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Re: AO-16 Insight ?
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

How do you spell high altitude mode "A", as in RS-15 (sobsob). I could work Europe from Seattle with an old two meter all mode radio. Simple, cheap gear hours and hours of enjoyment. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle -- "if this were easy, everyone would be doing it" -------------- Original message -------------- From: "John Henderson" <jah(a)ec.rr.com> > All, > > > > With the re-birth of A0-16, it is really wonderful to see the reaction of > all the folks who have worked the bird. Even with the odd configuration, > fading signals and tuning problems ,every message posted has reflected an > air of excitement and a sense of accomplishment. > > > > Maybe, there are some things AMSAT leadership and us members can garner from > this event. > > > > - LEOS aren't all bad > > - Simple frequency plans are good > > - No specialized amateur equipment is needed for a sat contact > > - Push/advertise the use of your existing gear to a prospective > member > > > > With all the talk and plans going on right now relative to new sats with > 1.2g/2.4g and sophisticated modes ( I understand the technical advantages > from the satellite point of view) that require expensive equipment and > antenna setups, maybe what we need to excite the membership ( and attract > new members) is to re-think where we should be heading. > > > > I am not suggesting HEO/GEO's are not needed because I want to work all > states myself and would love a larger footprint. > > > > The major issue at hand is attracting ,building and retaining a membership > base that will allow us to financially move forward with such products. We > can't do that by requiring high dollar outlays by prospective members for > new gear and antenna setups. That said, there is an argument for HEO/GEO's > on that ground in that you don't need a lot more gear, etc. but you do need > down converters and uplink transmitters for the higher freqs not normally > found in the 2/70 rigs the majority of hams have in the shacks. > > > > The need for increasing the membership base is critical, not only in AMSAT, > but in ham radio as a whole. We will not survive if ham radio in a broader > sense does not do well. We are but a small percentage of that decreasing > total. Ever wonder why Yaesu dropped the FT-847 and Icom hasn't built a > IC910H Pro version? > > > > Maybe our number one priority, instead of human space missions and building > facilities at a college, should be growing our membership base with a keep > it simple approach in the near future. > > > > Certainly, my view is limited as compared to AMSAT leadership. They have a > much broader and deeper view of the situation, but as an Area Coordinator > who goes to ham fests and schools in our area, what I always hear is " the > high cost of satellite setups". Once you get beyond the hand held they are > correct, particularly if we move away from technology present in most ham > shacks. > > > > I just re-read the Mission Statement on the AMSAT website and could not find > much about new members. I did find a lot about human space flight, > educational programs, HEO's and yes LEO's. > > > > If the stated objectives and mission statement reflects our members wants > and desires, I must assume I am not in tune with the average AMSAT member > when I read these statements and scratch my head and wonder if this reflects > the correct direction. It all sounds very good, technically intriguing, and > challenging but it also sounds expensive. > > > > Please understand this is not a condemnation of our officers and please do > not let this start a thread like we had a month a so ago, but if you chose > to reply be thoughtful and purposeful in your comments. I am willing to > stand corrected. > > > > With regards, > > > > John > > John Henderson N4NAB > > Area Coordinator- Eastern NC > > 212 Bayside Drive > > Cape Carteret, NC 28584 > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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FW: [PNWVHFS] 10' dish available - FREE
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

This came across my inbox. Location is somewhere in Western Wa. 73 Bob W7LRD -- "if this were easy, everyone would be doing it" -------------- Forwarded Message: -------------- From: "W7CE" <w7ce(a)curtiss.net> To: <pnwvhfs(a)googlegroups.com> Subject: [PNWVHFS] 10' dish available - FREE Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:11:59 +0000 I company that I used to consult for is going out of business and has a 10' (approximate) dish that they need to get rid of. I'll be helping to disassemble it tomorrow and it needs to be hauled away no later than next Thursday. The dish is a Channel Master 3040740-01, and is free for the taking. If anyone is interested, contact me as soon as possible and I'll let them know. Otherwise, it will probably end up at the landfill. 73, Clay W7CE --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ ~The Voice of the Pacific NorthWest VHF Society~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups < BR>"PNWVHFS" group. To post to this group, send email to PNWVHFS(a)googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to PNWVHFS-unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/PNWVHFS -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

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Kansas City Tracker unknown parts...
by Larry 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

Hello everyone! I use the KCT to control my rotor, which works fine. However... I was looking through the junk drawer tonight, and found the original anti-static bag which has two 14 pin IC-style jumper boards inside. One of them has only 2 jumpers - one between pins 1 & 3, the other jumper between pins 4 & 6. These are both made with blue wire. The other IC block has a solder bridge between pins 2 & 3 and 5 & 6. Did these come with the board in its early stages of design? Does it even belong with the KCT? Just curious what these are for. I don't recall reading in the manual about them, either (tracker OR tuner). TIA... Larry N1MIW FN41

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C-Band receiver for P3E completed
by Peter Guelzow 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

Hi, the C-Band receiver for P3E is completed and currently under testing. More information can be found here: http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amsat-dl.org%2F%2F… original: http://www.amsat-dl.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=156&Item… 73s Peter DB2OS

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AO7
by k3szh＠netzero.net 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

Steve N3TE Congratulation on you 1000 qso on AO7, and you did it your way all on cw with a great first.And yes tnx for the many contacts with you. 73 Joe K3SZH Amsat 3788 _____________________________________________________________ Need cash? Click to get a cash advance. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2221/fc/Ioyw6i4tF3DIBbdv4muFwm9kNhuj…

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Re: UO-11 up and running
by Clive Wallis 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

Hi, Many thanks for all the reports. Douglas KA2UPW/5 wrote - >Last month the clock was about 74 days slow, but it is now >about 81 days off. I suspect it probably stops during eclipses. It's lost about seven days in 63. That's probably around the total eclipse times. At the present time it's very stable at 81.36403 days slow. In the past UO-11 also used to send stored ASCII bulletins as well, but I think that capability of the satellite ended when the spacecraft computer turned off. Anyone know for sure? AFAIK, the computer was used to control the diary schedule, which enabled the satellite to capture and transmit many types of data, including a text bulletin. Before the computer switched off, it became difficult to command the satellite to upload the bulletins. 73 Clive G3CWV Hitchin, North Hertfordshire, UK.

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QSL Cards with AMSAT Logo
by John Marranca, Jr 25 Jan '08

25 Jan '08

CheapQSLs. They are excellent, and have made a custom re-print of my grandfather's card from 1938...but with my call and the AMSAT logo. http://www.cheapqsls.com John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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Re: AO-16 Report
by John Marranca, Jr 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

----- Original Message ----- From: "Ryan Butler" <rbutler at tsss.org> > > So, now that AO-16 is in this mode, is it possible to put the other > PACSAT's that are in MBL mode into voice repeater mode such as IO-26 and > LO-19? > > Ryan, NF0T I think that that would be incredible...if these satellites could all find a use again in the "bent-pipe" mode. It's almost funny, since these birds have been orbiting Earth doing not much of anything but sending telemetry. Good Luck Ground Team on this possibilty! John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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Ao-16 thrill
by Don Blachura 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Hello Folks, I normally don't put much on the BB. But yesterday afternoon I worked Ao-16 here in the afternoon(46 deg pass). Not only was it great to work the bird but to meet an old friend that I used to work regularly on AO-40. Art Jenson of North Dakota. Had a great qso with Art and at signing I asked his age. His reply was 97, thats 1910! He was telling me that he has Doppler tacking now and a new Pc. Amazing at that age, and I sure hope to work he many times with his new setup. :-)) Don....w2xb

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Further indoor, ultra-cheap antenna success
by Bruce Robertson 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Following my experiment reading AO-16 last night with an indoor 1/4wave magmount, I'd hoped to try today with a basic antenna attached to my FT-817. this antenna is a BNC connector with three stiff copper wires attached, two to the ground, one to the pin, in the classic 120 degree arrangement. Alas, by the time I made it home, the bird was only at about 2 deg, over the N. pole (its silence quite possibly due to inactivity) so I switched to CO-55's nominal 100mW CW signal. Again, indoors through about three walls and perhaps the roof of this wood-frame home I was able to hear CW. I engaged the narrow CW filter, which then made it intelligible, and then walked toward the other end of the house so that a single outer wall was between me and the bird. At about 2 deg. elevation to the North, I could no longer copy the CW. It was about a 559 until then. Granted, my house is surrounded by a 6 acre field and on slight hill. I have very little noise on 435MHz that I can tell. Nevertheless, there was enough of a signal above the noise that I think this could be reproduced easily in many locations. It strikes me as a very simple experiment, ideal for in-class or for a demo to a ham club. In fact, the constancy of the cubesat telemetry makes the demonstration easier to understand and conduct. One could get the sat tuned in then hand the knob over to someone else so that they can 'feel' the doppler as they catch up with the bird. 73, Bruce VE9QRP

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AO16 over South America
by Fabio Teixeira Magalhaes 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

AO16 passed at 19:50 utc orbit nr 94026. Signal was very good. Contacts with PY4ZBZ, PY5LF and PY2BBS. 73 es DX Fabio - PY4AJ Amsat nr 19748

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Re: AO-16 report
by Andrew Glasbrenner 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Hi Ray, Thanks for the report, and I hope you don't mind that I have included part of it in this email to -bb in response to a few comments I've seen. As Ray and others have noticed, there is indeed some carrier on the downlink. It isn't what we might have designed for a voice system, but given how this came about, it's tolerable. The tuning of the downlink is indeed more rapid than a V/U linear transponder such as FO-29. Recall that an inverting transponder uses the Doppler on the uplink to cancel out part of the Doppler on the downlink. On this configuration we do not have that benefit. Thank you to everyone who has sent in reports, especially those who have described their stations. I'm particularly interested in reports of minimal and/or portable stations used successfully on AO-16. 73, Drew KO4MA ----- Original Message ----- From: RaySoifer(a)cs.com The uplink is very sensitive indeed, and the downlink is as expected given the power level. I would add, though, that in addition to the DSB audio, there is a carrier output which helps to tune in the downlink signal. It's not really DSBSC (suppressed carrier) but more like DSBRC (reduced carrier, relative to what it would be on AM).

