- AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

First Ever L-Band QSO
by Les Rayburn 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

Thanks to Kevin, KK4YEL in EL98 for my first-ever L-Band QSO tonight through AO-92. The loop Yagi seemed to work well, as my downlink was loud into the satellite. Experienced deep fades as the satellite tumbled. Limited by the fixed polarization of my mounted 2 Meter Arrow antenna. Gotta think about a circularly polarized 2 Meter antenna for the attic. Big fun! 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF Maylene, AL EM63nf AMSAT #38965, ARRL Life Member, CVHS Life Member, SVHF Member

2 1

WD9EWK road trip in southeastern Arizona on 3-4 May 2019
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

Hi! I previously posted that I will be at the hamfest in Sierra Vista AZ on 4 May 2019: https://amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/2019-April/072609.html On the day before the hamfest (Friday, 3 May 2019), I will have time to visit one - or maybe both of the rarely-heard grid boundaries in that part of Arizona: 1. DM51/DM52 line, south of Willcox AZ near US-191 in Cochise County AZ 2. DM52/DM53 line, northwest of Safford AZ along US-70 in Graham County AZ Adding in the afternoon/evening following the hamfest, I might be able to make a stop in one of those places, if I'm not able to visit both before the hamfest. I have been to both of these locations in the past few months; I visited DM51/DM52 a couple of weekends ago, and was at DM52/DM53 in late December 2018. It always seems like someone is looking for these grids, whenever I visit this part of Arizona. If you have a preference on where I could stop during this road trip, please e-mail me directly. There is a possibility that between the Friday (3 May) and the Saturday afternoon (4 May) after the hamfest I could visit both of these boundaries. I will try to post an update to this list when I settle on my drive on 3 May, as well as post updates on my @WD9EWK Twitter feed. My travels that weekend should be visible on APRS as WD9EWK-9: http://aprs.fi/WD9EWK-9 Thanks, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK

1 0

50 Students of Rajkot India enjoyed SSTV Live Demo during Visible pass of ISS
by Rajesh Vagadia - VU2EXP 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

To spread awareness of Amateur Radio, Satellites & ARISS activities in the region we conducted interesting event recently. On 12th April 2019 we openly invited students & citizen of Rajkot - Gujarat to be present & witness SSTV Live Demonstration, that too during Visible pass of ISS from terrace of my home. More than 50 students & citizens assembled to my QTH by 18:30 IST (13:00z). We gave printed ISS tracking chart/ISS crew details to all of them, and explained how to use chart. Myself Rajesh Vagadia VU2EXP gave brief talk on Amateur Radio, ISS, OSCAR Satellites, Life of Astronauts, ARISS SSTV event, Student Outreach Program etc for one hour. Small display of radio stuff were also kept. Everybody get excited to learn such new things (for them) happening in Ham Radio world. Good Visible ISS Pass of -3.0 magnitude with elevation of 36° was targeted for Live Demo, calculated for my Grid ML52jh. With my 3 ele Yagi, VHF HT & recording device we started to track ISS at 19:27 IST (13:57z). Within a minute ISS started to appear from NNW direction moving towards SE. Students were requested to control their excitement & to keep silence as we were also recording audio. Soon sstv signal also get heard on 145.800 MHz. SSTV signal for two images were received & recorded. It was exciting experience for all to sighting ISS at the same time getting signals from it, felt like having handshake with ISS crew! After pass, we amplified weak audio in Audacity & decoded two images (though bit noisy) with MMSSTV. Decoded Images were shared with all students as souvenir. It proved great learning experience for all. Had lots of Q&A till late and enjoyed light refreshments at end of the program. As everything was arranged at our home I need to thanks my XYL Kiran, harmonic Snehal VU3WHO, brother Prakash VU3PLJ & nephew Priyesh VU3GLY for extending helping hands. Btw, leading newspaper Divyabhakshar supported this radio experiment & published good articles (though in regional language Gujarati), pse find it's link below. http://tinyurl.com/iss-sstv-demo-news I am thankful to all hams and members of ARISS, AMSAT, ISS Crew, Space agencies, SSTV Award Manager etc involved in such a wonderful educational event offered to the world! Thanks & 73's Rajesh P Vagadia VU2EXP Rajkot - Gujarat (India) Regional Coordinator West India Zone AMSAT-INDIA M: 9898283916 E: vu2exp(a)gmail.com www.qrz.com/db/vu2exp

