February 2008 - Amsat-dc (INACTIVE)

AMSAT Lab volunteers!
by Robert Davis 07 Mar '08

07 Mar '08

All volunteers, It appears we're within about 3 work days of completing the cleanroom at the AMSAT lab in Pocomoke, MD! This is good news for those of us that have spent a year cleaning, scraping, painting, etc. I have just returned from the Orlando Hamcation, where AMSAT had a booth, presentation, Board of Directors meeting and engineering meetings. The entire weekend was very productive. In my absence, J.C., Ray, Steve & Martin worked on the cleanroom. It is really starting to look complete now. Here is the Lab schedule for the next couple of weeks: Sat Feb 16 - Open 9-5. Mon Feb 18 - Open 9-5 (this is President's Day) Sat Feb 23 - Open 9-5. I'm hoping that these dates will conclude the cleanroom effort (which is dependent on us volunteers!). Then, we will begin the Eagle Engineering Unit. This is a flight-like structure we use to verify some things before we are messing with the expensive (and schedule driven) flight unit. It will be taken (incomplete) to the Dayton Hamfest in May. We also have a couple antennas we want to raise... Anyway, all volunteers are welcome! RSVP would be nice, but not required. For directions, map to this intersection: Broad St & Pocomoke Belt Pocomoke City, MD 21851 If you have any questions, email me at KF4KSS(a)amsat.org or call my cell 443-783-7794. 73 bob Robert Davis KF4KSS

1 3

Re: March 15 is the Date
by Pat Kilroy 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

Hi Tom, Thank you for trying! I will look forward to seeing you on March 15 with the great demo stuff. I will have some of my stuff to demo from my balloon experiment of last July, so it will work out very good. Please remind me off-line if you also would like a 10-min, 20-min or 30-min time slot including QnA for a talk, and if you need a PC or LCD projector for the presentation. Thanks again! Cheers, Pat N8PK > -----Original Message----- > From: Tom Azlin, N4ZPT [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 10:12 AM > To: pat(a)patkilroy.com > Cc: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org > Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] March 15 is the Date > > Hi Pat, > > Well, I messed that up. Printed them but at 5:45 AM forgot to pick up > the stack of fliers off of the printer. Was a good fest. We sold out on > tables, had a full tailgate areas, and more attendees than last several > years. (Last year we were snowed out.) > > The remains of the balloon, the parachute and the payloads were on > display. Got quite a few questions. > > Anyway, I will be there on the 15th. > > 73, Tom n4zpt > > Pat Kilroy wrote: > > Hi Tom, > > > > Thanks for your message. My e-mail was down on > > Wednesday, Feb 6 and did not come back up until > > 13 days later! > > > > Thank you for offering to pass out the fliers, > > that's great! Getting the word out is one > > of our greatest needs. > > > > As you can see from the flier and the official > > announcement blurb, we include high-altitude > > balloon experiments in the local AMSAT stuff. > > > > I'm not sure how late the amsat meeting will > > go; likely not passed 5 P.M. Then again, > > we may not have enough presenters to get > > us THAT far into the afternoon. But then > > again, in the past people have come come > > forward only in the few days before hand. > > So your offer is most appreciated this > > weekend! > > > > Have a good hamfest and thank you again > > for all your support (and all the cool > > ham activities you do in our area). > > > > Cheers, > > > > Pat > > N8PK > > > > http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc > > http://patkilroy.com/simsat