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NA-EU on AO16
by Robert Turlington 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Hi All on the 1828 mid atlantic pass of AO16 this evening I managed to work CU2JX followed by VE3NPC the uplink is very very sensitive. I was running less than 5w to a horizontally polarized 6 element Quad at the time and could even hear myself Q5 with the power turned right down on my FT847(1-2w)Regards Robert G8ATE _________________________________________________________________ Free games, great prizes - get gaming at Gamesbox. http://www.searchgamesbox.com

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N3TE / AO-7 Log
by SV1BSX 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Congrat's to Steve, N3TE ! He is the 3rd US-station and the 9th WorldWide which reached the "1000 points" on AO-7's Online LogBook. http://www.planetemily.com/ao7/userStats.php Well done ! 73, Mak SV1BSX Email: sv1bsx "AT" yahoo .gr URL : http://sv1bsx.50webs.com --- avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean. Virus Database (VPS): 080123-2, 01/23/2008 Tested on: 1/24/2008 19:11:23 avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2008 ALWIL Software. http://www.avast.com

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AO-16 second try
by francesco messineo 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Hello, AO-16 just passed on a 89 degrees pass, the doppler shift is quite severe, not like you hear on linear trasponders. Signal was very good with usual fades and also getting heard by the sat was easier. Had only one contact, QRM over europe is heavy as always, it's good to have another sat to use. Not many new stations though. best 73 de IZ8DWF

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Orbital Classroom - Future????
by Stefan Wagener 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Hi folks, As a follow-up to my email in December (see below) I would like to thank all of you that responded. Your feedback was very much appreciated and also very encouraging! Interestingly, the overall response in terms of numbers was minimal. I assume that some did not read the previous email and others were not able or willing to respond for various reasons. At the same time, I also assume that the biggest majority is not interested in this approach since they don't attend the annual AMSAT meeting either. Consequently, I will not pursue this idea any longer at this time and focus on other activities. However, I am still interested in working within a team to develop some sort of educational program within AMSAT if that is of interest. Thanks again. It was an eye opener. 73, Stefan VE4NSA ................. Thanks everyone. The comments (primarily offline) to my first post on the existence of the "Orbital Classroom" just pointed to the perceived sad state of education within AMSAT. Now, we can whine and do nothing or maybe put our heads together and see what there is to do. The first thing is to gauge the level of interest. I and others will NOT engage in this without some significant feedback from the members and those that are interested in amateur radio and satellites and education. Here are a few questions and I would kindly request your thoughts on these. 1. Would you be interested in attending pre-conference courses and workshops as part of the annual meeting or at other venues? 2. Would you be willing to pay a registration fee that would cover course material, instructor cost etc.? 3. Would you be interested in receiving a certificate for ongoing education as it relates to amateur radio and satellites? 4. What topics would you like to see taught at such courses? 5. Would you be willing in helping to organize and facilitate courses (you don't have to teach for this one, just help the instructor and take care of registration, etc)? 6. Would you be willing to teach a course and if yes, on which topics? That's a start and hopefully it sparks your interest as a participant, facilitator or instructor. Please email me your responses offline (don't hit the reply all button) and I will compile the answers in a response to the board and this mailing list. FYI, I have been asked to organize and coordinate these efforts. First of all, I will NOT assist, organize and/or coordinate these efforts unless I have equal partners in assisting and helping. Secondly, AMSAT has an official "Director of Education" who needs to be involved and work on this (with our help if necessary). This person serves at the discretion of the AMSAT president and I have no intention to do his work. Hope this helps to clarify positions and responsibilities! For now, it is time for the members to voice their needs for education and define if this is relevant or not. Folks, here is your opportunity! Some of us are listening and working on this. Let us know if you want this or not by answering the questions above. As always, your opinion counts and even more your help is greatly appreciated. Have a Merry Christmas, a wonderful holiday season and an even better 2008. My best wishes to you and your families. 73, Stefan VE4NSA

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ao-16 data?
by Mr Jeffrey L Ross 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

hi all, any data signals to be picked up off this alive sat? ready to listen on 1200/9600 baud packet kc8gkf

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AO-16 Insight ?
by John Henderson 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

All, With the re-birth of A0-16, it is really wonderful to see the reaction of all the folks who have worked the bird. Even with the odd configuration, fading signals and tuning problems ,every message posted has reflected an air of excitement and a sense of accomplishment. Maybe, there are some things AMSAT leadership and us members can garner from this event. - LEOS aren't all bad - Simple frequency plans are good - No specialized amateur equipment is needed for a sat contact - Push/advertise the use of your existing gear to a prospective member With all the talk and plans going on right now relative to new sats with 1.2g/2.4g and sophisticated modes ( I understand the technical advantages from the satellite point of view) that require expensive equipment and antenna setups, maybe what we need to excite the membership ( and attract new members) is to re-think where we should be heading. I am not suggesting HEO/GEO's are not needed because I want to work all states myself and would love a larger footprint. The major issue at hand is attracting ,building and retaining a membership base that will allow us to financially move forward with such products. We can't do that by requiring high dollar outlays by prospective members for new gear and antenna setups. That said, there is an argument for HEO/GEO's on that ground in that you don't need a lot more gear, etc. but you do need down converters and uplink transmitters for the higher freqs not normally found in the 2/70 rigs the majority of hams have in the shacks. The need for increasing the membership base is critical, not only in AMSAT, but in ham radio as a whole. We will not survive if ham radio in a broader sense does not do well. We are but a small percentage of that decreasing total. Ever wonder why Yaesu dropped the FT-847 and Icom hasn't built a IC910H Pro version? Maybe our number one priority, instead of human space missions and building facilities at a college, should be growing our membership base with a keep it simple approach in the near future. Certainly, my view is limited as compared to AMSAT leadership. They have a much broader and deeper view of the situation, but as an Area Coordinator who goes to ham fests and schools in our area, what I always hear is " the high cost of satellite setups". Once you get beyond the hand held they are correct, particularly if we move away from technology present in most ham shacks. I just re-read the Mission Statement on the AMSAT website and could not find much about new members. I did find a lot about human space flight, educational programs, HEO's and yes LEO's. If the stated objectives and mission statement reflects our members wants and desires, I must assume I am not in tune with the average AMSAT member when I read these statements and scratch my head and wonder if this reflects the correct direction. It all sounds very good, technically intriguing, and challenging but it also sounds expensive. Please understand this is not a condemnation of our officers and please do not let this start a thread like we had a month a so ago, but if you chose to reply be thoughtful and purposeful in your comments. I am willing to stand corrected. With regards, John John Henderson N4NAB Area Coordinator- Eastern NC 212 Bayside Drive Cape Carteret, NC 28584

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Orlando Hamcation and AMSAT
by Bob McGwier 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

AMSAT will have a large presence at the Orlando Hamcation. It will remind some people of Dayton. The Orlando Hamcation has grown in size and prominence in the U.S. After all, it is in a horrible place for Winter in the U.S.! http://www.hamcation.com/ The following AMSAT board members and officers will be there: AMSAT President Rick Hambly, W2GPS AMSAT President Emeritus, Tom Clark, K3IO (ex-W3IWI) AMSAT Executive V.P. Lee McLamb, KU4OS AMSAT V.P. Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA AMSAT V.P. Field Ops, Gould Smith, WA4SXM AMSAT V.P. Engineering Bob McGwier, N4HY and others. Some of the above are board members. Additionally, board members Lou McFadid, W5DID and Barry Baines, WD4ASW will be in attendance. Barry Baines is our new Eagle/Intelsat project manager. AMSAT has been granted prominent times and rooms for presentations. AMSAT is bringing the operational SDX and will soon thereafter put an SDX based linear transponder on the air covering much of the state of Florida and in a prominent place in Maryland. Additionally, one of the SDX will be in use in Europe thanks to a generous offer and help from Viktor Kudielka. AMSAT will hold engineering planning meetings here for engineering management. This was decided because so many of these people were going to be in attendance anyway. Please come hear about Eagle and Phase 3 E in Orlando. I hope to see you there Feb. 8-10! Bob McGwier N4HY

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AO-16 report from Copenhagen
by OZ1MY 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Hi all, Tried it out this late afternoon. As someone remarked the downlink is strong - but the noise level it very high, at least here over Europe. Made a couple of QSO's on two passes. My doppler file in SatPC32 is a little different from Drews after testing the satellite: AO-16,437024.87,145920,USB,FM,NOR,0,0 It is just the downlink that is different. I am using full doppler control in the program. The downlink antenna is RHCP on this frequency - but sometimes it was better with LHCP. Have fun :-) 73 OZ1MY Ib

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AO-16 Test Over Europe
by EB3SA - Carles 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

Hi to all The 0535 utc pass over Europe, any difficulty......... but nice ¡¡¡¡ This is my first QSO in AO-16 ¡¡ with IZ1ERR, Gracias Piero. Happy Birthday AO-16! Congratulations from Catalonia. Carles EB3SA -- Carles Roy eb3sa(a)eb3sa.com www.eb3sa.com

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RFI identification
by Tony 24 Jan '08

24 Jan '08

All, I have an RFI problem that I'm trying to identify. It's a continuous pulse noise that pops on every 1/2 second. The timing between each pulse is perfect (about 0.533 seconds) and doesn't seem to change. The noise is spread accross all HF bands and on some days it seems to creep up into the 100MHz range; it's also stronger on the lower frequencies. The signal is directional and goes from almost nothing to S-8 with the antennas pointed south. The noise appeard suddenly in December and has not stopped. I have a recording and would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks, Tony -K2MO

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Indoor reception of AO-16
by Bruce Robertson 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

