November 2007 - Eagle (INACTIVE)

FYI -- One Laptop per Child (OLPC) Opportunity
by Tom Clark, K3IO 09 Nov '07

09 Nov '07

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upcoming events
by Robert McGwier 09 Nov '07

09 Nov '07

I would like to hold a Teamspeak meeting on Monday night starting at 9 P.M. eastern time. Between now and early December I am going to be putting together a plan forward and I will be seeking input from many of you. We need to hold a meeting as soon as it is practical to hold it and we find the appropriate venue. My only mandatory attendance for this particular Teamspeak session is Bob Davis and I, so if Bob cannot make this, we will move it. Secondly, if Jim is available, I would like for him to come and give us his exit report if he wants to and for us to be able to let him hear much we want him back when he finds his busy life will allow him to return. My main agenda item for Monday night will be for us to get a report on the activities of the AMSAT lab construction delivered by AMSAT Lab director Bob Davis. Ron Bettini of Hawk Space Institute is about to deliver a request for volunteer help for some specific tasks that need doing for Hawk to finish integration of its Cubesat. I have agreed to try to advertise the need. I assume Bob will be his proxy but Ron is most welcome. AMSAT and Hawk are going to jointly administer a "space camp" at UMES next summer if the details can be worked out (we stop talking and start acting) and we are rapidly approaching the time when the teachers we are trying to attract will have already made application to others and committed their available funds. We are going to need to volunteer adjunct faculty from our engineering team to aid with this. AMSAT is going to join with Hawk in a balloon project at the "spend a few dollars and package the Suitsat hardware for the balloon" level. I would like for Bob to fill us in on those details. I want to get together as soon as possible a clear set of parameters for the RF systems I intend to have us build during 2008 and for which the AMSAT BOD has given us a budget. I am not looking to build flight hardware but a significant investment has been made in prototyping tools so we can develop code for the full up HELAPS and the ACP software foundations on the same development platform. We need to put together a clear concept of our intended operations on Intelsat and to get some prototype hardware built so the prototype development system can put it all on the air and demonstrated and tested. As soon as is practical, we need to be able to demonstrate a prototype ACP and a prototype SDX so we show the functionality can be built if funding is found for the flight system and the launch. We have not yet reached the point where any firm decisions can be made which would allow us to build fight RF hardware for either Eagle or Rideshare because they are significantly different missions. One is RF with a few space challenges and with more DC power than we ever dreamed possible. The other is all the challenges of managing a complex satellite on which we grudgingly allow what RF can be accomodated. But I have my marching orders from my boss, BUILD SOMETHING. I am prepared to demonstrate we can. By the time I get done writing all of that up for the journal Engineering Notebook column, my arms will be breaking off. Should we have other agenda items that need to be covered, please email me directly. The bod and officers outside the Eagle team members are NOT invited to this session because this has nothing to do with tech snobbery. There is a limit to the number of people we can get on there. We have never reached it and I don't want to try and I want to try to stay focused on the long reports I have requested. I am seeking your input on things you would like to see us to discuss. You will be able to listen to the entire session should you so desire afterwards and we finish transcoding it and putting it up for download. There will be a written report posted to Eaglepedia as soon as I figure out the levers to pull. Bob -- AMSAT Director and VP Engineering. Member: ARRL, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats, NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. ARRL SDR WG Chair “An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?” Descartes

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TS Meeting
by Dick Jansson-rr 08 Nov '07

08 Nov '07

Bob: I will be available for the TeamSpeak meeting on Monday 12.11.07 @ 2100est. Dick Jansson, KD1K <mailto:[email protected]> kd1k(a)amsat.org <mailto:[email protected]> kd1k(a)arrl.net

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Phased Array on an IC
by Tom Clark, K3IO 08 Nov '07

08 Nov '07

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Phase 4 on Amateur Radio Newsline
by JoAnne Maenpaa 02 Nov '07

