[amsat-bb] Re: FT-736
On 18/11/13 5:40 AM, Tom Worthington wrote: Thanks for all the responses on the FT-736 and the pointers to the pic hardware emulator. Just to be clear, does the N6BIL emulator allow the manual tuning of the FT-736? It would seem that the lack of the ability to tune is a significant problem to making contacts. No, an emulator/translator won't allow the FT-736R to be manually tuned. This is a limitation of the ancient CAT interface on this radio. The only way you could manually tune the 736 would be with an external encoder connected to the translator's micro, so the translator can send the VFO adjustments to the radio and the new frequencies (that were sent to the radio) back to the PC. -- 73 de Tony VK3JED/VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: D STAR
On 11/11/13 6:44 PM, Gordon JC Pearce wrote: On Mon, Nov 11, 2013 at 12:14:26AM -0600, George Henry wrote: There are very good reasons why no other amateur radio manufacturer will touch it. George, KA3HSW What, apart from encryption being illegal on the amateur bands? Without a radical redesign and a new codec, DStar is just not suitable for amateur use. Proprietary software runs counter to the whole principle of amateur radio, and in this case the encrypted proprietary codec is quite possibly not legal for amateur use. That argument is a furphy. AMBE is readily available in a $20 chip if the authorities want to listen in, it's not encrytion (formally defined as encoding to obscure the meaning of a transmission), it's encoding to minimise the audio data transmitted for intelligible speech. D-STAR itself is open specification, and a significant proportion (a majority now?) of D-STAR gateways run open source software (such as the G4KLX pcrepeatercontroller/ircddbgateway software) on both Icom repeater hardware and homebrew setups. Sure, an open source vocoder would have been nice, but one with suitable performance and available in a form that could be incorporated into radios didn't exist when D-STAR was developed. Had D-STAR been developed today, Codec2 would be a real option (though I'm not yet aware of an implementation suitable for a mobile or HT). -- 73 de Tony VK3JED/VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: D STAR
On 12/11/13 12:17 AM, Paul Stoetzer wrote: An interesting idea would be trying a FreeDV QSO via satellite. I've made a few QSOs with it on HF and it's an interesting mode. Obviously it's full duty-cycle, so any attempts should be limited to just a few tests, but I'm sure it would work. I suspect you'd need computer Doppler correction with the FDMDV modem. The high PAPR would limit the stress on a linear transponder. The (yet to be finalised) VHF GMSK variant might be easier to handle from a Doppler point of view, though at a higher average power (since it's constant envelope like FM). -- 73 de Tony VK3JED/VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: D STAR
On 12/11/13 3:25 AM, Stefan Wagener wrote: Yes, It could work as long as software for doppler control (eg SatPc32) can invoke the smaller frequency changes which it actually can (see my other note on the IC-9100). So you would use the built-in DSTAR module for uplink or downlink and the 9600 packet mode with a GMSK node adapter for the other in a full duple radio like the IC-9100. Or you use two radios in 9600 packet mode with 2 node adapters for uplink and downlink as long as they are supported via doppler software and small frequency steps. I think setups using GMSK modems or a DV-RPTR board and an all mode radio with Doppler correction will have the most success on satellite D-STAR, because computer Doppler compensation and the small tuning step size will keep everything within tolerance. Time to pull my DV-RPTR board out and hook it up to the IC-7000. :) -- 73 de Tony VK3JED/VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] FreeDV (was: D STAR)
On 12/11/13 4:10 PM, George Henry wrote: FreeDV would probably work on the transponder birds if your doppler update was fast enough... it has built-in AFC. Your only chance to try it on an FM bird would probably be in the middle of the night... I'd be looking at using FreeDV with the linear birds in its current form, and definitely with Doppler correction. The PAPR is fairly high, so the overall transponder power drain would be no more than for a SSB transmission of similar length. Uplink power control might need to be a bit more accurate, because the satellite's AGC may not be able to track the brief power peaks. Likely to be a case where less is more when it comes to uplink power. -- 73 de Tony VK3JED/VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: D STAR
On 11/11/13 7:45 AM, Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) wrote: Stefan, It appears that stations attempting to work D-Star via satellite would need to use two radios. This was the case a few years ago, when AA4RC and N3UC were able to make a brief QSO on AO-27. You can read about what gear the used, along with some useful tips for trying D-Star via satellite, at: If the new satellite has AFC and a 2m uplink, existing D-STAR radios should be suitable for the uplink. That leaves the downlink, where I'd probably use something like an all mode radio with computer controlled Doppler correction and a GMSK modem with DV Dongle or DV-RPTR board with an on board AMBE decoder. Where things could get really interesting is D-STAR allows easy interfacing to the Internet, so theoretically, you could enable (for a few minutes!) global connectivity to remote areas. -- 73 de Tony VK3JED/VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Better/best operating system for SatPC32?
On 19/05/13 12:33 AM, Philip Jenkins wrote: Thanks for the replies. I do have a Win 7-64 machine with 4GB RAM as my main PC; I've just never used the 32 bit version and wanted to see if I needed to avoid it. I'd only use the 32 bit version on a machine with 4GB RAM. The amount of RAM you have would normally be the main factor determining whether you use 32 or 64 bit. Less than about 3GB (exact value varies from system to system), and 32 bit may result in slightly less RAM usage. At worst, you're no worse off, and you do have compatibility with applications and hardware that uses only 32 bit driver (or other kernel mode) code. Once you start getting over that 3 GB RAM, then the extra addressing capability of the 64 bit OSs comes into play, and you need the 64 bit version to fully utilise your available RAM (there are exceptions, mainly 32 bit Windows Server and Linux PAE kernels, but for end user Windows versions, the previous applies). I've run 64 bit Windows Vista and 7 with no issues, except the obvious ones, such as: Software or hardware that only comes with 32 bit drivers (64 bit OS needs 64 bit drivers). Unsigned drivers - 64 bit Windows is normally anal retentive about driver signing, but there is a workaround. Old 16 bit software or installers - 16 bit software does not run under 64 bit Windows. Workaround here is to use a virtual machine - VMware, VirtualBox, etc. Linux is definitely a viable alternative. A lot of ham software these days has Linux equivalents, packet is built right into the network stack, and a lot of Windows software will happily run under WINE/Crossover . -- 73 de Tony VK3JED http://vkradio.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] Re: Close encounters of the Asteroidal Kind
On 9/02/13 2:26 AM, Greg Dolkas wrote: Is the 435KW an EIRP number, or power into their feed. I was thinking the later. No? If you read the link that was recently posted, their transmitter uses 2x250kW klystrons, so it'd be RF power. :) -- 73 de Tony VK3JED http://vkradio.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] Re: Close encounters of the Asteroidal Kind
On 8/02/13 7:49 AM, Bob- W7LRD wrote: maybe asteroid bounce? (EAE) 73 Bob W7LRD Someone on the moonbounce reflector crunched the numbers and came up with a path loss figure something like 51dB worse than EME, if I recall. The small cross section area was the killer. Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained. :) -- 73 de Tony VK3JED http://vkradio.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] Re: Close encounters of the Asteroidal Kind
On 8/02/13 9:33 AM, Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL wrote: Well from the original post: The Goldstone 70M dish will be running MAX QRO with 435 kW. That ought to be enough for EAE. H. CQ asteroid, CQ asteroid! There's your 51+ dB! :D Slightly outside amateur power levels or the antennas available to hams. :D -- 73 de Tony VK3JED http://vkradio.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] Re: Close encounters of the Asteroidal Kind
On 8/02/13 11:11 AM, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote: I wonder if they considered that it may be significantly more reflective? I can't see it being more than 15-20db to get from the moon's reflectivity to a perfect reflector. Still, every bit helps. :) -- 73 de Tony VK3JED http://vkradio.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] Re: Need another reason to attend the AMSAT Symposium?