We should get the word out to all those folks with all-mode, all-band radios: AO-16 may be the easiest voice-repeating satellite they'll ever hear. I've just finished listening to the 20:40UTC pass on a *really* crummy 144/440 mag-mount antenna. Fed with 6' of RG-174! Without a low noise preamp! Indoors! With the bird setting on the other side of the house!! Granted, it wasn't perfect copy, but I could have easily made many QSOs. You can hear an mp3 of this at http://heml.mta.ca/Amsat/ao16_cheap_vertical_indoors_30deg_to_10deg_23_01_2… I undertook the experiment because of half-broken outdoor equipment. My 435MHz antenna has an intermittent fault: it works properly when flipped over by the elevation rotor, but when under 90 deg. elevation, it is open. I don't dare drop the wooden mast I'm using until the weather improves (read, May), so I'm stuck. As the rotor flipped to track this bird, strangely I could still hear it. Either the antenna situation was improved, or the bird booms. SWR still awful: its the bird! That's basically just a piece of open coax with a preamp that's outside. So I quickly disconnected it, and connected the mini mag-mount that was at my station. I could hear QSOs even better. Amazing. If I have a chance, tomorrow I'm going to go outside with a FT-817 and see how we do with Crummy Antennas for Satellites :-) 73, Bruce VE9QRP

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Re: AO-16 reconfigured
by Tom Clark, K3IO 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Whoops -- In my first try, I accidentally hit the SEND key before I posted the message! Then, after composing this message, it got lost in the big stellar bit bucket & didn't get posted to AMSAT-BB. So I try a 3rd time -- --------------------------------------------- The news from Drew and the AO-16 command team came as a most pleasant surprise to me. As Drew, KO4MA said : > After the conclusion that the spacecraft computer system was damaged and as > discussions about decommissioning were taking place, Jim recalled a series > of low level commands included in the spacecraft design by Tom Clark, K3IO > during construction. One of these commands allows an uplink receiver to be > directly tied to a downlink transmitter. It is now Jan.22 and it is, to the day, the 18th anniversary of the Jan.22,1990 launch (for details, see http://128.54.16.15/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=11&retURL=/satel… <http://128.54.16.15/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=11&retURL=/satel…> and http://www.spacetoday.org/Satellites/Hamsats/Hamsats1990s/Hamsats90sMicrosa…) when the Ariane-4 carried the first 4 Microsats (AO-16, DO-17, LO-18 and WO-19) and 2 UoSATs (UO-14 and UO-15)into orbit. The success that Drew reported came about because of three engineering decisions we made 20 years ago while designing the Microsats (a fascinating narrative translated from Chinese can be found at http://tinyurl.com/2r82dv and also see KB5MU's report from the 1989 TAPR meeting at http://www.qrz.com/download/packet/tapr89.txt): 1. Hugh Pett, VE3FLL designed the MBL bootloader as a finite state machine, independent of the computer. In addition to providing a way to reload the computer, the MBL has the ability to load commands into the AARTs in each module. 2. I developed (with a LOT!! of help from Bob Stricklin, N5BRG) the new concept which I called the AART (Addressable Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) using the Motorola MC14469 chip. The AART board allowed two wire bus to send configuration commands to each module. . This was AMSAT's first spacecraft LAN (although it was only 6 inches long). Each AART board receives 2 byte packets (one for address, one for data) and returns a one byte response when it is addressed. The data byte is heavily multiplexed and sets up digital states and an analog telemetry multiplexer. The last time I heard, the AART on AO-16 had handled well over a billion packets. This is relevant because Hugh 's MBL allows a command station to send commands directly to each module even if the computer is brain dead. 3. In designing the Microsat receiver (with much engineering help from Eric Gustavson, N7CL & Jim Vogeler, WA7CJO, and construction help from Dick Daniels, W4PUJ and component scrounging by Lyle Johnson, KK7P), I implemented a bypass mode that allowed the AART to pass raw "audio" output from each receiver directly into the PSK xmtr. This was done mainly to facilitate testing after the module stack was assembled. I'll tell you that I am very proud that my boards are still working and the RX sensitivity is so good. Given 4 original Microsats with 5 individual receivers (except Dove with only 2 RX channels) and 4 AART boards running for 18 years (plus IO-26, AO-27 & MO-31) with plastic ICs and a lot of consumer grade components, AMSAT's "design them well and use industrial grade parts" philosophy seems to vindicated with a total of hundreds of years of on-orbit experience. Bob McGwier (N4HY) has collected a lot of Microsat photos on his website at http://n4hy.smugmug.com/AMSAT/245761. A few I spotted that might be interesting: * http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/2052687#105508793 -- This page shows several pix of my RX and AART boards . There are 5 RX channels, 4 for the users and one for command. The pictures of bare copper PCB were mechanical mockups for vibration testing. In each shield area, the long chip is the Motorola MC3362 single channel FM RX chip. The large silver can just to the left of the 3362 (a dummy in mass model) in the middle of each RX channel is the 10.7 MHz 15 kHz wide xtal filter that Lyle Johnson found for us. The 2M front-end has a 3 section TOKO helical resonator following the MOSFET LNA. * At the bottom left of http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/2052687#105508798 you see a resonant line that served as a 70 cm TX trap and part of the 2M input circuit. * http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/2052709#105511134 -- shows eye patterns showing that the RX works @ 9600 Baud (i.e. 4800 Hz maximum audio frequency * http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/2052709#105510099 -- the DOVE RX is on the left -- note that only 2 of 5 RX channels have been populated. * http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/2052709#105511041 -- Bob still has SOME hair. * http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/2052709#105511088 & http://n4hy.smugmug.com/gallery/2052709#105511116 -- Bob still gives me a hard time about having a mustache! Thanks to Drew, Gould, Doug, Jim, Mark & Bruce for this 18th Birthday present for AO-16. 73, Tom

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AO-16 Success!
by John Marranca, Jr 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

The 2045z pass of AO-16 was fantastic! Without any difficulty, I was able to work VE3NPC, VE2DWE, W2XB (here in FN02), and AA4FL! (Boy...SSB Doppler is a bigger challenge!) Many many thanks to the Ground Team for doing such a great job resurrecting this satellite. Happy Birthday AO-16! John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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Re: AO-16
by Clare Fowler 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Great to have one of the microsats back again; Heard myself on 19:00 pass but no one else around but on 20:35 pass lots of activity and some of the usual QRMing with single channel FM uplink. Very easy to work and no trouble following doppler on SSB downlink. Worked AA4FL, VE2DWE, N4ZQ, KB2HSH, W2XB and K2MO. and just about everyone worked everyone. Clare VE3NPC

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Command Team Congrats
by Bill Greene 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Fantastic work Command Team! Now I have to get my antennas back configured to give it a try........well I think I will wait till the temperature gets a bit warmer , currently it is -16 C. Again great job to everyone involved. Regards, Bill Greene VE7WFG Armstrong BC DO00jk Amsat 29777

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WTB: Paccomm PSK-1T
by Mark L. Hammond 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Hello All, I am interested in buying a Paccomm PSK-1T (if the price is right). This is the unit with a built-in TNC. It would be useful for commanding AO-16.... If you have such a beast collecting dust, please reply directly to me at: n8mh(a)amsat.org Thanks! -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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UO-11 up and running
by Mark M 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Found UO-11 data beacon up and running on 145.825 on my 0249-0302 utc 20080123 pass. Please give a listen and let Clive, G3CWV at g3cwv(a)amsat.org know how well you have heard it, and that I was not imagining it. It was doing very well here without preamp on a 46 degree elevation pass. S7-9. With the preamp it flat lined 60 over plus.

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Re: FYI -- One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Opportunity
by Tom Clark, K3IO 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

(I posted this a couple of days ago, but it was never released from amsat.org limbo. So I resend. My order for OLPC went in today -- they accept either PayPal or plastic -- Tom) Another thing I gleaned from the OLPC wiki is that it supports FORTH (start at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Forth_Lesson_0). Karl (DJ4ZC) designed Phase-3A back in the late 1970's and the onboard computer (IHU) used the computer language that Karl wrote called IPS (Interpreter for Process Structures) based on FORTH, but with German syntax and multi-tasking real-time support. Several of us (W0PN, W1HDX, ZL1WN, DB2OS & I) ported the German "dialect" of IPS into English and the "Gerglish" IPS has served as the basis for running all the Phase-3 IHUs up thru AO-40 (thanks to the efforts of W4SM and G3RUH). IPS is also planned for P3-E (N4HY already has it running on the new IHU) and probably P5. As another possible AMSAT/OLPC synergy, I can easily envision the OLPC Forth kernel being adapted to real-time control tasks with the addition of Karl's "chain". Although it is really modest compared to the normal laptop, Nick Negroponte and his team has really come up with a platform that has amazing possibilities! Meanwhile, ASUS has introduced their commercial Linux-based "Eee" miniature notebook that is already available ($399 from Amazon <http://www.google.com/pagead/iclk?sa=l&ai=BuJiyAGg3R9XlK4iaeuyDjLIMqprePM7t…>) -- Just Google ASUS Eee <http://www.google.com/search?q=Asus+Eee&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=…> or see the Eee wiki entry <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASUS_Eee_PC#Storage> for details. 73, Tom

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eeepc
by Andrew Rich 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

I am thinking of getting an eeepc and putting perl, predict, gpredict and tunring it into a sat tracking device. Does anyone know if that would not be possible ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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Re: AO-16 reconfigured.
by Tom Clark, K3IO 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

The news from Drew and the AO-16 command team came as a most pleasant surprise to me. As Drew said

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EA4TX RCI-SE & Yaesu G-5500 Rotor
by Gary Schuchardt 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Hi Is anyone using the EA4TX RCI-SE Interface Board with a Yaesu G-5500 Rotor? If so, please advise. I would like to compare notes on a couple configuration settings. I am using Nova for Windows tracking software. Which satellite tracking software are you using? Thank You. Gary Chesapeake VA N0EZH

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AO-16 Contacts 2118Z 1/21/08
by John Henderson 23 Jan '08

23 Jan '08

Kudos to the AO-16 team....!!!! I have been copying telemetry on this bird for a couple of months and to hear real voices instead of hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm is way cool. Made two contacts :WB9PNU AND N3SZH! W/R 73 John John Henderson N4NAB 212 Bayside Drive Cape Carteret, NC 28584