1 0

Re: March 15 is the Date
by Pat Kilroy 27 Feb '08

27 Feb '08

Hi Tom, Thanks for your message. My e-mail was down on Wednesday, Feb 6 and did not come back up until 13 days later! Thank you for offering to pass out the fliers, that's great! Getting the word out is one of our greatest needs. As you can see from the flier and the official announcement blurb, we include high-altitude balloon experiments in the local AMSAT stuff. I'm not sure how late the amsat meeting will go; likely not passed 5 P.M. Then again, we may not have enough presenters to get us THAT far into the afternoon. But then again, in the past people have come come forward only in the few days before hand. So your offer is most appreciated this weekend! Have a good hamfest and thank you again for all your support (and all the cool ham activities you do in our area). Cheers, Pat N8PK http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc http://patkilroy.com/simsat > -----Original Message----- > From: Tom Azlin, N4ZPT [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 12:03 PM > To: pat(a)patkilroy.com > Cc: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org > Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] March 15 is the Date > > Hi Pat. > > I will print copies of the brochure and put them out at Winterfest and > put them on one of the Vienna Wireless Society tables. Probably next to > our VWS-5 and VWS-6 balloon display. > > I will be happy to stay and help with cleanup. Will have to get some > supper depending on how late that runs. > > And as I mentioned before I would be happy to bring our high altitude > balloon flight hardware and the remains of our last balloon as part of a > show and tell. Not a satellite, but perhaps if you have room. > > 73, Tom n4zpt > > Pat Kilroy wrote: > > Hi guys, > > > > We have about three weeks until our local > > AMSAT meeting and space seminar. Here is > > my status report. > > > > We have three speakers lined up and one > > demo. > > > > I have two (maybe three) volunteers lined > > up, but with a list of nearly twenty tasks > > not filled. The entire list is shown on > > the http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc web > > page. > > > > Are we okay with this? > > > > Your thoughts and advice will be greatly > > appreciated on this amsat-dc mail list. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Pat Kilroy, N8PK > > host > > > > > > Pat Kilroy > > pat(a)patkilroy.com

5 4

Re: AMSAT and Scouting
by Pat Kilroy 26 Feb '08

26 Feb '08

http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/ariss/ariss_news.php Hello Rob, Thanks for your message. I am copying this message to the local AMSAT mail list which serves the greater Maryland-D.C. area to check on such interest. HELLO AMSAT-DC! PLEASE SEE ROB'S MESSAGE BELOW. If you would like more info on the subject or would like to participate (presumably using Amateur Satellites but not necessarily) then please contact Rob N1FSK through his e-mail address robhoitt(a)gmail.com If you can offer any helpful advice, or know of any related activities that might be of value to him or the scouts, then please do contact Rob today. Thank you all! Sincerely, Pat N8PK > -----Original Message----- > From: Rob Hoitt [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 05:00 PM > To: pat(a)patkilroy.com > Subject: AMSAT and Scouting > > Pat; > > I wanted to take a moment and let you know about a great opportunity to > promote AMSAT that is coming up later on this year. The 51st Jamboree On The > Air, JOTA will be happening on the weekend of October 18th, 2008, and this > year, the National Capital Area (Boy Scout) Council will be hosting a JOTA > site at Camp William Snyder in Haymarket, VA. While JOTA is an annual event, > this year marks the first time in many years that the Washington, DC area > has had a JOTA site, and we hope that this will become an annual event here > in DC. > > What we are looking to do is have stations that the Scouts can visit and > learn about different facets of Amateur Radio and hopefully develop a > lifelong interest in Amateur Radio. I had the pleasure of helping out last > October at the AMSAT booth that was set up at the National Air and Space > Museum for the Sputnik anniversary, and that type of display was exactly > what would work well for this type of event. Camp Snyer has a beautiful > training facility that would be perfect for this purpose. > > Could you find out if there are folks in the area who would be interested > in volunteering for this event? I think the benefits that this event will > offer to both AMSAT and the NCAC will be well worth the time invested. > > Many thanks, and very 73! > > -- > Rob Hoitt, N1FSK > International Committee, NCAC > robhoitt(a)gmail.com >

