- AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: [amsat-bb] Question about PSAT
by Robert Bruninga 21 May '18

21 May '18

> > > Seems like the PSAT telemetry 00011100 means the Digipeater is off. > Yes, I just checked on the downlink page: http://www1.findu.com/cgi-bin/pcsat.cgi and you can see that the telemetry serial number is only getting up to around 45 or so before it resets. So apparently it is not in good sun position and is resetting at each eclipse. Bob, WB4APR

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Satellite Lab Job opening
by Robert Bruninga 21 May '18

21 May '18

The engineer/technician job at the Naval Academy small satelilte lab is open. We build cubesats and develop good labs for the students. A ham with satellite experience would be an excellent match. Bob, WB4APR

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Advanced notice of Nayif1 Data Warehouse Outage
by David Johnson 21 May '18

21 May '18

Hi, I am planning to move the web application and database to a new server in the next few days. I will provide timings later, but as always, the Dashboards will pick up again once hey detect the warehouse connection has resumed. 73 Dave, G4DPZ

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AlfaSpid help
by John Fickes 20 May '18

20 May '18

I want to thank everyone for their help. I did finally figure it out and to make a long story short it is a allen head screw. I got a inspection L.E.D light down in the hole so I could see better and my allen wrench barely reached it but I did get it out. So I'm on the way now. Thank You ALL John W0JW 73

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help with WRAPS (XBee version)
by Ron VE8RT 20 May '18

20 May '18

It might be in the documentation on the CD, being so close to having my WRAPS working I'd rather not mess anything up at this point. The mechanical construction is done, although I have the box turned on edge so the PC board will mount sideways, I can work with that. The elevation and azimuth motions are centered up and move quietly and freely (about 22mA each motor operating continuously with no load at 9V). The XBee modules files have been uploaded, but I haven't taken mounted one on the WRAPS board yet, as I haven't done any further configuration to the modules. Are there changes that need to be made to the XBee module files before installing them on the WRAPS board? Are there things I should check or look for before final assembly and testing? Thanks Ron VE8RT -- Ron VE8RT <ve8rt(a)yknwt.ca>

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FUNcube-1 mode change
by Graham Shirville 20 May '18

20 May '18

Hi All, FUNcube-1 is now operating in autonomous mode until Friday evening (UTC). The transponder will be on in eclipse and switch to high power telemetry only when in sunlight. 73 Graham G3VZV

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fox telem server down?
by Kevin Schuchmann 20 May '18

20 May '18

Data is backing up in the queue, server down? Kevin WA7FWF

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AlfaSpid help
by John Fickes 20 May '18

20 May '18

Hello Group I'am currently replacing the motors on my AlfaSpid RAS and the azimuth motor is no problem but on the elevation motor there is what I call a hidden screw. It's tucked away down in the housing. you can see it and get a screwdriver to it,BUT, there is no slot for the screwdriver. The head is hollowed out as for a allen wrench,BUT, no hex for the wrench to grab. I don't think that it has been rounded out because I bought the rotor new and it's never been apart before by me. All the other attaching screws are flat headed screws so not sure why this one is different. Anyway I was wondering if anyone else has had any experience with this before ? Thanks John W0JW

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AO-92 L/v active...
by Andrew Glasbrenner 20 May '18

20 May '18

Commanded on at 0235Z 20MAY and will remain active for ~24 hours. Enjoy! 73, Drew KO4MA

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LongJiang 1 & 2 to be launched towards the Moon
by Nico Janssen 19 May '18

19 May '18

All, The two Chinese microsats LongJiang 1 & 2 are to be launched towards the Moon from Xichang on 2018-05-20 around 21:00 UTC. They carry radio amateur payloads with 2 m uplinks and 70 cm downlinks. Amateurs will be able to receive telemetry downlinks but will also be allowed to send telecommands for taking and downlinking pictures. There are also plans to enable FreeDV digital voice communications through these spacecraft. The two LongJiang satellites are planned to perform formation flying in a high elliptical orbit around the Moon (300 x 9000 km). After launch it will take about 4 and a half days to reach the Moon. This GMAT script should work well for the first days after launch: https://hamsat1.home.xs4all.nl/LongJiang_NYC.script The groundstation used in this script is a random location in New York City. You can change this to your location by updating the values under the GroundStation tab in GMAT. 73, Nico PA0DLO

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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 13, Issue 168
by Todd W Deckard 19 May '18

19 May '18

mailing list bounced my pedantic response due to attached image size ... here’s a link to a parallel thread that has the image of ISS altitude over time. http://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/need-help-with-ascending-node.54930… Sent from my iPhone > On May 19, 2018, at 6:43 AM, Todd W Deckard <twdeckard(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > > As an aside, the ISS makes an adjustment approximately once a month. They operate at a higher altitude now that the shuttle is no longer used for resupply. Here is a plot from heavens-above. > > <image1.png> > > > I have observed that if you are using an Arduino or another processor with single precision math, the computed results age very quickly for any LEO and practically I must update every few days. > > if you are using a more respectable math engine and are only concerned about the orbital elements; the error in the satellite position is approximately a kilometer at the epoch of the TLE. Then the simplified perturbation model (SPG4) used by the common software we use loses about 1-2km a day. > > all of this is a bit pedantic if you are hand pointing an antenna in the noble tradition ... > > best > Todd > Sent from my iPhone > >> On May 18, 2018, at 9:51 PM, amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org wrote: >> >> Send AMSAT-BB mailing list submissions to >> amsat-bb(a)amsat.org >> >> To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit >> http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to >> amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org >> >> You can reach the person managing the list at >> amsat-bb-owner(a)amsat.org >> >> When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific >> than "Re: Contents of AMSAT-BB digest..." >> Today's Topics: >> >> 1. Re: when are TLE's too old to use? (Gregory Beat) >> 2. Re: Recording TX & RX from one or two radios? (Mark D. Johns) >> 3. Re: when are TLE's too old to use? (skristof(a)etczone.com) >> 4. FUNcube-1 mode change (Jim Heck) >> 5. Falconsat With Wisp and Kenwood TS-200 Internal TNC >> (Vincenzo Mone) >> 6. Falconsat With Wisp and Kenwood TS-200 Internal TNC >> (Vincenzo Mone) >> 7. Falconsat With Wisp and Kenwood TS-200 Internal TNC >> (Vincenzo Mone) >> 8. Re: Recording TX & RX from one or two radios? >> (skristof(a)etczone.com) >> 9. Re: Recording TX & RX from one or two radios? (Ken M) >> 10. Re: Recording TX & RX from one or two radios? (John Brier) >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> <mime-attachment> >> _______________________________________________ >> Sent via amsat-bb(a)amsat.org. >> AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed >> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. >> Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >> http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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urgent help from AMSAT members worldwide
by Tanan Rangseeprom 19 May '18

19 May '18

Dear Paul Stoetzer, Executive Vice President of Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT-NA) and member of AMSAT-BB The Radio Amateur Society of Thailand under patronage of His Majesty the King (RAST) would like to thank you for the SatPC32 program along with the Registration Code for the HS0AJ Ground Station. I and members of RAST along with the team building the JAISAT-1 satellite used your program to control the Rotor with a V/U antenna to work automatically in order to receive signals from amateur radio satellites that passed over Thailand. We have posted a video on YouTube of this, along with audio from an IC-9100 transceiver, which you can view by using the link below or by searching YouTube for the callsign HS0AJ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldjAA6e_Pjs We have made an application to the Thai regulator, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to set up ground stations in different regions of Thailand in four locations, from North to South and with the following callsigns: 1. GS station in the North of Thailand, using the callsign HS0AN 2. GS station in the South using the callsign HS0AS 3. GS Station in the Northeast of Thailand using the callsign HS0AO 4. GS station in the Central region of Thailand with the callsign HS0AL We intend to post videos from all of these stations on YouTube, similar to those from HS0AJ, and we will establish ground stations all over the country in order to receive signals from satellites and to enable amateur radio operators and others in Thailand who are interested to access videos from these stations on YouTube. However, now we are seeking urgent help from AMSAT members worldwide because we are unable to contact the company Innovative Solutions In Space (ISIS) with which RAST had signed a contract to buy components for a U-class CubeSat but excluding the payload, being the Linear Transponder. Since the beginning of this year up until now we have been unable to contact ISIS, which is the reason for this appeal to you for urgent help in the purchase of components for the Flight Model of the 1U CubeSat satellite which is capable of carrying a payload of a Linear Transponder for RAST and which has been assembled and has passed the testing phase. Can anyone please provide some recommendations to us regarding the assembly of the satellite – and as quickly as possible? RAST and its members are lacking experience in satellite assembly and for the initial testing phase and we are appealing for suggestions as to where we can find suppliers of CubeSat components and as to who can test them and send the satellite out into space? For your consideration, please find some YouTube links about testing and building a Linear Transponder below: Thermal vacuum test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8gebXAaj6M Vibration Test https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e02iOwZdM8 Design PCB https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z61l6r1AtQo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBwMD5y3nns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSb86DushF8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fXePZ-L86M 3D of JAISAT-1 Satellites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNqO_3Q9vxo JITTER OF LOCAL OSCILLATOR 190MHz and 390MHz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrSpHzPD-Y8 Sincerely and with respect, Tanan Rangseeprom

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Recording TX & RX from one or two radios?
by Bill Acito 18 May '18

18 May '18

[[I haven't done this yet but I think others have and I plan to do it one day: most recorders are stereo. Get a *channel* splitter (I bought one on Amazon) and send radio audio to left channel, say, and an external mic to right.]] I have been doing this for years. The key/trick is that you have to insert a 40db pad on the rig audio side because the audio levels (mic vs rig) are very different. Most audio recorders use a AGC of some sort, and with no balancing L to R, the AGC will adjust for the stronger rig audio, and lower its overall sensitivity so you won't hear the mic channel. Inserting the 40db pad balances the left and right and will give you good audio on both sides. Bill W1PA

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Falconsat With Wisp and Kenwood TS-200 Internal TNC
by Vincenzo Mone 18 May '18

18 May '18

Hi folks, Is there any one that uses the Kenwood TS-2000 and Wisp Using the internal TNC to RX/TX on Falconsat-3? I cannot get success. I can RX but cannot TX since there is the signal. Please can somebody give me the correct settings. Actually I have the following settings in the radio: Menu 46 SUB Menu 47 9600Bps Menu 48 TNC BAND Menu 55 On On the main band I have set the TX frequency 145.840 FM for the Uplink and On the Sub Band the RX Frequency 435.103 FM for the Downlink. The PTT is set on the maid band. When the MSPE program starts, I can see the STA and CON LEDs flashing for three times That indicates the radio is gone in kiss mode. I can see the data coming in, but when I go to request the directory or a message the radio does not Go in TX since there is no signal on the SUB band but it TX on the SUB Band instead to TX on the Main one. Vice versa if while I am receiving, I go to request the directory or a message the radio does not go in TX since there is no signal on the SUB band, But if I entry in the menu 46 and change for a second from SUB to MAIN the radio goes TX and it goes on the correct Band the Main Which is set for the Uplink then I have to switch back the Menu 46 from MAIN to SUB again otherwise I will not get anymore the incoming data. Please what am I doing wrong or which settings is wrong in the radio? Please any help will be really appreciated. 73's de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 ************************************* ******* GSM +39 328 7110193 ******* ****** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** *************************************

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Falconsat With Wisp and Kenwood TS-200 Internal TNC
by Vincenzo Mone 18 May '18

18 May '18

Hi folks, Is there any one that uses the Kenwood TS-2000 and Wisp Using the internal TNC to RX/TX on Falconsat-3? I cannot get success. I can RX but cannot TX since there is the signal. Please can somebody give me the correct settings. Actually I have the following settings in the radio: Menu 46 SUB Menu 47 9600Bps Menu 48 TNC BAND Menu 55 On On the main band I have set the TX frequency 145.840 FM for the Uplink and On the Sub Band the RX Frequency 435.103 FM for the Downlink. The PTT is set on the maid band. When the MSPE program starts, I can see the STA and CON LEDs flashing for three times That indicates the radio is gone in kiss mode. I can see the data coming in, but when I go to request the directory or a message the radio does not Go in TX since there is no signal on the SUB band but it TX on the SUB Band instead to TX on the Main one. Vice versa if while I am receiving, I go to request the directory or a message the radio does not go in TX since there is no signal on the SUB band, But if I entry in the menu 46 and change for a second from SUB to MAIN the radio goes TX and it goes on the correct Band the Main Which is set for the Uplink then I have to switch back the Menu 46 from MAIN to SUB again otherwise I will not get anymore the incoming data. Please what am I doing wrong or which settings is wrong in the radio? Please any help will be really appreciated. 73's de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 ************************************* ******* GSM +39 328 7110193 ******* ****** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** *************************************

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Falconsat With Wisp and Kenwood TS-200 Internal TNC
by Vincenzo Mone 18 May '18

18 May '18

Hi folks, Is there any one that uses the Kenwood TS-2000 and Wisp Using the internal TNC to RX/TX on Falconsat-3? I cannot get success. I can RX but cannot TX since there is the signal. Please can somebody give me the correct settings. Actually I have the following settings in the radio: Menu 46 SUB Menu 47 9600Bps Menu 48 TNC BAND Menu 55 On On the main band I have set the TX frequency 145.840 FM for the Uplink and On the Sub Band the RX Frequency 435.103 FM for the Downlink. The PTT is set on the maid band. When the MSPE program starts, I can see the STA and CON LEDs flashing for three times That indicates the radio is gone in kiss mode. I can see the data coming in, but when I go to request the directory or a message the radio does not Go in TX since there is no signal on the SUB band but it TX on the SUB Band instead to TX on the Main one. Vice versa if while I am receiving, I go to request the directory or a message the radio does not go in TX since there is no signal on the SUB band, But if I entry in the menu 46 and change for a second from SUB to MAIN the radio goes TX and it goes on the correct Band the Main Which is set for the Uplink then I have to switch back the Menu 46 from MAIN to SUB again otherwise I will not get anymore the incoming data. Please what am I doing wrong or which settings is wrong in the radio? Please any help will be really appreciated. 73's de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 ************************************* ******* GSM +39 328 7110193 ******* ****** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** *************************************

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Re: [amsat-bb] when are TLE's too old to use?
by Gregory Beat 18 May '18

18 May '18

???? Clint, I have been working satellites since Oscar 6, when I was in high school. Worked STS-9 (Owen Garriott, Spacehab-1) when I was in graduate college. No need for education or evangelizing. 73. greg, w9gb AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-UK Sent from iPad Air > > On May 17, 2018, at 8:43 PM, Clint Bradford <clintbrad4d(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > > If you are working the ISS (fruitless right now), I would update every week, because > they re-position themselves a couple times a month. NOTHING drastic, but that is > where the slight difference is from week-to-week. > > And since you’re updating already, snag ‘em all (grin). > > If not working the ISS - every couple weeks or up to a month is fine. > > Clint K6LCS > http://www.work-sat.com > 909-999-SATS

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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT Forum at Hamvention
by redski＠bellsouth.net 17 May '18

17 May '18

Good deal - thanks!