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ARISS Telebridge Stations Needed!
by Stefan Wagener 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

The International ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) Team is seeking your help: Do you want to be part of the international network of ground stations that help support Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) operations? ARISS is looking to add numerous ground stations capable of relaying ISS amateur radio sessions with schools and also serve as back up communications relays should they be needed. Locations worldwide will be considered, but of greatest interest is the need for stations in Central America, South America, Falkland Islands, Western Australia, Canada, and Alaska. The following are guidelines for stations wanting to be considered: - Third Party agreement with United States or waiver from their telecom agency - Ability to speak and understand English - Minimal horizon obstructions - 24/7 access and availability of station - operator(s) willing to support scheduled contacts at various times - Phone patch - AZ/EL tracking satellite system, preferably an auto tracking system with the capability for manual override - Multi-element yagis for 2 meters and 70 cm (Circular polarity preferred) - Pre-amps - Transmit output greater than 70 watts NOTE: If you can specify your station's EIRP and receive sensitivity (thereby taking into account cable losses, pre-amps and antenna gain), it would be greatly appreciated. Stations that can support the following will be given special consideration, but these items are not required: - Auto Doppler adjustment of frequencies - Ability to speak and understand languages other than English - 1.2 and 2.4 GHz satellite hardware - Packet - SSTV - Digital ATV - Redundant power system - High-speed internet If you or your club would like to be considered for selection as one of the new ARISS telebridge stations then send an email with details about your station and contact information to: ARISS-telebridge(a)amsat.org. 73, Stefan VE4NSA

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AO-51 L-band/S-Band
by Jeff Mock 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

Are the L-band receiver and S-band transmitter ever powered up on AO-51? I can't find a schedule listing these things. I apologize if it's a silly question, I'm new to satellite stuff. jeff AD6EO

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AO-16 2258z
by John Marranca, Jr 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

Well....I have to get used to the Doppler Shift with a SSB downlink. I announced my call, and heard it...but subsequently lost the call of station calling me. Nevertheless...it was very good at 13 degrees elevation. Can't wait for tomorrow's passes!! John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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AO-16 Report
by John Germanos 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

Just had FB qso's with John N4NAB and Joe K3SZH via AO-16. Seems to work fine. Goods signals reported both ways. John WB9PNU AmSat 35477

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Re: AO-16 reconfigured
by John Marranca, Jr 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

I think this is FANTASTIC news!!! What I've noted about AO-16 is exactly what you mentioned, Drew...I too have copied TLM from 16 at 1-5 degrees with an eggbeater and NO preamp. It amazes me every time I hear just how robust 16's signal still is. Great work! Can't wait for the next pass. John KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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AMSAT Awards
by Bruce 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

We are starting 2008 with a bang.... a lot of awards processing so far. We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community. They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club. Amber Doolittle, KD0BQR Ed Tump, KC9GWK Terry Dillard, KI4YZI H. David Johnson, KE7FDP Bryan Jarman, KE7PEE AMSAT Communication Achievement Award Ollie Eisman, AJ1O, #458 South Africa AMSAT Communication Achievement Award Ollie Eisman, AJ1O, #US117 To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or http://www.amsatnet.com Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on W0KIE Intelsat Americas, T1, 6.8Mhz Also streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com

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Longwood (Orlando FLA)
by Robert Bruninga 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

Im looking for a ham volunteer near Longwood Florida. This is NE Orlando. This is related to the Meteor Scatter 6m project we mentioned before. This is kinda short fuse. We have located a few dozen 6 meter radios in a warehouse there, but only have 5 days to act on it. We may need someone to go take a look and make sure this is not a pig in a poke. Reply to bruninga(a)usna.edu Bob, WB4APR

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HAARP TEST curious feedback echo
by Luc Leblanc 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

First the echo's where really the reflected one's from the moon. I recheck my 75meg of audio recording of the 0730UTC January 20 test and i found a very special long echo that i put on my web page with the spectran snap shop showing this echo. What is curious is that i never received the direct signal from the HAARP site in Alaska how can we explain this very long echo who look like a feedback sound as if the signal was "rereflected"! just note the 2 peaks on the signal in the spectran image. Is it possible that i received the direct signal from Alaska for only 4 seconds on more than hour of recording? Here is the link for my web page. www.qsl.net/ve2dwe "-" Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE

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Signal source for 2.4ghz
by Luc Leblanc 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

> > At $2, it was all I used to hack and tweak my downconverter. I got > this idea from a VE2 ham's webpages, but I can't seem to google them > up right now. Here is yours link: http://ve2zaz.net/SigSourc/SigSourc.htm You can try also some cheap analog 2.4ghz telephone a bit out of our band but this tell you if your DC is working Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe WAC BASIC CW PHONE SATELLITE

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Newbie Question on AO-51
by Terry Dillard 22 Jan '08

22 Jan '08

I am a relatively new Tech learning to work the LEOs, and have a question specific to AO-51. On AO-51's status page at AmSat.org, it lists a Mode V/U (J) "QRP" frequency with no PL tone, and a Mode V/U (J) frequency with a PL tone of 67.0 Hz. What's considered the maximum wattage to operate on QRP? Also, since I've never operated on the "PL" frequency, is it even active? Do "non-QRPers" use it, is it available? Thanks for the help! -- Terry Dillard, KI4YZI www.ki4yzi.com "Veritas Vos Liberabit"

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WTB (maybe) 2.4 downconverter
by kg0mw＠greatplainsphotography.com 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Does anyone have any of the old mmc downconverters laying around that they might want to sell? thanks, chad kg0mw

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Suitsat deployment non-streaming video wanted
by Howard Long 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Folks I have a presentation to give tonight and I'd like to see if I can show a video of the Suitsat deployment. Let me know of any URL's! Thanks, Howard G6LVB

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PSLV launch - Delphi-C3 too?
by DeYoung James 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Greetings all, I noticed this morning that the Indian PSLV launched monday 2007 January 21st at 03:45 UTC. I believe this means Delphi-C3 should be in orbit. There is nothing on the Delft mission status web page yet as of this writing, however. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0801/21pslv/ Best regards, KG4QWC ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

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AMSAT DC?
by Doug Kuitula 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Hi all, Has the date and location been set for the AMSAT-DC meeting? Just want to see if I'll be able to make it. 73 de Doug KA8QCU

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Fw: Re:FO-29 Status
by JA0CQP 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

> Auke, > > At the FO-29, solar cells generate 16--18W of Power. > This means that when the bird was in sunlight, this > amount of power is enogh for linear transponder operation. > > If the cause of battery failure was internal short, then > FO-29 will be hopeless. > However, if the cause of battery failure was "open-mode" > by high impedance internaly, then FO-29 will be kept > in operation, provided solar cells receives enough sunlight. > (Operational only in no-eclipse period) > > (If the batteries which went to braking-down of AO-40 > became "Open-Mode",then may be able to bring AO-40 > back to life.) > > 73s, > > Toyo Komatsu > JA0CQP >

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Re: FO-29 Status
by T.Komatsu 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Auke, At the FO-29, solar cells generate 16--18W of Power. This means that when the bird was in sunlight, this amount of power is enogh for linear transponder operation. If the cause of battery failure was internal short, then FO-29 will be hopeless. However, if the cause of battery failure was "open-mode" by high impedance internaly, then FO-29 will be kept in operation, provided solar cells receives enough sunlight. (Operational only in no-eclipse period) (If the batteries which went to braking-down of AO-40 became "Open-Mode",then may be able to bring AO-40 back to life.) 73s, Toyo Komatsu JA0CQP

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Kaguya heard
by David 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Hello All, For the last two nights I have been receiving the Kaguya lunar satellite's carrier on 2263.6MHz. Using nothing more than an unmodified MMDS, BBQ grill and PCR-1000 receiver. My MMDS downconverters have a nominal 1951MHz Local Osc so the IF will be around 312.6MHz. The problem is that they are filtered for 2300-2400MHz input and 349-449MHz output. AO-40 on 2401.3MHz was marginal in a couple of cases. Despite this, birdies on 312.56MHz and the lousy overcast weather for the last two nights, I heard the signal shift ~22kHz over an hour. It was 20dB over the noise according to the spectrum display and quite audible. Must be the MMDS filtering is poorer than I thought. For the record: Equipment:- Pacific Monolithics MMDS, 60cm BBQ grill with flyscreen mesh, ICOM PCR-1000, DL4YHF's Spectrum Lab software. 73 de David VK5DG

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AO-51 L/U nomal, GO-32 crash
by Mineo Wakita 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

AO-51 L/U JA5BLZ>APRS,PACB-1* [01/21/08 09:22:29z] <UI>:GE to ALL JE9PEL>APRS,PACB-1* [01/21/08 09:22:37z] <UI R>:=3523.05N/13936.61E- Yokohama Japan {UIV32} JA5BLZ>APRS,PACB-1* [01/21/08 09:22:49z] <UI>::JE9PEL :GE 599 TNX JA5BLZ>APRS,PACB-1* [01/21/08 09:23:22z] <UI>:=3336.80N/13340.72E-Kochi Japan {UISS52} JE9PEL>APRS,PACB-1* [01/21/08 09:23:49z] <UI R>::JA5BLZ :Hello via AO-51 de JE9PEL JA5BLZ>APRS,PACB-1* [01/21/08 09:24:42z] <UI>::JE9PEL :RGR CU AGN 73 GO-32 KISS [2008-01-21 09:36:48z] TechSat-V4.2 [2008-01-21 09:37:18z] TechSat-V4.2 [2008-01-21 09:37:48z] TechSat-V4.2 [2008-01-21 09:38:18z] TechSat-V4.2 [2008-01-21 09:38:48z] TechSat-V4.2

