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Mode V/S across the pond ?
by Dave G1OCN 03 Sep '06

03 Sep '06

Anybody going to be around for the mid Atlantic pass of AO-51 later today at 2245 through to 2252 UTC ? Cheers. Dave. Portland. Dorset. IO80SM

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Rotators
by Luciano G. Nachif 03 Sep '06

03 Sep '06

Hello folks! I'm on the market for a new rotor that will take care of my HF beam and satellite antennas. I have seen the Yaesu and Hy-Gain ones. Some people say since a new company took Hy-Gain over, quality has been a major problem. I would like to hear from you. Could you respond off the list to nachif(a)terra.com.br please? Best regards, Luciano Gasparini PT9KK nachif(a)terra.com.br

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Graphical satellite calendar
by John Mock 03 Sep '06

03 Sep '06

Here's a work in progress: http://www.qsl.net/kd6pag/Sep2006.gif This shows graphically when passes for SO-50 and AO-51 occur at my QTH for the month of September. Each row corresponds to a day, each square is an hour, and the colored rectangles inside a square (or two) represent a given pass, with the color corresponding to the satellite listed in the legend. The height of the rectangle corresponds to the maximum elevation of the pass. If a rectangle is at the top of a square, then it's largely an eastern pass, and if at the bottom of a square, then it's a western pass. If it's not quite at the top or bottom, then the maximum elevation is not exactly in the east or west; for example, if AOS is in the north and LOS is in the east (instead of the south). So one can quickly glance at the graphical calendar and see which are good passes to try to work in the next few days. It may also be helpful for rovers when planning trips, to maximize the number of passes while in a given area. Spouses who might not be able to read satellite predictions could look at the graph and have an idea of when you might want to be busy. So far, the predictions are generated using LINUX SatTrack (perhaps edited by hand, for example, to account for AO-51's schedule) and fed into a Perl program which produces the .gif files. Eventually, i'll probably make it CGI accessible if folks find it useful. Let me know what you think. 73's and good luck. -- KD6PAG (Networking Old-Timer, Satellite QRPer)

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Satellite on the Moon
by Mike Hooles 03 Sep '06

03 Sep '06

Hi Folks, I understand that a European satellite that was circling the moon is scheduled to be crashed onto the moon at 0543 UTC tomorrow morning (3 Sept in the UK). It is claimed that the impact and cloud of debris thrown up from the moon should be visible through a small telescope or binoculars, if anyones interested, Regards Mike G3LGR

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FO-29 over South America
by gcarpi＠alternativagratis.com 03 Sep '06

03 Sep '06

Hi, the following datas are CW telemetry from FO-29. I caught it this evening 09/02/06 at 21:10 UTC when the satellite is over Argentina. For decode the telemetry strings I used JE9PEL's software, (excelent). 73 Gustavo, LW2DTZ --------- Data 1 --------- Main Relay ON : DCM ON SRAM ON : Packet OFF JTA ON : JTD OFF GAS ON : SAS ON : UVC ON UVC Level 1 : PCU Mode AUTO PCU level 1 : Battery Mode FULL Battery Logic FULL : Digitalker Mode OFF : UVC ACT/PAS PAS CPU RUN/RESET RUN : Spin Period 8356,0 [msec] Sun Angle 72,5 [deg] GAS-Z 60784,3 [nT] GAS-X 70098,0 [nT] Solar Panel Current 833,3 [mA] Battery Current -275,2 [mA] Battery Voltage 15,8 [V] Battery Middle Voltage 6,8 [V] Bus Voltage 15,2 [V] Analog Tx Power 629,9 [mW] Structure Temp. 1 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 2 28,3 [C] Structure Temp. 3 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 4 26,7 [C] Battery Cell Temp. 30,6 [C] --------- Data 2 --------- Main Relay ON : DCM ON SRAM ON : Packet OFF JTA ON : JTD OFF GAS ON : SAS ON : UVC ON UVC Level 1 : PCU Mode AUTO PCU level 1 : Battery Mode FULL Battery Logic FULL : Digitalker Mode OFF : UVC ACT/PAS PAS CPU RUN/RESET RUN : Spin Period 8356,0 [msec] Sun Angle 72,5 [deg] GAS-Z 61764,7 [nT] GAS-X 69117,6 [nT] Solar Panel Current 813,7 [mA] Battery Current -275,2 [mA] Battery Voltage 15,7 [V] Battery Middle Voltage 6,8 [V] Bus Voltage 15,2 [V] Analog Tx Power 779,4 [mW] Structure Temp. 1 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 2 28,3 [C] Structure Temp. 3 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 4 26,7 [C] Battery Cell Temp. 30,6 [C] --------- Data 3 --------- Main Relay ON : DCM ON SRAM ON : Packet OFF JTA ON : JTD OFF GAS ON : SAS ON : UVC ON UVC Level 1 : PCU Mode AUTO PCU level 1 : Battery Mode FULL Battery Logic FULL : Digitalker Mode OFF : UVC ACT/PAS PAS CPU RUN/RESET RUN : Spin Period 8356,0 [msec] Sun Angle 72,5 [deg] GAS-Z 62745,1 [nT] GAS-X 67647,0 [nT] Solar Panel Current 833,3 [mA] Battery Current -275,2 [mA] Battery Voltage 15,7 [V] Battery Middle Voltage 6,8 [V] Bus Voltage 15,2 [V] Analog Tx Power 597,4 [mW] Structure Temp. 1 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 2 28,3 [C] Structure Temp. 3 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 4 26,7 [C] Battery Cell Temp. 30,6 [C] --------- Data 4 --------- Main Relay ON : DCM ON SRAM ON : Packet OFF JTA ON : JTD OFF GAS ON : SAS ON : UVC ON UVC Level 1 : PCU Mode AUTO PCU level 1 : Battery Mode FULL Battery Logic FULL : Digitalker Mode OFF : UVC ACT/PAS PAS CPU RUN/RESET RUN : Spin Period 2570,0 [msec] Sun Angle 128,5 [deg] GAS-Z 11764,7 [nT] GAS-X 65196,1 [nT] Solar Panel Current 833,3 [mA] Battery Current -294,8 [mA] Battery Voltage 15,8 [V] Battery Middle Voltage 6,8 [V] Bus Voltage 15,2 [V] Analog Tx Power 688,4 [mW] Structure Temp. 1 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 2 28,3 [C] Structure Temp. 3 27,1 [C] Structure Temp. 4 26,7 [C] Battery Cell Temp. 30,6 [C] -- Con Netfono, mientras navegas, podes hablar por telefono, de PC a PC... GRATIS! Bajate tu Netfono en http://www.netfono.com Verificado por AG: Este mensaje este libre de virus.

