January 2013 - Amsat-dc (INACTIVE)

AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 (Planning 1.0)
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 19 Feb '13

19 Feb '13

Dear Bruce WA3SWJ, Dan N8FGV, Steve KS1G and all, May I run a few things by you for your advice and comments regarding our coming spring work- shop? 1. I got a blurb into the next AMSAT Journal that members will see in their snail mail boxes soon. Page 13, nice! We are official. ;-) (See the basic info about this crazy idea below from an earlier post on our amsat-dc list if you need a reminder of the vision of this workshop.) JoAnne was great in helping to make this so. Yayyyy! The day will be lots of fun! 2. Since the workshop will be on site at Goddard, I will need to get every single person's name, nationality and current town of residence into the NASA Goddard security folks so they can make a one-day non-escorted badge for each participant. Unfortunately, we need to emphasize to people to register even if they are not sure they can make it, because registration will close about a week before the event. This is NOT like your weekend hamfest! Problems? Any who wish to attend who are NOT a USA citizen may do so ONLY AS LONG AS they contact me before February 15, because there are special procedures in place to make this so. And they must follow them within other deadlines. Unfortunately, NO exceptions to this procedure. Bonus: there will be NO FEE to use the facilities. YOUR tax dollars at work! But BTW, in the news today, the fiscal cliff has been pushed off until March 1. Our use of the facilities ARE CONTINGENT on these circumstances, and others. Can we accept these caveats? 3. Price Stucture. Trade study/options. In rough order of logic or importance, kinda. . . . OPTION A. No charge to anyone. No coffee in the morning. No lunch on site. No frills. The lunch break would be at noon, normally for an hour. But to get everyone back, on time, will be a disruptive pain. (Been there.) I'd like to end the event by, say, 3:30 PM or what ever you think. (Based on a 9:00 AM start time?) I beleive an off site lunch break will put a damper on our progress. OPTION B. A modest donation requested. $20? That will get us coffee/tea/juice in the morning and Subway sandwiches (catered) with sodas at noonish, enjoyed in place (but not near one's satellite hardware, of course). The event goes through lunch unbroken. We will need a point of contact, actually two. One to collect the money and one to take care of the food, condiments, utinsils, cups, napkins, set up tables, etc. Can you volunteer yourself? Or better yet, have your wife/GF/significant other volunteer to work the food issues? That would be awesome! OPTION C. If we request a donation for admission, then "what if" it is structured? That is, shall we consider a main donation of, say, $25 for "normal" admission, and a lesser fee for either students or for those who bring at least three ("significant") hardware items to set up, show and discuss with others? The lifeblood of this event will be having at least ten stations set up for show and tell. Perhaps an offset of the requested donation amount will encourage people to bring stuff. Thoughts?? OPTION D. Shall we hold one or more raffles or silent auctions? That is, shall we invest in a FUNcube Dongle Pro+, an ARROW antenna or an Elk antenna and then make available raffle tickets? Or a written auction with a minimum donation request? If so, we will need a volunteer to run with this. (I can offer some seed money and accept some risk, but I need to delegate this to a trustworthy individual.) Volunteer? Thoughts? Any leftover dollars can be either donated directly back to AMSAT-NA or invested in needs for a workshop next year. 4. It looks like we are set with the date of Saturday, March 23, with no rain date. We can still set the time. Open doors at 9:00 AM for those who need to set up? With the "program" to begin at 10:00 AM? Or later? Shall we advertise that the program ends at 3:30 PM? Or earlier? Or later? 5. Shall we solicit formal talks or presen- tations too? (I was not planning this initially.) Limit the talk time to ten minutes? Sixty minutes? Then we ought to delegate an individual to coordinate the presenters in advance? Volunteer? Otherwise, No formal talks, but allow individuals to address the group as issues come up at the tables? No volunteer needed to coordinate this. I can probably do it on the fly during the event. 6. I will set up a table with my humble but growing portable satellite station on the evening before the event. Would anyone like to join me, either to move MY gear, or move in YOUR own gear? That way, I/we will be free in the morning to help or direct others as needed. 