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AMSAT Forum at Hamvention
by W M WILLOUGHBY 17 May '18

17 May '18

Will the Saturday afternoon AMSAT Forum at Hamvention be live streamed or otherwise recorded and posted online? Thanks, Red KC4LE

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Re: [amsat-bb] NASA Helical Antenna Question
by Tom Clark 17 May '18

17 May '18

Let me offer as a reference https://www.cv.nrao.edu/~demerson/helixgain/helix.htm by Darrell Emerson, AA7FV. FYI, Darrell is an AMSAT member and he is the only person ever to achieve ZRO level 9 (see QEX, Jan 92. pg17 or online at http://www.qsl.net/aa7fv/DSPweak.htm) by copying a weak signal sent thru AO-13 at 0, -3, -6 ... -27 dB level steps. 73 de Tom, K3IO --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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ARISS News Release No. 18-07
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 17 May '18

17 May '18

ARISS NEWS RELEASE no. 18-07 May 16, 2018 David Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR aa4kn(a)amsat.org Hamvention and ARISS Work Together The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station team (ARISS) is happy to announce that Hamvention and ARISS are working together again this year. Hamvention's 2018 theme is, "Amateur Radio.Serving the Community." ARISS serves communities by inspiring great numbers of youth to explore STEM and Amateur Radio. ARISS is kicking off its 2018 fund-raising campaign at Hamvention to raise money for the expensive space-rated parts needed to finish building the required multiple units of the custom-built Multi-Voltage Power Supply, and to help defray some costs of continuing ARISS operations. The power supply is part of the next gen ARISS Interoperable Radio System to replace the intermittent, aging ISS amateur radio station. ARISS Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said, "Having Hamvention partner with ARISS really puts our 2018 funding campaign into gear." Hamvention's support began with a post on the convention's front web page. The posting discussed teaming up with ARISS, and announcing a special ARISS prize drawing at the convention, and the need for hams to contribute to ARISS right now by going to http://www.ariss.org/donate.html or stopping at the ARISS Hamvention booth. The double boost to ARISS by Hamvention is the featuring of the ARISS Challenge Coin at a special drawing just minutes before the convention's big prize drawings on the final day. Thousands of people will hear about the ARISS Challenge Coin and how ARISS inspires students to engage in STEM studies and radio technology. 2018 Hamvention Prize Committee Chairman Bill Serra, N8NRT, wrote, "We are happy to be able to make the ARISS Challenge Coin a very special part of Sunday's prize awards." ARISS donated two of its handsome coins positioned side by side in a beautiful display, showing off each of the coin's sides. This ARISS Challenge Coin is the premium received by donors who give $100 or more to ARISS. The ARISS team will welcome convention goers at the ARISS booth in Building 1 through the weekend to donate and see a mock-up of the Multi-Voltage Power Supply that ARISS will launch in the future. A raffle is being held at the booth to win a coin-the owner of the ticket pulled does not have to be present to win. For those unable to make the trip to Xenia, readers can donate any amount by going to http://www.ariss.org/donate.html ARISS thanked everyone on the Hamvention staff whose personal efforts are aiding ARISS in its fund-raising and publicity goals. Rosalie White, K1STO, ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL, added: "We are so pleased and proud to know that Hamvention believes in the ARISS team and its goals of piquing the interest of young people and communities in a quite unique "wow way" for STEM and Amateur Radio." About ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. For specific ARISS information, please go to: www.ariss.org Join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status Contact: David Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR aa4kn(a)amsat.org --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Funcube+Wisp+TS-2000
by Vincenzo Mone 16 May '18

16 May '18

Hello folks, hope someone can give me an hand. Finally I had success to interface the Funcube Dongle Pro Plus with the Wisp program Using the SDRSharp program, the Wisp program and Andy's UZ7HO High Speed SuondModem program All interfaced with the HW Virtual Serial Port. It worked great but now I would like to insert in this loop my Kenwood TS-2000X to transmit To the satellite to request the DIR or the messages. Anybody can point me how to do it? Any help will be really appreciated. 73's de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 ************************************* ******* GSM +39 328 7110193 ******* ****** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** *************************************

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Office Closed
by Martha 16 May '18

16 May '18

The AMSAT Office will be closed through Monday, May 21st. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 22nd -- 73- Martha

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FOR SALE: WaveNode WN-2D, WebSwitch 1216H, Astron RS-70A, 12VDC relays
by Clayton Coleman W5PFG 16 May '18

16 May '18

Shack cleaning. Several items great for remote station operation for sale: WaveNode WN-2D SWR/power meter with graphical display. Total $700+ new. Included sensors below. All four sensors can be inline and connected simultaneously. This is a top of the line unit! HF-1 Sensor (1.8-60 MHz - up to 2000 watts) SHF-3 Sensor (950-1300 MHz - up to 100 watts) UHF-2KW (120-170 MHz - up to 2000 watts) UHF-1 (120-470 MHz - up to 300 watts) $515 shipped for above package WebSwitch 1216H - Great for remote shack/rig/rotor control or drive relays. $125 shipped Astron RS-70A Power Supply - Like new in box, unused. $250 shipped 2x Tohtsu CX-520-D 12VDC SPDT coaxial relays with N connector. Were used indoors and are clean. Power leads & diodes installed. $75 shipped as pair, will not separate Prefer PayPal. Reply off-list. -- 73, Clayton W5PFG

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Re: [amsat-bb] when are TLE's too old to use?
by Gregory Beat 16 May '18

16 May '18

Good laugh, when I read the Subject line. TLEs are like fresh fruit and baked bread .... Best when first acquired ... with diminishing returns since picked or baked. w9gb

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Re: [amsat-bb] IC-706MKIIG work through satellites
by Roy Dean 16 May '18

16 May '18

Oh, I forgot to mention - be sure to start at "L" Tx power on the linears and work your way up from there. As I said below, I don't have experience as to how each of the "L, 1-9, H" power settings are correlated to the published max values for 70cm and 2m, but more than 5 watts on the linears can cause serious problems for some sats (AO-07) and can cause annoying problems for other users on all of them. --Roy K3RLD > Max, I have recently purchased the same transceiver. If you plan on > operating > half duplex on linear sats, check out W5PFG's video here: > https://youtu.be/vke3pWkKULU Not the same transceiver, but what Clayton > shows is how to operate using a > split frequency with the A and B VFO's, which the 706 also can do. If you > have a second transceiver, or a receiver (such as a decent SDR), then you > can operate full duplex. I have not attempted either, yet (as weather has > not be cooperating here in the Northeast USA). FM is basically the same > (half duplex with split frequency), but you need > to enable tone on uplink vfo for full functionality (and much less tuning, > especially on 2m). --Roy > K3RLD >* Good afternoon, Tell me, please, what I need to start working > through *>* satellites using *>* this transceiver. Thank you.*

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Re: [amsat-bb] IC-706MKIIG work through satellites
by Roy Dean 16 May '18

16 May '18

Max, I have recently purchased the same transceiver. If you plan on operating half duplex on linear sats, check out W5PFG's video here: https://youtu.be/vke3pWkKULU Not the same transceiver, but what Clayton shows is how to operate using a split frequency with the A and B VFO's, which the 706 also can do. If you have a second transceiver, or a receiver (such as a decent SDR), then you can operate full duplex. I have not attempted either, yet (as weather has not be cooperating here in the Northeast USA). FM is basically the same (half duplex with split frequency), but you need to enable tone on uplink vfo for full functionality (and much less tuning, especially on 2m). --Roy K3RLD > Good afternoon, Tell me, please, what I need to start working through > satellites using > this transceiver. Thank you.

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IC-706MKIIG work through satellites
by Max 16 May '18

16 May '18

Good afternoon, Tell me, please, what I need to start working through satellites using this transceiver. Thank you.

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Re: [amsat-bb] RadFxSat/Fox-1B Subject of SpaceDaily.com Article
by Roy Dean 15 May '18

15 May '18

I clicked on the "RadFxSat" link at the bottom (of the article), and it appears that the specs are all wrong? Or am I just really ill-informed? --Roy K3RLD > SpaceDaily.com published an article on May 15 which gives nice mention to > AMSAT, RadFxSat/Fox-1B: "What Happens After Launch: Two NASA Educational > CubeSats" > http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/What_Happens_After_Launch_Two_NASA_Educati > onal_CubeSats_999.html or try http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-RadFX-Fox1B if the > -bb line wrap clobbers > the URL. -- > 73 de JoAnne K9JKM > k9jkm at amsat.org <http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb>

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RadFxSat/Fox-1B Subject of SpaceDaily.com Article
by JoAnne K9JKM 15 May '18

15 May '18

SpaceDaily.com published an article on May 15 which gives nice mention to AMSAT, RadFxSat/Fox-1B: "What Happens After Launch: Two NASA Educational CubeSats" http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/What_Happens_After_Launch_Two_NASA_Educati onal_CubeSats_999.html or try http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-RadFX-Fox1B if the -bb line wrap clobbers the URL. -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org

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Re: [amsat-bb] when are TLE's too old to use?
by Stephan Greene 14 May '18

14 May '18

After reading Ray's reminder that the old kep bulletins are online, I tried an experiment running SatPC32 WinAOS for a 24 hour period using the current keps (from last Friday's bulletin) and a set from the end of March (~45 days, which is about how many days there are until Field Day give or take). Summary of results for all the regularly operating FM and SSB satellites I can reach here and ISS: 78 passes at 5 deg or better in 24 hours Excluding ISS, largest AOS difference was 1 minute (assuming SatPC32 rounds to nearest minute, call it 1:30). Differences in predicted period (length) of pass were 1 minute, including ISS; roughly evenly distributed between shorter and longer. Differences in predicted max elevation was up to 7 degrees, average was 0.95 deg. The largest differences were associated with higher elevation passes, so not a big impact on ability to use. I didn't check for horizon skimmers where a small change in the calculations could result in no pass or a marginal pass. Conclusion: For general planning purposes, keplerian element data is useful at least 1.5 months out. Possibly longer. I'd be much more careful for planning a max distance attempt (horizon skimmers at both ends) and old keps are probably useless for computer-control of radios and antennas. And my planning for Field Day is going to be relatively unchanged. 73 Steve KS1G

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AMSAT/TAPR Banquet Ticket Deadline Tomorrow (May 15th)
by Paul Stoetzer 14 May '18

14 May '18

Please remember that the deadline for purchasing tickets to the AMSAT/TAPR Banquet is tomorrow at 18:00 EDT (22:00 UTC). Tickets will not be available at Dayton. Tickets may only be purchased via the AMSAT online store at https://www.amsat.org/product/tapramsat-joint-hamvention-banquet/. All users of the AMSAT store must log in with your callsign. If you find yourself unable to log in or reset your password, please email me at n8hm(a)amsat.org and I will update your email address in our system so you can reset your password. I will try to complete this as soon as possible given tomorrow's deadline, but if you are not sure of your account status, please do not wait until the last minute to attempt to purchase your tickets. Thank you. 73, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM Executive Vice Presdient Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)

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New CAMSAT Satellites - Scheduled for September 2018 Launch
by Paul Stoetzer 14 May '18

14 May '18

CAMSAT, the Chinese Amateur Satellite Group, has submitted requests to the IARU for frequency coordination for three new amateur satellites. CAS-5A is a 6U CubeSat with several amateur transponders: A 30 kHz wide 15 meter to 10 meter linear transponder, a 15 kHz wide 15 meter to 70 cm linear transponder, a 30 kHz wide 2 meter to 70 cm linear transponder, and a 2 meter to 70 cm FM repeater. The satellite also has 10 meter and 70 cm CW beacons as well as a 70 cm 4.8k / 9.6k GMSK telemetry downlink. CAS-5B is a 90 mm L x 80 mm W x 50 mm H 0.5 kg femtosatellite with a 70 cm CW beacon. CAS-5A and CAS-5B are scheduled to launch in September from Jiuguan Launch Center into a 539 km x 533 km 97.5 degree inclination orbit. CAS-6 is an amateur payload aboard a 50 kg microsatellite with a 20 kHz wide 70 cm to 2 m linear transponder, a VHF CW beacon, and a 4.8k GMSK telemetry downlink. Launch is planned from a Sea Launch Pad from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in September into a 579 x 579 km 45 degree inclination orbit. CAS-5A coordination request: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=619 CAS-5B coordination request: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=620 CAS-6 coordination request: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=622 https://www.amsat.org/camsat-sep-2018/

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CAT control of the Yaesu FT-991/FT-991A
by Erich Eichmann 14 May '18

14 May '18

Hi, I have added CAT control of the FT-991/FT-991A to SatPC32 and would appreciate if someone else tested the new .exe file before I replace the setup files. The file can be downloaded here: http://www.dk1tb.de/SatPC_Files_f_FT991.zip The zip file contains the modified SatPC32.exe (English version), 2 little data files and an instruction file. I connected the FT-991A to the PC via a RS-232 cable and (after installation of the USB driver) also via it's USB port. Both connections work (the USB connection only via the "Enhanced" port). 73s, Erich, DK1TB

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UBAKUSAT
by Jean-Pierre Godet 13 May '18

13 May '18

Received around 0500 UTC orbit nr 12 (?) 437.325 MHz GMSK 9k6, a frame about each minute. Nothing from IRAZU nor 1KUNS-PF till now. At the same time, near IRAZU, was something, narrow, looking like 1K2, about 437.300. Have a nice day ! Jean-Pierre F5YG

