- AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

ARRISAT-1 re-entry?
by John Heath 04 Jan '12

04 Jan '12

Hi, Nothing heard on the 10:10 Z pass over the south of England. I was monitoring from 5 minutes before predicted AOS to take into account the rapid changes in the keps. 73 John G7HIA

1 0

Arissat-1 reentry?
by David 04 Jan '12

04 Jan '12

Hello everybody: This is David EA4SG. Just a moment ago at 16:54 UTC while the Arissat-1 was over the vertical of Madrid, I was listening to the SAT and it stopped/interrumped suddenly its transmissions while it was still in a theorical "sunny or iluminated area". Not sure if it was the final re-entry but It could be. So I decided to leave this info here. The last sent voice message sent was the italian one and at the end of the secret word, it stopped. A moment before, I was able to record around 40 seconds of CW telemetry in 145.919 Khz but very poor signal/noise rate. Best 73s David EA4SG

3 4

Need grid EL28 confirmed?
by Clayton Coleman W5PFG 04 Jan '12

04 Jan '12

Email me off-list if you need the grid EL28 confirmed. I am going to make a brief trip there later in the week and have several people who've expressed they need it confirmed. I will do at least one pass on an FM satellite. 73 Clayton W5PFG

1 0

ARISSat-1 heard
by Vu Trong Thu 04 Jan '12

04 Jan '12

The bird is still operating up to 0120z today (Jan 4), however its orbit must has deviated much from the latest TLE on AMSAT website (just one day old?). I suddenly heard its CW beacon while it's still 10 degree under the horizon according to Orbitron's calculation. It was quite a challenge to track the satellite however signal was good, I could decode some telemetry, got a SSTV image and the historical conversation between Korolev and Gagarin :) 73, Thu XV9AA

1 0

ARISSat-1 Voice #2
by Mineo Wakita 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

23:50-23:56 UTC, 3 Jan 2012, Ele 22 S-SE-E, 145.950MHz FM over Japan http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/20104ar1.mp3 1:22-1:27 UTC, 4 Jan 2012, Ele 7 W-WN-N, 145.950MHz FM over Japan http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/20104ar2.mp3 JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

1 0

Re: Rapid frequency change on ARISSat pass
by Ronald G. Parsons 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Forgot to note the altitude give by the most recent keps was 175 km. Ron W5RKN From: Ronald G. Parsons Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 6:27 PM To: AMSAT-BB Subject: Rapid frequency change on ARISSat pass On the nominal 0015 UTC pass over Texas, the ARISSat-1 telemetry seemed normal but at about 4-5 minutes before LOS, the frequency of the CW marker and the BPSK telemetry envelope started dropping very rapidly. I lost track how many times I had to adjust the Doppler-corrected frequency down by 100 Hz. Then suddenly, the telemetry signal stopped. Ron W5RKN

1 0

Rapid frequency change on ARISSat pass
by Ronald G. Parsons 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

On the nominal 0015 UTC pass over Texas, the ARISSat-1 telemetry seemed normal but at about 4-5 minutes before LOS, the frequency of the CW marker and the BPSK telemetry envelope started dropping very rapidly. I lost track how many times I had to adjust the Doppler-corrected frequency down by 100 Hz. Then suddenly, the telemetry signal stopped. Ron W5RKN

1 0

ARISSat-1 Voice
by Mineo Wakita 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

23:50-23:56UTC, 3 Jan 2012, Ele 22 S-SE-E, 145.950MHz FM over Japan http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/20104ar1.mp3 JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

1 0

ARISSat-1
by Rsoifer＠aol.com 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Nice clear FM voice and TLM on 145.950 over southern Arizona (DM41) at 0012-0016Z. 73 Ray W2Rs

1 0

ARISSat-1 descending rapidly
by Alan P. Biddle 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

According to the morning numbers from Space Track, ARISSat-1 is down to 191 km, and losing about 1.5 km per orbit, or about 1 km per hour. The drag effects are increasing rapidly, so TODAY would be an excellent time to make any last minute QSOs through the transponder. Thanks to those who are keeping live telemetry flowing. This is one tough satellite! 73s, Alan WA4SCA

6 5

Broadcast
by Craig Gagner 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

I will be doing a live broadcast of the 1610 EST pass over new England at http://www.livestream.com/w1msgsat it will be a 65 degree pass and should be pretty good if things aren't already cooking inside the satellite. Craig

1 0

ARISSAT-1
by Pedro Cruz 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Hello to All Just copy sstv on 145950 FM , at 19:59 utc max elev. 4 dgr with good signals. Best 73! Pedro Cruz - CU2JX

1 0

arissat
by graham mcphee 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Arissat was not heard here in VK QF54ce this morning at 1900utc. I was right on the termination line at the time and local time was 0600 daylight saving time, maybe I will not hear it any more as it is getting earlier each day and going further back into eclipse Graham McPhee VK2AYE

1 0

Re: Looking for a G3RUH dish
by Andrew Glasbrenner 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

You probably have one of the K5GNA "BBQ" dishes. The G3RUH is a solid round spun dish. 73, Drew -----Original Message----- >From: Bob Bruninga <bruninga(a)usna.edu> >Sent: Jan 3, 2012 2:19 PM >To: 'Andrew Glasbrenner' <glasbrenner(a)mindspring.com>, 'amsat-bb' <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> >Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] Looking for a G3RUH dish > >> I'm looking for one of the 60cm G3RUH dishes > >Got one, (but not available). > >Questions: I measured reflector grid separation as .88 inches which works >out to be about 0.18 wavelength. I always thought the grid had to be >tighter than 0.1 inches to be an effective "surface". > >Maybe the difference with almost double the spacing is not that significant? >(especially for a steel one which would be quite heavy. > >Reason I am asking is that I also need another S band dish (at 70 MPH on the >roof of a tracking van) and we are thinking about building one by using an >old solid 6' TVRO dish as a form and laying in copper wire and soldering it >to copper straps. With all that labor, I'd not want to get the spacing >wrong. > >Bob, Wb4APR >

1 0

Looking for a G3RUH dish
by Andrew Glasbrenner 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Hi all, I'm looking for one of the 60cm G3RUH dishes, with or without the patch feed. Maybe someone who was active on AO-40, but not on the LEOs? Email me if you can help. 73, Drew KO4MA

2 1

FUNcube-1 Project news update
by g.shirville＠btinternet.com 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