7. We want this to be a successful workshop. What other important framework item needs to be discussed? Thoughts? Thank you for your support! Cheers, Pat N8PK Mr. Patrick L. Kilroy Integration & Test Manager NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Building 5, Mail Code 568 Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 Phone: +1-301-286-1984 E-mail: Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov Web: http://simsat.net/ (outreach) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 17:32:03 -0500 From: Stephan Greene <ks1g04(a)gmail.com> Cc: "amsat-dc(a)amsat.org" <amsat-dc(a)amsat.org> Subject: [amsat-dc] Re: AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 Proposed Excellent idea! I'm unsure if I can make the entire day or at all but I am very interested. Besides the Arrow & the semi-portable setup (vehicle required!) I used for Field Day, I have 50% of a homebrew antenna setup - 6 element WA5VJB cheap yagi for 2M (I'll add it works FB for meteor scatter, too!). Need to make a 70cm version and possibly a smaller/more portable 2M. And get back on the birds after tearing the station apart for FD and not putting it all back together! 73 Steve KS1G ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On Thu, Dec 6, 2012 at 11:46 AM, patrick.l.kilroy(a)nasa.gov wrote: > I WISH TO PROPOSE the AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop > 2013, to take place on Saturday, March 23, at > the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in > Greenbelt, Md. It will be a nearly all-day > event. > > "Workshop on Portable Satellite Ground Stations" > > ... is the title, where attendees will learn > about and develop their own portable ground > station and show off their wares which will > feature one or more of the following: > > 1. One's own laptop computer, with appropriate > software installed, such as for satellite tracking, > SDR receiver control, antenna control (optional), > audio recording and any other apps, for example. > > 2. The FUNcube Dongle Pro receiver or equivalent, > emphasizing *receiving* and not including the > transmit side at this particular time. See the > links below for ideas about software, receivers > and antennas. > > 3. Antennas for 146 MHz and 436 MHz with a > mounting means, such as on a camera tripod, small > mast, homebrew PVC, or other portable creation. > Your antennas can be either the Arrow, Elk or > equivalent, or homebrew. Polarization linear or > circular. Antenna Az-El movement can be by hand > or controller (manual activating or automated, > fully or partially). > > Everything, or almost everything, ought to be > designed to run from a 12-volt source of your > choosing. > > Additional details will be determined by a small > humble steering committee that YOU can influence > early on. And speaking of that, . . . > > May I include you, among others, on my steering > committee? If not, that's okay, but I need to > know if you'd like to participate. Can you > bring in some gear to assemble and to show off > to others attending? > > Perhaps we could meet in person, telecon by > phone, or by EchoLink conferencing soon as a > group to further outline this event? > > Foremost, if needed, an alternate date can be > selected, from either March 9 or 16, or moved > into April on a Saturday AFTER the Greater > Baltimore Hamboree and Computerfest of April 6, > as long as we decide in the next week or two. > > Are you in?? > > Can you help organize? Or attend? What might > you bring? > > Thoughts? > > Thanks, > > Pat Kilroy > N8PK > amsat area coordinator > > Links for antenna ideas: > http://arrowantennas.com/ > http://www.elkantennas.com/ > http://www.g6lvb.com/homebrewarrow.htm > http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/crow/index.php > http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/Az_El_Pos.pdf > http://www.wa5vjb.com/references/Cheap%20Antennas-LEOs.pdf > http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/downloads/iROTOR.pdf > http://www.arrl.org/shop/The-ARRL-Satellite-Handbook/ > http://ac6v.com/antprojects.htm > > Links for software ideas: > http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/software.php > http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/ > http://www.moetronix.com/spectravue.htm > http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/faqs/resguide.pdf > http://sdrsharp.com/ > > Links for receiver ideas: > http://www.funcubedongle.com/ > http://www.amsat.org/amsat/intro/sats_faq.html > http://www.funcubedongle.com/MyImages/SpectravueConfigurationForFCD.pdf > http://sdrsharp.com/ > > > "People don't care about how much > we know, until they know how > much we care." - Jack Vieira > ----------------------------------------------------------------------

