask here... So far I haven't come across any info about how the earth stations are communicating with the rover on the far side of the moon. I always assumed that once anything went to the far side, comms was essentially down, plus the far side of the moon always remain the far side. So, is there a "mother-ship" that is acting as a reflector or relay ? Just curious... Thanks, Umesh k6vug

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AMSAT at Yuma (Arizona) Hamfest - 15-16 February 2019
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

Hi! I will have an AMSAT booth at the Yuma Hamfest in southwestern Arizona on Friday and Saturday, 15-16 February 2019. This year's hamfest also serves as the 2019 ARRL Southwestern Division Convention. The hamfest will be at the Yuma County Fairgrounds, along 32nd Street between Pacific Avenue and Avenue 3E, and south of I-8 exit 3, in Yuma. The fairgrounds is across the street from Yuma International Airport and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, More information about the hamfest is available from: http://www.yumahamfest.org/ During the hamfest, I will have demonstrations of satellite operating from outside the main hall on the fairgrounds. If you hear WD9EWK on passes during those two days, please feel free to call and be a part of the demonstrations. I may not be able to work every possible pass from the hamfest, but hope to work a variety of passes in FM, SSB, and even packet. The hamfest site is in grid DM22. Contacts made with WD9EWK will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, and QSL cards for contacts made with WD9EWK will be available on request after the hamfest (please e-mail me directly with the QSO details). During the hamfest, I will use my @WD9EWK Twitter account to post updates from the hamfest. If you do not use Twitter, you can still see these updates in a web browser at: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK Hope to see you in Yuma, or - if you can't make it there - please call WD9EWK if you hear a demonstration in progress during the hamfest. Thanks, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

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WD9EWK @ DM12/DM22 line on 17 February 2019
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

Hi! After the end of the upcoming Yuma Hamfest, I plan to make a drive west to the DM12/DM22 grid boundary along I-8 near the west end of California's Imperial Valley on Sunday, 17 February 2019. I hope to work passes for a few hours out there, with much cooler weather than what I experienced last July when I was previously out there. :-) The DM12/DM22 grid boundary, at the town of Ocotillo, is in Imperial County. While I am out there on the 17th, I will use my @WD9EWK Twitter account to send updates. Even without a Twitter account, these updates will be visible in a web browser at: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK My travel out to the DM12/DM22 line should be visible on APRS as WD9EWK-9: http://aprs.fi/WD9EWK-9 All QSOs made from the DM12/DM22 line will be uploaded to Logbook of the World after I return home. If you would like a QSL card, please e-mail me directly with the QSO details. Thanks, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

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WD9EWK @ DM31, next Saturday (2 February 2019)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 27 Jan '19

27 Jan '19

Hi! I will make a drive out to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and the rarely-heard grid DM31, next Saturday (2 February 2019). I hope to be out there by 1600 UTC, staying until sunset - approximately 6pm local time, or 0100 UTC. I may try to park on the DM31/DM32 grid boundary for some passes, but more than likely I will be somewhere near the national monument's visitor center - a few miles north of the USA/Mexico border along Arizona route 85. This area is in the northeast corner of grid DM31, Pima County. I will work FM and SSB satellite passes that fall within that timeframe, along with some FalconSat-3 passes. Being near the international border, coverage by the mobile phone and terrestrial APRS networks gets spotty. I hope to be able to send updates from DM31 using my @WD9EWK Twitter account - visible in a web browser at: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK I don't think I will have APRS coverage near the border, but much of my travels next Saturday should appear on APRS as WD9EWK-9: http://aprs.fi/wD9EWK-9 All contacts made from DM31 will be uploaded to Logbook of the World after the day-trip. If you would like to receive a QSL card for contacts made with WD9EWK in DM31, please e-mail me directly with the QSO details. If you are in the log, I'll send you a card. No need to send me QSL cards or SASEs to get my QSL card. Thanks, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

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Easy Satellite Pass Grouping
by Robert Bruninga 26 Jan '19

26 Jan '19

I just found an easy way to get a printout off all amateur satellites for the Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Overnight. I have long been challenged to be able to easily recommend to students a good list of satellites to go track during class hours. Now I have an easy way. Just go to heavens-above.com and select Amateur satellites - all passes. Then when the page comes up, select PRINT and it comes out to 4 pages. (for me anyway)... When I did it around 1 PM, I got the pages roughly split to the four groups above. For classes, I can toss the evening and overnight and have two pages for my students to find a pass during class times. These are usually good for several days (not exact times) but for quickly assessing at a glance, what satellites are generally coming over this week during the 8 AM to 6 PM class times. I do not show them the list, they are supposed to PREDICT a satellite pass time by themselves, but this bundling gives me an easy list from which to suggest good possibilities. Of course, you have to be sure to enter your ground station location and your latitude will make a difference to the total number of satlliites involved. Your mileage may vary! Bob, WB4APR

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Winterfield day and FM satellites
by Tom Schuessler 26 Jan '19

26 Jan '19

Can anybody please clarify, if with winter field day, do the FM satellite rules of one contact per FM satellite remain as they are in Summer field day? Thanks. Tom N5HYP Sent from my iPhone

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M2 LEO Pack Coax Routing
by Frank Karnauskas 25 Jan '19

25 Jan '19

I am ready to hang my LEO pack but I would appreciate some clarification on routing the coax off of the beams. The instructions read: "Allow coax to hang in a loop between the rear end of the boom and the reattachment point (at least 12" beyond the element tips) on the mast or cross boom. Do not route feed line to boom-to-mast plate as exiting antenna here will adversely affect circular field." In the first sentence they say to hang the loop from the rear end of the boom but in the second sentence they say not run the feed line to the boom-to-mast plate...which is at the rear end of the boom. Anything anyone can share to help my simple mind understand what works will be greatly appreciated. 73, Frank N1UW We have no problems, only insurmountable opportunities.

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