FUNcube -1 – Launch details and time frame finalised An agreement has now been reached with ISIS Launch Services BV, who are based in Delft in the Netherlands, for them to provide a launch of the FUNcube-1 CubeSat. It is anticipated that FUNcube-1, which has been created by a team of volunteer radio amateurs and other specialists over the past two years, will be launched with a number of other spacecraft from a DNEPR rocket sometime in the third quarter of 2012. The flight is planned to take place from the Yasny launch facility which is in southern Russia near to the Kazakhstan border. The spacecraft needs to be completed by the end of July 2012, ready for shipping from the Netherlands to Russia. The orbit is still to be defined precisely but it is expected to be nearly circular and approximately sun synchronous. This will ensure that the spacecraft has the necessary solar illumination and that it will appear at regular times for educational outreach activities at schools and colleges. The FUNcube-1 spacecraft will transmit signals that can be easily received directly by schools and colleges for educational outreach purposes. This telemetry will give details of the spacecraft’s health – battery voltages and temperatures and from this it will be possible to determine its spin rate and attitude by plotting simple graphs. Additionally, experimental data and messages can be displayed in an attractive format and provide stimulation and encouragement for students to become interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in a unique way. The target audience for this project is students at both primary and secondary levels and a simple and cheap “ground station” – actually it looks just like a USB dongle, for schools to use, has already been developed. In addition to providing educational outreach for schools and colleges around the world, the spacecraft will also provide a U/V linear transponder for radio amateurs during local “night”, at weekends and during holiday periods The production and testing of the spacecraft itself has already been funded via a legacy and other sources. It will however really help the project if radio amateurs and other interested supporters could contribute something towards the cost of the actual launch itself. With this in mind a special donation scheme has been setup using the Virgin Giving charity donation website http://tinyurl.com/funcubegiving/ All donations of £25 (or equivalent) or more will be specially acknowledged by the spacecraft itself – exact details will follow shortly! All donations received from UK tax payers can be “Gift Aided” which will add 20% to the value of your donation. More information about this exciting project will be made available over the coming months at the website http://www.funcube.org.uk/

1 0

Re: arissat-1 current keps
by Clint Bradford 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

My pass this morning (1003AM PST) was actually about three minutes AHEAD of AMSAT-NA's Keplerian data from last Thursday. Clint Bradford clintbradford(a)mac.com

1 0

arissat-1 current keps
by Bob- W7LRD 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Just to make sure I'm on schedual. I see the next pass at about 1933Z at CN87 with a elevation of about 76 degrees. I realize the keps on this thing can change by the minute. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle, Wa.

1 0

Re: Arissat-1 reentry?
by G0MRF＠aol.com 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Hi David I heard that pass, and it seemed to be in low power mode, so on for 30 seconds and then off. It should be around for a few hours more. Thanks David G0MRF In a message dated 03/01/2012 17:34:39 GMT Standard Time, at746david(a)gmail.com writes: Hello everybody: This is David EA4SG. Just a moment ago at 16:54 UTC while the Arissat-1 was over the vertical of Madrid, I was listening to the SAT and it stopped/interrumped suddenly its transmissions while it was still in a theorical "sunny or iluminated area". Not sure if it was the final re-entry but It could be. So I decided to leave this info here. The last sent voice message sent was the italian one and at the end of the secret word, it stopped. A moment before, I was able to record around 40 seconds of CW telemetry in 145.919 Khz but very poor signal/noise rate. Best 73s David EA4SG _______________________________________________ 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

1 0

ARISSat-1 RADIOSKAF-V KEDR Status
by Farrell Winder 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Still loud and clear on the 18:08Z Cincinnati pass. Downlink on own signal good but no response to CQ.. Try the next one at 19:41Z . Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Cincinnati, OH

1 0

ARISSAT-1
by kl 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

All, Copied beacon for pass at around 1800Z. Copied W8ZCF on cw through transponder at 18:10Z at about 3 deg elevation. Voice beacon also observed briefly. 73 WC7V Kerry

1 0

ARISSAT 1
by Pete Rowe 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Nice clear signal at 1803 Z here in San Jose, CA. IHU temp 42 degrees. Pete WA6WOA

1 0

ARISSAT-1
by Bob- W7LRD 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Monitored the satellite fm broadcast at 1805z keps seem current keps seem accurate, signal dropped out at the calcuated time. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle

1 0

ARISSat-1 in So CA
by Clint Bradford 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Current pass (like RIGHT NOW - 10:03AM PST) was three minutes "ahead" of AMSAT-NA's Keplerian data. But I couldn't have asked for better reception ... Temps were 42C and 41C ... Clint Bradford, K6LCS

1 0

Re: Need East Coast
by k6yk 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Yep, It just takes a little dedication. I was operating VERY casually this year mostly only on Ao-27 and a little on SO-50. The result for 2011 is: 470 QSOs, 41 states, 175 grids. Keep trying, folks! And good work Clayton! 73, John, K6YK On Mon, 2 Jan 2012 21:42:10 -0600 Clayton Coleman W5PFG <kayakfishtx(a)gmail.com> writes: > Since becoming active on satellites again in April 2011, I have > managed to work 48 states on the FM transponders with portable > equipment. I did not set out to accomplish this minor feat on FM > alone because I do also operate VO-52, AO-7, and FO-29 /P. Hawaii > is > impossible for me unless AO-7 is used. New Hampshire is the other > state I need but I've got several options to get it confirmed if I > would just sit down and schedule one with friends. Maine is not > common but New Hampshire seems less common in my ~8 month window of > activity. All good award confirmations come to those who wait, > right? > What fun is chasing an award if it's easy? > > There are lots of active grids, states, and countries available for > paper chasers on the birds. More importantly, there are many > genuine > and experienced operators for which the satellite community can be > grateful. Whether a casual operator, a paper chaser, or DX-hound, > the > current operational birds have a lot to offer proportionate to what > you put into working them. > > My suspicion is there is a group of "been there, done that" > experienced operators that don't get on and operate much any more. > Maybe this is because there's not a HEO satellite, maybe they have > all > the wall paper they want, perhaps they get annoyed the LIDs on FM > transponders, or maybe they are just waiting on the "next great > bird" > to get them active again. In any case, I would invite those of you > who have not operated the current satellites in recent times to get > on > the air so that some of us "newcomers" have a chance to be > acquainted > with you. > > Looking forward to contact with you in 2012. > > 73, > Clayton > W5PFG ____________________________________________________________ LifeLock® Official Site Identity Theft Can Happen to Anyone So Get Protection with LifeLock. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4f033dbde7d2410f1eeest03vuc

1 0

ARISSat-1 RADIOSKAF-V KEDR Reception
by Farrell Winder 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

All, Report that 1st part of 16:34Z pass covering Cincinnati was strong. A couple of minutes later noted some erratic behavior on trying to receive own transmitted CW, then return signal became weak. Did hear some good CW "dots" but no call letters followed. Try next pass at 18:08 Z I will be correcting for doppler to receive my signal on 145.930. Will listen for any stations CW or USB. Farrell Winder, W8ZCF

1 0

Meteor Pings at Space Weather Radio
by JoAnne Maenpaa 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Hello Everyone, Here is one "Satellite Short" which would be too late if we waited for the weekend ANS news cycle: + The annual Quadrantid meteor shower will peak on January 4. Fore- casters expect the shower to peak around 07:20 UT (02:20 am EST) on Wednesday morning, January 4. At maximum, as many as 100 meteors per hour could emerge from a radiant near Polaris, the north star. You can listen to the meteor pings on-line. The meteor echoes from the Air Force Space Surveillance Radar in Texas detects a meteor or satellite as it passes over the facility. Follow the link at: http://www.spaceweatherradio.com/ -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org Editor, AMSAT News Service

1 0

Arissat-1: Keeps on ticking (but is it taking a licking?)
by Burns Fisher 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

