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CX2SA > SATDIG 10.04.16 13:25l 977 Lines 39028 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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To : SATDIG@WW
Today's Topics:
1. Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats (Jim Barbre)
2. HEO/GEO analog beacon (Jim Barbre)
3. Re: Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats (John Toscano)
4. Re: Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats (Jim Barbre)
5. ANS-101 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins (Lee McLamb)
6. Icom IC-W32 Power Supply Assistance (Kevin M)
7. FS: LL Grace - Kansas City Tracker/Tuner Satellite Antenna
Controller (Joe Leikhim)
8. Yesterday HamTv from ISS (Fer)
9. JAISAT-1 linear transponder CubeSat + D-STAR Satellite launch
(M5AKA)
10. Re: Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats (Mike Seguin)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 10:42:59 -0700
From: Jim Barbre <jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
To: AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats
Message-ID: <57093F23.8000501@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Hi all,
Given that people are currently working on groundstations for the
upcoming HEO/GEO sats, I am in hopes that at least some of the following
questions can be answered.
What kind of power will be required on the 5GHz uplink?
Does anyone currently make a linear amp or upconverter that can be
mounted at the antenna for the 5GHz uplink?
Will I be able to use a helix antenna on the uplink or will I be limited
to using a dish?
Same question with regards to antenna usage for 10GHz downlink.
What size dish?
With AO-10 and AO-13 I could point my antennas at the satellite and not
have to move them for an hour or longer. These new sats will be using
microwave frequencies. What kind of realistic expectation do I have of
being able to point a dish at the satellite before having to tweak it?
Otherwise said, will a rotator be absolutely necessary?
Thanks for the info. Looking forward to working the next generation of
HEO/GEO sats.
73
Jim Barbre
KB7YSY
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 11:23:23 -0700
From: Jim Barbre <jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
To: AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] HEO/GEO analog beacon
Message-ID: <5709489B.6040400@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Will there be an analog beacon on the upcoming HEO/GEO sats to help with
tracking? Will a meter, like the one currently used to position FTA Ku
band dishes, work?
Thanks.
73
Jim Barbre
KB7YSY
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 17:34:10 -0500
From: John Toscano <tosca005@xxx.xxx>
To: Jim Barbre <jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
Cc: AMSAT BB <AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats
Message-ID:
<CABGf72pWfVyT7_=o1e+2o2mwyXWthb=0tcBpydnSV+UCeHxPrg@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Estimates suggest aiming for 8 watts of RF and a re-purposed
3-foot-diameter satellite TV dish to be able to get into the bird. It would
be nice if only 3 - 4 watts were enough to do the job, because there are
inexpensive 3 - 4 watt linear amplifiers designed for First Person Video on
radio-controlled "drone" aircraft like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262249565979?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=S
TRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
So, time will tell. It is possible that with a slower digital transmission
rate the bird might hear well enough for the lesser power. I expect I will
try one of these low-power amps, and might even consider driving a pair of
them into an appropriate combiner to get twice the power if one by itself
does not make the grade. They are small and light, but would require
protection from weather. On the other hand, I should have 10 watts
available if I need it, once I perform these modification on a much bigger
and heavier surplus power amplifier:
http://www.g4fre.com/avantekpa.htm
(In fact, I have two of these beasts awaiting modification. I think they
are much too large and heavy for my tripod-mounted rover station, but one
of them might be doable on a fixed station.)
It would be hard to equal the gain of a dish by using a helix. Once upon a
time, I thought that the helix was the greatest antenna in existence, just
make it longer and longer to get outrageous amounts of gain. But the more I
investigated the less excited I got about building a humongous helix
antenna. (In fact, at one point, I was dreaming about a 2x2 quad array of
helices of great length, but I never actually attempted to build one.) On
the other hand, I have been amazed by the ability of a scrap-heap satellite
TV dish (less than 3 feet in diameter) and a couple of watts of power to
make terrestrial 10 GHz SSB QSO's over distances of well over 100 Km, at
least when I stopped using a dish that was bent like a Pringles Potato
Chip, causing it to lose 10-20 db of its gain! I expect even greater things
when an un-damaged dish is pointed up into the sky, away from trees and
hills!
