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CX2SA > SATDIG 28.12.15 21:44l 995 Lines 38852 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Sent: 151228/1941Z @:CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM #:36640 [Salto] FBB7.00e $:AMSATBB10401
From: CX2SA@CX2SA.SAL.URY.SOAM
To : SATDIG@WW
Today's Topics:
1. Transponder EO-79 Offline (pd3t@xxxxx.xxxx
2. NO-84 (Joe)
3. Re: EO-79 transponder activation (Rick Kowalewski)
4. Re: What on earth (or in space...) is going on? (Scott)
5. Re: What... in space... is going on? (Microwave Fun)
(Robert Bruninga)
6. Re: What on earth (or in space...) is going on? (David G0MRF)
7. Re: What on earth (or in space...) is going on? (Jerry Buxton)
8. Re: What on earth (or in space...) is going on? (Douglas Phelps)
9. Re: EO-79 transponder activation (Ted)
10. Re: EO-79 transponder activation (B J)
11. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-12-28 19:30 UTC
(AJ9N@xxx.xxxx
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 10:06:57 +0100
From: pd3t@xxxxx.xxx
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Transponder EO-79 Offline
Message-ID:
<zarafa.5680fbb1.3eee.42803aea6c52d89d@xxxxxx.xxxxxxxx.xxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
Hi,
?
Tried to reach the EO-79 Transponder but it seems to be in the off state.
Didn?t try listening for the beacon will do that on next pass.
?
Regards
?
Terence PD3T
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 08:58:24 -0600
From: Joe <nss@xxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] NO-84
Message-ID: <56814E10.8090206@xxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
I did a look through on You-Tube, and did not find any.
Does anyone have a nice video of people using NO-84?
I'd like to make up a club presentation.
Joe WB9SBD
--
Sig
The Original Rolling Ball Clock
Idle Tyme
Idle-Tyme.com
http://www.idle-tyme.com
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 22:56:27 +0800
From: Rick Kowalewski <rick@xxxxxx.xxx>
To: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] EO-79 transponder activation
Message-ID: <56814D9B.5070604@xxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
Hi All
EO-79 Pass over VK, 28 Dec 1428-1441UTC
Transponder was active. Good signals on the downlink.
Uplink offset:
Start of pass: +23.5khz
End of pass: +28.5kHz
73,
Rick VK6XLR
On 28/12/2015 17:09, Wouter Weggelaar wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Just as a reminder, we will start our second activation today, Monday 28th
> until Thursday 31st.
>
> The first activation has shown us that the uplink frequency seems to be off
> by +12kHz, so please adjust your uplink frequencies accordingly. We are
> also seeing that activating the transponder makes the satellite power
> negative, meaning the solar arrays can not generate enough power to keep
> the transponder running permanently. This is not unexpected as the
> satellite is operating in a different mode than originally anticipated
> during the design phase.
>
> We are discussing various ways to solve this, including multiple ways of
> scheduling the transponder operations. With these discussions ongoing we
> would still like to try the second activation and obtain some more data
> about the system. We will activate the transponder for as much time as the
> power budget allows, but please be aware that you may find the transponder
> to be off while the batteries recharge.
>
> TLEs:
>> AMSAT keps name: EO-79
>> Celestrak keps Name: QB50P1
>> Celestrak file: cubesat.txt
>> NORAD # 40025
>> COSPAR designator 2014-033-R
>>
>> Frequencies:
>>
> *Uplink:* 435.035-435.065 MHz LSB
>> * + 12KhzDownlink:* 145.935-145.965 MHz USB
>>
>> We kindly request you to share your experiences with the BB so everyone
>> can benefit from operating tips and tricks, as well as being up-to-date on
>> the status.
>> We would also welcome any observation related to the transponder behaviour
>> when the AX.25 beacon comes on.
