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Post AMSAT Conf ideas
by Robert Bruninga 10 Oct '06

10 Oct '06

The AMSAT conference was very refreshing. When I listen to the speakers, it often inspires me to day dream of neat ideas just for fun. Here are a few that got me thinking: See the WEB page: http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/amsat-ideas.html 1) AMSAT $15 Student Receiver Kit. Rick Hambly proposed some kind of cheap kit for kids to build as student outreach. I suggested a simple up converter to upconvert 145.800 Space Station downlink to 462.5625 MHz for the FRS radios that the kids already have. I'm sure we could do this for really cheap since the kids already have the radio... A little device that wraps around the FRS antenna and has its own 19" antenna. See pictures on the WEB page above. 2) Golf Ball Fundraiser: A few years ago, there was a golf ball company willing to pay 100's of thousands to get a golf ball into space as an AD campaign. We all know the similar SWATCH project was soundly killed by the amateur community because it was in direct violation of the rules. But, such use of someone else's money to BUILD a satellite *can* be done if it is done within the rules. So here is my design challenge to the amateur commuunity for a golf ball 10m to 2m linear satellite transponder for MULTI-USER PSK-31. See: 3) The big-ear "S"band dish for local operations. I posted this before and it is simply using a 1/4th quadrant of an old "C" band TV dish as a nice gain antenna. In fact, save this for all future AMSAT EAGLE microwave links. These dishes are good to Ku band and using only 1/4th of them is much more manageable and easier to mount. And you only lose 12 dB from the 38 dB gain of a full sized one. Thats a nice 26 dB gain antenna that people are throwing away. Oh, and if you find a big dish that is intact, then you get four of these Quardrant antennas for one. And disassembling it into quadrants makes it easier to drag home anyway... Anyway, just some fun thoughts... de Wb4APR, Bob

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QRT to BB
by kc8ran＠cox.net 10 Oct '06

10 Oct '06

I used to look forward to receiving the BB digest daily. It would give me early news related to satellite activities, events coming up, satellite status and most importantly technical advice ranging from antennas to techniques. Lately it's turned into anything but satellite related stuff. Disagreement is fine, but it's become an obsession for too many respondents out there and is frankly taking too much bandwidth. At the end of the day, we either decide to continue or to move on. Remember, this is a hobby and it's supposed to be fun. I decided to move on. Right after this message was sent, I unsubscribed to the BB digest. By the way, I met Bob at Dayton while helping out at the booth this past spring. I also met Drew, Rick, Gould, Emily and Martha and many other active people in AMSAT and amateur satellites. I may not fully agree with what they are doing on a micro level. But on the macro level at least I know we have competent, though maybe not popular people making decisions based on facts and science. I feel they earned the right to continue to make those decisions based not on popularity of those decisions, but by their progress on the open projects. Whatever you think about Echo, and I rarely use it, it is the most versatile bird we have seen launched and a great step back into space for AMSAT-NA. Being able to put a multi-mode, multi-band instrument into the space of a microsat package, and have it perform nearly flawlessly almost immediately doesn't happen by luck or populist decisions. You do the science correctly, practice diligence in execution and things tend to work very well. The leadership team has a difficult task using very limited resources and time to accomplish what it takes professional engineers years to do with bigger budgets. In addition, any sat project has global impacts and is effected by global events. We sometimes get blinded by local concerns that prevent us from seeing the big picture. Personally, I wish I could do more to help AMSAT, but right now the best I can do is work the booth in Dayton in May. Anyway, 73 to all and hope to hear you on the sats. Remember, this is supposed to be fun! de Joe KC8RAN

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Fw: Re: More Clutter on 2.4 GHz
by Tony Stone 10 Oct '06

