Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences
Sounds like it would make a great Journal article!
73, Drew KO4MA
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 17, 2014, at 12:05 PM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sounds like it would make a great Journal article!
73, Drew KO4MA
I can use the photos on Andrew's K5UTD album plus send any additional photos, captions, description to either [email protected] or [email protected].
This invitation is for all of your stations. One bit of feedback I have received often in the past is the guys like to see how someone else built their station ... or, how/when/where they operate from.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM [email protected] Editor, AMSAT Journal
--- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com
Good luck from the CAPE team at the University of Louisiana
Nick W5UL
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrew Koenig Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 11:06 AM To: AMSAT-BB Subject: [amsat-bb] K5UTD Is On The Air
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as they are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there, finding time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on the station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Nick and Bryce,
In another email, Bruce (KK5DO) mentioned trying to get all of the college stations on the air for a few passes. Let me know if you'd be interested. I suggest we time it somewhere around School Club Roundup.
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 4:35 PM, Bryce Salmi [email protected] wrote:
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as they are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there, finding time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on the station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
In the not so distant past, in a galaxy not so far away, we had college satellite night the first Thursday of the month.
73, Drew KO4MA
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 17, 2014, at 5:52 PM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Nick and Bryce,
In another email, Bruce (KK5DO) mentioned trying to get all of the college stations on the air for a few passes. Let me know if you'd be interested. I suggest we time it somewhere around School Club Roundup.
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 4:35 PM, Bryce Salmi [email protected] wrote:
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as they are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there, finding time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on the station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Andrew Koenig _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I just hope their signals are clean! :>) Just joking!
UTD, actually UTDIRICC (University of Texas, at Dallas, in Richardson, in Collin County) is located about 1-mile, straight west, of my house.
UTD is NOT located in Dallas! It is in Richardson, Texas, former home of the "new" corporate headquarters of the Collins Radio Company. UTD started as the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies / TAGER (The Association for Graduate Engineering Research) and when that facility became associated with the University of Texas System, J. Erik Jonsson, the top official of TAGER , was the CEO of Texas Instruments and was also a former mayor of the City of Dallas. Jonsson insisted that the new university be called the University of Texas at Dallas and not, like with other University of Texas campuses, be associated with the city in which the university is actually located. As such, the university is not the University of Texas at Richardson. The main university complex is not even in Dallas County! It is in Collin County. Glen, K9STH
Website: http://k9sth.com On Thursday, April 17, 2014 5:16 PM, Andrew Glasbrenner [email protected] wrote:
In the not so distant past, in a galaxy not so far away, we had college satellite night the first Thursday of the month.
73, Drew KO4MA
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 17, 2014, at 5:52 PM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Nick and Bryce,
In another email, Bruce (KK5DO) mentioned trying to get all of the college stations on the air for a few passes. Let me know if you'd be interested. I suggest we time it somewhere around School Club Roundup.
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 4:35 PM, Bryce Salmi [email protected] wrote:
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as they are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there, finding time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on the station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Andrew Koenig _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Glen,
While technically not in Dallas, I will argue that it is partially in Dallas County. See the image linked below. Our antennas are <100 feet from Dallas County, according to Google Earth.
The only thing left of TAGER is the TAGER tower, and from what I hear, they want to take it down. It's sad, as the tower is hosting 1 repeater, and might be hosting a second in the near future.
Feel free to drop by on our repeater 145.43- 110.9. It's typically used by K5UTD club members and a few TI guys.
http://i.imgur.com/imcazFj.jpg
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 8:39 PM, Glen Zook [email protected] wrote:
I just hope their signals are clean! :>) Just joking!
UTD, actually UTDIRICC (University of Texas, at Dallas, in Richardson, in Collin County) is located about 1-mile, straight west, of my house.
UTD is NOT located in Dallas! It is in Richardson, Texas, former home of the "new" corporate headquarters of the Collins Radio Company. UTD started as the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies / TAGER (The Association for Graduate Engineering Research) and when that facility became associated with the University of Texas System, J. Erik Jonsson, the top official of TAGER , was the CEO of Texas Instruments and was also a former mayor of the City of Dallas. Jonsson insisted that the new university be called the University of Texas at Dallas and not, like with other University of Texas campuses, be associated with the city in which the university is actually located. As such, the university is not the University of Texas at Richardson.
The main university complex is not even in Dallas County! It is in Collin County.
Glen, K9STH
Website: http://k9sth.com On Thursday, April 17, 2014 5:16 PM, Andrew Glasbrenner < [email protected]> wrote: In the not so distant past, in a galaxy not so far away, we had college satellite night the first Thursday of the month.
73, Drew KO4MA
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 17, 2014, at 5:52 PM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Nick and Bryce,
In another email, Bruce (KK5DO) mentioned trying to get all of the
college
stations on the air for a few passes. Let me know if you'd be
interested. I
suggest we time it somewhere around School Club Roundup.
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 4:35 PM, Bryce Salmi [email protected]
wrote:
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as
they
are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there,
finding
time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on
the
station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected]
wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our
satellite
station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get
the
job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as
we
had to collect the parts from various people and build several
components
on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no
other
club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for
our
rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to
do
with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed
with an
update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of
luck,
we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of
Davis
Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be
more
active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking
out
some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other
goals
for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the
author.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Andrew Koenig _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Let crank up on ECHO LINK
nick -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrew Glasbrenner Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 5:10 PM To: Andrew Koenig Cc: AMSAT-BB Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: K5UTD Is On The Air
In the not so distant past, in a galaxy not so far away, we had college satellite night the first Thursday of the month.