1 0

Tutorial on Working APRS Contacts on Kenwood TM-D710
by Les Rayburn 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

Searching YouTube and Google without a lot of success. I’ve found videos on how to set up the TM-D710 for APRS QSO’s, but nothing that demonstrates the actual steps involved in completing a contact. Should I “beacon” a message that says “CQ DE N1LF EM63 K”? How will I know if I’m getting a response? Do I then transmit pre-programmed user messages? How do I enter the other stations call sign on the fly? How do I switch to the next message? I really need a “for dummies” guide on this…and can’t seem to find it. Can anyone point me towards an article or YouTube video? 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF Maylene, AL EM63nf AMSAT #38965, ARRL Life Member, CVHS Life Member, SVHF Member

7 11

ISS SSTV weekend
by Tom Schuessler 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

Quoting the news release promoting the transmissions this weekend. “This event uses a computer in the ISS Russian Segment, which stores images that are then transmitted to Earth using the ARISS amateur radio station located in the Service Module which employs the Kenwood TM D710E transceiver.” Well while trying fruitlessly this morning to decode cleanly, the images from the ISS, I heard the collective scream of hams all over the world, “TURN THAT COMPUTER SOUND CARD OUTPUT VOLUME UP PLEASE!” Next time. Tom, N5HYP

1 0

Operators Active on AO-92 Mode L and APRS ISS/NO-84
by Les Rayburn 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

I’m trying to compile a good database of operators who are active on AO-92 Mode L (1.2 Ghz). Also interested in compiling a list of operators who are active in having digital APRS QSO’s through ISS, NO-84, or AISAT-1. Note: I’m looking to hear from operators who are active, not just equipped to work these modes. Once the results are in, I’ll share with anyone interested. You can e-mail me directly at: les(a)highnoonfilm.com so we don’t hog bandwidth from the e-mail list. Thanks. 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF Maylene, AL EM63nf AMSAT #38965, ARRL Life Member, CVHS Life Member, SVHF Member

2 1

LVB Tracker
by Paul Overn 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

Guys, I have a Yeasu 5500, an LVB tracker and SatPC32. I have the rotator hooked up the the G-5500 controller. How do I hook up the LVB to the computer and then configure SatPC32 to use it. I do not see LVB as an option in the drop down for the Rotor interface / controller on the rotor config page. If anyone has link on the basics for this, please let me know. Paul Overn KE0PBR Twitter: @KE0PBR `·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((º>

2 1

Max Valier malfunction
by Hans BX2ABT 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

It seems the Max Valier beacon is malfunctioning. On 145.960 only a very strong continuous carrier (30 dB above noise level) can be seen and heard, but no more CW ID + message. A pity, because it was my go-to beacon to check if my 2 meter antenna contraptions were at least working a bit. Luckily I have the QSL card in my collection already. 73 de Hans BX2ABT