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Camb-Hams on Islay Island Include Satellite Operation - May 13-18
by JoAnne K9JKM 13 May '18

13 May '18

Here is an island activation that falls in between the AMSAT News Service bulletin cycles ... EU-008. Members of the Camb-Hams will once again be active as GS3PYE/P, but this time from Islay Island between May 13-18th. The Camb- Hams have been activating the Scottish Isles each year since 2008. As in the past, ten or more operators will be active on all bands and many modes from 4m to 80m, 2m & 70cm for Satellites and 2m & 23cm for EME. The HF bands will be covered by four simultaneous stations while the 6m & 4m stations will have a great take-off towards the UK and Europe. All stations will be able to run at the full UK power limit. EME operations will use 150W to 55 elements on 23cm and 400W to 17 elements on 2m, primarily on JT65, but also available for CW skeds - if your station is big enough. Satellite operations on 2m & 70cm will use X-Quad antennas and a fully automatic Az/El tracking system. Activity is planned on AO-7 (mode B), VO-52, FO-29, SO-50 & AO-73. All the up-to-date plans and progress will be on <dx.camb-hams.com>. Most importantly, this is a group of good friends doing what they enjoy, so please give them a call and enjoy the trip with them. They will be active on the major social networks before, during and after the trip, you can check on their progress and interact with the operators via their blog <dx.camb-hams.com> or through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube [see links below]. Please check their Web page for details on how to arrange skeds on the more challenging bands, modes, VHF and EME. All links are available via: http://dx.camb-hams.com QSL via OQRS (info on QRZ.com) or M0VFC direct or via bureau. <dx.camb-hams.com> <facebook.com/CambHams> <twitter.com/g3pye> <youtube.com/CambHams> [via Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1364]

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Memory Settings for FM Satellites
by Pedro Converso 13 May '18

13 May '18

On http://amsat.org.ar/FMSATS.txt 73, lu7abf, Pedro

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ANS-133 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 13 May '18

13 May '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-133 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including 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. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. ******************************************************************** * DON'T FORGET THAT IT IS MOTHER'S DAY * * AMSAT at HAMVENTION May 18-20 booth (1007-1010 & 1107-1110) * * AMSAT ForumSaturday, May 19 in Forum room 4 at 2:45-3:45 PM * ******************************************************************** In this edition: * Dr. Alan B. Johnston (PhD), KU2Y, Named AMSAT Vice-President, Educational Relations * Jerry Buxton, NØJY CubeSat Presentation at Princeton Orbital Initiative * ARISS HamVideo Currently Not Transmitting * AMSAT at Hamvention 2018 -- 3rd and Final Call for Volunteers * Work the AMSAT Hamvention Demo Station! * Video Streaming of RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) Flight Model Testing * AMSAT Activities at Hamvention 2018 * Tips For Prompt Message Posting To The AMSAT-BB * Three CubeSats with Amateur Radio Payloads Deployed from ISS * Satellite-Image_26113 Re-recovered... Call for amateur help! * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-133.01 ANS-133 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 133.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. May 13, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-133.01 Dr. Alan B. Johnston (PhD), KU2Y, Named AMSAT Vice-President, Educational Relations AMSAT President, Joe Spier, K6WAO has announced the appointment of Alan Johnston, KU2Y as AMSAT Vice President-Educational Relations. Joe noted, "The subject of educational outreach is critical for the mission of AMSAT. AMSAT continues creating structure for fulfilling our mission component regarding education with projects such as the CubeSat Simulator, ARISS, and outreach to primary, middle, high school, and university programs. Alan has agreed to help AMSAT establish and coordinate an education initiative program and serve as AMSAT’s senior point of contact with outside organizations regarding educational outreach." Given the increasing importance of fulfilling education goals as justification for launch opportunities, this is an important subject for AMSAT. Alan is aptly suited for this position as he is currently an instructor at Rowan University in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, and has previously taught at Seattle University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Washington University in St Louis. Alan is interested in using amateur radio satellites to teach various engineering and scientific topics and understands the teacher perspective as well. He holds an Amateur Extra license and is also a published author. [ANS Thanks Joe, K6WAO for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Buxton, NØJY CubeSat Presentation at Princeton Orbital Initiative The Princeton Orbital Initiative, a student organization at Princeton University, has invited Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering, to share his experience with CubeSat development and AMSAT's proven technology combining scientific telemetry with on-orbit CubeSat voice operations, further expanding AMSAT's educational outreach. Dan Marlow, K2QM, a faculty advisor to the Princeton Orbital Initiative (POI) says the group plans to build and fly a 3U CubeSat with a goal to submit the project to the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative in November of this year. Marlow's invitation includes meetings with Andrew Redd, the lead for the POI initiative and an additional session with the graduate student chief designer of the thruster that the Princeton Plasma Lab is planning. Marlow said the visit would also provide an opportunity to explore possible mutual interest in partnering along the lines of some of the recent Fox missions. Buxton will give a presentation followed by a Q&A session, and have informal sessions with the students. The students have begun mechanical design of their 3U CubeSat and are looking to AMSAT for advice and guidance for their electronic and communications systems. Buxton commented, "Many institutions have been calling us for input on building CubeSats and to explore partnerships, and I think that this opportunity from an Ivy League University reflects the high level of standing and reputation AMSAT has established in the satellite industry ... with a specialty in amateur radio satellites of course." AMSAT North America pioneered satellite operations in space and con- tinues that tradition now based based on reliable CubeSat operations with amateur radio transponders, hosting scientific experimental missions sharing the amateur radio payload, successful multiple CubeSat deployment, and orbital deployment from the International Space Station. AMSAT was an early participant with the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative in the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program and con- tinues to have our launches selected based on our prior success and exciting future technological, scientific and educational opportunities. [ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS HamVideo Currently Not Transmitting In the official ARISS News Release No.18-06 dated May 10, 2018, ARISS PR Editor David Jordan, AA4KN, reports that the ARISS HamVideo is not currently transmitting The HamVideo digital Amateur Television (DATV) transmitter aboard the International Space Station (ISS) Columbus module recently ceased transmitting. The unit's indicators show it is functioning but its signal cannot be detected on the ground. The ARISS team's efforts to get the transmitter working again have been unsuccessful, thus far. A series of steps are currently being undertaken to try to diagnose the problem. However, if an actual failure occurred, only a ground- based evaluation will fully diagnose the problem. The ARISS International team is working diligently to bring HamVideo back to full operation as soon as practical. We have started coordination with our space agency partners and with our sponsors to expeditiously troubleshoot the issue on-board and, if necessary, troubleshoot and repair the device on the ground. The HamVideo DATV transmitter has become a very valuable educational asset that astronauts enjoy employing as part of the ARISS connection. Astronauts Tim Peake, KG5BVI; Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA; and Thomas Pesquet, FX0ISS, regularly utilized HamTV to inspire students and educators during ARISS contacts scheduled as part of these astronauts' ISS missions. Australian and European HamTV ground stations have been operational for receiving and distributing DATV signals from the ISS, and in the US, HamTV stations are under development. Several hams in Japan have set up ground stations that have received HamVideo. As more information becomes available on the HamVideo status and on any potential repair plans, we will keep you informed through future news releases and via messages on the ARISS web site www.ariss.org. [ANS thanks David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT at Hamvention 2018 -- 3rd and Final Call for Volunteers Hamvention 2018 in Xenia, Ohio is next week, May 18-20! If you’ve been waiting to volunteer until you’d firmed up your plans, we need to hear from you ASAP! If you're an experienced satellite operator, we can use you and your experience. If you've never operated a satellite before, we can use your help too. Whether you're available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please send an e-mail to Phil, w1eme(a)amsat.org if you can help. Thank you! [Information provided by Phil Smith, W1EME Hamvention 2018 Team Leader] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Work the AMSAT Hamvention Demo Station! As previously announced, AMSAT will have it's traditional presence at Hamvention this year, including a satellite demo station. The demostation will operate under the AMSAT club callsign W3ZM/8. We intend to be on most passes of voice satellites between 12:00 UTC and 20:30 UTC on Friday, May 19th and Saturday, May 20th and between 12:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC on Sunday, May 21st. Hamvention is located in the six digit gridsquare EM89aq. As a reward for working the AMSAT demo station, individuals working us will receive a digital certificate upon request. Please email n8hm(a)amsat.org with your QSO details to receive a certificate. If you are attending Hamvention, please stop by the demo station outside Building 1! [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Video Streaming of RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) Flight Model Testing AMSAT Vice President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, has been streaming live videos of testing of the flight model of RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) from Fox Labs in Granbury, TX. You can view archived videos at: https://www.twitch.tv/n0jy/videos/all. The first two are also posted at: https://tinyurl.com/ANS133-RadFxModelTest Follow @N0JY on Twitter for future live streams of RadFxSat-2 flight model testing. RadFxSat-2 is scheduled to launch later this year on the ELaNa XX mission aboard Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne air-launch-to-orbit system. The satellite carries a 30 kHz wide V/u linear transponder and radiation experiments for Vanderbilt University's Institute for Space and Defense Electronics. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer N8HM, and Jerry Buxton, N0JY for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Activities at Hamvention 2018 The 2018 Hamvention will be held on May 18-20, 2018 at Greene County Fairground and Expo Center in Xenia Ohio. AMSAT is planning for an exciting event. May 17 – Booth setup on Thursday. May 18, 19, 20 – AMSAT in full operation at Hamvention May 20 – Booth teardown on Sunday AMSAT Booth Stop by the AMSAT booth (1007-1010 & 1107-1110) Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 9am-1pm to meet board members, officers, and active satellite operators. You’ll be able to ask questions and see demonstrations of AMSAT’s current and upcoming technologies. Well dressed satellite operators will look forward to picking up the latest AMSAT “swag” and fashions for 2018. Gould Smith’s book, Getting Started With Amateur Satellites, has been updated for 2018 and will be on sale during the Hamvention. AMSAT Forum The AMSAT Forum at Hamvention 2018 will be held on Saturday, May 19 in Forum room 4 at 2:45-3:45 PM. Amateur Satellite Demonstrations Amateur Satellite operation demonstrations will be held every day outside the main Maxim Hall (Building 1 or E1) entrance. AMSAT will be be demonstrating actual contacts with the operational amateur satellites. We especially invite youth to make a contact via an amateur satellite. All are invited to observe, participate and ask questions. Satellite pass times will be posted at the AMSAT booth and in the demo area. Annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” Party The annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” party will be held Thursday at 1800 EDT at Tickets Pub & Eatery at 7 W. Main St, Fairborn, OH. Feast on a great selection of Greek and American food and great company! No program or speaker, just good conversation. Food can be ordered from the menu, drinks (beer, wine, sodas and iced tea) are available at the bar. Leave room for dessert, there’s an in-house ice cream shop! Come as you are. Bring some friends and have a great time the night before Hamvention. AMSAT/TAPR Banquet The twelfth annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Center on Friday at 1830 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the AMSAT and TAPR activities during the Dayton Hamvention. We are pleased to announce that Jeri Ellsworth, AI6TK will be our speaker. Jeri will present her innovative ideas and adventures in Amateur Radio. Banquet tickets are no longer available There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door of the banquet center. AMSAT Announces Hamvention Forum Speaker Line Up The AMSAT Forum at Hamvention 2018 will be held on Saturday, May 19 in Forum room 4 at 2:45-3:45 PM. The speaker and topic line up includes: Moderator: Keith Baker, KB1SF / VA3KSF “AMSAT Status Report” by Joseph Spier, K6WAO, AMSAT-NA President, who will highlight recent activities within AMSAT and discuss some of our challenges, accomplishments, projects, and any late breaking news. “AMSAT Engineering Program” by Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Engineering, will talk about the Fox-1 and Golf (Greater Orbit Larger Footprint) Projects. “ARISS Report 2018” by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Human Spaceflight will discus ARISS’ “Next Generation ARISS Radio System” on the International Space Station. AMSAT/TAPR Banquet Speaker – Jeri Ellsworth, AI6TK The twelfth annual joint AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held on Friday, May 18 at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center, 4572 Presidential Way, Kettering, OH 45429 (just south of Dayton). Doors open at 6:30 PM for a cash bar with the buffet dinner served at 7:00 PM. Jeri Ellsworth, AI6TK, will present on her innovative ideas and adventures in Amateur Radio. Jeri is an American entrepreneur, self- taught engineer, and an autodidact computer chip designer and inventor. She gained notoriety in 2004 for creating a complete Commodore 64 system on a chip housed within a joystick, called C64 Direct-to-TV. That “computer in a joystick” could run 30 video games from the early 1980’s, and at peak, sold over 70,000 units in a single day via the QVC shopping channel. Ellsworth co-founded CastAR (formerly Technical Illusions) in 2013 and stayed with the company until its closure on June 26, 2017. In 2016, she passed all three amateur radio exams, earned her Amateur Extra license, and received the AI6TK callsign. This has now launched new adventures into Amateur Radio. She has been featured in January 2017 QST and in YouTube videos from Quartzfest earlier this year. Jeri has been given a free hand to speak on whatever topic she wishes (as long as it’s amateur radio, somewhat). [ANS thanks The AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips For Prompt Message Posting To The AMSAT-BB Recently, there have been several posts, including some time sensitive roving information, which have been held for moderator release because they were sent by list members from accounts other than the one used to register with the list. While the moderators are happy to release these messages, it can result in significant delay. Since there are many new members here, below is a guide which was published two years ago. Tips for prompt message posting. People sometimes post time-sensitive messages to AMSAT-BB. Examples are last minute grid activities, unexpected satellite mode changes, requests for critically important telemetry, etc. These normally go through promptly, but occasionally get held for two basic reasons: While AMSAT-BB is an open list, that means it is open for membership, not posting. In order to post to the list, it normally must be from the same account you originally registered. For instance, if you registered from your home account, and post from your office account, it will normally be held for release by a moderator. Likewise, some people have all their email forwarded to a single account from which they reply. We can create a filter to pass the second address, but that is not automatically done on the first instance, and does require moderator action. AMSAT-BB receives many pieces of spam for each legitimate message. As part of the filtering process, emails larger than 50 kB are blocked. This usually happens to legitimate email when someone attempts to attach a large file, or does not trim an extended series of exchanges. Also, there is a limit to the number of addresses before an email is held as potential spam. I have seen legitimate email sent to 30+ addresses. We have a team of volunteer moderators, but they are not available 24/7. The result is that a message sent in the evening or on a holiday, US time, may well be held for several hours before being released. So, if it absolutely, positively needs to be distributed promptly: 1. Post from the same account you registered, or one which from past experience you know has been flagged as acceptable. 2. Do not use attachments. (Pictures and other files should be included by a link.) They will be blocked to the list, and if the total size of the message plus attachments exceeds 50 kB, the mail will be held. 3. Send it to AMSAT-BB and a few other addresses at most. If you must send to a large distribution list, send to them, and another copy to AMSAT-BB. (A trick which seems to work well is to place most of the addresses in the BCC rather than CC line.) 4. Consider also posting to the AMSAT Twitter and Facebook accounts. There is overlap in membership, though at present it is far from 100%. 5. Do not send large commercial press releases, or things which look like them. They will be caught by heuristic spam filters. A simple posting of an event or activity will normally go through. Note that there are existing exemptions for official channels such as ANS, ARISS, other AMSAT organizations, etc. 6. All new accounts are automatically flagged for moderation. This flag will normally be cleared on the first or second posting, but do allow for and expect an initial delay if you establish a dedicated account for your satellite organization. 7. Remember that this is a text-only list. Posting using HTML formatting will have unpredictable results, and may trigger the 50 kB hold for what appears to be a short message. [ANS thanks Alan WA4SCA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISS Orbit Reboost Saturday May 12 The International Space Station was scheduled to raise its orbit this weekend (Saturday, May 12) to prepare for the departure of three Expedition 55 crew members and the arrival of a new Russian cargo craft. The docked Russian Progress 69 resupply ship will fire its engines Saturday at 6:07 p.m. EDT for two minutes and 52 seconds slightly boosting the orbital lab’s altitude. This orbital reboost sets up the proper phasing trajectory for the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft when it undocks June 3. The Soyuz will carry Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineers Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai back to Earth after six-and-a-half month mission in space. The reboost will also enable a two-orbit launch to docking opportunity for Russia’s next resupply ship the Progress 70 in July. [Ed note: Stations who have not refreshed their Keplerian Elements will discover that the ISS is arriving slightly later than predicted.] https://tinyurl.com/ANS133-ISS-Boost [ANS thanks NASA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Three CubeSats with Amateur Radio Payloads Deployed from ISS The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that three CubeSats carrying Amateur Radio payloads, including one with a V/U linear transponder, were deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on May 11 at around 1030 UTC. Irazu (Costa Rica) and 1KUNS-PF (Kenya) carry beacon/telemetry in the 70-centimeter Amateur Radio band, while UBAKUSAT (Turkey) carries an Amateur Radio linear transponder for SSB and CW, in addition to CW and telemetry beacons. Irazu is a 1U CubeSat developed by students at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology, with a telemetry beacon at 436.500 MHz. 1KUNS-PF is a 3U CubeSat developed by students at the University of Nairobi, with a telemetry beacon (9.6 kbps) at 437.300 MHz. UBAKUSAT, a 3U CubeSat developed by students at the Istanbul Technical University, has a CW beacon at 437.225 MHz, and a telemetry beacon at 437.325 MHz. The linear transponder downlink is 435.200 - 435.250 MHz; the uplink is 145.940 - 145.990 MHz. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite-Image_26113 Re-recovered... Call for amateur help! Earlier this week Scott Tilley again recovered IMAGE on S-band. The spacecraft started a series of eclipses and the first one appeared to cause IMAGE to reboot and start transmitting again. After the initial recovery in January of this year IMAGE faded away in late February. NASA is now trying to reestablish control of the spacecraft and has been actively attempting with some success to have the spacecraft accept commands over the last couple of days. A number of phenomenon have been observed that has challenged the ground controllers to understand what is going on with the spacecraft and they have asked for amateurs to contribute s-band signal data particularly as the spacecraft passes through eclipse. If you have access to equipment and are suitably located to contribute observations please contact me for more information and support in sharing your observations with NASA. NASA kindly supplied the following table for stations planning to monitor IMAGE during eclipses. Those studying the TLE for IMAGE will note eclipses primarily happen in the southern hemisphere and have limited visibility to northern hemisphere locations. It's not impossible for northern stations but not 'convenient'. https://tinyurl.com/ANS133-ImageRecovery For those needing general information about the mission to plan their efforts: Track: 26113 IMAGE, see Spacetrack... Frequency: 2272.5MHz +/- Doppler If possible, record amplitude, frequency and timestamp to a machine readable file and send to me with any information that may be needed to interpret your data. Please include lat/long and altitude of observing station and provide general details of the station. I.e. GPS time and frequency disciplined etc, antenna etc. If all you can do is record a plot that's fine too! Stations collecting real data or needing more help can email me directly and I will forward to NASA: sthed475 (at) telus (dot) net IMAGE thanks you. For more information on IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration) visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAGE [ANS thanks Scott Tilley and Seesat-l for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News The following ARISS contacts have been successful: 2018-04-17 16:44 UTC Astronaut Scott Tingle KG5NZA using ISS callsign NA1SS with Salado Intermediate School, Salado, TX, USA, direct via K5LBJ. ARISS Mentor was Gene K5YFL. 2018-04-18 15:57 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign NA1SS with Central Islip Union Free School District, Central Islip, NY, USA, direct via KD2IFR. ARISS Mentors were Gordon KD8COJ and Backup John K4SQC. 2018-04-19 12:05 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using, ISS callsign NA1SS with King's High School, Warwick, UK, direct via GB4KHS, ARISS Mentor was Ciaran MØXTD. 2018-04-24 11:05 UTC Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov using ISS callsign RSØISS with About Gagarin From The Space. Implementation Of The Session Of Radio-Love Communication With Participants Of "Artek" Change, near Black Sea, Russia, direct via RM6KD. Mentor was Sergey RV3DR. 2018-04-26 12:30 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign OR4ISS with Zespól Szkoly Podstawowej i Publicznego Gimnazjum w Buczku, Buczek, Poland; I Liceum Ogólnoksztalcace im. Tadeusza Kosciuszki w Lasku, Lask, Poland; and Zespól Szkól Ponadgimnazjalnych w Zelowie, Zelów, Poland, direct via SP7KYL. ARISS Mentor was Armand SP3QFE. 2018-05-03 15:47 UTC Astronaut Scott Tingle KG5NZA using ISS callsign NA1SS with Mill Springs Academy, Alpharetta, GA, USA, direct via WA4MSA. ARISS Mentor was John K4SQC. 2018-05-03 17:22 UTC Astronaut Scott Tingle KG5NZA using ISS callsign NA1SS with Students for the Exploration & Development of Space, College Station, TX, USA, direct via W5QZ. ARISS Mentor was Keith W5IU. 2018-05-07 13:54:10 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign NA1SS with Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN, USA, direct via WA4SXM. ARISS Mentor was Dave AA4KN. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City, Philippines on 15 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:22 UTC. It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutes before this time.The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible over the west coast of the U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. The UP Integrated School (est. 1976) is the laboratory school of the UP College of Education. It offers an integrated curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It is one of the country's pioneer integrated schools and has been offering an integrated curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 10 since its inception until the mandatory implementation of the Department of Education's K-12 program in 2012. The UPIS is the product of the merging of three schools whose functions it inherited. These are the UP High School (est. 1916), the UP Elementary School (est. 1936), and the UP Preparatory High School (est. 1954). Age of students is 14 and 15. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What are the challenges that astronauts face while working inside the international space station? How are these issues addressed? 2. What can you give as an advice or words of inspiration to young aspiring Filipinos dreaming of becoming involved in NASA's (or International) space programs? 3. The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone (typhoon, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions) countries in the world. What researches does the ISS have to help these countries (or the Philippines, in particular) minimize risks related to such disasters? 4. Which of the recent breakthroughs/discoveries in your research in the ISS is your team's favorite and why? 5. Given the latest discoveries/experiments your team has done in the ISS, which field in science and technology do you think has the most promising advancement in the upcoming years? 6. How can the youth have a more active participation in space programs? (Skills training, seminars, etc.) 7. How long does it take to get use to the weightlessness in space? 8. What did you do before you became an astronaut? 9. Compared to Earth-based monitoring programs, how does the ISS facilities and equipment help in monitoring environmental disasters? 10. What can the Philippines do if it wants to participate in international space programs? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Get on the Satellites for Field Day! Field Day is right around the corner! Posted on the AMSAT website with the ARRL’s permission is an article entitled “Get on the Satellites for ARRL Field Day” written by Sean Kutzko, KX9X, and published in the June 2018 issue of QST. Read it at https://www.amsat.org/get-on-the-satellites-for-field-day/. As a reminder, AMSAT runs a Field Day event concurrently with ARRL Field Day. For more information, please see https://www.amsat.org/field-day/. [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information.] + 6Y5IDX log I, Marty N9EAT, have been working with Chris, VO1IDX/6Y5IDX to get his logs sorted out. However, some passes may have been lost due to phone issues during rainstorms while he was in Jamaica. The following are in the log at this time, and we plan to upload May 11: YS1MS(x2), TI2CDA, TI4DJ, FG8OJ, WP4PRD, N1RCN (x2), KE4AL, K9EO, N1COR, HP2VX, NA2AA(x2), N9EAT, AK4WQ, AA5PK, N8HM, N8RO, K4FEG, KD8ATF, KG4AKV, KB1PVH, NK1K. If you worked them, and have a recording available to prove it, forward them to either me or Chris VO1IDX. His email is good on QRZ. Additionally, forward any lotw issues to either of use. Paper QSL cards are via direct to VO1IDX. [ANS thanks Marty N9EAT for the above information.] + 6E5RM/XF3 Cozumel Island Special Event Includes Satellite Operation Members of the Radioclub Cancun will be active as 6E5RM between May 23rd and June 1st. Activity is to celebrate the 2018 Rally Maya Mexico. However, on May 23rd and 24th, they will be active as 6E5RM/XF3 from Cozumel Island. Operations are expected to be on 80-6 meters using SSB, RTTY, FT8 and the satellites. They will be on the air as much time as possible for the Rally activities. [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1363] + ARISS Story Line Featured in Book Emily Calandrelli KD8PKR recently released her third short novel for kids, "Take Me to Your Leader". In it, her main character, Ada Lace uses amateur radio around her hometown. She also uses radio to contact an astronaut on the ISS. I believe it is Sandy Magnus in her story. Even though the contact does not follow the ARISS protocol, she talks about the ARISS program in one of the appendices at the back of the book. If you (or your schools) are ever looking for a good short book to explain a little about radio contacts, this would be a good choice. [ANS thanks Brian VE6JBJ 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 addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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Question from Newbie
by uli＠df5sf-qrp.de 13 May '18