73, Drew KO4MA
Sent from my iPhone
On Apr 17, 2014, at 5:52 PM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Nick and Bryce,
In another email, Bruce (KK5DO) mentioned trying to get all of the college stations on the air for a few passes. Let me know if you'd be interested. I suggest we time it somewhere around School Club Roundup.
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 4:35 PM, Bryce Salmi [email protected]
wrote:
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as they are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there, finding time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on the station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric
projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Andrew Koenig _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Count us in
nick
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Andrew Koenig Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2014 4:53 PM To: [email protected] Cc: AMSAT-BB Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: K5UTD Is On The Air
Nick and Bryce,
In another email, Bruce (KK5DO) mentioned trying to get all of the college stations on the air for a few passes. Let me know if you'd be interested. I suggest we time it somewhere around School Club Roundup.
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 4:35 PM, Bryce Salmi [email protected] wrote:
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as they are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there, finding time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on the station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Andrew Koenig _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I am no longer at RIT, I've graduated and moved 2,500 miles away (Los Angeles, CA). I know K2GXT is still quite active, their website has up to date contact info!
Andrew, I remember those Thursdays. The schedule did not work out well for quarter system at RIT. Most of us had homework/exams all due on Wednesday and Friday so Thursday was the day you did all the prep for Friday stuff if you had to push it off due to Wednesday due dates... Argh! Thanks for hosting them non-the-less!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 2:52 PM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Nick and Bryce,
In another email, Bruce (KK5DO) mentioned trying to get all of the college stations on the air for a few passes. Let me know if you'd be interested. I suggest we time it somewhere around School Club Roundup.
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 4:35 PM, Bryce Salmi [email protected]wrote:
Hey Andrew!
If your college club is active definitely check out K2GXT (Rochester Institute of Technology) http://www.rit.edu/sg/amateurradioclub/ as they are very active. Theres a semi-functional satellite station there, finding time to finish it was the hardest part. Give them an email! Congrats on the station!
Bryce KB1LQC
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:05 AM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
-- Andrew Koenig
Nice project!
Just curious, what did you do for lightning protection?
Greg KO6TH
Andrew Koenig wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Greg,
At this point in time, we're entirely grounded to the building's Franklin loop. Although this is probably adequate, it's not quite up to our standards. We don't have any lightning arrestors on our coax (yet), but it's on the shopping list for Ham-Com and Dayton. They're not high, but also not low priority. When we do get some, they'll likely be mounted near our preamp box.
73's de KE5GDB
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:28 PM, Greg D [email protected] wrote:
Nice project!
Just curious, what did you do for lightning protection?
Greg KO6TH
Andrew Koenig wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Some of the newer buildings do now overlap into Dallas County. But, for decades, there was absolutely nothing outside of Collin County.
You really don't need lightning arrestors on the coaxial cables. The primary thing that they do is to get the shield of the coaxial cable grounded and there are MUCH cheaper ways of doing that. Andrew, for their Heliax brand cable, used clamps to the shield with a conductor attached and nothing else. I will attach a photograph of a means to get the shields grounded that costs under $1.00 per cable in a separate E-Mail to you. Glen, K9STH
Website: http://k9sth.com On Thursday, April 17, 2014 10:14 PM, Andrew Koenig [email protected] wrote:
Greg,
At this point in time, we're entirely grounded to the building's Franklin loop. Although this is probably adequate, it's not quite up to our standards. We don't have any lightning arrestors on our coax (yet), but it's on the shopping list for Ham-Com and Dayton. They're not high, but also not low priority. When we do get some, they'll likely be mounted near our preamp box.
73's de KE5GDB
On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 9:28 PM, Greg D [email protected] wrote:
Nice project!
Just curious, what did you do for lightning protection?
Greg KO6TH
Andrew Koenig wrote:
Hello Group!
After about 6 months of work, I'm proud to say that the K5UTD Amateur Radio Club (University of Texas at Dallas) has finished setting up our satellite station. Typically it should take a weekend and a case of beer to get the job done, but this required a little more planning and involvement as we had to collect the parts from various people and build several components on our own; not to mention the fact that we get side-tracked like no other club. For example, an effort to get the rotor controller resulted in moving about four truckloads worth of gear.
We're using an FT-847 for our primary radio, and a Kenpro G-5400 for our rotor system. We've interfaced the G-5400 to the computer using an Arduino. It works rather well with GPredict. The final bug in the system has to do with GPredict talking to the '847, but that should be easily fixed with an update.
The antennas are on the roof of our Engineering and Computer Science building, about 20 feet off the roof, 70 feet above ground. Out of luck, we had a GlenMartin RT-936 and the associated non-penetrating mount just hanging out in our closet. Carrying the 50 cinder blocks up to the roof for that mount was not fun though. Coax wise, we have about 20 feet of Davis Bury-flex for our initial run, which then feeds some very nice ARR preamps. The final 200 foot run of coax to the shack is 1/2" Heliax. There are a few jumpers here in the shack too.
I was able to make a few contacts through SO-50 today, and plan to be more active. With the help of DK3WN's SatBlog, I've had no trouble picking out some cubesats and listening to the beacons and telemetry. Telemetry collection is one of the primary goals for this station. Our other goals for this station, aside from having fun on the air, are to get club recognition on campus and to work with the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences on upper atmospheric projects.
Station photos: http://imgur.com/a/6TGOJ
Also, if you know a member of the former TI club, give them a hug (or handshake) on our behalf. None of the current K5UTD projects could have been possible without them.
73! Andrew Koenig, KE5GDB Vice President, K5UTD Research Assistant, Center for Space Sciences _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (7)
-
Andrew Glasbrenner -
Andrew Koenig -
Bryce Salmi -
Glen Zook -
Greg D -
JoAnne Maenpaa -
Nick Pugh K5QXJ