[amsat-bb] Grid Map Updates - CQ Europe/South America
Thanks to the following operators who sent updates and/or provided data for a new gridmap on my satellite website. W0DHB N8HM KB1PVH WA7ETH AC0RA W5PFG WD9EWK KO4MA PD4KH F6GLJ These maps show that there continues to be activity on the birds despite there being fewer to work through. I'm especially happy that we now have two gridmaps from Europe. Grid maps from European operators are always welcome. We could use some from Op's in South America as well. If you are looking for a rare grid to operate from, these maps will help you make a selection. It can be fun to operate on the other end of a pileup. Please continue to update your maps. If you haven't created a map yet please consider doing so. If you want me to create it for you just send two .txt files, one with your confirmed grids and one with the grids you have WORKED BUT NOT CONFIRMED, one 4 character grid per line. No amount of grids worked is too small. Every grid list started with the first grid confirmed! Website: http://www.papays.com/sat 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] satellite grid map reqeust
Several years ago I started posting grid maps on my website so that grid chasers and grid expeditioners could get an idea of what was needed by active satellite operators. However, some of these maps have not been updated in quite a while. And there are many new grid chasers that have not submitted their maps for posting. If you have a map that is currently posted and has not been updated recently please send me an updated map(s) or just send me a text file of the grids you have confirmed, one 4 character grid square per line And another text file of grids you have worked but are not yet confirmed using the same format of one grid per line. I will generate the maps from these files and you can download and print the resulting map that will be posted. If you have never submitted a map, please consider doing so. Knowing who has what is very helpful to potential grid expeditioners and it is a nice way to keep track of what you need and where that grid is located with respect to grids you already have. It's a lot easier for someone in a grid adjacent to one you need to go there compared to someone who might live hundreds of miles away doing the same. If you send me your grid lists as specified above, I will generate the maps for you. Here's a list maps on my website and the date they were updated: AA4QE 5/11/2012 AC0RA 8/26/2013 CO6CBF 11/22/2011 K6YK 4/26/2011 KB1PVH UNKNOWN KB1RVT 9/6/2013 KB9RID 1/8/2011 KC0YBM 12/31/2011 KD8CAO 10/8/2011 KD8KSN 8/2/2011 KI6YAA 11/30/2010 KK5DO 4/21/2012 KO4MA 10/28/2013 N5AFV 2/25/2012 VA3OR 3/22/2012 W5PFG 9/16/2012 WA4NVM 2/27/2012 WD9EWK 3/4/2012 Info on how to make the maps is on the grid map page: http://www.papays.com/sat/gridmaps/gridmaps.html 73, John K8YSE ___ 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-7 CW Telemetry
It is very rare to hear clear CW from the AO-7B telemetry beacon around 145.972. Most of the time there is no beacon at all. Sometimes there is jibberish. Usually the signal is very weak. With AO-7 going through eclipse on every orbit, the satellite can come out of eclipse in different modes/ options. Recently there have been times where the beacon has transmitted clear CW over North America, something I have not heard over the years. According to the DK3WN website, there was some cw telemetry back in 2002 when the satellite was discovered to be working again. And there was some discussion about what is valid data based on the last 3 digits sent in the 24 group block of data. If the value is 649, 650, or 651, the data is likely valid. I first heard the image of the cw signal around 958. It was so loud I thought it was a valid user at first. But since the cw was all numbers I tuned up to the beacon frequency and there the signal was louder than anything I have ever heard on AO-7. It took a while for me to get the recorder running but I managed to capture some data. After playing it back I found that there was only one block of data where the last group was valid, a 649. Other later transmissions were loud but the data was much different and the last group was not correct. I couldn't locate a telemetry calculator at first so I decided to build one on Excel using the formulae provided by DK3WN. The data follows: AO-7B Telemetry 24July2014 2318UTC POS ParameterRange Raw Real 1A Total Solar Array Current 0-3000ma 171 2094.5ma 1B +X Solar Panel Current 0-2000ma 193 110ma 1C -X Solar Panel Current 0-2000ma 157 830ma 1D +Y Solar Panel Current 0-2000ma 108 1810ma 2A -Y Solar Panel Current 0-2000ma 286 250ma 2B RF Power Out 70/2 0-8watts 204 7.3728W 2C 24 Hour Clock Time 0-1440min 201 15.16min 2D Batt Ch/Discharge Current-2000/+2000 207 -1720ma 3A Batt Voltage 6.5-16.4 361 12.7V 3B Half Batt Voltage 0-10v 397 9.7V 3C Batt Charge Reg #1 0-15v 340 6V 3D Batt Temperature -30 to +50C 300 95.8C 4A Baseplate Temperature-30 to +50C 446 27.72C 4B PA Temperature 2/10 -30 to +50C 401 94.32C 4C +X Face Temperature -30 to +50C 430 51.4C 4D +Z Face Temperature -30 to +50C 498 -49.24C 5A PA Temp 70/2 -30 to +50C 545 29.2C 5B PA Emitter Current 2/100-1167ma 502 92.84MA 5C Module Temp 70/2 -30 to +50C 543 32.16C 5D Inst. SW Regulator 0-93ma527 33.14MA 6A RF Power Out 2/10 0-10,000mw 606 23.076MW 6B RF Power Out 435 0-1000mw 643 219.9MW 6C RF Power Out 2304 0-100mw 679 255.881MW 6D Midrange Telemetry Cal 0-.5v 649 0.49 There are some values which are obviously not correct. Some sensors might not be working properly since some values are out of range. However, the solar panel numbers might be somewhat correct. I wouldn't doubt it if the transmitter was putting out 7 watts at the time. Perhaps there are those who are familiar with the AO-7 telemetry that can make some sense out of the data. Unfortunately we don't have multiple blocks of good data to compare readings. Maybe some have recorded recent CW data and can find some good blocks that can be shared here. The data was copied on my Arizona remote and Skype was being used to listen. But I am fairly confident that the cw copied is correct. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] EL96 SO-50 15-16Feb2014
I will try to operate on SO-50 from EL96 on Saturday and Sunday, 15 and 16 February as follows: 15Feb2014 1302-1315utc 46deg elev max 15Feb2014 2322-2334utc 31deg elev max 16Feb2014 1149-1201utc 36deg elev max 16Feb2014 2209-2221utc 53deg elev max The morning passes will have limited visibility to the north, however, I will try to operate from a better location on the late afternoon passes. I cannot promise that I will be on all passes but I will try. If you work me and need a card, please send an email to my qrz.com address with qso details. Do not send any SASE's. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] OZ/KO4MA
Drew, OZ/KO4MA, was worked this morning at 0841utc on AO-7B. He had a nice signal from JO45. He was worked last year on the 31st of December from the same grid. 73, John K8YSE John Papay j...@papays.com ___ 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] UT1FG/MM Christmas Greetings
Yuri, UT1FG/MM, asked me to send his Christmas Greetings to everyone on the satellites. He is spending his Christmas in port at Constanta Romania and expects to be loaded and sailing 28 or 29 December. His next port will be in France. He will continue to listen for North America on FO-29 and AO-7B. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. John K8YSE ___ 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 USA Lower 48 Worked all 488 Grids non-Award
Some of the active grid chasers on the birds are aware that KA6SIP just gave me my last USA grid when he operated from CN72 in Oregon. And I thought it might be interesting to look at the stats and how one manages to work and confirm all 488 USA lower 48 States grids. Satellite operators come and go and grids come and go with them. A grid might have a very active operator in it and then it is off the air when that person goes away for whatever reason. Interestingly, about half of the 488 grids that were worked were from those operating portable, not in the sense of using a radio with batteries, but in the traditional sense of operating away from their home station location. Once you have experienced being on the other end of a small pileup, you will want to do it again. Just ask W7LRD who tried it recently and is planning another trip. Here is a list of operators who exited the comfort of their home station and put a grid on the air. The callsign is followed by the number of new grids they gave me towards the goal of working all 488. Others may have been worked but these totals represent the first time a new grid was confirmed. ND9M 54 WD9EWK 27 WC7V 19 KD4ZGW 16 KB0RZD 10 KC0YBM 9 AA5CK 8 KA6SIP 8 KD8COQ 8 N5ZNL 7 W6GMT 7 N0JE 6 N2SPI 6 WA4NVM 5 KB5WIA 4 KB9BIT 4 KC0ZHF 4 KK0SD 4 AA5PK 3 K7CWQ 3 UT1FG 3 W6ZKH 3 WA6ARA 3 WA7HQD 3 WA8SME 3 AC0ZA 2 AJ9K 2 K0BAM 2 K7DRA 2 K7TRK 2 KA0RID 2 KC2LRC 2 KE7DOV 2 N3TL 2 N5AFV 2 Jim, ND9M, is a seasoned grid expeditioner. Along with working satellites he is also active on the county hunters nets. Most of his activity was between 2009 and 2011. He was also active from a cargo ship and gave out the very rare DM02. Jim would travel for months at a time and worked from a few hundred grids. Most of that operating was done on FM birds rather than linear ones. It was great to have many daily fm passes when AO-27 and AO-51 were active. HO-68 and SO-67 were in the mix for a while too. 54 new grids came from Jim and he tops the list. Most everyone knows Patrick WD9EWK. He has done a lot of traveling both in the US and Canada and he gave me 27 new grids. He was very active on the birds until recently. He was an alternate on the AMSAT Board of Directors and was recently appointed to oversee the AMSAT Area Coordinator program. He virtually has no home station and most all local contacts were made from a park near his apartment in Phoenix. He knows how to do it and he is a meticulous planner. Next on the list is Kerry WC7V. He lives in sparsely populated Montana and travels around by car and in his light aircraft. He went to many grids at my request and made a lot of us very happy by operating from many rare locations. He is in slot number 3 with 19 grids. Next on the list is Rob KD4ZGW/m. Rob drove an 18 wheeler and we all heard him on a satellite one day. He didn't know his grid square but he knew his milepost on the interstate. From there we had the grid square. Rob went on to improve his mobile station and activated over 100 grid squares. He is no longer driving on long hauls and has not been active for some time. He is fourth on the list with 16 grids. The next three are very special because they all became new operators during the quest to work all 488. Gail KB0RZD is very active today, usually operating with a handie-talkie. He went to 10 grids around him and sent some photo qsl cards that were just outstanding. KC0YBM operated from his home location for a long time before I realized he was very close to other grids. Chris didn't have portable equipment so I suggested he look into an AC inverter for the car. He did just that and soon he was operating portable from some new grids. This speaks to the ham radio culture that you find a way to operate with what you have. Chris continues to be active and hands out grids in the US and Canada. And then there is Ted, AA5CK. He has operated in grids around his home qth as well as some rare ones in New Mexico. He lives in EM04, not far from EM05 where I made my first grid expedition contact with KD8CAO from EM05 in front of the White Dog Ranch on old Route 66. I remember Ted's first sat contact. There are a few very special operators that can't be left out. My son, KD8CAO, provided 8 new grids for his dad. He knows how to operate portable and gives out the grids when he travels. Then there was Richard N2SPI. I asked him about some grids in Maine that hadn't been on and he took the challenge and drove to all of them, getting back to his dad's place during the first snow of the season. Dave KB5WIA made quite the trip by backpacking into CM79. It took two trips to transport the equipment into the grid. He has a video of it on youtube. I started with satellites in June 2006 and only had 47 USA grids by August 2008. From August 2008 till Jan 2009 I worked another 109. In 2009 199 were worked. 2010 was 76 and 2011 was 44. Only 4 new grids were worked in 2012 and 9 were snagged in
[amsat-bb] 2U0SQL Guernsey IN89
From the OPDX Bulletin by KB8NW, Nr. 1121 dated 29July2013: 2U, GUERNSEY (Satellite Op!) Peter, 2E0SQL, is now active as 2U0SQL from Guernsey (IN89RL) until July 30th. Activity will be sporadic on the satel- lite passes. He will be focusing on FO-29 and SO-50 passes. Peter states, ... no firm pass times, but hopefully will have internet access and will try posting on Twitter (@2E0SQL) when I'll be on. Due that he is camping, Peter will be battery powered using a FT-817 and a Arrow antenna. QSL via his home callsign, direct or by the Bureau. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] K2BSA/W4UOO-EM97 West Virginia FO-29 1500z 13July2013
W4UOO is operating as K2BSA from Beckley West Virginia EM97. West Virginia is a rare state on satellites. It's small and very mountainous and most places are down in the valleys such that they don't have a low horizon. I drove down to Beckley several years ago to hand out EM97. It was 300 miles one way. Now is your chance to work this grid and state. Mike was able to work down pretty low. This is a great opportunity. He was worked on FO-29. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] vy1rm Yukon Territory