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New Receiver on Way
by Pat Kilroy 23 Jan '13

23 Jan '13

I AM EXCITED about the new FUNcube Dongle Pro+ receiver (part number FCD2-15). One is on its way right now to my home mailbox, directly from Howard G6LVB in London. Should arrive in two days, perhaps sooner. This is the SDR receiver that I hope to show off at our AMSAT-DC Workshop Spring 2013 coming your way on Saturday, March 23. I expect to be running it with either the SpectraVue or the SDRsharp software. If you would like to "join me" in checking it out and bringing yours with you too then keep track of the FUNcube Dongle Web site. Better yet, don't wait until orders are announced as being re-opened to the public on the main Web page. Go straight to: https://funcubedongle.3dcartstores.com/FUNcube-Dongle-Pro_p_8.html and click the button for "Put me on the waiting list" intent to order. Just fill out your e-mail address. At the same time you might want to create an "account" there with your name and address to save time later. The total cost in today's exchange rate is under $214 (US dollars) including shipping and handling. We do NOT have to pay the VAT (tax), and the ordering site knows that from your address. (I hope I don't need a disclaimer to say that I am not benefiting financially from this "sales" pitch.) FYI, if you want to compare the new features of this receiver with the old then browse these pages: New Specs http://www.funcubedongle.com/?page_id=1201 Old specs http://www.funcubedongle.com/?page_id=74 I trust someone will bring one of the "Cheap and Easy SDR" receiver dongles that was recently featured in QST Magazine (January 2013, page 30, 6 pp), to show us as well. QST Digital Copy: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/arrl/qst_201301/index.php The price range is claimed as being "$20 and up" depending on the features of the specific dongle you choose. A large part of the six pages is dedicated to step-by-step tips to get the SDR# software up and running. This is good for everyone! The other major part of the article covers a construction project which is needed only if you want the expanded frequency coverage of HF. Any takers to dive into this for us?? We'll talk later about antennas and tracking as desired. I am dying to hear about the antennas that folks are using or planning to use, especially if anyone expects to experiment either on a band above 70cm in frequency or with small circular polarization (CP) yagi types. Cheers, Pat N8PK n8pk(a)amsat.org

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NASA Announces Student Internships for Summer
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 14 Jan '13

14 Jan '13

Please pass this bulletin along to students and schools. Thanks! SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-013.01 ANS-013 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 013.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. Januray 3, 2013 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-013.01 [snip] NASA Announces Student Internships for Summer College Level Internships ------------------------- NASA says they are accepting applications for college level summer internship positions among several NASA field centers. "But don't wait until the deadline," advises NASA mentor and fellow AMSAT member, Pat Kilroy, N8PK. "The opportunities to work on a CubeSat team, for example, are exciting but pretty competitive." It is thought that students who know the "AMSAT way" and who have an Amateur Radio license and some hands on experience have a distinct advantage in the midst of such competition. "That worked for me," said Pat. Students can view opportunities and apply for them in one place. To start, the prospective student should go to: https://intern.nasa.gov/ then click the Student Opportunities tab then select Internships, which will bring you to the OSSI:NIFS page describing the overall internship program. Using the Search Opportunities tab from there, scroll down to the bottom for the "Enter keywords" box and enter "cubesat" without the quotes to view the variety of different opportunities in this field. Pat Kilroy will be the lead mentor for two of the opportunities described. The first, under the title of "CubeSat Engineering Design Team Project," applicants are called to develop a CubeSat spacecraft bus (i.e., the solar panel and battery charging, power regulation and distribution "EPS" subsystem, the RF communications "COM" subsystem, the command and data handling/processing avionics "C&DH" subsystem, the attitude determination and control "ADAC" subsystem, and the mechanical structures "MECH" subsystem) and one instrument (i.e., a camera/ telescope payload). Hardware and software skills will be well represented. The team will need a student Systems Engineer as well. Each intern will consult with a NASA engineer in their area of specialty throughout the summer. In the second, under the title "PICetSat Module Development," one or two student interns are called to perform any of a number of tasks, including one to develop a "dual-use" ground station for CubeSats and high-altitude balloon and sounding rocket experiments. This task will involve satellite and balloon tracking, RF systems, test equipment and antennas and antenna control automation. Additional details are available on the OSSI:NIFS site including how to contact the lead mentor for technical questions, and the procedure on how to apply for one of these Goddard Greenbelt positions as well as many others. High School Internship Applications at NASA ------------------------------------------- The application process for high school students to apply for a summer internship can be found on the same OSSI:NIFS Web site as given above for the summer at one of many locations around the country. As noted in the opportunity description already mentioned, up to two local high school seniors will be selected to participate on the CubeSat team in Greenbelt. [ANS thanks NASA for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- [snip]

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Re: AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 (Planning 1.0)
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 11 Jan '13

11 Jan '13

Hi Steve, Thanks for your message too! 2. Thanks, sounds good! The Evite system sounds like a good back up to the one proposed by Bruce WA3SWJ as sponsored (if possible) by the MARC group. . . . Agreed about the cliff! 3. In the development of any price structure, your thoughts were taken into account when I answered Bruce. But, yes, a simplified bag lunch approach is still on the discussion table. . . . Any raffle or auction needs further definition. And a delegate. If no one feels strongly about heading this up then it is okay if we hold the idea until next year. 4. The start time will likely be determined when I lock in a building and room. I am trying to negotiate a space that will allow me to set up my portable station the night before, and then walk around helping others from the get go during the event. 5. Except for the SDR topic (hmmmm) I might suggest to work the presentation issue the other way around. That is, perhaps look for a person to do the speaking, and then go for a hot topic that he/she is likely very good. You know. Tom Clark, Bob Bruninga, John Franke, YOU, Richard Crow, A.J. Farmer, . . . Either way, any of these or any other candidates?? This is a question - like all others - to ALL, not just to whom I am replying. 7. PUBLICITY is very important. Everyone: Please get this event on your local club net, in your newsletters and on your Web pages. The date, location and title is locked in! You can't lose! We need to get the word out. Now! WE LOVE the "cheap yagi" series and I hope more folks build them, especially the CP types! Thank you, thank you, Pat N8PK From: Stephan Greene [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 9:31 PM To: Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 (Planning 1.0) Pat: This is great news! Oh, happy 2013! My thoughts below: 2. Since the workshop will be on site at Goddard, I will need to get every single person's name, nationality and current town of residence into the NASA Goddard security folks so they can make a one-day non-escorted badge for each participant. Unfortunately, we need to emphasize to people to register even if they are not sure they can make it, because registration will close about a week before the event. This is NOT like your weekend hamfest! Problems? None for me. Might cause "issues" with last minute folks. Not much we can do about it vs. the location. Suggest using an online system (Evite?) for self-registration, assuming folks are OK providing the info that way (no SSN or DL number, so I'd think it'd be OK). But BTW, in the news today, the fiscal cliff has been pushed off until March 1. Our use of the facilities ARE CONTINGENT on these circumstances, and others. Can we accept these