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Re: FO-29 status
by JA0CQP 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Auke, As basic idea, all of us want to keep every birds life as longer as possible in operation. This is reason why the operation of FO-29 is limited as just single pass in a single day for the time being. To prevent further damages to the batteries which may cause total death of the bird, limitation of usage is essential to save her life. After the bird got full sun shine at every time and the transmitter being kept ON at any time, then we will be able to use FO-29 all over the world again. Untill that time, the limitation should be allowed. 73s, Toyo Komatsu JA0CQP ----- Original Message ----- From: "Auke de Jong, VE6PWN" <sparkycivic(a)shaw.ca> To: "JA0CQP" <ja0cqp(a)po30.lcv.ne.jp>; <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2008 12:43 PM Subject: Re: FO-29 status >I don't fully understand what you mean by "untill the bird obtain less than >25% of eclipse ratio, Max 20 minutes in Non-eclipse period and 10 minutes >in eclipse period are operation limit in One day". Does this mean that the >satellite can only run for one pass over Japan each day, even if it has >coverage for many passes? Does this also mean that activating the >satellite more than once in a single day might cause harm somehow? > > I dont' want to seem snoopy, I just don't like to see a useful satellite > being un-used just because it needs to be woken-up by somebody who knows > the "secret" codes ;) > > '73 > Auke > VE6PWN

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Mounting G-5500 Separately
by Ken Owen 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Hi folks: I would appreciate some advice about mounting the Yaesu G-5500 rotors separately on a single mast along with a vertical antenna. I will be mounting the rotors to a heavy duty mast, as opposed to a tower. I purchased the separation kit (which does allow the EL rotor to be mounted to a mast). What I want to do is have the AZ rotor mounted at the top of the mast and have a small section of mast extend beyond the EL rotor, to which I will mount the EL rotor. Finally, I want to mount a vertical antenna at the top of the small section of mast that the EL rotor is mounted on. Has anyone tried this sort of thing before? It seems that the main issue is how to attach the second mast section to the AZ rotor. Could that be done with a second set of mast brackets? Thanks in advance, N6KTH

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Re: mode s converter
by Stefano Simonetti 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Thanks for the answers, I have here a 50MHz block, I will try, thank you, I already saw those projects at the ao40 days...Now finally I will make the circuit. I was also wondering if a wifi access point beacon would do the work. ISM band starts at 2400 and channel 1 is from 2401 to 2423 with the center of 2412. I tried but heard nothing, I don't know if there should be RF around 2401-2402 from an access point beacon tuned on channel 1. What do you think about? 73 - Steve - IW1RDZ ----- Messaggio originale ----- Da: Diane Bruce <db(a)db.net> A: Bruce Robertson <ve9qrp(a)gmail.com> Cc: Stefano Simonetti <iw1rdz(a)yahoo.it>; AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Inviato: Domenica 20 gennaio 2008, 20:29:32 Oggetto: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: mode s converter On Sun, Jan 20, 2008 at 02:03:57PM -0400, Bruce Robertson wrote: > On Jan 20, 2008 12:44 PM, Stefano Simonetti <iw1rdz(a)yahoo.it> wrote: > > Hi to all, I would like to test my "old" AO40 13cm converter (2400-2402MHz) to see if it is still alive... > > ... > > If you need a cheap-and-dirty signal source, try using one of those > small, canned RF oscillators at 40 MHz. Properly powered with a 5v http://www.db.net/~db/gen_2400.pdf > voltage regulator and a 9v battery, it will produce a harmonic signal > that you'll hear well from right next to the downconverter, and, with It works a treat. There is a design using a filter here: http://www.g4dmf.co.uk/2400/2400.html I've not gotten around to building it. > a gain antenna, from some distance away. Don't worry about building it > an antenna. If you're not sure if what you're hearing is the sig gen. > or a birdie, just blow on the sig gen, and its frequency will warp! The problem with the xtal module is which harmonic are you listening to? It's good enough for tweaking your converter and making sure things work, but it's not going to reliable to use as a frequency standard. ;-) > > At $2, it was all I used to hack and tweak my downconverter. I got > this idea from a VE2 ham's webpages, but I can't seem to google them > up right now. I took one off an old 386sx board; Just about any old xtal module will multiply up into 2.4. - 73 Diane VA3DB -- - db(a)FreeBSD.org db(a)db.net http://www.db.net/~db ___________________________________ L'email della prossima generazione? Puoi averla con la nuova Yahoo! Mail: http://it.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

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mode s converter
by Stefano Simonetti 21 Jan '08

21 Jan '08

Hi to all, I would like to test my "old" AO40 13cm converter (2400-2402MHz) to see if it is still alive... I have not any kind of RF generator and I am wondering if some satellite has now active some tx in that band. Thanks, 73 IW1RDZ - Steve ___________________________________ L'email della prossima generazione? Puoi averla con la nuova Yahoo! Mail: http://it.docs.yahoo.com/nowyoucan.html

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Re: echo
by Jim Shorney 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

On Sun, 20 Jan 2008 13:22:11 -0500, Kevin J. Smith wrote: >Like Luc I could only barely make out a signal on >6.7925 but heard the signal on 7.4075 MHz more as continuous signal. By my >ear I could not distinguish between a ground wave and the moon reflected >wave, if there was one. It's really quite simple. According to the information provided on the HAARP web site, transmissions ran on a 5-second cycle. Carrier for two seconds, followed by three seconds of silence. Echo return time from the moon is 2.4 seconds. So what you would hear is two seconds of carrier, about a half-second break, then two more seconds of echoed carrier. This cycle was repeated continuously through the test period. My noise level was much lower this morning, but so were signals. Nothing was heard on 6.7925, but the transmit cycle was heard on 7.4075, peaking S3 with occasional peaks to S5. I could clearly hear echoes for a period, occasionally stronger than the transmitter as propogation fades took it down. Interestingly, every now and then the transmit signal would jump up signifigantly in strength for a split second. I wonder if anyone else noticed this? Perhaps something highly reflective was passing through the beam at those points. Rig was a Drake TR7, 500 Hz filter, Butternut 6-band vertical. 73 -Jim -- Ham Radio NU0C TR7/RV7, TR6/RV6, T4XC/R4C, L4B, NCL2000, SB104A, R390A, GT550A/RV550A, HyGain 3750, IBM PS/2 - all vintage, all the time! HyGain 3750 User's Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HyGain_3750/

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Re: echo
by John W Lee 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

About the same here. Much better on 6792 than on 7407. My antenna resonates best at 6950 Kc. Echos s0 to s3 or so, perfectly audible. 73 John K6YK CM97 IC-756 and dipole On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:56:32 -0500 "James" <kb7tbt(a)gmail.com> writes: > 5:10 - 5:25 UTC > > 6.7925 CW > > The HAARP transmitter s5 - s7 > > Echo s0 to s5 > > Kenwood TS-440s > G5RV Antenna @ 30ft > Lavonia, Georgia > Grid EM84km > > 73! > > > > James > KB7TBT > www.kb7tbt.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 > >

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echo
by dcowden＠nc.rr.com 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

I was able to record the Haarp transmission on 6.7925mhz this morning. Equipment used as listed below: SDR-IQ software defined receiver 6.7925mhz rf gain 20db if gain 18 db band span 30khz Noise Reduction OFF Off-Centerfed multiband dipole oriented SE-NW Hustler 6btv Multiband vertical The two antennas were connected in parallel via an antenna tuner to utilize both polarizations. I have attached a jpeg screen capture of the beginning of the transmission. The echos seem to be as expected. Thanks to Haarp for the opportunity Don N8DDK dcowden(a)nc.rr.com

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echo
by andy thomas 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

This morning I recorded Spectrum Labs screen dumps showing pulses received at around 0632-6 utc on 6.7925 MHz CW. It was my first intstallation of Spectrum Labs and I wasn't centred on the signal, so I lost some intital longer bursts that I briefly saw. On measurement against the 5 second marker intervals set by my radio clock the recorded pulses seem to be around 3 seconds long peaking in the middle of the fourth/fifth/first seconds (of a sequence of 5). Rig is a ICOM IC728 transceiver and the antenna is actually a trap dipole for 14/21/28 MHz but loaded onto 7MHz with an ATU. The Dipole is oriented N/S and the Moon was predicted (in Starry Night)to be dropping rapidly below my horizon from say, 50% visible at 0630,to my NW off full beam. At later times there was predicted to be no moon and in signal terms there was nothing there on either frequency as sked after 0638. I have reported this observation to Haarp and to the uk radio astronomy group. 73 de Andy, G0SFJ ___________________________________________________________ Support the World Aids Awareness campaign this month with Yahoo! For Good http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/

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EA4TX RCI-SE Interface and G-5500 Yaesu Rotor
by N0EZH 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

Hi Is anyone using the EA4TX RCI-SE Interface Board with a Yaesu G-5500 AZ/EL Rotor? If so, please advise. I would like to notes and configuration settings, as I am having problems getting the Elevation rotor to move off 0 degrees and track a target. Azimuth rotor works, but displays a lot of fluctuation +/- 20 showing within the ARSWIN calibration window. ! am using the ARSWIN interface software and NOVA for Windows tracking software. I may need to compare your ars.ini file settings found in the Windows directory with mine. My G-5500 rotor is okay, after several months aggravation with Yaesu service people. What tracking software are you using? I am new to satellite communications and anxious to bring my system on line. I use FT-847 rig. Thank You. Gary Chesapeake VA N0EZH

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Re: Need some help with predict
by Bent Bagger 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

Hi Andrew Andrew Rich wrote: > ... > I have looked at the permissions on /root/.predict and set to 777 > > It is not enough to set the permissions on /root/.predict. I assume that you run Predict as an 'ordinary' user and in that case you will also have to give that user access permissions on /root (chmod o+x /root). I don't like this, since it is a security risk. What I have done is this: I setup Predict to run under my ordinary user account, meaning that the .predict directory will be /home/bent/.predict. I sometimes also run predict as root and in order not to have two sets of predict data, I create links in /root/.predict to /home/bent/.predict, e.g.: ln -s /home/bent/.predict/predict.qth /root/.predict/predict.qth. > It is almost like it is having trouble writting or reading and bombing out > > Ideas ? > > I hope this helps. Best 73 de Bent/OZ6BL

