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Re: [amsat-bb] Anyone on EO-88?
by Roy Dean 19 Jul '19

19 Jul '19

> > If my remarks came across as “shaming,” I apologize. They were intended as > encouragement. Yes, FM is cheap and easy, but the level of operator skill > necessary to get QSOs on a crowded channel is daunting. The skills > necessary to put together a linear station are more on the technical side. > That’s a challenge, but it can be fun to get there. And I apologize for misunderstanding. I do agree that linears are way more challenging than FM (and I remember how frustrated I was when I couldn't make contacts with a couple of baofengs on SO-50!!!). The true shame is that all mode full duplex transceivers aren't more common! But having worked in the consumer electronics sector before, I understand that our tiny little market isn't likely to push the big manufacturers in that direction anytime soon. I can't blame them for not wanting to lose money on R&D and production tooling. :) --Roy K3RLD

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Re: [amsat-bb] Anyone on EO-88?
by Roy Dean 19 Jul '19

19 Jul '19

What I can't understand is that people continue to shame other hams for not operating on the linears. Having only just recently obtained the equipment necessary to work the linears (and then, only at the shack, my equipment is not portable in any way), I can say that it was not cheap nor easy to do. Working the FM birds is both far cheaper and easier, for sure. Those that are stuck on the FM birds are likely not doing it by choice. It's all they have. Please keep that in mind. --Roy K3RLD > EO-88 is in a low inclination orbit and so stays close to the equator. Many > of us in the northern part of the continental U.S. and Canada cannot access > it because it never passes far enough north for us to be in the footprint. > That said, it can sometimes be lonely on linear satellites on passes that > cover much of the continental U.S. I can’t understand why people would > prefer to step all over one another on a single channel FM bird rather than > spread out on a nice passband. Yes, the linears require a bit more effort, > technical skill, and possibly a > bit more of a monetary investment. But by finding some bargains on used > gear and learning a bit more about how things work, they are well within > reach of the average ham.

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RE PSAT2 Object Number is 44354 - not -357
by cchunter3＠mindspring.com 19 Jul '19

19 Jul '19

hi Bob, I have also been tracking object 44355. it is trailing 354 enough that I can hear packets when my local is outside of 44354 but just within footprint 355 on training edge of pass. this has been consistent. however they are not strong enough to decode. I can only assume they are PSAT2. Not sure if that is valid assumption. I also have seen, using both these objects, that the SSTV 435 frequency is about 7-8mhz higher that published. THANKS! 73 Christy KB6LTY DM14 --------- Anyone who has a reference to PSAT2 as object number 44357 needs to change it to 44354. It is definatley not 44357. But it is still unreaolved between 44354, 355 and another one, though we are pretty sure it is 44354. So change your referecnes to 44354 thoiugh we are not going to formally request that number until we see more separation from other objects. Our temporary ground station in a close t on a 3rd floor sucks. SO if anyone has better proof it is 44354, then we welcome it. But it ain't 44357. Bob, WB4aPR

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PSAT2 Object Number is 44354 - not -357
by Robert Bruninga 19 Jul '19

19 Jul '19

Anyone who has a reference to PSAT2 as object number 44357 needs to change it to 44354. It is definatley not 44357. But it is still unreaolved between 44354, 355 and another one, though we are pretty sure it is 44354. So change your referecnes to 44354 thoiugh we are not going to formally request that number until we see more separation from other objects. Our temporary ground station in a close t on a 3rd floor sucks. SO if anyone has better proof it is 44354, then we welcome it. But it ain't 44357. Bob, WB4aPR

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Yaesu FT847 for sale
by John Geiger 19 Jul '19

19 Jul '19

I have for sale a 2000 production year Yaesu FT847 HF/6m/2m/70cm satellite radio. This model does 100 watts on HF and 6 meters, and 50 watts on 2m and 70cm. It also does full duplex for satellite operation, making it a great HF/VHF/UHF station radio, and it is still small enough to make mobile or portable. This is still one of the best satellite radios out there, and allows you to do full duplex on Mode A as it has HF on it. It has a built in CW keyer, DSP noise reduction and bandwidth tuning, autonotch filter, transmit monitor, and speech processor. Everything works fine on it and the physical condition is pretty good, with a few scratches here and there on it. The face looks good on it. It is missing the tilt up wire bale on the bottom, but it does have the carry handle on it. It comes with the power cord, hand mic, and manual. Very nice operating rig where you can do it all in one box. I am asking $705 shipped in the US. I can take paypal/check/MO/cash. Pictures available on request. 73 John W5TD