A nice strong pass over NH around 1500z. Many telemetry frames decoded and forwarded. The little guy is still going strong! Oddly, the doppler predictions seemed to be pretty close today even at its highest point when the frequency changes most rapidly. Is there low solar activity or something? Anyway, I have notced pretty high temps in a few places, for example the IHU temp has been in the 60s. RF was in the 70s once, I think. The solar cells are high, but that's not surprising anyway with the sun shining on them. Hoping for another pass around 2115z. Burns, W2BFJ

1 0

Re: ARISSat-1 descending rapidly
by GW1FKY＠aol.com 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Hi all, Just worked 2E0SQL ( Peter ) over here in the UK at 1520 hrs ,still strong but caught me on the 180 degree turn of my rotator. He was 5 / 8-9 and also monitored the FM transmissions on a separate radio with afixed antenna. Ken Eaton GW1FKY

1 0

ARISSAT-1: 13:50utc pass: still functional
by PA3GUO 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

Also the 13:50utc pass: satellite still functioning correct Henk, PA3GUO

1 0

ARISSAT-1 still fully functional (12:20utc) (incl mp3 recordings)
by PA3GUO 03 Jan '12

03 Jan '12

03 Jan 2012 / 12:16 UTC pass: ARISSAT-1 satellite is still fully functional. MP3 recording of CW transmission via the transponder: "PA3GUO ARISSAT1 03JAN2012" (Jan 03,2012 / 12:16 utc) http://www.pa3guo.com/arissat1_cw_03jan2012_1216utc_pa3guo.mp3 MP3 recording of FM (voice) telemetry at 145.950 MHz (Jan 03,2012 / 12:21 utc) http://www.pa3guo.com/arissat1_telem_voice_03jan2012_1221utc_pa3guo.mp3 SSTV picture: http://www.pa3guo.com/arissat1_sstv_03jan2012_1216utc_pa3guo.jpg -- Henk, PA3GUO The Netherlands

1 0

Re: Need East Coast
by Mervyn Hecht 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Are there NO hams in Maine on the satellites? I see good looking footprints for Northern New England. Merv

2 1

KLM 2M-14C Antenna details
by Fred Kennedy 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Hi Guys, Very many thanks to all that offered and provided the details of the driven element. A great response. I'll be into the task this afternoon. Very Happy New Year to all. And rest assured - we are flat out for KiwiSAT this year. 73 Fred ZL1BYP

1 0

Re: Need East Coast
by Mervyn Hecht 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

I think that is the one East Coast state I have.

1 0

Re: Need East Coast
by Mervyn Hecht 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

my direct email is <mervynhecht(a)yahoo.com>

1 0

ARISSat-1 What a bummer!
by N0JY 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

I heard myself well on SSB and real well on CW, and heard another station trying to find themself but apparently they couldn't hear me (and I didn't copy a callsign). One more pass tonight here for Texas and the west, 00:45UTC... anyone else going to be trying the transponder? 73, Jerry N0JY

2 1

Re: KLM 2M-14C Antenna
by Larry Phelps 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Fred, I have a KLM 2M-14C that I am re-building due to sun damage and failure of the center insulators for the dipoles. The length overall (outside of tube to outside of tube) of the folded dipole is 915mm. The outside width (outside of tube to outside of tube) is 58mm. The spacing of the center screws is as you mentioned - 49mm. Hope this helps. 73-Larry K4OZS

1 0

ARISSAT-1 today
by Gordon JC Pearce 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

I heard the FM signal and a lot of SSB on the pass around 12:45 today, although it was low in the sky. I heard PA1BQV (dyslexic moment, could be BVQ?) towards the end of the pass but didn't copy the callsign of the station he was working. Nothing at all on the 14:10 pass, although it was a good 14 degrees high. -- Gordon JC Pearce MM0YEQ <gordonjcp(a)gjcp.net>

1 0

ARISSat-1, inductor temps rising
by Mark L. Hammond 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Topic says it all...I don't remember the inductor temps being much above 50 deg; this is just from memory, not a data plot! Anyhow, to me this appears to be the first indicator that things in the bird are warming up... 73! Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

2 1

KLM 2M-14C Antenna
by Fred Kennedy 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Hi Guys, Anyone have a KLM 2M-14C Antenna on the ground - or at an easily accessed height? I need the overall width of the folded dipole driven element (it'll be around 950mm) and also the distance between the holes where the 8-32 by 1" screws secure the element free ends to the PCB/antenna boom support insulator. A coax tangle up has left me with the elements bent battered and broken and whilst I have the spacing between the two folded tubes ( 49mm C to C) from the wreckage and can fold up new elements I need the other info. to do so. (The XYL does not approve of my hanging my "three score and ten (+) year old " bones off the end off a safety harness more often than absolutely necessary! A 'one trip' up the mast - to fit the new - would be good!) Thanks Fred ZL1BYP.

1 0

ARISSat-1 RADIOSKAF-V KEDR
by Farrell Winder 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

ALL, ARISSat on the 21:40 Z pass Dec 2, 2012 for Cincinnati was right on the mark and had good CW signal return from the transponder. Heard someone calling but could not get reception above the noise floor. Trying next pass at 23:12 Z but it may be eclipse controlled. 73, Farrell Winder, W8ZCF

1 0

Re: Need East Coast
by Bill Acito W1PA 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

>> I don't know what's happened to all the eastern stations recently. When I was trying to work grids for VUCC, I had a lot more in the east than in the west. There were lots of W1, 2, 3, 4, etc. on the birds. Because it was more fun pointing east and working Europeans at 3 deg with no one else in the footprint. :-) Seriously, having tried to work Merv on several occasions, a MA-CA QSO on a LEO requires a central US pass with the entire continent in the footprint, and a 3 or 5 degree look for him and I. It requires a good set-up, a low horizon, and the bulk of the US satellite ops to pause long enough to allow us to make the QSO (which, in my mind, is exchanging grids both ways). And the AO-27 timer kicks in way too early (and for that reason, btw, is non-usable for NE to Europe... I miss AO-51) Case in point: my "almost" QSO with San Diego from metro Boston hand-held (listen to the last 10 secs): http://www.papays.com/sat/AO-27_14Jul2011_191720z.mp3 Bill W1PA

2 1

ARISSAT-1 18:35 Pass
by Farrell Winder 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

All, Just listened to the 18:35Z ARISSat pass over Cincinnati. Satellite was on time but signal on both 149.950 MHz and 149.930 seemed to be much weaker than usual. How did others in Midwest and Eastern US receive? 73, Farrell Winder, W8ZCF

3 3

SO-50 Pass @ 17:02Z 2012-01-02
by Jack Wilson 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Just finished a SO-50 pass and found that my recorder batteries died. I know I made contacts with 3 different stations out west. If I worked you on this pass today please email me direct with your call please. Thank you 73, Jackson KF5LOQ(a)arrl.net

1 0

Early Satellite WAC awards
by Rsoifer＠aol.com 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Hi, I'm trying to track down the holders of early satellite Worked All Continents awards, earned before the era of Phase III satellites. Mine is No. 6, dated 26 July 1983. I had the six QSOs logged two years before that, but it took that long to get a QSL from UA0BBN (tnx to Leo, UA3CR (SK) for helping to get it). I know W0CA (SK) held satellite WAC No. 1. Can anyone help fill in the holders of Nos. 2-5? 73 Ray W2RS

