[amsat-bb] UK Space Agency to launch CubeSat
The UK Space Agency has announced its intention to design and launch a CubeSat and is running a competition for ideas for payloads. See http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2010/ukube_1.htm AMSAT-UK Colloquium webstream July 31-Aug 1 http://www.batc.tv/ - Click on Live Events Schedule (Times GMT+1) http://www.uk.amsat.org/content/view/713/284/ 73 Trevor M5AKA Daily Amateur Radio Email/RSS News: http://www.southgatearc.org/ Email Your News To: editor at southgatearc.org Or Upload Using Form At: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/your_news_1.htm ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] ANS-206 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-206 ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-edi...@amsat.org In this edition: * ARISS Contact Scheduled for 100th Anniversary of Scouting * Satellite DXpedition Opportunities * Presentations Scheduled at AMSAT-UK Colloquim 30 July-1 Aug * AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Election Reminder * AMSAT 2010 Space Symposium - Sign Up and Send Us Your Papers! * Sumbandilasat Returns For Testing * September Launch for India Ham Radio Satellite SRMSat * LightSail-1 Passes Critical Design Review * ARISS Status - 19 July 2010 SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-206.01 ARISS Contact Scheduled for 100th Anniversary of Scouting AMSAT News Service Bulletin 206.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 25, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-206.01 On the morning of July 26 Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia will be the fastest growing city in the country. 43,000 scouts and leaders will join 8,000 volunteers to celebrate 100 years of scouting in the US. The 46 members of the K2BSA staff will be on the job to provide support and information to arriving Hams through the 2m and 70cm on site repeaters. The K2BSA demonstration station will be located south east of the Mahone staff area. The demo station will provide tours and demo- nstrate Amateur Radio to visiting scouts and scouters. Scouts visiting the K2BSA station will have the opportunity to earn their Radio Merit Badge. The staff will teach the Radio Merit Badge at the Merit Badge Midway. Scouts can complete all the requirements required for the merit badge. The K2BSA licensing staff will teach a Technician license class daily during the jamboree. The scout will learn everything he needs during the 6 hour class to pass the Technician Class license exam. Every night in the licensing tent the K2BSA licensing staff will offer an ARRL VE sponsored test session for all license classes. Scouts are also offered the opportunity to upgrade their Amateur Radio License. Technician class licensees may upgrade to General by passing a 35-question multiple-choice examination. General licensees may upgrade to Extra Class by passing a 50-question multiple-choice examination. ARISS reports that a contact with the International Space Station is a go on Sat 2010-07-31 18:21:06 UTC for a 56 deg elevation pass over the 2010 National Boy Scout Jamboree, Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia. Amateur Radio operators in North American may wish to monitor the 145.800 MHz downlink frequency at this time. [ANS thanks K2BSA for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-206.02 Satellite DXpedition Opportunities AMSAT News Service Bulletin 206.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 25, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-206.02 CHINA - News received from Michael Chen, BD5RV/4 reports that a group of operators will be active from China's Pingtan Island, IOTA AS-138, Grid OL95vn, from July 24 to 30. They will be active as B4R/5 in the RSGB IOTA contest and homecall/5 in regular operation. Activity will be on all HF bands and V/UHF bands, including EME and all active satellites. The group plans to use HO68, AO51, VO52, SO50, AO27. An analysis of HO-68's schedule and terrestrial footprint by Alan Kung, BA1DU predicts that North East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, Oceania, and Alaska will be within range of the DXpedition. The group includes BA4TA, BA4TB, BA4RS, BD5RV, BA4RN, BH4REQ, and BH4RLO. NORTH AMERICA - John, K8YSE says he is planning a 3 or 4 week grid expedition around Lake Superior during the week of August 2. The grids planned are: EN28-29-36-37-38-39-46-47-48-49-56-57-58-59-63-64-65-66-67-68-69-73- 74-75-76-77-78-79-83-84-86-87 and EO30 in both the US and Canada. John plans FM and SSB activity but probably little CW if any. This is a sightseeing trip around Lake Superior but he will do my best to operate on the birds as much as possible. The planned route is on John's website: http://www.papays.com/sat [ANS thanks Michael Chen, BD5RV/4; Alan Kung BA1DU; and John, K8YSE for the above information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-206.03 Presentations Scheduled at AMSAT-UK Colloquim AMSAT News Service Bulletin 206.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 25, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-206.03 FRIDAY 30 July A satellite beginners session (content to be finalised) will be run by Dave Johnson, G4DPZ; Carlos Eavis, G0AKI and Ivo Kilnkert, PA1IVO on Friday afternoon SATURDAY 31 July Opening / Welcome Prof. Sir Martin Sweeting, G3YJO Development of a Small Scaled Helicon Double layer Thruster Tom Harle, Surrey Space Centre CubeSail nano-satellite project
[amsat-bb] Re: NO-44 working?