VY1RM was on FO-29 at 0300utc 12May calling CO6CBF. He said he would be on the next pass. The Yukon is pretty rare so try to work him if you can. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] phonesat status
I only heard KJ6KRW-1 on this morning's pass 25April over Ohio. Nothing heard from KJ6KRW and KJ6KRW-2. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] UT1FG/MM QSL Manager UX0FY
Eugene UX0FY advises that he has not received logs for UT1FG/MM after November 2012. He hopes to have the December 2012 thru March 2013 logs in a few weeks. Then he will be answering all QSL requests that he has received so far. He asks everyone to be patient. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] UT1FG/MM QSL Manager UX0FY
Eugene UX0FY advises that he has not received logs for UT1FG/MM after November 2012. He hopes to have the December 2012 thru March 2013 logs in a few weeks. Then he will be answering all QSL requests that he has received so far. He asks everyone to be patient. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] K8YSE/MM FL06
Thanks to everyone who worked me today while I was /MM in FL06. We finally had seas that were conducive to operating from a 27' fishing boat. I operated on SO-50 and worked AC0RA and VE3NKL. Later I was on FO-29 and made the first qso with W0DHB. I worked CO6CBF at the end of the pass although we had a contact earlier as well. Anyone that needs a card please email me at my qrz.com address with qso details. We had 5 lines out most of the time but didn't catch any fish. 73, John k8YSE ___ 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] FL05/FL06 Operation 3Feb2013
There is a possibility of operating on 2 Sunday morning passes from wet grid squares FL05 and FL06. Weather permitting I will be on VO-52 at 1253utc from FL-05 and on FO-29 at 1427 and 1611utc from FL06. Hope to work you. Send an email if you want a qsl card for your contact. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Miami Hamfest Operation
John K8YSE and Bill KD4FRB will be hosting an AMSAT table at the Miami Hamfest on Saturday February 2nd. We will try to operate a demo station on high elevation ssb and FM passes and also on my home station over the internet. Would appreciate contacts. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] EL86 Operation Day 1
I was on the 2236utc 15Jan SO50 pass from Captiva Island in EL86. Stations worked were: W5PFG, N8RO, KE4KOL, KB2M, KD8QBA and WA2EFU. Called KK4HEQ but no response. If you need a card, please send me an email. Hope to be on again Wednesday and Thursday. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] EL86 Grid Operation
I will try to operate SO-50 from EL86, Sanibel Island Florida on early evening passes on Tuesday thru Thursday 15-17 January. EL86 is fairly rare since it is mostly water. As always, no promises on being active but I will try my best. Send QSL requests via email if you need the card. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] US and Hungarian Postal Service
I had the pleasure of working HA1SE on Monday 3Dec 2012 on AO-7B cw. The QSO was during the afternoon so I quickly prepared a QSL card to take down to the post office as Imre was very excited about the QSO (it was my first HA so me too!) Yesterday, Friday 7Dec, and to my surprise, I received an email from Imre advising me that he had received my qsl card! So in a matter of a few days, the USPS here and the Hungarian Postal Service there teamed up to deliver this card in what I would consider record time, just 4 days! Congratulations to both postal services for an amazing job! 73, John K8YSE John Papay j...@papays.com ___ 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] EC4TR Looking for NA
Luis, EC4TR, is looking for North American stations to set up schedules with. His grid in IN80er. Email him at his qrz.com email address if you would like to contact him. FO-29 is over 1300km high during morning passes over the Atlantic now. AO-7 is always around 1450km and is in Mode B on odd days during December. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] IRC's to be discontinued
The ARRL Letter dated November 8th has an item about the USPS proposing to discontinue the sale of IRC's here in the United States. If you are sending for a QSL card to many countries, the alternative compensation, American dollar bills, are likely to be stolen by a postal worker. Your card never makes it and you don't get one back. IRC's can only be exchanged for stamps so the likelihood of them being stolen is lessened. IRC's are available at usps.com so there is no need to have them stocked or ordered at a local post office. It costs literally nothing to have them in the online store. If the sale of IRC's is discontinued here in the US, you will have to buy them from another country. IRC's must be exchanged for postage by Universal Postal Union member countries but there is no requirement that they be sold in member countries. There is a link in the ARRL Letter that goes to a site where you can file comments regarding the proposal. The URL is http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=USPS-2012-0101-0001 I did that and made the case for retaining them in the usps.com store only. Please consider doing the same so we don't have to buy them overseas. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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-27 possible failure
AO-27 sent data after the repeater mode expired on the 1835utc pass, 5 October. 50 seconds into the data, the mark/space toggling stopped and a mark only tone was heard. That tone was heard for 4-1/2 minutes until the signal was lost when the bird went over the horizon. A recording of the entire pass is on my website: http://www.papays.com/sat/general.html AO-27 was not heard in EN91 on the scheduled 2015utc pass. I think my receiver is working fine but maybe it wasn't. Let's hope it can be recovered. An email was sent to N3UC and a message was left on his home phone. Any reports from other locations? 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Satellite Usage - 2012
The Funcube Dongle postings veered off into a discussion of the current state of affairs with the satellites that are still working. After reading about how the activity on the linear birds was down, I had to wonder a bit. It has not been my experience. I really expected the activity on the FM birds to diminish when AO-51 died. We only get 7 minutes of AO-27 and that doesn't make up for the much longer passes on AO-51. SO-50 has never been off the air since I started in 2006 but it is the most difficult to hear throughout the pass. For that reason, activity on SO-50 was fairly low. If you can't hear it, you can't work it. But to my surprise, SO-50 activity dramatically increased when AO-51 went silent. Those who work the FM birds became determined to work through this satellite despite the difficulties in hearing it. Of course, if you are not full duplex, you don't know when you are hearing the bird and that sometimes results in those who call but cannot hear the responses. They might assume that there is no activity on the bird when in fact there are many stations trying to make qso's. I started using the ssb birds in late November 2007. There wasn't much activity on AO-7, FO-29 and VO-52 at that time. But over the last two years, activity on the linear birds has steadily increased. Much of the increase can be attributed to the newer people who started on the FM birds and quickly decided to get involved with the linear birds. I think the availability of satellite capable radios has really helped. If you have a TS2000 you can be on a linear bird without much effort. They are easier to hear than an FM bird. Some are using a pair of radios to achieve full duplex with great success. And I highly recommend SatPC32 which I have used now since 2006. It runs 24x7 on a Vista Quad machine and doesn't crash. The recordings on my website were made possible using the auto multi-satellite tracking feature of this program. Recordings are made without any outside intervention. One of the things that powers DX on the HF bands are dxpeditions. Groups spend large amounts of money to travel to destinations all over the world so that others can put that country in the worked/confirmed column. With satellites today it's the VUCC award that drives the activity. When someone shows up from a rare grid, the birds are sometimes overwhelmed. ND9M has worked from hundreds of USA grids and has also worked from his ship on the linear birds. UT1FG/mm has been very active over the past three years and has created pileups on the ssb birds not unlike those on HF. To say the activity is down on the linear birds in recent years is simply incorrect. And more hams are operating satellites away from home than ever before. You work with what you have and make the best of it, fm or linear. The future of AMSAT and the satellite phase of our hobby is all about the new people. When you hear someone new on the bird and it's a noisy signal with an incomplete callsign, maybe without phonetics, call that station. Giving out that first contact with a newbie far outweighs 100 contacts with those that you have worked many times before. Sometimes the effort doesn't result in a qso, but maybe there is a possibility to follow up with an email or postcard with an offer of help. Just remember we all started out at some point with no experience. Most everyone can remember their first contact and how important it was in terms of encouraging future operating. So if you're reading the AMSAT-bb and are discouraged by the fact that there are no High Earth Orbit Satellites, don't be. Times change, technology changes but we continue by using what we have to the max and working towards improving our situation where we can. AMSAT works very hard to explore every possibility for building and launching new satellites. It's a tremendous effort that most of us don't realize is happening day after day. We all need to support this effort. FOX I and II will be here before we know it. These birds should give us some room for more qso's and new operators. In the meantime, AO-7 continues to work at an altitude of 1450KM. FO-29 is at 1200 or 1300 KM some of the time. These birds provide an opportunity to work DX if you can see down to the horizon. If you can't, you can always go to a location that is better and use your FT817 with an Arrow antenna and work down to the horizon. There is nothing wrong with using an Arrow or ELK antenna to work DX. WD9EWK has proven that point time after time. A good ham radio operator is one that looks at a problem as a challenge rather than a show stopper. Ham radio ingenuity over the years has been amazing. So if you are having trouble and are frustrated, develop an action plan to move forward. The resources available to us today are unprecedented. And there are mentors out there that are willing to help. Above all, stay positive and have some fun! 73, John K8YSE
[amsat-bb] UT1FG/MM QSL Card Status
Yuri, UT1FG, has been on a well deserved vacation in Russia following his 6 month long voyage as Captain of the M/V Mottler. Logs for the April-May 2012 timeframe have just now become available to his manager Eugene, UX0FY. Yuri was only home for a few days but he managed to write many qsl cards which will be returned by mail (if postage was provided), or by the Bureau (if no postage was enclosed). Eugene will have the bureau cards out in September and said that the Ukraine Bureau is working very well. Direct cards are going out daily. Eugene has all of Yuri's logs now and can answer all requests. Eugene responds to all requests (with sufficient postage) on a direct basis. He encloses an insert that requests that the recipient send an email to him when they receive their card(s). This insures that the process is complete. If no email is received then the card is possibly lost or stolen in the mail. Eugene has not received email responses from the following stations: For 2011: WB6UQT EA3NW LU1MPK EA5SR WB0WZF RA3GAS W3KXR K8VFV F0FIG W0PTI PE1OXS LU1MHC KE4KOL WB3CSY LU4FW KD8KSN W1NG N4LR N8RO ND9M/MM KT3L N9AMW KB1RVT EA1BYC XE2AT For 2012: K5HDE KB1DMX K8SIX WB3CSY N0JE CO6CBF via WA5KBH F6HIQ US5ID PY2EU W4AS (sent in July) N8RO WA5KBH N9AMW If you are on this list, please send an email to Yuri's manager, UX0FY (email address on qrz.com). Let him know if you received your UT1FG/MM cards that you requested or not. If you did not receive the cards, he will work something out with you to get them. If you see someone on this list that you know, please tell them about this posting. Not everyone reads the amsat-bb. This goes for the 6 meter as well as the satellite contacts. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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-7B Follow Up - Good News
Yesterday, 30 July 2012, on the 19, 21 and 23utc passes AO-7 was in Mode B and performing like it used to. It obviously had more power and although you could make it FM, the bird handled it with grace. It was workable to the north of my qth over the NWT which is not usually the case. Let's hope it stays in this condition for many years to come. John Papay j...@papays.com ___ 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-7 Mode A Performance