For the 10 GHz downlink, a possible low-cost scenario might work out to be
a direct-to-home satellite TV dish of approximately one meter in diameter,
and a PLL-based LNBF, which would mix the 10.5 GHz satellite signal down to
the 600 MHz or so range, and the receiving that with some sort of SDR,
possibly even a RTL-SDR USB dongle, though perhaps a better SDR might be
required. The downlink is going to be DVB-S2x which is NOT the native
format of the inexpensive USB dongles. DVB-S2x requires a bit of
computation ability on the computer controlling the SDR, especially if the
VLSNR (Very Low Signal to Noise Ratio) extensions are needed. It is also
possible that we can find (and suitably modify) an inexpensive
direct-to-home satellite TV receiver. AMSAT also expects to have a familiar
USA company building complete ground station transceivers, but those will
likely command a bit of a (well-deserved) premium price. We are actively
pursuing a lot of different choices, so stay tuned!
>From what I have heard, the bird will be in a geosynchronous orbit, NOT a
geostationary orbit, so periodic dish re-positioning of some sort will be
necessary. Since the primary payload onto which we get to piggyback is
owned by a government agency that likes to keep secrets, an exact proposed
orbit is not widely discussed, if at all. So it is hard (for me, at least)
to give more specifics at this time. You won't need the
horizon-to-zenith-to-horizon pointing ability needed to chase a satellite
in Low Earth Orbit, but some positioning in both azimuth and elevation will
be needed. High precision will be more valuable than a wide range of
pointing directions. In other words, being able to tweak the position by a
degree at a time to fine-tune the pointing would be more helpful than being
able to move the dish by 30 or 40 degrees. I wish I could be more specific,
but I can't at this time. On the other hand, one of the other projects in
the works is the NASA-sponsored CubeQuest Challenge, and for that bird you
would need to be able to point at any part of the sky where you observe the
moon, since the package is going to be headed for lunar orbit! We are
trying to make these two birds compatible with the same ground station
equipment.
Sorry for the vagueness, but I hope it helps a little bit.
73 de W0JT/5, EL09vu
On Sat, Apr 9, 2016 at 12:42 PM, Jim Barbre <jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Given that people are currently working on groundstations for the
> upcoming HEO/GEO sats, I am in hopes that at least some of the following
> questions can be answered.
>
> What kind of power will be required on the 5GHz uplink?
>
> Does anyone currently make a linear amp or upconverter that can be mounted
> at the antenna for the 5GHz uplink?
>
> Will I be able to use a helix antenna on the uplink or will I be limited
> to using a dish?
>
> Same question with regards to antenna usage for 10GHz downlink.
>
> What size dish?
>
> With AO-10 and AO-13 I could point my antennas at the satellite and not
> have to move them for an hour or longer. These new sats will be using
> microwave frequencies. What kind of realistic expectation do I have of
> being able to point a dish at the satellite before having to tweak it?
> Otherwise said, will a rotator be absolutely necessary?
>
> Thanks for the info. Looking forward to working the next generation of
> HEO/GEO sats.
>
> 73
> Jim Barbre
> KB7YSY
> _______________________________________________
> 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: 4
Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 15:54:38 -0700
From: Jim Barbre <jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
To: John Toscano <tosca005@xxx.xxx>
Cc: AMSAT BB <AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats
Message-ID: <5709882E.8000006@xxxxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
Thanks John for your responses. How much power is needed to drive the
"drone" linears? Will a HackRF provide enough power to run one?
Anyone working on a mount/rotator specifically designed for these
satellites?
