AMSAT-BB July 2020

201 participants
319 discussions

Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellite HT Night Proposal
by Roy Dean 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

> > No doubt that AO-91 and AO-92 may not be the best choice due to the > extreme popularity there, but perhaps AO-27 or SO-50 could be a good > option. Or maybe even PO-101. I would think that if AMSAT is setting the rules (or guidelines), then it should be AMSAT that hosts the event. Therefore I would suggest that ONLY AO-91 and AO-92 be considered. As for getting the word out, I think most of us will listen to a control operator who states "HT use only until XX:XX UTC" (along with a proper callsign ID, of course). There are always those knuckleheads who try to make QSOs against the control operator's wishes, but I'm sure "cancel culture" will take care of them..... (whether or not it's justified is another topic of discussion). Remember experimenter's wednesday? Maybe "experimenter's every-other wednesday".... --Roy K3RLD

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Re: [amsat-bb] Ballots?
by Douglas B Tabor 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

Pony Express is slow out in the wild woolies of Wyoming. Have yet to see a ballot in my mail. And the Wells-Fargo wagon has been by a couple of times since I saw the first ballot received message on the BB. 73, Doug, N6UA Douglas Tabor dtabor52(a)icloud.com

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To repeat . . . again . . .
by Brennan Price 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

Accounting for performance standards of international first class and domestic presorted standard delivery, correctly addressed ballots will not be considered lost in post until August 12. Regarding the format of the election: the bylaws require a mailed ballot, but not necessarily a mailed return. I would have liked to have provided an electronic return option, but that would have incurred costs and restrictions on candidate statement availability. These issues raised concern among the board and officers across the perceived idealogical divide. Accordingly, this election is being conducted by post. Post not infrequently involves waiting. That's why two months are allowed for the return time. Members' understanding of the finality of the timing and method of the election is appreciated. 73 de Brennan N4QX Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

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Re: [amsat-bb] Telling the difference between 50-ohm and 75-ohm N connectors
by Glenn Little WB4UIV 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

The center pin for 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm BNC are the same. The difference in impedance is determine by the dielectric. If you look at a 50 Ohm BNC connector you see dielectric around the center pin for the female and around the inside perimeter for the male. The 75 Ohm BNC is missing this dielectric. It is very easy to see the difference if you know what to look for. The Type N connector impedance is determined by the diameter of the center pin. The 75 Ohm connector had a smaller diameter center pin than does the 50 Ohm connector. To insert a 50 Ohm male Type N connector into a 75 Ohm female will destroy the female center pin. To insert a 75 Ohm male type N connector into a 50 Ohm male may not do any damage, but the connection will be very unreliable. 73 Glenn WB4UIV Retired TV Chief Engineer On 7/25/2020 6:15 PM, GEO Badger via AMSAT-BB wrote: > Same with the 75??? BNC/M connector. > --- > Ciao baby, catch you on the flip side > 73 de W3AB/GEO > > http://www.w3ab.org > > You can say "over", you can say "out", you just can't say "over and out". > > On Saturday, July 25, 2020, 11:52:48 AM PDT, Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: > > > I just ran across this tidbit[1]: > >> Q: How can I tell the difference between a 50 and 75 Ohm N connector? >> A: You can tell the difference by the center pin. A 50 Ohm connector has a pointed pin. A 75 Ohm has a rounded pin. > I've always looked at the center conductor to shield (not ferrule) > distance to make sure I had a 50-ohm version. I don't have any 75-ohm > versions lying about the shack. Can anyone else confirm this? > > I recall, back in my RF engineer days, that we had a whole box of 75-ohm > N connectors which were marked with bright red paint. Woe to the junior > engineer who coupled the 50-ohm and 75-ohm version, which would bend the > center spring fingers on the female connector apart permanently. > > One can also kill a female N connector by mating it with a male PL-259. > I have not done this myself, but I knew someone who did this twice on > his fancy new antenna analyzer and wondering why everything was such a > poor match. :-) > > [1] https://www.showmecables.com/n-male-crimp-connector-lmr-400-belden-9913 > > --- Zach > N0ZGO > _______________________________________________ > 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > > _______________________________________________ > 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: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Glenn Little ARRL Technical Specialist QCWA LM 28417 Amateur Callsign: WB4UIV wb4uiv(a)arrl.net AMSAT LM 2178 QTH: Goose Creek, SC USA (EM92xx) USSVI LM NRA LM SBE ARRL TAPR "It is not the class of license that the Amateur holds but the class of the Amateur that holds the license"

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Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellite HT Night Proposal
by Michael Tondee 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