caveats? Sure. We can write all our congress critters and tell them sequestration of the NASA Goddard budget MUST NOT HAPPEN or a VITAL EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM WILL DIE! (and it's for the children. Or the terrorists will win. Or something.) OTOH, if we go "over", and my contract gets bit, I'll have lots of "free" time to help. And learn to use my FCD Pro+ properly, reassemble the station, start an ebay business making "Cheap Yagis" at a loss (but we'll make it up on volume until MFJ buys us out and PROFIT!), learn to build an Arduino rotor controller, and learn to make lemonade from life's lemons. Ok, I have definitely gotten too punch here. BTW, according to at least one internet source I saw, a group of baboons is called a "congress" (as in a "congress of baboons"). This explains much. 3. Price Structure. Trade study/options. In rough order of logic or importance, kinda. . . . OPTION A. No charge to anyone. No coffee in the morning. No lunch on site. No frills. The lunch break would be at noon, normally for an hour. But to get everyone back, on time, will be a disruptive pain. (Been there.) I'd like to end the event by, say, 3:30 PM or what ever you think. (Based on a 9:00 AM start time?) I beleive an off site lunch break will put a damper on our progress. Agree. Although I am self-contained for ITAR-grade coffee and have the bike-battered thermos to prove it. Try to keep everyone on-site. OPTION B. A modest donation requested. $20? That will get us coffee/tea/juice in the morning and Subway sandwiches (catered) with sodas at noonish, enjoyed in place (but not near one's satellite hardware, of course). The event goes through lunch unbroken. We will need a point of contact, actually two. One to collect the money and one to take care of the food, condiments, utinsils, cups, napkins, set up tables, etc. Can you volunteer yourself? Or better yet, have your wife/GF/significant other volunteer to work the food issues? That would be awesome! Simplify funds collection by linking registration to PayPal? Could work for me. Can't volunteer family for catering support. Option B.1: $5/$10 donation and we provide coffee & breakfast fat pills, soda. People encouraged to pack a bag lunch or they needed to lose some weight anyway. OPTION C. If we request a donation for admission, then "what if" it is structured? That is, shall we consider a main donation of, say, $25 for "normal" admission, and a lesser fee for either students or for those who bring at least three ("significant") hardware items to set up, show and discuss with others? The lifeblood of this event will be having at least ten stations set up for show and tell. Perhaps an offset of the requested donation amount will encourage people to bring stuff. Thoughts?? Hmmm - interesting idea. I'd bring a setup anyway. OPTION D. Shall we hold one or more raffles or silent auctions? That is, shall we invest in a FUNcube Dongle Pro+, an ARROW antenna or an Elk antenna and then make available raffle tickets? Or a written auction with a minimum donation request? If so, we will need a volunteer to run with this. (I can offer some seed money and accept some risk, but I need to delegate this to a trustworthy individual.) Volunteer? Thoughts? I like this idea. I may have some decent equipment to donate (I recently acquired a FCD Pro+, so I have the old FC available if I ever manage to find it!). I could make a contribution towards acquiring an Elk. Do you think AMSAT-NA, Elk, Arrow, AMSAT-UK would donate one or more items? The donation could even be a coupon good for 1 of the relevant item, so no cost to the vendor unless it actually "sells". If we have any items leftover, will there be an AMSAT table at the Baltimore 'fest? I have no personal preference for silent auction vs. raffle. Any leftover dollars can be either donated directly back to AMSAT-NA or invested in needs for a workshop next year. I'd lean towards the donation to AMSAT-NA unless you think we have someplace to place the remaining funds. I would not want to be responsible for securing the balance for 12 months. 4. It looks like we are set with the date of Saturday, March 23, with no rain date. We can still set the time. Open doors at 9:00 AM for those who need to set up? With the "program" to begin at 10:00 AM? Or later? Shall we advertise that the program ends at 3:30 PM? Or earlier? Or later? I think I'm good with that date. I am busy 3/24 (Sunday, running the Reston Half-Marathon, assuming my knees hold up for the next 12 weeks. I realize this belies the stereotypical physically inactive ham/geek. What can I say?), but looks like I can be available all day 3/23. I'd go with 10AM program start, 3:30 wrapup (everyone out by 4-4:30). Could be persuaded to go with a 9AM start (8AM setup). Does GSFC place limits on in/out times? 