73
Jim
KB7YSY
On 4/9/2016 3:34 PM, John Toscano wrote:
> Estimates suggest aiming for 8 watts of RF and a re-purposed
> 3-foot-diameter satellite TV dish to be able to get into the bird. It
> would be nice if only 3 - 4 watts were enough to do the job, because
> there are inexpensive 3 - 4 watt linear amplifiers designed for First
> Person Video on radio-controlled "drone" aircraft like this:
>
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262249565979?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=S
TRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
>
> So, time will tell. It is possible that with a slower digital
> transmission rate the bird might hear well enough for the lesser
> power. I expect I will try one of these low-power amps, and might
> even consider driving a pair of them into an appropriate combiner to
> get twice the power if one by itself does not make the grade. They are
> small and light, but would require protection from weather. On the
> other hand, I should have 10 watts available if I need it, once I
> perform these modification on a much bigger and heavier surplus power
> amplifier:
> http://www.g4fre.com/avantekpa.htm
> (In fact, I have two of these beasts awaiting modification. I think
> they are much too large and heavy for my tripod-mounted rover station,
> but one of them might be doable on a fixed station.)
>
> It would be hard to equal the gain of a dish by using a helix. Once
> upon a time, I thought that the helix was the greatest antenna in
> existence, just make it longer and longer to get outrageous amounts of
> gain. But the more I investigated the less excited I got about
> building a humongous helix antenna. (In fact, at one point, I was
> dreaming about a 2x2 quad array of helices of great length, but I
> never actually attempted to build one.) On the other hand, I have been
> amazed by the ability of a scrap-heap satellite TV dish (less than 3
> feet in diameter) and a couple of watts of power to make terrestrial
> 10 GHz SSB QSO's over distances of well over 100 Km, at least when I
> stopped using a dish that was bent like a Pringles Potato Chip,
> causing it to lose 10-20 db of its gain! I expect even greater things
> when an un-damaged dish is pointed up into the sky, away from trees
> and hills!
>
> For the 10 GHz downlink, a possible low-cost scenario might work out
> to be a direct-to-home satellite TV dish of approximately one meter in
> diameter, and a PLL-based LNBF, which would mix the 10.5 GHz satellite
> signal down to the 600 MHz or so range, and the receiving that with
> some sort of SDR, possibly even a RTL-SDR USB dongle, though perhaps a
> better SDR might be required. The downlink is going to be DVB-S2x
> which is NOT the native format of the inexpensive USB dongles. DVB-S2x
> requires a bit of computation ability on the computer controlling the
> SDR, especially if the VLSNR (Very Low Signal to Noise Ratio)
> extensions are needed. It is also possible that we can find (and
> suitably modify) an inexpensive direct-to-home satellite TV receiver.
> AMSAT also expects to have a familiar USA company building complete
> ground station transceivers, but those will likely command a bit of a
> (well-deserved) premium price. We are actively pursuing a lot of
> different choices, so stay tuned!
>
> From what I have heard, the bird will be in a geosynchronous orbit,
> NOT a geostationary orbit, so periodic dish re-positioning of some
> sort will be necessary. Since the primary payload onto which we get to
> piggyback is owned by a government agency that likes to keep secrets,
> an exact proposed orbit is not widely discussed, if at all. So it is
> hard (for me, at least) to give more specifics at this time. You won't
> need the horizon-to-zenith-to-horizon pointing ability needed to chase
> a satellite in Low Earth Orbit, but some positioning in both azimuth
> and elevation will be needed. High precision will be more valuable
> than a wide range of pointing directions. In other words, being able
> to tweak the position by a degree at a time to fine-tune the pointing
> would be more helpful than being able to move the dish by 30 or 40
> degrees. I wish I could be more specific, but I can't at this time. On
> the other hand, one of the other projects in the works is the
> NASA-sponsored CubeQuest Challenge, and for that bird you would need
> to be able to point at any part of the sky where you observe the moon,
> since the package is going to be headed for lunar orbit! We are trying
> to make these two birds compatible with the same ground station equipment.