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Need some help with predict
by Andrew Rich 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

I am trying to get predict going on an eeepc. I have it installed, but every time I run it, it keeps asking for QTH and lat lon and height. It then drops back to a command prompt. I have looked at the permissions on /root/.predict and set to 777 It is almost like it is having trouble writting or reading and bombing out Ideas ? I have gpredict running. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC

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Re: [SPAM] Re: eeepc
by Paul Paradigm 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

Hi Andrew. Yes, that's right, I did use an external USB DVD drive. Just follow the instructions in the manual. Another good resource is www.eeeuser.com I installed XP on to the C: drive, then moved the windows temp folders, and others to my D: drive. My d: is a 8GB SD card. I have also installed satpc32, Orbintron, Office etc to the SD card to save space on the main drive. I hope this helps Regards Paul - vk2txt

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ANS-020 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by JoAnne Maenpaa 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-020 ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor(a)amsat.org In this edition: * AO-51 Recovered * AMSAT Maryland Lab Update * P3E C-Band Receiver Construction Completed, Testing Begins * Six CubeSats to Launch From India * Opportunity to Help With AMSAT's EaglePedia * ARISS Status Report for the Week of January 14, 2008 SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-020.01 AO-51 Recovered AMSAT News Service Bulletin 020.01 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-020.01 The AO-51 Command Team successfully recovered the satellite this week after its software crashed. Gould, WA4SXM along with Kevin, WA6FWF uploaded and re-started the code. AO-51 is operational in normal mode: V/U analog 145.920/435.300 on TXB & command station digital on TXA. Heating is the Command Team's main concern during this no eclipse period. Two different strageties have been studied to prevent over- heating from too much solar exposure. The first alternative includes turning the transmitter off to not generate additional heat. The second alternative involves turning the transmitter to as high as power setting as possible to use the sunlight that is converted to electricity which is then radiated out the antenna. The Command Team decided that the best approach was to use as much energy as possible. When the satellite software crashed Sunday all transmitters stopped operation. They found Battery 1 had a temperature of 41-42 C, which is too hot. Keeping high TX power (2.28W) on TXA for one orbit as soon as command was recovered resulted in the temperature of battery 1 reducing down to 36C. Gould summarized, "Everything is looking well so far and we are getting consistent data, with the FM repeater transmitter power setting of at 1.12 W". The telemetry link is operating L/U BB mode at 500 mW. Joe, K3SZH says he was able to contact David, G1OCN via AO-51. It was a short contact since the satellite was only 1 degree above Joe's horizon. [ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM and the AO-51 Command Team for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-020.02 AMSAT Maryland Lab Update AMSAT News Service Bulletin 020.02 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-020.02 Bob, KF4KSS, AMSAT Lab Manager provided an update on the work to bring the new Pocomoke City, MD facility shared with the Hawk Institute of Space Sciences on-line. + January will close the cleanroom construction activities. + February will begin the tower and all the RF for the satellite control station including U, V, L, S and HF bands. Details will be published as they are completed. + After the tower installation, we will begin work on the engineering unit of the structure for the AMSAT Eagle amateur radio satellite. We plan on having parts of it complete in time for the Dayton Hamvention in May. + An on-line gallery of Lab pictures can be found at: http://picasaweb.google.com/bob2leo [ANS thanks Bob, KF4KSS for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-020.03 P3E C-Band Receiver Construction Completed, Testing Begins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 020.03 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-020.03 Peter Gülzow, DB2OS, wrote from Marburg, Germany reporting that the AMSAT-DL C-Band receiver for P3E is completed and currently under testing. The receiver was developed by Volker Winterscheid, DF7IT. The 5.6 GHz receiver is housed in a 74x74x30 mm module Which contains a pre-amp, mixer to 10.7 MHz IF, passband filters, and AGC system. Except for the setting of the AGC time constant, all electrical work is completed on the module. Testing is also being done for selectivity and rejection of adjacent weather radar signals in this band. More detailed information on the C-band RX for P3-E will appear after completion of the tests in AMSAT-DL Journal. [ANS thanks Peter Gülzow, DB2OS for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-020.04 Six CubeSats to Launch From India AMSAT News Service Bulletin 020.04 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-020.04 Six University Cubesat/Amateur Radio satellites are planned for launch in early March, 2008 from India. Full satellite information for each is too lengthy for complete coverage here. Below is a summary of the satellites and their frequencies and operating modes (if known). Links to the University CubeSat Team's web pages with many additional mission details can be found at: http://www.uk.amsat.org/ http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/CubeSat.htm (W0RPK CubeSat Page) CANX-2 University of Toronto (Canada) 2m CW TLM plus 70cm uplink/13cm downlink (Not AX.25) AAUSAT-II Aalborg University (Denmark) 437.425 AFSK & FSK up/downlink 1200-9600bps AX.25 FM CW TLM COMPASS-1 University of Applied Sciences (Germany) Primary telemetry downlink: 437.405 9600bps FSK AX.25 Beacon downlink: 437.275 CW DELFI-C3 Technical University of Delft (Netherlands) Primary telemetry downlink: 145.870 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX.25 400mW Backup telemetry downlink: 145.930 MHz 1200 Baud BPSK AX.25 400mW The satellite will be in telemetry only mode for approximately the first three months of the mission, after which it is switched to linear transponder mode. Downlink: 145.880 - 145.920 MHz (inverting) 400mW PEP Uplink: 435.570 - 435.530 MHz Transponder mode beacon: 145.870 MHz CW (10dB below transponder PEP) CUTE 1.7+APD II Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan) SRLL protocol SEEDS Nihon University (Japan) 437.485MHz AX.25 (450mW) CW (90mW) [ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA, and Ralph, W0RPK for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-020.05 Opportunity to Help With AMSAT's EaglePedia AMSAT News Service Bulletin 020.05 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-020.05 AMSAT is looking for two to three motivated individuals interested in helping with AMSAT's EaglePedia. EaglePedia is a Wiki and is the central repository for all information on AMSAT's upcoming Eagle spacecraft and possible future missions. AMSAT engineers and the general public will be accessing EaglePedia. Volunteers will be responsible for re-organizing the current Wiki layout, adding new content, and supporting the AMSAT Engineers as they design, build and organize the project's documentation. Ideal candidates will have technical writing, web development, HTML and Wiki experience, possibly with technical backgrounds (hopefully you all have this already!). Knowledge of WikiMedia, MySQL, UNIX and spacecraft engineering and project management is a plus (but not required). This is a fantastic oppurtunity to support one of AMSAT's most ambitious projects! Please contact Dave, N0TGD (hartzell -at- gmail.com) directly for more information or to communicate your interest in helping AMSAT-NA! Please put "EaglePedia" somewhere in the subject line. [ANS thanks Dave, N0TGD for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-020.06 ARISS Status Report for the Week of January 14, 2008 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 020.06 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. January 20, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-020.06 1. ARISS School Contacts Status Due crew schedules onboard the ISS, no ARISS contacts are planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February. 2. Astronaut Training Status Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI, received training on the ARISS basic radio operations and school contacts on Tuesday, January 8. Creamer is a backup crew member for the Expedition 18 mission. Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, and Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP, will be scheduled for training on ARISS radio operations and school contacts in the near future. Wakata is scheduled to fly on Expedition 18; Noguchi is slated as his backup. Two training sessions have also been scheduled for Russian crew members on January 16 and 24. 3. ARISS International Team Meeting Held Minutes of the December ARISS teleconference have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel20071218.htm The next ARISS teleconference will be held on January 22. 4. South Korean will Participate in ARISS Contact South Korean spaceflight participant Ko San holds a South Korean amateur radio license. San plans to participate in an ARISS contact while aboard the ISS. He will fly on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft with Expedition 17 crew members Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko slated to launch on April 8, 2008. [ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org

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ux-910 is sold
by John Henderson 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

Unit has been sold, thanks . John John Henderson N4NAB 212 Bayside Drive Cape Carteret, NC 28584 252-725-2744 <mailto:[email protected]> n4nab(a)amsat.org <http://www.amsat.org/> http://www.amsat.org/

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Re: eeepc
by Paul Paradigm 20 Jan '08

20 Jan '08

Hello Bruce. I have installed XP pro on the Black 701 AG model.I have also upgrade the RAM to 1GB. I have also upgraded the bios to support running the machine at 900MHz instead of the stock 630MHz. The PC is connected to my radio via a serial to USB dongle. All works great. All the Best Paul - VK2TXT Ozsatgroup www.amsat-vk.org

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FS: Kenwood TS-790A + IFD board + TNC31S
by Francisco Costa, CT1EAT 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

Dear AMSAT friends My pacsat station is for sale: Kenwood TS-790A 144/432/1200 MHz transciever ============================================ with the following extras: * UT-10 1200 MHz module * Symek IFD-B board (for speed up to 76000 bd) and mods: * extended rx (on 3 bands) * 9600 baud tx/rx * 100ms mute disabled * IFD-B board (38400 baud rx) plus: * Hand microphone * DC cable * Instruction Manual (in english) include schematics * External Control Instruction Manual (in english) * Modifications documentation (in english) All mods were performed by me and no holes were done. This equipment was bought new (1997), and until now there was not a single problem! It was kept on a non smoking environment. Cosmetic is a 8/10 (one minor dent, sort of paint bubble and 4 rotator control box feet "stain", all on top cover) Unfortunatly I don't have the original box anymore. Sorry TNC Symek TNC31S ================ * Tx 9600/Rx 38400 baud card * 128kb RAM * 512kb Flash-EPROM * English mailbox * Kiss autostart including: * RS232 cable plus adapter (DB9) * DC cable * Diskette with software * Original Manuals (english and german) This TNC was bought new (2000), and was used on UO-36 and Tiungsat-1 with great sucess. I did't use it since a long time ago, but I belive it's 100% operational. Cosmetic is 9/10. I will only sale the 2 items together. Price: 1500 Euro Buyer pays shipping. Payment methods: Euro countries: Bank money transfer only! Elsewhere: Western Union or PayPal. Photos: please visit http://ct1eatsale.no.sapo.pt/ Thanks for your attention. See you on P3E or Eagle. 73 F.Costa, CT1EAT www.qsl.net/ct1eat