1 0

ARISSAT-1 still going strong Jan 02, 2012 / 14:16 utc pass over Europe
by PA3GUO 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

http://www.pa3guo.com/arissat1_voice_telem_pa3guo_02jan2012_1416utc.mp3 ARISSAT-1 still going strong Jan 02, 2012 / 14:16 utc pass over Europe: - very strong downlink - transponder active (CW uplink was easy, OZ1MY had very clear voice signal) -- Henk, PA3GUO

1 0

ARRISAT-1 Broadcasts
by Craig Gagner 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

2 January 2012 Here is the schedule for today. All broadcasts will start about 5 minutes prior. All times are Eastern Standard time. http://www.livestream.com/w1msgsat Start Elevation End 1031 56 1040 1204 13 1210 1337 6 1343 1510 12 1516 1641 58 1649 Videos of the passes will be stored on the channel web page. I hope you all enjoy it Thanks Craig, W1MSG

2 1

FT780R Power Supply Connector
by Simone T 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Hi Folks, I found on a local ham market an old FT 780R, which seems to work. The only problem is that the power supply cable was not provided. Before dismantling the rear connector, I wanted to give it a chance and ask on the list: does somebody knows the type and/or reference of such a connector? Thanks in advance. Simone - IW1FYV -- Join the campaign at http://thinkbeforeprinting.org/

1 0

Re: Need East Coast
by k6yk 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

I don't know what's happened to all the eastern stations recently. When I was trying to work grids for VUCC, I had a lot more in the east than in the west. There were lots of W1, 2, 3, 4, etc. on the birds. You want to try to get passes that are as far east as possible, real low elevation on the west coast. That will help. 73 and good luck to you all in the new year. John, K6YK On Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:20:59 -0800 Wayne Estes <w9ae(a)charter.net> writes: > Merv wrote: > > I would like to schedule contacts with the East Coast. I am in Santa > > Monica CA. I can hear myself on the current 4 sats, but I don't hear > > anyone on the East Coast. > > Wayne replies: > > What's your callsign and grid locator? > > Wayne Estes W9AE > Oakland, Oregon, USA, CN83ik > _______________________________________________ > 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 > ____________________________________________________________ 53 Year Old Mom Looks 33 The Stunning Results of Her Wrinkle Trick Has Botox Doctors Worried http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4f0143bbd11021095092st03vuc

1 0

Re: Need East Coast
by Wayne Estes 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Merv wrote: I would like to schedule contacts with the East Coast. I am in Santa Monica CA. I can hear myself on the current 4 sats, but I don't hear anyone on the East Coast. Wayne replies: What's your callsign and grid locator? Wayne Estes W9AE Oakland, Oregon, USA, CN83ik

2 1

One More Pass
by Craig Gagner 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Looks like we will get one more pass today at 12 degree's at 1520 EST 2020 UTC http://www.livestream.com/w1msgsat Enjoy Craig

1 0

ARISSat height and decay rate
by Roland Zurmely 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Updated graphics for ARISSat height (km) and decay rate (km/day): http://www.qsl.net/py4zbz/arissat.htm#r there are only 2 or 3 days for re-entry... 73 de Roland PY4ZBZ

1 0

Re: Last ARRISAT Broadcast Today
by Clint Bradford 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

FM downlink with pre-recorded voice booming right now here in DM13 - Southern CA! Clint Bradford clintbradford(a)mac.com

1 0

Re: Live ARRISAT on New Years Day Last PASS for today
by Craig Gagner 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Sorry for all the problems. I made a separate channel for the satellite stuff at http://www.livestream.com/w1msgsat I just started using this and the learning curve has been a real pain .. Craig _____ From: Mark L. Hammond [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 1:11 PM To: Craig Gagner Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Live ARRISAT on New Years Day Last PASS for today Craig, I get this error: Unfortunately, w1msg has been permanently deleted. All of w1msg's videos will no longer be available. ??? 73, Mark N8MH At 12:47 PM 1/1/2012 -0500, you wrote: Last Broadcast will start at approx. 1355 EST or 1855 UTC, this will only be at 7 degrees Elevation. Last pass we scored a beautiful picture of the earth. Video is available on the channel site. <http://www.livestream.com/w1msg> http://www.livestream.com/w1msg Enjoy Craig, W1MSG _______________________________________________ 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

1 0

Last ARRISAT Broadcast Today
by Craig Gagner 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

The last broadcast of the ARRISAT-1 for today will begin at 1355 EST / 1855 UTC . Its only a 7 degree elevation pass so it will be short. The channel name changed to http://www.livestream.com/w1msgsat This will be the channel for all my Satellite Broadcasts from here on out ! Enjoy Craig

1 0

Live ARRISAT on New Years Day
by Craig Gagner 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

I have decided to change my broadcast stream to a different service. The remaining passes for today will be at the following link. I get less video drop outs and the clarity is a bit better. Thanks and Happy New Year http://www.livestream.com/w1msg Enjoy, Craig

2 4

Need East Coast
by Mervyn Hecht 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

I would like to schedule contacts with the East Coast. I am in Santa Monica CA. I can hear myself on the current 4 sats, but I don't hear anyone on the East Coast. If you are on the East Coast I would appreciate you letting me know if you hear the West Coast on any sat and if so I would like to set up a scheduled contact. Merv

1 0

EM46 12.26.11
by K4FEG 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

If I worked you from EM46 and you need a confirmation, please email me and let me know, I think I have gotten all the email requests filled out and in the mail. If you do not receive one by the end of this week please advise and I will get you one in the mail. I didn't work that many people and I DO NOT NEED AN SASE. I am happy to send out a card for that trip, that's why I went up there. 73's and Happy New Year to all Frank K4FEG

1 0

MMSSTV and ARRISat-1
by kp hpjr 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

GA, All the talk about SSTV from this bird got me thinking I'd like to try! I downloaded MMSSTV and installed. What are the best settings to use in the setup page for decent copy of photos from ARRISAT-1? I did copy pix on 14.230 after setup as a test run...but on last pass of ARRISAT, had wonderful copy of voice beacon but no pictures decoded. So wonder what I might be doing wrong. Any help appreciated. Kirk, N0KK

3 9

ARISSat-1 transponder question
by Vu Trong Thu 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Happy New Year! This morning I kicked off the new year with 2 passes of ARISSat-1, copied both CW beacon, BPSK telemetry and FM voice/SSTV simultaneously on Kenwood TS-2000. I would also like to try the transponder but don't know if my transceiver allow it? This TS-2000 has all modes on its main transceiver but its sub receiver only supports AM or FM. Could anybody help? Thanks, Thu XV9AA

4 5

AMSAT-UK 80m Net recording on the Web
by Trevor . 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

Simon Brown HB9DRV has made available a recording of this mornings AMSAT-UK 80m net that he made from a remote receiver in Poole, Dorset. The net is held every Sunday morning at 10am local time on a nominal frequency of 3.780 MHz. Due to interference the net may move either side of that frequency so tune around. Newcomers are most welcome to call-in. AMSAT-UK Net recorded Sunday, January 1, 2012 http://www.ham-radio.ch/kits/sdr-radio.com/mp3/01-Jan-2012-1059%203.825MHz.… You can listen to the remote radio of Paul M0EYT in Poole, Dorset as well as other remote receivers in the United Kingdom and around the world via the Web Servers (Free) page at http://www.sdr-radio.com/ Another web based radio site is http://www.websdr.org/ AMSAT-UK: http://www.uk.amsat.org/ 73 Trevor M5AKA