>
> Sorry for the vagueness, but I hope it helps a little bit.
> 73 de W0JT/5, EL09vu
>
> On Sat, Apr 9, 2016 at 12:42 PM, Jim Barbre <jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx
> <mailto:jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx>> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> Given that people are currently working on groundstations for
> the upcoming HEO/GEO sats, I am in hopes that at least some of the
> following questions can be answered.
>
> What kind of power will be required on the 5GHz uplink?
>
> Does anyone currently make a linear amp or upconverter that can be
> mounted at the antenna for the 5GHz uplink?
>
> Will I be able to use a helix antenna on the uplink or will I be
> limited to using a dish?
>
> Same question with regards to antenna usage for 10GHz downlink.
>
> What size dish?
>
> With AO-10 and AO-13 I could point my antennas at the satellite
> and not have to move them for an hour or longer. These new sats
> will be using microwave frequencies. What kind of realistic
> expectation do I have of being able to point a dish at the
> satellite before having to tweak it? Otherwise said, will a
> rotator be absolutely necessary?
>
> Thanks for the info. Looking forward to working the next
> generation of HEO/GEO sats.
>
> 73
> Jim Barbre
> KB7YSY
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx <mailto: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: Sat, 9 Apr 2016 21:49:29 -0400
From: Lee McLamb <ku4os@xxx.xx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] ANS-101 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
Message-ID: <5709B129.3060601@xxx.xx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-101
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space
including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur
Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building,
launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio
satellites.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur
Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor at amsat.org.
In this edition:
* ARISS commemorative event (April 11-14)
* AMSAT KEPs Redistribution Approved for 2016-2017
* IN81 and IN82 Grid Activation via FM Sats 22 and 24 April
* Upcoming Satellite DX
* ARISS Contacts and Events
* Geostationary / Geosynchronous Amateur Satellite Transponders
* AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.01
ANS-101 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 080.01
From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD.
April 10, 2016
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.01
ARISS commemorative event (April 11-14)
Looks like all the pieces are starting to fall into place for the long
awaited SSTV event. The schedule is shaping up to look like this:
* Setup and activation on April 11 about 18:25 UTC.
* Paused April 12 from 12:15 until 14:15 UTC to allow for a school
contact with Romania.
* Paused April 13 from 12:45 until 14:30 UTC to allow for a school
contact with Argentina.
* Deactivation on April 14 at 11:35 UTC.
This opportunity should cover most of the world during the operational
period.The image transmissions should be on 145.800 MHz and the mode
is planned to be PD180.
In addition, MAI-75 will be conducting two sessions afterwards. The
first one is April 14 from 14:45 until 18:00 UTC. The second session
is on April 15 from 14:10 until 19:00 UTC. These times do not cross N.
America but will provide opportunities for Europe, Southeast Asia,
Australia and S. America.
As always, all operations aboard the ISS are subject to change and
everyone interested in this activity should be vigilant and patient."
John KG4AKV has an "ISS SSTV Reception Hints" webpage which may help:
https://spacecomms.wordpress.com/iss-sstv-reception-hints/
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT KEPs Redistribution Approved for 2016-2017
AMSAT's request to re-distribute US Air Force Space Command Keplerian
elements
from SpaceTrack has been approved for the period April 1, 2016 to April
1, 2017.
Our USSTRATCOM ODR (Orbital Data Request) to distribute the KEPs was
approved on
March 17, 2016.
Thanks to AFSPC, Perry Klein, W3PK and Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P for their help
in this process.
We are "good to go" for another year.
[ANSS thanks Ray, WA5QGD, for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
IN81 and IN82 Grid Activation via FM Sats 22 and 24 April
Felix, EA4GQS reports that he plans to activate grids IN81 and IN82 as
EA4GQS/P via the FM satellites. He will be be traveling to these grids
during April 22-24. He said he will post his available passes on the
Satellite and Space Communications forum at QRZ.com. He will confirm via
LoTW.
