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ECHO
by McGrane 01 Sep '06

01 Sep '06

greetings I would like to report very poor reception of echo even with an 8 element yagi and an 18 Db preamp. I assume the downlink power is real flea power for battery charging or other testing. After 2 years of pleading with amsat, the downlink power is still a mystery. It is not shown on the colaradosatellite telemetry graphs (TX B) or the amsat website, after repeated requests here and elsewhere I'll assume it is being held secret for some reason. There has been a tremendous lack of technical reporting on ECHO. I realize people are very busy but time should be taken to educate the amsat community. 73, patrick N2OEQ 32323

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Last call for instock 2.4 GHz downconverters
by k5gna＠houston.rr.com 01 Sep '06

01 Sep '06

To: All, from Bob, K5GNA Please respond to: k5gna(a)aol.com -- replying to the Road Runner address on this Email will only delay a response. I have Fourteen (14) of the AIDC 2.4 GHz downconverters packages left that are packed and ready to ship, except for sealing. I have shipped a lot of these downconverters in the last few years, but I am not restocking these downconverters until we have another HEO satellite up, or if there should be enough demand (enough on a waiting list) for 2.4 GHz receive in the near future. THIS MAY BE YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET ONE FOR A WHILE. These packages include about everything you will need to receive AO-51 for portable or even fixed operation, except the FM receiver and battery. The package will include the following: AIDC 3731 downconverter with 37 dB of gain, good for 13.8 VDC operation, retuned for 2.4 GHz, with a 2 meter IF crystal @ $105.00; 12 dBi corner reflector @ $27.00; Power inserter @ $10.00; 6 dB attenuator @ $3.00; 3' and 12' jumper for portable operation @ $5.00; F female to BNC male adapter @ $3.00; Shipping, handling and insurance in the USA @ $10.00. TOTALl = $163.00 SHIPPING OVERSEAS WOULD ADD AN ADDITIONAL $20.00. Just for the AMSAT BB -- I will also include the following 2 items at NO CHARGE: (1) N adapter for future use with a larger dish and feed (normally @ $ 5.00) (2) Wall wart power supply with weird connector -- simply cut it and splice it into a short F cable -- but since it is 110VAC, it is not for overseas. (normally @ $5.00). The remaining units not taken on the Amsat BB will go on Ebay in few days, but without the 2 giveaways. I also have some 2.4 GHz signal sources for $17.50, plus $8.00 shipping and handling in the USA. These are Gardiner downconverters that without modifications will produce a signal at about 2399.875 MHz (or 143.875 MHz in your RX). I also include a crystal (solders to the top of the PC board) to come out at about 2400.020 (or 144.020 MHz in your RX). I have a few of the 12 dBi corner reflectors that clip onto the AIDC downconverters available separately at $27.00 each plus shipping and handling. I could also add the signal sources to the downconverter packages, plus I could replace the 12' portable sized cable with a 50' cable for fixed use -- please inqure. Please respond to me at k5gna(a)aol.com if you want someting and I will send you complete details on paying, etc. Bob K5GNA k5gna(a)aol.com

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Mobile QSO on VO-52
by Luc Leblanc VE2DWE 01 Sep '06

01 Sep '06

Hi all On my lunch break i was able to make a QSO with VE3BSB James in his car running. It was my first QSO with a mobile station on a Transponder type satellite in SSB. I was testting an old KLM 2M 14C on the downlink and i was using a 7.5' dish on the uplink. The power setting was at 0 on my FT-847. The hic with low TX power make us often unhearded by some stations and i have to often crank up my power to be able to make the other party hear me. But on this QSO i was able to keep my power at 0 or near that as the 847 still transmit some wattage my last preamp knows it... "-" The medium is the message...The content is the audience...;) Luc Leblanc VE2DWE Skype VE2DWE www.qsl.net/ve2dwe "-"

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Last call for papers - Deadline Approaching
by Emily Clarke 01 Sep '06