1 0

FO-29 over us?
by ryan woods 01 Jan '12

01 Jan '12

So is FO-29 working over the us yet? Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

1 0

ARISSat-1 SSTV cameras
by Greg D. 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Hi folks, I just received an ARISSat-1 pass that crossed into eclipse about 80% of the way by. As expected, the FM signal dropped pretty much immediately upon entering eclipse. But that's not the reason for the post... I got a really neat SSTV picture of the Sun streaming into the camera, just a few seconds before the eclipse. Unfortunately it didn't show the planet below (ran out of picture), but it got me thinking: Did the design team do anything to protect the cameras when they're looking directly into the Sun? Were these special cameras, or are we counting on the satellite spin to keep them from getting too much of a sun tan and burning a hole in the sensor? I ask because the camera I mounted on my Az / El rotor is dying, and I need to replace it. I built a mechanical shutter to cover the lens when not in use, but I wonder if it's worth keeping that mechanical contraption when I get the replacement. Thanks, Greg KO6TH

1 0

Live Feed New Years Day
by Craig Gagner 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Ok for 1/1/2012 I will try to broadcast on Ustream all of the workable passes of the ARRISAT-1. You can check for the passes using a location of FN42be so you will know when I will be broadcasting. It worked really well today and a lot of people heard the transmissions and actually saw the SSTV images. Anyway, have a Happy New Year !! 73 Craig, W1MSG

1 1

Re: FO29 and Kenwood TH-F6A
by Andrew Glasbrenner 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

>Glad to hear that FO29 is back-now to get on it! Has anyone tried using a >Kenwood TH-F6A HT to receive FO29, since it does receive SSB? Yes, it works! Your question reminds me I need to try an all HT contact on FO-29 with my Santec LS-202A and the F6. 73, Drew KO4MA

1 0

FO-29 Battery Alive!
by Mineo Wakita 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Nice and strong on the resent passes all of the world in Dec.2011-Jan.2012. It looks like the batteries are good enough to get through eclipse. You should limit use when it's not illuminated. Ground Station Operator says that we seemed to be able to accumulate the electricity with enough many electricity to get through eclipse, or the malfunction occurred in the circuit which turned on an analog transmitter at the time of the battery terminal voltage recovery, but it may work normally now. http://blog.goo.ne.jp/fo-29/ http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/fo29rcvr.htm JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

1 0

Re: FO-29 and Kenwood TH-F6a
by Clint Bradford 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Patrick WD9EWK has successfully used his TH-F6a for the downlink ... Clint K6LCS

1 0

FO-29 loud and clear!!
by Perry Yantis 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Just worked K3SZH, KG7EZ, and N9AMW on FO-29 orbit #75918 starting at 1749z. This was a high elevation pass for me and signals were very strong with only slight qsb. Perry WB8OTH py41(a)att.net sent from my Apple IMac

2 1

Re: FO-29 heard by several European stations
by Andrew Glasbrenner 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Nice and strong on the 1812 pass here in EL88. It looks like the batts are good enough to get through eclipse. Maybe we ought to limit use when it's not illuminated? 73, Drew KO4MA -----Original Message----- >From: Ib Christoffersen <oz1my(a)privat.dk> >Sent: Dec 31, 2011 11:35 AM >To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org >Subject: [amsat-bb] FO-29 heard by several European stations > >Hi all, >At the report page several European stations report FO-29 on. > >http://oscar.dcarr.org/ > >She worked very well. Any comment from our Japanese friends ? > >Happy New Year to all. > >73 OZ1MY >Ib > > >_______________________________________________ >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

2 1

FUNcube Dongle Presentation Video
by Trevor . 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

A video of the presentation given by Howard G6LVB to the 2011 TAPR DCC can be seen at http://www.uk.amsat.org/2011/12/31/funcube-dongle-presentation-video/ 73 Trevor M5AKA

1 0

FO-29 heard by several European stations
by VK2MAL Yahoo 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

A few Australians have been using Oscar 29 the last few days. We are lucky to get first dibs here after Japan switches it on. Good signals from her yesterday, didn't get a chance to report on http://oscar.dcarr.org/ as I was in the middle of mowing my lawns when the bird came over. 73's Mal - VK2MAL Sent from my iPhone

1 0

looking for ARRISat-1 QSO! 1607utc pass 31Dec2011
by Mark L. Hammond 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Okay, time is running out... Heard myself on multiple passes of ARISSat-1 lately, but nobody has been around or able to make an SSB QSO. I'll be on during the 1607utc (11:07am Eastern) pass today, hoping to make a voice contact. SatPC32 is set for 145.930 receive, so I'll be close to that frequency. Hope to make contact with somebody :) 73, Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

2 2

ARISSat Today--low power, I would guess
by Burns Fisher 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Hi, I had two passes of ARISSat today over New Hampshire. The first one, I only caught the tail end and got a Kursk frame or 2, but no satellite telemetry. The second one I had nice and strong as soon as it appeared above the horizon, but it must have been in low power mode. The transmission cut off cleanly (no fade). Then shortly afterwards it came on again and cut off again. I should have timed them but did not. I had 3 periods of reception during the pass. Unfortunately, none was long enough to let the telemetry decoder get a frame. Farrell, were you sending SSTV to the transponder around 1630Z? It did look like SSTV on the spectrum diagram but it was not doppler synchronized, so it was drifting even when I synchronized. It also disappeared long before my pass was over, as I would have expected if the source were way west of me. Burns, W2BFJ

1 1

FO-29 heard by several European stations
by Ib Christoffersen 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Hi all, At the report page several European stations report FO-29 on. http://oscar.dcarr.org/ She worked very well. Any comment from our Japanese friends ? Happy New Year to all. 73 OZ1MY Ib

1 0

Live Feed
by Craig Gagner 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

I am going to attempt a live feed of the next ARRISAT-1 Pass over Massachusetts. Looks like the pass will be at 1109 EST . I am starting the broadcast now, this will have live audio and video at the following link .. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/w1msg I wont be able to use my e-mail while broadcasting but I will shut the broadcast down after the pass. Please e-mail me direct if you are able to hear and see it. I will also be running the MMSTV software as well. 73 Craig W1MSG

2 1

ARRISSat-1 Decay from Space-Track
by John Heath 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Hi, 60 day predictions on the Space-Track web site has ARISSat-1 object 37772 re entering 30th December. Based on the posts on this topic from Nico, Roland and James, and my calculations, I think we have a bit longer. But only a few days. 73 John G7HIA

3 5

ARISSat-1 transponder still working.
by Eric Knaps, ON4HF 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

Hello all, Just worked on the ARISSat-1 transponder with good signals. Worked IV3RYQ at 13:20utc and PD0RKC at 13:23utc. I also received a nice sstv picture in fm with S9 signals. 73 and happy newyear to you all! Eric. -- Amateur Radio Station ON4HF Eric Knaps Satellite manager UBA http://www.on4hf.be