[ANS thanks Felix, EA4GQS for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Satellite DX
4A. MEXICO (Bird Op, Special Event). Operators Ismael/XE1AY and David/XE3DX
will be active using the special event callsign 4A1DX between now and June
14th. Activity is to celebrate 11th anniversary of the Grupo DXXE, Mexico's
top contest and DX radio club. Operations will be on the satellite, FM only
(**SO-50, AO-85 y Lilacsat-2). The QSL Manager is Dick, N7RO, direct or by
the Bureau (Make sure your Bureau QSL card is clearly marked via N7RO).
Don't send your QSL cards to the Mexican Bureau; they will not be answered
because they have no QSLs. They will be uploading the log to LoTW and
ClubLog at the end of their operation (June 2016). QSOs with this station
are also good for the DXXE Award. ADDED NOTE: The special event callsign
4A1DX is also active on all HF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY, PSK31, JT65 and
EME. QSL Manager is also N7RO. See QRZ.com under 4A1DX for more details
VP5, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS. John, NW4JG, informs OPDX that he is a
resident of the Turks and Caicos Island of Providenciales (NA-002) and
has just received the callsign VP5VJG (about a week ago). He mentions,
"It is very difficult to get a VP5 callsign. About 5 years working with
a tourist temporary permit on island." His also states [edited], "I
operate with an Icom 7200 with PW-1 amp. Antennas are Force 12 (40-10m),
M2 (6 meters), and a Alpha Delta dipole (160-10 meters). We live on a
hill and the antennas are about 150' above the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
I also work all Digital modes. Have finally received on the island all
the gear for satellite and EME with Yaesu FT736R, 5500 antenna control...
etc." IMPORTANT QSL INFO: John, informs OPDX to QSL via John, Graves,
3075 Ohio Street, Miami, FL 33133, when on island. There is no mail from
the island. Also, during the summer he will be in a condo in Montreal:
QSL via John Graves, 1605 Rue Docteur-Penfield #601, Montreal,QC, Canada
H3H 1B2.
[ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1258 for the above information]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS Contacts and Events
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
Kiilinik High School, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada, telebridge via VK4KHZ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ
Contact was successful: Wed 2016-04-06 18:02:20 UTC 55 deg
H.A.L. School, Lucknow, India, telebridge via W6SRJ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ
TBD UTC (***)
Valahia University of Targoviste, Targoviste, Romania, direct via
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ
Contact is a go for: Tue 2016-04-12 13:48:06 UTC 79 deg
Colegio Santa Rosa, Yerba Buena, Argentina, direct via LU1KCQ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ
Contact is a go for: Wed 2016-04-13 14:02:54 UTC 34 deg
USA Science and Engineering Festival, Washington, D.C., telebridge via
IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled astronaut is Timothy Peake KG5BVI
Contact is a go for: Sat 2016-04-16 18:19:28 UTC 78 deg
*******************************************************
The next window to submit a proposal for an upcoming contact is now open.
The window is open from 2016-02-15 to 2016-04-15 and would be for contacts
between 2017-01-01 and 2017-06-30.
Check out the ARISS website http://www.ariss.org/ or the ARRL website
http://www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact for full details.
[ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N, for the above information]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Geostationary / Geosynchronous Amateur Satellite Transponders
EngineerIT magazine reports on the quest by radio amateurs to get
transponders
on geostationary satellites.
The article quotes President of AMSAT DL, Peter G?lzow DB2OS, and
describes the
transponders planned for the geostationary Es?Hail-2 satellite, expected
to be
operational in 2017 at 26 degrees East.
Also mentioned is a project to build a transponder for a US satellite which
could be in a geosynchronous orbit around 74 degrees West.
