December 2021 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Problems with nasabare.txt
by Mark Johns, K0JM 03 Jan '22

03 Jan '22

A number of operators are reporting difficulties with SatPC32 this morning after updating the nasabare.txt file. The problem is that a second set of Keps appears to have been appended to the first, so that each satellite is listed twice. A fix is to find and open the nasabare.txt file in a text editor, and to find the second time that AO-07 appears in the list. Then block and delete that second entry and all that follows. An alternative is to use a different element set, or delay updating, until the issue is resolved. -- Mark D. Johns, KØJM AMSAT Ambassador & News Service Editor Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd ----------------------------------------------- "Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain

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FUNcube mode change: silent during eclipses
by wouter weggelaar 03 Jan '22

03 Jan '22

Hi All, FUNcube-1 (AO-73) mode has been changed. It will be in telemetry mode in sunlight and silent during eclipse. This will allow the team to gather valuable telemetry, including energy consumption and battery health in current illumination conditions. This is not an error! We are grateful for the continued uploading of telemetry data to the Amsat-UK data warehouse, and the continued support of everyone in gathering it! 73s, Wouter PA3WEG FUNcube operations team

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Re: SatPC32 problem- Access is denied
by Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC 02 Jan '22

02 Jan '22

You're right: running the program under my Admin profile is not the same as "Run as Admin", and I'd forgotten to try that. Intermittent problems can be annoyingly slow to show themselves, but I'll go down that rabbit hole and start over. 73, Jim, ND9M -----Original Message----- From: Roger Heindl <rwheindl(a)gmail.com> To: Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC <claryco(a)aol.com> Sent: Tue, Dec 28, 2021 4:54 pm Subject: Re: [AMSAT-BB] Re: SatPC32 problem- Access is denied In case it isn't the cable, have you tried running SatPC32 as administrator also? 73,AC9BT On Tue, Dec 28, 2021 at 12:55 AM Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: I feel your pain, Larry. I have seen the very same thing happen on my end a bunch of times; it doesn't happen regularly, but it happens enough that I have to keep a close watch on SatPC32. I'm a full time RVer, so all of my operating is portable. When I operate from what I consider my home grid (EM70), it's generally not that big of a deal, but it's happened during roving trips too. If the truck is disconnected from the fifth wheel, I'll set up on the tail gate; otherwise, I'll use a small folding table from Wally World and set up on that. My IC-9700 is controlled usually by an Asus netbook but sometimes by an HP laptop; both are Windows 10. I've used a variety of cables, but for the last couple months have been using a Tripp Lite cable with ferrite chokes on both end. My thinking was that the problem is RFI related, so I've taken to keeping the laptop separated from the rig by as much distance as possible and in the opposite direction from the current satellite pass' general azimuth. After I started spacing the rig and laptop farther apart, I don't see the problem occur as much, but it still does occasionally. Most times, I discover SatPC32 has crashed because I hear my downlink signal "take off" and I start sounding like Donald Duck. A quick glance at the Tracking menu invariably shows that the Cat control has become disabled, i.e. "C+" has become "C-". My eyesight isn't what it used to be, so spotting that change gets a little tricky since the laptop is farther away from the rig. I get the "Access Denied" message when clicking the "X" too. Closing the program with Alt F -> Q and then restarting it usually does the trick, but sometimes I have to do a full laptop reboot as well as disconnect and reconnect the USB cable. One laptop has two USB ports and the other has three, and I've seen the same thing happen on all ports. (Thankfully, the port assignment doesn't change when I move the USB cable around, but I keep a watch on that too just in case.) So far, I've noticed these symptoms happen only on U/V birds, not V/U. Also, I've seen this happen regardless of when I'm using my User account or Admin account. I'm interested to see what you find out. I'll let you know if I figure something out. 73, Jim, ND9M -----Original Message----- From: Larry Ryan <llryan807(a)gmail.com> To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Sent: Mon, Dec 27, 2021 7:28 pm Subject: [AMSAT-BB] SatPC32 problem- Access is denied This problem has occurred a few times during a pass. SatPC32 stops working (I can see its not updating the frequencies) and whenever I click the tone control (T0, T1) I get the message "Access is denied" and the Countdown window dissappears. If I click OK on the message popup, the window reappears. It gets worse;In order to restore operation meaning to get doppler control so I can make a sat QSO, I need to restart SatPC32 but when I click the X, I get the error message. I must click File, Quit. By this time, the pass is over. Restarting SatPC32 does restore normal operation. This problem is intermittent. Most of the time, SatPC32 works well with my IC-9700. The PC is running Win10. Do these symptoms point to a known issue or do I just reinstall everything? ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/amsat-bb@amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/amsat-bb@amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org

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XW-3 issues and tips for success?
by John Brier 31 Dec '21

31 Dec '21

So, I tried XW-3/CAS-9 on the first orbit and once later but didn't have any luck finding myself on the downlink. I want to try again but it seems the bird has issues and I'd like to understand more about those issues so I can have better luck next time I try. On Twitter I've heard others say the sat is weak, has high SWR, not a sensitive receiver, noisy at TCA, fluctuating AGC, etc. It's also possible that the RX sensitivity issue is only bad at the edges of the passband, forcing people to work in the center. Has anyone confirmed that? What's up with the AGC? What kind of uplink power/ERP is required/recommended? Maybe we can come up with some general tips to make successful contacts on this bird more likely. 73, John Brier KG4AKV https://twitter.com/k8yse/status/1476022600593809411 https://twitter.com/k8yse/status/1476047464796987400 https://twitter.com/dk3wn/status/1476276565285687312

