[amsat-bb] FT-857D Satellite File Request
I'd like to try some very limited satellite operation from my mobile, using an FT-857D. I know this rig is not ideal for satellite ops, because it lacks full duplex capability. But it is all mode, and should allow me to operate several different satellites using portable antennas from the truck. I use RT Systems software to manage the memories on my rig, and wondered if anyone might have already done the programming for satellite operation for this rig--including most of the major birds for CW/SSB and FM. If so, could you possibly e-mail your file to me off-list? It would save me a ton of time figuring it all out, and get me started much faster. I'll be forever in your debt. -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 Grid Bandits #222 Central States VHF Society Life Member Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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: The Ham Radio Bucket List
Michael, Glad that you enjoyed it. No, my tongue was firmly in cheek with that comment. I was very active on HF, especially 160 Meters for years. Nothing like the Gentleman's Band. Also have enjoyed a lot of 10 Meter, 15 Meter, and 20 Meter work. QRP on 12 Meters, SSTV, RTTY, ATV---I've tired a lot of things in the hobby. Liked them all but nothing has been as much fun as weak signal VHF/UHF. Gotta love the world above 50! 73, Les N1LF Les Rayburn, Director High Noon Film 130 1st Avenue West Alabaster, AL 35007-8536 (205) 621-7500 (205) 621-7505 FAX (205) 253-4867 CELL http://www.highnoonfilm.com - This e-mail contains information that may be confidential or privileged and is intended only for the person(s) named above. Any other distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original transmission to the above address by mail without making a copy. On 4/14/2013 9:37 PM, Michael Hatzakis wrote: What a great story, thanks so much for sharing this. What an awesome concept, a ham radio bucket list... I need to write one... Oh yeah, I take issue with just one comment, I wasted 35+ years on HF, HF is also awesome, and fueled my excitement in Ham radio but in a different way, so hope you really didn't mean that one... Michael K3MH -Original Message- From: amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Les Rayburn Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2013 11:12 PM To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] The Ham Radio Bucket List I've been a ham well over 40 years, since my childhood. Back then, I could barely afford the Heathkit transmitter, Halicrafters receiver, knife switch, and longwire antenna that made up my shack. My elmer used to let me borrow his copy of QST and I'd dream about all the great adventures that I'd have someday in ham radio. Being a child of the Space Age, key among them were anything related to the New Frontier. EME (Moonbounce), Meteor Scatter, and satellites all seemed like the stuff of science fiction---and I longed to experience them all. But they were exotic, and required equipment far beyond my reach. I resolved to accomplish them all someday and added them to a sort of ham radio bucket list that I hoped to accomplish before my ham career was over. Five years ago, shortly after getting started in weak signal VHF work, I checked off the first item on that list. Working meteor scatter contacts with the aid of WSJT software, and during a Perseid shower, even using SSB. What a thrill to make contacts off the ionized gasses of those tiny rocks. Thanks Joe Taylor! Tonight, I managed to check off a second. I worked Art, K4YYL on FO-29, a Japanese amateur satellite! My journey to the birds started about a month ago when I joined AMSAT, determined that 2013 was going to be the year when I finally got active on satellites. I purchased a copy of SATPC32 software, because I knew that it could control my IC-910H--hopefully making it easier to get active. After listening to a few passes on both the FM and the SSB/CW birds, I decided to try my luck on the less-crowded FO-29. A brief CQ was quickly answered by Art. I adjusted the tuning knob just a bit to correct for the Doppler effect, and voila! there he was clear as a bell. We had a brief QSO of perhaps ten minutes or so, and then we signed. I was quickly called by K4FEG near Memphis in EM55---who just wanted to welcome me to the birds! Man, what a thrill! And it wasn't tough at all. I'm using a 7 element 432 antenna tilted up to 15 degrees (fixed) and a 6 element 2 Meter beam tilted up to about 10 degrees (fixed) both inside my crowded attic. The SSB Electronics pre-amp helps a ton on 432, and the 1/2 hardline makes sure that I don't lose too much signal. So far, I've been able to copy the birds down to about 2 degrees above the horizon using this setup. Now to attempt that EME contact! I've got a 12 element Yagi just waiting to deploy in the driveway once the weather warms a bit. Hoping to use WSJT to work one of the monster stations on EME. All this in a deed-restricted HOA neighborhood. I wasted 35+ years on HFman, all the fun really is in the World Above 50 MHz! Thanks for helping to make a boys dreams come true at age 51! ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] SATPC32 and IC-910H
I'm very new to satellite operation but have been having a blast for the past couple of weeks. Using an IC-910H with attic antennas that include a 7 element 432 Arrow antenna with an SSB Electronics pre-amp mounted at the antenna. 1/2 hardline makes the 70' run from the attic to the shack in the garage. 2 Meters shows a 6 element K1FO Yagi with an SSB Electronics pre-amp and 1/2 hardline. Rig is controlled by SATPC32 via the CI-V interface at 9600 baud. On SO-50, I have no problems with doppler correction as you would suspect. With the other birds, doppler is sometimes an issue. Sometimes I hear stations strongly but when I call them, I don't hear my own uplink and the other station obviously doesn't hear me either. On other passes, the difference is not so great, and I'll hear my own uplink, though usually slightly off frequency. I know its possible to adjust the uplink frequency in the software, and I've tried it during passes without much success. The translated help file from German isn't much assistance to me so far. Can someone on the list point me towards a better explanation on the web, or offer suggestions on how to correct the situation? Any help is greatly appreciated! -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Field Day Question
Please tolerate another newbie question. I know that during the upcoming Field Day, participants are being encouraged to limit themselves to one contact on SO-50 or to use the linear birds when possible. I'm chasing grid squares towards Satellite VUCC and other awards. Is it acceptable and good operating practice for my station to make multiple contacts during FD on the linear birds? Seems like a great chance to pick up grids that would otherwise not be active on the birds, but I don't want to be a LID. What would be the best practice for an operator like myself during FD? I won't otherwise be participating in the contest. Again, my thanks for the advice and counsel of more experienced operators. Everyone on the birds has been great and helpful so far, especially K4FEG! -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] APRS/Packet on IC-910H
I'd also like to add digital capabilities to the IC-910H to allow some digital contacts through ISS, or just to download telemetry on other birds. Never worked packet before, and have only limited experience with APRS. The IC-910H is equipped with a Signa-Link interface for soundcard modes, and I've worked quite a bit of WSJT FSK and JT65A. I know that there is a software solution for APRS using AGWPE but I haven't tried it. What would be the recommendations of the group for equipping my station for digital operation on the satellites? AGWPE and the soundcard interface or a TNC? If so, what TNC would be recommended? Did I say Thanks yet? Also appreciate the bandwidth on this reflector--I know newbie questions can be annoying. -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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: SATPC32 and IC-910H
Stephen, Thank your the advice on how to improve my satellite operation. Much appreciated, and exactly what I was hoping for when I posted the questions to the AMSAT BB. Tried it last night on a pass with mixed results. But I think I understand the principle now. I'll also look for you on the birds---I need your grid! :-) -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light On 4/23/2013 4:40 PM, Stephen E. Belter wrote: Les, Here is the procedure I've used with SatPC32 and my Icom IC-821 for Doppler correction when operating SSB. It should work with any rig that is CAT controlled. (This is a corrected version of something I wrote a couple of years ago in response to a similar question.) Your success operating SO-50 is a good proving ground. Here is the approach I took: (1) Install SatPC32, enter your station's latitude and longitude, update the Keplarian elements, and synchronize the PC clock to a national standard like WWV/NIST. (2) Get your radio and SatPC32 communicating, and verify the operation (including Doppler correction) using an FM satellite (for example, SO-50). (3) Wait for a good pass of VO-52, for example 60+ degrees maximum elevation. I suggest VO-52 because it is the newest (compared to AO-7 and FO-29), it was more tolerant of using too much transmit power, and it had the smallest transponder correction. Note: This was true in 2011 with the Indian transponder. Since then the Indian transponder has failed and VO-52 is using the Dutch transponder which is not as tolerant of high power and isn't as frequency stable. (4) Open the CAT window. You can move