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Best USB to Serial converter
by MICHAEL WILLIAMS 25 Oct '19

25 Oct '19

What's the best USB to Serial converter for ham use? TU, Mike (K9QHO)

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J6/AA4FL update
by Jay Garlitz 25 Oct '19

25 Oct '19

Still here operating from St. Lucia at the Villa Grand Piton just north of Soufriere in Grid FK93lu. Contact me by e-mail for scheds providing specific common footprint passes. AO-91, AO-92, AO-07b, CAS-4A, CAS-4B, XW-2A, and XW-2F have yielded the best results. Note I do have some limitations due to topography. Low angle passes for Europe and South America are unlikely, CQWW starts Saturday Oct. 26th at 0000 UTC (Friday local time) but I will try to catch some of the weekend passes during the 48 hour contest (on HF look for J68MD in the contest). Evening passes on Monday Oct. 28th and morning passes on Tuesday Oct. 29th before I depart are possible. For the most current information see my J6/AA4FL page. 73, Jay J6/AA4FL

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ISS contact with West Point Ham club
by christy hunter 25 Oct '19

25 Oct '19

pretty neat! https://www.dvidshub.net/news/348932/ham-radio-club-contacts-speaks-morgan-… 73 Christy KB6LTY

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South Texas Rove Nov 2nd to 9th
by Ron Bondy 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

Hi Everyone, I will be roving to south Texas on the above dates. My current plan is as follows:Sat Nov 2nd: EL08/EL09 probably one pass per grid starting in the late afternoon local Sun Nov 3rd: EL17/EL18 holiday style, one or two passes per grid Mon Nov 4th through Fri Nov 8th: EL06 / EL15 / EL16. We are staying in EL06 and will activate 15 and 16 a few times throughout the week. Will probably activate EL06 4 or 5 times. Sat Nov 9th: EL07 / EL08 Probably one pass from each grid. I will be active on FM and linear satellites and will tweet passes from @ad0dx. Hope to give you a few new grids if you need them from south Texas. Cheers, Ron, ad0dx

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Returning to satellites and forgot lots
by Gary Rogers 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

I'm returning to satellite operations after being off the air (entire station disconnected) for over two decades and am looking to put my FT-736R back to use in the manner for which it was intended.?? However, while I'm OK with my 2M setup (rig to amp/pre-amp unit to Eggbeater) I'm less confident on 70cM, specifically how not to toast the mast mounted pre-amp. I know that I need to inject the voltage for the pre-amp using the little control box that came with the pre-amp (Mirage KP-2 series) but how do I ensure that the voltage drops when I transmit so the pre-amp is taken out-of-line??? Perhaps there is a FAQ or diagram for this out there somewhere? Also, what is being used for CAT control these days if I'm using SatPC32 for tracking? I feel like such a newb! Thanks!?? -de Gary WA4YMZ

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Re: [amsat-bb] ISS contact with West Point Ham club
by Roy Dean 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

I posted this link to the mailing list on Saturday (audio captured by my satnogs station): https://network.satnogs.org/observations/1112819/ --Roy K3RLD > pretty neat! > https://www.dvidshub.net/news/348932/ham-radio-club-contacts-speaks-morgan-… > 73 Christy KB6LTY