10 Oct '06

The part 15 rules for 2.4 GHz operation state that a maximum transmitter output of 1 watt with a 6 dbi omni antenna is legal. This is 4 watts eirp. With a directional antenna you must decrease your transmitter power 1 db below 1 watt for every 3 db antenna gain over 6 dbi. Confusing as this may seem, it means that you can have 250 milliwatts of transmitter output with a 24 dbi gain antenna. That is 18 db over the original 6 dbi which is 6 units of 3 db each. This means that the transmitter power must be reduced from 1 watt to 250 milliwatts (6db). This is an effective isotropic radiated power of 64 watts and is perfictly legal. Check the gain of a 36 inch dish at 2.4 GHz and do the calculations to see if it is legal or not. 73 Tony W4TAS ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Langdon" <vk3jed(a)gmail.com> To: "Nate Duehr" <nate(a)natetech.com>; "joseph Murray" <k0vty(a)juno.com> Cc: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Monday, October 09, 2006 4:22 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: More Clutter on 2.4 GHz > At 03:11 AM 10/10/2006, Nate Duehr wrote: > >>Also illegal. Check the FCC's ERP limits for point-to-point 802.11 and >>I believe you'll find that what your ISP did for you is breaking the law. >> >>36" dish + 100 mW looks to me like it's way above the ISM band EIRP >>limits for unlicensed use, since the limit is 100mW EIRP. > > Hmm, I thought your base EIRP was 4W (same as it is here) for 2.4 GHz > wifi (and probably other SS/high speed data networking), and that > under US rules, you could increase that further on point to point > links on a sliding scale (we can't, it's 4W for all antenna > configurations here). > > 73 de VK3JED > http://vkradio.com > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.407 / Virus Database: 268.13.1/466 - Release Date: 10/7/2006 > >

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QRV from DM61 Oct 15-20, 2006
by ka8syx2003＠aol.com 10 Oct '06

10 Oct '06

Hello, Everyone, Business is going to take me next week (Sunday, Oct 15 to midday Friday, Oct 20) to El Paso, TX and I plan to have my Arrow and a pair of HTs with me for portable FM bird operation from my hotel. I haven't any idea if there are already active satellite operators in DM61, but I look forward to trying from it. AO-51 and SO-50 are going to be the chief targets, and in particular evening passes of these sats with max elevation of at least 20-25deg from my portable QTH. I will not have wheels myself, but one of my colleagues will surely rent some and I might be able to get to an adjacent grid if it would generate more interest, probably to the north or east (the boundaries are close to El Paso, I think). Hope to QSO then. 73, Ray KA8SYX ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more.

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AO-51 modes for November/December
by Andrew Glasbrenner 09 Oct '06

09 Oct '06

The AO-51 Operations Group is working on creating a schedule for the months of November and December. We would like to encourage any and all requests for particular modes and mode/date combinations to be submitted this week for consideration. With the holidays approaching we would like to establish a schedule a little further in advance than normal, so that both users and command stations can enjoy the holidays while still meeting the needs and desires of the membership. Please send your requests to ao51-modes(a)amsat.org for consideration by this Friday, October 13, 2006. 73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT VP Operations LM 2332

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Re: More Clutter on 2.4 GHz
by joseph Murray 09 Oct '06

09 Oct '06

Maybe I should put a couple of pence into this for what ever it's worth For the last four years I have had my ISP hook up via 2.4 gHz A Cisco 350 system over a 15 mile connect at 100 mw. Weather has not been a factor. I use a 36 inch vertically polarized dish . 50 feet of LMR 400 coax to the Cisco transceiver. This is possible because the dish looks down a water shed where the fall off is equal to at least 3 feet per mile. That makes trees disappear so to speak. All of this might be a bit unusual , but it is possible. I also use 2.4 gHz for Sat TV extention 3 systems using 433 mHz for data and control . My shack is a separate building 50 feet behind the house. The only interference I had on 2.4 gHz was when Santa provided a telephone remote that was a frequenncy hopper on 2.4 gHz. I gave that back to Santa and asked for 900 mHz spread spectrum unit No more interferrence. And last, I live in a 150 person village 50 miles from all the big city interferrence I see referred to here on the BB 73's Joe Murray K0VTY Amsat # 860 Area Coordinator for NE ============================== On Mon, 9 Oct 2006 00:47:25 +0100 (BST) Trevor <m5aka(a)yahoo.co.uk> writes: > I presume the eventual aim must be world-wide sales to achieve > economies of > scale. Quite frankly 10 km is a joke as you probably wouldn't even > get that > hilltop-to-hilltop. In a real-world environment a max range of 1 km > would be > more likely. > > As I read the latest Ofcom Licence Excemption document it looks like > these > devices may be limited to 100 mW in the UK, see > > http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/exemption/exemption.pdf > > 73 Trevor M5AKA > > --- Roger Kolakowski <rogerkola(a)aol.com> wrote: > > > I googled the product with the "50" at the end of the part number > and > > several sites came up with "claimed" ranges between 5 and 10 > kilometers. > > Because the product seems only to be available in the UK I didn't > convert it > > to miles but I think it's 3-6 of them. > > > > Roger > > WA1KAT > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Trevor" <m5aka(a)yahoo.co.uk> > > To: "AMSAT BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > > Sent: Sunday, October 08, 2006 4:03 PM > > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: More Clutter on 2.4 GHz > > > > > > > --- Roger Kolakowski <rogerkola(a)aol.com> wrote: > > > > > > > And these radios have a range of 5 to 10 kilometers while you > get to > > hold > > > > them up against your head while transmitting! > > > > > > I didn't see any range figures on the website, I'd have though a > max range > > of 1 > > > km (0.6 miles) is more likely. > > > > > > 73 Trevor M5AKA > > > > > > > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > > > The all-new Yahoo! Mail goes wherever you go - free your email > address > > from your Internet provider. > http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the > author. > > > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur > satellite program! > > > Subscription settings: > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ > All new Yahoo! Mail "The new Interface is stunning in its simplicity > and ease of use." - PC Magazine > http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the > author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite > program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > >

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1.2ghz helix 4sale
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 09 Oct '06

09 Oct '06

Hello About a day left on this antenna. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=001&item=110039356818&rd=1…

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Comcast
by Robert McGwier 09 Oct '06

09 Oct '06

Comcast has autoblocked amsat-bb as a source of spam. This is crap of course but it will take some time to get them to fix it. I have not seen a note in my in-box since early Sunday. I really do wish comcast would modify this behavior. This fix has been requested. Bob N4HY -- AMSAT Director and VP Engineering. Member: ARRL, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats, NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. ARRL SDR WG Chair "You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat." - Einstein

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AO-27 status???
by David 09 Oct '06

09 Oct '06

Hello all: I am a AO-27 user from Madrid Spain. I remember some months ago I read a email telling that the AO-27 was going in eclipse and this email is to ask if the eclipse season is over. Is the satellite operative again?. If not... when the Control team expects to have it operative. I have tried this weekend with no success. My last QSO was in May 2006. 73 de David EB4DEH

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It is time to look foward...
by Stefan Wagener 09 Oct '06

09 Oct '06

It is a good time to move on. There was a lot of discussion on both sides of the fence. The board has made a decision to move forward with the Eagle communication package and a clear compromise has emerged. For example: Eagle will have a lot of what was asked for by the membership (see 2004 survey results in the AMSAT Journal Vol 27 # 5). We (the members) asked for Mode U/V and the board responded with: An SSB/CW (etc.) transponder with uplink on U-band and downlink on V-band. System design has a goal that it be usable over 75% of the orbit, as well as a low rate text message system, like SMS. In addition, the membership asked for U/S, V/A and L/S and the board responded with: An SSB/CW (etc.) transponder with uplink on L-band and downlink on S1-band (2.4 Ghz), .and a lot more. There will always be questions and need for discussions. However, I hope that in the future board members will not keep the membership hostage by threatening to leave if they face criticism. I also hope that members will not anymore accuse elected members of running their own agenda, because face it; we all have our agenda and ideas. The difference is that some are willing to work for it as volunteers within AMSAT and move the organization and projects forward. It is important to notice that we all elect the board to make decisions. That's what they did. Now that decisions are made we can look forward to make our dreams of a new HEO a reality. All of the recently elected board members promised to be transparent and communicate their ideas and thoughts with us. In return we need to keep our promise as members to support AMSAT and the projects ahead. Let's keep our promises to each other and together AMSAT will be what we all want it to be, a place where we can enjoy a great hobby and at the same time learn from each other. It is "Thanksgiving" weekend in Canada and I am certainly thankful for all of the amateur radio satellites that "others" have made a reality for me to use and enjoy. I am also thankful for all the new birds in planning and construction that again many "others" are working hard to make into reality. The least I and you can do is to support these initiatives. 73, Stefan, VE4NSA

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