the Window so that it doesn't block access to the main SatPC32 window. Tune the radio above the center of the satellite passband to reduce the QRM to other users. Make sure you are in SSB mode on the radio (CW- on SatPC32). (5) Using your call and Test 1-2-3, listen for yourself while you are transmitting. You probably won't hear yourself at all, at least I didn't. Using the +100 and -100 buttons in the Transmit Correction part of the CAT window, try to find yourself. For VO-52, you should hear yourself within +/- 1500 hertz. (I think I was about +800, but that is from memory on the Indian transponder.) (6) Once you hear yourself using the +/-100 buttons, fine tune using the +/-10 buttons. (7) You can improve the tuning of your uplink/downlink using CW mode (CW+ on SatPC32). Zero-beat the Icom's CW sidetone with your received signal. (8) *Save* the result by using the Save button in the CAT window. When given the choice, save the transmitter correction. (9) Verify that things are working by working a few VO-52 QSOs. (10) Repeat using FO-29 and AO-7, in that order. You may need to search over a wider frequency range (+/-3000 hertz). (11) One other important change when moving from FM to SSB. Your power output is important! Learn how to reduce your power and use the minimum power needed to hear yourself on the satellite. If you use too much power, you'll trash other conversations on the satellite and your transmissions will be badly distorted! This is especially true of AO-7 mode B; you'll be able to hear the entire satellite passband modulated by a single CW operator running too much power. Good luck! 73, Steve N9IP -- Steve Belter, s...@wintek.com On 4/23/13 3:40 PM, Les Rayburn l...@highnoonfilm.com wrote: I'm very new to satellite operation but have been having a blast for the past couple of weeks. Using an IC-910H with attic antennas that include a 7 element 432 Arrow antenna with an SSB Electronics pre-amp mounted at the antenna. 1/2 hardline makes the 70' run from the attic to the shack in the garage. 2 Meters shows a 6 element K1FO Yagi with an SSB Electronics pre-amp and 1/2 hardline. Rig is controlled by SATPC32 via the CI-V interface at 9600 baud. On SO-50, I have no problems with doppler correction as you would suspect. With the other birds, doppler is sometimes an issue. Sometimes I hear stations strongly but when I call them, I don't hear my own uplink and the other station obviously doesn't hear me either. On other passes, the difference is not so great, and I'll hear my own uplink, though usually slightly off frequency. I know its possible to adjust the uplink frequency in the software, and I've tried it during passes without much success. The translated help file from German isn't much assistance to me so far. Can someone on the list point me towards a better explanation on the web, or offer suggestions on how to correct the situation? Any help is greatly appreciated! -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6
[amsat-bb] SATPC32 and New Sat KEPS
Like many, I'm eager to track the new satellites launched over the past few days. If everyone will pardon more newbie questions, here goes: 1.) How do I input the published KEPS data for the new satellites into SATPC32? 2.) How long before the standard files (amateur.txt, etc) will be updated to include the new birds? -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] 910 MHZ AMTV Reception
Just realized that my Icom R-7000 with the NTSC TV Adapter should be able to receive these signals. I've got a nice loop Yagi for 900 MHz as well sitting in the attic. Just sold the receiver on Ebay, but not shipping it until Monday morning--so may have to try to receive a pass over the weekend. Sounds like fun! I sold the R-7000 thinking that I'd simply replace it with a FunCube Dongle Pro at some point. Never dreamed that I'd have a nearly immediate use for my old standby. Ah, well. -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] VHF Amps (Smaller) for Sale
Cleaning out extra backup items from the shack in an attempt to stave off bankruptcy and the poor-house while paying for my daughter's wedding. :-) Selling off a few small amplifiers that may be of use to other VHF Weak Signal fans. All amps are in good working condition. Cosmetically, they are USED, meaning that they have the usual scratches, etc. No major dents, paint loss, etc. Perfectly acceptable and XYL approved , but not mint from the factory. If you're not happy we'll make it right. Relax, it's just a hobby. Prefer Paypal payment or USPS Money Order. Shipping via UPS Ground is included in the price. TE Systems Model 0510G 50-54 MHz (6 Meter) Linear Amplifier (SSB/CW/FM) Serial #A7173 10 Watts input-150 Watts Output. The amp is rated for 170 Watts Output, but I never drove it that hard. This amp was modified by TE Systems to provide an RCA rear panel input jack for PTT keying. You simply connect a footswitch, handheld PTT, or amp keying line to this jack, close to ground, and the amp keys. Saves wear and tear on the relay. $225 TE Systems Model 1412G 144-148 MHz (2 Meter) Linear Amplifier (SSB/CW/FM) Serial #38482 10 Watts input-190 Watts Output This amp includes heavy duty power connector with Anderson Power-Poles. TE Systems plug including RCA female PTT keying circuit. Simply attach a footswitch, handswitch or amp keying line to this connector, close to ground and amp keys. Saves wear and tear on the relay. $250 Mirage A1015 50-52 MHz Linear Amplifier (SSB/CW/FM) Serial #93-234 10 Watts Input-150 Watts Output This amp includes heavy duty power connector with Anderson Power-Poles. This is the non-G model, with the older brown face. Does not include RF sensing switching, so you HAVE to use the RCA plug on the rear to key the amp using a footswitch, handswitch, or amp key line. But then again, who does weak signal work and doesn't do that anyway. Great workhorse amp at a good price. Used mine with a Flex 1500. 5 watts input pushes about 80 watts output. $225 Advice to OM's with daughters. Start saving now!!! :-) -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] 6 Meter Amps (Small) for Sale
The TE Systems 2 Meter amp has sold, thank you all for the inquires. Both of the 6 Meter amps are still available. Perfect for rovers and QRP SDR rigs who want more power for the upcoming e-skip and contest seasons. If you're not happy we'll make it right. Relax, it's just a hobby. Prefer Paypal payment or USPS Money Order. Shipping via UPS Ground is included in the price. TE Systems Model 0510G 50-54 MHz (6 Meter) Linear Amplifier (SSB/CW/FM) Serial #A7173 10 Watts input-150 Watts Output. The amp is rated for 170 Watts Output, but I never drove it that hard. This amp was modified by TE Systems to provide an RCA rear panel input jack for PTT keying. You simply connect a footswitch, handheld PTT, or amp keying line to this jack, close to ground, and the amp keys. Saves wear and tear on the relay. $225 Mirage A1015 50-52 MHz Linear Amplifier (SSB/CW/FM) Serial #93-234 10 Watts Input-150 Watts Output This amp includes heavy duty power connector with Anderson Power-Poles. This is the non-G model, with the older brown face. Does not include RF sensing switching, so you HAVE to use the RCA plug on the rear to key the amp using a footswitch, handswitch, or amp key line. But then again, who does weak signal work and doesn't do that anyway. Great workhorse amp at a good price. Used mine with a Flex 1500. 5 watts input pushes about 80 watts output. $225 -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Nova For Windows Customer Service Brag
Second e-mail to Northern Lights Software Associates netted an immediate response from owner, Michael Owen, W9IP. The response included my customer registration number (that I had misplaced) from over ten years ago! Not many companies would do that. He also apologized for the amount of time it had taken for the response (completely unnecessary but thoughtful) and his hopes that I would continue to use and enjoy the software. Like many, I use SATPC32 as my day to day software, but find that Nova allows me to visualize orbits and upcoming passes much better. very important for a newcomer like myself. Just wanted to brag on Mr. Owen, and the kind of vendors that the satellite community seems to enjoy. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] WiMo X-Quad Antennas with phasing cables
I'd really like to upgrade my attic mounted antennas for satellite work. (Completely hooked on the birds at this point!) I have a tripod rotor system that I can dedicate to nothing but a 2 Meter and 432 antenna, preamps, and AZ/EL rotor. Among the antennas that I've been looking at are the Wimo X-Quad antennas with phasing harnesses. www.wimo.com Just wondering if other satellite operators have used these antennas, and what your experience has been like? Is there another antenna system that I should consider instead? Outside mounting is impossible due to HOA, and antenna length is a factor too. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Fox and ISS Ham-TV
First of all congratulations to the entire Fox team. I know that everyone is excited about the possibility of another FM bird in the near future. As for Ham-TV, I agree that more information about the ground station requirements would be most welcome. I just managed to win a TechnoTrend S2-1600 HDTV satellite PCI Card on ebay ($60 bucks with shipping) so I hope this is a good start on a complete station. The next hurdle for me will be assembling a workable antenna and I assume an AZ/EL rotor with automatic tracking? It does seem like information is incomplete considering how close to the go live date we are. I know that this type of digital TV is in wide use in Europe, so maybe some of these folks can lend the yanks a hand? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] WTB: U110 TV Style Rotors Computer Control