Read the EngineerIT article at
http://www.ee.co.za/article/radio-amateurs-quest-geostationary-satellites.html
Es?Hail-2 http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/geosynchronous/eshail-2/
AMSAT Phase 4 Update for Palomar Amateur Radio Club November 4, 2015
http://www.ntms.org/files/Feb2016/PARC_4on4.pdf
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites
The AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites has become internationally
recognized as the premier conference on small satellites. The annual
gathering provides a forum for the best minds in the small satellite
community to review recent successes, explore new directions, and introduce
emerging technologies in small spacecraft development. In addition to
creating an excellent environment for networking and talking with experts in
military, science, and academic fields, the Conference offers a program of
international relevance, focusing on the key challenges and opportunities
facing the small satellite community today.
Proceedings from 1987 to 2015 are available online and can be accessed at:
http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/smallsat/
[ANS thanks AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites amd Utah State
University for the above information]
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining
donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.
Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
In memory of my Mom. Her tireless efforts to help my independent study
of math and electronics in high school set me on the path to broadcast
engineering, Amateur Satellites, and eventually working as the Eastern
Range's
Superintendent of Range Operations. Thank's Mom.
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 02:51:04 +0000 (UTC)
From: Kevin M <n4ufo@xxxxx.xxx>
To: "amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxxx <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Icom IC-W32 Power Supply Assistance
Message-ID:
<230507419.100743.1460256664918.JavaMail.yahoo@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Hello Oliver,
Icom HTs are center positive... I have a W32A and the official Icom wall
charger (BC-110A) that came with it is 12 VDC 200 mA output and the plug
appears to be 3.3 or 3.4mm OD with a 1.0 mm pin, but verify that. (Most Icom
HTs use the same size plug, I believe.) There are simple DC cables,
regulated DC cables and noise filtered DC cables. I also have a cig ltr plug
that runs to an 'empty' battery pack that connects to the HT.
I have more battery/power solutions than I need for mine... (Li-Ion &
charger, two AA dry cell packs and 10 NiMH AAs with charger) If you want to
contact me off list, I can give you details on what I have and discuss a
trade or something. =^)
73, Kevin N4UFO
I just received a well loved ic-w32 from ebay. I need to get a new battery
and a charger for it though. Both are expected.
Before I do, though I'd like to make sure it _actually_ works. I have a
variable DC power supply I was thinking of either bypassing the battery
with or powering via the external dc jack. I don't know what the contact
middle contact does though, so I'm hesitant to try that idea. Need to keep
the magic smoke in ...
Does anyone have experience doing this? Maybe information on the DC jack
polarity? The service manual I found online doesn't mention much about
powering it up.
Any others tips or pointers on the w32a I should know?
Thanks for your time.
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 01:06:24 -0400
From: Joe Leikhim <rhyolite@xxxxxxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: [amsat-bb] FS: LL Grace - Kansas City Tracker/Tuner Satellite
Antenna Controller
Message-ID: <5709DF50.3050107@xxxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
More spring cleaning!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/162033584998?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m
1555.l2649
--
Joe Leikhim
Leikhim and Associates
Communications Consultants
Oviedo, Florida
JLeikhim@xxxxxxx.xxx
407-982-0446
WWW.LEIKHIM.COM
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 07:34:24 +0000 (UTC)
From: Fer <mhz4464@xxxxx.xxx>
To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Cc: Mario Manissero <ik1zqj@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] Yesterday HamTv from ISS
Message-ID:
<1402712437.103829.1460273664087.JavaMail.yahoo@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
good video/audio signal from ISS during Belgium telebridge station test?09
april 2016 16:24-16:34 UTC pass over Europehere my recording from .TS file
ISS Hamtv 09apr16 from .TS file
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ISS Hamtv 09apr16 from .TS file
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73 de Fer IW1DTU
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 08:01:08 +0000 (UTC)