On Sat, 2010-07-24 at 19:57 -0500, Rick - WA4NVM wrote: > Gordon, > > Where is the ISS at the time you are hearing this signal? It's been running > packet quite often on that frequency. Just a thought. > > 73, > Rick WA4NVM Well south of the horizon. NO-44 was at it again today (gpredict confirmed an NO-44 pass, don't know why I didn't think of that yesterday) but again too weak to decode. Really busy, though. Right, I'm off to make a preamp. Maybe I'll get it next time around. Unlike the ISS, I get nice high passes off NO-44. The ISS rarely gets above 30 degrees... Gordon MM0YEQ ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] LA4FPA/p
Picked up a new one this AM, worked Erling on AO-7, at 6960Km not a record, but a fun challenge. Thanks go to John-K8YSE for keeping the bb updated. This stuff never gets old. 73 Bob W7LRD Seattle ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Re: NO-44 working?
There is a webpage for PCSAT on findu.com. The callsigns from the satellite appear as W3ADO-1 and PCSAT-11. See http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/pcsat.cgi Douglas KA2UPW/5 Gordon JC Pearce wrote: > It's not loud enough to copy with my dipole, because it's still pretty > low in the sky to the north (shielded by hills a bit) - but NO-44 seems > to be blorting away quite the thing on 145.825MHz. At least, I can't > see what else it would be, unless it's some local mobile (unlikely). > > Gordon MM0YEQ > ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] EN63 by Sked this Week
All, I am in EN63, west Michigan, this week (thru Saturday July 31st AM) on vacation & have the satellite gear w/me--this being said, I'm not planning to be active unless I have specific interest from those who need this grid. (Otherwise, I might be heard active from time to time via the remote @ my home QTH in EN62.) Pse email me if you want to arrange a sked via FM sat. We are on Lake Michigan and have an excellent view to the west which provides a good opportunity for me to work low angle passes for those in the western USA that might not yet have EN63 confirmed. 73, Doug KD8CAO Sent from my iPhone ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 0009z on or off?
Alan Cresswell wrote: > Hi drew, > > I notice that when AO-51 comes over ZL/VK after coming out of eclipse (about > 5 minutes since eclipse) that after some use the transponder drops out and > will not retrigger for 10 to 15 seconds. This behavior continues right > through to LOS. I presume this is caused by the batteries still being only > lightly re-charged and with use they drop below some cut-off level. My > question is to whether this is of concern and should usage in this part of > the world be restricted for longer after eclipse. > > 73 > Alan > ZL2BX > > Your presumption is correct. The power management software watches both eclipse state from the panel voltages, and battery voltages. Things are currently arranged so that eclipse or battery voltage below a VERY conservative set point reduces downlink power to zero. A similar thing happens when a command station turns 435.150 on along with the regular downlink. As the battery sags, or the spacecraft turns and panel outputs fluctuate sometimes both transmitters will shut off for a few seconds. Of course when this happens the battery quickly rebounds and they pop back on. Thanks for asking, but it is perfectly fine to continue use when this happens. Especially with the case of ZL, there is plenty of open ocean with no use for things to finish charging up. 73, Drew KO4MA ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Playing with GPS
Hi Guys, I have been playing around with my Garman NUVI GPS and comparing the readings to Google Maps. This is something you call try at home. My Garman says that the base of my HF tower is at 41.07430 N 112.03774 W. When I punch in those coordinates in to Google Maps in the satelite view mode the arrow points to a location about 30 feet away near the middle of the lawn east of my driveway. When I play around with the coordinates a little through interpolation and punch them in to Google Maps several times I arrive at what appears to be the true coordinates of the base of my HF tower at 41.074329 N 112.037770 W. I suppose that is the significant difference that sixth decimal place makes. Check both of these coordinates on Google Maps to see what I mean. Any comments? WA7HQD Lee Ernstrom Syracuse, Utah DN31xb ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Re: Playing with GPS
