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AO-51 38k4 report
by Douglas Quagliana 25 Sep '06

25 Sep '06

Hi, No 38k4 packets received here on the first pass, but I think I found one of the problems. Still six more days to get all the pieces working together at the same time... Douglas KA2UPW/5

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Why do the amsats get more and more complex?
by Jason White 25 Sep '06

25 Sep '06

This is intended to be an honest question that I've wanted to ask, but I don't want to spark controversy or long threads that monopolize the reflector. I have a feeling this could go either way, so I'm just asking politely that the thread not go that way! It's not my intent. Anyway, I'm just curious why it seems that every new satellite project proposed seems to be bigger and more complex than the last? I keep hearing about exotic modes and uplink/downlink bands for P3E.. software defined transceivers, etc. etc. and what it looks like to me are more and more failure points. I understand the need to push the limits of technology as a justification for our very existence, but personally I feel like the designs are overly complicated and highly priced. I'm not ready to switch my earth station to SDRs, for instance.. I'm dubious about putting one into orbit.. then again, I'm not skilled enough to make those sorts of decisions. What I'm getting at is that Oscar 7 proved how reliable older technology can be.. For the price of one of the phase 3 birds it seems like several Mode B linear transponder sats could be put up, or a few more FM sats. I personally would much rather see a modest mode B sat in AO-40s intended orbital pattern than to try to wrangle parts for microwave. Did it get too easy for people or something? Wouldn't it be better to separate out some of the more experimental stuff from the old standbys? That way a failure of one whole sat would still leave something usable for the same money spent. My vote would be to piggyback a completely independent analog satellite onto P3E "just in case". Like I said, please, I'm looking for a real, thought out response.. I didn't write the above to be a critque or to troll or anything like that, I am just curious because it seems to me, as an outside observer, that after the failure of AO-40 the direction was to go bigger and even more complicated, which left me cold considering what I had done at my station to work AO-40. Even when AO-40 was up I felt it was very odd that time and money were spent on components and systems that were never used (did the solar panels ever deploy?) Yes, I know the sat was damaged, and that explains a good bit of it, but it still felt like some things were wasted. Emphasis on "felt".. I couldn't know the real process that resulted in the decisions made. If someone could help me understand why the direction is the way it is maybe I could get excited about the bigger sats, but I think you get more "bang for the buck" with the smaller less complicated birds. My favorite so far is PCSat I. Mostly off the shelf hardware and I had a very easy time digipeating APRS through it. One of those in an elliptical orbit would be a hoot! 73s, Jason - N1XBP P.S. - One last plea, this isn't a troll! I'm worried people will think it is.

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38k4 Report
by Bruce 25 Sep '06

25 Sep '06

BB Received solid DCD indicator for both TNC31S & Spirit-2 TNC's I have. Tlmecho main downlink view showed tlm data faster then 96k. Switched to Wisp & received some d/l data. Tried to upload a file but could not get logged in, try again next pass. 73 Bruce KG4YEV

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Is anyone going to record the Symposium presentations?
by Douglas Quagliana 25 Sep '06

25 Sep '06

Hi, It looks like I will not be able to attend the Symposium this year (unless a ride to the Symposium magically appears). In previous years there was (sometimes) a plan to record the presentations and then make the recordings available to those who could not attend. Is there a plan this year to make recordings? Douglas "Will record for transportation" :-)

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HITSAT 23:19UTC
by Bruce Hopkins - KL7H 25 Sep '06

25 Sep '06

2330 UTC 24-Sept-06 Still no CW on this orbit at my location in NW Georgia (EM74EX)... 81 degree pass S to N... Copied strong CW call sign, first orbit after launch... 73 - Bruce - KL7H / 4 AMSAT #4679

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Eagle Frequencies
by Bill Bruno 25 Sep '06

25 Sep '06

I'm trying to design, on paper, my Eagle station. Looking at the Eagle page I see proposed U,L and C band recievers, and V and C transmitters ( I assume from all the noise that S tx is not going to be used) What will the pairs be, U/V, C/C, and L/? ? Has that been proposed yet? Bill KB2RC, AMSAT 6986

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help with satpc32
by Nick Pugh 25 Sep '06

25 Sep '06

I rinning xp pro and satpc32 I get an error e/a fehler 105 help thanks nick

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SO-50
by DOBarrows＠aol.com 24 Sep '06

24 Sep '06

I enabled SO-50 at about 0215 on 24 Sep 2006. I tried to raise a contact but only heard one other station. Couldn't make him out because the elevation was getting too low for my Arrow antenna and it is hard to optimize the signal that is only there when someone keys up on the input. You would think there would be more activity on a weekend. Hope to hear more of you on SO-50. 73, Dave W8IJ

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HitSat not heard
by Edward Chuang 24 Sep '06

24 Sep '06

I couldn't hear anything (CW or packet) from HitSat during UTC 09:10 and 10:44 passes Sep. 24. (PL04vq) My set up should be no problem, because I picked up a piece of CW tone from HitSat yesterday even when the elevation angle was as low as 3 degrees. 73 Edward / BX1AD -----

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Re: HitSat not heard
by Mineo Wakita 24 Sep '06

24 Sep '06

http://www.hit.ac.jp/~satori/hitsat/index-e.html > We have started the attitude control of the HIT-SAT > at 16h42m38s (JST). Due to the save of electric power, > CW of the HIT-SAT has been stopped for 14 hours or less. > After the attitude control mode, CW of the HIT-SAT will > start again. In such a case, please the report the reception > of CW. We would be pleased for your support. --------------------------------------------- Name: Mineo Wakita / JE9PEL, JAMSAT member Mail: ei7m-wkt(a)asahi-net.or.jp URL : http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ QTH : Yokohama Japan, GL:pm95tj Date: Sep 24, 2006 ---------------------------------------------

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