13 May '18

Hello, I have an HT Kenwood TH-7 and now building a 4 element duoband LPDA for satellite operation. I found a lot of helpful information in the internet. Some infos are in conflict with other. Are this infos ok ? SO50: Transmit 145.850 MHz fix FM 67.0 Hz, RX from 436.815 MHz to 436.795 MHz AO91: Transmit from 435.240 MHz to 435,260 MHz FM 67.0Hz , RX 145.960 MHz fix AO85: Transmit from 435.160 MHz to 435.180 MHz FM 67.0 Hz , RX 145.980 MHz fix Many thanks 73 Uli DF5SF

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Re: [amsat-bb] when are TLE's too old to use?
by Todd W Deckard 13 May '18

13 May '18

It’s my experience with my arduino based tracker that the TLEs age rapidly and must be refreshed on game day. I attributed this to the single precision math although it could be due to some more fundamental misunderstanding on my part. Now that there are no more shuttle re-supply flights even ISS reboosts are fairly infrequent. I am using the most excellent qrpTracker library (Bruce Robertson VE9QRP) which is in turn derived from PLAN13 (James Miller G3RUH). https://youtu.be/VG5L5oP2uNk https://github.com/twdeckard/AE-35/blob/master/sketch_ae-35/sketch_ae-35.ino Best Todd Sent from my iPhone > On May 12, 2018, at 6:21 PM, Alfredos (fredy) Damkalis <fredy(a)fredy.gr> wrote: > > Recently it was posted in libre.space community discourse[1] by cgbsat > an interesting analysis about TLE of a couple of satellites and what > delays you should expect in observation starting time when you use TLE > 0-10 days old. > > Delays vary depending on satellite, difference could be from some > seconds to some minutes (in ISS case). > > I'm very interested if there are similar analyses. > > 73, > fredy > > [1] https://community.libre.space/t/tle-updates-and-scheduling/1987/4 > >> On 05/12/2018 08:02 PM, Ron VE8RT wrote: >> I understand that there won't be a good answer for how old can TLE's be >> before they're of no use. If you were going to be offline for an >> extended period, roughly, for a LEO, how long would you go before >> they're worthless? >> >> Ron VE8RT >> >

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BPSK decode applications
by Mike Stansberry 13 May '18

13 May '18

Hi, all. What applications are being used to decode BPSK 1k2 and BPSK 9k6? I've been searching but have not turned up anything. Thanks! Mike, K0TER

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when are TLE's too old to use?
by Ron VE8RT 12 May '18

12 May '18

I understand that there won't be a good answer for how old can TLE's be before they're of no use. If you were going to be offline for an extended period, roughly, for a LEO, how long would you go before they're worthless? Ron VE8RT -- Ron VE8RT <ve8rt(a)yknwt.ca>

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NASA needs amateur help with IMAGE spacecraft recovery
by Joe Fitzgerald 11 May '18

11 May '18

The following was seen on the seesat-l mailing list. Drop me a note off list for Scott's e-mail address. 73 de KM1P Joe *******BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE********* From: Scott Tilley via Seesat-l <seesat-l_at_satobs.org> Date: Fri, 11 May 2018 08:49:49 -0700 Hi All Earlier this week I again recovered IMAGE on S-band. The spacecraft started a series of eclipses and the first one appeared to cause IMAGE to reboot and start transmitting again. After the initial recovery in January of this year IMAGE faded away in late February. NASA is now trying to reestablish control of the spacecraft and has been actively attempting with some success to have the spacecraft accept commands over the last couple of days. A number of phenomenon have been observed that has challenged the ground controllers to understand what is going on with the spacecraft and they have asked for amateurs to contribute s-band signal data particularly as the spacecraft passes through eclipse. If you have access to equipment and are suitability located to contribute observations please contact me for more information and support in sharing your observations with NASA. Thanks, Scott Tilley