5. Shall we solicit formal talks or presentations too? (I was not planning this initially.) Limit the talk time to ten minutes? Sixty minutes? Then we ought to delegate an individual to coordinate the presenters in advance? Volunteer? Maybe one or 2. Keep the focus on 1-on-1 idea exchanges and the show & tells. Question would be if it was beginner-focused, or something more "advanced". Otherwise, No formal talks, but allow individuals to address the group as issues come up at the tables? No volunteer needed to coordinate this. I can probably do it on the fly during the event. 6. I will set up a table with my humble but growing portable satellite station on the evening before the event. Would anyone like to join me, either to move MY gear, or move in YOUR own gear? That way, I/we will be free in the morning to help or direct others as needed. Beltway traffic on Fridays. I can be there early on Saturday; but Friday's are usually difficult (unless Ellen wants to go to the West Coast Swing party at Cherry Hill and we can get there for a little while before hand. So don't count on me for this.). 7. We want this to be a successful workshop. What other important framework item needs to be discussed? Publicity. I can talk it up at LARG and SPARC (Loudoun, Sterling). Do we have any contacts for AMRAD, other clubs? I don't know the groups in DC and MD. Website for status, publicity. Facebook page? Periodic mentions in AMSAT email/news, ARRL web site. Thoughts? What I am thinking of doing: * Arrow on tripod (if I get really motivated, convert a bike trailer setup I've been thinking about for VA QSO Party HF mobile). * 2M Cheap Yagi (+70cm if I ever get around to building it!) * FT817 * Maybe my FT857 (allows full duplex linear ops, unless I score an 817 at Vienna Winterfest or figure out how to use an FCD w SatPC32 for RX) * Outboard amp (just in case, yah know) * Funcube Dongle Pro+ (need to get it working) * Netbook running SatPC32 If I get really motivated, sawhorse mounted yaesu az/el + 2M yagi + 70cm circ-polarized (obviously not bike-portable!) Thank you for your support! Cheers, Pat N8PK Mr. Patrick L. Kilroy Integration & Test Manager NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Building 5, Mail Code 568 Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 Phone: +1-301-286-1984<tel:%2B1-301-286-1984> E-mail: Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov<mailto:[email protected]> Web: http://simsat.net/ (outreach) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2012 17:32:03 -0500 From: Stephan Greene <ks1g04(a)gmail.com<mailto:[email protected]>> Cc: "amsat-dc(a)amsat.org<mailto:[email protected]>" <amsat-dc(a)amsat.org<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: [amsat-dc] Re: AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 Proposed Excellent idea! I'm unsure if I can make the entire day or at all but I am very interested. Besides the Arrow & the semi-portable setup (vehicle required!) I used for Field Day, I have 50% of a homebrew antenna setup - 6 element WA5VJB cheap yagi for 2M (I'll add it works FB for meteor scatter, too!). Need to make a 70cm version and possibly a smaller/more portable 2M. And get back on the birds after tearing the station apart for FD and not putting it all back together! 73 Steve KS1G ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Greene ks1g04(a)gmail.com<mailto:[email protected]> <kay ess one gee zero four>@gmail.com<http://gmail.com> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Re: AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 (Planning 1.0) > re-attempt
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) 07 Jan '13

07 Jan '13

Hi Steve, Thanks for your message too! 2. Thanks, sounds good! The Evite system sounds like a good back up to the one proposed by Bruce WA3SWJ as sponsored (if possible) by the MARC group. Bennett Kobb suggested another one possible: Wufoo.com . . . Agreed about the cliff! 3. In the development of any price structure, your thoughts were taken into account when I answered Bruce. But, yes, a simplified bag lunch approach is still on the discussion table. . . . Any raffle or auction needs further definition. And a delegate. If no one feels strongly about heading this up then it is okay if we hold the idea until next year. 4. The start time will likely be determined when I lock in a building and room. I am trying to negotiate a space that will allow me to set up my portable station the night before, and then walk around helping others from the get go during the event. 