I'm in the process of acquiring a pair of U110 TV style rotors that have been configured for use as an AZ-EL system. Currently, the rotors have two control boxes, which would work fine, but I'd like to improve on the setup. I've found several projects online for controlling these with a computer, including some using a BASIC stamp, etc. My homebrew days are limited these days, so I'd like to see if anyone has a suitable controller for sale? I'm running SATPC32, and would prefer to control the rotors using that software if possible. If anyone has something suitable that is surplus to your needs, please contact me directly. Thanks! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] HRD 6.0 and Satellite Tracker
New to the birds, and using SATPC32 to control my Icom IC-910H. Also use Nova to help me better visualize the path that satellites will take. Rotor is still controlled manually, though I may move to change that once the family budget will allow. Haven't noticed much traffic or discussion on the air with anyone using Ham Radio Deluxe's Satellite Tracker software. I'm wondering if other operators have used the software, and what your impressions were. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Hector, CO6CBF Saves the Day!
Talk about someone demonstrating the amateur spirit! Hector Martinez, CHARLIE-OSCAR-SIX-CHARLIE-BRAVO-FLORIDA swooped in like Superman this afternoon sending me a complete audio recording of last night's SO-59 pass, including my QSO with Norm, N3YKF/OA4 in FH18. Not only did it rescue my own failed logging recording, but it allowed me to hear my distorted audio first-hand, and hopefully will allow me to troubleshoot the problem before the next pass. Hector--I can't thank you enough for your act of kindness. I know that you're one of the most popular operators on the birds, and I can certainly see why. Please let me know if I can return the favor somehow. Thanks also to Norm for sticking with the QSO through my audio distortion issues. This kind of attitude is why I love operating in the world above 50 MHz..just seem to find a better class of operator. Friendlier too. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Help in Hearing ISS
I ran a Google search this morning, and there is still no known cure for operator error. So I resort to searching for more medicine on the list until a cure can be found. Please give generously until a cure can be found. :-) Been on satellites for about five weeks now, and have managed to work a few contacts through SO-50, FO-29, AO-7, and VO-52. Have copied CW beacons from other birds including a few of the small Cubesats. The system seems to be working well. Some bugs had to be worked out along the way, including adjusting Doppler correction on SATPC32, fixing an audio distortion problem, and desense in Mode J. But despite my best efforts, I've yet to hear a single peep out of the International Space Station. Not just in voice modes, mind you, but I can't seem to find the digipeater signals, or anything else. I'm clearly doing something wrong. So, here are my questions: 1.) My IC-910H is controlled by SATPC32 in satellite mode. Simple enough. But when I make the ISS the active satellite it stays in V/U mode, and won't easily let me go into simplex mode to work the ISS voice circuits or FM repeater. Is there a fix for this? How do other IC-910H owners deal with this issue? 2.) What frequency should I be looking for the packet signals on? I don't have a TNC, but do have a Rigblaster USB Advantage sound card interface. I know it's possible to use this to monitor (and possibly transmit signals to the ISS) Is there a link to a web site explaining how to configure the software, etc. for beginners? 3.) How often is the ISS in FM repeater mode? Not often, I'm guessing. Anyone know why? 4.) Any other tips on working the ISS? It would be quite a thrill for me! Please pardon the newbie questions. This list is great, and I really appreciate the help. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming for smart, capable operators, already in progress. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] International Space Station-Bounce on 1296 MHz
Many of you may have read about the successful QSO between DJ5AR and Jan, PA3FXB using the ISS as a passive reflector, similar to airplane scatter or EME. Using EME protocols and periods of 30 seconds, they completed the QSO using CW. This involved modifying satellite tracking software, and compensating for the Doppler shift. You can read details and hear audio files on DJ5AR's blog here: http://www.dj5ar.de/?p=878 This is quite an accomplishment, but I instantly began to wonder if it couldn't also be pulled off with much simpler equipment using WSJT software such as FSK441 (commonly used for rapidly moving meteor scatter QSO's). Doppler shift would not be a problem, even with the quick moving ISS, since the software is already optimized for short transmission periods. It might be necessary to modify the standard messaging to allow for a complete QSO exchange to happen faster, or to shorten the periods to 15 seconds. 432 MHz has already proven to be very productive for airplane scatter, so I also wondered if 432 might be a good band for this type of experimentation. Lots of satellite operators are already equipped to operate on 432 and to track the ISS in real time with their antennas. I'd love to hear some discussion about the possibility of this. It could open up a lot of potential grid squares on 432 and 1296 simply using FSK441. Another problem to be solved is classifying the propagation mode in LoTW and other logging software. Would this be considered airplane scatter or would we have to invent a whole new name for this? Congratulations to both hams for this accomplishment! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Lost CAT Data on SATPC32
Taking some advice from the group today, I closed SATPC32 and opened SATPCISS in an attempt to monitor a morning pass. When I reopened SATPC32, I noticed that I had no satellites listed in my group, the countdown program did not launch, etc. Further examination revealed that all frequency data was missing in the CAT window too. I tried restarting the computer, downloading new KEP data, etc. Nothing seemed to work. Any ideas? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Digipeating Through the ISS
After several frustrating hours of trying to get the software set up properly, I finally managed to get Packet Engine Pro and UISS working in time for a good pass of the ISS over the Southeastern US. It was really something to see the software display stations and plot them on a map as the ISS passed overhead. Even more so to see my own callsign digipeated through the software. Next up is to attempt a full fledged QSO through the ISS in real-time. My special thanks to Joanne Maenpaa, K9JKM whose paper on working through the ISS using software was most helpful. I used my Icom IC-910H with a Signalink interface instead of a hardware TNC. Having a blast on the birds, and this just adds a whole other element of fun to the process. -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] LoTW and ISS Digipeater Contacts
I'm now logging all my satellites contacts and trying to upload them every couple of days to the ARRL Logbook of the World (LoTW). So far, so good with just over 25 grids confirmed via LoTW. Only hitch so far is when I tried to upload my two digital contacts, made using packet through the ISS digipeater. I'm using VOLog and it has a field for satellite data. I logged the ISS as the satellite and V/V as the satellite mode. LoTW rejected those two QSOs, and a quick check with the TQSL editor revealed that ISS was not considered a valid satellite. ARISS is listed, but I wasn't sure if that would be correct either. So--is it possible to upload ISS digital QSOs to LoTW for VUCC credit or not? If so, what is the correct method in terms of the log entry? I tried a Google search on the topic--but that only added to my confusion. Thanks--as always! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Best Antennas for Attic (Short Booms)
I'm in the process of upgrading my satellite array. Hope to add an AZ/EL rotor system, and build a complete stand-alone satellite antenna system. Right now, I'm sharing my weak signal Yagis for satellite duty. I'll be limited in boom length to about six feet maximum due to construction of the attic itself. Anything longer, and I start bumping into things. I'd like maximum performance from the space, so I'm wondering if any short length circular polarization antennas are made commercially? Everything I can find (at least in the States) are long-boom affairs. Feedline will be 3/4 hardline for the 432 antenna, and an SSB Electronics pre-amp. 2 Meters will get 1/2 hardline for feedline, and an SSB Electronics pre-amp. Runs are about 50 feet. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Improving performance of packet communications through the ISS
I've got my Icom IC-910H working with it's SignaLink interface, through Packet Engine Pro and UISS. I've been able to receive lots of stations through the ISS, and managed to have short QSOs with a couple. Fun! But I notice that this combination seems to do a poor job of decoding weak signals. I hear packets in the speaker that seem plenty strong enough to decode, but they don't show up on UISS. I'm wondering if I used a traditional TNC, such as a Kantronics unit, if I'd get better performance? Does anyone in the group have any experience along these lines? Or could someone provide other suggestions on how to improve my ability to communicate through the ISS? Thanks in advance. Having a ball on the birds. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] AMSAT Journal Latest Issue?