Mode A seems to be more tolerant of lower power coming from the solar panels than Mode B. Still you can tell that the satellite is suffering. A 5 watt CW signal will cause the bird to FM but it is not driving the bird to its maximum power capability. I heard N4ASF much louder on it in CW on the 2030utc pass today also with fm'ing. This has been my observation of Mode A in the past. Prior to the eclipse periods it was possible to hit Mode A with a lot of power and it would not complain very much. The 10m transmitter must use a lot less power than the 2 meter transmitter. Therefore it is more tolerant of the lower solar panel power. AL7RS reported that he heard AO-7 with a clean CW signal coming back down in AP65. This could be an indication that sun angle in certain parts of the orbit is the major cause of the problems that I'm seeing here. Hopefully the solar panels will start producing more power soon. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] 2O12W on FO-29
Station 2 Oscar 12 Whiskey was heard and worked on FO-29 this morning. QSL info is on qrz.com. This is a special event station celebrating the London 2012 Olympic Games. They are operating from IO81IJ. They should be active for several weeks. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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-7 Mode B performing poorly
Since AO-7B came out of the eclipsed orbits, it has been performing poorly. I can usually do very well on the low elevation passes towards Europe, but now I may only be able to hear my own cw signal with no other signals heard. Today on the 2116utc pass I worked PV8DX on CW but as the bird moved north, it became apparent that the satellite was starved for power. If I used more than 5 watts on CW, the returning signal was only a key click. Five watts produced a tone but there was fm'ing. Voice signals were weak and distorted. Again I found that using more than 5 watts on ssb would yield garbled audio. The satellite cannot support much activity in this condition. Let's hope this is only temporary and that the satellite will return to the level of performance we had before the eclipse periods. In the meantime, FO-29 is still producing 1300km orbits between Europe and North America in our early afternoon. These high elevation orbits won't last forever so take advantage of them now. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] CG3B Special Event on Satellites
A station in FN03 using the callsign CG3B was worked on the 0020z SO-50 pass on 18 July. It is a special event callsign commemorating 200 years of friendship between Canada and the US (after the War of 1812). The operator was unknown. QRZ.com indicates that the callsign will be used during the entire month of July. The QSL card will be mailed using a special issue 1812 Canadian stamp. QSL to VE3FOI. The sponsor is the Niagara Peninsula ARC. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] USS New Jersey, Special Event Station NJ2BB
Kevin, VA3OR/VE3RCN will be operating from the Battleship USS New Jersey using the callsign NJ2BB as follows: A027 2 JUNE - 1636Z 12 DEGREE PASS 2 JUNE 1813Z 82 DEGREE PASS 3 JUNE 1745Z 54 DEGREE PASS 3 JUNE 1925Z 17 DEGREE PASS SO50 2 JUNE 1204Z 67 DEGREE PASS 2 JUNE 1345Z - 19 DEGREE PASS 2 JUNE 2037Z 48 DEGREE PASS 2 JUNE 2218Z 20 DEGREE PASS 3 JUNE 1232Z 49 DEGREE PASS 3 JUNE - 1925Z 18 DEGREE PASS 3 JUNE 2105Z 66 DEGREE PASS ___ 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: SK in EM55
I was sorry to hear about the passing of Greg, KI4OTG. Greg was one of the most courteous operators that I've known. He was active on the birds and enjoyed working new grids. My log shows that he worked me on my Lake Superior Grid Expedition in 28 out of the 32 grids I operated from. He did that in just 31 contacts! That was quite an accomplishment and speaks volumes as to what kind of operator he was. Greg was a gentlemen. We will miss hearing his voice on the birds. John K8YSE ___ 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] UT1FG/MM Welland Canal
Yuri, UT1FG/MM, left Thunder Bay Ontario on Lake Superior a few days ago with a cargo of Oats and Wheat destined for San Juan Puerto Rico. He had gone through the Welland Canal which connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie on the way to Thunder Bay and would come back through on his way out. The Welland Canal is very long, has 8 locks and takes the boat from a water elevation of 572' in Lake Erie to 246' in Lake Ontario. On the way in it took him about 8 hours to go through. My thought was to drive up there and watch him go through and hope we could get within shouting distance of one another. But where you do go to get close and how do you find your way around in unfamiliar territory? You may have heard VE3RCN on the birds, sometimes from different grids and sometimes on the warship Haida. Kevin is in the Royal Canadian Navy (hence the callsign) and makes his home in Welland! After some email exchanges and some research on Kevin's part he offered to host my time in the area. That took all of the stress out of the situation. He knew everything about the canal. Yuri sailed out of the Detroit River on Saturday night and into Lake Erie. I was able to contact him on 144.200 sideband where we chatted for almost an hour, much different than the quick grid square exchange on the birds. He estimated being at Lock 8 in the Welland Canal around 8am. After 4 hours of sleep and a quick shower I was on the road at 3:15am. After a few questions by Canadian Customs (they know what to ask to determine if you are telling the truth), I was in Canada. About 15 minutes out of Port Colborne, the entrance to the canal, Yuri called on 146.52 to say he was about 15 miles out. Fifteen miles later I was at Tim Horton's (the Canadian Starbucks equivalent) where I was to meet Kevin, VE3RCN/VA3OR. He arrived their shortly after me and we were off to the Lake Erie shore to catch a glimpse of the MV Barnacle. And there she was off in the distance. It was all coming together. The Lake was calm, the sun was shining, it was about 32 degrees but there was no wind. The fish were jumping. After the ship started moving closer to the channel we got into position to watch it come in. As it rounded the bend and we could see the bridge, Yuri spotted us immediately and was waving. He seemed as excited as we were. As he got closer we were able to shout back and forth. At Lock 8, the first lock, we were able to talk back and forth; we were very close. There are places on the canal where you can stand on the bank and put your hand on the ship going by. The clearance may only be six inches. After that we went to get some breakfast; then we lost track of where Yuri was. Kevin made a quick call to his xyl Donna, VE3WIZ, and she was able to relay his position so we could catch up with him again. We waited for him to pass over the highway at Thorold. The road actually goes under the canal! Next stop, Lock 7. We were waiting for Yuri at Lock 7 where the Canal Pilot changes. We were standing at the fence when things started to come together. The invitation to come on board was given and before I knew it I was ushered over the lock to the other side of the ship and boarded as the ship lowered to the dock level. A minute later I was on the bridge with Captain Yuri UT1FG. Finally I was able to meet a guy that I've been working on the satellites in hundreds of water grids since April 2009! At that point Kevin went back home to get Donna and they then followed us down the canal, waving and watching us at every highway crossing and vantage point. An experienced Canal Pilot takes command of the ship through the locks. He stands on the port or starboard side of the bridge so he can see the ship's hull with respect to the edge of the canal. There may be only inches to spare so it is a tedious effort. The Pilot calls out the commands (Starboard 20, Port 10, Slow Ahead etc) and the first officer carries out the orders. Yuri is usually with the Pilot and helps relay the commands etc. There is very little time for anything else except when you are actually stopped in the lock. It's one thing to see the ship going through the locks from land but quite another to experience the change of level from inside the lock itself. It truly was an experience of a lifetime. Yuri took me to his cabin one level below the bridge. His quarters are quite nice and private. This is where he operates with his IC706, manually tuning the radio and doing a great job at that! The power supply from HP1CQ sat on the table in the corner and a computer running Orbitron is on the other side. Yuri now has an ELK antenna installed (thanks to the efforts of Rick, WA4NVM). It is mounted on a manually rotatable mast that goes up from the bridge, starboard side, directly above his cabin. The ELK is tilted up at 15 degrees and was just installed on the way back from Thunder Bay. The CJU antenna is mounted on the crossboom next to the ELK. A vertical for 2 meters
[amsat-bb] VE3/UT1FG/MM Toronto Celebrity
Yuri's (VE3/UT1FG/MM) ship was the first foreign ship to dock in Toronto for the 2012 shipping season. The event is celebrated in a ceremony and the captain is crowned with a 150 year old Beaver Hat on the ship. There is a Youtube Video that documents the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDmo4ZqdHTc Yuri should be in Thunder Bay on April 1st. He expects to be there for several days. The next destination is Puerto Rico. Today he was very active on the birds and worked 15 stations on a FO-29 pass (recording on my website) in EN77! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] VO-52 Frequency Drift
There were three passes of VO-52 here this morning, 27March2012. I was able to copy the beacon on all three passes. Here are the results: 1200utc 145862.6 1335utc 145861.7 1510utc 145861.9 The frequencies are not exact. My CW offset is 850Hz. There is significant frequency drift and temperature is probably the cause. It would be interesting to hear from the control team regarding this. HO-68 provides an excellent check of your doppler compensation in your tracking program. I find that the beacon is always very strong and the frequency is rock solid. You can save the frequency in your program and a month later find that it is right where it was the month before. If you can listen to the beacon with your CW filter on throughout the entire pass, you have everything set right, keps, computer clock etc. The doppler gets quite severe on a high pass and is a great way to make sure you have everything set right. Since HO-68 is on UHF, everything becomes more critical. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] FO-29 QSO Below the Horizon
Every now and then someone asks about the possibility of making a satellite QSO when the bird is below the horizon. Once in while it happens as it did with Adrian, AA5UK/KH6, on FO-29 this morning at 0849utc. Adrian has been operating from KH6 and trying to give out WAS to the deserving. Many have made their first Hawaii QSO thanks to his efforts. I had a 0.8 degree pass this morning on FO-29 but when Adrian was at 3 degrees, I was at 0.0 degrees. There was a short window of opportunity after that point. As I was waiting for FO-29 to come up over the horizon I started hearing Adrian at -0.9 degrees. At -0.5 I called him and we had a qso that ended about 2 seconds after my AOS. My recorder is configured to start recording at AOS and it only captured a few seconds of my last transmission. Doug KD8CAO had his recorder running so you can hear my qso that took place below the horizon. I have my ground elevation in the setup so the calculations should be accurate. The best opportunity for a below the horizon contact occurs when the satellite is skimming the horizon rather than going away from you. If it is skimming there is much more time at the critical -1.5 to 0.0 degree elevation and that is what happened this morning. Recordings are on my website. http://www.papays.com/sat/general.html A big thank you to Adrian for making the effort to work the difficult passes and stretch the limits. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] VO-52 Frequency Drift
VO-52 has been a very loud and easy to work satellite since the recovery and change to the Dutch Transponder. The CW beacon is very loud and you can usually find an image of it elsewhere in the transponder passband. If you are running full doppler control, you have probably noticed that your settings (uplink calibration) have to be changed from pass to pass. The beacon frequency is not constant either so I suspect that the frequency source is not very stable. Stability is usually a function of temperature so it would appear that the temperature inside the satellite is changing due to internal electronics and/or effects from the sun. This would be something that the control team would be aware of. Any feedback from them would be appreciated. I do not recall that the India Transponder had a similar problem but maybe someone else could comment on that. If it did drift, it was only one or two hundred Hz. Initially the difference between the India and Dutch Transponder was about 2KHz. Now it seems to vary plus or minus 500 Hz or so. Maybe some others can comment on this. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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 - New Program Feature - Doppler