At 02:49 AM 10/13/2012, Patrick STODDARD \(WD9EWK/VA7EWK\) wrote: Fantastic work Patrick! 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: cubesat deploy stunning pics
At 03:26 AM 10/6/2012, R Oler wrote: http://onorbit.com/node/5003 This link should take you to it, but if not go to NASA WAtch then either ON ORBIT or just scroll down to find the story and click on the link. The pics are stunning You're not wrong there! 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: [Bod] Experimental COMMERCIAL spacecraft on 2meters
At 11:21 AM 10/4/2012, Arthur Feller wrote: If you do not like what you see, let the authorizing administration (FCC) know and why, in detail, citing rules and regulations in a way to be persuasive. Well, it would seem to go against the definition of the Amateur and Amateur Satellite Service. From the FCC website (after 10 seconds of Googling :) ) Amateur Radio Service The amateur and amateur-satellite services are for qualified persons of any age who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest. These services present an opportunity for self-training, intercommunication, and technical investigations. You can read more about amateur radio services including information about the Sequential Call Sign System, vanity call signs, communications, and more. How does a commercial satellite fall under the without pecuniary interest part? 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Launch Costs (was-re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol. 7, Issue 312)
At 06:04 PM 9/26/2012, Gus 8P6SM wrote: On 09/26/2012 01:38 AM, Tony Langdon wrote: And of someone wanted to try out a new propulsion system on a live satellite, I'm sure AMSAT would be more than happy to help with the comms side of things. One can understand the reluctance to allow an explosive kick-motor on a launch vehicle. But is that the only way? These days, definitely not, there's a number of different propulsion ideas being researched, and many of them don't involve explosive chemicals. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: beep box help
At 03:44 AM 9/27/2012, Gordon JC Pearce wrote: I'd love to get involved in that, and indeed I think a lot of the current thread was spawned by a discussion of tracking the F-1 sat. Unfortunately, there is only a Windows binary available of this software. I know amateur radio is a technical hobby, but I haven't the inclination to be a computer nerd as well, and I haven't the time, inclination or money to buy another computer and a copy of Windows and all the expensive training courses. Well, the modern ham does need some level of computer expertise, though not necessarily programming. You still have a few options. The software may run under WINE (which runs on Linux and OS X) - if this is the case, you're in luck, you don't need Windows, or there's a number of virtual machine options - both free and commercial that you could load a copy of Windows in. Virtualbox is a free option, VMware is a commercial one that is no cost for Linux (VMware Server), some cost for Macs. Parallels is another commercial Mac alternative. Of course, with this approach, you'd need a copy of Windows to install into the virtual machine. Sadly, a lot of ham radio apps do require Windows. I have the same issues, but VMware Fusion (with Windows 7) on the Mac gets around that quite nicely. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Launch Costs (was-re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol. 7, Issue 312)
At 02:05 PM 9/26/2012, Daniel Schultz wrote: Amsat has tried to sell the emergency and disaster communications aspect of amateur radio but so far nobody has bitten on that bait. Getting space on a tower is a few thousand dollars per year, getting a free satellite launch represents a thousand times more money. A local ham club working with local public safety officials can show them directly how valuable hams can be, on the national level we are trying to appeal to a big bureaucracy with little practical experience. Most of the rest of the world regards ham radio as an outmoded hobby practiced by elderly white males. It has been said before in this forum that nobody is going to donate money so that hams can talk to Japan through an amateur satellite. Amsat is not the only worthy non-profit in space these days. We compete with many other amateur space groups, including the Google Lunar X prize teams. Education is what brings in the big bucks today. The grant makers have fully swallowed the phony notion that there is a critical shortage of engineers and scientists, and they donate to causes that support STEM education. Our ability to access space in the future depends on how well we work with the education community. We need to stress that a real engineering design course must include designing for reliability and a long lived communications mission. I've watched this discussion for some time, and have a couple of things to say. Given what has been done in the past, and what is most likely practical, I don't see a lot of potential for amateur satellites in emergency communication. They could be pressed into service for remote area messaging, but real time communication is more likely to take place on HF, which is open in regional areas more often and for longer than the typical LEO pass. Maybe a geostationary satellite could be more practical for emergency use, though there would need to be 3 to cover (almost) all of the Earth - and my particular side would be at the bottom of the heap, unless it was the Chinese who put the bird up there. I see a lot more potential in partnering with the education community. They're seeking to train aerospace engineers, and perhaps working with this community - as mentors, given there's a lot of proven satellite expertise in AMSAT, as well as clients (to have students building to a specification). Amateur radio itself is about learning - usually self learning, but education would seem to broadly fall in the learning side of the hobby. Sharing that with industry and getting working transponders in return would seem like a win-win. I do think it should be a two way street, AMSAT helps the students and universities achieve their educational goals, and gets a working bird in return, once the primary mission is completed. From what was posted about Fox earlier, that sounds like a good example of this sort of thing. And of someone wanted to try out a new propulsion system on a live satellite, I'm sure AMSAT would be more than happy to help with the comms side of things. However, I also understand that times have changed, and I may never get the opportunity to try working a HEO in my lifetime. I'm not going to bag AMSAT for that, it's just the way the industry has gone, and the old launch opportunities have dried up. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: satellite activity and future sats...
At 12:47 AM 9/7/2012, Thomas Doyle wrote: Hi - Thanks so much for your post. Many of us have been in this so long we have completely lost touch with the needs of the new ham. You have described the greatest needs in the sat hobby. Unfortunately we are heading in a direction where we are suppose to create materials to educate high school youth when we do not have even basic materials to educate our own new sat users. Many old timers will say there is lots of material out there and there is but it is very basic. There are hundreds of great videos showing how to wave an Arrow antenna around and make a contact but beyond that - not much. Unfortunately the learning curve gets very steep very fast. Thanks again for taking the time to share your insights. We need someone like you on the board. As someone who has written an introductory article or two myself, I am inclined to agree. There is a lot of material that shows how easy it is to work your first satellite, but not a lot of where to go from here. What would be nice is a tutorial which starts at working your first FM sat with a HT and portable antenna, then goes through from there in stages right through to fully automated stations capable of working a future HEO or fully automated operation on pacsats, among other things. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: satellite activity and future sats...
At 10:00 AM 8/28/2012, Bob DeVarney W1ICW wrote: I am afraid you're right, Tom, and it pains me to admit it. I am not sure why activity has dropped off.. but I can say in my own case I lost interest in satellite operating after AO-40 died and have gone on to other things ( EME ) to use the existing equipment I had. In my case, around the time AO-40 died, IRLP came to VK, and I became heavily involved in that field for over 10 years. Nowadays, various constraints limit me to mobile, portable and data modes. I would like some antennas for the sats, but they'd have to be omnis. I've got gear that will work the SSB birds, but lack suitable antennas (can only just hear myself come back on VO-52), and suitable times to use it on phone. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Software must have list
At 12:45 PM 8/19/2012, Ronald Nutter wrote: Drew: Think about getting Virtualbox (www.virtualbox.org). If you can migrate your physical hard drive to a virtual one, you can run your XP environment almost forever. Also when you move machines in the future, the OS wont matter, all you need to do is move the virtual machine and you are done. I do the same with VMware. Same idea, except I can choose between Windows, Linux or Mac hosts. In fact, one of my VMs has done the lot. It started life in around 2002-2003 running on real hardware. In 2004, it was migrated to a VM on a Linux host running VMware Workstation (the free Server version wasn't available back then). After its host's disk died in 2007-2008, the VM was migrated to a Windows host running VMware Player, and finally in 2010 I moved it to the Mac running VMware Fusion, where it sits today! :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Mars Science Laboratory Landing Confirmed
At 03:36 PM 8/6/2012, B J wrote: The first image has been transmitted and received. Watched the whole landing, awesome stuff. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: European alligator on SO-50 (F2IL)
At 02:21 AM 5/31/2012, Eric Knaps, ON4HF wrote: Today I wanted to use my arrow and portable to make a qso on SO-50. M6DNU (also portable) called me but it took 5 minutes to complete that contact. F2IL was constantly calling cq on top of us. Do these guys even listen to the downlink?? Give portable stations also a change please! We only have 2 watts of rf power. Where is the ham spirit these days? I'd say he couldn't hear his own downlink. That's certainly a common problem. The best way to deal with these people is if you're within simplex range, call them up on the downlink frequency after the pass and give them a few pointers. I've got a couple of people successfully working satellites that way. Education works wonders. :) And since you know his callsign, the other way of achieving the same is to send him an email with some friendly tips. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Winorbit in Windows 7?
At 11:00 AM 3/24/2012, K5OE wrote: Attention old timers: anyone solve the 16-bit compatibility problem? I presume you're using a 64 bit system. Only way I can see around it is using one of the many virtual machines and running a 16 (Windows 3.x anyone?) or 32 bit Windows version inside. If you're running a 32 bit OS, you should be able to run a 16 bit program. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Linux software TNC
At 07:38 PM 2/23/2012, KE7OSN wrote: I have a few Windows computers running the AGW Packet Engine as a Software TNC. I would like to find something that provides similar functionality but for Linux. I am hoping someone out there uses a Linux computer with a software TNC for satellites, but if nothing else would like the find out what people are using software or hardware. Linux has the software packet modems and AX.25 support in the kernel (though you usually have to reompile the kernel to access them on modern distros). I'm not sure how to setup Linux packet these days, as the howtos are very old. I recall experimenting with the Linux soundcard modem many years ago with a lot of success. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: InstantTrack and windows 7
At 04:39 AM 2/3/2012, Bruce wrote: yes, download a program called dosbox. you can then run the old dos programs. http://www.dosbox.com/ That's the one I was trying to think of. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Phase 3 Express Launch Opportunities?
At 09:31 AM 1/28/2012, g0...@aol.com wrote: Oh.. Another (more serious) possibility. Forget GTO and negotiate a low cost launch on one of the remaining 5 Vega development flights (1500km?) Then use propulsion to get to MEO. Better than sitting on the ground and it tests the propulsion systems and software for P5A Sounds like an idea. It seems for the future, having out own propulsion is going to be a must, and yes, it is rocket science and we're just gonna have to make it work. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Radio Pirates
At 06:05 AM 1/15/2012, Clint Bradford wrote: ... Many of those same radios are being sold through legitimate/commercial dealers ... OK so far ... ... for FRS/GMRS rigs ... Not OK - they are not legal for either the GMRS nor the FRS. We've had similar issues over here with UHF CB, where ex commercial radios have been converted to the UHF CB band (477 MHz). Originally, commercial spec equipment was approved for use on this band, provided the power was turned down to 5W or less (the legal limit) and transmit was enabled only on the legal CB channels. However, converted radios as high powered UHF radios became popular due to lack of enforcement. In the last couple of years, we have seen a change in the ACMA's approach, and they have been seen at hamfests confiscating radios that are promoted for illegal use. The word is certainly out that the inspectors do frequent hamfests, and are active in dealing with dodgy stall operators. Sounds like your FCC needs to take a similar approach and jump on these sales. ... the same Puxing ... was bought in large numbers in the Palm Springs area for backup coms between all the gated communities in case of an earthquake ... The day my community uses Wouxun/Puxing products for ANY facet of community service is the day I move. AFTER educating the powers-that-be of the dire consequences of using sub-par equipment to protect their constituents. That's rather scary, quite frankly. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Very Interesting Radio - Possible Sat Use
At 06:01 AM 1/13/2012, George Henry wrote: Main drawback appears to be that they are not full duplex... but at those prices, why not buy TWO? All of my full duplex sat operation has been with 2 radios, so why not. :) There are some advantages of running two radios, especially where the uplink is on UHF, as with some radios, adjusting the uplink for Doppler can be fiddly. With 2 radios, you simply tweak the relevant VFO knob. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Enhance your Easy Sat Experience!