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FUNcube-1 mode change
by Graham Shirville 11 May '18

11 May '18

Hi All, Just to report that AO73/FUNcube-1 is now in continuous Amateur mode with the transponder on for the weekend. 73 Graham

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StaPC Satellite list
by Vincenzo Mone 11 May '18

11 May '18

Hi Folks, I am going crazy to set the list of the satellites. What I do is: I go in the standard group and select the satellites for the Amateur.txt click on OK Re enter in the Satellite list and select Cubesat.txt. I find already some satellites than I try to put other ones. click on OK Re enter in the Satellite list and get back in the Amateur.txt list And I can see that some satellites are disappeared from the selected list. Is that normal? How I have to do to select different satellites in each list? Thanks 73's de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 ************************************* ******* GSM +39 328 7110193 ******* ****** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** *************************************

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Three CubeSats deploy from ISS 1030z 11th May
by Masahiro Arai 11 May '18

11 May '18

JAXA announced three CubeSats will deploy from ISS at 1030-1040z 11th May. The live broadcast will start at 1900z on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wRQ1Nljuiw The satellites are Irazu(Costa Rica), 1KUNS-PF(Kenya) and UBAKUSAT (Turk). IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination shows 1KUNS-PF and UBAKUSAT are operate on amateur radio band. 1KUNS-PF 3U CubeSat Digital downlink 9600bps 437.300 MHz http://engineering.uonbi.ac.ke/sites/default/files/cae/engineering/engineer… UBAKUSAT 3U CubeSat Beacon 427.225MHz TLM downlink 437.325MHz Linear Transponder downlink 435.200-435.250MHz uplink 145.940-145.990MHz JN1GKZ Masa Tokyo Japan

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Upcoming ARISS contact with University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City, Philippines
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 11 May '18

11 May '18

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City, Philippines on 15 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:22 UTC. It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutes before this time.The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible over the west coast of the U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. The UP Integrated School (est. 1976) is the laboratory school of the UP College of Education. It offers an integrated curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It is one of the country's pioneer integrated schools and has been offering an integrated curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 10 since its inception until the mandatory implementation of the Department of Education's K-12 program in 2012. The UPIS is the product of the merging of three schools whose functions it inherited. These are the UP High School (est. 1916), the UP Elementary School (est. 1936), and the UP Preparatory High School (est. 1954). Age of students is 14 and 15. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What are the challenges that astronauts face while working inside the international space station? How are these issues addressed? 2. What can you give as an advice or words of inspiration to young aspiring Filipinos dreaming of becoming involved in NASA's (or International) space programs? 3. The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone (typhoon, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions) countries in the world. What researches does the ISS have to help these countries (or the Philippines, in particular) minimize risks related to such disasters? 4. Which of the recent breakthroughs/discoveries in your research in the ISS is your team's favorite and why? 5. Given the latest discoveries/experiments your team has done in the ISS, which field in science and technology do you think has the most promising advancement in the upcoming years? 6. How can the youth have a more active participation in space programs? (Skills training, seminars, etc.) 7. How long does it take to get use to the weightlessness in space? 8. What did you do before you became an astronaut? 9. Compared to Earth-based monitoring programs, how does the ISS facilities and equipment help in monitoring environmental disasters? 10. What can the Philippines do if it wants to participate in international space programs? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: ? Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). ? To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): TBD About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Flex 5000A V/U for sale
by Richard Lawn 10 May '18

10 May '18

If anyone is interested I’ve posted full details on QTH.com under my call. Has ATU as well. 73 Rick, W2JAZ -- Sent from Gmail Mobile

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ARISS News Release no. 18-06
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 10 May '18

10 May '18

ARISS NEWS RELEASE no. 18-06 May 10, 2018 David Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR aa4kn(a)amsat.org ARISS HamVideo Currently Not Transmitting The HamVideo digital Amateur Television (DATV) transmitter aboard the International Space Station (ISS) Columbus module recently ceased transmitting. The unit's indicators show it is functioning but its signal cannot be detected on the ground. The ARISS team's efforts to get the transmitter working again have been unsuccessful, thus far. A series of steps are currently being undertaken to try to diagnose the problem. However, if an actual failure occurred, only a ground-based evaluation will fully diagnose the problem. The ARISS International team is working diligently to bring HamVideo back to full operation as soon as practical. We have started coordination with our space agency partners and with our sponsors to expeditiously troubleshoot the issue on-board and, if necessary, troubleshoot and repair the device on the ground. The HamVideo DATV transmitter has become a very valuable educational asset that astronauts enjoy employing as part of the ARISS connection. Astronauts Tim Peake, KG5BVI; Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA; and Thomas Pesquet, FX0ISS, regularly utilized HamTV to inspire students and educators during ARISS contacts scheduled as part of these astronauts' ISS missions. Australian and European HamTV ground stations have been operational for receiving and distributing DATV signals from the ISS, and in the US, HamTV stations are under development. Several hams in Japan have set up ground stations that have received HamVideo. As more information becomes available on the HamVideo status and on any potential repair plans, we will keep you informed through future news releases and via messages on the ARISS web site www.ariss.org. ARISS relies on its sustaining sponsors, along with many devoted individual donors and ARISS volunteers, to support the day-to-day operations and to help with related expenses. These supporters are instrumental in developing and funding the build of our new radio systems. For everyone interested in helping ARISS inspire, engage and educate youth, hams and the public through amateur radio on the ISS, please donate to ARISS at www.amsat.org or www.ariss.org. About ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the ISS (ARISS) Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Re: [amsat-bb] NASA Helical Antenna Question
by MICHAEL WILLIAMS 10 May '18

10 May '18

John (vk2fak), You said "Is there any details on the web about this type of helix, have never seen it with a ring reflector in books." I've also never seen a helix ring reflector design in any antenna books. My first home brew helix followed AF9Y's design exactly from his site http://www.af9y.com/helix.htm which used a ring reflector. My second build did not use PVC boom (too heavy) or copper tubing (too expensive) but a 1 in. square metal boom and aluminum clothes line wire. I kept the ring reflector. This is the first time I've seen two reflectors used. It would be interesting to discover who NASA's supplier is for this antenna and see the spec's. Regards, Mike

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Re: [amsat-bb] NASA Helical Antenna Question
by MICHAEL WILLIAMS 10 May '18

10 May '18

John (vk2fak), You said "Is there any details on the web about this type of helix, have never seen it with a ring reflector in books." I've also never seen a helix ring reflector design in any antenna books. My first home brew helix followed AF9Y's design exactly from his site http://www.af9y.com/helix.htm which used a ring reflector. My second build did not use PVC boom (too heavy) or copper tubing (too expensive) but a 1 in. square metal boom and aluminum clothes line wire. I kept the ring reflector. This is the first time I've seen two reflectors used. It would be interesting to discover who NASA's supplier is for this antenna and see the spec's. Regards, Mike

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FS: Kenwood TS-2000 -lower price
by Bennett Norell 10 May '18

10 May '18

NEW LOWER PRICE - FS: From an estate: Kenwood TS-2000 100W HF/6/2, 50w/440 on SSB/CW/FM. AM also available. Fine working condition and looks good. From smoking home, and has lingering smoke smell. Main and sub receivers, and full duplex and satellite modes available. Great all-around do everything radio. Comes with hand mic, DC power cord, manual, inner and outer original boxes. $650 local pickup (NNJ 07082), or shipping extra. Sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if picked up. Thanks, Bennett KO2OK

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FS: Yaesu FT-847 -lower price
by Bennett Norell 10 May '18

10 May '18

Yaesu FT-847 Earth station, with hand mic. The FT-847 is a HF (6-160m),2m and 70cm SSB/AM/FM/CW radio, 100w SSB/CW/FM on 6-160 plus 50w on 2m and 440. AM mode also available. Regular and satellite modes. Excellent physical and working condition. FT-847 with hand mic , original manual and power cord, $650. Next, Yaesu FC-20 auto tuner for FT-847 with connecting cable, works from 6m through 160m, $75. Yaesu MD-100 desk mic is in good shape and works (mount for the mic had cracked and been glued back together- not bad looking).$75. All items sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if local pickup NNJ 07082 Extra actual cost to ship/insure. Accept USPS money order, bank check or Paypal (with added fee). Thanks, Bennett KO2OK

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-10 07:00 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 10 May '18

10 May '18

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-10 07:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City, Philippines, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA Contact is a go for: Tue 2018-05-15 08:22:45 UTC 24 deg ****************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ******************************************************************************* All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. ******************************************************************************* Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 132 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 128 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Sergey RV3DR with 103 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2018-05-10 07:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1227. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1176. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2018-05-08 06:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 54 on orbit Scott Tingle KG5NZA Norishige Kanai Anton Shkaplerov Exp. 55 on orbit Drew Feustel Oleg Artemyev Ricky Arnold KE5DAU **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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6Y5IDX log
by Martin A Schuette 10 May '18

10 May '18

Hey bird folk, I've been working with Chris, VO1IDX/6Y5IDX to get his logs sorted out. However, some passes may have been lost due to phone issues during rainstorms while he was in Jamaica. The following are in the log at this time, and should be uploaded tomorrow: YS1MS(x2), TI2CDA, TI4DJ, FG8OJ, WP4PRD, N1RCN (x2), KE4AL, K9EO, N1COR, HP2VX, NA2AA(x2), N9EAT, AK4WQ, AA5PK, N8HM, N8RO, K4FEG, KD8ATF, KG4AKV, KB1PVH, NK1K. If you worked them, and have a recording available to prove it, forward them to either me or Chris VO1IDX. His email is good on QRZ. Additionally, forward any lotw issues to either of use. Paper QSL cards are via direct to VO1IDX. 73, Marty N9EAT

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Re: [amsat-bb] FM Sat Exhuberance
by jgatti 09 May '18

09 May '18

One other suggestion. Please don't call an operator that is calling someone else. Julia, n2ppl

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Crazy Alaska Grids
by Gabriel Zeifman 09 May '18

09 May '18

Hello fellow bird folk, Tomorrow evening (Wednesday) I embark on a quick rove to the far north. Being that I have a rare two day "weekend" this week, I thought might as well take advantage of it. I will be going to Barrow, AK, the furthest north point in the United States at over 71 degrees north, well into the Arctic. The grid is BQ11. I arrive in Barrow mid-day on Thursday (will be spending the night in Anchorage, as I have activated all nearby grids thoroughly and there is an active sat op in BP51, I have no plans to activate). Shortly after arriving in Barrow, I will get on a Cessna Caravan to Wainwright, AK, a short way southwest of Barrow. The grids here are AQ90 and BQ00 and I plan to be on the line. I only have about four hours on the ground in Wainwright, approximately 2105Z Thursday until 0100Z before returning to Barrow. I will focus on the full NA AO-7 passes as well as FO-29 towards JA and EU, other passes as feasible. Upon return to Barrow, I will have a rental car and be up all through the night working passes #fullharambe until I leave mid-day on Friday with a focus on FO-29. I will bring my ninja FT-817NDs as well as my IC-910H, with trusty Arrow. Two other grids possible are BQ50 and BP64, but these are relatively short stopovers on milkrun flights and I definitely don't expect to be able to activate, although if the opportunity presents itself I shall seize such opportunity to snag the /r. There should be many opportunities for chasers throughout the northern hemisphere to get BQ11 and still decent chance for the others. Specific updates will be posted to twitter @AL6D_Alaska as possible and necessary. 73 harambe, Gabe AL6D/VE6NJH (ex NJ7H)

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FM Sat Exhuberance
by alex weimer 09 May '18

09 May '18

I happened to be listening on AO-91 at 1939UTC and was appalled at the lack of etiquette on some stations working the satellite. One station in particular was adamantly calling everyone on the satellite without letup !! Nobody left any space in between calls to enable anyone else to make a contact ! One station tried to make a call to an XE2 station but everyone just jumped on top without let up !! I don't know what the answer is but it sure is one reason that I do not work the FM birds very often. COME ON GUYS ... Courtesy is the name of the game .. If you have worked that station before, don't call him/her again on the very next pass.. Sorry to be running off at the mouth but this is definitely getting to be a problem !! JACK KC7MG

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Tips for prompt message posting
by Alan 09 May '18

09 May '18

Recently, there have been several posts, including some time sensitive roving information, which have been held for moderator release because they were sent by list members from accounts other than the one used to register with the list. While the moderators are happy to release these messages, it can result in significant delay. Since there are many new members here, attached is a guide which was published two years ago. 73, Alan WA4SCA Tips for prompt message posting. People sometimes post time-sensitive messages to AMSAT-BB. Examples are last minute grid activities, unexpected satellite mode changes, requests for critically important telemetry, etc. These normally go through promptly, but occasionally get held for two basic reasons: While AMSAT-BB is an open list, that means it is open for membership, not posting. In order to post to the list, it normally must be from the same account you originally registered. For instance, if you registered from your home account, and post from your office account, it will normally be held for release by a moderator. Likewise, some people have all their email forwarded to a single account from which they reply. We can create a filter to pass the second address, but that is not automatically done on the first instance, and does require moderator action. AMSAT-BB receives many pieces of spam for each legitimate message. As part of the filtering process, emails larger than 50 kB are blocked. This usually happens to legitimate email when someone attempts to attach a large file, or does not trim an extended series of exchanges. Also, there is a limit to the number of addresses before an email is held as potential spam. I have seen legitimate email sent to 30+ addresses. We have a team of volunteer moderators, but they are not available 24/7. The result is that a message sent in the evening or on a holiday, US time, may well be held for several hours before being released. So, if it absolutely, positively needs to be distributed promptly: 1. Post from the same account you registered, or one which from past experience you know has been flagged as acceptable. 2. Do not use attachments. (Pictures and other files should be included by a link.) They will be blocked to the list, and if the total size of the message plus attachments exceeds 50 kB, the mail will be held. 3. Send it to AMSAT-BB and a few other addresses at most. If you must send to a large distribution list, send to them, and another copy to AMSAT-BB. (A trick which seems to work well is to place most of the addresses in the BCC rather than CC line.) 4. Consider also posting to the AMSAT Twitter and Facebook accounts. There is overlap in membership, though at present it is far from 100%. 5. Do not send large commercial press releases, or things which look like them. They will be caught by heuristic spam filters. A simple posting of an event or activity will normally go through. Note that there are existing exemptions for official channels such as ANS, ARISS, other AMSAT organizations, etc. 6. All new accounts are automatically flagged for moderation. This flag will normally be cleared on the first or second posting, but do allow for and expect an initial delay if you establish a dedicated account for your satellite organization. 7. Remember that this is a text-only list. Posting using HTML formatting will have unpredictable results, and may trigger the 50 kB hold for what appears to be a short message.