Erich DK1TB has again implemented another great feature into SatPC32 V12.8b by means of a patch file. You can find it in the downloads link on his website, www.dk1tb.de Scroll down to Section 7, Patches. I often hear others talk about meeting someone, usually a long distance new grid square, on a certain frequency. Since doppler is always in play, telling someone you will be on 435.845 is meaningless unless you are both in the approximate same location. If the other station is at LOS and you are at AOS, your dial readings could be 15Khz apart. It's a great way to miss a 60 second window. The trick here is to use the same point of reference. That reference would be the frequency you are on at the satellite receiver. The whole idea of doppler correction is to be at a constant frequency within the satellite receiver passband. To do that you have to adjust your uplink frequency constantly. And you have to adjust your downlink frequency to continue to hear yourself or someone else using full doppler correction. Erich has now added the option of seeing the frequency you are on at the satellite receiver. This is a common frame of reference so if you tell someone you'll be on 435.845 at the satellite, they can be on that same frequency even though your terrestrial dial frequencies will be much different. Just adjust your receiver or use the up/down buttons in SatPC32 to set your frequency shown in the Sat window. That frequency will remain constant as your uplink and downlink are controlled by SatPC32. If you haven't managed to interface your radio with SatPC32, this is just another reason to do so. Staying at a constant frequency at the satellite allows many stations to share the bird without drifting into each other. And being able to know exactly where you are in the passband without doing the calculation in your head gives you more time to concentrate on making a successful QSO! Rumor has it that even a certain Maritime Mobile will soon be controlling his radio with SatPC32. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] UT1FG/MM Status
Many have been wondering what happened to Yuri, UT1FG/MM, who has been so active on the birds. He is navigating the St. Lawrence Seaway and has been too busy to operate on the satellites. There are many inspection requirements for a ship coming into the Great Lakes and his duties are such that he does not have much free time. He will be in Montreal shortly. All of his equipment is working fine. Yuri will be operating as time permits. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Satellite Recordings 2 Year Anniversary
Today marks the two year anniversary of my satellite recordings website. Since March 18th, 2010, there have been about 2800 recordings posted totalling about 1.9Gb. AO-51 is the most recorded satellite with 1358 files. It was a great bird and its demise was a great loss to the satellite community. But the sound from it is preserved. It's interesting to go back and listen to some of the older recordings to see what has changed and what has not changed. AO-27 is the second most popular with about 920 recordings. They are all edited to remove the part of the pass that is either silent or contains telemetry. HO-68 is another bird which we all miss. There are 86 pass recordings to remember it by. Likewise there are 69 recordings of SO-67, a bird you could hear easily with a rubber duck antenna. There are linear bird recordings as well but I don't post many since you have to tune around to pick up qso's and then stay with them for a bit. But they are there and some show how much like HF a linear bird can sound like when someone like UT1FG/MM shows up from a wet grid. Now that VO-52 is back on I'll try to post some recordings of that one as well. I'm not sure how much longer I'll continue to post these recordings. Many that could benefit from them don't know they are there. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] VO-52 Loud and Clear 3/14/2012 1430z
VO-52 was in use over North America shortly after being turn on over India. The pass around 1430utc was active with W7JPI, KC7MG, KB1PVH and KN6ZA? The beacon was also heard. Signals were strong from the satellite. Congratulations to everyone in India involved in the restoration. I hope it will continue to operate as it has in past years! It is good to have it back! 73, John K8YSE EN91dh ___ 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 Table - Stuart FL Hamfest 3/17
N3YKF and K8YSE will have an AMSAT table at the Stuart Florida Hamfest on 3/17. Now that we have VO-52 back we will have more opportunities to demo satellites. Norm will be operating his portable station and I will likely have my Remote Station operating via a 3G Hotspot. Weather predictions are good so we should have a good turnout. Please give us a call if you hear us on the birds! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] UT1FG/MM Power Supply Failure
Many of us have been following UT1FG/MM as he sails from port to port, operating on the birds and 6 meters. When Yuri left port in Nicaragua a few days ago, he emailed the bad news that his 12v power supply that runs his IC706 had failed and could not be fixed. This prompted an effort to find a way to replace that power supply and insure continued operating as he sails up to Montreal Canada. The solution was eventually found and thanks to the efforts of Captain Manolis Joannou, HP1CQ, Yuri continues to operate. An abbreviated version of the story of International good will and extreme determination to succeed is now posted on my website. This hobby is more than just operating and making contacts. For the rest of the story, please visit this webpage: http://www.papays.com/sat then click on the ut1fg/mm panama link. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] VO-52 Not Heard
VO-52 was not heard over the US at 1330z, 28Feb2012. Reports on oscar.dcarr.org at 1100z also say that it was not heard over Europe. Please listen for VO-52 and submit reports to the oscar.dcarr.org website. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Isabel Island Dxpedition
The OPDX Bulletin 1050 is reporting that a team of 10 operators, from the Aguas- calientes Amateur Radio Club will activate Isabel Island using the callsign XF1AA. Ismael, XE1AY, is one of the operators and is active on the satellites. The planned dates are March 16th through the 21st. The grid appears to be DL71. If you should hear Ismael on the birds, please give him the airtime to work as many as he can. Good luck with the operation! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] EL97 Operation Wrap up 7Jan2012
The trip down to EL97 was uneventful. The location chosen was on US1 in Sebastian Florida, Indian River County. 21 stations were worked on the AO-27 1825z pass and 6 more were worked on the low elevation western pass at 2005z. It was sunny with temps in the low 70's, a very nice day for a grid expedition. All contacts have been uploaded to LOTW (using K8YSE) for those who collect grids electrically. Anyone who needs a qsl card should send me an email; no qsl card or sase needed. Equipment used for this operation is what I started with back in 2006. The radio was a Kenwood V7A mobile (full duplex) with a strap around my neck, a 7AH UPS battery sitting on the ground, headphones along with a digital recorder, mic in one hand and the Arrow Antenna with a MFJ duplexer in the other hand. Pass recordings (as heard from EN91) are on my website. Thanks to everyone who worked me and then stood by when others were calling me. You can't make 21 q's in 7 minutes without a lot of cooperation from everyone on the bird. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] EL97 on 7January AO-27 update
Plans are to activate EL97 on both AO-27 passes on Saturday, 7 January 2012 at 1824z and 2005z. Equipment checked out ok on today's AO-27 eastern Atlantic pass. Please do not send qsl card requests. Simply send an email with the qso data and I will send a card direct. I do not plan to make a LOTW filing for all contacts, but if you need one, just make a note of it in your email. Weather here in Central Florida should be sunny and in the 70's. 73, John K8YSE/4 ___ 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] EL97 on 7January AO-27
I've had several requests for EL97. I will plan to be on the AO-27 pass at 1824z or so on Saturday, 7 January 2012. This pass should work well for the eastern half of the US. If there are any west coast stations that need it, I will stay for the next AO-27 pass at 2005z. If you can't make the 1824z pass but want to try the next pass please email me. Otherwise I'll just operate on the 1824z pass. 73, John K8YSE/4 ___ 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] QRZ.com Gridmapper Working Again
I'm pleased to report that with the new QRZ.com format, the Gridmapper has been fixed. Gridmapper allows you to see the gridsquare of the lookup station on a Google map. A six character square is outlined. It makes it easy to see how far a particular station is from another grid that you might need. To use gridmapper click on Detail and then scroll to the bottom of the map on the right and click on the Gridmapper link. QRZ.com is a great resource for ham radio operators. We are very fortunate to have it. If you don't have your email address on qrz.com, please consider listing it. It makes it much easier for someone to contact you if there is something going on that you might not be aware of with respect to your operations. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] TS2000 Downconverter mounted on Tower
The suggestion to mount the converter on the tower near the antenna might have some good results, however, there are two problems. The first is that you will need two coax relays or a transfer switch up on the tower to switch the converter in and out of the circuit. Then you have the potential to transmit into the converter when you are uplinking on uhf if you forget to switch the relay. When you mount the converter in the shack, you can use an inexpensive coax switch. You could use a single relay with two feedlines. One would be for the converter output which goes to the rx aux ant jack. That line could be lossy since the converter has some gain and the 10 meter output will be attenuated less than at UHF. The other would be your best coax and would connect to the type N port on the TS2000. This would prevent any possibility of transmitting into the converter. In other words, the antenna would be switched to the converter input or directly to the TS2000 Type N connector. The second problem is that when you have electronics with frequency determining elements (crystal oscillators) mounted outside, temperature variations will cause drift. Having the converter inside stabilizes the temperature and the converter doesn't drift. Mounting electronics outside also requires special attention to keeping things dry. It's just a lot easier to keep things inside and use good quality coax. Heliax is often available at prices not much greater than LMR400 etc. If sealed up, it will last a lifetime. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] TS2000 ~436.798 MHz Birdie Solution
As many of you know, my satellite radio is a TS2000X. If you have visited my satellite webpage, you have seen many recordings of AO-27 and SO50 from AOS to LOS. Most of these recordings were made when I was not sitting in front of the radio. At first I used a uhf mobile to hear AO-27 and SO-50. The problem was that those radios were not computer controlled so you had to tune for the doppler. That worked fine when I was in the shack, but it didn't work when I was away. The obvious solution was another radio that didn't have the birdie problem, or a simple UHF to 10M downconverter which wouldn't have the birdie problem. Back in the day, UHF and VHF down- converters were very popular because we didn't have a lot of DC to Light radios out there. Now these converters are sitting in junk boxes and are long forgotten by their owners. One of the more popular manufacturers of these inexpensive downconverters was Hamtronics. They made all kinds of stuff for repeaters etc. At first their products were not that great, but they evolved into some better designs including their UHF to 10m downconverters. Unfortunately most downconverter manufacturers stopped making them when the devices they were using became obsolete and unavailable. The use of current production devices required a redesign of their PC boards and since the demand was no longer there, these products were abandoned. I was fortunate to find a Hamtronics converter on a qrz.com posting from several years back. It never sold back then and the owner still had it. I purchased it and ran some tests on it against the receiver in the TS2000. It turned out that the downconverter had a slightly better sensitivity than the TS2000! The big concern when using a converter or preamp is the fear of transmitting into it and smoking the front end. But the TS2000 has an auxiliary antenna jack which is receive only and perfect for a downconverter output on HF. As Drew mentioned, SatPC32 can compensate for a downconverter and tune the TS2000 for doppler in the 10m band. This allowed me to track AO-27 AO-51 and SO-50 unattended and make all those recordings without any human intervention. A coaxial transfer relay was inserted into the uhf antenna line so that when the converter was in use, the UHF antenna was switched to the downconverter input (which outputs to the aux antenna jack on the TS2000) and the UHF antenna jack on the TS2000 is switched to a dummy load. So if you transmit on UHF, power goes into the dummy load and all equipment is safe. When I want to transmit on UHF (VO-52 and AO-7 mode B), the coax relay switches the UHF antenna back to the UHF antenna port on the TS2000. The downconverter is out of the antenna circuit at this point. I did not use the downconverter when operating on FO-29 so the aux antenna jack had to be switched to normal in the tS2000, menu #18 (FO-29 is a linear bird that outputs on UHF, currently not working). Every owner of a TS2000 that operates satellites needs a UHF to 10M downconverter. Hamtronics is making a VHF to 10M downconverter now. If everyone emailed them to encourage them to make a UHF model, they might just do it. The only other solution is to make one yourself, or find a used downconverter or transverter that is gathering dust on someone's shelf. I now have an IC910H and am doing comparisons against the TS2000. My first impression it that I prefer the TS2000 but that might be because I'm so familiar with it. I use another TS2000 in the mobile sat truck but don't have a downconverter for it. I simply use a uhf mobile for receive on AO-27 and SO-50 since I'm in front of the radio and don't run it unattended. I have a coax switch to switch the UHF antenna from the TS2000 to the UHF mobile. Now that AO-51 is silent, all of the FM operation is on SO-50 and AO-27. If you have a TS2000, you'll want to investigate the use of a downconverter. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] TS2000 Birdie Follow-Up