>>
>> 73 and have FUN
>>
>> Wouter Weggelaar, PA3WEG
>> AMSAT-NL
>> AMSAT-UK
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 10:03:40 -0500
From: "Scott" <scott23192@xxxxx.xxx>
To: <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
Message-ID: <C91AF7931FFD4D03BA34AF27AC33C12A@xxxxxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I would certainly be interested in learning how to utilize the higher
frequencies without spending a fortune.
In that spirit, sure would appreciate it if the mentions of known-good
hardware from Amazon & eBay could include links to the particular items.
Thanks!
-Scott, K4KDR
Montpelier, VA USA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Seguin
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 05:58
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
Hi Tom,
I have a GPS locked 10 GHz beacon on Mt Mansfield here in Vermont and I
use the exact setup to monitor it.
I use an old DSS dish and a $7 LNB plus a FunCube. IF frequency is about
617 MHz for the 10,368.320 beacon.
I just looked on eBay and the LNB I use is there for $6.95 plus free
shipping.
Mike
On 12/28/2015 5:00 AM, Tom Clark wrote:
> A related thread has been running on QRZ.com where I just posted this
> comment:
>
>> To all those who have been bewailing the fact that the microwave
>> technology needed to use the P4B digital GEO satellite let me
>> offer a couplke of comments. I preface this by saying I am a part
>> of both the AMSAT and VT "factions:".
>>
>> All of you are making the mistake in believing that the 10 GHz
>> downlink will be complicated and expensive. Au contraire!
>>
>> How many of you have a 20 to 40 inch dish you use to watch TV?
>> Well, the downlink that DirectTV uses is well up in the microwave
>> spectrum in Ka band, at about 12 GHz. Many of the other TV
>> satellites operate at ~11 GHz. Hams in several parts of the world
>> have found that the feed used in these dishes (called an LNB)
>> consists of a good feed (designed to work with the small offset
>> dishes) coupled to a HEMT Low-Noise Amplifier (don't believe the
>> advertising -- the Noise figure is closer to 1 Db and not the 0.1
>> dB the vendors claim). The LNA feeds a crystal-controlled down
>> converter which, off the shelf, makes the IF come out around 700
>> Mhz. I can go on Amazon, Ebay or Alibaba today and purchase a dish
>> plus a full LNB plus some dish mounting hardware plus 100 ft of
>> low-loss (foam) 75 ohm coax and have it delivered to my house for
>> less than $100.
>>
>> The ~700 MHz IF can plug into a $200-300 RX SDR which converts the
>> ~10 MHz wide downlink into usable signal channels. Instead of
>> tuning an analog frequency dial, you will select an appropriate
>> channel to listen to your buddies. Or you can feed the SDR into
>> your local VHF/UHF LAN where you can user your existing HT. If you
>> are a skeptic about using the TVRO hardware in the amateur world,
>> I'll note that just such hardware has successfully copied the DL
>> 10GHz EME beacon in San Diego using a DVB Dongle+a laptop as the
>> receiver.
>>
>> What I described was the downlink side. The ~6 GHz uplink will
>> require the addition of a 1-5W PA, a small (probably array of
>> patches) with the TX side of an SDR and an upconverter from
>> whatever IF your SDR can generate to 6 GHz. The C-band TX should
>> cost under $500-$600 with the bulk of the cost in the SDR and TX PA.
>>
>> If you add up the RX and TX hardware, the tariff is less than the
>> price of an FT-1200 or KX-3, i.e. under $1000. We are working hard
>> to meet this goal since it meets FEMA requirements for portable
>> first responder "Go Boxes" to cover the need during major
>> disasters (Katrina, tsunamis, earthquakes) for reliable
>> communications in the first 24-96 hours. The ARRL and FEMA have an
>> agreement to have a hundred such "Go Boxes" (which also includes
>> suitable portable radios to augment whatever local resources exist).