1 0

Re: March 15 is the Date
by Pat Kilroy 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Hi David, Thanks for your message. Yes, we will be glad to have you, your presentation, your demo and -- yummy -- all the food that you'd like to bring. (Tnx!) Let's work off-line about how much time to allocate (pse keep it short) and what you need as far as A/V equipment, electricity, and any other need to help make it so. Thank you again. Cheers, Pat N8PK > -----Original Message----- > From: David Bern [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 09:40 AM > To: pat(a)patkilroy.com > Cc: w2gps(a)cnssys.com, amsat-dc(a)amsat.org, 'Adam Bern' > Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] Re: March 15 is the Date > > Pat: > > If Rick does not want to talk forever I could give an update on the > *Montgomery College Parabolic Antenna Project* talk I gave in the 2005 > AMSAT-DC meeting. If you want me to talk let me know soon so I could > update my presentation and get all my photos together. I also have a > sample dish I could bring in that one of my student teams made. > > Also, I was thinking of bring the biggest Stouffer's Lasagna I could > find. I would bake it in the morning and it should stay warm until we > eat. Is that okay? > > David W2LNX > > > w2gps(a)cnssys.com wrote: > > Pat, > > > > Sign up all the presenters you can. I will fill in the rest of the time, if > > any. As you know, I can talk forever! I hope this offer will encourage > > others to sign up to present so I don't have to talk for long. > > > > Rick > > W2GPS > > AMSAT President > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: amsat-dc-bounces(a)amsat.org [mailto:[email protected]] On > > Behalf Of Pat Kilroy > > Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 11:39 AM > > To: Tom Azlin, N4ZPT > > Cc: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org > > Subject: [amsat-dc] Re: March 15 is the Date > > > > Hi Tom, > > > > Thanks for your message. My e-mail was down on > > Wednesday, Feb 6 and did not come back up until > > 13 days later! > > > > Thank you for offering to pass out the fliers, > > that's great! Getting the word out is one > > of our greatest needs. > > > > As you can see from the flier and the official > > announcement blurb, we include high-altitude > > balloon experiments in the local AMSAT stuff. > > > > I'm not sure how late the amsat meeting will > > go; likely not passed 5 P.M. Then again, > > we may not have enough presenters to get > > us THAT far into the afternoon. But then > > again, in the past people have come come > > forward only in the few days before hand. > > So your offer is most appreciated this > > weekend! > > > > Have a good hamfest and thank you again > > for all your support (and all the cool > > ham activities you do in our area). > > > > Cheers, > > > > Pat > > N8PK > > > > http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc > > http://patkilroy.com/simsat > > > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Tom Azlin, N4ZPT [mailto:[email protected]] > >> Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 12:03 PM > >> To: pat(a)patkilroy.com > >> Cc: amsat-dc(a)amsat.org > >> Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] March 15 is the Date > >> > >> Hi Pat. > >> > >> I will print copies of the brochure and put them out at Winterfest and > >> put them on one of the Vienna Wireless Society tables. Probably next to > >> our VWS-5 and VWS-6 balloon display. > >> > >> I will be happy to stay and help with cleanup. Will have to get some > >> supper depending on how late that runs. > >> > >> And as I mentioned before I would be happy to bring our high altitude > >> balloon flight hardware and the remains of our last balloon as part of a > >> show and tell. Not a satellite, but perhaps if you have room. > >> > >> 73, Tom n4zpt > >> > >> Pat Kilroy wrote: > >> > >>> Hi guys, > >>> > >>> We have about three weeks until our local > >>> AMSAT meeting and space seminar. Here is > >>> my status report. > >>> > >>> We have three speakers lined up and one > >>> demo. > >>> > >>> I have two (maybe three) volunteers lined > >>> up, but with a list of nearly twenty tasks > >>> not filled. The entire list is shown on > >>> the http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc web > >>> page. > >>> > >>> Are we okay with this? > >>> > >>> Your thoughts and advice will be greatly > >>> appreciated on this amsat-dc mail list. > >>> > >>> Thanks, > >>> > >>> Pat Kilroy, N8PK > >>> host > >>> > >>> > >>> Pat Kilroy > >>> pat(a)patkilroy.com > >>> > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Via the AMSAT-DC mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA > > AMSAT-DC(a)amsat.org > > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-dc > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Via the AMSAT-DC mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA > > AMSAT-DC(a)amsat.org > > http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-dc > > > >

1 0

Re: March 15 is the Date
by Pat Kilroy 25 Feb '08

25 Feb '08

Hi Bob, Good to hear from you again! Your topics are excellent. May I sign you up for a total of 30 minutes? We want to keep things rolling at a quick pace, even if we have too few presentations. (After all, you know at some conferences, for example the Small Sat Conference, no talk goes over ten minutes -- and the speakers manage to get in a whopping amount of excitement in such a short time!) Let me know off-line what A/V, electricity and other requirements you have so I can help make it happen. Thank you very much, Pat N8PK > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Davis [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, February 24, 2008 03:42 AM > To: 'Rick Hambly (W2GPS)' > Cc: pat(a)patkilroy.com, amsat-dc(a)amsat.org > Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] Re: March 15 is the Date > > Rick, brilliant strategy! > Pat, please sign me up to talk about the Pocomoke lab (30 minutes), and > SuitSat 2 on HASP (student balloon payload) (10 minutes). > bob > Robert Davis > KF4KSS > > > On 2/23/08, Rick Hambly (W2GPS) <w2gps(a)cnssys.com> wrote: > > > > Pat, > > > > Sign up all the presenters you can. I will fill in the rest of the time, > > if > > any. As you know, I can talk forever! I hope this offer will encourage > > others to sign up to present so I don't have to talk for long. > > > > Rick > > W2GPS > > AMSAT President