02 Nov '07

Hi Everyone, In case you haven't seen it, here is the pre-feed version for Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1577 - November 2, 2007 in regard to Phase 4 Lite. -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org HAM RADIO IN SPACE: AMSAT SAYS HAM RADIO GEOSAT IN PLANNING Its called Phase 4 Lite and it will likely change the face of ham radio forever. Amateur Radio Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has a peek at the future of a geosynchronous ham radio satellite in Earth orbit: -- The weekend of October 26th to the 28th has likely changed the face of ham radio space operations. So say two leaders in the Amateur Radio space program speaking at the AMSAT-North America Space Symposium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That's they announced that a first-ever geosynchronous ham radio satellite is now in its initial planning. In satellite talk, geosynchronous means stationary in the sky. From the standpoint of a ground station user, it means always knowing where to point an antenna. No tracking and no guesswork. At that gathering, AMSAT President Rick Hambly, W2GPS, and Vice-President of Engineering Bob McGwier,N4HY, announced that AMSAT has been in consultation with Intelsat. This, regarding an application of an Intelsat platform carrying amateur radio satellites into geosynchronous orbit. The Phase IV Lite Geosynchronous Payload is planned to consist of similar transponders already under development for the Phase 3 satellites. Accelerated development on the digital Advanced Communication Package is anticipated. The Intelsat geosynchronous platform would be able to provide the AMSAT Phase IV Lite payload with approximately 400 watts of DC power for 15 years. In addition to the on-orbit payload AMSAT plans to develop an earth station attainable by the average ham so that users can immediately take advantage of the audio, digital messaging, and video services of the Phase IV bird. The Advanced Communication Package would be a self-contained earth station which could be sent with amateur radio communication teams or delivered to disaster areas to provide for 24 hour a day, 7 day a week and 3565 days a year emergency communications. These teams would be able to point a small dish at a predictable spot in the sky and immediately begin delivering disaster communication support without depending on the vagaries of High Frequency propagation. But that's not all. Hambly and Mc Gwier say that the Phase IV payload could also be used to provide a Tracking and Data Relay System Satellite -like relay of ARISS communications. The current 10 minute school contact could now be expanded to hours-long contact with the International Space Station. This opens possibilities for extended student involvement with experiments aboard the space station. As the late Roy Neal, K6DUE, might have said: Truly a new world of Amateur Radio. For the Amateur Radio Newsline I'm Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, in Los Angeles. -- So when can we expect this new satellite to be on-orbit?, AMSAT says that engineering studies, funding studies, among other negotiations are continuing so no specific date can be set. However Bob McGuier N4HY observes that the project is far enough along that AMSAT needs to begin planning engineering work and possible construction of such a geosynchronous payload so it is ready if Intelsat says they have a ride for it. (AMSAT-NA)

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Re: New Module
by Dick Jansson-rr 01 Nov '07

01 Nov '07

Chuck: Implicitly all that information existed already on the E05 60 Module drawing. I have today changed this drawing to Rev.02 to incorporate these specific dimensions. You have 28.4mm clearance to the cover flange of the E05 62 Connector Plate, which is intruded by 3.2mm for the cover screw and its PEM nut pressed into the flange. All other dimensions that you need are located on the several drawings, which is why I uploaded the complete set of drawings. '73, Dick Jansson, KD1K <mailto:[email protected]> kd1k(a)amsat.org <mailto:[email protected]> kd1k(a)arrl.net -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Green [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, 01 November, 2007 16.21 To: Dick Jansson-rr Cc: Bob Davis Subject: Re: [eagle] New Module Hi Dick, For those who have extreme connector issues it might be helpful if they had information regarding the cover attachment to the connector plate. This information might logically be added to the connector plate drawing. How far does the nut protrude into the module area? What is it's diameter? What is the distance from the top of the PCB to the center of this nut (assuming 0.062 inch PCB)? And how far might the screw reasonably be expected to protrude into the module area? Thanks, Chuck Dick Jansson-rr wrote: > > Bob: > > I have uploaded the drawings for the new E05 60, 140x180 Module, to > Eaglepedia. I did this so that people so interested can go there and > look at these drawings. > > I plan shortly, however, to modify the PCB and Baseplate slightly by > adding more mounting screws. I have somehow to convey that some of the > added screws are optional depending upon the PCB dissipation. This > step to add more screws is part of the realization that screws spaced > 50+mm apart may not provide sufficiently effective contact of the PCB > to the Baseplate. Modules such as the U Receiver will definitely need > the added screws. This tradeoff on this module is a significant > reduction in the need for added heat sinks, and their attaching screws > in the middle of the PCB. > > Your timely comments on this module would be appreciated. > > '73, > > Dick Jansson, KD1K > > kd1k(a)amsat.org <mailto:[email protected]> > > kd1k(a)arrl.net <mailto:[email protected]>

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New Module
by Dick Jansson-rr 01 Nov '07

01 Nov '07

Bob: I have uploaded the drawings for the new E05 60, 140x180 Module, to Eaglepedia. I did this so that people so interested can go there and look at these drawings. I plan shortly, however, to modify the PCB and Baseplate slightly by adding more mounting screws. I have somehow to convey that some of the added screws are optional depending upon the PCB dissipation. This step to add more screws is part of the realization that screws spaced 50+mm apart may not provide sufficiently effective contact of the PCB to the Baseplate. Modules such as the U Receiver will definitely need the added screws. This tradeoff on this module is a significant reduction in the need for added heat sinks, and their attaching screws in the middle of the PCB. Your timely comments on this module would be appreciated. '73, Dick Jansson, KD1K <mailto:[email protected]> kd1k(a)amsat.org <mailto:[email protected]> kd1k(a)arrl.net

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Call for Symposium Photos
by JoAnne Maenpaa 01 Nov '07

01 Nov '07

Hi everyone, I'd appreciate it if you could forward me any photos from the Symposium that you think would be suitable to print in the AMSAT Journal. I noticed a few nice cameras clicking away :-) Direct e-mail to me is k9jkm(a)comcast.net in case the amsat alias gives you any heartburn with big attachments. Thanks! -- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm(a)amsat.org

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