1 0

ARRL/TAPR 2011 DCC (Digital Communications Conference) Videos Now Available On-Line
by Mark Thompson 31 Dec '11

31 Dec '11

ARRL/TAPR 2011 DCC (Digital Communications Conference) Videos Recorded by ARVN (Amateur Radio Video News) Now Available On-Line at: TAPR YouTube Channel ARRL/TAPR DCC 2011 Playlist www.youtube.com/TAPRDigitalVideo OR ARVN http://arvideonews.com/dcc2011/ VIDEOS ARE EXPENSIVE TO PRODUCE! PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO ARVN!! In order to insure videos will be available on-line in the future please donate towards their production cost at: http://arvideonews.com/contribute/ You can learn more about TAPR and the ARRL/TAPR DCC (Digital Communications Conference) at: TAPR www.tapr.org ARRL/TAPR DCC www.tapr.org/dcc Join TAPR on Facebook www.facebook.com/TAPRDigitalHam Follow TAPR on Twitter www.twitter.com/TAPRDigital

1 0

Hackers to build geostationary satellite network.
by Nigel A. Gunn, W8IFF/G8IFF 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16367042

1 0

BBC - Hackers plan space satellites
by Trevor . 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

BBC News story at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16367042 Chaos Communication Congress Dec. 27-30 http://events.ccc.de/congress/2011/Fahrplan/events/4699.en.html 73 Trevor M5AKA

3 2

Chicken Little Contest Update
by Alan P. Biddle 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

Now that ARISSat-1 is in its last days, the Chicken Little Contest web site has been updated to include the individual submissions in each category nearest its likely reentry time. www.amsat.org/amsat-new/ARISSat/ARISSatContest You can see how you are doing compared to the competition! It appears that the submissions are sufficiently spread out that we will be able to determine unique winners in each category. However, you can help with this by keeping the telemetry submissions coming. Space Command does not maintain precise Tracking and Impact Prediction (TIP) for minor spacecraft. A small satellite is considered to have reentered when three consecutive tracking stations fail to acquire it, which leaves a considerable window. While the formal last telemetry contest is only open to submission through the telemetry programs, keep listening and note the time and place where you hear it last. After it has been confirmed to have reentered, the last reception including voice and CW, may help narrow that window unless transmissions cease significantly before reentry. Alan WA4SCA

1 0

Re: MMSSTV and ARRISat-1
by Burns Fisher 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

I've had good luck with MMSSTV using a Fun Cube Dongle, SDR-Radio and then Virtual Audio Cable to get the audio from SDR-Radio to MMSSTV (all on the same PC). Today I threw in a 4KHz filter from SDR_Radio and that seems to improve the S/N ratio. There was a lot of noise removed by that filter. BTW, I picked up Farrell's license plate quite cleanly around 1800z although I did not get the start clearly enough to lock onto, so the picture has the top cut off. I also noticed some idle in both the telemetry and the FM. A few times I seemed to be getting strong telemetry but got only Kursk frames, or 5 Kursk and 1 satellite. Another time, there was no FM audio for 10 or 15 seconds although there was a carrier. Oddly the telemetry continued, but the CW over on the edge of the telemetry band stopped. I'm not sure I get that, although looking at the code on the satellite might show something. At one point I certainly saw the little guy in low power mode, but the dropouts I mention above are not that. The transmitter was still on.... Burns, W2BFJ > Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:57:31 -0500 > From: "Zachary Beougher" <zack.kd8ksn(a)hotmail.com> > To: "kp hpjr" <inservice2him(a)hotmail.com>, <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: MMSSTV and ARRISat-1 > Message-ID: <SNT111-DS5C3FD0E1BCED394A4AFDBB3920(a)phx.gbl> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > I had a similar issue when I first started downloading SSTV, and if I > recall correctly I believe it was because I had the input audio set way too > high (I cranked it down to just about no audio to get a clear pic). If you > have downloaded pictures before from HF and have had success at your preset > audio levels, then I doubt that is the issue. > > Zack > KD8KSN > > From: kp hpjr > Sent: Friday, December 30, 2011 2:41 PM > To: zack.kd8ksn(a)hotmail.com ; amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Subject: RE: [amsat-bb] Re: MMSSTV and ARRISat-1 > > Zack and others. > > Yes, audio feed is direct as with all digi modes I operate. > > Just had a pass of ARRISat-1 of 45 degrees plus over head. The downlink > into my M2 5 element yagi @ 35 degrees elevation was S-9 plus 10db. A very > good (great) signal. > > 2 times during the pass the SSTV was transmitted. During neither of them > did the program initialize and copy anything. Partway through the 2nd > transmission I forced it into RX Robot-36. All that occured was for it to > stop after about 5 seconds. Again nothing decoded....frustrating to say the > least. I'd like to get 1 photo...HI. > > Using the exact same setting I have had several QSO's now on HF sending > and receiving very clear photos. > > Not sure what else to try. > > N0KK, Kirk > > > > From: zack.kd8ksn(a)hotmail.com > > To: inservice2him(a)hotmail.com; amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > > Date: Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:48:57 -0500 > > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: MMSSTV and ARRISat-1 > > > > Hi Kirk, > > > > Like Greg said, ARRISat-1 is Robot 36. I also found that I received the > > clearest pictures when I ran the audio directly into the pc versus > letting > > it pickup the audio from a speaker. I imagine you are probably already > > doing this. > > > > 73! > > > > Zack > > KD8KSN > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: kp hpjr > > Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 4:35 PM > > To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > > Subject: [amsat-bb] MMSSTV and ARRISat-1 > > > > > > GA, > > All the talk about SSTV from this bird got me thinking I'd like to try! > > I downloaded MMSSTV and installed. > > What are the best settings to use in the setup page for decent copy of > > photos from ARRISAT-1? > > I did copy pix on 14.230 after setup as a test run...but on last pass of > > ARRISAT, had wonderful copy of voice beacon but no pictures decoded. > > So wonder what I might be doing wrong. > > Any help appreciated. > > Kirk, N0KK > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via amsat-bb(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > > > End of AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 6, Issue 699 > **************************************** >

1 0

Fwd: MMSSTV and ARRISat-1
by rogerkola＠aol.com 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

If you record the signal first with something like Scanner Recorder (freeware), you can adjust levels or try to "clean" the signal between passes... Plus, you can leave it on during those passes you aren't there for and play it back when you get time. Roger WA1KAT -----Original Message----- From: kp hpjr <inservice2him(a)hotmail.com> To: amsat-bb <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Fri, Dec 30, 2011 1:21 pm Subject: [amsat-bb] MMSSTV and ARRISat-1 GA, All the talk about SSTV from this bird got me thinking I'd like to try! I downloaded MMSSTV and installed. What are the best settings to use in the setup page for decent copy of photos from ARRISAT-1? I did copy pix on 14.230 after setup as a test run...but on last pass of ARRISAT, had wonderful copy of voice beacon but no pictures decoded. So wonder what I might be doing wrong. Any help appreciated.