01 Sep '06

2006 AMSAT North America Space Symposium 6-8 October 2006, Foster City, California Call for Papers: Final Call http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2006CallForPapers.php Invitation: Speakers are invited to submit and present papers dealing with the science of Amateur Radio Satellites and associated technologies for the AMSAT 2006 Space Symposium. The Symposium will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Foster City, California approximately 10km south of San Francisco International Airport. This is an annual Symposium, however the 2005 Symposium was cancelled due to hurricane damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Speakers originally scheduled for the 2005 Symposium are invited to re-submit papers for the 2006 Symposium. Topics: Recommended topics include but are not limited to the following categories: · AMSAT P3E · AMSAT Eagle · Microsatellite Projects · Cubesat and Nanosatellite Projects · ARISS · Attitude Determination and Control · Propulsion · Communications · Mechanical · Antennas · Groundstations · Digital Modes · Education and Outreach · Launch Opportunities · Status Reports Other Activities: · The AMSAT Board of Directors will meet on 5-6 October. · The AMSAT Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 6 October. · AMSAT International will meet 8 October · The IARU Satellite Committee will meet during the Symposium and will hold a public round table discussion on frequency coordination on 8 October · The ARISS International Delegates Meeting will be held on 9-10 October · "Birds of a Feather" sessions (BOFS) will be available on request Deadline: Applications for papers must be received ASAP. Papers must be submitted no later than 12 September 2006. Procedure: The planning committee has created an online registration system where you can submit your abstract and track it. Using this system you will allow you to submit your paper and any subsequent changes online. Visit the 2006 Symposium Paper Registration webpage for instructions: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2006PapersProcedure.php Contact Emily Clarke, N1DID for additional information or Jean Fletcher KG6IAK for additional information Venue: See the 2006 Space Symposium web page for additional information about the venue.

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ECHO duty cycle
by McGrane 01 Sep '06

01 Sep '06

hello again- Does anyone know what percentage of a day or orbit the echo transmitters are ON? I've been thinking about the battery depth of discharge issue. Being that they are as a whole 4 amp hours, a 10 percent discharge would equate to about 1.6 amps for one quarter of an orbit on-time. According to drew, the transmitters are drawing about .8 amps. I hope people are viewing depth of discharge as a function of amp-hours more than voltage ( I realize also important ). Any comments are welcome. Thanks, pat n2oeq

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DELMARVA residents!!
by Bob McGwier 01 Sep '06

01 Sep '06

Hello Delmarva residents: We are looking for people to participate in an AMSAT project at U. Md. E.S., in the Wallops Island area, and at a new facility in Pocomoke, Md. near Wallops. This is a satellite construction project for the amateur satellite service. If you are interested in participation, live close enough to give us time on a regular basis, please reply to this email mailto: n4hy(a)amsat.org Bob N4HY -- Robert W. McGwier, Ph.D. Center for Communications Research 805 Bunn Drive Princeton, NJ 08540 (609)-924-4600 (sig required by employer)

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Re: Digital sats with less
by Gould Smith 31 Aug '06

31 Aug '06

Hi Gary, Yes the USB to serial adapters work, but they are not all equal. I have found the ones with the FTDI chip and drivers to be the most reliable. In my computer upgrade I installed a USB to serial port and also got a PCI to dual serial port card (very cost effective). The new computer came with no serial ports, but I am using three serial ports for digital work. First one for 9600 bps modem to WiSP software. Second for SatPC32 to LVB tracker and rotor control Third for SatPC32 to FT-847 for Doppler tracking. Granted, I had to install/uninstall theUSB/serial driver about 8 times before it worked. The PCI card with two serial ports worked the first time. Once I got the drivers installed correctly I have had no trouble and used the serial ports with multiple devices without a problem for the last month. 73, Gould, WA4SXM ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary" <w4gns(a)isp.com> To: "Gould Smith" <gouldsmi(a)bellsouth.net> Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 7:27 PM Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Digital sats with less > > Question on the computer to TNC hook up .Do the USB to serial adapters > work ? If not ,how are you guys interfacing, using modern computers > ,without a serial port? > 73 W4GNS > > > At 12:49 PM 8/31/2006, you wrote: >>Hello All, >> >>While re-configuring my digital station the last couple of weeks I have >>had the opportunity to try some things I normally wouldn't. I was >>surprised the last couple of days to find that I could work GO-32 with >>less that I expected. > >