>>
>> For those of you who want to use "conventional" modes our current
>> plans call for a ~100 kHz wide LINEAR C/X-band transponder. I note
>> (with pride) that I have figured out how we can have a LINEAR
>> transponder built on RX software running the "main" payload and
>> getting a LINEAR ANALOG output from a hard-limiting digital PA.
>> Using the linear transponder will require you to have a bit
>> antenna/TX power, but it will be there as a challenge!
>>
>> For all the nay-sayers please realize that AMSAT is trying to make
>> a miracle happen. We need financial, moral and technical support.
>> The "Space Biz" of today is radically different from what it was
>> when NASA and ESA were launching their own rockets and when AMSAT
>> was able to get sympathy for a bunch of "Space Cadets".
>>
>> 73 de Tom, K3IO (ex W3IWI)
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
> Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
> AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
--
73,
Mike, N1JEZ
"A closed mouth gathers no feet"
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 11:01:34 -0500
From: Robert Bruninga <bruninga@xxxx.xxx>
To: amsat bb <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What... in space... is going on? (Microwave
Fun)
Message-ID:
<CALdCfNKAHrfqh_Q=2_Ub7Jt1b92-AqA2rA=b6fKy=YoCUFhWyQ@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
And dont forget how you can take most old 10' dishs and disassemble it into
4 sections and make FOUR vrey high gain antennas. Just mount the feed to
fully illuminate your quarter section of the dish and you have adequate
gain in 1/4th teh space. Lots of fun with microwafves..
I thought I had photos, but cannot find them. I did find this old portable
briefcase 1m dish system I put together for AO40:
http://www.aprs.org/ao40ant.html
Bob, Wb4APR
On Mon, Dec 28, 2015 at 5:00 AM, Tom Clark <k3io@xxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
> A related thread has been running on QRZ.com where I just posted this
> comment:
>
> To all those who have been bewailing the fact that the microwave
>> technology needed to use the P4B digital GEO satellite let me
>> offer a couplke of comments. I preface this by saying I am a part
>> of both the AMSAT and VT "factions:".
>>
>> All of you are making the mistake in believing that the 10 GHz
>> downlink will be complicated and expensive. Au contraire!
>>
>> How many of you have a 20 to 40 inch dish you use to watch TV?
>> Well, the downlink that DirectTV uses is well up in the microwave
>> spectrum in Ka band, at about 12 GHz. Many of the other TV
>> satellites operate at ~11 GHz. Hams in several parts of the world
>> have found that the feed used in these dishes (called an LNB)
>> consists of a good feed (designed to work with the small offset
>> dishes) coupled to a HEMT Low-Noise Amplifier (don't believe the
>> advertising -- the Noise figure is closer to 1 Db and not the 0.1
>> dB the vendors claim). The LNA feeds a crystal-controlled down
>> converter which, off the shelf, makes the IF come out around 700
>> Mhz. I can go on Amazon, Ebay or Alibaba today and purchase a dish
>> plus a full LNB plus some dish mounting hardware plus 100 ft of
>> low-loss (foam) 75 ohm coax and have it delivered to my house for
>> less than $100.
>>
>> The ~700 MHz IF can plug into a $200-300 RX SDR which converts the
>> ~10 MHz wide downlink into usable signal channels. Instead of
>> tuning an analog frequency dial, you will select an appropriate
>> channel to listen to your buddies. Or you can feed the SDR into
>> your local VHF/UHF LAN where you can user your existing HT. If you
>> are a skeptic about using the TVRO hardware in the amateur world,
>> I'll note that just such hardware has successfully copied the DL
>> 10GHz EME beacon in San Diego using a DVB Dongle+a laptop as the
>> receiver.
>>
>> What I described was the downlink side. The ~6 GHz uplink will
>> require the addition of a 1-5W PA, a small (probably array of
>> patches) with the TX side of an SDR and an upconverter from
>> whatever IF your SDR can generate to 6 GHz. The C-band TX should
>> cost under $500-$600 with the bulk of the cost in the SDR and TX PA.