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2019-10-24 16:30 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2019-10-24 16:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Liceo Scientifico Teresa Gullace, Rome, Italy,direct via IZØDIB and I.S.I.S. “ Zaccagna - Galilei” sede “G. Galilei”, Carrara. Italy, direct via IQ5VR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Luca Parmitano KF5KDP Contact was successful: Thu 2019-10-24 11:13:40 UTC 79 deg (***) Watch for live stream from Rome at: https://www.liceogullace.edu.it/collegamento-con-luca-parmitano/ I.I.S. “Ciampini-Boccardo”, Novi Ligure, Italy, direct via I1LJV and I.T.I.S. "Magistri Cumacini", Como, Italy, direct via IZ2MCC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Luca Parmitano KF5KDP Contact is go for: Fri 2019-10-25 10:24:39 UTC 83 deg Watch for live stream at: Novi Ligure school: https://www.facebook.com/Istituto-Ciampini-Boccardo-210130833074338/ Como school: http://www.arilomazzo.it/ISS-Magistri/ Golden Oak Montessori, Castro Valley, CA, telebridge via K6DUE The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Drew Morgan KI5AAA Contact is go for: Mon 2019-10-28 15:50:06 UTC 82 deg Watch for live stream at: (***) https://www.goldenoakmontessori.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=884592&typ… Young Scientists Program at USC and Vermont Elementary School, Los Angeles, CA, direct via KN6CHS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Luca Parmitano KF5KDP Contact is go for: Mon 2019-10-28 18:57:35 UTC 70 deg Watch for live stream at: (***) http://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/ Farmwell Station Middle School Space Dreamers, Ashburn, VA, direct via K4LRG The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Drew Morgan KI5AAA Contact is go for: Tue 2019-10-29 15:01:27 UTC 44 deg Starting at about 14:15 UTC, watch for live stream at: (***) https://live.myvrspot.com/player?udi=bG91ZG91bg==&c=ZmFybWlzcw== The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) 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 2019-10-24 16:30 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. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2019-10-24 16:30 UTC. (***) https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. ARISS Contact Applications (United States) Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals New Proposal Window is October 1, 2019 to November 30, 2019 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between July 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. The deadline to submit a proposal is November 30, 2019. Proposal information and documents can be found at https://www.ariss.org. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in dates and times of the radio contact. Amateur Radio organizations around the world with the support of NASA and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe present educational organizations with this opportunity. The ham radio organizations' volunteer efforts provide the equipment and operational support to enable communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world using Amateur Radio. More Information For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Webinars, go to https://www.ariss.org . Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ARISS Contact Applications (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) Schools and Youth organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East interested in setting up an ARISS radio contact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station are invited to submit an application from September to October and from February to April. Please refer to details and the application form at www.ariss-eu.org/school-contacts. Applications should be addressed by email to: school.selection.manager(a)ariss-eu.org ARISS Contact Applications (Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Australia and Russia) Organizations outside the United States can apply for an ARISS contact by filling out an application. Please direct questions to the appropriate regional representative listed below. If your country is not specifically listed, send your questions to the nearest ARISS Region listed. If you are unsure which address to use, please send your question to the ARISS-Canada representative; they will forward your question to the appropriate coordinator. For the application, go to: https://www.ariss.org/ariss-application.html. ARISS-Canada and the Americas, except USA: Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD email to: ve3tbd(a)gmail.com ARISS-Japan, Asia, Pacific and Australia: Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ email to: ariss(a)iaru-r3.org, Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) https://www.jarl.org/ ARISS-Russia: Soyuz Radioljubitelei Rossii (SRR) https://srr.ru/ ****************************************************************************** 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 https://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? Please note that the HamTV system has been brought back to earth for troubleshooting. Please monitor ARISS-EU or ARISS-ON for the very latest news on the troubleshooting efforts. 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 The HamTV webpage: https://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/ **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 136 Francesco IKØWGF with 135 (***) Sergey RV3DR with 127 Gaston ON4WF with 123 **************************************************************************** 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. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1350. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1290. (***) 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. https://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: South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: https://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correcti… Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 59 on orbit Christina Koch Exp. 60 on orbit Luca Parmitano KF5KDP Alexander Skvortsov Drew Morgan KI5AAA Exp. 61 on orbit Oleg Skripochka Jessica Meir **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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Re: [amsat-bb] 70cm patch antenna
by Ronald G. Parsons 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

I have not used a patch antennas on 435 MHz but I have used then extensively at 900 MHz with great success, both transmit and receive. A simple, non-fragile antenna with a hemi-spherical pattern. See also: https://www.highfrequencyelectronics.com/Mar09/HFE0309_Tutorial.pdf Ron W5RKN

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This morning passes
by Jay Garlitz 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

Listen for me on most sats this morning, and many this afternoon. I will focus on AO7B, AO91, AO92, but will work others as well. For those at work I will try to do the same on Saturday. Getting in great to the XW and CAS birds too when trying... 73, looking forward to our QSOs 73, Jay J6/AA4FL

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70cm patch antenna
by Zach Metzinger 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

As I was roaming about the web, I came across this patch antenna design. https://vk6ysf.com/patch_Antenna_435MHz.htm Has anyone on the list used something like this? What was your experience, if so? My rotator setup is slowly taking shape, located in the attic due to roof access issues, so wind loading is not a factor. (If it becomes one, I have bigger problems.. not impossible given Texas weather lately.) --- Zach N0ZGO

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