At 02:42 PM 1/6/2012, Clayton Coleman W5PFG wrote: Have you thought about upgrading your station to full-duplex capability? I started out using full duplex, and it's a much nicer experience. I'd recommend it for every satellite operator. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: December 25, 1642
At 11:37 AM 12/25/2011, B J wrote: Sir Isaac Newton's birthday. Without his work on gravity, we might not have satellites. Thanks for that, I didn't realise Newton was born on Christmas Day! :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Two Meter TV Interference
At 04:55 PM 12/7/2011, Clint Bradford wrote: It is your neighbor's sub-par electronics that are not properly filtered/insulated. But no one wants to hear that they need to purchase a new audio-visual system so a neighbor can play with amateur radio ... (grin) This is one of our greatest public relations problems with the hobby: Educating non-hams as to what we are doing, why it might cause interference in their setups, and why we like ugly antennas ... First - 50W for '50 and '27 is ridiculously high power. You are crippling yourself with sub-par antennas for working the LEOs. I mean, a fifteen dollar tape measure beam and a single Watt gets the job done. Yep, don't forget that a good antenna and QRP will go a LONG way towards reducing TVI. I've found a few Watts near the horizon down to 200mW at high elevation is all most of the FM birds need, if you have a decent directional antenna. And a directional antenna will also mean less TVI for the neighbour. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: 2 Meter TV Interference
At 05:24 AM 12/8/2011, Bob Bruninga wrote: HPF above 500 MHz? Then the TV would not be able to see anything but a few UHF channels. What is needed is a stub filter. Just a piece of open ended coax 13 long Ted into the antenna lead They work well, have had occasion to use them in the past to cure TVI. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: VO-52 FM Operation
At 03:01 AM 12/4/2011, Nitin Muttin wrote: Friends, Thank you all for your comments and understanding. Please do not use FM on VO-52. There are very few (less than 3-5 radio hams in India who work thru VO-52 on FM due to the lack of all mode 2 meter and 70 cms radios and hence the exception) who use FM when VO-52 is over India. The question was raised in the context of Australia, where there's a very low density of operators. I know from my experience that I've had very few random QSOs on SSB. One was back in the days of RS-10. The bulk of my time on SSB has been in talking to myself, with the occasional SSB or CW QSO with a local. As my current issue is antennas, rather than radios, I'm more or less off air for both SSB and FM at this time, but as I said, from experience, finding someone else on SSB a the same time as I am has been the difficulty, over the years. From reading the local AMSAT list, the active operators seem to be having the same issue of being able to get on at the same time. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Satellite Satire
At 11:57 AM 11/30/2011, Lowell White wrote: Please enlighten me if indeed there might be a way to get something up (and to stay up) more economically. Well, a bit of physics here. To get from the Earth's surface to LEO requires 10 km/S of delta-V. Even if you could get a payload to orbital altitude by some hypothetical means, you would still need to add 7.5km/S delta-V to bring it up to orbital velocity. From 30km (typical high altitude balloon), the requirement would be somewhere in between 7.5 and 10 km/S, which still means a considerable amount of fuel required. insertion? If the bird and booster weights were small enough, could a wx balloon lift them adequately? I suspect the rocket would still be very heavy. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Satellite Satire
At 02:19 AM 12/1/2011, Gordon JC Pearce wrote: On 30/11/11 13:34, Trevor . wrote: Current research is based on platforms between 17 and 22 km high. At that height they could provide coverage over a radius of up to 500 km. Roughly equivalent to NVIS HF communications, then. One of those over SE Australia would be a very interesting proposition - a repeater that could potentially cover all of one state, parts of 3 others and the ACT. :) In other parts of the country, you'd get lightly used rural repeaters, which could be useful for travellers. Wondor how much one of those could be put up for. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Satellite Satire
At 02:28 AM 12/1/2011, Rick Tejera wrote: Gordon, There are at least two groups that know of that launch High altitude balloons with amateur payloads. I just joined one: Arizona Near Space Research. http://www.ansr.org/ High altitude balloons are fun. There's a group here that launches them as well from Adelaide. Had fun when they installed a crossband repeater on one of their balloons. Also had a go at decoding telemetry, but being on the edge of the footprint and with small antennas, I haven't had much luck with telemetry. :( 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Satellite Satire
At 09:33 AM 11/30/2011, Bob- W7LRD wrote: Cool George! it's not the building and concepts that's difficult. It's getting the damn things up there. We should have a division of AMSAT that does rockets, and launch our own. Like my Dad told me, Or get in league with an amateur rocketry group with a leaning towards space rocketry. :) - We build 'em, you launch 'em. :) Seriously though, orbital launches of any description would be a tall order for any amateur group, given the fuel costs alone required to launch a useful payload to even LEO, let alone GTO. Still, we do have one advantage over the commercial guys - most of our payloads are small and lightweight. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: NASA Video - Coming Back Down to our Fragile Oasis
At 09:18 AM 11/24/2011, Trevor . wrote: --- On Wed, 23/11/11, Gregg Wonderly w5...@cox.net wrote: It's really sad that this is not a downloadable video that could be played on my mobile device for people regardless of being on the network or not. Unfortunately it's not on the YouTube NASA Television channel http://www.youtube.com/user/NASAtelevision if it where you could use Free Studio or other YouTube grabber to dowbload it. Perhaps someone on this list knows of a good video capture utility that'll work on the NASA website. Video Downloader, which is a Firefox extension works fine. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Fwd: Mystery of the Lunar Ionosphere
At 07:59 PM 11/17/2011, Luc Leblanc wrote:\ I just got a flash is it possible the moon bounce signal where reflected on this ionosphere instead of the moon surface or both or is it the moon libration signal often reported by moon bouncer a kind of signal mix the one reflected over the surface and the one reflected by the ionosphere back to the moon surface working against each other? This could be one of many interesting questions to try and answer. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Fwd: Mystery of the Lunar Ionosphere
Hi, While we are on the subject of the Moon and looking back at missions - take a look at the web pages I have forwarded.Should prove quite a talking point in terms of our hobby - ionosphere and radio communications on and around the Moon. Suddenly ham radio on the moon looks a whole lot more interesting. New propagation experiments to try to characterise the lunar ionosphere's RF properties. Only trouble is getting there. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: OFDM Transceivers
At 01:57 AM 11/2/2011, Trevor . wrote: The 420 MHz transceivers feature speeds of up to 12 Mbps and bandwidths of 10 MHz or 5 MHz, while data throughput of 48 Mbps is claimed on the 1240 MHz verssion. Very interesting, wonder how much these will cost. I want some! :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: There's no usable satellites
At 03:21 AM 10/25/2011, Jeff Welsh wrote: Same here. If I hear a portable station in the FM pileup, most likely that's the one I'll want to work before the others! Working the LEO portable and handheld is quite a handful, literally and I admire that! Used to do it all the time, quite a lot of fun, and quite an impressive demonstration for lay people, when they see you pointing an antenna at some random part of the sky and can hear all those voices from interstate. :) Probably the most fun I've had working satellites was giving demonstrations at a hamfest. What made this so much fun was it was a team effort by several club members, where we had a couple outside rotating the antennas, while others were inside operating the radio. We did everything manually - antenna pointing, Doppler correction, the works. Worked both FM and SSB/CW birds with that setup, with a lot of success in an environment that turned out to be extremely demanding, from the coordination required, to the high ambient (acoustic) noise level at the operating position. Still, it was a heap of fun. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: This Is a HOBBY people
At 11:26 AM 10/25/2011, Diane Bruce wrote: Yes it is. It is ONLY a freakin' Hobby. If we want kids in our freakin' HOBBY we need to make it *FUN*. Learning stuff, radio stuff, building stuff learning what radio is how antennas work. All that stuff. Agree with the fun bit, but fun can be defined in so many ways, so whatever floats your boat, if it's to do with ham radio, all's well and good. Everything you've listed... and more! There are services which you can and should provide as your skills and knowledge allow you to. Making a choice to not participate in the service And that is the marketable skill. Many many hams are also computer types, physicists, engineers. Who knows where ham radio skills come in handy. Just came back from a local incident, where a key part of the infrastructure failed. I was probably the first to recognise the nature of the problem, though not able to directly help at the time (due to only having a receiver in the car). Eventually, another channel was found, and I helped out with testing to ensure it would be workable until the network is fixed. EMCOMM is something that we all have opportunities to help with. Many No, EMCOMM is the cancer that is eating Amateur Radio. No, EMCOMM is just another aspect of the hobby. It works for some, not for others. But EMCOMM is still not the only reason someone should be getting into amateur radio. EMCOMM is what discourages the youth of today from particpating in ham radio. Get the kids in, get them excited, get them interested in DSP combining radio and computers, show them FUN. Don't sell them on EMCOMM. It's not the ONLY reason to get involved, but for some it is A reason. I agree that the exciting technical developments such as DSP and SDR should be promoted to the younger generation, as well as all of the How it works and DYI that you can get into. And for others, the thrill of catching that rare DX is the excitement (though not high on my personal priority list). Others will be interested in the Internet connected modes (IRLP, Echolink, D-STAR, etc), and some will be drawn to the simplicity and uniqueness of Morse Code, or perhaps operating old boat anchors on AM. All aspects of the hobby need to be promoted, people will find their own personal reasons to join in... or not. And yes, there will be a small number civic minded young people who want to be able to get into EMCOMM. We just have to make sure we don't sell ourselves short. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Geostationary Satellites
At 05:02 PM 10/11/2011, Daniel Schultz wrote: It is true that a Geo bird would only cover 1/3 of the Earth, but it would ALWAYS be there, with no need for antenna rotors or keps or a computer for tracking. It would be like picking up a telephone. It would be wonderful for emergency service in a disaster area. It could provide high speed digital communications on the amateur microwave bands in places where the internet is not available. Given that a single bird would most likely be over the Atlantic, a single GEO bird is of little interest here, compared to something like a P3 one, which at least shares itself around the world. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: KickSat - a personal spacecraft of your own in space
At 05:49 AM 10/11/2011, JoAnne Maenpaa wrote: Hi George, Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't 900 MHz only allocated for terrestrial use, worldwide? I know that there's no amateur satellite service allocation at 902 MHz... The original Cornell Chipsat mission news release that mentioned they were using 902 MHz was not an amateur radio mission. Not sure what other radio service they qualified for. Cornell hoped that some suitably equipped amateur earth stations would receive their signals, hence their request. Still seems a strange choice of frequency, given that GSM phones use these frequencies in many parts of the world. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: KickSat - a personal spacecraft of your own in space
At 09:07 AM 10/11/2011, Trevor . wrote: --- On Mon, 10/10/11, Tony Langdon vk3...@gmail.com wrote: Still seems a strange choice of frequency, given that GSM phones use these frequencies in many parts of the world. ITU Region 1 seems to be moving closer to permitting unlicensed low power use, RFID etc, around 915-921 MHz but as you say the rest is mobile phones. Given there is no mechanism to command these Sprite ChipSats so they are only on over the USA the use of 902 MHz would seem inapropriate. 73 Trevor M5AKA Australia has allowed unlicenced low power devices in the range above 915 MHz for some time, and they seem to coexist with GSM phones next door. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Geostationary Satellites
At 08:51 AM 10/11/2011, Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr) wrote: Just a novice guess here, but aren't the geostationary orbits MUCH higher than our satellites run? And therefore cost a lot more to get boosted to that orbit? Got it in one, that's the main reason we don't have any geostationary ham satellites, along with the need to have 3 for global coverage. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Shutttle landing
At 04:50 AM 7/22/2011, Kevin Deane wrote: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html for others that missed it :( Watched it live on NASA TV (local coverage was very poor). Sad to see the Shuttle's days end, but Atlantis finished in style. I still vividly remember watching Columbia's first launch and landing live on TV as a teenager back in 1981. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: CA Ham Plates - Warning!