>>
>> If you add up the RX and TX hardware, the tariff is less than the
>> price of an FT-1200 or KX-3, i.e. under $1000. We are working hard
>> to meet this goal since it meets FEMA requirements for portable
>> first responder "Go Boxes" to cover the need during major
>> disasters (Katrina, tsunamis, earthquakes) for reliable
>> communications in the first 24-96 hours. The ARRL and FEMA have an
>> agreement to have a hundred such "Go Boxes" (which also includes
>> suitable portable radios to augment whatever local resources exist).
>>
>> For those of you who want to use "conventional" modes our current
>> plans call for a ~100 kHz wide LINEAR C/X-band transponder. I note
>> (with pride) that I have figured out how we can have a LINEAR
>> transponder built on RX software running the "main" payload and
>> getting a LINEAR ANALOG output from a hard-limiting digital PA.
>> Using the linear transponder will require you to have a bit
>> antenna/TX power, but it will be there as a challenge!
>>
>> For all the nay-sayers please realize that AMSAT is trying to make
>> a miracle happen. We need financial, moral and technical support.
>> The "Space Biz" of today is radically different from what it was
>> when NASA and ESA were launching their own rockets and when AMSAT
>> was able to get sympathy for a bunch of "Space Cadets".
>>
>> 73 de Tom, K3IO (ex W3IWI)
>>
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
> expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
> AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
>
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 11:27:59 -0500
From: David G0MRF <g0mrf@xxx.xxx>
To: scott23192@xxxxx.xxxx amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
Message-ID: <151e96af57d-454d-b694@xxxxxxxxxx.xxxx.xxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
If you can find a local source for the Optima OTLSO model, that works very
well.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Octagon-Optima-0-1dB-3D-HD-OTLSO-Twin-Slimline-PLL-L
NB-3-Year-Warranty-/181658063970?hash=item2a4baa1462:g:Ib8AAOSwPhdU0TQs
The really important choice is to make sure it uses PLL technology for the
9.5 GHz local oscillator
The older Dielectric resonant oscillators are too noisy for narrow band
modes like SSB
If you want to hear a 10GHz signal on one of these LNBs, then you can listen
to a local beacon just south of London via this SDR receiver.
http://websdr.suws.org.uk/
Even so, you need to let them warm up for a good 10 minutes to get the
temperature (and frequency) nice and stable.
73
David G0MRF
-----Original Message-----
From: Scott <scott23192@xxxxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Sent: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 15:03
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
I would certainly be interested in learning how to utilize the higher
frequencies without spending a fortune.
In that spirit, sure would appreciate it if the mentions of known-good
hardware from Amazon & eBay could include links to the particular items.
Thanks!
-Scott, K4KDR
Montpelier, VA USA
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
----- Original Message -----
From: Mike Seguin
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 05:58
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
Hi Tom,
I have a GPS locked 10 GHz beacon on Mt Mansfield here in Vermont and I
use the exact setup to monitor it.
I use an old DSS dish and a $7 LNB plus a FunCube. IF frequency is about
617 MHz for the 10,368.320 beacon.
I just looked on eBay and the LNB I use is there for $6.95 plus free
shipping.
Mike
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 11:12:00 -0600
From: Jerry Buxton <n0jy@xxxxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
Message-ID: <56816D60.3050104@xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
The use of, and reasoning for, the 5 and 10 GHz bands has been discussed
in the AMSAT Journal in my column this year. For those new members who
were not members before the Jul/Aug issue came out, I would be glad to
share a copy of the article. For those who are not members yet, please
consider that it is a benefit of membership to learn and understand what
AMSAT-NA is doing before the general public does - and even exclusively,
in many cases. There is much going on as you are beginning to see, and
you can help with it by becoming a member!
With that said, the short story here is that a very heavy factor for the
5 and 10 GHz is the volume limitation we have with a CubeSat, even a 6U.