1 0

HamSatDroid
by Nigel A. Gunn, W8IFF/G8IFF 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

My biggest requests would be a) Get it onto the Barnes & Noble Nook marketplace. b) Allow other filename/locations for the keps file. On 30/12/11 19:56, amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org wrote: > Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: HamSatDroid New Feature Discussion > Message-ID:<D7676DF9-4CBA-49BD-AF7A-20D8F14FC571(a)earthlink.net> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 > > Some of the requested features "scare" me on your behalf, Dave (grin). > > ? Doppler correction information (1) > ? Footprints (2) > ? Satellite information including frequencies, modes (5)

1 0

ARRISSAT1
by Joe Batty 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

Hi guys, Well, I heard the announcement enough times I thought I'd try some CW. So at the 1930 UTC pass today I had the rig set up and a soon as I heard the sat I started calling cq But, not having the kepps Installed I had to keep adjusting the VFO, which was OK. There was some one else doing CW and the copy was a tad fast for me I listened for some time till it went totally out of range, but it was Q5 copy all the way. Being a newbe at Sats this is all new to an old HF guy. Good job Amsat and we certainly look forward to the Fox projects. 73 and and have a great new year Joe KT7E

1 0

ARISSat-1 RADIOSKAF-V KEDR
by Farrell Winder 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

All, I am most pleased to advise that ARISSat-1/ RADIOSKAF-V/ KEDR is very much alive and giving an excellent performance through the 475.750/145.930 MHz TRANSPONDER. On the 17:54Z pass over Cincinnati today December 30, I sent and copied my picture. Picture was my ATV call ID used for fast scan. Picture came through all together but does have noise, particularly in the last half. I will send it to the ARISS SSTV Gallery for consideration to post. I hope others will also experiment with CW, voice, and SSTV via the Transponder. 73, Farrell Winder, W8ZCF Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

1 0

ARRISat-1 Activity Report
by GW1FKY＠aol.com 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

Hi all, Pleased to report lots of activity on the last two passes of ARRISat-1 over here in Europe today (Friday) Some calls at 1507 hrs PD0RKC, heard you and you were 5 X 8 but dropped to 5 X 5 rather quickly. At 1639 hrs heard ON4GP calling and then in contact with DG1ER, you were both 5X7 prior to the satellite switching off in eclipse. Nice to report the activity as we approach the end on the year and an era for ARISSat-1. Ken Eaton GW1FKY

1 0

PCSAT Status (and needs)
by Bob Bruninga 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

PCSAT SUMMARY and SOLICITATION: Our PCSAT recovery attempt this week was unsuccessful this time, but she will be back to normal (intermittent, weak) operation in a few weeks. BACKGROUND: PCSAT is functional a few times a day in the northern hemisphere year round. You can see its telemetry and user activity on http://pcsat.aprs.org . But it dies every orbit in eclipse because it defaults with backup systems turned ON. We can turn them off, but it can only really get enough charge to survive and keep them off during periodic full-sun periods that only happen once or twice a year in winter. PCSAT has a permanent +/-Z magnet for alignment with the Earth's field and a 0.6 RPM spin (solar pressure about Z). The best solar panel is on the -Z (south seeking axis). On the 4 sides are our cheap plastic covered cells and there are no panels on +Z. With a 63 degree inclined orbit, PCSAT enters a full sun period about once every 3 months. PCSAT can be fully operational during those periods and beyond if we can get command and turn off unnecessary redundant loads. The problem is that the times when we get peak sun (peak power) on the BEST panel is when we are also experiencing maximum eclipses. SO we can command easily (peak power available for a packet), but with only 45 minutes charge time, cannot then last through the following 35 min eclipse (minimum average power available). On the other hand, when we have full sun and there are no eclipses (plenty of average power), there is no sun on the -Z face to give us the peak power we need for the few seconds to complete the packet command sequence. What this means is that we really only have one or two days out of the 1 or 2 week full sun windows to get command, and only in winter. Because each orbit as we approach the terminator is getting less and less peak power, but recovering it before full-sun cannot be sustained due to low average power. VOLUNTEER STUDENT PROJECT? Anyway, the offset between the earth's magnetic and geometric poles, suggests there are several degrees of variation in the -Z sun power depending on WHERE the commanding ground station is relative to the time of day and orbit plane with respect to magnetic North. Using simple geometry, I have estimated our best command opportunity from Maryland is when the satellite crosses about 35 deg N latitude and to our east in the morning as the orbit approaches full sun. But I have no comprehensive math model to then predict other optimum times for other potential command locations. DK3WN's ground station in Germany I think, sees a little bit better angle differentiation due to his being perpendicular to the line between the magnetic and geographic poles, but I would like to have a good formal analysis of this geometry to better be able to coordinate our commanding. When commanding, one only gets one attempt per orbit per day. If it fails due to lack of peak power, then the load of the satellites attempted response and RETRIES kills the batteries for that orbit. Anyway, working all of this out with a math model and plots so we can predict these optimum times would be a great benefit to our decade old satellite (the longest operational student project satellite). Bob, WB4APR USNA Sat Lab

1 0

Re: MMSSTV and ARRISat-1
by G0MRF＠aol.com 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

Hi Kirk. You need a very good signal to noise ration with that SSTV via FM. I've had OK (ish) pictures with a 3 element beam, but it's not ideal. Try a near overhead pass, it must be a lot closer now than it was 2 months ago when I last tried. 73 David G0MRF In a message dated 30/12/2011 04:21:14 GMT Standard Time, inservice2him(a)hotmail.com writes: GA, All the talk about SSTV from this bird got me thinking I'd like to try! I downloaded MMSSTV and installed. What are the best settings to use in the setup page for decent copy of photos from ARRISAT-1? I did copy pix on 14.230 after setup as a test run...but on last pass of ARRISAT, had wonderful copy of voice beacon but no pictures decoded. So wonder what I might be doing wrong. Any help appreciated. Kirk, N0KK _______________________________________________ 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

1 0

EM45 on SO50
by wa4hfn＠comcast.net 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

I will try to work SO50- portable in EM45 at 0935 utc today 12-30-11 and maybe AO27 later also WA4HFN/P em45

1 0

EM46 grid trip 12.26.11
by K4FEG 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

I am putting in the mail today cards for the following stations for my Grid trip on 12.26.11: AC0RA KO4MA CO6CBF (direct & to George) NX9B KB0RZD K4MOA WD9EWK XE1AO I know I worked others, if you need a confirmation for EM46, email the contact info and I will send you out my card, no card or SASE needed for this operation. 73's everyone Frank K4FEG

1 0

OSCAR-11 Report
by Clive Wallis 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