Nobody guarentees your GPS to be accurate to within 30 feet and neither does Google maps. My GPS usually claims around 10-12 feet accuracy provided it can see around 10 satellites. Leave your GPS on laying in your yard for a couple of hours plotting it's course and see how far it wanders. On 25-Jul-10 22:55, Lee Ernstrom wrote: > Hi Guys, > > I have been playing around with my Garman NUVI GPS and comparing the > readings to Google Maps. This is something you call try at home. My > Garman says that the base of my HF tower is at 41.07430 N 112.03774 W. > When I punch in those coordinates in to Google Maps in the satelite view > mode the arrow points to a location about 30 feet away near the middle > of the lawn east of my driveway. When I play around with the > coordinates a little through interpolation and punch them in to Google > Maps several times I arrive at what appears to be the true coordinates > of the base of my HF tower at 41.074329 N 112.037770 W. I suppose that > is the significant difference that sixth decimal place makes. Check > both of these coordinates on Google Maps to see what I mean. Any > comments? > > WA7HQD > Lee Ernstrom > Syracuse, Utah DN31xb > ___ > Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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 > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3026 - Release Date: 07/24/10 > 18:36:00 > -- Nigel A. Gunn, 1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA. tel +1 937 825 5032 Amateur Radio G8IFF W8IFF (was KC8NHF), e-mail ni...@ngunn.net www http://www.ngunn.net Member of ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548, Flying Pigs QRP Club International #385, Dayton ARA #2128, AMSAT-NA LM-1691, AMSAT-UK 0182, MKARS, ALC, GCARES, XWARN. ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Re: Playing with GPS
Hi Lee, Thanks for your observation. I remember in those days when the accuracy wasn't that great, and the GPS were rather rare. Showing his newly acquired GPS and showing off the exact positon , well nearly. "OK I will tell you now where we are" "We are on that hill pointing a mile away" Well in your case at least you could see your tower hi. Happy hunting 73 Sangat, 9M2SS On 26 July 2010 06:55, Lee Ernstrom wrote: > Hi Guys, > > I have been playing around with my Garman NUVI GPS and comparing the > readings to Google Maps. This is something you call try at home. My > Garman says that the base of my HF tower is at 41.07430 N 112.03774 W. > When I punch in those coordinates in to Google Maps in the satelite view > mode the arrow points to a location about 30 feet away near the middle > of the lawn east of my driveway. When I play around with the > coordinates a little through interpolation and punch them in to Google > Maps several times I arrive at what appears to be the true coordinates > of the base of my HF tower at 41.074329 N 112.037770 W. I suppose that > is the significant difference that sixth decimal place makes. Check > both of these coordinates on Google Maps to see what I mean. Any > comments? > > WA7HQD > Lee Ernstrom > Syracuse, Utah DN31xb > ___ > Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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 amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Re: Playing with GPS
Garmin claims 15 meters average accuracy on their Web site. http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/ Glenn AA5PK - Original Message - From: "Nigel Gunn G8IFF/W8IFF" To: "Lee Ernstrom" Cc: Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 6:37 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] Re: Playing with GPS > Nobody guarentees your GPS to be accurate to within 30 feet and neither does > Google maps. > My GPS usually claims around 10-12 feet accuracy provided it can see around > 10 satellites. > Leave your GPS on laying in your yard for a couple of hours plotting it's > course and see how far it wanders. > > On 25-Jul-10 22:55, Lee Ernstrom wrote: >> Hi Guys, >> >> I have been playing around with my Garman NUVI GPS and comparing the >> readings to Google Maps. This is something you call try at home. My >> Garman says that the base of my HF tower is at 41.07430 N 112.03774 W. >> When I punch in those coordinates in to Google Maps in the satelite view >> mode the arrow points to a location about 30 feet away near the middle >> of the lawn east of my driveway. When I play around with the >> coordinates a little through interpolation and punch them in to Google >> Maps several times I arrive at what appears to be the true coordinates >> of the base of my HF tower at 41.074329 N 112.037770 W. I suppose that >> is the significant difference that sixth decimal place makes. Check >> both of these coordinates on Google Maps to see what I mean. Any >> comments? >> >> WA7HQD >> Lee Ernstrom >> Syracuse, Utah DN31xb >> ___ >> Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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 >> >> >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com >> Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3026 - Release Date: 07/24/10 >> 18:36:00 >> > > -- > Nigel A. Gunn, 1865 El Camino Drive, Xenia, OH 45385-1115, USA. tel +1 937 > 825 5032 > Amateur Radio G8IFF W8IFF (was KC8NHF), e-mail ni...@ngunn.net www > http://www.ngunn.net > Member of ARRL, GQRP #11396, QRPARCI #11644, SOC #548, Flying Pigs QRP Club > International #385, >Dayton ARA #2128, AMSAT-NA LM-1691, AMSAT-UK 0182, MKARS, ALC, > GCARES, XWARN. > > ___ > Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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 amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Public information brochure