KC9DOA mentions that he still had the birdie problem with a downconverter and that is understandable. The TS2000 radiates the birdie and if your downconverter is not shielded or the UHF antenna is too close to the radio, you might still pick it up. Simple experimentation will find the right combination to virtually eliminate the birdie. So try a UHF handi or mobile unit and see if it hears the birdie on 436.798. Then move things around to see if you can minimize the effect. I've been able to do that in the sat truck and don't have the problem at the base station. Try a dummy load on the UHF antenna jack on the TS2000 as well. Use quality coax with good shielding. Drew posted a link to High Sierra Microwave for a UHF down- converter that is up-to-date in design and performance, all at a reasonable price. The specs call for a 5v supply but Bill N6GHZ advised that the converter will operate fine up to 16vdc input. No special supply required. He also mentioned that the converter will perform well from 432 to 438 MHz. So this is one possible source of a current production downconverter manufactured by someone who knows satellites. The output IF is lower but the TS2000 receiver is continuous so there should be no problem. Instead of a 407MHz offset, use 425MHz and the receiver shifts down to 10MHz for a 435MHz input: doppler.sqf entry: AO-27,436795,145850,FM,FM,NOR,425000,0 I've not seen a whole lot mentioned about the Funcube performance when connected to a big antenna in a crowded RF environment. I've had mine on the KLM's and the performance is poor because of overload. Cavity filters work wonders but not everyone has them. High Sierra also makes front end filters and filter/LNA combinations for the Funcube as well as other products which make the Funcube more versatile. It's worth checking out the webpage to see what is available. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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-51 Signal Strength
AO-51 is extremely weak now. Normally AO-51 would produce a signal in excess of .6 uV at the receiver in the shack. This is from a 40el KLM with a 20' 9913 pigtail and 50' of 7/8 Heliax. The maximum signal strength on the 2113z 24Nov pass (38 degree elevation) was only .22uV. It is down about 7 or 8 db from just a few days ago. As a comparison, a SO-50 pass at 2151z (6 degree max) produced .25 uV. SO-50 continues to fade severely whereas AO-51 does not exhibit that fading on Left Hand Circular. AO51 was in the sun for about 40 minutes before my AOS. The angle might not have been that great but it wasn't that close to darkness. It's getting harder to hear AO-51 now. Many stations are heard but don't respond when called. Let's hope it stays on the air. The data buzz is now heard all the time where a week ago it only appeared a minute or two before eclipse on the morning passes and was never apparent on the afternoon passes. Even with the low power it's still a great satellite. Use it while it is still working. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] KC0ZHF DN80/81
Rodney had some trouble posting this: i operated from dn80/81 by Julesburg, CO off the side of the road, those that would like a card just send the contact information to my email and cards will be made up thanks to those that worked me, this weekend if the weather holds out i will operate from west of denver, co kc0zhf back in dn71 73, Rodney KC0ZHF ___ 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] ARRISat-1 Linear Transponder
ARRISat-1 continues to function although the signal from orbit to orbit is quite different. On the previous pass at 2135z 30 Oct, I could barely hear my downlink. I was hearing W8ZCF and he heard at least part of my call. On the next pass at 2309z, the transponder was strong and I was able to hear my downlink until the bird went silent at 2313z just before it eclipsed. A good contact was made with K9OIM. I guess it all depends on the angle with respect to the stubby uhf antenna. ARRISat-1 does go off even when it is in good sunlight. Then when it looks like it is just barely getting enough sun, the bird stays on and the signal is strong. You just never know what it is going to do. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] ARRISat-I over NA
It has been a while since we have had usable ARRISat-1 passes over the US. We are now starting to get daylight passes in the early evening so it's time to start having some fun with this bird again. Last evening around 2203UTC, ARRISat-1 had a great pass over the south and eastern US. After listening to the voice and copying a SSTV picture, I switched to the linear transponder. My downlink was stronger than I have ever heard before and it stayed in there for the rest of the pass. Unfortunately there was no one to work. It's amazing that this bird can hear anything on UHF with virtually no antenna. If you haven't worked much ssb or cw on ARRISat-1, now is the time to start trying again. We won't have this opportunity forever. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] VY1RM VO-52, 1000th grid worked
It is difficult for me to believe that there have been 1000 grids active in the last 5 years. When I first started in satellites I thought two or three hundred grids would be about it, but many things happened to move that estimate up. Last night I worked VY1RM in the Yukon for grid number 1000 with VO-52 at 2-3 degrees. This total would not have been possible had it not been for the many who have gone to grids away from their home comfort zone and operated on the birds, sometimes under very difficult conditions. I thought it might be interesting to create a listing of those who have given me more than one NEW grid. Many have also operated in multiple grids that I already had. This list does not reflect the many who have given others NEW grids over the past five years. UT1FG/MM 175 2M1EUB/P 4 XE1AO 3 ND9M 113 G7MAR/MM 4 AJ9K 2 WD9EWK 31 KB5WIA 4 K0BAM 2 WC7V 21KB9BIT 4 K7CWQ 2 KD4ZGW 16 KI6YAA 4 K7DRA 2 K5OE 10KK0SD 4K7TRK 2 KB0RZD 10 VE6AB 4KA0RID 2 KD8CAO 9 W5ACM 4KC2LRC 2 AA5CK 8WA8SME 4 KE7DOV 2 N5AFV 8XE2AT 4KG6NUB 2 XE3DX 8XE2JA 4KL1WE 2 KC0YBM 7 AA5PK 3KL7AC 2 N5ZNL 7CO6CBF 3 N0RC 2 VE8EV 7DL7VTX 3 N3TL 2 W6GMT 7G7KES/MM 3 VA3BL 2 N0JE 6 KC0ZHF 3 VE3NKL 2 N2SPI 6LA4FPA 3 VE7JMN 2 VO1ONE 6 N9AMW 3WA5KBH 2 WA4NVM 5 W6ZKH 3XE1BRX 2 XE1AY 5WA6ARA 3 XE2JTS 2 WA7HQD 3 UT1FG/MM tops the list from operations onboard cargo ships in 2009-2010-2011. Yuri is the ship's Master and has sailed across the Atlantic, around South America, through the Panama Canal, into the Caribbean and up the Atlantic coast to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Pictures of his most recent voyage on the Mottler are on my website. They were taken by Walt WP4T, Carmen WP3PJ, and Walner, WP4NYS. Wes KP4WES was also on board the Mottler. You may recall hearing his voice on one of the ARRISat-1 broadcasts. http://papays.com/sat/mottlerweb/page_01.htm Next on the list is ND9M who recently operated /MM on a voyage from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, across the Pacific, through the Panama Canal to Jacksonville FL and then on to Charleston SC. He got up in the middle of the night to work the birds. Jim has also operated from hundreds of grids in the US. He holds reverse-VUCC at 325 grids! Patrick, WD9EWK is an experienced satellite rover and has made trips to Canada to put on the rare ones. He is always active traveling to Arizona grids and setting up AMSAT tables at hamfests in the West. Next up is Kerry, WC7V. He has traveled to many of the DN grids by car and sometimes by flying there in his personal airplane. He continues to be active on all the birds. Rob, KD4ZGW, is an over-the-road truck driver who has traveled all over the United States. He was very active from his big rig in many rare grids. He holds reverse-VUCC at 100 grids! Many have had the chance to meet him when he has traveled through their home town. Jerry, K5OE, was a very active satellite operator years ago and has recently become active again. His cruise ship vacation netted quite a few water grids for me and for many others. Gail, KB0RZD, is a very active satellite operator and has traveled to many rare grids around his QTH. His photo qsl cards give an idea of where he actually operated from. He continues to be an active, away from home, grid expeditioner. My son Doug, KD8CAO, has traveled to many grids that I needed. He got me started in satellites and we have enjoyed the hobby together. He is on the AMSAT Operations Team and very active on the birds. He has designed both hardware and software that is used in my home station. The list is huge and there are stories associated with each operator. They all have made life on the birds more interesting. Interest in satellites is higher now than at any time since I started 5 years ago. In the DX world, dxpeditions create challenges and activity. It's no different in satellites. It can get very crowded at times but it would be very boring if there was nothing new to work. Most everyone lives close to another grid and sometimes those grids can be very rare. If there is no regular operator active in a particular grid, there will be many that need it. So if you are up for a challenge you will find the experience very satisfying. Thanks again to everyone that made this milestone possible. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] ARRISat-1 SSB QSO w/ WB0KFC
ARRISat-1 was in pretty good shape when it finally turned on after being in eclipse this morning around 1510z or so. I had a good qso with WB0KFC and heard someone else (maybe N8MH?) at the end of the pass. The bird went off the air around 1516z before my LOS. The next pass at 1643z should be good for western and the southeastern USA. Give it a try. It's 15 degrees for me but I'll be calling. Run as much power on the uplink as you have. It doesn't hear very well with a stubby antenna. Hope to work you. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Reverse VUCC Award Standings Updated for Satellites
The Central States VHF Society has just updated their website to reflect applications for VUCC-r, Reverse VUCC, filed some time ago. http://www.csvhfs.org This award is given to those who have operated via satellites in more than 100 grids away from their home grid. There are now four operators who have achieved this distinction. They are N7SFI-200 grids, N5AFV-109 grids, ND9M-325 grids, and KD4ZGW-100 grids. The rules require that applicants submit proof of contacts made from these away from home grids. So if you work someone signing portable (meaning they are operating away from home), please remember to include your grid as well as the grid they were operating from on your qsl. This will provide the proof of contact required by the Central States VHF Society. Congratulations to all of these operators and especially to the newest additions to the list, Jim ND9M and Rob KD4ZGW. Well done! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] K8BL/W1 FN55 Saturday Afternoon
Bob, K8BL, will be heading back from Nova Scotia Saturday and will stop somewhere in FN55 during the afternoon. He could work an AO-27 or an AO-51 pass. This grid is pretty rare so try not to miss him. 73, John K8YSe ___ 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] FN85 K8BL/VE Operation
Bob, K8BL will be in FN85 at the Bay of Fundy (where the highest tides are) on Wednesday afternoon, all day Thursday and part of Friday. He will likely operate AO-27 and AO-51 with possible SO-50 passes. This is a very rare grid so be sure to work him and give him some space to work others. Today he operated from FN64 on the AO27 and AO-51 passes at 1838z and 1913z respectively. Look for him on AO51 at 2051z, maybe in another grid. John Papay j...@papays.com ___ 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] DL7VTX/EA8 on AO-51
Jens, DL7VTX, is apparently operating portable in EA8. He was worked on AO-51 this afternoon. His signal wasn't very strong into the bird but he was hearing. Jens has operated from the Caribbean in the past, usually with an HT and a whip antenna. He likes to hike and takes the radio with him. No info on how long he might be there, but if you are on the East Coast and need EA8, listen for him. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] EN85 Activation by VE3HZQ
Patric, VE3HZQ, announced on the air that he would be operating from EN85 on Wednesday, 14September2011. This is a fairly rare grid spanning the US and Canada. He has been active recently from his home grid, EN96. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] 2-way SSB Contact on ARRISat