You can't put an antenna for VHF or UHF that has enough gain for HEO/GTO
apogee on something about the size of two reams of paper stacked up and
have room for the solar panels that need the space outside the cube more
than anything else, much less fit it in a CubeSat deployer for launch.
Therefore, with the expectation that we will build and fly HEO CubeSats
in the near future it makes sense to use the same frequencies that we
will with those CubeSats on other platforms such as the P4B and possibly
P3E, so that the ground terminal we develop is something that works with
many opportunities and is not limited to just one satellite or series of
satellites.
Between the volume requirements and the availability of hardware on the
ground as well as for space (as Tom pointed out), and the bandwidth
available on the 5 and 10 GHz bands, that is what drove the decision to
use those bands.
Jerry Buxton, N?JY
On 12/28/2015 04:00, Tom Clark wrote:
> A related thread has been running on QRZ.com where I just posted this
> comment:
>
>> To all those who have been bewailing the fact that the microwave
>> technology needed to use the P4B digital GEO satellite let me
>> offer a couplke of comments. I preface this by saying I am a part
>> of both the AMSAT and VT "factions:".
>>
>> All of you are making the mistake in believing that the 10 GHz
>> downlink will be complicated and expensive. Au contraire!
>>
>> How many of you have a 20 to 40 inch dish you use to watch TV?
>> Well, the downlink that DirectTV uses is well up in the microwave
>> spectrum in Ka band, at about 12 GHz. Many of the other TV
>> satellites operate at ~11 GHz. Hams in several parts of the world
>> have found that the feed used in these dishes (called an LNB)
>> consists of a good feed (designed to work with the small offset
>> dishes) coupled to a HEMT Low-Noise Amplifier (don't believe the
>> advertising -- the Noise figure is closer to 1 Db and not the 0.1
>> dB the vendors claim). The LNA feeds a crystal-controlled down
>> converter which, off the shelf, makes the IF come out around 700
>> Mhz. I can go on Amazon, Ebay or Alibaba today and purchase a dish
>> plus a full LNB plus some dish mounting hardware plus 100 ft of
>> low-loss (foam) 75 ohm coax and have it delivered to my house for
>> less than $100.
>>
>> The ~700 MHz IF can plug into a $200-300 RX SDR which converts the
>> ~10 MHz wide downlink into usable signal channels. Instead of
>> tuning an analog frequency dial, you will select an appropriate
>> channel to listen to your buddies. Or you can feed the SDR into
>> your local VHF/UHF LAN where you can user your existing HT. If you
>> are a skeptic about using the TVRO hardware in the amateur world,
>> I'll note that just such hardware has successfully copied the DL
>> 10GHz EME beacon in San Diego using a DVB Dongle+a laptop as the
>> receiver.
>>
>> What I described was the downlink side. The ~6 GHz uplink will
>> require the addition of a 1-5W PA, a small (probably array of
>> patches) with the TX side of an SDR and an upconverter from
>> whatever IF your SDR can generate to 6 GHz. The C-band TX should
>> cost under $500-$600 with the bulk of the cost in the SDR and TX PA.
>>
>> If you add up the RX and TX hardware, the tariff is less than the
>> price of an FT-1200 or KX-3, i.e. under $1000. We are working hard
>> to meet this goal since it meets FEMA requirements for portable
>> first responder "Go Boxes" to cover the need during major
>> disasters (Katrina, tsunamis, earthquakes) for reliable
>> communications in the first 24-96 hours. The ARRL and FEMA have an
>> agreement to have a hundred such "Go Boxes" (which also includes
>> suitable portable radios to augment whatever local resources exist).
>>
>> For those of you who want to use "conventional" modes our current
>> plans call for a ~100 kHz wide LINEAR C/X-band transponder. I note
>> (with pride) that I have figured out how we can have a LINEAR
>> transponder built on RX software running the "main" payload and
>> getting a LINEAR ANALOG output from a hard-limiting digital PA.