At 03:57 AM 6/30/2011, w4upd wrote: This is already the case in Florida. The Amateur tag is listed as a vanity plate and you are charged accordingly. This state has hundreds of vanity plates. It's the same down here, amateur plates are a special category of vanity plates, and attract a vanity fee. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: VO52 and verticals
At 02:35 AM 6/10/2011, John Geiger wrote: Has anyone had success getting into VO52 using a vertical, omnidirectional antenna on the uplink. I have a nice M2 2M9SSB for 2m but only have a dualband J pole to cover UHF with and wonder if I could get into VO52 with it for my uplink antenna. I have tried, but wasn't confident enough with my downlink signal strength to attempt a QSO on SSB. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: SSB Operation on the Satellites
At 04:06 AM 6/10/2011, Tom Schaefer, NY4I wrote: This is a great thread. Well, I am going to continue with full doppler and just resolve myself to tuning in some people that are not quite there yet. As a lot, I would think adding computer control to handle full doppler would not be that big a deal nowadays as most of the programs support it. I am not telling you how to spend your money though. The big test will be at Field Day when I am using full doppler and listening to everyone do the doppler-shuffle. :) When I get my antennas sorted, I'm in the computer controlled camp (which was helpful for testing). I may be able to solve a few issues by taking the Macbook into the field and using it to provide Doppler correction for a mobile/portable station. Computer control will save me a couple of arms adjusting VFOs, so I'll be free to point the antenna at the right patch of sky. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: SSB Operation on the satellites.
At 10:59 AM 6/9/2011, Douglas Phelps wrote: If you do not have a sat program automatically correcting you rig frequency, what is the most common or preffered technique? 1 - Hold the TX steady and adj the RX for doppler or 2- Hold the RX steady and adjust the TX for doppler? I know this must be a basic question but I am learning. Thanks, Adjust the higher frequency of the two you're using. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: PSK v. APRS
At 11:42 AM 6/7/2011, Justin Pinnix wrote: Greg, you're overlooking something - the time dimension. Yes, packet is a one-at-a-time affair, but those packets move quickly - 1200bps vs 31bps for PSK31. So, each station only has the bird tied up for a short period of time. You could think of it as a form of time division multiplexing. Of course, if everyone is using computer frequency control, then dozens, if not hundreds of simultaneous QSOs can take place. In other words, frequency division multiplexing. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: My First Satellite Contacts
At 03:34 PM 5/18/2011, Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) wrote: Or look for the all-mode HF/VHF/UHF radios at swapmeets and online, and get a pair for your satellite station. There are radios out there that won't break the bank. Yes, more than a dual-band FM HT or mobile radio, but not a whole lot more. Even going back 15 years to a radio like an IC-706Mk2, you would have the option of computer control using software like SatPC32 or possibly HRD (among others). The old single band radios have now come down to reasonable prices. Another alternative is something like a FT-736 off eBay for a base station, which can be computer controlled. Software selection is limited, though there is an interface to make the FT-736 look like an FT-847 to software such as HRD. I have beta tested this interface myself and it works extremely well, and opens the 736 to a lot more radio control software. I haven't heard if/when it's going to be made available, but I hope it can be sold to 736 owners. I'm using a portable all-mode satellite station - normally two FT-817NDs, sometimes one FT-817ND with a Kenwood TH-F6A (TH-F7 outside the Americas - this HT has an all-mode receiver from HF up to 70cm), always with an Elk 2m/70cm log periodic. Other than the antenna and some accessories deemed unsafe for carry-on luggage on aircraft, my station fits in an old laptop bag and goes where I go. The 817s could be controlled by software, but I spin the big knob on each radio as I work stations instead of also setting up a computer to run the radios. You don't need a lot of power to work SSB, just as many work FM satellites with HTs. I have been using the FT-736 and an IC-7000 in tandem for the SSB birds. Unfortunately, in the shack, my antennas let me down (receive being the biggest issue), so I haven't been able to do any more than simply test. I'd need a setup like yours to go portable, which would be an interesting exercise without computer control (tuning and aiming an antenna at the same time :) ). Unfortunately, while I was tempted, I had to stop short of buying an FT-817ND, it's still on the wish list for portable work. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: AO-51 - Requiem
At 01:46 AM 5/8/2011, John Geiger wrote: And you can still use the FM equipment you bought on AO27, SO50, and SO67. I spent less than $200 on my FM satellite setup this year. It consists of a used Kenwood TM251A for $99, an Arrow antennas dualband J pole for $50, and a 50 foot run of 9913 flex for $40. It is still working fine on the other 3 sats. Shock, horror, you can even use it for _terrestrial_ work. :) I spent around $10 for my satellite setup 10 years ago - to build a portable dual band antenna. The rest is gear I use for terrestrial work that gets hauled in for the job. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Icom D-Star -to- A-STAR Gateway
At 06:38 AM 4/29/2011, Bob Bruninga wrote: Tell that to the likes of G4KLX, KI4LKF, the ircDDB team, PA4YBR, the designers and builders of various GMSK modems, and even AA4RC and Moe, who designed the DV Dongle hardware... The real thing that would explode D-star onto the world stage would be if they implemented an A-STAR gateway into the D-STAR system. That is a means to gateway to existing analog users with existing radios. Then everyone everywhere could participate in callsign-to-callsign voice contact just like D-star. Bob, you're going to get a LOT of resistance to this from the D-STAR community. The idea has merit, and APRS could provide a data channel for passing routing information. Unfortunately, there's a lot of purists out there in the D-STAR world. You might get more traction for the idea by going to the ircDDB community, where there's a higher proportion of experimenters. Your A-STAR gateway would likely need to be registered with ircDDB (USTRUST/K5TIT certainly wouldn't register it), so it would look like a D-STAR gateway to the network. The more I think about it, the more I think there's something in this. The A-Star gateway does this. It uses the built-in (APRS) digital signaling in any of the 8 current models of Kenwood and Yaesu APRS radios to provide the seamless interface. The APRS radios can be configured to send out their CALLSIGN with each release of PTT, thus giving the automatic callsign identification (Like Dstar). Further, APRS radio users can signal who they want to talk to by simply entering an APRS message to the intended callsign target. Can the message be sent on every key down? i.e. store the message and then program the radio to repeat the same message every time you hit PTT? This is what would be needed to use D-STAR's callsign routing. I noticed there's quite a few APRS capable radios out there now. I was almost tempted to buy one, but that came after knowing I have to watch the budget for the time being. It's on the wish list. This is all part of the Automatic Voice Relay Network concept that ties together all linked voice systems into a universal-by-callsign VOIP system. It is where APRS has been headed since 2001. And it is why all the recent radios from Kenwood and Yaesu can include their operating frequency in their ID packet and why they can also QSY to a commanded frequency on an incoming message with the press of a single button. Unfortunately, in Australia, we will have to keep D-STAR (and any A-STAR gateways would be considered as part of D-STAR for this purpose) separate to IRLP and Echolink, because bridging the two would lead to a very high risk of licence breaches, due to how our regulations work, combined with the bands that the IRLP and Echolink systems are on (A-STAR gateways would be advertised as such and CTCSS access to avoid accidental access by Foundation calls and the legal implications thereof). We just need someone to write the A-star gateway software into the D-star network. I suggest you ask around the ircDDB community, as that's where the software development and home brew gateway efforts are centred, because there's much more room for experimentation there than on K5TIT. The idea is interesting and certainly has merit. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Icom D-Star
At 11:33 AM 4/28/2011, you wrote: I'd like to point out that it's difficult, at best, to participate when you can't roll your own. There are many codecs available out there today that don't require purchasing a license to use. The biggest problem right now is that D-Star isn't backward compatible or you could implement one of those freely-licensed codecs now and let people design their own implementation. Tell that to the likes of G4KLX, KI4LKF, the ircDDB team, PA4YBR, the designers and builders of various GMSK modems, and even AA4RC and Moe, who designed the DV Dongle hardware (not to mention those who are building their own Dongles). Sure, the codec is proprietary, but there are implementations available, from a bare chip (at around $20) to the DV Dongle for people to play with. And there's a LOT of tinkering to be done without even decoding the audio, as many of the above people can attest to first hand. As far as I'm concerned, this argument is a furphy. There are open source implementations for just about everything else - gateways, repeaters, GMSK modem (using a soundcard), routing advertisements (ircDDB), everything except DPlus (though there is an open source functional equivalent - DExtra). 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Icom D-Star
At 07:43 AM 4/25/2011, i8cvs wrote: I am anxious about that because even on EME very soon nobody will be able to use by hand a CW key and copy Morse Code by ears. I don't think Morse is in any danger. I've seen an increase in interest since the compulsory Morse exams were dropped in this part of the world, particularly among younger people. I think it would be a shame to see Morse go, and there's a real opportunity for those who are proficient to show the newcomers the joys and elegant simplicity of CW. I don't think you'll have a shortage of students, now that Morse is both optional and something only in history outside of amateur radio. I am sorry because I like very much the CW sound in my ears. CW is like music for me and after to eliminate the Radio Officers over the ships we radio hams we actually should be the last frontier for the CW existence. You can keep the torch burning. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to get to a level I'd be comfortable using on air, that might be a project for later in life, when there's less distractions, since I find the idea of Morse very attractive also. It's a pity the old exams emphasised slow speeds, I'd have done better had I learned at more useful speeds. :/ 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Icom D-Star