KD8CAO and K8YSE completed an unscheduled 2 way ssb qso on the ARRISat satellite this morning 5 August 2011 at 1125z. Signals were weak but readable. My keps were way off as the doppler shifted 1700 Hz from AOS till overhead elevation. If it had a uhf antenna, we would be doing a lot better, but whatever it has does work if you have big antennas. Using a KLM435-40cx and a KLM 2M-14C. Just amazing. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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-7 Mode A vs. Mode B Performance
There is a huge difference in signal quality between Mode A and Mode B on AO-7. I've been working Europe on Mode A days and have found that the audio quality is excellent. I've experimented with higher power levels to see how the transponder performs and have found that it can handle the highest power levels on the uplink without fm'ing, distorting or creating images across the passband. Of course it is harder to hear with severe fading on a horizontal beam antenna, but it is very usable. This morning there were three French stations on in Mode A. F6FLE was pounding away on CW and loud. But there was no apparent degradation of the other voice stations using the transponder at the same time. Strong CW on Mode B just kills voice readability and strength on other stations. No images were heard, the passband was quiet except for other ham radio transmissions. I have several antennas for 10m. The one I use for Europe is a 5 element beam at 120'. It can see the horizon in all directions and can hear AO-7 when it is below the horizon. For higher elevations I use a single element at about 15 feet. The Mode B transponder never sounds very good. And it seems to be in a power limited situation even when there are no ham radio transmissions in the passband. What you do hear is all kinds of noise and I suspect this noise is the culprit in robbing all of the available power to run the transmitter. The noise moves and is probably being received from ground sources, hence the apparent doppler. User stations sound choppy even when running minimal power. When you run more power, signals FM and images are heard within the passband. The question is what is the source of all the crud that AO-7 is hearing in Mode B? After all, 432 is supposed to be used for weak signal operation and should be very quiet. Are there issues within the satellite that contribute to this? If you were a user of AO-7 back in the 70's, what was Mode B like back then? Of course it had a better power source when the batteries were still functional, but was the signal/audio quality much better? Did it FM and was the audio choppy? We are very fortunate to have AO-7 regardless of the performance issues. It is challenging to work at low elevations but the payoff is worth it. What we would really appreciate here in North America is more activity from Europe on the passes that reach the across the Atlantic. Last week I had a qso with IK8YSS in Mode B, 7554KM. I have seen his callsign in the AO-7 logbook for a long time and finally we had a mutual window with good conditions. LA4FPA/p was on yesterday as promised from JP22. AO-7 might not be the HEO that many wish we had, but it is the highest bird we have right now. Let's use it while we still have it. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] LA4FPA JP22
Erling, LA4FPA, will likely be on the AO-7 pass today around 1952utc. You can track him on aprs.fi using LA4FPA-9. He has been operating from JP32 but is planning for JP22 today. Good luck. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Doppler Correction?
The purpose of full doppler correction is to keep your signal in the exact same spot on the receiver in the satellite. It has a finite passband and if you don't correct your uplink, you move within that finite passband. Theoretically a single linear transponder can support many conversations but it will not support the maximum unless everyone stays put at the satellite receiver. Those who don't doppler correct slide within the passband and run into those who are staying put. Of course if you adjust your uplink so you stay put at the satellite, you have to adjust your receiver to hear yourself because of the doppler shift in the other direction. Both uplink and downlink require doppler correction in this case. If you don't have a rig that can be computer controlled or if you are operating portable and can't readily incorporate a laptop into your setup for whatever reason, then by all means manually adjust the highest frequency since that is the one that changes three times faster than the lower frequency in a v/u satellite. You simply do the best you can. However, if you have a home rig that can be computer controlled, then by all means use a computer to adjust your doppler. Stay in one spot in the satellite's passband. You can make faster contacts since you only have to pick up the mic to talk or use the key to send cw. If you are working dx and the window is short, being on frequency and staying put will help put that distant grid in the log. The program does all the work but you must be sure that your keps are current AND your computer clock is accurate to the second. On a high pass when the satellite is overhead, the doppler changes very fast and even a few seconds of clock inaccuracy will have you not hearing yourself in a normal voice. At lower elevations the doppler is not as severe so a few seconds won't make much difference. Use the HO-68 beacon to test your doppler correction. Set your radio for CW with a 500 Hz or better bandwidth. Pick a high pass where the bird will get up over 45 degrees. Tune the beacon in at your AOS and then don't touch the dial. If the CW note stays constant over the entire pass, your system is operating perfectly. Make sure your program settings are such that there are frequent frequency updates. I have mine set at 1 second no matter what. Some older radios will not accept frequency changes while you are transmitting. In that case, make sure you only key down for short periods of time so the radio frequency can be updated. Of course you must adjust your uplink calibration on SatPC32 so that you hear yourself on the downlink. Hearing yourself in a normal voice will be an indication that you have your calibration set properly. Most of the birds stay on frequency, but I've noticed that AO-7 Mode B will be off by 1700Hz when it changes from Mode A to Mode B. Normally we would not observe this phenomenon but since lately we have had this mode change while over North America we are able to experience it. Within a few minutes, the satellite is down to a 1200 Hz offset. I'm not sure what happens on the next pass because it is out of my footprint. The next morning, however, the bird is back to my normal setting. This means the frequency drifts about 1700 Hz back down to it's steady state value. The other birds may have some slight drifting, probably due to spacecraft temperature but it is minimal, less than a few hundred Hz. So when you are trying to make a contact on the first AO-7 pass in Mode B, be prepared to readjust your uplink calibration so you can hear yourself. It may be as much as 1700Hz at the start. In my opinion, everyone that can control their radio for doppler should do so. Doppler correction gives us the maximum usage out of our linear transponders. Why go through the agony of fiddling with your radio when your computer can make your life so much easier. You will never have to apologize for not being on frequency. If I wasn't able to have doppler control on my radio, I wouldn't spend much time on the linear birds, unless of course there was a rare grid to be worked. grin 73, John K8YSE ___ 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: Arrow yagis
My satellite truck is currently using the 4el VHF Yagi from Arrow Antennas. They are very well built and can be ordered with a Type N connector for a small extra charge (well worth it). The 7x7 Arrow II is what I use for UHF on the truck with a coax relay to switch between horizontal and vertical polarization. I am using a Mirage UHF preamp powered through the coax for that setup and it does work well. The 7x7 UHF Arrow went 5000 miles at speeds over 70mph at times and the elements never shook loose. Dollar for dollar, it is hard to beat an Arrow antenna. With over 2000 contacts in 32 different grids over a 5 week period, it's hard to say they don't work well. Arrow Antennas is now under new ownership. Tim Chapman, KB7MDF, bought the company and is in full production. Tim is really excited about the business and has the drive it takes to ramp up production and introduce new products. Suggestions have been made and he is looking at them. I loaned my Arrow II (v/u) to a friend and when it was returned, one of the inserts that allows the threaded rod to screw into the arrow shaft was missing. Tim shipped a replacement element, a few inserts and some threaded rod, no charge. It is a mystery as to how that insert was pulled out. Once the new one was hammered in, it was in there solid. Customer service is great. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Westpark Radiops Meeting Demo tonight 7/15
I'll be attempting to work a few satellite passes from the Cleveland Metroparks at the Westpark Radiops Club Meeting/Picnic tonight. It is very likely that there will be no line of sight from this location but I'll try no matter what. The Westpark Radiops is a very old club, one that I went to meetings with my cousin xW8BUS(sk) when I wasn't even 10 years old. Those were the days of cigar smoke, good conversation, bragging, auctions, and the highlight, coffee and doughnuts. Some things don't change. I'll be on the FO-29 at 2204z, AO-51 2227z and VO-52 at 2354z. Hope I can work someone. Please give me a call if you hear me. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] EN80/81 Grid Expedition Wrapup
It was a 90 degree day in Ohio but it was comfortable operating from the truck with the air conditioning running. I arrived near the 4 corner grid square boundary near Burbank Ohio just before a 3 degree AO-7 pass. I set up in EN91 but was only able to hear DG1EA. The horizon was a little higher than 3 degrees! An AO-51 eastern pass followed and 5 stations were worked from the same spot in EN91. The next AO-27 pass around 1934z was worked from the EN80/EN81 grid boundary on Cemetery Road just west of the EN91/90 line. Twelve stations were worked on that pass and another four on the FO-29 pass that followed. I decided to check out another grid boundary line on SR42. It wasn't a great location because 42 is a fast road and I was just barely able to get off the road. Sixteen contacts were quickly made on AO-51 and I went back to the original location. On the way back I stopped at a clear spot in EN81 and worked several stations on FO-29 including KO4MA. The last AO-51 pass was quite busy. Eleven stations were worked including KI6WZU who was attempting his first satellite qso. His card is on the way. Congratulations Jay! All in all it was a good trip. Anyone needing a card can just drop an email to my qrz.com address. I already have sent cards for XE1AO, AC0RA, CO6CBF and KI6WZU. I know others said they wanted the card but that's all I could find notes for. No need to send a card, just an email request will do. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] 13 Colonies Award Received
I received two 13 Colonies Special Event Certificates today, one for a clean sweep on HF and the other for a clean sweep on satellites. There is a satellite endorsement sticker on one award. The awards manager Ken Villone KU2US is doing a great job processing the requests. The application was mailed on the 5th and the certificate was received on the 11th! Thanks also to Dave, KB1PVH, for organizing the event on satellites. He also sent a card for our K2H contact on SO-50. The event creates lots of activity on both FM and the linear birds each year. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] ND9M in DM51/52 on AO-27 2047z 11July
Jim is about 20 miles away from the DM51/52 line and plans to operate from there on the AO-27 pass coming up at 2047z or so. If he doesn't make that pass, he'll likely be on FO-29 at 2213z or so. You can track him on APRS, ND9M-9. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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 Recordings Posted
Field Day recordings for AO-51, AO-27 and SO-50 are on my website. The late night-early morning passes were not crowded and could have provided opportunities for those trying to make the 100 point bonus. The recordings were made from my home station on autopilot. Polarity was fixed on left-hand circular to favor AO-51. AO-27 is usually better on right hand but left hand works for most of the pass. SO-50 flops back and forth so it's not all there. We report; you decide. http://www.papays.com/sat 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] ND9M/MM FM01
Jim ND9M/MM reports that his emails from the ship have not been going out. He is underway now and expects to be in FM01 after 2200z 26June. This means that he will likely not be in FM01 for the first AO-7 pass at 2129 nor the AO-51 pass that follow at 2145z. The next AO-7 pass at 2322 will likely be the one to work him on. Jim also reports that he is on 144.23 for terrestrial contacts. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] KC0ZHF WAS #324 KE4KOL VUCC #207
Congratulations to Jim, KE4KOL, for achieving Satellite VUCC. This is the most sought after VHF/UHF award in the world and equivalent to the DXCC program for HF 6 meters. It's one thing to work 100 grids but the work doesn't stop until you have all of the cards in hand (or now LOTW matches). Congratulations also to Rodney, KC0ZHF who moved to Wyoming a while back, for achieving his WAS Satellite Award. Working all 50 states can be a challenge. There's always one or two states that are not active for long periods of time. It takes patience. Congratulations to both of you for your accomplishment! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] KC0YBM Satellite VUCC #215