>> Using the linear transponder will require you to have a bit
>> antenna/TX power, but it will be there as a challenge!
>>
>> For all the nay-sayers please realize that AMSAT is trying to make
>> a miracle happen. We need financial, moral and technical support.
>> The "Space Biz" of today is radically different from what it was
>> when NASA and ESA were launching their own rockets and when AMSAT
>> was able to get sympathy for a bunch of "Space Cadets".
>>
>> 73 de Tom, K3IO (ex W3IWI)
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
> Opinions expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views
> of AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
> program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
>
>
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 18:35:02 +0000 (UTC)
From: Douglas Phelps <dphelps1@xxxxxxxxx.xxx>
To: "k3io@xxxxxxx.xxxx <k3io@xxxxxxx.xxx>, "amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxxx
<amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
Message-ID:
<862297150.3403427.1451327702754.JavaMail.yahoo@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Tom,
I was at the 2015 symposium but what you have posted adds more detail as to
the progress of the design. ?I think periodic posting on this BB would be
nice for those of us that are interested in how things are developing.
I have?also?been puzzled by the hams that won't support AMSAT because we are
not doing HEO and when we do what they ask for complain about the technology
required. ?I wonder if all of the hams that cancelled their memberships
because AMSAT was not doing HEO have now renewed their memberships.
AMSAT is trying to pull off a miracle in about a year. ?If succesfull, this
will again put amateur radio sattelite operation at the bleeding edge of
amateur built technology. ?
Thank you for the update. ?Looking forward to more. (I understand their are
restrictions with regard to the satellites but I belive their are no
restrictions with regard to the ground stations).
From: Tom Clark <k3io@xxxxxxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 4:00 AM
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] What on earth (or in space...) is going on?
A related thread has been running on QRZ.com where I just posted this
comment:
>? ? To all those who have been bewailing the fact that the microwave
>? ? technology needed to use the P4B digital GEO satellite let me
>? ? offer a couplke of comments. I preface this by saying I am a part
>? ? of both the AMSAT and VT "factions:".
>
>? ? All of you are making the mistake in believing that the 10 GHz
>? ? downlink will be complicated and expensive. Au contraire!
>
>? ? How many of you have a 20 to 40 inch dish you use to watch TV?
>? ? Well, the downlink that DirectTV uses is well up in the microwave
>? ? spectrum in Ka band, at about 12 GHz. Many of the other TV
>? ? satellites operate at ~11 GHz. Hams in several parts of the world
>? ? have found that the feed used in these dishes (called an LNB)
>? ? consists of a good feed (designed to work with the small offset
>? ? dishes) coupled to a HEMT Low-Noise Amplifier (don't believe the
>? ? advertising -- the Noise figure is closer to 1 Db and not the 0.1
>? ? dB the vendors claim). The LNA feeds a crystal-controlled down
>? ? converter which, off the shelf, makes the IF come out around 700
>? ? Mhz. I can go on Amazon, Ebay or Alibaba today and purchase a dish
>? ? plus a full LNB plus some dish mounting hardware plus 100 ft of
>? ? low-loss (foam) 75 ohm coax and have it delivered to my house for
>? ? less than $100.
>
>? ? The ~700 MHz IF can plug into a $200-300 RX SDR which converts the
>? ? ~10 MHz wide downlink into usable signal channels. Instead of
>? ? tuning an analog frequency dial, you will select an appropriate
>? ? channel to listen to your buddies. Or you can feed the SDR into
>? ? your local VHF/UHF LAN where you can user your existing HT. If you
>? ? are a skeptic about using the TVRO hardware in the amateur world,
>? ? I'll note that just such hardware has successfully copied the DL
>? ? 10GHz EME beacon in San Diego using a DVB Dongle+a laptop as the
>? ? receiver.