At 07:33 PM 4/23/2011, you wrote: The chips are readily available at a few hundred dollars apiece, and if you attempt to implement your own AMBE codec then you're going to have DVSI's lawyers jumping on you. More like $20 apiece in small (possible 1 off) quantities. Proprietary software has no place in Amateur Radio. It's hardware with firmware. So let's throw out all the other proprietary bits (processors with embedded code, etc) and go back to soldering valves? The simple fact of the matter was back around 2000 when the D-STAR spec was developed, there weren't a lot of choices for how to compress speech into 2.4kbps and have FEC. AND have it available in a suitable form for implementation into mobile and handheld radios. While the proprietary codec is a minor inconvenience in some situations, it's proved to be no impediment to home brew enhancements to D-STAR. The number of ham developed D-STAR projects is significant, so that one chip hasn't proved to be an impediment to ham experimentation in practice. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Icom D-Star
At 01:42 AM 4/24/2011, Gregg Wonderly wrote: In the end, digital compression of spectrum space is going to happen more and more. AM style broadcast is hugely inefficient even though it is painfully simple to do. I don't really believe that D-Star is the right choice for everything because it is single source. But, so is Microsoft windows, There's no one size fits all. D-STAR has its place, and being the new kid on the block, it's open to a lot of tinkering. MacOS-X, and many other software based systems. If you are an FPGA programmer, perhaps you can build an FPGA based CODEC for amateur radio that would do voice compression etc. But in the end, you also have to have an transmitter with the appropriate bandwidth output to reduce the spectrum used. Well, maybe one day someone will package something like Codec2 into a chip. That will be a good day for ham radio, BUT it'll never make D-STAR. Why? Because it's not in the spec and will break the existing installed hardware base. However, the future is likely to consist of multimode radios, which can handle multiple codecs and protocols, and which will be capable of having a yet unknown cocecs installed in the field. Also, eventually the DVSI patent will run out, just like the patent for SSB did many years ago. The simple fact is that HAM radio emission standards (simple voice modulated with some simple emission standard) are now more than a century old. As Not quite. CW certainly is, AM is around the century mark, I think SSB is a little over 80 years old from its first conception, and FM is 75 years old. :) capable as they are, the abilities they present seem minimal to some. I think that there are great things about them because they do allow long distance communications which the HAM community regularly uses to support distant operations which provide aid to areas struck by natural disaster. I think this is one area where ham radio will be increasingly important. Alongside the newer modes, it can also be a living museum where older modes can live on. The only mode that hasn't survived is spark gap Morse, because it's so spectrally inefficient it became illegal. So ham radio, while it still does advance the art also preserves the art as well, and both are important functions to me. If something happened that required falling back to older analog modes, there's a pool of experienced operators on hand, who know he quirks that the commercial world will forget. But, we all have to understand that it costs money to do anything new and different. People experimenting with stuff is great, but it minimizes who can participate if you have to build it or pay a lot. That's just life in general. You can't participate in everything unless you have the resources to do that. And there's experimentation. I don't have the background and resources to play at a low hardware or software level, but at a higher level, equivalent to mashups on the Internet I have played and still do. In the US, any digital communications that is coded in some way only needs to have a publicly visible document detailing how it works for the FCC regulations to be met. Other places in the world may have different requirements and that's nothing new is it? Requirements here are much the same as the US, somewhat more liberal when it comes to modulation and coding. Basically there are two things that matter. (1) Not to exceed the maximum necessary bandwidth (D-STAR fits on all bands except 2200m), and (2) The coding must not be for the purpose of obscuring the meaning of the message. D-STAR certainly fits, because radios are readily available, and they don't need encryption keys. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Icom D-Star
At 04:42 AM 4/24/2011, Gordon JC Pearce wrote: On Sat, 2011-04-23 at 10:42 -0500, Gregg Wonderly wrote: In the end, digital compression of spectrum space is going to happen more and more. AM style broadcast is hugely inefficient even though it is painfully Okay, but *why*? Why are we so obsessed with squeezing bandwidth down and down, at the expense of intelligibility? I find D-STAR more intelligible than a significant proportion of FM transmissions. And why are we obsessed with reducing bandwidth? 2 reasons: 1. It's economics, bandwidth is expensive in the commercial world, and in the ham world, some countries are suffering congestion. 2. Reducing the amount of information to be transmitted means more range (Shannon's Law). And don't we all want a bit more range in the ham world? I've got my spectrum analyser hooked up to my 2m aerial at the moment. For the past half hour it has indicated the odd little spike at 144.800MHz indicating a little bit of (weak) APRS traffic, a big spike at the output of GB3CS (because it's line-of-sight), a couple of slightly smaller spikes from the other two local repeaters (PA and KE) and a bump where FE, FF and AY are supposed to be (they're quite weak here). Well, everyone's in a different situation. I have had days in Melbourne where it's hard to find a free 2m simplex frequency. I'm certain in the US there's places where 2m is congested. Sure, where I am now, 2m is fairly quite, but I'm outside the big cities, and separated from Melbourne by a mountain range. With only a few dozen hams in the area, bandwidth usage isn't a high priority issue, but that's not going to stop me playing with narrowband voice modes. This is where D-Star falls down - it's *still* just a 12.5kHz-wide channel. Without getting into linear PAs and the like, it's going to be quite hard to do anything else and have a useful data rate. We do have linear PAs available on VHF and UHF... We could always do FDMDV on 70cm to really save bandwidth. ;) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: FO 29 help
At 06:37 AM 4/24/2011, Kevin Deane wrote: Or he could just use FM since hardly anyone uses the SSB birds compared to the other sats. Although I am sure there are a million reasons not to use FM. even though it works just fine on the SSB birds. The feedback I got from the FO-29 Control Team was that SSB was pretty much the rule or band plan if you will. FM works, but it is STRONGLY discouraged for 2 reasons: 1. It uses more of the transponder's bandwidth (meaning less users on the bird) 2. It uses more transponder power, which is a serious consideration, given that many of our birds are getting old and the batteries are getting weak. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Yaesu FT-736R interface for HRD
At 04:53 AM 4/8/2011, zdz eighty wrote: Yaesu FT-736R interface for HRD I finally finished a project to build an interface for the Yaesu FT736R so that it would work with Ham Radio Deluxe. It seems to be working well and i've sent it out to several testers and i haven't found any problems from the the interface. I had a pcb made and its available from batchpcb.com. It I have been testing this interface. So far, I haven't been able to fault it. The FT-736 with the interface seems to work as well (within the limitations of the radio itself) as my IC-7000 on HRD. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: [Fwd: FW: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 6, Issue 184 [Sec=Unclassified]]
At 09:37 AM 4/2/2011, you wrote: I have been following this discussion with some interest. I too have experienced working AO-51 in areas where the footprint is over relatively low population areas. Despite being thrilled by my first contacts from VK4 (my home state) my enthusuiasm on AO-51 operation quickly wained due to a few big gun operators who seemed to consider AO-51 a private chat channel. Often passes would be completely monopolised by two or three operators leaving no gaps for other stations. Sadly when these guns were out of footprint there was seldom anybody to the north to contact. I haven't worked AO-51 in a while. Last attempt was using the base station, but the antennas aren't too good. I'll have to drag out the portable station sometime and see how I go. :) Down here in VK0 I'm pretty sure I'm the first to get the footprint and have noticed the same beahviour. Unless of course I call first (which I have done on only a few occassions). Being a rare stations has it's advatages! Yes, very rare. VK0 is the only VK call are I haven't worked via satellite. :) I guess the bottom line is to spend more time listening, have a little patience, courtesy and respect for other hams. This needs to apply to the guns as much as anybody else. In the SO-35 days, I was a relative big gun, even with portable gear. I found it best to sit back, as well as occasionally help a new station score a contact. Whilst there has been a lot of discussion about how to reign in the rogues surely the simplest solution is to ignore them? It's a practice I use in any pile-up and is an opportunity for people to change their operating behaviour. Yep, ignoring is best, though I might make a passing comment without acknowledging their call, in the hope they get the hint. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: More Echo Madness