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Problem with SatPC32 and new Bird
by Richard Lawn 31 Dec '21

31 Dec '21

I thought I had everything set up for XW-3(CAS-9) perfectly until I went to update the Keps today. After updating Keps (NASAbare) I could not close the window and kept getting a German error message which of course I have no idea what it means. I'll try and attach the message though I suspect it might be stripped. 73 and HNY Rick, W2JAZ

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Re: SatPC NASAbare problem
by Richard Lawn 31 Dec '21

31 Dec '21

Sorry for the post but I didn't see the earlier notice. All fixed now! 73 HNY Rick, W2JAZ

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SatPC32 Problem
by Richard Lawn 31 Dec '21

31 Dec '21

Sorry....getting old and forgot the attachment showing the error message. Rick, W2JAZ

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Happy new year
by Jean Marc Momple 31 Dec '21

31 Dec '21

Dear All, Happy New Year to you and to your QTH. I just hope that Americas and Asia (Region 2 & 3) will be able have a GEOs (such as QO-100) which was a great success particularly for ITU Region 1 (and some parts of Region 2 & 3), thanks to Amsat-DL and QARS. In spite LEO FM birds are very popular in the Northern hemisphere it is quite useless here in the South, particularly for remote islands in the middle of the oceans, so my first wish is really for a HEO enabling global QSO’s. So, happy new year also to all HAM satellite projects which will consolidate the hobby presence in space and enable global activities. 73 In my personal name and also on behalf of our association as President of the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society (MARS) Jean Marc (3B8DU) C.c The secretary MARS

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-12-31 17:00 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 31 Dec '21

31 Dec '21

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-12-31 17:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Scouts Victoria (Radio and Electronics Team), Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia, via AB1OC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The scheduled crewmember is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP Contact is go for: Tue 2022-01-04 11:27:32 UTC 60 deg Do not forget but going on right now are the SSTV transmissions from the ISS. Listen on 145.800 MHX FM and use SSTV mode PD120. The transmissions are scheduled to run from 2021-12-26 18:25 UTC to 2021-12-31 at about 17:05 UTC. The signal should be receivable on a handheld transceiver with a quarter-wave whip antenna. Use the widest filter for 25 kHz channel spacing. The ARISS-SSTV blog has more information, http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/. The next mode change to voice cross band repeater is expected to occur in early January, 2022. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html ######################################################################################################################################## A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home. **************************************************************************************************************************************** ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates. Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements at https://www.ariss.org/ The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19: Postponed: No new schools Cancelled: No new schools **************************************************************************************************************************************** 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 2021-12-31 17:00 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. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2021-12-21 18:00 UTC. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ARISS Contact Applications (United States) Sept. 11, 2021 --- The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal was November 24th, 2021 and has now closed. For future proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Webinars, go to www.ariss.org. 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 ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ARISS Contact Applications (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) Schools and Youth organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East interested in setting up an ARISS radio contact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station are invited to submit an application from September to October and from February to April. Please refer to details and the application form at www.ariss-eu.org/school-contacts. Applications should be addressed by email to: school.selection.manager(a)ariss-eu.org ARISS Contact Applications (Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Australia and Russia) +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Organizations outside the United States can apply for an ARISS contact by filling out an application. Please direct questions to the appropriate regional representative listed below. If your country is not specifically listed, send your questions to the nearest ARISS Region listed. If you are unsure which address to use, please send your question to the ARISS-Canada representative; they will forward your question to the appropriate coordinator. For the application, go to: https://www.ariss.org/ariss-application.html. ARISS-Canada and the Americas, except USA: Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD email to: ve3tbd(a)gmail.com ARISS-Japan, Asia, Pacific and Australia: Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ email to: ariss(a)iaru-r3.org, Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) https://www.jarl.org/ ARISS-Russia: Soyuz Radioljubitelei Rossii (SRR) https://srr.ru/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 unless otherwise noted. ******************************************************************************* 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 https://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? Please note that the HamTV system has been brought back to earth for troubleshooting. Please monitor ARISS-EU or ARISS-ON for the very latest news on the troubleshooting efforts. 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 The HamTV webpage: https://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/ **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulates the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Sergey RV3DR with 159 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 144 Francesco IKØWGF with 141 Gaston ON4WF with 124 Peter IN3GHZ with 107 **************************************************************************** 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. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1491. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1417. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 48. Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: South Dakota, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: https://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, FXØISS, GB1SS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correcti… Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 64 on orbit Pyotr Dubrov Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP Exp. 65 on orbit Anton Shkaplerov SpaceX Crew-3 on orbit Raja Chari KI5LIU Thomas Marshburn KE5HOC Matthias Maurer KI5KFH Kayla Barron KI5LAL **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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EM03 Friday and Saturday
by John Geiger 30 Dec '21

30 Dec '21

I am going to be in EM03 Friday afternoon thru Saturday afternoon and will make what satellite passes I can. I will try to announce upcoming passes I know I will be on on twitter, as best as I can. Hope to work some of you and give EM03 to those who need it. 73 John AF5CC

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