>
>? ? What I described was the downlink side. The ~6 GHz uplink will
>? ? require the addition of a 1-5W PA, a small (probably array of
>? ? patches) with the TX side of an SDR and an upconverter from
>? ? whatever IF your SDR can generate to 6 GHz. The C-band TX should
>? ? cost under $500-$600 with the bulk of the cost in the SDR and TX PA.
>
>? ? If you add up the RX and TX hardware, the tariff is less than the
>? ? price of an FT-1200 or KX-3, i.e. under $1000. We are working hard
>? ? to meet this goal since it meets FEMA requirements for portable
>? ? first responder "Go Boxes" to cover the need during major
>? ? disasters (Katrina, tsunamis, earthquakes) for reliable
>? ? communications in the first 24-96 hours. The ARRL and FEMA have an
>? ? agreement to have a hundred such "Go Boxes" (which also includes
>? ? suitable portable radios to augment whatever local resources exist).
>
>? ? For those of you who want to use "conventional" modes our current
>? ? plans call for a ~100 kHz wide LINEAR C/X-band transponder. I note
>? ? (with pride) that I have figured out how we can have a LINEAR
>? ? transponder built on RX software running the "main" payload and
>? ? getting a LINEAR ANALOG output from a hard-limiting digital PA.
>? ? Using the linear transponder will require you to have a bit
>? ? antenna/TX power, but it will be there as a challenge!
>
>? ? For all the nay-sayers please realize that AMSAT is trying to make
>? ? a miracle happen. We need financial, moral and technical support.
>? ? The "Space Biz" of today is radically different from what it was
>? ? when NASA and ESA were launching their own rockets and when AMSAT
>? ? was able to get sympathy for a bunch of "Space Cadets".
>
>? ? 73 de Tom, K3IO (ex W3IWI)
>
>
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 10:45:03 -0800
From: "Ted" <k7trkradio@xxxxxxx.xxx>
To: "'Wouter Weggelaar'" <wouterweg@xxxxx.xxx>, "'AMSAT-BB'"
<amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] EO-79 transponder activation
Message-ID: <000101d1419f$dd553750$97ffa5f0$@xxxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi Wouter,
Nothing heard on 18:35 pass right over CN82 and about half the US (did not
listen for beacon)
73, Ted
K7TRK
-----Original Message-----
From: AMSAT-BB [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@xxxxx.xxxx On Behalf Of Wouter
Weggelaar
Sent: Monday, December 28, 2015 1:09 AM
To: AMSAT-BB
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] EO-79 transponder activation
Hi All,
Just as a reminder, we will start our second activation today, Monday 28th
until Thursday 31st.
The first activation has shown us that the uplink frequency seems to be off
by +12kHz, so please adjust your uplink frequencies accordingly. We are
also seeing that activating the transponder makes the satellite power
negative, meaning the solar arrays can not generate enough power to keep
the transponder running permanently. This is not unexpected as the
satellite is operating in a different mode than originally anticipated
during the design phase.
We are discussing various ways to solve this, including multiple ways of
scheduling the transponder operations. With these discussions ongoing we
would still like to try the second activation and obtain some more data
about the system. We will activate the transponder for as much time as the
power budget allows, but please be aware that you may find the transponder
to be off while the batteries recharge.
TLEs:
> AMSAT keps name: EO-79
> Celestrak keps Name: QB50P1
> Celestrak file: cubesat.txt
> NORAD # 40025
> COSPAR designator 2014-033-R
>
> Frequencies:
>
*Uplink:* 435.035-435.065 MHz LSB
> * + 12KhzDownlink:* 145.935-145.965 MHz USB
>
> We kindly request you to share your experiences with the BB so everyone
> can benefit from operating tips and tricks, as well as being up-to-date on
> the status.
> We would also welcome any observation related to the transponder behaviour
> when the AX.25 beacon comes on.