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For Sale: UX-910 1.2G Board for IC-910H
by John Henderson 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

I have a new, but opened box, UX-910 from a local Silent Key's equipment. Selling for his wife. $400 plus Priority Mail Shipping. John John Henderson N4NAB AMSAT Area Coordinator- Eastern NC 212 Bayside Drive Cape Carteret, NC 28584 252-725-2744 <mailto:[email protected]> n4nab(a)amsat.org <http://www.amsat.org/> http://www.amsat.org/

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CQ Magazine Dec '07
by Clint Bradford 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

Can someone tell me if there's an article by Wayne Yoshida on "Working the Sats with Low Power" article in this issue? I'm getting inquiries via email... Clint Bradford, K6LCS / KAF3359 909-241-7666

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Re: AO-51 update
by John Marranca, Jr 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

1.12 watts?! Wow...so that's why it's been so loud as of late. Those of us that DON'T use preamps (soon to change) have an easier time now. 73 de KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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AO-51 update
by Gould Smith 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

I turned the SQRX receiver back on yesterday and after looking at the telemetry last night, set the freq and FM mode for L Band. Updated the text message this morning. L/U Digi is on. TXA V/U repeater 1.12 W TXB L/U BB 500 mW Satellite structure temp 28.5 - 32 degrees C Battery 1 temp 31 - 33 degrees C BCR Voltage Regulator 42 - 45 degrees C 73, Gould AO-51 Command Station

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Satellite in eclipse
by PDC 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

At great risk of being thwapped with a clue bat, I'm going to ask this newbie sort of question that may seem stupid but it has me stumped. I read/hear about satellites being in eclipse for too long and running out of battery/shutting down/whatever. Now, since most of the LEO satellites are in orbits of 100 minutes +/-, I don't understand how they could be in eclipse for more than ~50 minutes. So the question is... For the satellites that have this eclipse issue, is it that their batteries are essentially expired and can't power the satellite for ~50 minutes (that makes sense to me) based on the charge they get from having the solar panels exposed for ~50 minutes, or is there some mechanism that is totally non-obvious to me that allows a LEO satellite to be in the dark for periods of time much longer than half of each orbit thereby creating a situation where the batteries have to power it in the dark for a very long period of time relative to the orbital period? If it's the former, well, that's obvious enough I guess. If it's the latter, could someone draw me a picture or point me to a URL that explains how that is possible? Thanks. Darin VE3OIJ

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AO-51 L/U digi ON?
by Mineo Wakita 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

Today, Jan.19, I could digipeat via AO-51 APRS although a message "L-Band uplink PBBS NOT On". JE9PEL>APRS,PACB-1* [01/19/08 19:41:27] <UI R>: =3523.05N/13936.61E- Yokohama Japan {UIV32} JE9PEL>APRS,PACB-1* [01/19/08 19:41:43] <UI R>: =3523.05N/13936.61E- Yokohama Japan {UIV32} JE9PEL>APRS,PACB-1* [01/19/08 19:42:30] <UI R>: =3523.05N/13936.61E- Yokohama Japan {UIV32} PACB-1>AMSATN-1 [01/19/08 19:42:36] <UI>: >17 Jan 2008 ... AO-51 in no eclipse period... Command team testing at any time...FM Repeater ON ... L-Band uplink PBBS NOT On ... 73 WA4SXM de JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

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Re: echo
by Jim Shorney 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:39:59 -0600 (CST), Jim Shorney wrote: >06:25-06:35 UTC, 7.047 MHz Ooops, that should be 7.407 MHz... 73 -Jim -- Ham Radio NU0C TR7/RV7, TR6/RV6, T4XC/R4C, L4B, NCL2000, SB104A, R390A, GT550A/RV550A, HyGain 3750, IBM PS/2 - all vintage, all the time! HyGain 3750 User's Group - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HyGain_3750/

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Re: echo
by James 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

5:10 - 5:25 UTC 6.7925 CW The HAARP transmitter s5 - s7 Echo s0 to s5 Kenwood TS-440s G5RV Antenna @ 30ft Lavonia, Georgia Grid EM84km 73! James KB7TBT www.kb7tbt.com

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"The Oscar 0 Experiment"
by John Marranca, Jr 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

Can hear the transmitted and the reflected tones here in FN02 with my Center-Fed Zepp hooked to my FT-817ND. This is so cool...I'm glad I'm recording it! 73 DE KB2HSH -- _______________________________ John Marranca, Jr PBX Technician/Shop Steward CWA Local 1122 BN Systems, Inc Orchard Park, NY (716)972-2006

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Re: Lunar Short Wave echo experiment looking for Listen er reports
by Keith N4ZQ 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

Your absolutely correct Dave. I missed the fact that the U.S. Naval Observatory page was giving me local time instead of UTC that I was thinking. Damn, now I better get the coffee pot ready. Looks like it will be a late night. To keep this post in line with satellites, if this experiment proves successful does it mean it's possible we could have a bird circling the moon with say a mode K transponder ? :-)) Thanks for the correction Dave... Keith -- Dave Taylor <dave.w8aas(a)verizon.net> wrote: I think you are confusing time zones. Here in Maryland, the moon sets Saturday morning at 4:54am EST, and the experiment is midnight to 2am. For me, the moon will be between 50 and 28 degrees elevation during the experiment. -- Dave, W8AAS On Jan 18, 2008, at 9:16 AM, Keith N4ZQ wrote: > If I'm reading the chart correctly at > > http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php > > it looks like this event doesn't start till after Moon Set on the > east coast of the states.. Oh well, looks like I won't have to > give up any sleep.. ;-) > > Keith > > > -- Ernie Howard <w8eh.Ernie(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > They have a web page that confirms the 19/20th UTC. > > http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/mbann.html > > HAARP-LWA Experiment Schedule > Date From To Transmitted Frequency > (UTC) UTC Hr:Min) (MHz) > 19 January 2008 05:00 06:00 6.7925 > 06:00 07:00 7.4075 > > 20 January 2008 06:30 07:30 6.7925 > 07:30 08:30 7.4075 > > Ernie > W8EH > > > Trevor wrote: >> Some real DX signals to listen out for on 6.7925 MHz and 7.4075 MHz. >> Note one part of the text says Jan 18/19th but when times are >> specified the >> 19th and 20th are given. Could there be a typo here ? anyone know ? >> >> ARR report >> http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7958 >> >> 73 Trevor M5AKA >> --------------- > _____________________________________________________________ Click for free info on paralegal training and make up to $150K/ year. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2221/fc/Ioyw6i4t4B8pA7mKHPJCnkE7RGx6…

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echo
by Patrick McGrane 19 Jan '08

19 Jan '08

greetings from patrick n2oeq Managed to hear echo on the regular diamond 500 vertical on 100 feet of 9913 for a few minutes during mid-pass. Apparently the additional downlink power made a bit of a difference. Maybe lesser equipped stations could give the satellite a try. Happy weekend, 73, patrick

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Satellite tracking programming ideas
by Phil 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

Thank you for reading this. I'm currently marooned because of flood water, and likely to be so for at least another week, so to pass some time I decided to upgrade my satellite tracking program. Disappointingly, playing with the current satellites in this country is pointless so the programming exercise is purely academic. Originally, my tracking program displayed the link frequencies but I decided that was unnecessary since the radio has a perfectly good display itself. So to make frequency corrections, due to hardware errors, or to listen to another part of the downlink I simply used the radio's tuning knob. The program detected that the receiver's frequency had changed and calculated a new uplink frequency. This requires some manual intervention in that I have to stop the automatic tracking, turn the knob and then restart the tracking. This could take a few seconds which would mean that the tracking could be a few seconds behind. The alternative is to click on an up / down tuning arrow which will stop the tracking and adjust the received frequency. Clicking on a restart button would restart the tracking. I think that's the way satpc32 works. I've probably got too much time on my hands and both methods seem to work equally well. Does one method have an advantage over the other? The update interval has to be fairly short so that a manual frequency change can be quickly detected. I'm currently updating the radio based on time. The alternative is to update based on frequency, say every time the higher frequency changes by 20Hz. This would lessen the number of radio updates during periods where the Doppler effect is at a minimum but does it matter if the radio is undated unnecessary? The rotator bearing is updated every ten degrees but that's to lessen mechanical fatigue. Regards, Phil.