4 4

Upcoming ARISS contact with École internationale de Saint-Sacrement, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at École internationale de Saint-Sacrement, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada on 17 Apr. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 18:55 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and VE2GHO. The contact should be audible over Quebec City, Canada and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in French. L'École internationale de Saint-Sacrement est située dans la ville de Québec et offre le Programme Primaire (PP) du Baccalauréat International (BI) à tous ses élèves, du préscolaire à la 6e année. Elle compte un peu plus de 325 élèves répartis dans 16 classes. À chaque année, chaque degré, de la maternelle à la sixième année, explore un aspect scientifique différent. Les élèves de maternelle « vivent » un module sur l'espace qui leur permet de comprendre le système solaire, et ceux de 4e année explorent la vie dans la station spatiale internationale. translated: L'École internationale de Saint-Sacrement is located in historic Quebec City and offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB) to all of its students, from Kindergarten to Grade 6. There are around 325 students in 16 classes in the school. Every year, each grade, from Kindergarten to Grade 6, explores a different scientific aspect. The Kindergarten students do a space module that allows them to understand our solar system and the Grade 4 students learn about life on the International Space Station in their module. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. Qu'est-ce qui vous a donné le goût de devenir astronaute? 2. Comment faites-vous pour vous déplacer dans la station spatiale? 3. Comment contrôlez-vous le bras canadien? 4. Est-ce qu'on peut voir la pollution qu'il y a sur la Terre à partir de la SSI? 5. Est-ce que vous communiquez souvent avec votre famille? 6. Qu'est-ce que vous aimez le plus depuis votre arrivée dans l'espace? 7. Puisque le goût est atténué dans l'espace, à quel point épicez-vous votre nourriture? 8. Comment faites-vous pour savoir si c'est le jour ou la nuit étant donné que vous faites le tour de la Terre environ 16 fois par jour? 9. Au décollage, est-ce que c'était difficile de supporter la force G? 10. Aimez-vous la sensation d'être dans l'espace? 11. Comment faites-vous pour faire du sport dans la SSI? 12. Quels sont vos passe-temps dans vos temps libres? 13. Quelles sont vos responsabilités dans la SSI? 14. Quel est votre repas préféré dans la SSI? 15. Pouvez-vous avoir mal au coeur dans la SSI? 16. Quels sont les changements sur le corps dans l'espace? 17. Pourquoi vous ne portez pas de casque dans la station? 18. Comment on s'habitue à notre première journée dans l'espace? 19. Comment faites-vous pour travailler dans les différents modules de la SSI sans vous sentir coincés? 20. Puisque plusieurs astronautes parlent différentes langues dans la SSI, de quelle façon communiquez-vous ensemble? 21. Est-ce que les tâches que vous faites dans la SSI demandent beaucoup de force? 22. Avez-vous accès à Internet et aux médias depuis l'espace? 23. Pourquoi les hommes veulent-ils aller dans l'espace? 24. Est-ce que vous croyez qu'on est seuls dans l'Univers? translated: 1. What made you want to be an astronaut? 2. How do you get around in the space station? 3. How do you control the Canadian arm? 4. Can you see the pollution on Earth from the ISS? 5. Do you communicate often with your family? 6. What have you enjoyed the most since you have been in space? 7. Since you can't taste as well in space, how much do you have to spice up your food? 8. How do you know if it is day or night since you go around the earth around 16 times a day? 9. On take-off, was it difficult to endure the G-force? 10. Do you enjoy the feeling of being in space? 11. How do you get to play sports in the ISS? 12. What are your pastimes in your free times? 13. What are your duties in the ISS? 14. What is your favorite meal on the ISS? 15. Can you get "car sick" in the ISS? 16. What are some of the changes on the body for being in space? 17. How come you are not wearing a helmet in the station? 18. How do you get comfortable on your first day in space? 19. How do you work in the different sections of the ISS without feeling claustrophobic? 20. Since many astronauts speak different languages on the ISS, how do you communicate together? 21. Are the tasks that you have to do in the ISS require a lot of strength? 22. Do you have access to internet and the media in space? 23. Why do humans want to go into space? 24. Do you think that we are alone in the universe? 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

1 0

Es'hail-2 / QO-100 Talks Streamed Live Today
by M5AKA 14 Apr '19

14 Apr '19

Talks at today's Martlesham Microwave Round Table #MMRT are being streamed live on the web. They includes talks on the Es'hail-2 / QO-100 geostationary satellite. 1245 GMT (1345 BST) David Bowman G0MRF "Equipment for Es’Hail-2 narrowband" 1330 GMT (1430 BST) Noel Matthews G8GTZ "DATV on Es’hail-2" Talk schedule is at http://mmrt.homedns.org/index.php/programme/ Watch live Now at https://batc.org.uk/live/mmrt Trevor M5AKA ---- AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK ----

1 0