Congratulations to Chris, KC0YBM, for achieving his Satellite VUCC Award #215! I had my first contact with Chris back in April 2009. Since that time he has given me 6 more new grids and operated from many others. Chris didn't have a portable setup to take on the road so he purchased an inverter so he could run his 120vac radio in the car! This is a great example of ham ingenuity; find a way to get it done, no matter what roadblocks appear in front of you. Again, congratulations Chris. I hope to work you in many more new grids in the future! 73, John K8YSE John Papay j...@papays.com ___ 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] ND9M/MM Possible FM01
Jim is on a short test cruise and might slip into FM01 this afternoon. Look for him on the FM and SSB birds. Didn't hear him on the last FO-29 at 1925z. AO-7 is in Mode B so look for him there also. (Info from Jim via cellphone) 73, John K8YSE John Papay j...@papays.com ___ 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-67 Schedule for the America's
I never saw this message on the amsat-bb so I'm posting it now. 73, John K8YSE From: Andrew Glasbrenner Sent: Jun 2, 2011 6:26 PM To: Ted Cc: amsat-bb Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] SO-67? All this week. There was a glitch earlier and some passes didn't get scheduled. Right now the ones below are loaded, and at 1 watt, but only if the battery is in good shape. All this was passed to me from the command station this morning, sorry for not relaying it sooner. 2JUN2011 2330 3JUN2011 0120 0255 0430 Here are the remaining activation times I submitted; they may or may not be ran. 3JUN2011 0120 0255 0430 1000 1130 1255 1425 1600 1735 1910 2315 4JUN2011 0055 0235 0415 0545 1115 1245 1410 1540 1715 1850 2255 5JUN2011 0040 0215 0355 0530 1055 1230 1350 1525 1655 1830 73, Drew KO4MA ___ 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-67 Back On
SO-67 was on at 0125z 3June2011. Quite a surprise since no mention of it on http://www.amsatsa.org.za/ Quite strong as usual. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] VUCC Fees - Dayton Hamvention
If you are planning on going to Dayton, please take some time to visit the ARRL area not far from the AMSAT booth. Seek out the highest ranking officials you can find and talk with them about the VUCC program and LOTW. The fee schedule for VUCC applications, both paper and LOTW, released back in mid January has not changed to my knowledge. Very little has been said about this issue to date. The fees were excessive and if continued, would have a negative impact on the VUCC program. You can talk about the high cost of an application but there is nothing like comparing it to the cost of a similar DXCC application. When you do that, it is apparent that something is not right. I prepared a one sheet comparison of three typical VUCC vs DXCC applications to give to ARRL officials at the Orlando Hamcation. Newington was not present at Orlando but the Florida Director was and got a copy. I have uploaded my comparison to my website. Please print some copies, put them in your hamfest bag and give them to those you talk with at the ARRL. The more League officials that see this, the better chance we have of getting these fees reduced and in line with DXCC application fees. Download the comparison at: http://www.papays.com/vuccfees2011.pdf There are many issues with the VUCC program other than fees. I made an application back in mid January, two days after the new few schedule appear on arrl.org. It was processed and my totals appeared on my LOTW page. Last week I received the endorsement stickers but have yet to receive the VUCC Grid Report which lists all of your confirmed girds on the left side of the pages and has space on the right side for you to list the new grids you are applying for credit. Without this sheet, you cannot file for another endorsement via an Awards Manager (card checker) or by sending them to the League. I know that they have been having problems with implementing VUCC in LOTW, but the lack of information about the status of the VUCC Program is troubling. The new website was supposed to help disseminate information faster but it is not working in the case. As ARRL members we should be kept informed of the VUCC issues, status and timelines. This is another great point to discuss with ARRL officials. Hope to see many of you at the Hamvention. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] revised VUCC fees; comparison updated
Chris, KC0YBM, discovered that the new VUCC application form dated May2011 has some reduced fees on it. I have revised my one page comparison accordingly. It can be downloaded at: http://www.papays.com/vuccfees052011.pdf The major concern is the initial application for VUCC compared to DXCC. If you submit 120 cards for your initial VUCC award, you'll pay $35.00. If you submit 120 cards for your initial DXCC award, you will pay only $12.00! This certainly discourages participation in the VUCC program from those just starting out. Note that once again fees were changed without any fanfare. You just download the application and see what they are. Considering all of the email we get from the ARRL, you would think that the new fees would be announced via that venue. Just another point to discuss with the ARRL. Please print some copies of the new version and take them with you to Dayton. It will help put pressure on the situation. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Alan Shepard, First American in Space
Tomorrow, May 5th, we as Americans will celebrate the Anniversary of Alan Shepard's flight into space 50 years ago. Alan flew in a Mercury capsule on top of a Redstone Rocket. His recovery at sea was viewed by millions on live television. Alan could have been the first human to fly in space, however, delays postponed what was to be an October, 1960 launch. Safety was the concern back then as it is today. Alan actually had some control over the Mercury capsule including it's attitude. His flight was not on autopilot. He was very concerned about making a mistake as he knew everyone was depending on him. His flight was a great success and a tribute to all those who came before him, some giving their lives as test pilots. The success could not have been possible if it were not for all those who were involved in the design, manufacturing and assembly, and all things necessary to launch a spacecraft. All were American Patriots. I was just 15 years old in 1961 and had been licensed as a Novice for 3 months. My father worked at NASA Lewis so we were very much aware of the tremendous effort being made to put a man in Space. The years that came after saw the United States fly mission after mission culminating with a lunar landing. Alan Shepard would later command Apollo 14 and pilot the lunar lander onto the surface of the moon. Alan Shepard (1923-1998) is an American Hero. Alan Shepard, the first American in Space, May 5th, 1961. Tell your kids and grandkids about him. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] XF2P EM11??
The DX Cluster has a spot for XF2P saying that the operation was cancelled due to bad weather. Can anyone provide any information about this? 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] More UT1FG/MM photos
Walner, WP4NYS, sent more photos taken with his phone during their visit with Yuri UT1FG/MM on the Mottler. Lots of electronics on that ship. Thanks Walner! http://www.papays.com/sat 73, John K8YSE ___ 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 EL92
Hector, CO6CBF, made his first satellite QSO back on January 27th, 2011 on the AO-51 satellite. He didn't have much help getting started but he read and built an antenna and made that contact after he could successfully hear others on the satellite. I've only worked 3 Cuban stations, CO8TW in FL20, CO5LU in EL93 and Hector CO6CBF in EL92. EL92 is rare. I did not have it and neither did KO4MA, K6YK or NI7P/exN7SFI. I sent the card to Hector before I did any research on the mail issues. It turns out that mail from Cuba to the USA has been suspended by the Cuban government due to delays with our TSA screening incoming mail. Cuba feels that this delay is unacceptable. You would think that mail from the USA to Cuba would be refused also but that is not the case. Hector reported being very surprised to receive a card from me with an IRC in tact. The mail from the USA to Cuba works. Sending IRC's is acceptable. Green stamps would not be acceptable. Now the problem was how to return cards from Cuba to the USA. Hector has friends that live in the US but visit Cuba from time to time. He was finally able to send a number of cards back with his friend and they in turn mailed them to me for distribution. There are 75 QSL cards in the mail now from Hector, CO6CBF. Just two of them are in envelopes received by Hector, however, he reports that since that time, he has received several envelopes from the US. There were a few cards with incorrect callsigns. I did my best to determine the intended recipient but there may be some errors on my part. If you get a card addressed to you for a contact you made with Hector but your callsign is wrong, simply send a card to him and he will send one back via the above mentioned process. Be patient. Please remember that Hector's first language is not English. If he gets your callsign wrong, it is likely due to your not using phonetics. There is no need to discuss phonetics; just use them when making a QSO with Hector. The QSL cards are smaller than the standard QSL, 3-1/2 x 5-1/2. That is because the only printer that Hector has right now will not print that size. He is trying to fix another printer that will allow the full size card to be printed. Hector has shared his plans for future satellite grid operations. He will be trying to activate every grid in Cuba and may do some water grids as well. His biggest problem right now is a portable UHF radio. He has 2 meter portables but nothing to take on the road for UHF. It is unfortunate that we cannot send him a radio due to restrictions, however, other countries like Canada and Mexico could. If there is anyone outside the US that has a UHF portable that would cover the satellite band and would like to help Hector, please consider sending it to him. He is trying to build a uhf to 2meter downconverter that could be used with a 2m HT but the outcome is unknown. Anything you build for UHF receive has to be very sensitive as satellites run very low power. An HT would be the best solution. So if you are one of the lucky 73 who gets a QSL card from Hector, unsolicited, please take the time to make one out and return it to him. He is trying to get his VUCC and it's a lot more difficult for him than it is for us. An IRC always helps. Please do not send cards to me. Thank you Hector for getting on the birds from Cuba. You have given many of us a new grid as well as a new DXCC entity! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] UT1FG/MM Photo Album
Yuri, UT1FG/MM, is currently in port at San Juan Puerto Rico. Walt WP4T and his family drove over to San Juan yesterday to attempt to see him. They were successful and were treated to a red carpet tour of his ship the Mottler. They took pictures and they are available for viewing on my website: http://www.papays.com/sat The Mottler is very modern and was just built in 2009. Yuri has logged many miles on it since last October when I first heard him on the satellites. He will fly home to the Ukraine later this week. I never did get the feedback from Yuri on the qsl procedure but I will post what I think would work the best. Enjoy the photos and thanks to Walt WP4T and his ham radio family for making the trip! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] XE3DX Grid Expedition April 17-30th
David XE3DX recently posted that he will be operating from EK08, EK09, EK18 and EK19 from April 17th to the 30th. These are grids that you don't hear very often so if you are chasing grids, be on the lookout and please give David some room. This morning's AO-51 pass at 1050z was a little exciting. XE1SOV showed up from EK18, one of the grids that David will operate from and a new one for me. David was also on the pass and worked a few stations. After the pass, David emailed me with a request that we should use phonetics when working him and other XE's. He asked me to confirm some of the callsigns he heard/worked where phonetics were not used. This is not an issue for debate and please do not respond one way or the other. I am simply passing on his request. Act on it as you see fit. David uses LOTW, so if you make a contact you'll be able to get confirmation without sending for a card. If he doesn't get your call right, there will be no match in LOTW. As an aside, the US postal rate to Mexico (and Canada) goes to $.80 for 1 oz. effective April 17th. All other countries remain at $.98 for 1 oz. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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 Need for Phonetics
