Gee we went from $5000 worth of equipment to a $7.25 boafang, maybe something in the middle mite work. How bout a 50 to 75 watt mobile radio hooked up to a beam antenna on a tripod. The most reverting thing of this thread is fact that ANYONE in the government would be concerned about spending government dollars. If he or she works for NASA , I would vote them for president. Robert
From: BVARC <bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org> On Behalf Of Neal Naumann via BVARC Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2022 1:57 PM To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc@bvarc.org> Cc: Neal Naumann <n...@outlook.com>; Rick Hiller <rickhille...@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [BVARC] ARISS Contact - Request for loaner gear Yes, you can probably talk to the ARISS with a $7.25 Boafeng talkie (yes I actually have one that I bought from Radioddity with a $25 coupon) and a rubber duck antenna. So after about a year of planning and selection for a probable once in a lifetime event for this particular school class, would you just walk in with a hundred eager students waiting for your contact with the space station, only to realize you are unable to make contact because your equipment had malfunctioned or was insufficient. Can you imagine the value of a hour of time on the ISS? A google search estimates about $350,000 per hour to keep the station in orbit - I have no idea what's rolled into that figure, but assuming that's a realistic minimum and there are an average of six occupants, it works out at around $60,000 per hour per occupant overall. So a decent high elevation pass may give you 15 minutes of talk time at most. Plus a few minutes on each side of the pass for the astronaut to prepare and secure the station… Your $7.25 Boafeng failed, so 30 minutes of ISS time is maybe $30,000 taxpayer money gone. On the ground, you are now standing in the middle of a bunch of disappointed students and pissed off teachers, school officials, and NASA personel, looking like a complete idiot. That moment of amateur radio will be forever remembered. You could either be a hero or a zero ( or possible negative number because you just single handedly took the entire hobby down with you). What’s it going to be? I’m sure there is equipment around to be lent and insure the success of this event. Try to be positive. Amateur radio can be better than a bunch of old grumpy men … and I’m not saying that anyone is, but can we turn this thread towards a more positive direction? 73, Neal Naumann N5EN From: BVARC [mailto:bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org] On Behalf Of Keith Dutson via BVARC Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2022 6:00 AM To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > Cc: Keith Dutson <kdut...@sbcglobal.net <mailto:kdut...@sbcglobal.net> >; Rick Hiller <rickhille...@gmail.com <mailto:rickhille...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [BVARC] ARISS Contact - Request for loaner gear Ditto. I was at a pool party some years back and used a Kenwood HT to talk to an astronaut. He was using the Kenwood transceiver installed in the space station. During an ARISS session with a school, a completely different setup is used. The transceiver is a Harris unit using the onboard audio system and a separate dedicated antenna. This station has a special ARISS call sign and the astronauts are control operators with their own call sign. When astronauts are assigned to a mission aboard the space station, they are asked if they want to participate in the ARISS session. If the answer is yes, they must have an amateur radio license. If they do not have a license, I am called to teach them how to get their license. This is done in a two day class at the Johnson Space Center. Each day is a two hour session, so only four hours of instruction are given. Electronics and math are not included since astronauts are already well trained in these topics. Instead, emphasis is placed on rules, regulations and procedure. 73, Keith NM5G On Saturday, February 12, 2022, 08:20:13 PM CST, Rick Hiller via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > wrote: At the Boy Scout local Jamboree in Navasota a few years back we worked the ISS with a 2 meter mobile FM rig and vertical antenna. The astronaut talked to us for a bit too, not just 599 TU.....pretty cool.. Of course they were directly over head during their pass. RH On Sat, Feb 12, 2022 at 11:34 AM Ron Bosch via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > wrote: Something run through NASA is overengineered, IAM SHOCKED, SHOCKED I say!! 😊 Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows From: JP Pritchard via BVARC <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2022 8:39 AM To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> Cc: JP Pritchard <mailto:jppn...@comcast.net> ; Jeff Greer <mailto:gree...@hotmail.com> ; Jeffery MacMillian <mailto:twi...