Seeing this post from Koos talking about an HT with full duplex capabilities makes me wonder how many of you are trying to work these birds without it. I know there are not many full duplex HT's out there that work as well as the ones we used to have but you really are shooting yourself in the foot from the get go if you don't pursue some type of full duplex solution, even if it's two HT's. FM sat night or not, it really should not be that hard to work an FM sat with a 5 watt handheld and a directional antenna. The key is hearing yourself and making sure you actually have the birds "attention". Anyone who tells you that you don't need full duplex to work the sats is doing you a disservice. Sat work of any sort is going to be tough if you go into it with the equivalent measure of " tying one hand behind your back" Just sayin... 73, Michael, W4HIJ Message: 1 Date: Sat, 25 Jul 2020 11:12:19 +0200 From: Koos van den Hout<koos(a)idefix.net> To:[email protected] Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] FM Satellite HT Night Proposal Message-ID:<20200725091219.3hp4sxfiwjg3ahts(a)idefix.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Quoting Walter Holmes via AMSAT-BB who wrote on Sat 2020-07-25 at 00:49: > Any idea what the chances would be of having something like 1 night a week or month, on ONE of the FM birds, that could be reserved for HT access only? > > My thinking on this would be a great way for people to test out their portable or limited satellite stations with a great deal less collisions against all the other much stronger stations. > > I have heard from plenty of people that would like to try a temporary or portable station on the birds, but we all know that?s not even a remote possibility unless your on super early in the morning or late at night. As it happens I was trying a new radio for a portable setup last evening (I bought a KG-UV1K to get full-duplex capabilities). On a not-to-high pass yesterday evening (max 21 degrees elevation with lots of buildings around) I did hear AO-92 and could understand some of the callsigns, but could not get in at all. Mister Ollaaaa was also active on some occassions. I will try again on a higher pass. My plan is to bring it along on an upcoming holiday, which will be in a somewhat rare grid. But since it's a holiday and I'm not sure when a pass will be at a usable time, I'm not going to announce it as an activation. I may just make a few contacts. So I'm the 'target audience' for your idea, and I really think it's a good idea. Koos PE4KH

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Arrow antenna for sale
by n4qwf 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

I have the model 146/437-10wBP arrow antenna I wish to sell. It has the removable duplexer in the handle and is the split boom model. It has 3 elements for VHF and 7 elements for UHF. It is in excellent condition. The new price is $159.00 for this antenna. I am asking $100.00 plus shipping. Thanks <<John

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Telling the difference between 50-ohm and 75-ohm N connectors
by Zach Metzinger 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

I just ran across this tidbit[1]: > Q: How can I tell the difference between a 50 and 75 Ohm N connector? > A: You can tell the difference by the center pin. A 50 Ohm connector has a pointed pin. A 75 Ohm has a rounded pin. I've always looked at the center conductor to shield (not ferrule) distance to make sure I had a 50-ohm version. I don't have any 75-ohm versions lying about the shack. Can anyone else confirm this? I recall, back in my RF engineer days, that we had a whole box of 75-ohm N connectors which were marked with bright red paint. Woe to the junior engineer who coupled the 50-ohm and 75-ohm version, which would bend the center spring fingers on the female connector apart permanently. One can also kill a female N connector by mating it with a male PL-259. I have not done this myself, but I knew someone who did this twice on his fancy new antenna analyzer and wondering why everything was such a poor match. :-) [1] https://www.showmecables.com/n-male-crimp-connector-lmr-400-belden-9913 --- Zach N0ZGO

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Modernized/Efficient Voting [was: Ballots?]
by Ev Tupis 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

The wisdom of the crowd is coming into focus. -Ev, W2EV Doug Faunt N6TQS wrote: Print, sign, scan, email should be an acceptable solution. 73, Doug Jean Marc Momple <jean.marc.momple(a)gmail.com> worte: Therefore, I strongly suggest that electronic vote be put in place or at least the ballots should be sent trough e-mail and scan sign copy of the duly filled document be valid for far away members.

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HEO junk?
by Clint Bradford 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

While looking for the comet from Southern California last night (too low to see through city lights), I saw something right above me … moving … Way too slow to be what I would call “low-earth” stuff … Which meant is was much higher? Is there “HEO junk” out there? Puzzled, Clint K6LCS

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AO7 yesterday
by Joseph Trombino, Jr 25 Jul '20

25 Jul '20

Howdy Gang. Got my SSB preamps installed yesterday and listened for AO7 just for grins. Listened on the beacon frequency 145.700Mhz+/- for a few minutes past AOS and heard nothing. Tuned down into the passband heard a couple of stations…believe I copied KB1HY in FN31 on SSB. Is the beacon still working on AO7? Just getting my feet wet after quite a few years. 73, Joe W2KJ

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AMSAT-BB July 2020