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Anyone on EO-88?
by Lapo Pieri 19 Jul '19

19 Jul '19

Hi, few minutes ago I've called for half a pass over Europe when EO-88 was in eclipse but no signal hrd, except mine... anybody use EO-88? 73, de Lapo IK5NAX

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W3ZM/9 FM ops in EN50, EN60, EM59, EM69 Fri 7/19 through Sun 7/21
by John Stone 19 Jul '19

19 Jul '19

Hi, I'm planning to operate as W3ZM/9 this weekend from Friday through Sunday, with updates posted on twitter: https://twitter.com/KC9VGG Tentative plan outline: On Friday daytime passes I will be on the road traveling, but I hope to stop and try and operate at least one pass (AO-91/92 or SO-50) handheld while I'm driving in EM59 or EM58. Friday evening I'll be operating the late night passes of AO-91 and AO-92 from EN50. Saturday I'll have to work the first couple of mid-day passes from EN50, then I'll be quickly heading over to EN60 asap from there. If everyone already has EN50, I could skip the mid-day SO-50 pass to hit the road to EN60, EM59 or EM69 for the AO-92 and AO-91 passes. For the late night passes I'll have to operate in EN50. On Sunday, assuming cooperative weather, I plan to try and operate the daylight passes from one or more grid lines among EN50, EN60, EM59 and EM69. I'll depend on how my recon for good operating locations turns out. If people favor a particular grid or grid line, that would be useful to know before I scout operating locations on Saturday. Variables: Scattered thunderstorms on Sunday 7/21. To operate AO-92 on L-band I will have to lug my IC-9700 out for use with handheld antennas since that's all I've got for L-band presently. I haven't worked PO-101 yet, but it's in my radios and I'll keep an eye out for it and work it if the the transponder is active. I will update on twitter as things progress. 73, John Stone, KC9VGG EN50

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CAS-7B (BP-1B) TLE Update
by Alan Kung 18 Jul '19

18 Jul '19

Planned to launch CAS-7B at 05:00:00UTC on July 25, 2019, the launch vehicle Hyperbola-1 will run for 862.0206 seconds and then CAS-7B satellite will be deployed at 05:14:22.0206 CAS-7B(BP-1B) 1 99999U 19206.21831019 -.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 00001 2 99999 042.7339 008.2068 0013606 285.8754 218.2911 15.94575754000011 73 Alan, BA1DU

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Re: [amsat-bb] MacDoppler 2.3
by Steve Nordahl 18 Jul '19

18 Jul '19

Burns, I posted this same response on FB. I asked for this change some time ago and Don made the change in Version 2.30 Beta 4.Here's what I asked for initially.. Don, This topic has come up by other users asking this question so I'm posing it to you.. Currently users have to refer to a tone list to select the the correct TX tone for editing satellites. In the case of SO-50 for example.. Why can't we manually enter the working or wake-up tone of 67.0 (1 in this case) or 74.4 (3 in this case) rather than cross check a list to find out what tone number 1 or 3 means? Don's response.. "Version 2.30 Beta 4 requires the actual tone and ctcss values to be stored in mode.dat (e.g. 67.0) and the Modes editor - zero or blank still signifies no tone." Steve Nordahl, NS3L

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Board of Directors Election
by Paul Stoetzer 18 Jul '19

18 Jul '19

With reports that ballots for the 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors election have begun to arrive in member's mailboxes today, I'd like to take this opportunity to ask that AMSAT members vote for me, my fellow incumbent directors, Jerry Buxton, N0JY and Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, and Brennan Price, N4QX. I have posted some more detailed information about the work we've done, my views, and plans for the future at http://www.n8hm.net If you have any questions, please email me at n8hm(a)amsat.org and I will answer them as soon as possible. With your support, we will continue our work to keep amateur radio in space for another 50 years and beyond. 73, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM

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