OSCAR-11 REPORT 29 December 2011 This report covers the period from 01 September to 28 December 2011. The satellite has continued to operate in a very predictable way since the last report, and no changes have been observed. During this time the satellite has been heard reliably during its ten-day transmission periods. Excellent signals have been reported from stations located around the world, and good copy obtained from decoded telemetry frames. The easiest way to check whether OSCAR-11 is operational is to look at the General Satellite Status website http://oscar.dcarr.org/index.php . You can also calculate the operating schedule from the last switch-off time, which was 28 December 2011 at 15:00 UTC (approx), using 10.35 days off followed by 10.35 days on. Reception reports have been received from Gustavo LW2DTZ, Bob KI0G, Rolf HB9TSO and Francesco IT9JRU. Many thanks to all and those who posted to the status website. The satellite is currently in eclipse during all evening passes over the UK, resulting in lower signal strengths at these times. Owing to the gradual precession of the orbit, the season for eclipses of the evening passes is longer this year compared with the winter last year. The on-board clock continues to gain, 28 seconds during the current reporting period, and 112 seconds since regular transmissions were resumed at the end of August 2010. There is however a large accumulated error of 308.54303 days slow. This was caused mainly by the clock stopping during eclipses, when there was also an unknown drain on the power supply. The units of the least significant digit correspond approximately to seconds (0.86 seconds actually). The VHF beacon frequency is 145.826 MHz. AFSK FM ASCII Telemetry. The satellite is operating in the default mode, with a cycle time of 20.7 days. 10.35 days on followed by 10.35 days off. At the present time, while OSCAR-11 is operating in a predictable way, I no longer need direct reports or files by e-mail. However, could all listeners continue to enter their reports on the general satellite status website. This is a very convenient and easy to use facility, which shows the current status of all the amateur satellites, and is of use to everyone. Reports around the expected times of switch-on and switch-off are of special interest, especially for times 12:00 - 18:00 and 22:00 - 07:00 UTC, when the satellite is out-of-range in the UK . The URL is http://oscar.dcarr.org/index.php A longer version of this report report is available on my website, and new listeners to OSCAR-11 should read this for further information. The URL is www.g3cwv.co.uk/oscar11.htm . This page contains a links to the longer report, a short audio clip to help you identify the satellite and a file of the last telemetry received. The website also contains an archive of news & telemetry data which is updated from time to time, and details about using a soundcard or hardware demodulators for data capture. There is also software for capturing data, and decoding ASCII telemetry. If you place this bulletin on a terrestrial packet network, please use the bulletin identifier $BID:U2RPT157.CWV, to prevent duplication. 73 Clive G3CWV xxxxx(a)amsat.org (please replace the x's by g3cwv)

1 0

Re: HamSatDroid New Feature Discussion
by Dinesh Cyanam 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

Hi Dave, I have been using HamSatDroid from the time it was released and I simply love the app. Thank you for that. On the features side, I feel that the satellite list should be sorted. I always end up scrolling up and down the list a couple of times to find the right satellite. Another feature that I would request is the ability to rotate the radar plots. I believe the "Utilize the compass and tilt sensors to show when the phone is pointing at the satellite" feature might be something similar to what I am asking for. I particularly liked this ability to turn the radar plots in the Satellite Tracker iOS app. Eagerly waiting to see the new features in the app. If you need testers do let me know. I am an experienced app tester. 73, KC2YQJ Dinesh Cyanam KC2YQJ at arrl.net

1 0

G5400 azimuth rotor - Can I install G5600 limit switches?
by Mike N8MR 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

I just bought a used (originally purchased in 1996) G5400 az/el rotor combo for my local radio club. The rotors are in great shape. In fact the az rotor is still in its original wrapping! Years ago and at another club, I got used to their G5600 rotors, which had limit switches in both the elevation and azimuth rotors. These limit switches provided great protection from us neophyte sat ops accidentally jamming the rotors against their stops. >From past postings on AMSAT-BB, I take it the main difference between the G5400 and the G5600 rotors is that the G5400 uses a thermal switch instead of limit switches in the G5400 az rotor. I'm not sure if I can trust the thermal switch setup as much as I did the limit switches. If limit switches are truly a better safeguard against rotor damage, can I simply add G5600 limit switches to the G5400 az rotor? I know I'd have to install the motor start cap in the controller. Just wondering about the limit switches. Thanks, Mike, N8MR

1 0

Arissat-1
by PY5LF 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

Hi Arissat-1 still working fine . Transponder signal very good on a pass of 45 degrees. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws9W78_t_C0 73 PY5LF LUCIANO FABRICIO Curitiba-PR-Brazil GG54jm <http://www.qrz.com/db/py5lf> http://www.qrz.com/db/py5lf

3 2

ARISSAT-1
by Carl Rimmer W8KRF 29 Dec '11

29 Dec '11

I was able to copy ARISSat-1 during three passes today but as was mentioned in a previous bulletin, the signal seems much weaker, and I have had to correct the frequency often which means the keps are not up to date although I downloaded them this morning. I just downloaded them again a few minutes ago and noticed a big change. She was also in Low Power mode in full sunlight again. I did work CW through her and heard my signal on the downlink but it was weak and warblely (if that is a word). I am thinking it is tumbling quite a bit. I am beginning to believe that the predictions for de-orbit on the 30th might be accurate. I must say it has been fun and I hope we have all learned lessons from the experience. I'll keep monitoring until it is confirmed that de-orbit has occurred. I am looking forward to Hamcation in February so I can sit and chat (debrief) with all the fine people who put her up there. 73, -- *Carl W8KRF*

1 0

Re: HamSatDroid New Feature Discussion
by Clint Bradford 29 Dec '11

29 Dec '11

Some of the requested features "scare" me on your behalf, Dave (grin). • Doppler correction information (1) • Footprints (2) • Satellite information including frequencies, modes (5) If invoked, you will need to update the program VERY often ... because if there's a mode change on a sat, and your program doesn't show it - well, that's the type of "support" email you do not deserve to receive. Personally, I would make people perform their own research for the satellite control operator pages, and get the freq info in that manner. Otherwise - to be accurate - you will have to edit your program every mode change of a sat. I see your program (and the other good ones) as being tools to tell us WHERE the sats are. Get that aspect of the process down reliably and painlessly - then you are "ahead of the curve" from other lesser programs out there. I truly believe it is up to each ham to educate themselves on how to find the best info on freq/mode data elsewhere. Clint Bradford K6LCS

1 0

HamSatDroid New Feature Discussion
by David Johnson 29 Dec '11

29 Dec '11

Hi, I've released a set of candidate features that have been proposed for HamSatDroid: https://sites.google.com/site/hamsatdroid/news/new-features If you are currently using the app or know someone that is, please take a moment to look at the page and give us some feedback. 73 Dave, G4DPZ AMSAT-UK Committee Member AMSAT_NA Life Member FUNcube Software developer

1 0

ARISSat-1
by N0JY 29 Dec '11

29 Dec '11

Strong signal on the FM downlink 145.950 here in urban Cali, Colombia, S.A. on a nearly overhead pass at 14:55UTC. 73, Jerry N0JY

1 0

Arrissat-1 UK Status Report.
by GW1FKY＠aol.com 29 Dec '11

29 Dec '11

Hi all, It may not be significant as I note from Roland that it was OK, however over here in Wales ( UK ) the pass today ( Thursday 29th Dec. at 1345 hrs) it did not sound as healthy on the downlink as I normally receive the satellite. Did hear my downlink much weaker and also heard 2E0SQL also calling CQ - Peter also heard you yesterday you were much stronger but did not get back to you as my antenna was doing a 180 degree turn. Will monitor the next pass and try to get an update on the status. Ken Eaton GW1FKY By the way, I note thankfully that all went well for the commercial launch of the Soyuz ( Fregat )and its payload on Wednesday 28th December.

1 0