From: M5AKA <m5aka@xxxxx.xx.xx>
To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx>
Subject: [amsat-bb] JAISAT-1 linear transponder CubeSat + D-STAR
Satellite launch
Message-ID:
<688465905.133648.1460275268950.JavaMail.yahoo@xxxx.xxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
JAISAT-1 linear transponder CubeSat update in RAST April Meeting Report
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/04/09/rast-april-meeting-report/
ISS Slow Scan TV transmissions on 145.800 MHz FM in April
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/04/09/iss-sstv-april/
Elementary School SSTV CubeSat to deploy from ISS in mid-May
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/03/03/school-sstv-cubesat-to-deploy-from-iss/
UK Space Agency say Ham Radio in Top 10
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/04/07/uk-space-agency-ham-radio-in-top-10/
The Derby High School to speak to ISS
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/04/03/derby-high-tim-peake/
EngineerIT magazine article on quest for amateur Geostationary satellite
payloads
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/04/07/geostationary-ham-radio-satellites/
D-STAR transponder satellite to launch from Kourou April 22
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/04/05/d-star-satellite-to-launch-from-kourou/
73 Trevor M5AKA
----
AMSAT-UK?http://amsat-uk.org/
Twitter?https://twitter.com/AmsatUK
Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK
YouTube?https://youtube.com/AmsatUK
----
------------------------------
Message: 10
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2016 07:14:44 -0400
From: Mike Seguin <n1jez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx>
To: amsat-bb@xxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Link budgets for upcoming HEO/GEO sats
Message-ID: <570A35A4.6090709@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
Preliminary tests on the amp show ~ 11.5 dBm in will give 3.5 watts out.
That is after a mod to remove an internal pad. Testing done at 5760 MHz.
From the HackRF specs, you would need 10-20 dB of gain to drive the amp
as output between 4000-6000 MHz is -10 to 0 dBm. I'd probably use a
simple MMIC amp for starters.
I hope to test the system once my amp arrives in the next week or so.
Mike
On 4/9/2016 6:54 PM, Jim Barbre wrote:
> Thanks John for your responses. How much power is needed to drive the
> "drone" linears? Will a HackRF provide enough power to run one?
> Anyone working on a mount/rotator specifically designed for these
> satellites?
>
> 73
> Jim
> KB7YSY
>
> On 4/9/2016 3:34 PM, John Toscano wrote:
>> Estimates suggest aiming for 8 watts of RF and a re-purposed
>> 3-foot-diameter satellite TV dish to be able to get into the bird. It
>> would be nice if only 3 - 4 watts were enough to do the job, because
>> there are inexpensive 3 - 4 watt linear amplifiers designed for First
>> Person Video on radio-controlled "drone" aircraft like this:
>>
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262249565979?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=S
TRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
>>
>> So, time will tell. It is possible that with a slower digital
>> transmission rate the bird might hear well enough for the lesser
>> power. I expect I will try one of these low-power amps, and might
>> even consider driving a pair of them into an appropriate combiner to
>> get twice the power if one by itself does not make the grade. They are
>> small and light, but would require protection from weather. On the
>> other hand, I should have 10 watts available if I need it, once I
>> perform these modification on a much bigger and heavier surplus power
>> amplifier:
>> http://www.g4fre.com/avantekpa.htm
>> (In fact, I have two of these beasts awaiting modification. I think
>> they are much too large and heavy for my tripod-mounted rover station,
>> but one of them might be doable on a fixed station.)
>>
>> It would be hard to equal the gain of a dish by using a helix. Once
>> upon a time, I thought that the helix was the greatest antenna in
>> existence, just make it longer and longer to get outrageous amounts of
>> gain. But the more I investigated the less excited I got about
>> building a humongous helix antenna. (In fact, at one point, I was
>> dreaming about a 2x2 quad array of helices of great length, but I
>> never actually attempted to build one.) On the other hand, I have been
>> amazed by the ability of a scrap-heap satellite TV dish (less than 3
>> feet in diameter) and a couple of watts of power to make terrestrial
>> 10 GHz SSB QSO's over distances of well over 100 Km, at least when I
>> stopped using a dish that was bent like a Pringles Potato Chip,
>> causing it to lose 10-20 db of its gain! I expect even greater things
>> when an un-damaged dish is pointed up into the sky, away from trees
>> and hills!