Has AMSAT, or any frequent satellite demonstrator, developed an information brochure or card that explains the basics of amateur radio with a focus on space programs? I sometimes attract attention while operating in public and would like to provide a take-away for people -- licensed or not -- who show some interest. 73, Scott N1AIA ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] K2BSA Special Event Station
This week, K2BSA will be operating on the satellites from the 2010 National Scout Jamboree. We expect to make most of the FM satellite passes that cover FM18 (Fort AP Hill, VA) in the evenings, and we will experiment with the linear birds too. Finally, we have an ARISS contact planned too. QSL cards for the 100th anniversary are available if you send a card, and SASE, to the QRZ K2BSA address. 73's de K2BSA -- Andrew Koenig ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Re: Playing with GPS
That's around 45 feet, I believe the owner of the GPS network only claims half that accuracy most of the time. On 26-Jul-10 00:19, Glenn AA5PK wrote: > Garmin claims 15 meters average accuracy on their Web site. > http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGPS/ > > Glenn AA5PK ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] video: program to burn TLEs onto doppler-tuning microcontroller
Some of you know about my qrptracker project, which is aiming at a compact, microcontroller-based doppler tuning device for use in the field. My previous videos showed an FT-817 controlled by this device and using a small speaker and CW to announce the bird. I've just posted a video to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/VE9QRP that demonstrates the program that is used to load TLEs into the microcontroller, sync the tracker, etc. It also shows the microcontroller tuning a TH-D7A handheld, and it shows a LCD display. My goal now is to make an altoids-tin-sized package that connects to a TH-D7A or an FT-817, has an LCD display and provides doppler tuning. In further developments in this project, I've worked on porting the SGP4 algorithm to the ATMega644p. (Currently the project uses the Plan13 algorithm.)It's not an exact port, since the 'double' data type is not the same length, but with some careful hand-crafting, we're getting accuracies down to 1/10th of a degree lat and long. sub-satellite point. 73, Bruce VE9QRP -- http://ve9qrp.blogspot.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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
[amsat-bb] Re: video: program to burn TLEs onto doppler-tuning microcontroller
Cool! Trakbox lives again!!! 73, Joe kk0sd -Original Message- From: amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Bruce Robertson Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 8:51 PM To: AMSAT-BB Subject: [amsat-bb] video: program to burn TLEs onto doppler-tuning microcontroller Some of you know about my qrptracker project, which is aiming at a compact, microcontroller-based doppler tuning device for use in the field. My previous videos showed an FT-817 controlled by this device and using a small speaker and CW to announce the bird. I've just posted a video to YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/VE9QRP that demonstrates the program that is used to load TLEs into the microcontroller, sync the tracker, etc. It also shows the microcontroller tuning a TH-D7A handheld, and it shows a LCD display. My goal now is to make an altoids-tin-sized package that connects to a TH-D7A or an FT-817, has an LCD display and provides doppler tuning. In further developments in this project, I've worked on porting the SGP4 algorithm to the ATMega644p. (Currently the project uses the Plan13 algorithm.)It's not an exact port, since the 'double' data type is not the same length, but with some careful hand-crafting, we're getting accuracies down to 1/10th of a degree lat and long. sub-satellite point. 73, Bruce VE9QRP -- http://ve9qrp.blogspot.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. 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 amsat...@amsat.org. 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