Kevin, KF7MYK, provides a great example of what happens when operators do not use phonetics. You may think you are saving time by not using them, but the fact is that unless someone is familiar with your callsign, they may copy it incorrectly. You want everyone on the bird to have your callsign correct so they can call you with the right call rather than having to ask for it again in phonetics, or worse yet, getting it wrong. If you call someone using just their suffix, it means that you don't have their prefix. When you hear someone call you that way, you know they need the missing part of your call. If you have someone's complete callsign, don't call them by their suffix. That's not their callsign. Sometimes you only hear the grid square and call someone that way. This is an indicator that you need the persons complete callsign. A complete exchange is what we should strive for. If you call someone with an incorrect call, other stations pick up on that callsign and the inaccuracy propagates throughout the pass. You find yourself looking them up on qrz.com and not finding a match. Then you are listening to the recording and trying to figure out where you went wrong. Satellites have varying audio quality and the users radios are all over the place in terms of level and clarity. Phonetics will get the callsign through correctly and avoid the problems associated with not getting it right. Everyone is not copying the bird full quieting. Give them half a chance. Also keep in mind that when you are working someone whose first language is not English, they may have even more trouble with your callsign if you don't use proper phonetics. Many non-English speaking amateurs know just enough to copy a callsign, give you their name, report and QTH. They learn the International Phonetic Alphabet and will recognize the words associated with the letters. If you use some other words, they may not understand what letters you are trying to convey. Adjust your operating based on who you are trying to work. Remember that everyone on the bird is listening to your QSO and hopefully writing down your callsign for future reference. Use phonetics and SLOW DOWN. Don't run your grid square into the end of your callsign. Announce your callsign at a constant pace. This methodology will help everyone get it right the first time and save airtime in the long run. All this, of course, in my humble opinion. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] KD4ZGW/m in EM60-61-62
KD4ZGW/m will be operating from EM60, EM61 and EM62 on Tuesday 5 April. Look for Rob on SO-67, AO-51 and AO-27. QSL to his QRZ.com address and be sure to include his grid as well as yours on the card. Rob is one of a handful of operators who has qualified for the satellite Reverse VUCC award sponsored by the Central States VHF Society for operating from 100 different grids. Rob drives an 18 wheeler and has given many of us new grids all across the United States. Thanks Rob! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Mobile Operation; FL-OH
Thanks to all who worked or tried to work me mobile on my trip back to Cleveland from Melbourne, Florida. I operated while in motion on SO-67, AO-27 and AO-51. Equipment was the Kenwood V7A and a Larsen dual band mag mount on the trunk lid, no preamps. SO-67 has a dynamite signal and it was easy to hear the bird, however, with the road noise at 70mph, the weaker audio made it difficult to copy those whose audio was on the weak side to begin with. Even so I made some good contacts on two passes. AO-27 was also very good although not as strong as SO-67. I did manage to work KD8KSN while in EM94 right at the end of the pass. AO-51 was the real workhorse with it's high power output. Copying in the mobile was fairly good but you could really hear the antenna elevation pattern effect as the bird went over. It was really nice to work Yuri, UT1FG/MM, while in EM95 on I-77 in Charlotte NC. The last AO-51 pass was blocked right in the middle of the pass because I came up on the 5 mile grade over the Blue Ridge Parkway. I kept hearing WA4HFN calling and finally got into the bird just seconds before it disappeared over the ridge. This was in EM96 just inside the Virginia line. CO6CBF was also worked earlier on this pass. Headphones would have helped a lot. I didn't think to have them available. More contacts could have been made if I had been able to stop since the mobile fading would have been minimized. If anyone needs a card for a new grid, just send me an email with the qso info. No SASE needed. The trip was 1100 miles and took 17 hours. It was in the 30's here. Yuk! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] QSL Route for UT1FG/MM
Yuri, UT1FG/MM, is currently reviewing a draft of a proposed qsl procedure for his maritime mobile operation on satellites. As soon as he finalizes the procedure, it will be posted here on the -bb. Please hold off on sending for cards. Yuri is currently at anchor in FN58 awaiting dock space to unload their cargo. He will likely leave the ship shortly and return home for a well deserved vacation. He has certainly gone all out to work the birds in hundreds of wet grids. Thanks Yuri! 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Special Event Operation Sat/Sun 12/13 March 2011
I will be using a special event callsign on the birds this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the OPDX Bulletin. The callsign will be NO8DX/20. The OPDX Bulletin is a free DX Bulletin that is distributed via an email list and picked up by email groups around the world. Papays.com hosts the official web version of the Bulletin which comes out every Sunday evening. Tedd Mirgliotta KB8NW is the editor of this publication which often includes satellite announcements. Tedd is the President of the Northern Ohio DX Association (NODXA) and has devoted a good part of his life to this free source of DX information. There have been 1001 issues published to date. Thousands of amateurs around the world read this bulletin every week. The NO8DX/20 call will be used by many of our NODXA club members on the HF and VHF bands. Those who wish to receive a special QSL card should send their SASE to the qrz.com address for KB8NW. If there are any rare grid operations on the birds over the weekend, I will obviously yield the bird to them. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] VUCC/DXCC Status and Fees
OPDX Bulletin Nr. 1000, edited by Tedd KB8NW and hosted on my website www.papays.com/opdx.html, is reporting some good news regarding VUCC and DXCC fees etc.: DXCC NEWS (Awards Processing Update). The ARRL Awards-Blog page reports the following: We are nearly done with processing all the 2010 DXCC applications. At this point we are reconciling hybrid applications and determining final disposition of applications with problems. It will take us about one more week to finish these tasks, at which time we will shut down the DXCC system so that the data for 2010 (Annual Listings and Honor Roll listings) can be tabulated. After we have the 2010 data, we will work with IT staff to incorporate the newest DXCC entities into LoTW and call for LoTW certificate requests from the PJ operations. VUCC paper applications from 2010 and the first few weeks of 2011 have been entered into the VUCC system, but not processed further. Those who submitted those applications, and have accounts in LoTW, can see that data inside their accounts. Link requests for VUCC have been processed where it was possible without manual intervention. There are approximately 60 link requests that will require further work at HQ. DXCC and VUCC fees are being evaluated. If the fees are changed (they will not be raised), the new rates will be applied to any applications received in 2011. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Florida AMSAT Net 18Feb 0030 UTC
The Florida AMSAT net is held every Thursday evening at 7:30pm Eastern Time (18Feb 0030z). Many Florida repeaters are connected together for this net but others are welcome to join by using the AMSAT Echolink Conference Node. Mike N4HHA is usually the moderator. Bring your questions and news items to share. 73, John K8YSE/4 ___ 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-67 Schedule
The SO-67 for North America has been updated to show passes through 6Feb2011 at 1655z on their website: http://www.amsatsa.org.za/ 73, John K8YSE ___ 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: W6RO QSL VUCC
Jeff, Here's the VUCC rule on the grid square: 7(b) For the convenience of the Awards Manager in checking cards, applicants may indicate in pencil (pencil ONLY) the grid locator on the address side of the cards that DO NOT clearly indicate the grid locator. The applicant affirms that he/she has accurately determined the proper location from the address information given on the card by signing the affirmation statement on the application. For more proof, you can simply use qrz.com. In the case of W6RO, it does not show the actual location of the ship but you can do so by using the google map for grids and find the ship on the satellite view. This will spot the lat/long and translate into a grid square. You only have to certify that you have determined the correct grid square; you don't have to prove it to the card checker. It's always good to go right to the rules when there is any question. Don't assume that the card checker always knows them. You will find that you will get other cards over time that don't have the grid square on them. Simply determine what the grid square is and follow the rule above. It's always a good idea to print out the VUCC rules and take a copy with you when you get your cards checked. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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: LOTW VUCC Discussion
The cost for credits for LOTW DXCC filings is: 0-49 $.25/each 50-99 $.225/each 100-249 $.20/each 250-499 $.175/each 500-$.15/each LOTW for VUCC is $.16/credit no matter how many you submit. If you submit 100 credits for DXCC, it's $20 for the qso's. If you submit 100 credits for VUCC, it's $16 for the qso's. These numbers are for endorsements rather than initial applications. The debate as to the cost of DXCC vs. VUCC using LOTW is a good one. The Directors should look at that when they validate the fee schedule. 73, John K8YSE ___ 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: VUCC Costs
The new fee schedule has brought forth a lot of comments. Twenty cents a card seems like a lot of money but consider how much you spent to get that card. An SASE with a stamp on it plus the stamp for sending it here in the US costs you $.88. If you send for a DX card to countries other than Canada and Europe, it's $.98 for the postage and an IRC costs $2.10. If you are lucky, you will get a DX card back for $3.08. If you're not lucky, you'll send for it again hoping to get a reply. Then there's the cost of the cards to add in, maybe $.10 each, and the envelopes, hopefully self seal so the other guy doesn't have to spend time moistening and sealing it. Maybv So after you spent all that money to get the card, spending another $.20 to submit it for VUCC doesn't seem all that bad. ___ 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] HO-68 Not Heard
I did not hear HO-68 on 12Jan on the afternoon North America passes. This morning 13Jan it was not heard at 1408 UTC either. The beacon appears to be off as well. Let's hope this is not a serious problem. Anyone else have the same experience? 73, John K8YSE ___ 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] Keeping Track of HO-68 et. al.
I thought this might be helpful to those trying to determine when HO-68 is workable from your qth. Every week on Sunday I use the program WinAOS in the Programs Menu of SatPC32 to generate a list of visible passes for all satellites that I operate. I set the date for each day, starting at UTC. I set the duration for just one day. The printer font is set so one day fits on one page. I repeat this for each day of the week. When I'm done I have a piece of paper for each day of the week showing the satellites and the times/elevation/azimuth for LOS/AOS. Then I go through the list and underline certain passes I want to be on. If there's an expedition, I mark the passes that seem optimum. When the HO-68 schedule comes out, it is a simple matter to run down through the times and match them up with the passes on my visible list printout. I mark if it is linear or FM and make any notes as to what might be on a particular pass. The pass times are fairly consistent so you know right away which ones will be on for your area. There is usually one morning pass and two afternoon passes for EN91. WinAOS is just one of the many nice features of SatPC32. WinListen will allow you to determine if there is a mutual window between two locations. This is the way you get a contact with that distant station. Determine the mutual windows and send them an email to hopefully arrange a schedule. SatPC32 is sold by AMSAT and helps support the organization. DK1TB is the author and donated the program to AMSAT. He provides updates and excellent technical support. The program can run for weeks unattended and never crash. This and the other programs like WinAOS and WinListen are great reasons to be using it at your station. 73, John K8YSE ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] QST Editor on HO-68
HO-68 was on this morning with a North America/Europe footprint, but the only station heard was 2E0BFT. After the window with Europe closed I found another station, WB8IMY, calling CQ with a nice signal. I knew the callsign was familiar but it wasn't from hearing it on the satellites. It was from reading QST Magazine! Steve, WB8IMY, is the Editor of QST Magazine and was operating from home with his TS2000 and Eggbeater antennas. We had a nice chat and the reception was excellent. You never know what you just might happen to snag on the birds! The recording is on my website, http://www.papays.com/sat Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 73, John K8YSE ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