Since joining AMSAT about three months ago, I've only received my initial copy of the AMSAT Journal (March/April 2013). Can anyone tell me if a later issue has shipped yet, or when I could expect to receive the next one? Hungry for everything I can read on the topic. Did receive my ordered copy of the Proceedings from the 30th Annual AMSAT-NA Space Symposium, and the 2013 edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites. Great stuff. Thanks as always. Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] IC-910H Vs. FunCube Dongle Pro
I just received my FunCube Dongle Pro in the mails, and am interested in incorporating it into my station for both weak-signal VHF/UHF reception and satellite work. I'd be interested in hearing from others who have already used this nifty device. My questions are as follows: 1.) What would be the best method for T/R switching with the device and the IC-910H that I'd be using for transmission? Loss with switches and connectors needs to be avoided, but I really don't want to run separate feedlines, etc. 2.) How does the performance of the Dongle Pro compare to that of the IC-910H receiver, especially for satellite work? 3.) Any other caveats that I'm not considering? I currently use a Flexradio 1500 as my primary IF rig for transverters on 222, 902, and 1296, so I'm familiar with SDR technology. Have also owned an SDR-IQ for several years now. But this will be my first attempt with using an SDR for direct reception of signals above 30 MHz. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] ISS Packet via UISS and Dire Wolf
JoAnne, I'm sure we've all heard the phrase, You're the Man!---well clearly that does not apply in your case, but for your extraordinary help in my ventures to make contacts through the ISS, you're the woman! Coming over from the weak signal side of the world above 50 MHz, it's great to meet so many nice VHF Men (and VHF Women) so willing to share their expertise with a newcomer. Everyone on this list, and on the air has been wonderful. I'll give all this a try tomorrow if I can ever get home from work at a decent hour. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] 5 Band VUCC Award
Several amateurs have written to tell me that they are reaching out to their ARRL Division Directors and endorsing the idea of a Five Band VHF-UHF Century Club Award. My hope is that VHF Associations such as the SEVHFS, Central States, AMSAT, etc. would also endorse the proposal. Some more clarification on my suggestion to create a Five Band VHF-UHF Century Club Award: The main purpose of the award is to increase on-air activity both during contests and band openings. It would also spur activity on linear satellites, and hopefully encourage more weak signal operators to try satellite operation. There are more than a few operators who have already achieved VUCC on multiple bands, and worked a lot of grids during their careers. Some of these stations now only get on for contests, and largely ignore band openings and day to day operation. The award is an incentive for these stations to return to the air since it resets everyone's score card to zero. My other hope is that the award will help to elevate the status of the VUCC Award overall, and encourage more operators to get involved in VHF DXing. 1.) A requirement to include at least one of the lower VHF bands such as 6 Meters, 2 Meters, or 222 to prevent someone from simply going out with microwave gear and earning the award in a weekend. Personally, I would favor 2 Meters as a requirement since this is perhaps the most difficult of the VUCC Awards to achieve and would insure the most on-air activity. 2.) By making the award a Five Band award, you insure that at least one microwave band will be required to earn the award, thus increasing participation on the Microwave bands. (Technically, this could be avoided by earning one for Satellite operation and then 902, but you get the point) 3.) Satellite VUCC has been available since the award was created. It would remain one of the options for earning the award and qualify as a band for that purpose. Anyone who thinks Satellite work isn't weak signal doesn't operate satellites. 4.) Resetting everyone to zero has no bearing on past VUCC award credit, FEMA credit, or your bragging rights. It just helps to get people out of their chair during the NFL Championship game and back onto the air. It also simplifies the programming requirements for Logbook of the World in implementing the new award, and makes it faster for the ARRL to implement the new award. 5.) Endorsements for modes such as CW, digital, EME, etc. would certainly be a good option. If anyone could earn this award on a single mode or type of propagation my hat would really be off to you! More likely would be endorsements for other bands, so you could have a eight band VUCC, etc. To work the award would need a lot of Public Relations support from the ARRL to promote it, and build it's prestige among amateurs. Sean are you listening? (ha, ha) VUCC has always suffered an identity crisis among hams, and been viewed as the little brother to the DXCC. The Fred Fish Memorial Award seems to have avoided that problem, and is coveted by operators. Have you checked the total number of VUCC Awarded once you exclude 6 Meters? It's amazingly small on some bands---proof positive that even VHF Operators don't always consider VUCC as a goal. Changing the perception of the award will be an important job for the league and VHF associations. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] 5 Band VUCC VUCC Triple-Play
After some persuasive arguments and constructive criticism from Paul K7CW, Sebastian W4AS, and Pete WA7JTM I've decided to modify my proposal for the creation of a new 5 Band VUCC Award. * Eliminate the requirement to reset to zero all previous grids worked and confirmed. * Eliminate a requirement to include at least one of the low bands like 2 Meters or 6 Meters. * Insure that the 5 Band VUCC Award complies with all existing rules and requirements for VUCC Awards, with no changes needed. This will reduce the cost to administer the award, and minimize programming changes needed for Logbook of the World. But Pete WA7JTM made some some great points about how activity has declined in the past few years as many experienced VHF operators have worked nearly all possible grids in their area. His suggestion caused me to do more research on other awards that the ARRL has recently implemented. Inspiration came in the form of the Worked All States (WAS) Triple-Play Award. So in addition to the 5 Band VUCC Award, I'm proposing the establishment of a VUCC Triple-Play Award that would allow operators to earn VUCC on any amateur band above 50 MHz provided that they could work the required number of contacts for a basic VUCC Award, but on each of the three modes Phone, CW, and Digital. For example, you could earn VUCC Triple-Play on 432 by confirmed contacts with 50 Grids in Phone, CW, and Digital Modes. All previous grids confirmed in the past would count towards the new award, but it would be a rare station that has already earned this award passed purely on past contacts. * Insure that VUCC Triple-Play complies with the existing rules for VUCC, with no changes needed. Keep costs to administer low, and make programming in LoTW easier. * Allow all previous confirmed grids to count towards the new award. * Any digital mode would be acceptable. While I expect WSJT modes would dominate, PSK, RTTY, and others would qualify too. * Satellite operators could join the fun by digipeating through the International Space Station and digital satellites. Tough but possible! This would serve my original purpose of immediately increasing on-air activity especially during contests when more grid-chasers would turn out hoping to pick up new grids. And everyone would be happy because they wouldn't see a lifetime of accomplishments wiped clean by resetting to zero. I hope that others will continue to offer constructive criticism, and join me in writing their Division Directors and Vice Directors, along with their VUAC reps to support these ideas. VHF-UHF operation could use a shot in the arm, and this a great way to do it. Thanks to all who took the time to offer their thoughts on this proposal. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] TURKSAT-3USAT Status?