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Re: [amsat-bb] SatPC32 packet and ts-2000 AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 13, Issue 156
by Mr B r a d 08 May '18

08 May '18

-=-=-=- I also found i could not rig control the ts2000 and use the internal TNC at the same time.as ariss digi is 2 meters only maybe we dont need satpc32 to control it for the passand we can switch from rig control to tnc mode ??? but I use the rig control more... I also have a signalink USB on the ACC jack but have not had enough play timeto get it working on the one 10 minute pass before work.from what I have read direwolf is the better for the sound card modemsbut im stuck now trying to get it to switch up to usb codex(2) for this radio...?? anyone ??? I also have uz7ho(sp?) modem kinda working , it decodes good but my transmit audio tones don't stay locked ???? can some one list a good working config of stuff to work the psat ? it might be nice to run that psat mode and gate the traffic into aprs network , but that is one more can of worms I have totally got out of control nowwith it displaying all of the aprs traffic on earth and i only want to see local RF.ko6kL *****************************************

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cell tracking
by Bob- W7LRD 08 May '18

08 May '18

Hi All- I am looking for a tracking program for a motorola moto g5 plus-any suggesdtions? 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle

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Re: [amsat-bb] NASA Helical Antenna Question
by MICHAEL WILLIAMS 08 May '18

08 May '18

I've been using a similar (home brew) helix (including ring reflector) on 70 cm since AO-40 days. It works very well (see my QRZ page). The one being discussed has an extra ring reflector.

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Re: [amsat-bb] NASA Helical Antenna Question
by Gregory Beat 08 May '18

08 May '18

I posted the NASA upgrade article on QRZ Satellite Forum, April 28, 2018 https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/nasa-upgrades-space-station-emerge… Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK provided additional information from the frequency chart at the ISS Fan Club web site. VHF1 is 143.625 MHz FM, and VHF2 is 130.167 MHz FM ISS Fan Club web site: https://www.issfanclub.com/ ISS Frequency Chart (includes telemetry downlinks, beacons): https://www.issfanclub.com/frequencies AMSAT members at NASA Goddard should be able to answer additional questions. Greg, w9gb — EOM — === Date: Tue, 8 May 2018 16:30:18 +1200 From: "Wendy and Terry Osborne" To: "John Mac", "Glenn Little WB4UIV" Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] NASA Helical Antenna Question Hi, Yes, it's an 8 turn helix with a Gamma match (50 ohms to 120 ohms). The advantages of ring reflector are in an IEEE Transactions paper somewhere. (about 25 years ago?). Not sure what the VHF 1 and VHF 2 frequencies are but if they are more than a few MHz apart, that would explain the use of a helix rather than a crossed yagi antenna. The other picture (existingvhf.jpg) on the web page shows a 4 crossed yagi array with rotators. 73, Terry Osborne ZL2BAC

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NASA Helical Antenna Question
by Steve Bossert 08 May '18

08 May '18

I am curious about the helical antenna in the article just released late last month: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-upgrades-space-station-emerg… This one: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/upgradedvhf-anten… While I await a reply from the article author, I wonder if anyone may have some details on this antenna. Looks like a good candidate as a functional lawn ornament that is not another QFH for more garden modern art satellite installation. I would like to author a construction and theory article for the HVDN.org website in the "notebook" section. Thanks, Steve Steve Bossert K2GOG(a)yahoo.com 914-573-1799

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-08 06:30 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 08 May '18

08 May '18

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-08 06:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN, direct via WA4SXM/N4CFB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact was successful: Mon 2018-05-07 13:54:10 UTC 23 deg (***) University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City, Philippines, telebridge via W6SRJ (***) The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS (***) The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA (***) Contact is a go for: Tue 2018-05-15 08:22:45 UTC 24 deg (***) ****************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ******************************************************************************* All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. ******************************************************************************* Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 132 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 128 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Sergey RV3DR with 103 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2018-05-08 06:30 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1227. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1176. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2018-05-08 06:30 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 54 on orbit Scott Tingle KG5NZA Norishige Kanai Anton Shkaplerov Exp. 55 on orbit Drew Feustel Oleg Artemyev Ricky Arnold KE5DAU **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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Notes on RFI from Solar Panels.
by Robert Bruninga 07 May '18

07 May '18

John Pink G8MM commented as follows on my concerns for RFI from Solar that can negatively affect amateur radio operations: *From:* john_pink *Sent:* Monday, May 07, 2018 12:02 PM *Subject:* RE: NEC 2017 codes of practice. Bob, I read with interest your comments on the implications of NEC 2017. You said 'I hope I am not being alarmist' - I don't think you are - however you are tackling the issue on the wrong front. The issue that you need to raise concerns the 'standards' that govern the interfaces between panels and optimisers - and any other ancillary equipment. There are IEC and IEEE standards that state the permissible levels of emission from the ports of these equipment, and the frequencies they use The standards are for the most part derived from standard agreed by CISPR. As a contributor to CISPR through my work at British Standards Institute, and CENELEC in Brussels, I am aware of many licenced radio amateur from the USA who are involved in this work. In fact the lead representative for the USA on the subject of harvesting of solar energy is an active licensee. He is also involved with all aspect of Near Field charging of vehicle - another topic which should cause radio amateurs great concern. I would recommend two things. Firstly that you encourage ARRL to increase its support for this important and valuable work, this may means financial support for the representatives, since the meetings are held around the world. ARRL need to sponsor 'experts' to ensure that the cost of travel is reimbursed. ( RSGB has been very generous in this respect). Secondly, find a way, if this does not already exist, to become involved in NEC affairs - it should be possible to have ARRL representation involved in their work. The objective is to ensure that 'best practice' is used on all and every installation of Solar harvesting schemes. To summarise, the steps should ensure that the items of equipment (apparatus) are compliant with international standards that are designed to protect radio services, and then ensure that the equipment are installed in such a way that they do not negate compliance with the standard. For example, if the equipment is connected with twisted pairs in order the meet the compliance test - the installer must follow the same practice - and so NEC 2017 (or later versions), must make that clear. Since every authorised installer should carry and be checked against the NEC installation practice, things will get better. However, I acknowledge that best practice is followed when safety issues are concerned - but rarely are rarely understood when EMC matters are important, and that it what you have to get across with NEC - and we have to get across here in Europe, where we face exactly the same challenge. All of this is an international effort, because for the most part Solar harvesting equipment is manufacturer around the world. Here in Europe the systems come from China or Germany. Which means that it may be compliant with CENELEC requirements to carry the ubiquitous CE mark. Note that little word 'may', by which I suggest that there are ways around the compliance system - just as there are ways around FCC marking. CISPR - Special International Committee for Radio Interference, affiliated with International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC) CENELEC European Committee for Electrical Standards I hope this helps - do let me know if I can provide any additional background. John - G8MM, F5VKU

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Asking about FM sats frequency
by Carlos Alberto 07 May '18

07 May '18

Hi, I'm programming the channels of a 2m/70cm HT and I need to update the FM frequency of sats both in 2m and 70 cm. I know there are new birds and I don't know the freq. Thank's in advance. Carlos A. Santamaria CO2JC ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program. -- Este mensaje le ha llegado mediante el servicio de correo electronico que ofrece Infomed para respaldar el cumplimiento de las misiones del Sistema Nacional de Salud. La persona que envia este correo asume el compromiso de usar el servicio a tales fines y cumplir con las regulaciones establecidas Infomed: http://www.sld.cu/

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Re: [amsat-bb] Asking about FM sats frequency
by Roy Dean 07 May '18

07 May '18

https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/ --Roy K3RLD > > Hi, I'm programming the channels of a 2m/70cm HT and I need to update the > FM frequency of sats both in 2m and 70 cm. I know there are new birds and > I don't know the freq. Thank's in advance. Carlos A. Santamaria > CO2JC

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FM sats with Baofeng HTs -- tone QC
by Devin L. Ganger 06 May '18

06 May '18

All, I've been working like a dog trying to get to the stage where I can hear myself on the FM sats and I am having no luck. I have an Elk log periodic dual-band antenna, a duplexer, and two Baofeng UV5R radios. I think I've programmed the sat channels with the correct tones, but I've done all of my programming on these radios in CHIRP and I'm wondering if I'm doing it wrong somehow, since all my previous programming for tones was for repeaters - and CHIRP does that for me via RepeaterBook. Does anyone who uses a Baofeng to transmit to FM sats have a sample line from a CHIRP file they could share so I can double-check my settings? If my settings are right...is there an easy method to determine if my radios are actually sending out the correct tones? Otherwise, I'm starting to think I bought a bum duplexer. I've verified the duplexer works on UHF against a local repeater. Thanks for any ideas, -- Devin L. Ganger (WA7DLG) email: devin(a)thecabal.org<mailto:[email protected]> web: Devin on Earth<http://www.devinonearth.com/> cell: +1 425.239.2575

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For Sale: Icom IC-910H 2m/70cm radio
by Bennett Norell 06 May '18

06 May '18

FS: Icom IC-910H Hi Power 2m, 440 transceiver, FM/SSB/CW modes. Includes one UT-106 DSP module. Excellent condition, original owner, non-smoke home. Nice big display. Spec at 100W 2m and 75w 440, Satellite modes. Full duplex. Comes with Icom HS-15SB boom microphone, DC power cord, original manual, original box. Works as it should. Sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if local pickup (NNJ 07082). Asking $850, Shipped CONUS, extra elsewhere.

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Kenwood TS-2000 HF/VHF/UHF radio
by Bennett Norell 06 May '18

06 May '18

FS: From an estate: Kenwood TS-2000 100W HF/6/2, 50w/440 on SSB/CW/FM. AM also available. Fine working condition and looks good. From smoking home, and has lingering smoke smell. Main and sub receivers, and full duplex and satellite modes available. Great all-around do everything radio. Comes with hand mic, DC power cord, manual, inner and outer original boxes. $700 local pickup (NNJ 07082), or shipping extra. Sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if picked up.

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For Sale: Yaesu FT-847 Earth Station
by Bennett Norell 06 May '18

06 May '18

Yaesu FT-847 earth station, with hand mic, matching Yaesu FC-20 auto tuner, and Yaesu MD-100 desk mic. The FT-847 is a HF (10-160m),2m and 70cm SSB/AM/FM/CW radio, 100w SSB/CW/FM on 6-160 plus 50w on 2m and 440. AM mode: Max 25w AM 6-160m, 12.5w on 2m/70cm. Regular and satellite modes. Excellent physical and working condition. FT-847 with hand mic , original manual and power cord, $725. Next, Yaesu FC-20 auto tuner for FT-847 with connecting cable, works from 6m through 160m, $75. Yaesu MD-100 is in good shape and works (mount for the mic had cracked and been glued back together- not bad looking).$75. All items sold as-is due to parts swappers, but can demo if local pickup NNJ 07082 Extra actual cost to ship/insure. Accept USPS money order, bank check or Paypal (with added fee).

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Re: [amsat-bb] 1990 version of ARRL's Satellite Experimenter's Handbook, by K2UBC
by Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL 06 May '18

06 May '18

At 03:03 PM 5/2/2018 -0400, n4hf.philip(a)gmail.com wrote: >I was looking through my ham radio bookshelves (yes, plural!) a few weeks >ago, and I had nearly forgotten that I had this book...so I've been >re-reading it. (No, I'm not interested in selling it.... <grin>) > >The history alone - details about the birds up to and including AO-13 - >makes for fascinating reading, never mind the technical details for >orbital considerations, tracking, and building satellites. Remember that >this when AO-13 was only 2 years old, AO-7 hadn't been heard from in a few >years, and FM birds were only a twinkle in some engineer's eye. > >If you can find this book, I highly recommend that you borrow/buy it - >quite interesting to read what was going on in the satellite world 28 years >ago! (I bought it in late 92/early 93 to read on the plane trip to VP2M >for an AO-13 DXpedition.) > >Philip N4HF I have both first and second additions. Martin is an excellent author and still pops up here in the BB sometimes. and mine aren't for sale either. KB7ADL

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Digest, V13-153 Solar Power Ham vs rfi (tilt angles)
by Robert Bruninga 06 May '18