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Re: HITSAT information
by Mineo Wakita 31 Aug '06

31 Aug '06

HITSAT will be launched via M-V-7 with SOLAR-B scheduled for 22Sep06 21:00-22:00 UTC (23Sep06 06:00-07:00 JST). Keps do not be made public yet. http://www.hit.ac.jp/~satori/hitsat/index-e.html http://www.hit.ac.jp/~satori/gs/e/index.html http://www.jaxa.jp/news_topics/column/no16/p2_e.html http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/e/enterp/missions/solar-b/index.shtml http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2006/hitsat.htm http://showcase.netins.net/web/wallio/CubeSat.htm http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/hitsat01.htm --------------------------------------------- Name: Mineo Wakita / JE9PEL, JAMSAT member Mail: ei7m-wkt(a)asahi-net.or.jp URL : http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ QTH : Yokohama Japan, GL:PM95TJ Date: Sep 1, 2006 ---------------------------------------------

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ECHO for september
by McGrane 31 Aug '06

31 Aug '06

Greetings Thanks to the satellite operation team for scheduleing some higher power time. Someone please post what the TX B power output will be. May I recommend a post on the main website page to notify viewers of the higher power operating time so new people can try it. HINT to the regulars HI HI. It should be used for recruiting as best as possible. Thanks, patrick n2oeq

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Digital sats with less
by Gould Smith 31 Aug '06

31 Aug '06

Hello All, While re-configuring my digital station the last couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to try some things I normally wouldn't. I was surprised the last couple of days to find that I could work GO-32 with less that I expected. I encourage you all to try 9600 Digital satellite operation. GO-32 transmits with about 1W of power and is fairly easy to receive and decode. My minimal system is: inexpensive, 10 element 70cm yagi (Diamond A430S10); no preamp; 50 feet Flex 4XL coax; FT-847; MFJ 1270C with added 9600 bps modem board; WiSP Pacsat protocol software; 15 W into 50 feet of LMR400 coax; 4 element, 2M yagi (M2 2M4). Antennas are mounted at a fixed 25 degree angle, AZ only rotor. Setting all this up and getting it operational isn't trivial as you have to have a number of things that all must work together, but certainly do-able and a good challenge to get a digital station operational. Now I always recommend a preamp for digital operation, and I only decoded about 1/3-1/2 of the digital data I usually get using the same system with a preamp. When AO-51 is in digital mode and transmitting at 300mW, you need the preamp. Notes: 1) Use the 145.890 uplink frequency for GO-32, SatPC32 defaults to the 145.850 uplink and I couldn't get that one to work 2) There is no telemetry data from GO-32 3) AO-51 will be in digital mode again Sep 18, so get operational on GO-32 and ready to get telemetry data from AO-51 4) You can use a soundcard 9600 bps software decoder, but must have a way to send the decoded data into a serial port (or USB to serial) to make much sense of it. TlmECHO or WiSP will do the protocol conversion. 5) TlmECHO program is a good program to start with, it will show the digital data (even GO-32), without having to do a major setup as with WiSP, plus you will be ready to get the AO-51 telemetry 6) DCD led on does not mean that you are correctly decoding the data, just that you are receiving a signal. These data packets are all or nothing, if your modem misreads 1 bit out of a packet the entire packet is trashed. 7) Keep the signal centered (Doppler correction), if your radio has a Discriminator meter just keep the signal centered. I notice quite a data drop when the Discriminator reading is a bar or two off center. 8) I wouldn't recommend using anything other than a small, tracking beam for receiving 9600 bps digital signals Gould, WA4SXM

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