Does anyone know the current status of TURKSAT-3USAT? I can't find much news about it since early May, and haven't copied it's CW beacon recently either. Still learning the ends and outs of PCSAT32, so it's more than likely I've screwed up entering the Kep data. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Back Issues of AMSAT Journal in PDF
Does AMSAT offer compilations (back issues) of the AMSAT Journal in PDF format on CD, similar to the way that the ARRL and other organizations do with their publications? I've been buying all the back issues I can find at hamfests and on Ebay, but it's slow going. If they are not available, I'd be willing to donate the labor to archive them into PDF format so that AMSAT could offer them for sale. My firm provides this service commercially to our clients (mainly in healthcare, who want to archive specialty publications for niche audiences). I'm sure my staff would enjoy taking a break from scanning endless issues of Radiological Imaging Today :-) -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] CQ-VHF Spring Edition CO6CBF Article
CQ-VHF Magazine has elected to allow a free preview of the current issue (Spring 2013) highlighting an article by Hector, CO6CBF on operating satellites using a homebrew setup from Cuba. You can view the entire article at: http://www.cq-vhf.com/vhf_highlights/2013_vhf/2013_spring_vhf/2013_spring_vhf_working_satellites.pdf Congratulations to Hector, who is an inspiration to all of us. And if you're not a CQ-VHF subscriber, you really should be. It's a great magazine, and very supportive of satellite operators. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] History of EME Website
Great new web site containing lots of historical information about some of the pioneers of EME. Includes fascinating audio clips too. Learn more about the VHF Men who blazed the trail on Oscar Zero. http://www.rcallen.com/eme50.htm -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Rolf in EN17
Worked Rolf last night on FO-29 operating portable from EN17. Nice signal from the mobile set-up! Thanks Rolf for a new grid for me. I'll be uploading the log to LoTW tonight, and putting a card in the mail soon too. If you need EN17, you won't do better than trying for this first class operator. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Say Hi To Juno (Callsign end's with F)
I reached out to JPL to ask what the desired frequency for this experiment would be if your amateur callsign ended in the letter F. Here's the response: /Hi Les- What a strange thing for us to leave out! The omission will be corrected in our next update of the page this week. In the updated frequency table we will publish, F corresponds to 28.091 MHz. Thanks for your interest in this activity!/ Cheers, Preston Dyches Solar system technology public engagement NASA - Jet Propulsion Laboratory MS 230-275 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA 91109 -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] N8RO/P in EN76
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Ron, N8RO I've managed to work two new grids today, including EN76. Both on FO-29, but I'm sure Ron has also been active on SO-50---so if you're chasing grids be sure to listen for him. Can't thank him enough for activating these grids. Also had a long QSO last night on FO-29 with Ron, W5RKN and discussed his upcoming amateur rocket launch. Ron is going for his Level 3 Certification Flight, which is a big deal indeed. I'm a BAR (Born Again Rocketeer) who grew up flying Centuri model rockets. It was fascinating to hear about Ron's efforts. Best of luck to him on the upcoming flight, or as we say in the film business, Break a Leg!. Meet the most interesting people on the birds! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] SATPC32 Icom IC-910H Setting PL Tone Question
Happened to be up very late, trying to finish some work. My computer alerted me that SO-50 was rising, and even though it was 4AM, I thought I'd take a chance that someone might be on the bird. All efforts to raise the bird failed, even though it was a very high elevation pass. I realized that the bird had timed out and needed to be activated. Not something I was used to thinking about considering how busy SO-50 usually is. I searched in vain to try to figure out how SATPC32 was setting the 67.0 Hz PL tone. I figured I could modify that setting to make it transmit 74.4 Hz instead. But no joy. I know this can be set in the rig's menu, but I'd rather have a separate setting in SATPC32 for those rare passes when SO-50 is silent. Can someone walk me through how to edit the necessary file(s) and set this up? Thanks in advance from a night owl! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] AMSAT Journal No Joy in EM63
I too did not receive the latest issue of the AMSAT Journal as of yet. Thought it might just be me, so didn't want to complain. It is something to look forward to! Great job to Martha, Jo Anne, and everyone involved. The authors deserve a lot of thanks as well. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Rocket Launch Visible on East Coast Tonight
http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/MissionUpdates/MinotaurV/index.shtml Another Virginia launch of the Minotaur V rocket tonight from the facility in Virginia. The link above contains information on the vehicle, launch time, and detailed information about what to expect for viewers along the East Coast. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Another SATPC32 Question-Icom 910H-FM Narrow Mode
Thanks to all who answered my newbie question involving how to change the transmitted PL tone for SO-50. I got several great responses, including at least one person who sent me their edited file for my use. The amateur spirit is alive, well, and living on the birds! I've got a similar question regarding SATPC32 and SO-50. I've noticed that FM-narrow mode on the Icom IC-910H seems to deliver better reception of the satellite, and I'd like to change the settings in SATPC32 so that is automatically places the radio in FM-Narrow mode. Can someone guide me through how to make this change? Also, I notice that polarity seems to be a larger issue on this bird than on the linear SSB/CW birds. My antennas are fixed in the attic in elevation, and can only be rotated in azimuth. I also opted to slightly offset the 432 antennas from vertical polarization to more of an in-between, which seemed to reduce local noise and be a good compromise setting for shifting antenna polarization on the satellite. Anything else I can be besides adding AZ/EL to help reception of SO-50? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Another SATPC32 Question-Icom 910H-FM Narrow Mode
Thanks to all who've addressed this question too. Changed the DOPPLER.SQF file just before the 18:30 pass, and it worked fine. All the help is certainly appreciated by this new satellite operator. I'm up to 71 grids worked now, and hoping for more. My latest foray is into the exciting world of attempting real time packet QSO's via ISS. 73, Les N1LF EM63 On 9/8/2013 1:29 PM, Alan wrote: Lee, Look in the DOPPLER.SQF file where you specify frequencies, modes, etc. You have the option of FM, or FMN for FM-Narrow. I used a Yaesu which also has a FMN mode, and it worked fine. You can select it for uplink, downlink or both. There are detailed notes at the bottom of the file on the options. I would suggest changing only the downlink. 73s, Alan WA4SCA -Original Message- From: amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-boun...@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Les Rayburn Sent: Sunday, September 08, 2013 12:08 PM To: AMSAT Mailing List; starcom...@star-com.net Subject: [amsat-bb] Another SATPC32 Question-Icom 910H-FM Narrow Mode Thanks to all who answered my newbie question involving how to change the transmitted PL tone for SO-50. I got several great responses, including at least one person who sent me their edited file for my use. The amateur spirit is alive, well, and living on the birds! I've got a similar question regarding SATPC32 and SO-50. I've noticed that FM-narrow mode on the Icom IC-910H seems to deliver better reception of the satellite, and I'd like to change the settings in SATPC32 so that is automatically places the radio in FM-Narrow mode. Can someone guide me through how to make this change? Also, I notice that polarity seems to be a larger issue on this bird than on the linear SSB/CW birds. My antennas are fixed in the attic in elevation, and can only be rotated in azimuth. I also opted to slightly offset the 432 antennas from vertical polarization to more of an in-between, which seemed to reduce local noise and be a good compromise setting for shifting antenna polarization on the satellite. Anything else I can be besides adding AZ/EL to help reception of SO-50? ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Best Full Duplex Mobile FM Rig for Satellite Work?