06 May '18

Good info on the string inverters, but I have to respectfully disagree on one small item: > mount the panels at the best slope/tilt to max the yearly output > not to match the slope of the roof... I lost like 10% on that. We did a study and the ideal angle here in Maryland is 40 degrees tilt. But we analyzed every other angle from 20 up to 50 and the annual total energy difference from 25 degrees to 50 degrees was only a 1% difference. Yes, the lower angle is worse output in the winter, but is better in the summer when the days are twice as long and so these things average out. Do not go below 15 degree angle or they don't get washed off in the rain and snow wont slide off. Anyone can prove this to themselves by using the PVWATTS on line calculator and just change the angle and see the total annual output change... not so much... Thats why alomst all panels these days are just mounted right on the roof, no matter the angle. The structure to optimize the angle will cost more than the 1% gain.... Bob, WB4aPR On Sat, May 5, 2018 at 10:47 PM, Mr B r a d via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > wrote: > good answers in this digest to FM voice sats frequencies ... perhaps > someone could add to the wiki page ( the wiki was also a great idea :) > regarding the RFI at '1/4mile either side of the I-271 & I-480/Hwy-422 > intersection' perhaps worth noting that tiny transmittersin the tires of > cars sometimes use uhf band to talk to the cars computer , monitoring the > air in the tire... you would think wewould see problems from this RF hash > on busy roads... Also many times our receivers go nuts due to out of band > signals that only appear to be onthe ham channels but are not.... best > check it with more than one type of radio ...( more than one range of > 'I.F.' intermediate frequency chain in the receiver ) pics of the spectrum > from a service monitor or SDR make the complaint more legit.good luck , I > hear only about 36 outside employees at the FCC now that deregulation > afflicts this countryand I think the NAB want them all working the tiny FM > pirate broadcasters ... and with the two major radio station cluster > ownersin bankruptcy are Iheart-radio and cumulus-media unfit to be license > holders?? I think so ! > regarding the solar power , I read the write up in qst ( tony-Brock > Fishers April 2016 QST article "Can Home Solar Power and Amateur Radio > Coexist?? )and used the good info on fair-rite cores and broadband AC line > filters ( great ideas )http://valleymedia.org/satchat/k1kp-416-34-35.JPG > but I disagree withthe information about using inverters on each panel ( > who would want electronics on the hot roof ?) > I would avoid the inverter panels ( should be banned ) , I dont want any > switching power supply near my house.. > > When installing the 7kw system on my house. > 7 companies come out and bid until i found a very local company who was > willing to listen and work with me on the installand use the inverter brand > recommended by the few hams i was able to get feedback from , this was a > 'SunnyBoy' ( from Germany )we put the 7.1 kw inverter INSIDE the garage > with a metal 'raceway 'box to hold the fair-rite cores ( type 31,43 and > lots of cheap 75's ) http://valleymedia.org/satchat/choke-cores-ham-solor- > house-_resized.jpg > , a 100 amp broadband filter ( ebay $200 ) between the inverter output > and the grid ,http://valleymedia.org/satchat/solar-inverter-rfi- > choker-.jpg > cores on all the meter and switch boxes.had them use real metal conduit > for most of the runs...that was maybe a extra $300... this should be a rule > of law..... > one more tip local code required a DC disconnect switch be close to it , > or if its to far ( like 15 feet ) from the meter box you have to use a > remote DC disconnect switch.... http://valleymedia. > org/satchat/sunnyboy-remote-dc-disconnect-.jpg > more electronics on the roof ( more fair rite cores needed ) > and went with two strings of DC ONLY solar panels 13 in each string ( > had to stay below the 600v wire limit and put type-'75' cores all along the > DC lines on the roof to break up the long 'return' wire run. ( directly > under my 115ft wire Vee-beam ) I run 400w on HF and work all bands to 1296 > , no noise from the inverterand no problems from my RF into the inverter > .. ( cant say the same for the hot tub )some pics on my qrz.com page..one > selling point on the sunny boy is a extra AC output you can get 1500 watts > of power from the suneven if the power company grid is down.... its called > the SPP outlet... > so many of the install by ( the big guy ) solar city are very poor , under > tree's and some on the north side of the roof... pick your contractor > carefully and your parts even more so , another tip , mount the panels at > the best slope/tilt to max the yearly output not to match the slope of the > roof... I lost like 10% on that. > can solar power work , heck yea... I have not got a real power bill since > the install , system cost was ~ $3.40 a wattand I got a 30% tax credit this > year from last years INVESTMENT in my home. a 100% refund of my FED tax for > 2017.the power meter plays back and forth but never past the reading on the > date of install...Ko6kL > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions > expressed > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of > AMSAT-NA. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 06 May '18

06 May '18

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN on 07 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:54 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and WA4SXM/N4CFB. The contact should be audible over the U.S. State of Tennessee and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. The school is planning to live stream the event at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLIg4Wr1oMykYhCMyBvVNMg . Mooreland Heights Elementary is a K-5, Title I school in Knoxville, TN. Located in the South Knoxville area, the student body is made up of approximately 325 students, 18 classroom teachers, 5 special area teachers, and 6 teaching assistants. All students receive classes in technology, visual art, music, physical education, and library studies. Mooreland Heights' motto is "Every Child Counts, Every Moment Matters." The school is dedicated to meeting the needs of all students and providing them with high quality instruction that focuses on collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication. We strive to provide our students with opportunities that will help them grow both academically and socially. There are many unique, wonderful opportunities available to the students at Mooreland Heights that are essential to our mission and goals. We are a 1:1 school where each child has access to their own iPad. We utilize technology to increase academic rigor, streamline student creations, and set out students up to become successful lifelong learners. In addition to the emphasis on technology, we are also dedicated to being an arts integrated school. We provide our students with extra arts opportunities in a variety of ways to help build creativity and critical thinking skills. Mooreland Heights is a wonderful school with an amazing group of students, teachers, and parents. Together we work hard to provide the best possible education for our students! Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What do you eat on the ISS and how do you eat it? 2. When you are upside down, how do you not feel it? 3. What experiments are you doing in space? 4. How long does it take to get used to and recover from microgravity? 5. What does a person have to do to become an ISS astronaut? 6. How do you physically prepare your body for living in space? 7. Does microgravity affect digestion? 8. How do you avoid space junk? 9. How does it feel to go through Earth?s atmosphere? 10. What do you miss most about Earth? 11. What?s your favorite thing to do in space? 12. Do you ever get to go outside? 13. What are astronaut suits made of? 14. How do you get your fruits and vegetables? 15. What happens if you need a doctor in space? 16. What happens in an emergency, like a fire, on the space station? 17. If a baby grew up in space, how would he/she be different than children on Earth? 18. How many personal items can you bring to the ISS? 19. How many pounds of fuel does it take to get to the ISS? 20. Have you ever lost anything in space? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): TBD About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 13, Issue 153 Solar Power Ham vs rfi
by Mr B r a d 05 May '18

05 May '18

good answers in this digest to FM voice sats frequencies ... perhaps someone could add to the wiki page ( the wiki was also a great idea :) regarding the RFI at '1/4mile either side of the I-271 & I-480/Hwy-422 intersection' perhaps worth noting that tiny transmittersin the tires of cars sometimes use uhf band to talk to the cars computer , monitoring the air in the tire... you would think wewould see problems from this RF hash on busy roads... Also many times our receivers go nuts due to out of band signals that only appear to be onthe ham channels but are not.... best check it with more than one type of radio ...( more than one range of 'I.F.' intermediate frequency chain in the receiver ) pics of the spectrum from a service monitor or SDR make the complaint more legit.good luck , I hear only about 36 outside employees at the FCC now that deregulation afflicts this countryand I think the NAB want them all working the tiny FM pirate broadcasters ... and with the two major radio station cluster ownersin bankruptcy are Iheart-radio and cumulus-media unfit to be license holders?? I think so ! regarding the solar power , I read the write up in qst ( tony-Brock Fishers April 2016 QST article "Can Home Solar Power and Amateur Radio Coexist?? )and used the good info on fair-rite cores and broadband AC line filters ( great ideas )http://valleymedia.org/satchat/k1kp-416-34-35.JPG but I disagree withthe information about using inverters on each panel ( who would want electronics on the hot roof ?) I would avoid the inverter panels ( should be banned ) , I dont want any switching power supply near my house.. When installing the 7kw system on my house. 7 companies come out and bid until i found a very local company who was willing to listen and work with me on the installand use the inverter brand recommended by the few hams i was able to get feedback from , this was a 'SunnyBoy' ( from Germany )we put the 7.1 kw inverter INSIDE the garage with a metal 'raceway 'box to hold the fair-rite cores ( type 31,43 and lots of cheap 75's ) http://valleymedia.org/satchat/choke-cores-ham-solor-house-_resized.jpg , a 100 amp broadband filter ( ebay $200 ) between the inverter output and the grid ,http://valleymedia.org/satchat/solar-inverter-rfi-choker-.jpg cores on all the meter and switch boxes.had them use real metal conduit for most of the runs...that was maybe a extra $300... this should be a rule of law..... one more tip local code required a DC disconnect switch be close to it , or if its to far ( like 15 feet ) from the meter box you have to use a remote DC disconnect switch.... http://valleymedia.org/satchat/sunnyboy-remote-dc-disconnect-.jpg more electronics on the roof ( more fair rite cores needed ) and went with two strings of DC ONLY solar panels 13 in each string ( had to stay below the 600v wire limit and put type-'75' cores all along the DC lines on the roof to break up the long 'return' wire run. ( directly under my 115ft wire Vee-beam ) I run 400w on HF and work all bands to 1296 , no noise from the inverterand no problems from my RF into the inverter .. ( cant say the same for the hot tub )some pics on my qrz.com page..one selling point on the sunny boy is a extra AC output you can get 1500 watts of power from the suneven if the power company grid is down.... its called the SPP outlet... so many of the install by ( the big guy ) solar city are very poor , under tree's and some on the north side of the roof... pick your contractor carefully and your parts even more so , another tip , mount the panels at the best slope/tilt to max the yearly output not to match the slope of the roof... I lost like 10% on that. can solar power work , heck yea... I have not got a real power bill since the install , system cost was ~ $3.40 a wattand I got a 30% tax credit this year from last years INVESTMENT in my home. a 100% refund of my FED tax for 2017.the power meter plays back and forth but never past the reading on the date of install...Ko6kL

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1990 version of ARRL's Satellite Experimenter's, Handbook, by K2UBC
by Mike Stansberry 05 May '18

05 May '18

re: I was looking through my ham radio bookshelves (yes, plural!) a few weeks ago, and I had nearly forgotten that I had this book...so I've been re-reading it. (No, I'm not interested in selling it.... <grin>) The history alone - details about the birds up to and including AO-13 - makes for fascinating reading, never mind the technical details for orbital considerations, tracking, and building satellites. Remember that this when AO-13 was only 2 years old, AO-7 hadn't been heard from in a few years, and FM birds were only a twinkle in some engineer's eye. If you can find this book, I highly recommend that you borrow/buy it - quite interesting to read what was going on in the satellite world 28 years ago! (I bought it in late 92/early 93 to read on the plane trip to VP2M for an AO-13 DXpedition.) Philip N4HF <My comments> Thanks for the info. I have a 1985 version of that book. I guess I'll re-read it as well, just for the history as you state. Might give me some ideas about a 1.2 GHz circular polarized antenna as well. 73, Mike, K0TER

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Solar RFI
by Mail 05 May '18

05 May '18

It’s standard business practice, and not new. For a long time, maybe still, Ford had a known RFI problem with fuel pump. They elected to only fix it if someone complained AND had the Ford service bulletin in their hand! Dan Sent from here. NM3A > On May 4, 2018, at 17:55, Daniel Schultz <n8fgv(a)usa.net> wrote: > > Why are they only installing the proper RFI suppression methods on the > installations that someone complains about? > > They should be putting these RFI suppressors on ALL of their installations. > The cost of the necessary components must be negligible compared to the total > cost of the installation. Is that modern business practice nowadays? > > Dan Schultz N8FGV > > >> I have an ongoing RFI case with the solar panel manufacturer, Solar >> Edge. Their field engineer, Tom Simpson, has handled many RFI cases in >> the past so they are aware of the problem. > >> My case is on schedule for repair and Tom assures me that the RFI will >> be negligible once the proper RFI suppression methods are installed. The >> RFI emanates from a neighbors solar panel system about 150 feet from my >> home. > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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TLE Analyser
by Rocco Labella 05 May '18

05 May '18

Hi everyone, I'm looking for TLE ANALYSER ver. 2.12 . There are many references to this version on the web, but no download link. if you know where I can find it, just let me know. TNX. Rocco Labella IK8XLD

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Re: [amsat-bb] G-5500 Problem
by Richard Lawn 05 May '18

05 May '18

The simple fix turned out to be a jumper on the controller interface that was set to my old G5400B rotor system. This jumper has to be removed for use with the 5500. Thanks to everyone's input! 73 Rick, W2JAZ

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G-5500 Rotor Alignment Problem
by Richard Lawn 05 May '18

05 May '18

I finally got up and running with a new G-5500. In running SuM from the SatPC32 applications and then verifying the problem by tracking a satellite I find that the AZ rotor is going to the wrong position every time. It seems to be about 245 degrees off. I've verified that things are wired correctly and CCW and CW are correct. What am I doing wrong? The old G5400B worked fine. Rick, W2JAZ

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Re: [amsat-bb] The end of daytime HF?
by Daniel Schultz 05 May '18

05 May '18

Why are they only installing the proper RFI suppression methods on the installations that someone complains about? They should be putting these RFI suppressors on ALL of their installations. The cost of the necessary components must be negligible compared to the total cost of the installation. Is that modern business practice nowadays? Dan Schultz N8FGV >I have an ongoing RFI case with the solar panel manufacturer, Solar >Edge. Their field engineer, Tom Simpson, has handled many RFI cases in >the past so they are aware of the problem. >My case is on schedule for repair and Tom assures me that the RFI will >be negligible once the proper RFI suppression methods are installed. The >RFI emanates from a neighbors solar panel system about 150 feet from my >home.