>>
>> For the 10 GHz downlink, a possible low-cost scenario might work out
>> to be a direct-to-home satellite TV dish of approximately one meter in
>> diameter, and a PLL-based LNBF, which would mix the 10.5 GHz satellite
>> signal down to the 600 MHz or so range, and the receiving that with
>> some sort of SDR, possibly even a RTL-SDR USB dongle, though perhaps a
>> better SDR might be required. The downlink is going to be DVB-S2x
>> which is NOT the native format of the inexpensive USB dongles. DVB-S2x
>> requires a bit of computation ability on the computer controlling the
>> SDR, especially if the VLSNR (Very Low Signal to Noise Ratio)
>> extensions are needed. It is also possible that we can find (and
>> suitably modify) an inexpensive direct-to-home satellite TV receiver.
>> AMSAT also expects to have a familiar USA company building complete
>> ground station transceivers, but those will likely command a bit of a
>> (well-deserved) premium price. We are actively pursuing a lot of
>> different choices, so stay tuned!
>>
>> From what I have heard, the bird will be in a geosynchronous orbit,
>> NOT a geostationary orbit, so periodic dish re-positioning of some
>> sort will be necessary. Since the primary payload onto which we get to
>> piggyback is owned by a government agency that likes to keep secrets,
>> an exact proposed orbit is not widely discussed, if at all. So it is
>> hard (for me, at least) to give more specifics at this time. You won't
>> need the horizon-to-zenith-to-horizon pointing ability needed to chase
>> a satellite in Low Earth Orbit, but some positioning in both azimuth
>> and elevation will be needed. High precision will be more valuable
>> than a wide range of pointing directions. In other words, being able
>> to tweak the position by a degree at a time to fine-tune the pointing
>> would be more helpful than being able to move the dish by 30 or 40
>> degrees. I wish I could be more specific, but I can't at this time. On
>> the other hand, one of the other projects in the works is the
>> NASA-sponsored CubeQuest Challenge, and for that bird you would need
>> to be able to point at any part of the sky where you observe the moon,
>> since the package is going to be headed for lunar orbit! We are trying
>> to make these two birds compatible with the same ground station
>> equipment.
>>
>> Sorry for the vagueness, but I hope it helps a little bit.
>> 73 de W0JT/5, EL09vu
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 9, 2016 at 12:42 PM, Jim Barbre <jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx
>> <mailto:jbarbre@xxxxxxxx.xxx>> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> Given that people are currently working on groundstations for
>> the upcoming HEO/GEO sats, I am in hopes that at least some of the
>> following questions can be answered.
>>
>> What kind of power will be required on the 5GHz uplink?
>>
>> Does anyone currently make a linear amp or upconverter that can be
>> mounted at the antenna for the 5GHz uplink?
>>
>> Will I be able to use a helix antenna on the uplink or will I be
>> limited to using a dish?
>>
>> Same question with regards to antenna usage for 10GHz downlink.
>>
>> What size dish?
>>
>> With AO-10 and AO-13 I could point my antennas at the satellite
>> and not have to move them for an hour or longer. These new sats
>> will be using microwave frequencies. What kind of realistic
>> expectation do I have of being able to point a dish at the
>> satellite before having to tweak it? Otherwise said, will a
>> rotator be absolutely necessary?
>>
>> Thanks for the info. Looking forward to working the next
>> generation of HEO/GEO sats.
>>
>> 73
>> Jim Barbre
>> KB7YSY
>> _______________________________________________
>> Sent via AMSAT-BB@xxxxx.xxx <mailto: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
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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"
------------------------------
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 11, Issue 111
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