Even though we have only one FM bird active at the moment (two if you could ISS), I'd still like to get a good performing FM duplex transceiver for the truck, along with a good magnet mount antenna to use while in motion. My reasons for this are many but briefly: 1.) Can't invest in a full blown satellite transceiver for the mobile right now. 2.) Want to be able to work high elevation passes without the need to drag out anything or even stop. 3.) Have a work related road trip coming up that will take us from Alabama to Washington, DC, then on to Chicago, Phoenix, and finally Salt Lake City. This should take me through a lot of grids. While I hope to pack along the Arrow Antenna and a FT-857D/FT-817ND combo, I won't be able to stop for the majority of passes. A good mobile duplex FM rig would insure that I make at least the majority of SO-50 passes during the three week trip. Suggestions on either rig or antennas? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Kenwood TM-V71A or DM-710 for Satellite Work
Continuing on my thread with questions about mobile transceivers for use with FM satellites, I should have looked no further than my own shack. I have a Kenwood TM-V71 that is full duplex that I'm currently not using. Does anyone on the lists have any experience with this transceiver for satellite operation? I'm particularly interested in hearing how sensitive the receiver was with the satellites, or experiences using it for mobile satellite operation. The D710 with APRS functionality is an identical radio in terms of the RF hardware, so experiences with that radio would also be welcome. I'll be a passenger in my upcoming trip so no worries about my trying to operate a full-duplex radio while driving. (Ha, Ha) -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] BoD Election AMSAT Membership
Domenico, Wish I could provide a more detailed answer, but the reason why I claim AMSAT #38965 is because it was hand-written on the membership card that I got when I joined earlier this year. :-) Perhaps I should apply for Life Membership so that I could get a lower and easier to remember number. 688 members voting out of approximately 3,000 isn't terrible. Wish that many people (percentage wise) cared as much about our democracy in this country--especially in local elections. Congratulations to the winners, and kudos to all who ran. Remember that just by volunteering to run these members have shown their willingness to serve the rest of us. Anyone who volunteers for any role in AMSAT is worthy of appreciation. All of you have mine. Now, if only we could 688 people to get on the birds once in awhile! :-) 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Space Weather Affect on Satellites
MIT Study of interest to the satellite community: http://web.mit.edu/press/2013/space-weather-effects-on-satellites.html -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Great Morning for New Grids!
Drew, KO4MA was on from EM61/EM71 intersection this morning on the FO-29 pass (and I found him high in the passband first!) and Ron N8RO was operating portable from FM07! He had quite a pileup going more towards the center of the passband. Thanks to both these skilled and dedicated operators for being out there. Great to hear spirited activity on the birds! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] The Good Ole Days are now
Like many hams (I suspect), I dreamed of working satellites for decades. Followed them with at least a passing interest but always seemed to put them off till someday. Even during the craze of the work satellites with your handheld, I was distracted by other priorities. When I got involved in VHF/UHF a few years ago, and purchased an Icom IC-910H, I kept thinking I'd finally pull the trigger. But years passed without anything other than weak-signal contacts being made on that rig. A few months ago, I finally decided to give it a try. Downloaded SATPC32, and updated my keps. FO-29 was the next satellite coming my way, so when I was inside the footprint, I tuned around a bit, and found some stations coming in. Cool! I was actually hearing hams on satellite---next up was answering a CQ...nervously I pushed the PTT on the mic. 82 grids and a few hundred contacts later, I'm having a ball! I don't miss the birds that came before, but just enjoy what we have now. My only complaint might be that more folks are not active on F0-29 and VO-52. Even SO-50 can be nearly empty after midnight. My understanding is that within the next year we'll have 2 or 3 more linear LEO satellites, and possibly another FM bird, right? While we may not work a lot of DX on those, we should get to the point where no one has to wait long for something to be overhead. That's exciting to me! AMSAT is staffed with wonderful volunteers, and seems to be doing great work. I'm thrilled to be a member, even if it is #38965. The good ole days are now. Get on the birds and make some contacts. I need your grid! (ha, ha) -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] SO-50, IC-910H, and Sat PC32 Issues
Before I ask again for assistance, I'd like to say that I've read the manual for both the software and the rig, experimented, and tested on my own trying to resolve these issues. This includes staying up well past midnight so that I can run tests on the bird without bothering other users too much. Here, briefly is a description of my station, and the issues I'm experiencing. Any assistance or advice in resolving the problem would be gratefully accepted: Running an Icom IC-910H into antennas in the attic. The 432 antenna is an Arrow 7 element Yagi, mounted at a fixed elevation of 25 degrees. The 2 Meter antenna is a 6 element K1FO Yagi, mounted horizontal. Both can be rotated on the stack in azimuth only. Feedline is 75' foot runs of 1/2 hardline with antennas mounted in the attic. The 432 antenna has an ARR mast mount pre-amp, while the 2 Meter antenna has an SSB Electronics mast mount pre-amp. Performance on FO-29, VO-52 is fair to good. High elevation passes on all satellites seem to give me reception problems, but down nearer the horizon things are good. Hoping to upgrade to AZ/EL in the near future. I've learned how to deal with Doppler on the other birds, and generally can used the stored corrections in SATPC32, or adjust it on the fly using the software to hear my own downlink well, and work other stations. SO-50 ISSUES == However, on FM I continue to struggle. A.) Reception is poor. Especially high elevation passes. B.) Successful reception of other stations requires adjusting the RIT control on the rig. Often to plus 5 KHz and sometimes to somewhere in between 0 and +5 Khz. C.) Switching the rig to FM Narrow mode helped, but did not resolve the problem. D.) Attempting to adjust for Doppler using the software control doesn't seem to help much. E.) I can only rarely hear my own downlink on this satellite, even in the middle of the night when the bird is empty. F.) Numerous reports of others calling me without success, even though I'm getting into the bird fine. I realize that polarity is an issue with all satellites. Signals arrive out of phase, and I have no way to compensate. Also having a fixed elevation is a problem, and explains the poor performance at high elevation. But I fail to understand why the system seems to work well on other birds, but not SO-50. What am I missing? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Crushcraft A144-10T VHF Twist Antenna
I just acquired a new in the-box, never assembled Crushcraft A144-10T VHF Twist antenna. It includes the cabling to allow the user to select left or right hand polarization. My questions are numerous: 1.) How is the performance on this antenna, compared to more modern designs? 2.) If I were going to install it inside my attic, should I chose left or right hand polarization? 3.) Any caveats or things to watch out for? Any information that could be provided would be great. I was thrilled when a friend stopped by and asked me if I'd be interested in the antenna. Good price too. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Yaesu G-5400B Rotor Controller Box ONLY For Sale