At 11:41 PM 3/31/2011, K5OE wrote: Please allow a little perspective on AO-51 from someone who has worked it for a long time and from all over the world. I left the USA in late 2003 for a work assignment in Darwin, NT (Australia as VK8OE), where I talked to myself for over a year on AO-51 mode L/S (I took my AO-40 setup and it died before I could work it as DX). I did the same thing on ISS packet, having great keyboard QSO's with myself. The only sat contacts I ever made while VK8OE was on AO-51 in mode V/U FM (mobile while at work) with a few ops on the other side of the continent (VK5ZAI, VK3FGN, VK2TU, VK2TRF, et al). I remember in the UO-14 days many late night passes, where I ended up talking to myself for an entire pass. If I got lucky, one or two others would show up and we'd have a ragchew for the entire pass (with long breaks for those breaking in). The biggest problems I've heard on the FM birds down this way are (1) long range cordless phones, there seems to be millions of these things in SE Asia - I'm assuming it's phones by the tempo of the speech, and (2) new operators who don't realise they're not hearing the 70cm downlinks on their vertical antennas, and accidentally stomp on the uplink. Unfortunately, due to the large distances here, there's often no one else within their simplex range to give them pointers. I have personally elmered a couple who I did find within simplex range, and got them on the birds successfully. I'm not so active on the satellites these days, but that's due to subtle lifestyle factors that brings the short passes at differing times of day into conflict with other things that happen here, rather than anything fundamental about the sats themselves. One of the things I notice here is that not only is the population density much lower, but there's none of the grid chasing down here. We do have satellite awards, but these can be completed with a modest amount of contacts (VK0 can be a challenge to work - it's the only VK call area I haven't worked). I've never understood the rationale behind increasing the pressure on an already limited resource by encouraging grid square chasing. One would have thought the FM birds should be the WARC bands of the satellite world. Keep the grid chasing to SSB/CW, where more operators can be supported (and maybe encourage a few to upgrade to SSB :) ). I spent most of last year in Papua New Guinea (V29OE) and the only satellite traffic I ever heard was on AO-51 V/U FM (VK's of course). I never completed a QSO as I just could not make it with a bad battery in my FT51R (less than a Watt) and a whip antenna. And the only P29s I've worked on the birds have been Americans who were working in PNG! :) Unfortunately, you weren't one of those I've worked. The thing that really annoys me, though, is that I saw Drew's posting, I wrote down the new uplink frequency, I had it in front of me on a sticky note, and I still didn't connect the dots when I couldn't hear myself in the downlink! I deserved to miss that grid :-) In the famous words of Homer Simpson... DOH! :D 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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
Re: [amsat-bb] Fwd: Allocation of 433 434 MHz Band for Short Range Devices in VR2
At 07:07 AM 3/9/2011, Trevor . wrote: Short Range Devices (SRDs) in 433-434 are bad news. Tell me about it! :/ The United Kingdom opened up 433/434 to SRDs in the 1990's. Automobile remote control key fobs used it - very short range, very low power stuff but the killer was the receivers. Australia also allowed SRDs in the mid-late 1990s. The Key Fob receivers had wide-open front-ends and collapsed in the presence of nearby RF. The result was that some UK Amateur 70cm repeaters were forced to shutdown to protect the unlicensed SRD's. The UK regulator Ofcom made it mandatory that applications for UK 70cm (430-440MHz) repeater licenses had to prove that they wouldn't cause interference to these unlicensed devices, eg wouldn't block wide-open RF front-ends! This problem has been noted in certain locations, but they are not offered protection from this sort of interference here. SRD in 433/434MHz also impacts the Amateur Satellite Service. Manufacturers of 10 milliwatt walkie-talkies for 433/434 have cleverly run some leads through the battery compartment. If the user cuts these leads their 10mw 433/434MHz walkie talkie or base station gets converted into a 4 watt output transceiver that operates from 433.075 right up to 435.525MHz - well into our satellite allocation, see Ouch! Haven't seen those here. Australia - SRD Interference causes Repeater to move http://www.southgatearc.org/news/jun2005/repeater_move.htm There's many examples of repeaters having to move. The problem for us here was that there was no limit put on the duty cycle of the SRDs. The most troublesome devices down here have been industrial crane controllers, which have a 100% duty cycle. I for one had interference from these from an industrial area 1-2km from my repeater. The ACMA effectively legislated that these devices don't exist, when it comes to protection from interference. The walkie talkies disappeared off the market quickly here. I think the well established UHF CB service out competed them, offering more power (200 mW - 5W) legally, and more features for a similar price, as well as compatibility with a larger installed base. The other big problem here is cordless headphones, which tend to drift up and down the band, and even outside the SRD band. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: 44 Million HP
At 04:16 PM 3/4/2011, Clint Bradford wrote: Great camera footage from last month's Shuttle launch. One camera is mounted on an Solid Rocket Booster. At 2:28, it separates ... and you watch it splash back into the ocean. Neat video, well worth the time spent watching it. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Ham Radios on Cruises
At 08:41 AM 3/2/2011, Donald Jacob wrote: I'm sorry, maybe I'm missing something. Wouldn't it be much easier to say (on web page or what ever since this topic has been address MANY MANY times) that you must check with the ships Captain and/or communications officer. Forget FCC or any other nation's communications authority, since once at sea the ship is totally under the authority of the Captain -- Maritime Law. Permission for both maritime and aeronautical operation used to be part of the Australian regulations exam (I remember studying it). I'm not sure if that is still the case these days. In any case, who you had to get permission to operate from depended on both where the ship was registered, and where it was at the time (i.e. territorial waters or international waters) you were to be operating, but in all cases, the captain had to give consent (in addition to the various national authorities involved), from what I recall. That was the common thread. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: fo-29
At 10:18 PM 2/28/2011, Dominic Hawken wrote: For the birds (and I'm relatively new to this as well) I transmit LSB and receive USB - am I correct in thinking this is the accepted default or does it vary from satellite to satellite? It depends on the transponder. The actual convention is that your downlink is USB. If the transmpnder is inverting, then you need to uplink LSB, if the transponder is non inverting, you need to uplink USB. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: IC-9100
At 04:22 AM 2/26/2011, Dave Webb KB1PVH wrote: HRO has the Icom 9100 on it's site now for the low low price of $3799.95 http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-010763 Ouch! Well, for that price, you can get 2 IC7000s and keep the change. I bought 2 IC7000s AND AH4 tuners for that price, and that's not taking into account local price differences. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: A LITTLE HAM HUMOR for a change
At 07:21 AM 2/25/2011, Zachary Beougher wrote: You forgot a few. 1. When looking for a place to live you don't look for a nice neighborhood, you look for the highest spot in the county with no trees. Trees are important skyhooks for wire antennas! ;) Not so good for satellite operators though. 2. Every grommet in your firewall has a 1 bundle of wires coming through it. Hahaha, so true. ;) 3. After you finish converting a computer PSU into one that can power a radio, you unplug it from the 120VAC and plunge your hand into the PSU to make some adjustments, just to remember the function of the electrical component called a capacitor. (I have done that) Oops. ;) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Radios in carry on luggage
At 08:19 AM 2/23/2011, n...@lavabit.com wrote: I have always laid the big ones (FT-817, CCRadio) out in a tub for them to look at, the first couple of times having not done so wound up with a swab and a some questions. Having them exposed seems to have eliminated that so far. The HTs and wall warts and such I left in my radio bag, nothing has been said about them although it gets the random swab or peek once in a great while. Radios I've carried in carry on baggage. I always take them out and put them separately in their own tray. Chargers, etc, I just pack in checked luggage, since they're usually fairly rugged, and I put them in amongst clothing. Only had problems occasionally with an antenna that can look sus on X-ray, so that tends to get left out as well. Let's see, 2 HTs, 2 laptops, and other electronic gadgets, no problems, except when leaving Melbourne for the US, where one overzealous security guard queried the radio. A quick check with his supervisor sorted out the confusion. In the US (admittedly several years ago now), I only got stopped once, and a quick manual inspection by one of the TSA guys was all that was needed to verify all was OK. Turned out something in my bag was blocking the X rays and causing a confusing view of the contents. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Considerate satellite operations behavior.
At 09:35 PM 2/21/2011, Luc Leblanc wrote: The main problem is here: you should hear your own downlink but they try to call in the void hoping someone will answer?? If I don't hear anything, I don't Tx, except for a _brief_ keyup to see if I am hitting the bird (in this part of the world at certain times, the satellite may actually be quiet!). 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Considerate satellite operations behavior.
At 04:11 AM 2/22/2011, Rocky Jones wrote: My argument with AMSAT and others is that the organization should be leading by pushing more linear devices AND birds with larger footprints. Where I think things got off track badly was with the notion of AO-40...the theory that we had to build a satellite that people could work worldwide with not much antenna and other equipment. Oscar 10 and 13 (along with Arsene) in my view is about the baseline satellite that AMSAT should be building and trying to lead the satellite movement. As long as baseline satellite access is a handitalkie with a long whip...we are not going to see much different in my view nor should we expect it Linear birds are a good idea, and the idea of creating an off the shelf transponder package that university groups can install into their projects has been discussed here before, to help that end. larger footprints would be nice (and extremely useful in this part of the world), but the trick there is getting the launch opportunities at an affordable price, since it seems most affordable launch opportunities are to LEO. You can only place your bird where the ride takes you, unless you add propulsion, which means extra weight and complexity (meaning more cost, fewer launch opportunities and higher risk of failure, and most likely fewer birds). One of these days, I'll have a crack at the linear birds we have. I have the gear, just have to get around to using it! :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Fwd: 420 MHz in Jeopardy!
At 10:45 AM 2/22/2011, jmfranke wrote: Our presence there is secondary and the prime user has a much larger financial and national security commitment for keeping the band clear of others. I hope the US military takes the appropriate actions to protect the bands for their use and thereby ours. At times like this, the military are usually great bedfellows on the bands, because their interest is in keeping the band clear for their own use, and they have much more money and clout than we hams do. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Fwd: 420 MHz in Jeopardy!