>
> 73 and have FUN
>
> Wouter Weggelaar, PA3WEG
> AMSAT-NL
> AMSAT-UK
>
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
------------------------------
Message: 10
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 18:52:09 +0000
From: B J <va6bmj@xxxxx.xxx>
To: Ted <k7trkradio@xxxxxxx.xxx>
Cc: AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>, Wouter Weggelaar
<wouterweg@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] EO-79 transponder activation
Message-ID:
<CAP7QzkPuenKoFU9FHnFOAFU3gJBt6G6iMmhpCwhQbsvNxB1Q8A@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
On 12/28/15, Ted <k7trkradio@xxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
> Hi Wouter,
>
> Nothing heard on 18:35 pass right over CN82 and about half the US (did not
> listen for beacon)
>
<snip>
Is the beacon active? I was listening for it around 145.815 near
mid-pass and I didn't hear anything.
73s
Bernhard VA6BMJ @ DO33FL
------------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:39:21 -0500
From: AJ9N@xxx.xxx
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-12-28
19:30 UTC
Message-ID: <7e37cd.3f0652d3.43b2e9e9@xxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1"
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2015-12-28 19:30 UTC
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
Frederick W. Harnett Middle School, Blackstone, Massachusetts, telebridge
via K6DUE (***)
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS (***)
The scheduled astronaut is Timothy Peake KG5BVI (***)
Contact is a go for: Tue 2016-01-05 17:42:06 UTC 81 deg (***)
Exp. 44 now back on earth (***)
Oleg Kononenko RN3DX
Kimiya Yui KG5BPH
Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS
Congratulations to all 3! Job well done!
Exp. 46 on orbit (***)
Tim Kopra KE5UDN
Timothy Peake KG5BVI
Yuri Malenchenko RK3DUP
Welcome aboard!
****************************************************************************
**
>From 2015-12-20 to 2016-01-04, there will be no US Operational Segment
(USOS)
hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be
conducted by the ARISS Russia team.
****************************************************************************
ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts.
ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send
your reports to aj9n@xxxxx.xxx or aj9n@xxx.xxx.
****************************************************************************
Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and
not being able to get in. That has now been changed to
http://www.ariss.org/
Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site.
****************************************************************************
Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS?
If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete
details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video.
http://www.ariss-eu.org/
If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to
provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke@xxxxxxxxx.xxx
****************************************************************************
ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100
schools:
Gaston ON4WF with 121
Francesco IK?WGF with 115
Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 114
****************************************************************************
The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date
webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are
additional
ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know.
Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own
orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed
time.
All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8061 date
and
time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2015-12-12 03:00 UTC.
(***)
Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and
questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and
instructions for any contact that may be streamed live.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf
Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1015.
Each school counts as 1 event.
Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 980.
Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot.
Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 46.
A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the
file.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf
Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact:
Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont,
Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin
Islands.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
QSL information may be found at:
http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html
ISS callsigns: DP?ISS, IR?ISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RS?ISS
****************************************************************************
The successful school list has been updated as of 2015-12-09 07:30 UTC.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf
Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing
Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction
.rtf
Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf
Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts
https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415
****************************************************************************
Exp. 43/44 on orbit
Scott Kelly
Mikhail Kornienko RN3BF
Exp. 44 now back on earth (***)
Oleg Kononenko RN3DX
Kimiya Yui KG5BPH
Kjell Lindgren KO5MOS
Exp. 45 on orbit
Sergey Volkov RU3DIS
Exp. 46 on orbit (***)
Tim Kopra KE5UDN
Timothy Peake KG5BVI
Yuri Malenchenko RK3DUP
****************************************************************************
73,
Charlie Sufana AJ9N
One of the ARISS operation team mentors
------------------------------
Subject: Digest Footer
_______________________________________________
Sent via amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx.
AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide
without requiring membership. Opinions expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
------------------------------
End of AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 10, Issue 401
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