2 1

Adding an SDR for Satellite Operation
by Les Rayburn 05 May '18

05 May '18

I’ve worked just over 100 contracts through LEO Satellites, mostly on my Icom IC-910H using SatPC32. Easy enough, but I’d like to use one of my SDR receivers for the RX side. But I’m not certain how to go about it. Can I simply route the RX antenna to the SDR and use the IC-910H for the uplink? How do I get them to track together and compensate for Doppler? Do I need to protect the SDR from the RF levels on the TX side (even though it will be on another band?) Searched Google for “How to” articles, but haven’t found anything very helpful. If someone has a link or just some advice, I’d be most grateful. I’ve got an Elad FDM-S2, Airspy, SDRPlay RSP-2, and others to try this with. 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf Member WTFDA, IRCA, NRC. Former CPC Chairman for NRC & IRCA. Elad FDM-S2 SDR, AirSpy SDR2, SDRPlay RSP-2 Pro, Sony XDR-F1HD, Dennon TU-1500RD, Sangean HDT-1, Ray Dees RDS Decoders, Korner 9.2 Antenna, FM-6 Antenna, Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop, Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active Whip. “Nothing but blues and Elvis, and somebody else’s favorite song…”

3 2

Noise on band affecting SAT OPs
by Dale Kubichek 04 May '18

04 May '18

I just read WB4APR message on Solar device HF noise and Han's concurrence. There is an ever growing problem of noise intrusion on many bands that the FCC does not appear to care about. Even if we do all the leg work, RDF'ing the source, and 'giving' the data to the FCC they do nothing. Now here is where Big-Brother ARRL should stand up and create an open online reporting DB for HAMs to list the specifics of reoccurring HAM Band Noise, but not. After X number of concurrence ARRL legal could give the data to FCC WDC and hope for a resolution. I've been consulting in the Cleveland area for a over a year during my daily commute my SUV FTM-400 scan stops on any of the FM SAT birds for a 1/4mile either side of the I-271 & I-480/Hwy-422 intersection. It is a solid +S40 FM white noise blanking a wide area of 2meters. Just to the west of this intersection on the hill is a big commercial comm tower on the University Hospitals Home Care Services building too. For the FCC this is easy citation money - if they would ever patrol large city's again. Best regards, Dale Kubichek, MS-EET, N6JSX http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HAM-SATs http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RDF-USA

4 4

FJ/N0KV QSOs
by Jim White 04 May '18

04 May '18

FJ/N0KV QSOs from St. Barts have been uploaded to LOTW Jim @amsat

1 0

Share a hotel room for Hamvention?
by John Brier 04 May '18

04 May '18

Hi friends, I procrastinated and now hotel rooms are expensive and few and far between. I am looking to share a room with someone that already has one booked. I will split the cost so that would be good for you. I would prefer the hotel AMSAT has a block in but I know beggars can't be choosers so I will take what I can get. I will give you a free Space Comms t-shirt if you want one too :-) 73, John Brier KG4AKV

2 1

The end of daytime HF?
by Robert Bruninga 04 May '18

04 May '18

I don't want to be an alarmist, but we need the Hams with the proper knowledge to get involved in this disturbing news. The National Electric Code now requires electronics on every module of a solar array communicating via signalling on the DC power lines to assure EACH pair of panels can shut down independently. This is to make all possible faults never allow more than 80 volts anywhere in the system. This is effective 1 Jan 2019 This is the nail in the coffin of simple DC series string arrays which are the quietest systems and almost demands microinverters or optimizers on every panel. Refer to the QST article a few years ago about how disastrous optimizers are to RFI and HF operations with modules all over the roof.. Here is the Solar news: https://solarbuildermag.com/bos/nec-2017-module-level-solar-system-shutdown/ Also, what is going to happen to an array that has signaling all over it in the near field of HF? Although you can avoid it by going solar before then, you may have problems when your neighbors go later. I hate to be an alarmist but we all know what happens when ham radio and commercial systems are incompatible and even though Ham radio might be in the right, we are only 1 in 600 and no one is going to side with us. We took on broadband over power and squelched that dumb idea, but now this has the potential for equal demise of Ham radio. It should be fixable, but we also know that there is high competition in the solar market and the modules that are made the cheapest will be popular and will likely not be adequately filtered. Sorry for posting to the AMSAT-bb but it is the only HAM email reflector I subscribe to. If nothing else, we need to find out what systems are terrible emitters and nip them in the bud. Maybe all it takes is driving by solar systems you see and turing on your AM radio on a weak signal channel and seeing if the background noise peaks near that home. But also it has individual peaks, so it might also be nice to tune around too find the max and then check the range. I find the noise can go hundreds of feet along the power lines.... You cant miss em... just sounds like a 60 Hz buzz on all the harmonics of the inverter switching frequency. Bob WB4APR

5 6

Contacts from N1T special event this weekend
by Burns Fisher 04 May '18

04 May '18

This Friday and Saturday (5/4 and 5/5 EDT) I'll be taking part in the New England Tech Trek at NEAR-Fest. It’s a youth outreach STEM activity. This takes place at the Deerfield Fairgrounds in New Hampshire, USA. I believe the grid is FN43; we will be using special event call sign N1T. I'll try to post a set of passes that we will be working with a GOTA (Get On The Air) satellite station. Remember there will be a bunch of inexperienced kids (and me!) so I hope you will all be nice to us :-), but also please respond and ragchew when appropriate. I'll do my best to record contacts and acknowledge QSLs, but this is my first time at this sort of event, so we'll see what happens. More later. 73, and thanks for your help! Burns WB1FJ

2 2

EL58hx Grid Expedition - 25-27 May
by Clayton Coleman W5PFG 04 May '18

04 May '18

The activation of maidenhead grid square EL58hx by W5PFG & AC0RA is just three weeks away. Even if you are not a grid or awards chaser, we would love to work you during this expedition via satellite. There are no permanent residents of this grid square, as the majority of it is open water in the Gulf of Mexico. What little land in EL58 is sandbar at mouth of the Mississippi River and accessible only by boat. See here: http://qthlocator.free.fr/index.php?locator=el58hx During the entire expedition, we will be land-based in the grid, meaning this activation will count as Louisiana, Plaquemines Parish (County), USA. It counts as Islands on the Air IOTA NA-168, Burwood Island. If you participate in the 2018 ARRL International Grid Chase, this might be your only opportunity to work EL58. Operating activity is estimated to begin around 23:00 UTC on 25 May. There are some variability in our arrival time and it will take us some time to prepare the site for operation. We will likely conclude operations around 15:00 UTC on 27 May. There are a total of 110 satellite passes predicted, 42 being FM. While we won't work every one of those, we should be on the ones that fall into good times and the best footprints over population centers. The list below are satellites we plan to utilize: FM: SO-50, AO-85, AO-91, AO-92 SSB: AO-7, FO-29, AO-73, XW-2A, XW-2B, XW-2C, XW-2F, CAS-4B Skeds are available for DX and stations greater than 6000 kms distance from EL58hx. Sked via direct email only to w5pfg at arrl dot net. Even if you worked the previous EL58 trip (K5L/mm), we'd love to work you again. This expedition we will use callsign W5PFG on satellites and AC0RA on 6m. We are hoping to work and confirm as many grid squares as possible, so if you want to work us from a nearby grid line to your home QTH, it is appreciated! AC0RA is responsible for the 6m side of our activation. You may hear either of us on 20m and 40m. Any one who works us is encourage to spot us. I may activate other grids in route to EL58, especially Friday morning the 25th. I'll try to announce those via Twitter @w5pfg but it may be on short notice. 73, Clayton W5PFG

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Re: [amsat-bb] Contacts from N1T special event this weekend
by Roy Dean 04 May '18

04 May '18

Burns - Just FYI: Last AO-92 (14:50z), N1T was full quieting into the bird, but audio was very low. It got a little louder towards the end of the pass. --Roy K3RLD

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-04 07:30 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 04 May '18

04 May '18

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-04 07:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Mill Springs Academy, Alpharetta, GA, direct via WA4MSA The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA Contact was successful for: Thu 2018-05-03 15:47:30 UTC 25 deg (***) Students for the Exploration & Development of Space, College Station, TX, direct via W5QZ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA Contact was successful for: Thu 2018-05-03 17:22:31 UTC 47 deg (***) Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN, direct via WA4SXM/N4CFB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for: Mon 2018-05-07 13:54:10 UTC 23 deg ****************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ******************************************************************************* All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. ******************************************************************************* Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 132 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 128 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Sergey RV3DR with 103 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2018-05-04 07:30 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1226. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1175. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2018-05-04 07:30 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 54 on orbit Scott Tingle KG5NZA Norishige Kanai Anton Shkaplerov Exp. 55 on orbit Drew Feustel Oleg Artemyev Ricky Arnold KE5DAU **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

1 0

Good SAT program
by Vincenzo Mone 03 May '18

03 May '18

Hi folks, I am looking for a good program like Orbitron or the old Satsked that gives me the possibility to keep under the eyes all the satellite and in the mean time has the possibility to track the satellites moving also the rotators and the radio.I was using SatPC interfaced with the rotators with the ERC-M kit and the Kenwood TS-2000x. It is a great program but has the problem that I do not have under my eyes all the satellites and have noticed that if I am visualising in one group and in another group there is a satellite rising I will not be advised. Orbitron is OK as I can have all the satellites under my eyes but I cannot or better I do not know how to interface it with the radio and the Yaesu G-5500 rotators via the ERC-M interface kit. Anybody can point me to the right way? Thanks 73's de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 ******************************************* ******* GSM +39 328 7110193 ******* ****** SMS +39 328 7110193 ******* ********************************************

3 2

AMSAT @ Sierra Vista AZ hamfest, Saturday (5 May)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 03 May '18

03 May '18

Hi! I will have an AMSAT table at the Cochise Amateur Radio Association's annual hamfest on Saturday morning, 5 May 2018. The hamfest will be held at the CARA's "Green Acres" field, along Moson Road south of AZ-90 in Sierra Vista, Arizona. More information about the hamfest is available in the flyer at: http://www.k7rdg.org/2-Events/2018_CARA_Hamfest.pdf During the morning, I will have on-air demonstrations of satellite operating from the hamfest site. I will use my own call sign WD9EWK, and please call WD9EWK to be part of the demonstrations. All QSOs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World sometime after the hamfest. The hamfest site is in DM41. I will post updates from the hamfest on my @WD9EWK Twitter account. If you do not use Twitter, you can still see these updates in a web browser without a Twitter account: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK I will squawk WD9EWK-9 to the APRS network as I drive to and from the hamfest, and around southeastern Arizona. This should be visible on various web sites, including: http://aprs.fi/WD9EWK-9 Thanks, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

1 0

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-03 06:00 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 03 May '18

03 May '18

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-03 06:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: About Gagarin From The Space. Implementation Of The Session Of Radio-Love Communication With Participants Of "Artek" Change, near Black Sea, direct via RM6KD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Anton Shkaplerov Contact was successful Tue 2018-04-24 11:05 UTC (***) Mill Springs Academy, Alpharetta, GA, direct via WA4MSA The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA Contact is a go for: Thu 2018-05-03 15:47:30 UTC 25 deg Students for the Exploration & Development of Space, College Station, TX, direct via W5QZ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA Contact is a go for: Thu 2018-05-03 17:22:31 UTC 47 deg Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN, direct via WA4SXM/N4CFB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for: Mon 2018-05-07 13:54:10 UTC 23 deg ****************************************************************************** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. ******************************************************************************* All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. ******************************************************************************* Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 132 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 128 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Sergey RV3DR with 103 (***) **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2018-05-03 06:00 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1224. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1173. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2018-05-03 06:00 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 54 on orbit Scott Tingle KG5NZA Norishige Kanai Anton Shkaplerov Exp. 55 on orbit Drew Feustel Oleg Artemyev Ricky Arnold KE5DAU **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

1 0

FM Digital Sats
by Vincenzo Mone 02 May '18

02 May '18

Hi to the list, is there anybody that owns a Kenwood TS-2000 that has used with the Digital FM satellites like the old KO-23 KO-25 UO-22 etc? If yes how has do it as I have noticed that if I put into Satellite mode, First I cannot put it in Packet mode and second the SUB RX becomes muted, But if I set the SUB, as CW or LSB or USB, the SUB becomes loud again. If I am not into Sat mode, I can receive in any mode either on SUB or MAIN. Is it normal or the radio has a problem? Please How to work the Digital Satellite? Any help will be really appreciated. 73's de Enzo IK8OZV EasyLog 5 BetaTester EasyLog PDA BetaTester WinBollet BetaTester D.C.I. CheckPoint Regione Campania Skype: ik8ozv8520 ************************************* ******* GSM +39 328 7110193 ******* ****** SMS +39 328 7110193 ****** *************************************

1 0

UK Unicorn-2a PocketQube + HuskySat-1 transponder frequencies
by M5AKA 02 May '18

02 May '18

UK Unicorn-2a PocketQube Satellite https://amsat-uk.org/2018/05/01/unicorn-2a-pocketqube-satellite/ Amateur radio regulatory changes in Eire https://amsat-uk.org/2018/05/01/amateur-radio-regulatory-changes-in-eire/ HuskySat-1 Linear Transponder frequencies have been coordinated by IARU. As well as the V/U transponder for SSB/CW the satellite also has a downlink on 24 GHz http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=604 King’s High School ARISS contact on BBC TV https://amsat-uk.org/2018/04/19/kings-high-school-ariss-contact-bbc/ Emily Calandrelli's new book aimed at young people - Ada Lace, Take Me to Your Leader - features amateur radio and space communication. Sean Kutzko KX9X was an advisor for the book http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2018/may/ada-lace-book-features-ham-radio.… AMSAT-EA May issue of English language newsletter now available https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/10352773/AMSAT-EA-Newsletter_05-2018.… Trevor M5AKA ---- AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK ----

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Renew Membership
by Roy Dean 02 May '18

02 May '18

Is there a preferred method to Amsat membership renewal? I tried logging into the Amsat website with my call and email address, and both are unrecognized as having accounts. I'd like to avoid having somebody re-enter all my information into a database if there is some canned routine that is best. Thanks. --Roy K3RLD

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Zhou Enlai (HA 1) downlink active
by Nico Janssen 02 May '18

02 May '18

The Chinese amateur satellite Zhou Enlai (initially know as Huai'An 1, HA 1) appears to be active on a downlink frequency near 437.650 MHz. Its coordinated downlink frequency for telemetry is 437.350 MHz and for voice 436.950 MHz. For details see: http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/ http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/zhou_enlai.htm This 2U cubesat is object 43156, 2018-008B. Let's see if they can activate its FM repeater and SSTV component. 73, Nico PA0DLO

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FO-pedition Preliminary Schedule for Sunday May 6th
by Ken Alexander 01 May '18

01 May '18

Doug Tabor, N6UA and I will be leaving on our FO-pedition on Saturday morning, May 5th. this will be mainly a driving day with possible stops to activate some of the norther grids along the way. Follow Doug @dtabor and me @ve3hls on Twitter for updates. The fun starts on Sunday morning when we leave Matagami QC, enter FO and drive to Radisson QC on the James Bay Road. It should look something like this: FN19/FO10 - 1100 to 1230 UTC FO10/FO11 - 1400 to 1530 UTC FO11/FO12 - 1730 to 1900 UTC FO12/FO13 - 2100 to 2230 UTC Lots of overlapping of grids to make sure you get them all. Plus, we hope to activate these spots again as we travel south again. Most of the passes start while other good passes are still in progress. Doug and I will be operating simultaneously to cover overlapping passes, so if you don't hear us on one satellite you will very likely find us on another. We will each be using our own calls. The weather for Day 1 calls for a mix of rain and snow and a high of 3 deg C. Perfect roving weather! 73, Ken VE3HLSDoug N6UA

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Today's Win 10 Update VAC problem resolved.
by Bill Bordy, NJ1H 01 May '18

01 May '18

Just resolved a problem with today's Win 10 update and virtual audio cables. Your Privacy setting for apps to access microphone must be on. Required even if not using microphone! 73, Bill NJ1H

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