At 10:57 AM 2/22/2011, Nigel A. Gunn wrote: True, and in Europe, where thay only have a 10MHz wide band, ATV has gone to 23cM using FN, not AM. Makes old satellite TV receivers usable for the Rx side without modification other than a preamp. Australia has nominally 420-450 MHz, but 420 - 430 is unavailable in all of the major populated areas, so the band is effectively only 430-450 MHz for most of us these days. I guess it would be a struggle getting all the US FM repeaters into 433-435 and 438-440 but most in this area are unused anyway. That's where our repeaters sit here, with 440-450 being ATV and site-site links. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: you may as well use Skype...
At 07:27 PM 2/5/2011, Greg D. wrote: My second satellite QSO (ever) was from California to New York on RS-10 with 10 watts to a copper pipe J-pole on the uplink, and a wire strung out to a tree in the back yard hooked to a Radio Shack DX-440 Short Wave receiver for the downlink. How can you not get hooked on this hobby after an experience like that? Almost a duplicate setup for my first satellite QSO, which was also on RS-10. :) Uplink was 25W into an old Icom 2m all mode radio and a 2m Ringo antenna, and the downlink was a Yaesu FRG-7700 with some random length of wire strung across the backyard. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: you may as well use Skype...
At 02:18 AM 2/5/2011, Diane Bruce wrote: On Fri, Feb 04, 2011 at 08:03:59AM +, Gordon JC Pearce wrote: On Thu, 2011-02-03 at 13:49 -0500, Diane Bruce wrote: ... It doesn't in my case. I have *no interest at all* in operating satellites that require a complex fixed station with computer tracking and tuning. None. Doesn't interest me one bit. Which is why I was interested in AO-40, for all the same reasons. However, since I had already invested in setting up an AO-40 station, I might as well use it. I'm certainly not interested in automated tracking, due to the cost and mechanical complexity. I'm not good with anything mechanically complex. AO-40 offered simple antenna pointing, which was one of its attractions. Computer controlled tuning, I can manage that. The fun part is communicating via simple inexpensive satellites, with simple inexpensive hardware that you can make at home. Really, you Well, sure no disagreement from me on that. But I would suggest a one design fits all idea. Make a simple simple satellite design that could be assembled in near mass production quantities, get them into orbit whenver opportunities prsent themselves. This was suggested some time back for linear transponders, to make them available to the university groups building small satellites, so more linear birds would make it to LEO. Well, instead of thinking HEO for the time being, one simple design tossed up multiple times, on the same frequency pairs, to minimise tracking efforts is the way to go. Worth a thought. a constellation of LEOs could be quite useful. There might be some interference issues to consider, though in some circumstances, Doppler can mitigate some of these issues. SSB also has advantages here too, no capture effect. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: FM birds
At 04:47 AM 2/4/2011, John Geiger wrote: Another group to target is the VHF/UHF weak signal crowd. Many of them have the necessary equipment to get on AO7, FO29, and VO52, but might not know it, or know how to proceed. These birds will give them a chance to use their multimode rigs between band openings. With the advent of the new all band, all mode radios such as the FT-817, IC-706IIG, IC-7000, TS-2000, etc, etc, combined with many of us having an older 2m SSB transceiver kicking around, it would be surprising how many of us have the capability to work these birds. I know I do, just have to get around to giving it a try. I have worked the SSB birds before, mostly Mode A (RS-10, RS-12/13, etc), but did work the Fujis at hamfests. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: you may as well use Skype...
At 05:49 AM 2/4/2011, Diane Bruce wrote: What is the motivation for some to operate on LEO satellite? The exotic mode and bands? The pleasure to achieve an OSCAR class station? My initial motivation to getting on satellite was AO-40. That was exciting, very neat and a fun technical challenge. I did make it on AO-40 btw, I think I made at least one cw QSO before you folks broke it. ;-) AO-40 was an incentive for me, though I never got beyond monitoring the 2m beacon in the early days after launch and before the incident with the 400N motor. I did collect a lot of good telemetry though There is new modes actually growing DSTAR, DRM, DIGITAL VOICE (FDMDV) is this can be an alternative to those who wants something else? or will we be facing with this alternative, overcrowded single channel satellite pass? Where is the place for experimenting on the actual LEO fleet? Our licence was not created for experimenting? The reality is, LEO is all we are going to be able to afford. I do not see the thousands upon thousands of amateurs willing to put up the $$ to put another HEO like AO-40, in the near future anyway. And yes AO-7 is still going, but is really sick sounding. The only short term realistic answer is more LEOs as I see it. But please, not another FM bird please. There is absolutely no reason we couldnt put a simple linear translator up and allow FM on one frequency, such as India does. I do agree, more linear birds would be a good thing, and the idea of sharing with FM might work well in these parts, where it can be hard to find anyone else on, and FM might be the difference between having someone to talk to, and enjoying a conversation with yourself! :) Traffic density over VK/ZL can get very low at times, so for us, FM is often a plus, although I'm interested in playing around with SSB too. A hand me down and recent upgrades now mean I have more than enough gear for the SSB birds. Unfortunately, LEOs can't solve the problem of vast distances meaning little chance of variety - all I've ever worked on satellite is VK, ZL, P29 and 3D2, but we have to make do with what is practical. :-/ 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: AO40 contacts and more
At 01:18 PM 2/4/2011, k6yk wrote: I saw a mention of an issue of folks not wanting to make a big investment in satellite stuff to work SSB/CW. ALL of the original ham satellites were SSB/CW birds. No FM. And most hams already had enough equipment to get started. The uplinks were on 2 meters or 70CM (that took a little more doing), the downlinks were on HF or 2 meters. Some of the RS birds where HF up and HF down, and HF up, 2 meters down. Interesting stuff! 70cm SSB radios weren't common here, only the serious UHF DXers and satellite operators had one. Thankfully, this situation has changed over the last 10 years, thanks to the all in one radios that are on the market. I myself have gone from no 70cm SSB capability, to no fewer than 3 suitable radios in the last year. 2m SSB was a lot more common here, has been for many years. I've had 2m SSB myself for over 10 years, and have at least 4 radios now that can do it. As you'd expect, HF is common down here, but are VHF/UHF FM only radios, both mobile and HTs, especially near the major cities. Most folks had HF gear to start off in ham radio. I did not have an HT until I was a ham for probably 20 years. I was the opposite. Economics made it easier for me to start with a 2m HT. I didn't have an all band HF transceiver until 2000, when secondhand prices had come down enough, and I had the money to pick one up secondhand. Still got that radio too. :) Nowadays there is a LOT of VHF/UHF multi mode gear floating around the used market for reasonable prices. Also the antennas are available, sometimes for real cheap, or haul it away for free. Keep your eyes and ears open. Many more opportunities now. There has never been a better time to try SSB on the birds. Hams are supposed to be resourceful and innovative! And I went and sold my FT-847 which was about the most expensive rig I ever bought! Don't need it for these FM birds, I just use a dual-band mobile rig, works just as well. I've just upgraded and got radios with VHF/UHF SSB capabilities. This will be used both terrestrially (I have used one to gather telemetry from a balloon launch on 70cm) and hopefully on the sats. These days it's good how a simply HF upgrade can give one so much more. And there's the bonus FT-736 as a hand me down from a ham friend, in appreciation for the help I've given him over the years with antennas and other projects. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: SO67 today evening
At 09:06 AM 1/21/2011, P.H. wrote: And why do some REGULAR stations insist on using FM as opposed to FM-N and shouting like a banshee into the mic?! It is extremely irritating and makes hearing those who operate properly very difficult. Good question. I found FM-N was perfect for this bird. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.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] Re: Oldest working orbiting satellite? Todays quiz!
At 03:43 AM 11/5/2010, Chris Bloy wrote: Hi Robert, Non-working Amateur Satellite still in-orbit? (AO-13?) Oscar III...then Oscar V...Oscar V has no chance of coming back to life, it was battery powered.. III? I dont think that there were enough solar cells on it to actually power the bird, but I could be wrong. I do listen for it. As I said in my last message, I'd have to check. ;) Non-working commercial sat? Vanguard-1? Yes. Technically the rocket body is older but that is the oldest in orbit Technically the R/B isn't a satellite?? The R/B _is_ a satellite if it's in orbit around the Earth, and it's non functional - it became non functional when it finished its job of putting the satellite into its orbit. :) The record holder appears to be ATS-3 still nominally operational after an amazing 41 years! That's impressive! That's a record we want AO-7 to break isn't it? Would be nice. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Oldest working orbiting satellite? Todays quiz!
At 07:42 AM 11/5/2010, Vince Fiscus, KB7ADL wrote: The moon. ;-) That thought did cross my mind. The moon is still working in both its original role (as stabiliser of the Earth's axis) and as a passive communications satellite. ;) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Failure to fluff dry
At 12:34 AM 9/26/2010, Alan P. Biddle wrote: From time to time we get postings about this or that Volksrocket as a way to get a cheap launch. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. I have heard of all manner of failure modes for launches. However, this one is probably near the top of the You have got to be kidding! list. Reading the article, the root cause appears to be one of those procedural issues in handling cryogenic propellant. I'm sure they'll iron out the bugs in time. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Jan 09 sat passes
At 10:16 AM 9/23/2010, George Henry wrote: Which begs the question, where can one find archived keps? AMSAT does not archive the KEPS mailing list, so unless someone on here is a subscriber and has keps bulletins from that far back, where else can you look? Aa a matter of fact, I have Keps going back several years, because I tend to archive my mail. Might be useful for historical studies like the one in this thread. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: New Satellite Downlink?
At 08:00 AM 8/29/2010, David - KG4ZLB wrote: I would have to side with Nigel here as my understanding is that he is quite correct - you are not allowed to listen into the Police frequencies for instance or any other frequency that you are not authorized for - maybe you can in Scotland Gordon :-P Each country has its own rules. In Australia, you're allowed to listen to anything sent in the clear, except for traffic covered by the Telecommunications Act (i.e. phone calls). The Police were fair game, until they switched to encrypted digital systems several years ago. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Samuel Morse
alive and wanting my help to move money from a foreign country. I removed the email address from the spam. Can you say spam in morse code? ... .--. .- -- There you go. :D ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: FT-817 charge?