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Re: Satellite tracking programming ideas
by Wayne Estes 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

Phil, you correctly point out that full Doppler tuning can sometimes have errors due to either the earth station or the satellite frequency drifting slightly. The best solution to compensate for the drifting depends on WHAT is drifting. In my case, I know my FT-847 435 MHz transmit frequency drifts a few hundred Hz during a long transmission. Consequently, as my transmitter slowly drifts, I turn my FT-847's Sub Tune knob to keep my uplink signal sounding good on the Doppler-tuned downlink. The Sub Tune knob adjusts SatPC32's TX offset. Alternatively, I can click the + and - keys on my keyboard's number pad as required to adjust TX offset in 100 Hz increments. Or I could press the - and = keys to tune TX offset in 10 Hz increments. If your receiver or the satellite's transmitter is drifting, I suppose you should click the CAT menu and use the Downlink Calibration adjustments. Then, in theory, you can tune across the transponder and enjoy perfect automatic Doppler correction. In practice, I frequently have to tweak my TX offset to keep my signal sounding good on the Doppler-tuned downlink, and I often tune manually to chase the downlink from stations that don't use automatic Doppler tuning. Wayne Estes W9AE Oakland, Oregon, USA, CN83ik

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Re: Lunar Short Wave echo experiment looking for Listen er reports
by Keith N4ZQ 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

If I'm reading the chart correctly at http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php it looks like this event doesn't start till after Moon Set on the east coast of the states.. Oh well, looks like I won't have to give up any sleep.. ;-) Keith -- Ernie Howard <w8eh.Ernie(a)gmail.com> wrote: They have a web page that confirms the 19/20th UTC. http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/mbann.html HAARP-LWA Experiment Schedule Date From To Transmitted Frequency (UTC) UTC Hr:Min) (MHz) 19 January 2008 05:00 06:00 6.7925 06:00 07:00 7.4075 20 January 2008 06:30 07:30 6.7925 07:30 08:30 7.4075 Ernie W8EH Trevor wrote: > Some real DX signals to listen out for on 6.7925 MHz and 7.4075 MHz. > Note one part of the text says Jan 18/19th but when times are specified the > 19th and 20th are given. Could there be a typo here ? anyone know ? > > ARR report > http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7958 > > 73 Trevor M5AKA > --------------- _____________________________________________________________ Click here for a free directory of employee development and training solutions. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2221/fc/Ioyw6i4s28jsSbqvMqji812cnCmZ…

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Tnx for Echolink nodes
by Bob Cutter 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

Thanks to all the other stations who linked to the overloaded main node, KG4YZY. It made it possible for a lot more of us to listen. 73, Bob KI0G 617 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ

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AO7B
by k3szh＠netzero.net 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

It may not be a great feat,but for me working Fabio PY4AJ grid GH70un on AO7B on Jan.17,2008 at 23:35 utc was.Since he was outside my foot print and no schedule.Like they say if you can hear them, you can work them. My next goal and it's a long shot working Mak SV1BSX maybe a bigger antenna again? 73 Joe AMSAT 3788 since 1976 _____________________________________________________________ Click for free information on accounting careers, $150/hour potential. http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2221/fc/Ioyw6i4s2cOefO1TNoOYZk1pstjz…

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Re: Lunar Short Wave echo experiment looking for Listener reports
by Trevor 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

Thanks Ernie and Ed, I couldn't find that Moonbounce page when I first looked on the HAARP site. 73 Trevor M5AKA ___________________________________________________________ Support the World Aids Awareness campaign this month with Yahoo! For Good http://uk.promotions.yahoo.com/forgood/

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Lunar Short Wave echo experiment looking for Listener reports
by Trevor 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

Some real DX signals to listen out for on 6.7925 MHz and 7.4075 MHz. Note one part of the text says Jan 18/19th but when times are specified the 19th and 20th are given. Could there be a typo here ? anyone know ? ARR report http://www.arrl.org/?artid=7958 73 Trevor M5AKA --------------- Daily Amateur Radio RSS News: http://www.southgatearc.org/ Email your news items to: editor at southgatearc.org News On Your Website: http://www.southgatearc.org/rss/index.htm News On Your PC: http://www.southgatearc.org/rss/newsreader.htm Upload Your News: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/your_news.htm --------------- __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com

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FL amsat net alternative echolink node
by Andrew Glasbrenner 18 Jan '08

18 Jan '08

If KG4YZY echolink is busy, try N4HHA 44310 or the live stream on www.ni4ce.org. back to net control duties... 73, Drew KO4MA

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QUAKESAT
by Andrew Rich 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

Anyone working quakesat ? Seems to have a high power out ? 7 watts ? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrew Rich VK4TEC vk4tec(a)people.net.au http://www.tech-software.net

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sequencer switching
by w7lrd＠comcast.net 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

G'morning My 1.2Ghz system is progressing nicely. I am currently working on a sequencer for "switching around" my amp. I have several good quality coax relays. Are some preferred over others? A couple I have require reversing polarity to switch them back. This is requiring more circuitry and complexity. Are these latching relays necessary? I'm seeing several relays available on ebay. The time spent in transmit is miniscule compared to receive. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle "if this were easy, everyone would be doing it"

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Florida AMSAT net tonight, with AMSAT-NA President Rick Hambly, W2GPS
by Andrew Glasbrenner 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

Tonight's Florida AMSAT net will feature the President of AMSAT-NA, Rick Hambly, W2GPS, discussing current AMSAT projects and developments including a question and answer session. All interested parties are encouraged to participate regardless of location. The net meets at 7:30PM Eastern on the NI4CE and N4HHA repeater systems covering most of central Florida. RF frequencies may be found here: http://www.ni4ce.org/ni4ce.htm and here: http://n4hha.org/ . Echolink users may check in via KG4YZY-R, node number 4429. Please configure all echolink systems to suppress local courtesy tones and IDs over the link. Interested parties may also listen to a live streaming link at mms://repeater.aprsfl.net:2222/ . I hope to hear many familiar calls tonight on the net! 73, Drew KO4MA

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FO-29 schedule Jan. 2008
by Mineo Wakita 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

Jan. 2008 UTC 8 3:07 - 9 3:57 - 10 3:02 - 11 3:52 - 12 2:57 - 13 3:47 - 14 2:57 - 15 none 16 2:48 - 17 3:38 - 18 2:43 - 19 3:33 - 20 2:40 - 21 none 22 2:35 - 23 3:25 - 24 2:30 - 25 3:20 - 26 2:25 - 27 3:15 - 28 none de JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

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Opportunities to support AMSAT's EaglePedia
by Dave hartzell 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

We're looking for two to three motivated individuals interested in helping with AMSAT's EaglePedia. EaglePedia is a Wiki and is the central repository for all information on AMSAT's upcoming Eagle spacecraft and possible future missions. AMSAT engineers and the general public will be accessing EaglePedia. Volunteers will be responsible for re-organizing the current Wiki layout, adding new content, and supporting the AMSAT Engineers as they design, build and organize the project's documentation. Ideal candidates will have technical writing, web development, HTML and Wiki experience, possibly with technical backgrounds (hopefully you all have this already!). Knowledge of WikiMedia, MySQL, UNIX and spacecraft engineering and project management is a plus (but not required). This is a fantastic oppurtunity to support one of AMSAT's most ambitious projects! Please contact me off-list for more information or to communicate your interest in helping AMSAT-NA! 73, Dave n0tgd hartzell -at- gmail.com Please put "EaglePedia" somewhere in the subject line.

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Fo-20 status?
by Auke de Jong, VE6PWN 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

According to what I have been able to find online, FO-20 was in a state similar to that of fo-29 when it was "taken out of service" due to battery performance issues. Does this mean, that it might still work while illuminated? Currently it is in continuous-sunlight, which would be very handy if all that was required is for the bird to be "enabled" even for just this period of constant-sunlight. Is anyone here able to add to, or subtract from this? Auke VE6PWN Edmonton, AB Canada

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DL59 on the air !!!
by Alvaro de Leon Romo 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

Tomorrow Thursday 17th, XE2JA Yahir will try to be in DL59 in the 1550 pass in AO51... This is the first time that this grid will be activated in satellite so keep in touch GL to all Al XE2AT _________________________________________________________________ Tú, como Pedro, gana tiempo buscando en Live.com http://www.live.com

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FS: mint ft-847, fc-20 auto tuner, inrad vox unit
by Eric Fort 17 Jan '08

17 Jan '08

I have for sale a mint FT-847 FC-20 tuner, and inrad vox unit. asking $1300. Please contact me via return email if interested. Eric AF6EP eric.fort(a)gmail.com

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Re: Six Amateur Radio Satellites to Launch in March
by Andrew Glasbrenner 16 Jan '08

16 Jan '08

>From: "Ransom, Kenneth G. (JSC-OC)[BAR]" <kenneth.g.ransom(a)nasa.gov> > >Instead of complaining about what these satellites don't do, maybe getting in touch with the builders and explore ways to add features and capabilities given their limited space. These builders have a license and will be putting a satellite on orbit. Those are two big steps on the road to opportunity. > A HUGE +1 to that thought! Work with these guys on their goals while providing extended missions for hams, invite them into the fraternity and treat them as brothers, not as outsiders. 73, Drew KO4MA

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AO-51 back on the air!
by Gould Smith 16 Jan '08

16 Jan '08

Thanks to Kevin, WA6FWF for taking time off to help upload and start the code, AO-51 is operational in 'normal' mode. V/U analog 145.920/435.300 on TXB at 980 mW & command station digital on TXA Probably change to L/U digital on TXA in the next day or two. 73, Gould, WA4SXM

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Re: Six Amateur Radio Satellites to Launch in March
by OZ1MY 16 Jan '08

16 Jan '08

Hi Bruce, Well said :-) What come into mind is that AMSAT-UK took the opportunity to get a transponder on SSETI Express and as far as I know are now working on something for ESEO. The groups from Delfts have participated in the AMSAT-UK Colloquium for 3 or 4 years. In 2007 more Cubesat groups were represented as well. We (AMSAT) can work in two directions - one to get one or more HEO's or perhaps GEO's up and working - two to make transponders that can be used by the university group satellites as the communication part during their often very short operating periode. When the operating periode ends we have a transponder to use. In AMSAT-OZ we are also working along these lines. We have started a project inspired by David Bernhard on the satellite on a PCB project - but our first priority is to get a transponder ready for inclusion in someone elses satellite. Unfortunately we have limitted resources. Therefor it may take some years. Take a look at: http://wiki.amsat.dk/index.php/Main_Page During the Autumn semester we had students from Spain, France, England Denmark and Poland working on the project - and more to come next semester. 73 OZ1MY Ib

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Re: FO-29 schedule Jan. 2008
by Oscar Diez 16 Jan '08

16 Jan '08

Hi all, I would also greatly appreciate if there would be a ground station in Europe switching FO29 on the south-to-north passes (daylight passes). Knowing a bit about Japan from my professional life it would certainly help to make the offer not just through this mailing list, but to use official channels via the national AMSAT organisations towards JAMSAT. Best 73, Oscar DJ0MY

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Six Amateur Radio Satellites to Launch in March
by Trevor 16 Jan '08

16 Jan '08

It looks like they'll be six Amateur Radio satellites launching in March including Delfi-C3, see http://www.uk.amsat.org/ 73 Trevor M5AKA __________________________________________________________ Sent from Yahoo! Mail - a smarter inbox http://uk.mail.yahoo.com

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