5. Except for the SDR topic (hmmmm) I might suggest to work the presentation issue the other way around. That is, perhaps look for a person to do the speaking, and then go for a hot topic that he/she is likely very good. You know. Tom Clark, Bob Bruninga, John Franke, YOU, Richard Crow, A.J. Farmer, . . . Either way, any of these or any other candidates?? This is a question - like all others - to ALL, not just to whom I am replying. 7. PUBLICITY is very important. Everyone: Please get this event on your local club net, in your newsletters and on your Web pages. The date, location and title is locked in! You can't lose! We need to get the word out. Now! WE LOVE the "cheap yagi" series and I hope more folks build them, especially the CP types! Thank you, thank you, Pat N8PK From: Stephan Greene [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, January 04, 2013 9:31 PM To: Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-5680) Subject: Re: [amsat-dc] AMSAT-DC Spring Workshop 2013 (Planning 1.0) Pat: This is great news! Oh, happy 2013! My thoughts below: 2. Since the workshop will be on site at Goddard, I will need to get every single person's name, nationality and current town of residence into the NASA Goddard security folks so they can make a one-day non-escorted badge for each participant. Unfortunately, we need to emphasize to people to register even if they are not sure they can make it, because registration will close about a week before the event. This is NOT like your weekend hamfest! Problems? None for me. Might cause "issues" with last minute folks. Not much we can do about it vs. the location. Suggest using an online system (Evite?) for self-registration, assuming folks are OK providing the info that way (no SSN or DL number, so I'd think it'd be OK). But BTW, in the news today, the fiscal cliff has been pushed off until March 1. Our use of the facilities ARE CONTINGENT on these circumstances, and others. Can we accept these caveats? Sure. We can write all our congress critters and tell them sequestration of the NASA Goddard budget MUST NOT HAPPEN or a VITAL EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAM WILL DIE! (and it's for the children. Or the terrorists will win. Or something.) OTOH, if we go "over", and my contract gets bit, I'll have lots of "free" time to help. And learn to use my FCD Pro+ properly, reassemble the station, start an ebay business making "Cheap Yagis" at a loss (but we'll make it up on volume until MFJ buys us out and PROFIT!), learn to build an Arduino rotor controller, and learn to make lemonade from life's lemons. Ok, I have definitely gotten too punch here. BTW, according to at least one internet source I saw, a group of baboons is called a "congress" (as in a "congress of baboons"). This explains much. 3. Price Structure. Trade study/options. In rough order of logic or importance, kinda. . . . OPTION A. No charge to anyone. No coffee in the morning. No lunch on site. No frills. The lunch break would be at noon, normally for an hour. But to get everyone back, on time, will be a disruptive pain. (Been there.) I'd like to end the event by, say, 3:30 PM or what ever you think. (Based on a 9:00 AM start time?) I beleive an off site lunch break will put a damper on our progress. Agree. Although I am self-contained for ITAR-grade coffee and have the bike-battered thermos to prove it. Try to keep everyone on-site. OPTION B. A modest donation requested. $20? That will get us coffee/tea/juice in the morning and Subway sandwiches (catered) with sodas at noonish, enjoyed in place (but not near one's satellite hardware, of course). The event goes through lunch unbroken. We will need a point of contact, actually two. One to collect the money and one to take care of the food, condiments, utinsils, cups, napkins, set up tables, etc. Can you volunteer yourself? Or better yet, have your wife/GF/significant other volunteer to work the food issues? That would be awesome! Simplify funds collection by linking registration to PayPal? Could work for me. Can't volunteer family for catering support. Option B.1: $5/$10 donation and we provide coffee & breakfast fat pills, soda. People encouraged to pack a bag lunch or they needed to lose some weight anyway. OPTION C. If we request a donation for admission, then "what if" it is structured? That is, shall we consider a main donation of, say, $25 for "normal" admission, and a lesser fee for either students or for those who bring at least three ("significant") hardware