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ionic propulsion motor
by Luc Leblanc VE2DWE 03 Sep '06

03 Sep '06

HI Here is a link explaining the ionic motor propulsion system with a nice animation (in French) the SMART-1 first lunar European space probe will crash on the moon on September 3 at 0541 UTC. Could be usable for our HEO fleet? It seems pretty simple at the first look. http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/AFPanimation/SmartFR3008/ "-" The medium is the message...The content is the audience...;) Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe

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Re: Mode V/S across the pond ?
by Dave G1OCN 03 Sep '06

03 Sep '06

A couple of carriers on a good downlink. Nothing else heard. Wonder if you heard anything Andy ? Cheers, Dave.

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Icom 910H aux switching
by Keith Le Boutillier 02 Sep '06

02 Sep '06

Hi I wish to switch my amp and pre amps when using the Icom 910H Is their any way of having a switching line the changes when the rig goes into TX I have read the manual and checked the sockets on the back of the rig but can't see an aux switching line or voltage change or anything that I could use. Dose anyone have any advice or achieved what I wish to do 73 Keith GU6EFB No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.7/436 - Release Date: 01/09/2006

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Re: Icom 910H aux switching
by Scott Townley 02 Sep '06

02 Sep '06

Keith: My 2 pence worth is that the best way to do these things is with an external sequencer. The ARRL Handbook has a simple one, plus you can get them ready-made from DB6NT, Advanced Receiver Research, and I think W1GHZ sells some on eBay from time to time. The idea: you PTT the sequencer (footswitch or equivalent) and the sequencer unkeys the preamp, keys the amp, and then keys the rig, in that order. That way everything is where it should be when you speak/key the rig. If you have the rig put everything else in TX then the rig can be transmitting before/as the relays are switching over, which is a guaranteed way of replacing your preamp transistors and/or relays someday. That also implies no VOX with preamps. At 04:23 2006-09-02, Keith Le Boutillier wrote: >Hi > > >I wish to switch my amp and pre amps when using the Icom 910H > >Is their any way of having a switching line the changes when the rig goes >into TX >I have read the manual and checked the sockets on the back of the rig but >can't see an aux switching line or voltage change or anything that I could >use. > >Dose anyone have any advice or achieved what I wish to do > >73 Keith GU6EFB > >No virus found in this outgoing message. >Checked by AVG Free Edition. >Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.11.7/436 - Release Date: 01/09/2006 > >_______________________________________________ >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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WD9EWK's first time on AO-51 V/S tonight
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 02 Sep '06

02 Sep '06

Hi! I've had an AIDC 3731 downconverter, one converted by K5GNA, for just over a year. I haven't used it until tonight, when I had some free time in the evening. I took it and a bunch of stuff to my stepson's Boy Scout meeting (a church in grid DM43ap, northeast Phoenix), and hoped to work an AO-51 pass while he was in his meeting. After a storm blew through Phoenix (it kept me off an SO-50 pass around 0220 UTC), the skies cleared enough to make a try at the AO-51 pass around 0320 UTC. I set up my station, and waited for the satellite. TX was my IC-W32A HT at 5W, turning off the 70cm side of the radio, into my Arrow Antennas 2m/70cm handheld Yagi. RX was with the downconverter into a Yaesu VX-2R (I could disable TX on this radio, to protect the downconverter - plus it had an attenuator). I had a 6dB attenuator in the coax line, along with the VX-2R's attenuator function, so the S-meter wasn't moving much until I heard the satellite. Once I found the downlink, it wasn't hard to keep up with it through the pass. I let the downconverter with its dipole and corner reflector sit on the car's roof, and had a splitter from the VX-2R's speaker-mic jack to feed an earpiece and my Sony digital recorder. I heard one QSO finish up, then I made a call. Angelo N5UXT in New Orleans heard me and I worked him first, then I was called by WA4EWV. I heard a W9HT toward the end of the pass, but could not work that station. I could follow the Doppler on the RX signal well enough, and every so often the signal would take a dip and then come back up. If I held the downconverter and twisted it, I could get the signal back up, but most of the time I just set it on the roof in the general direction of AO-51 and held the Yagi in one hand and a speaker-mic into my IC-W32A with the other hand. I really wish I had a small camera or camcorder with me, to get a photo of my "station", but at least I have an audio recording of the pass with my 2 contacts. I am impressed with how well the downconverter worked, and with AO-51 in this V/S configuration. This was the first time I did anything that used a ham frequency above 23cm. I'm hoping to have some time Friday morning to work an AO-51 pass and try this again, but if that's not possible I want to work some passes this weekend before the mode change. This was fun! 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Phoenix, Arizona USA http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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