At 12:16 PM 6/26/2010, B J wrote: I believe the manual is available as a downloadable file on Yaesu's website. Check page 11 for details on setting up the radio for charging. In any case, googling ft-817 manual is bound to give results. I've found Google handy for locating both user and service manuals. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: SO-67 back on air!
At 12:04 AM 6/22/2010, Jan-Albert Koekemoer wrote: Hello After much delay we are now in a position to re-activate the SA-AMSAT payload schedules on a regular basis again! Excellent news! :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: (no subject)
At 09:08 AM 6/8/2010, Larry Teran wrote: SPAM get out On Mon, Jun 7, 2010 at 1:42 PM, Simone T terra...@gmail.com wrote: snip to avoid propagating spam URL further These ones are the result of the account's owner getting infected with something, and a spam bot hijacking their account. Complaining about the spam does nothing (never does). The most successful approach has been to inform the affected person of the problem, and get them to scan their PC with something like the free scanner from www.malwarebytes.org , or another good malware scanner, then change their webmail password. There is a pattern to this sort of spam/infection: 1. It ALWAYS comes from a webmail capable address (I have seen Yahoo, Gmail and Hotmail accounts infected). 2. It always features a single line with a URL, maybe with one line of generic text Hey, look at this or similar. How I discovered it was the account owner's PC being infected was that I posted an advisory message in the group that was getting spam, and suggesting everyone check their PC for malware. The account owner (that the spam claimed to come from) came forward and described what happened, and that they had fixed their system, once made aware of the problem. Subsequent instances of this type of spam have revealed a similar pattern. This was first sighted a few months ago. Anyway, hope this helps people affected by this sort of problem to find and remove the offending malware. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Doppler Tuning Convention Question
At 11:31 PM 6/1/2010, Alan wrote: I've read the Doppler tends to move more quickly near mid-pass than the computer and software routinely seem able to keep up. Mid pass is when the sat is moving most tangentially to you at which point Doppler shift is nil. The rate of change of Doppler shift is at a maximum at this point, which means you're moving the VFO knob fastest. It's like when you hear a passing car, the change of pitch happens as the car is passing you. Yes, the amount of Doppler shift might be zero then the satellite is tangential, but the rate of change (in Hz/second) is maximum. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Doppler Tuning Convention Question (summary)
At 04:45 AM 6/2/2010, Alan P. Biddle wrote: John, I meant to mention a nice page discussing Doppler shift. It explains many of the questions/comments/rants brought up about Doppler shifts and corrections: http://www.qsl.net/vk3jed/doppler.html Please use the official version http://vkradio.com/doppler.html :) You'll find the speed better. :) It gives a few graphic illustrations of how Doppler shift varies depending on the pass, and why it can be radically different for different stations in the QSO. As you observed, Full Doppler Tuning, FDT, works for everybody, everytime. I will add that any can play. Anything else is just an approximation. We have 40 years of experience showing that approximation is usuable, but we have long been able to do better. I agree, Full Dopller Tuning is the best way to go, if you have the gear. I'm looking forward to giving it a go, when I get my satellite antennas up. The radio and CAT interface are in position. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Doppler Tuning Convention Question (summary)
At 05:53 AM 6/2/2010, Michael Tondee wrote: was fun. Not so if I came upon a station who was using manual tuning while I was trying to let my computer do the work. I had to chase him all over the passband and often lost stations completely that way. I didn't fare much better with manual tuning. I guess I never really learned it like some of the old hands have. I have had quite a bit of success with manual tuning on the SSB birds. It does require a lot of attention, especially on V/U and U/V. On mode A, it's fairly straightforward, though adjusting the uplink on a radio that doesn't allow tuning on transmit is tricky! One has to break their over into short segments of a few seconds long and make the uplink adjustment in steps. :) On V/U, I was using an FT-847 at a hamfest, which was easier, provided I focused on keeping up with the Doppler. :D When I can finally afford the V/U unit for my new Flex and get back on linear birds it would be my hope that everyone who was in a base station setup would be using full doppler control via computer. It baffles me why anyone wouldn't, it makes life so much easier. In my past, it was simply because I didn't have the right radio(s). Now I have an FT-736R, and the first accessory I bought for it was a CAT cable! :) I can even dedicate a computer to the job. I do understand why portable stations like Tim would not be using full doppler and I have no problem with that. I guess I just need to learn how to manually tune in that situation. Yep, it can be fiddly, but rewarding. 73, Michael W4HIJ On 6/1/2010 12:14 PM, John Belstner wrote: Thanks to everyone that responded. For those that have been on the list for years this thread may be a dull rerun, but as a newbie, the information is useful. From everyones responses, it appears that indeed there are currently two conventions: 1. Full Doppler CAT tuning 2. Manually tuning the higher frequency while keeping the lower fixed I know that operators have been successfully using convention #2 for years so this is my lack of sat operating experience talking here, but just looking at the math it seems that it would be difficult for two stations with different velocity vectors to the satellite to communicate without at least one of them adjusting both TX and RX. I need to try this for myself I guess. One thing I did notice is that when operating Full Doppler CAT tuning I was only able to successfully track other operators who were doing the same. Cheers, 73, John W9EN DM13le w...@amsat.org ___ ___ 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 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Doppler Tuning Convention Question (summary)
At 01:18 PM 6/2/2010, Greg D. wrote: One problem with the Yaesu 736R is that when the rig is under computer control you can't grab the tuning knob and hunt around the passband for someone to talk to. Tuning directed by computer is agonizingly slow and tedious, taking about a second per change, so that's out. And since the rig's frequency cannot be read by the computer, you can't hunt manually and then lock things in on the computer. (I suppose I could re-write my CAT client to allow me to visually read the frequency off the display and type it in, but that would be tedious too...) That does make things a pain. It's a pity that the radio can't talk back to the computer, which would have been a nice addition. go manual from there. If you run full manual often enough, it becomes second nature. I used to be able to find myself on RS-10 in just a few seconds, anywhere in the passband. But that was a REAL EasySat. Well, I had no problems flying the RS birds manually, and I have done the Fujis as well. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Doppler Tuning Convention Question
At 08:06 AM 6/1/2010, Alan P. Biddle wrote: My suggestion is to use full tuning until you find that the other operator isn't. Then adapt, usually by turning off the updating for the lower frequency. It isn't worth getting doctrinaire about it. However, by using the One True Rule as the default, you set a good example and encourage the movement of other operators in this direction. As you will find, it is truly painful to do it the manual way after getting used to automagic tuning. As we move above 70 cms, full tuning truly becomes necessary. I agree with this suggestion. I'm setting up for full Doppler tuning myself on 2m and 70cm. Got the radio (FT-736R) and the interface cables in, but have to install some antennas and the PC for Doppler control. Looking forward to giving the SSB birds a try without having to fiddle with the VFO all the time (I have worked the Fujis in the past with manual tuning, it can be a pain LOL). 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: Email etiquette - was Re: Re: Moon
At 04:50 AM 4/14/2010, Tom Azlin N4ZPT wrote: Guess times change. Top posting is the standard on some reflectors. Especially with folks reading using small screens. Doesn't bother me either way, provided people trim unnecessary quotes from their emails. I prefer things done in order, like this message, but as long as it's possible to follow the conversation, I'm fine with it. :) In order of increasing annoyance: Properly quoted messages with trimmed quotes. May be more than one part of quoted text with new comments following. - This is my preferred format. Top posting with quotes trimmed - Also a good option, and probably the easiest for users of Outlook to manage. No quoting at all - This can cause confusion, as there is no context. Top posting without trimming quotes - Now we're starting to waste bandwidth, especially on mobile devices. However, this format is a good one when forwarding emails, and is in common business usage, where it is often the most appropriate format, e.g. Can you please respond to this customer's query Bottom posting without trimming quotes - This is HIGHLY annoying, especially for mobile users. People reading the email have to scroll through pages of quotes, to see anything new. And it's several times as many screens on a mobile device to get through all that crud... Improperly quoted email - Emails where it is difficult to tell quoted material from new material (usually because of careless formatting) are particularly difficult to follow. Fully quoted email, no new content - Why repost an email without commenting on it? A total waste of bandwidth, and a waste of the reader's time. In all cases, quoting of mailing list footers is particularly annoying, as this adds no useful value. Think of your readers. Email rules are changing, IMHO, and compared to traditional Netiquette, you'll notice these tips are very open and flexible. :) We're certainly no longer reading email over a 300 baud modem, but our screen sizes may be _much_ larger (i.e. just about every desktop) or smaller (mobile devices) than the traditional 40x24 or 80x24 text only formats that were dominant back then. For some of us, mobile bandwidth does cost serious money. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: What is MISSING from Sat Sites?
At 06:17 AM 2/21/2010, George Henry wrote: Of course, any *complete* satellite-related website will have a link to the AO-27 Java schedule lister site Depends on the intended audience. AO-27 information is of no relevance down here. 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: acceptable use
At 02:17 AM 2/20/2010, Ben Jackson wrote: Going on two years old at this point, but (at least I feel) it's still relevant... The Courteous Ham's Guide to AO-51: http://www.innismir.net/article/26 And something nearer 10 years old http://vkradio.com/satiquette.html /shameless plug /another shamless plug ;) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
[amsat-bb] Re: ISS SSTV
At 06:44 AM 1/28/2010, you wrote: What do you hear when you listen to it? SSTV is easily recognisable by ar. Yes, it has been described as a demented monster canary, which is a rather accurate description of the SSTV sounds. ;) Best way to find out is install some SSTV software (MMSSTV is good and free), and transmit SSTV using your speakers. :) 73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com ___ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