The rotor control box is not mine to sell. It is the property of the Shelby County Alabama Amateur Radio Club, and was donated from a SK estate. I was considering purchasing the unit when I believed it was part of a complete system. It is the AZ/EL rotor control box only. I believe that the club is asking $200 plus shipping. For more information and an accurate price, please contact their President directly: John Corbitt, W4XWA jm...@bellsouth.net I hope the rotor control box finds a good home in the satellite community. See you on the birds! 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF EM63nf On 10/17/2013 8:15 PM, John Fickes wrote: Les If your looking for a AZ EL rotor, there is an Alfa Spid on ebay now. That has a very good price. This is the same one I have and it, in my opinion, is a much better rotor than the Yaesu. The starting price is about a third of a new one. And they state it's never been outside. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antenna-Rotator-RAS-1-/190933751489?pt=US_Radio_Comm_Antennashash=item2c7489d6c1 Good Luck 73 John KC0BMF On Thu, Oct 17, 2013 at 3:24 PM, Les Rayburn l...@highnoonfilm.com mailto:l...@highnoonfilm.com wrote: Update on the Yaesu G-5400B rotor. It turned out that only the rotor controller and cable was available. It appears that the rotor itself may have gone with the tower whenever it was disassembled during removal. It's from an estate sale, so hard to be sure. Any value to the rotor controller? Or perhaps someone has the rotor but is in search of a new box? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org mailto:AMSAT-BB@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-BB@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] FS: Icom AG-2400 Downconverter
The item is not mine, and I have no relationship to the seller, but thought I'd pass this along to AMSAT members who might be interested. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Icom-AG-2400-2-4-Ghz-Downconverter-NEW-IN-BOX-Excellent-TRY-YOUR-BEST-OFFER-/301033987360?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Transceivershash=item4617061d20 A new in the box, Icom AG-2400 2.4 GHz downconverter that mates with the Icom IC-910H transceiver. Perfect for US and LS mode satellite operations (someday). These don't come up for sale or auction very often. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] AO-73 (FunCube) Transponder Schedule
Is there a reliable way to predict what status the transponder on AO-73 will be on a given pass over the US? Perhaps a web page that I missed? Any help appreciated. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Problem Receiving AMSAT-BB
For the past week or so, I don't seem to be receiving the Daily Digest of AMSAT-BB, as I was before. I've tried all the usual fixes, without success: 1.) Checked spam filter settings, junk folder, and made sure that AMSAT-BB was on my white list. 2.) Checked the trash folder and message filters on Thunderbird. 3.) Tried unsubscribing to the list and re-subscribing. 4.) Finally, changed from Daily Digest to individual messages. No joy. Any ideas? (Please reply direct) -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Adding AO-73 to SATPC32 and Nova for Windows
I've been off the air since before Thanksgiving, due to an impossible work and personal schedule. Things are slowing down now, and I'd really like to work some contacts through A0-73. Can someone walk me through adding A0-73 to SATPC32? I'd like to keep it within the group of satellites that are in the amateur.txt Kep file if possible. Ditto for adding it to Nova for Windows. I know that someone posted instructions like this shortly after the satellite was launched, but it appears that the object number and keps may be out of date now? I'd like to install the new bird with the latest information. Thanks for helping the newbie! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] LVB Tracker for sale?
I'm looking to purchase an LVB Tracker, assembled, and in good working condition. If anyone has one that is surplus to their needs, please contact me off list. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] New EsSense Application for VhF
In many ways, VHF operators in the EU lead the United States in their activity on the VHF band. If you've ever read a copy of the German/English publication, DUBUS magazine, you quickly get a sense of just how much is being done across the pond. Recent advances that I can think of include the low-noise LFA antenna, and the MSRX software decoder for WSJT modes. Here's another development that I think holds promise for US operators too. It allows much more active monitoring of E-Skip DX when you're away from the rig. Download it, and start using it today. E-Skip season is coming soon. Hope to see you on 2 Meters! The Android app EsSense, which was launched in December, has been received well by the VHF community. Several hundreds of European operators have meanwhile downloaded the app; they are using it to literally stay tuned at all times and greatly enhance their DX power. Many thanks to all users for their useful feedback - this was a great help to fix bugs and further improve the app. Now that EsSense has reached a mature level it's time to expand the functionality to other regions: The latest version (0.10) now also supports North and South America, Middle East and Africa! (East-Asia, Oceania, Australia coming soon). EsSense can be downloaded for free from the Google Play store at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.gooddx.essense Good DX! 73, Allard PE1NWL -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Rocket Man
One of most pleasant experiences that a satellite operator could ever have, occurred for me this weekend. Saturday night, sitting third row center, only ten feet from the stage. Listening to Elton John sing Rocket Man with my beautiful XYL at my side. For a lifelong space enthusiast, and amateur satellite operator, it doesn't get much better than that! -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Satellites with Transponders
I've had trouble lately keeping up with the launches of new satellites, and trying to separate those that carry experiments, beacons, etc. from those that have active transponders available for amateur use. Is there a list online somewhere that only lists satellites with active transponders? Any help is much appreciated. Lately it's been tough to keep SATPC32 up to date! : - ) A very good problem to have. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] One More Time for the Slow People [ LituanicaSAT-1 ]
I'd really like to work a contact or two through the new bird while it's still up. Can someone walk me through how to add this to SATPC32 and/or Nova for Windows? I've downloaded the latest KEPS, but have no idea which one might be LituanicaSAT-1. Frankly, the naming conventions are confusing, especially for newcomers. What, exactly was wrong with OSCAR-1, OSCAR-2, etc? Thanks in advance, for both assistance and patience. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] On Ebay : Yaesu-G-5400B AZ/EL Rotor unused NOS only $550
Not associated with the seller, but this is a great deal. Especially since it contains the computer interface too. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yaesu-G-5400B-AZ-EL-Rotator-/291192259873?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123 Hope this helps another satellite operator out. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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
Re: [amsat-bb] [Starcom-bb] On Ebay : Yaesu-G-5400B AZ/EL Rotor unused NOS only$550
John, Do you mind if I ask what you're looking for in terms of price? I have a G-5400B already, but am missing the PC interface. I'd be more comfortable buying a complete set-up that attempting to add PC interface. 73, Les N1LF Les Rayburn, Director High Noon Film 130 1st Avenue West Alabaster, AL 35007-8536 (205) 621-7500 (205) 621-7505 FAX (205) 253-4867 CELL http://www.highnoonfilm.com - This e-mail contains information that may be confidential or privileged and is intended only for the person(s) named above. Any other distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original transmission to the above address by mail without making a copy. On 7/17/2014 2:28 PM, John / NS1Z wrote: If you miss out on that one contact me, I have the same rotor, controller and PC interface with digital readout. -Original Message- From: Les Rayburn Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 12:20 PM To: AMSAT Mailing List ; Star-Com BB Subject: [Starcom-bb] On Ebay : Yaesu-G-5400B AZ/EL Rotor unused NOS only$550 Not associated with the seller, but this is a great deal. Especially since it contains the computer interface too. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yaesu-G-5400B-AZ-EL-Rotator-/291192259873?ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:1123 Hope this helps another satellite operator out. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] 432 10-13 -Element Antenna?
I'm limited to indoor antennas for all my amateur operations, including satellite operation. Right now, I'm running a 6 element 2 Meter yagi, along with the 7 element 432 beam (part of an arrow antenna). I have room to rotate a larger, and longer 432 antenna, and I'd love to have more gain. Most of the commercial antennas seem to be either small and portable, like the Arrow or much longer intended for weak signal operations. Is anyone aware of something in between, such as a 10 to 13 element antenna available commercially. No time or interest in homebrewing one right now. Even better, does anyone have one that is surplus to their needs that they'd like to sell? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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
Re: [amsat-bb] [Starcom-bb] 432 10-13 -Element Antenna?