1 0

Re: March 15 is the Date
by Pat Kilroy 23 Feb '08

23 Feb '08

Wow, Tom, Those are simply amazing! Yes, please DO bring the hardware demos, and I will make sure you have a presenter's slot or two as well! Oh, let me know if you need anything other than standard 120V AC to make it happen. I will bring an agile 2m handheld too! Thank you, Pat N8PK -----Original Message----- From: Tom Clark, K3IO [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 04:35 PM To: pat(a)patkilroy.com Cc: 'AMSAT-DC' Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] March 15 is the Date Pat Kilroy wrote: >Hi guys, We have about three weeks until our local AMSAT meeting > and space seminar. Here is my status report In case you would be interested, I have a new project in the worksthat enables a low-cost, accurate computer controlled antennapositioner. This is NOT another computer interfacethat uses potentiometers inside the rotor --- all control is digital. I'm getting about 1° accuracy in both az & el, and it is quite suitable for small (~1m) dishes and/or small yagis. Not sure of the final costs yet, but a 2-axis rotor system with controller should cost <$250. Also, I think we will be in the position to demonstrate a functioning bench-board prototype of the Suitsat-2 SDX transponder on the air. People should be prepared to TX on 70 cm (435.9) & RX on 2M (either 144.35 or 435.90 TBD). 73, Tom

1 0

Re: March 15 is the Date
by Tom Clark, K3IO 23 Feb '08

23 Feb '08

Pat Kilroy wrote: > Hi guys, > > We have about three weeks until our local > AMSAT meeting and space seminar. Here is > my status report. > In case you would be interested, I have a new project in the works that enables a low-cost, accurate computer controlled antenna positioner. This is NOT just another analog computer interface that uses potentiometers inside the rotor --- all control is digital. I'm getting about 1° accuracy in both az & el, and it is quite suitable for small (~1M) dishes and/or small yagis. Not sure of the final costs yet, but a 2-axis rotor system with controller should cost <$250, with all the hard parts purchasable with plastic over the internet. Also, I think we (N4HY, W2GPS & I) will be in the position to demonstrate a functioning breadboard prototype of the Suitsat-2 SDX transponder on the air. People should be prepared to TX on 70 cm (435.9) & RX on 2M (either 144.35 or 435.90 TBD). 73, Tom

1 0

March 15 is the Date
by Pat Kilroy 22 Feb '08

22 Feb '08

Hi guys, We have about three weeks until our local AMSAT meeting and space seminar. Here is my status report. We have three speakers lined up and one demo. I have two (maybe three) volunteers lined up, but with a list of nearly twenty tasks not filled. The entire list is shown on the http://patkilroy.com/smsat-dc web page. Are we okay with this? Your thoughts and advice will be greatly appreciated on this amsat-dc mail list. Thanks, Pat Kilroy, N8PK host Pat Kilroy pat(a)patkilroy.com

2 1

Anybody want a surplused HughesNet setup?
by Will Marchant 20 Feb '08

20 Feb '08

We're out in the sticks so to get decent Internet access we had to get a bi-directional satellite dish from HughesNet. We recently had technical problems and they forced us to upgrade all our hardware. They abandoned all the old stuff here. So I've got a surplused 0.8 meter dish with feedhorn electronics and a modem. The installer that came out thinks it was the surge protectors that the original installer put onto the cable harness. He suspects all the electronics are fine. The dish has a scrape where the siding guys managed to scratch it. The dish has a pipe-mount on the back. (You'd have to supply your own pipe and concrete. 8) There is no harness as they reused all the old cabling in the new installation. I'm just looking to get it out of the yard and into a good home, I don't need money for it. But you need to come out to Warrenton, VA to pick it up! Since this is old stuff I don't think that HughesNet will let you commission it. But I suspect somebody could turn it into a setup for the ham-sats. 73, Will -- Will Marchant, NAR 13356, Tripoli 10125 L3, FBIS kc6rol(a)amsat.org http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/will/

1 0