@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [BVARC] ARISS Contact - Request for loaner gear Over-engineered is an understatement. JP On 02/10/2022 8:16 AM Jeff Greer via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > wrote: This is a scheduled school contact with the ISS via the ARISS program. ARISS.org has documentation, including ground station recommendations here: https://www.ariss.org/uploads/1/9/6/8/19681527/ariss_ground_station.pdf We were also assigned a technical mentor (a ham who has done this many times before), who must approve our plan before passing it along to ARISS for official approval. -j From: BVARC <bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org> > on behalf of Jeffery MacMillian via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2022 7:53 AM To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > Cc: Jeffery MacMillian <twi...@gmail.com <mailto:twi...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [BVARC] ARISS Contact - Request for loaner gear Jeff, Is there a reference or documentation? Are you just trying to make a contact, or is there something else going on? Thanks, Jeff KC5TT On Thu, Feb 10, 2022 at 7:25 AM Jeff Greer via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > wrote: We have to build primary and backup stations for contacting the ISS, in accordance with ARISS requirements, which are decidedly over-engineered. 😉 I think they require a minimum 14-el circular polarized cross yagi on a rotator for the primary station, for example, along with automagic satellite tracking... From: BVARC <bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc-boun...@bvarc.org> > on behalf of Jeffery MacMillian via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > Sent: Wednesday, February 9, 2022 10:57 PM To: BRAZOS VALLEY AMATEUR RADIO CLUB <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > Cc: Jeffery MacMillian <twi...@gmail.com <mailto:twi...@gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [BVARC] ARISS Contact - Request for loaner gear Jeff, What exactly are you trying to accomplish?? I am sure we can find some way to accommodate your goal without being out some $5000.00 worth of ham gear... Have Fun, Jeff KC5TT . . . On Wed, Feb 9, 2022 at 7:23 PM Jeff Greer via BVARC <bvarc@bvarc.org <mailto:bvarc@bvarc.org> > wrote: All, We are moving to finalize our equipment plan. We've consulted with our ARISS technical mentor and believe we are on the right track. We are seeking some loaner gear (list below). Charlie wanted me to make sure to let everyone know that we are looking to have gear on hand in the next few weeks, and won't be able to return loaner gear for some time - perhaps as late as December or January. We understand that many will not be able to be without their gear for that long, so wanted to state it up front. That said, here's a short list of the stuff we know we'll need: -Icom IC-9700 -50A power supply, linear preferred -peaked roof mount (tripod or base that can be secured with cinder blocks and/or sandbags) -Mirage B-5018-G preamp, 2M-PA 2M preamp, or similar (for us to play with prior to receiving ARRL gear) -Battery power system in case of power outage -eggbeater and/or 5/8 wave (w/ ground radials/plate) antenna -Cushcraft A14820 or similar cross yagi -Uninterruptable power supplies -SWR/Power Output meter -coax switches -Yaesu G5500 rotator (we have a possible loan in the works with a local ham, and a possible loan from ARRL for this) If you would be able to help, please let me (and Charlie, copied here) know. Thanks so much! More details about how to listen to the contact as I have them. 73! Jeff W5JEF ________________________________________________ Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club BVARC mailing list BVARC@bvarc.org <mailto:BVARC@bvarc.org> http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org Publicly available archives are available here: https://www.mail-archive.com/bvarc@bvarc.org/ ________________________________________________ Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club BVARC mailing list BVARC@bvarc.org <mailto:BVARC@bvarc.org> http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org Publicly available archives are available here: https://www.mail-archive.com/bvarc@bvarc.org/ ________________________________________________ Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club BVARC mailing list BVARC@bvarc.org <mailto:BVARC@bvarc.org> http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org Publicly available archives are available here: https://www.mail-archive.com/bvarc@bvarc.org/ ________________________________________________ Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club BVARC mailing list BVARC@bvarc.org <mailto:BVARC@bvarc.org> http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org Publicly available archives are available here: https://www.mail-archive.com/bvarc@bvarc.org/ -- Rick Hiller e-mail: rickhille...@gmail.com <mailto:rickhille...@gmail.com> Cell: 832-474-3713 Physical: 9031 Troulon Drive Houston, TX 77036 ________________________________________________ Brazos Valley Amateur Radio Club BVARC mailing list BVARC@bvarc.org <mailto:BVARC@bvarc.org> http://mail.bvarc.org/mailman/listinfo/bvarc_bvarc.org Publicly available archives are available here: https://www.mail-archive.com/bvarc@bvarc.org/ <https://www.mail-archive.com/bvarc@bvarc.org/%20>
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