Brad, I have looked at them for mobile operation, but I'm not certain that they would have enough gain to work well inside my attic. I'm going to try the Diamond 11 element Yagi to start with. Low cost and I can put it to good service for portable 432 operations if it turns out not to work well in this application. What is your experience with using the Myers indoors? Les Rayburn, Director High Noon Film 130 1st Avenue West Alabaster, AL 35007-8536 (205) 621-7500 (205) 621-7505 FAX (205) 253-4867 CELL http://www.highnoonfilm.com - This e-mail contains information that may be confidential or privileged and is intended only for the person(s) named above. Any other distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original transmission to the above address by mail without making a copy. On 7/21/2014 9:07 AM, Brad Smith wrote: Have you looked at the Myers quadrifilar helix from US Antennas? I use one exclusively for 70 cm receive and am installing one in the garage for winter sat operation. Brad KC9UQR Sent from Brad's iPod On Jul 20, 2014, at 11:18 PM, Les Rayburn l...@highnoonfilm.com wrote: I'm limited to indoor antennas for all my amateur operations, including satellite operation. Right now, I'm running a 6 element 2 Meter yagi, along with the 7 element 432 beam (part of an arrow antenna). I have room to rotate a larger, and longer 432 antenna, and I'd love to have more gain. Most of the commercial antennas seem to be either small and portable, like the Arrow or much longer intended for weak signal operations. Is anyone aware of something in between, such as a 10 to 13 element antenna available commercially. No time or interest in homebrewing one right now. Even better, does anyone have one that is surplus to their needs that they'd like to sell? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Starcom-bb bulletin board starcom...@star-com.net http://lists.star-com.net/listinfo/starcom-bb ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] Cross Country SDR Sentry 10
http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/sentry.html If true, this would provide the first SDR with output on 6 Meters, 2 Meters, 222, 432, and 1.2 GHz. This would be a real game-changer for VHF weak signal operators, and provide enough drive for most amps. Can't wait to learn more about this product. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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
Re: [amsat-bb] Cross Country SDR Sentry 10
Stefan, Yes, I've tracked the Blade RF closely...but I think you've answered your own question. To use the device on 2 Meters or lower, you need downconverters...and the output power level is too low to drive most amps. Basically, it's an engineer's tool, but not well suited for operators. Ditto for the HackRF. The Cross Country Sentry promises to drive brick amplifiers without intermediate stages, and excellent performance on all the amateur VHF bands due to bandpass filtering. To be a true game changer, a product must not only be a technical marvel, but it must be popular in the marketplace. It remains to be seen if any of these products will reach that standard, but an inexpensive all-in-one VHF/UHF SDR transceiver would certainly be in demand. Time will tell. 73, Les N1LF On 8/6/2014 5:25 PM, Stefan Wagener wrote: Did you look at the Blade RF? http://nuand.com With available downconverter and full duplex! It is already a game changer and being used. Also, the HackRF is shipping now. Stefan On Wed, Aug 6, 2014 at 3:00 PM, Les Rayburn l...@highnoonfilm.com mailto:l...@highnoonfilm.com wrote: http://www.crosscountrywireless.net/sentry.html If true, this would provide the first SDR with output on 6 Meters, 2 Meters, 222, 432, and 1.2 GHz. This would be a real game-changer for VHF weak signal operators, and provide enough drive for most amps. Can't wait to learn more about this product. -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light -- ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org mailto:AMSAT-BB@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-BB@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] Cross Country Sentry 10 Info
First of all, I should state that I have no financial interest in the Cross Country Sentry 10 SDR, nor any ax to grind against competitors. But I have gotten some additional information from it's developer that I think will be of interest to VHF operators. Overall, this product sounds like a real winner for both weak signal and satellite operators. The ability to have output on all VHF bands from 6 Meters thru 1.2 GHz would be perfect for rovers, and really simplify station design for the rest of us. Here are the comments I've received from Chris, G4HYG. === I'm also a VHF/UHF weak signal enthusiast so I appreciate your kind comments. We are in the final development phase of the transceiver and are planning to start a KickStarter project in about a month to put the transceiver into production. To give you an idea of the technology used in the transceiver the RF front end device is a PGA-103+ low noise amplifier with a LTC5584 as a mixer. The PA stage uses the new BLP10H610 device from NXP. This NXP device is due to be released this month so it should be available when we are ready to start production. The transceiver will work at 222 and 902/903 MHz for U.S. customers. Our intention is to supply different firmware and filter options depending on the customers location. For example the E.U., U.S, and Japan have different frequency specifications for imported amateur radio equipment. For in-house testing and any potential military customers we do have wideband firmware but I wouldn't like to release that firmware for general use for obvious reasons. The approach we have taken with our existing SDR receivers is to try to design them so that they can use as many SDR programs as possible. The Sentry transceiver is somewhat different in that it doesn't divide the LO frequency by 4 to generate the 90 degree phase shift for the IQ LO injection. Programs will have to use the direct LO frequency without division. So far HDSDR and Quisk are the only programs I know of so far that will operate directly with the Sentry transceiver on both transmit and receive. SDR Radio and SDR Sharp work OK on receive. I'm in regular contact with most of the SDR software authors as I try to help them to add support for our products so I'll be in contact with them before launch to ask if they can add support for the Sentry transceiver. Regarding the question about bandwidth the internal sound card has a 48 kHz sampling rate so the span bandwidth is limited to 48 kHz, The transceiver will have a IQ output to drive external sound cards up to 192 kHz. The transceiver is designed as a near zero IF (typically 100 Hz to avoid the AM and FM carrier appearing at DC). This helps prevent hams unintentionally transmitting out of band. The transmitter IQ chain is filtered with a 8.5 kHz filter to reduce the wideband noise that can be transmitted along with the wanted signal. We realize that many users will want to drive external high power amplifiers and transverters. Recently I've been testing one of the the prototype transceivers during the weekly Tuesday night 4, 6, 2 and 70cm contests run by the RSGB. My local club (Bolton Wireless Club) have around 25 members who take part in the contest and as they are line of sight with my station it's a tough test of any receiver or transmitter during the contest. The latest tests have even included using unmatched antennas such as a HF dipole as a VHF antenna to see how the RF filtering worked in extreme mismatch conditions. A lot of the development time over the last two years has been dedicated to ensuring that the receiver is as good as we can make it and that the transmitter is clean with regard to wideband noise. All these on-air tests confirmed what had already been proved in the lab tests and proved that the design is good and now ready for production. The original YouTube video and the photographs on the web page show an early prototype. The production version will have a different case more suited to fitting underneath a laptop PC. We are planning to add a new video showing a working prototype in action in a week or two. Thanks for your kind comments about the plan for a KickStarter project. I'll update the web page and the CCW Yahoo group forum with regular progress reports. Regards, Chris, G4HYG == -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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] IC-910H Receiver Repair
Can someone recommend a repair service that has experience with the unique needs of VHF/UHF weak signal operation? My IC-910H is ailing and I don't want to be without it for long. I noticed that signals on 2M satellites sounded a bit weaker than normal, but I attributed that to random phasing. Then during the Perseid meteor showers, all my QSO's turned into marathon events, many lasting well over an hour. Even at distances that should have been easy, and with stations running high power. I investigated further by monitoring two local beacons, and noticed that one was much weaker than normal, and the other could not be copied at all. Using WSJT, I couldn't even see the faint trace of the carrier. Also checked local NOAA weather stations...and I can normally copy at least one station on each frequency. Now, I can only seem to manage to hear stations on the two of them. Something is amiss. I swapped out cables, checked connections, etc. Nothing improves the situation. Transmit output power is normal on all bands. The problem appears to be isolated to 2 Meter receive, but it's difficult to check other frequencies here. Any recommendation on where to send my baby? -- -- 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF 121 Mayfair Park Maylene, AL 35114 EM63nf 6M VUCC #1712 AMSAT #38965 Grid Bandits #222 Southeastern VHF Society Central States VHF Society Life Member Six Club #2484 Active on 6 Meters thru 1296, 10GHz Light ___ Sent via AMSAT-BB@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