items to set up, show and discuss with others? The lifeblood of this event will be having at least ten stations set up for show and tell. Perhaps an offset of the requested donation amount will encourage people to bring stuff. Thoughts?? Hmmm - interesting idea. I'd bring a setup anyway. OPTION D. Shall we hold one or more raffles or silent auctions? That is, shall we invest in a FUNcube Dongle Pro+, an ARROW antenna or an Elk antenna and then make available raffle tickets? Or a written auction with a minimum donation request? If so, we will need a volunteer to run with this. (I can offer some seed money and accept some risk, but I need to delegate this to a trustworthy individual.) Volunteer? Thoughts? I like this idea. I may have some decent equipment to donate (I recently acquired a FCD Pro+, so I have the old FC available if I ever manage to find it!). I could make a contribution towards acquiring an Elk. Do you think AMSAT-NA, Elk, Arrow, AMSAT-UK would donate one or more items? The donation could even be a coupon good for 1 of the relevant item, so no cost to the vendor unless it actually "sells". If we have any items leftover, will there be an AMSAT table at the Baltimore 'fest? I have no personal preference for silent auction vs. raffle. Any leftover dollars can be either donated directly back to AMSAT-NA or invested in needs for a workshop next year. I'd lean towards the donation to AMSAT-NA unless you think we have someplace to place the remaining funds. I would not want to be responsible for securing the balance for 12 months. 4. It looks like we are set with the date of Saturday, March 23, with no rain date. We can still set the time. Open doors at 9:00 AM for those who need to set up? With the "program" to begin at 10:00 AM? Or later? Shall we advertise that the program ends at 3:30 PM? Or earlier? Or later? I think I'm good with that date. I am busy 3/24 (Sunday, running the Reston Half-Marathon, assuming my knees hold up for the next 12 weeks. I realize this belies the stereotypical physically inactive ham/geek. What can I say?), but looks like I can be available all day 3/23. I'd go with 10AM program start, 3:30 wrapup (everyone out by 4-4:30). Could be persuaded to go with a 9AM start (8AM setup). Does GSFC place limits on in/out times? 5. Shall we solicit formal talks or presentations too? (I was not planning this initially.) Limit the talk time to ten minutes? Sixty minutes? Then we ought to delegate an individual to coordinate the presenters in advance? Volunteer? Maybe one or 2. Keep the focus on 1-on-1 idea exchanges and the show & tells. Question would be if it was beginner-focused, or something more "advanced". Otherwise, No formal talks, but allow individuals to address the group as issues come up at the tables? No volunteer needed to coordinate this. I can probably do it on the fly during the event. 6. I will set up a table with my humble but growing portable satellite station on the evening before the event. Would anyone like to join me, either to move MY gear, or move in YOUR own gear? That way, I/we will be free in the morning to help or direct others as needed. Beltway traffic on Fridays. I can be there early on Saturday; but Friday's are usually difficult (unless Ellen wants to go to the West Coast Swing party at Cherry Hill and we can get there for a little while before hand. So don't count on me for this.). 7. We want this to be a successful workshop. What other important framework item needs to be discussed? Publicity. I can talk it up at LARG and SPARC (Loudoun, Sterling). Do we have any contacts for AMRAD, other clubs? I don't know the groups in DC and MD. Website for status, publicity. Facebook page? Periodic mentions in AMSAT email/news, ARRL web site. Thoughts? What I am thinking of doing: * Arrow on tripod (if I get really motivated, convert a bike trailer setup I've been thinking about for VA QSO Party HF mobile). * 2M Cheap Yagi (+70cm if I ever get around to building it!) * FT817 * Maybe my FT857 (allows full duplex linear ops, unless I score an 817 at Vienna Winterfest or figure out how to use an FCD w SatPC32 for RX) * Outboard amp (just in case, yah know) * Funcube Dongle Pro+ (need to get it working) * Netbook running SatPC32 If I get really motivated, sawhorse mounted yaesu az/el + 2M yagi + 70cm circ-polarized (obviously not bike-portable!) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Greene ks1g04(a)gmail.com<mailto:[email protected]> <kay ess one gee zero four>@gmail.com<http://gmail.com> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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