Newsletter AMSAT-SM INFO No: 2 of 2003 released.
Categories
Category: Ham Satellite news
Här finner du nyheter om amatörradiosatelliter från hela världen.
Varios ham radio satellites news.
Categories
AO40! en massa DX
I worked 5 new entities on AO40 during the month of July, bringing my total entities worked up to 128:
5T6M Mauritania DXpedition
YL2LW Latvia
7P8NK Lesotho DXpedition
CT3/CT1EAT Madeira DXpedition
3DA0WC Swaziland DXpedition
There was lots more interesting DX on AO40 this month:
GD6LVP/P (Isle of Man) during the first weekend in July
KH2 (Guam) by a Japanese ham A22BP (Lesotho) Nori operated portable to have windows with N. America 8J1RF (Antarctica) operated one pass for the eastern U.S.
SV5BHR (Rhodes, Dodecanese Islands) very active
EX8MLT (Kyrgyzstan)
VU2MKP (India)
9Y4AT (Trinidad and Tobago) I m still looking for him!
HL2JFN (South Korea)
5N0EVR (Nigeria) I m still looking for him!
Shawn N1HOQ summarized it pretty well when he reported a DX feast on AO40 the morning he worked 7 new countries.
During the month of August we can look forward to TZ (Mali) on AO40 courtesy of Doug N6TQS. In late September there is a good chance that HC8 (Galapagos Islands) will be onAO40.
They way things are going I imagine some other
rare ones will pop up on AO40 during the next two months. Then in October will be the Christmas Island and Cocos-Keeling Island expeditions just as
AO40 begins the bad squint season.
Wayne Estes W9AE
Mundelein, IL, USA
Klla: amsat
Categories
Ny version av Predict
Det har kommit en ny version av Predict. Fljande info frn ANS:
PREDICT version 2.2.2, a satellite tracking and orbital prediction application for the Linux and Unix operating systems, has been released. This release corrects several small bugs and adds several new features over the previous version. Some of the important changes include:
* Fixed a bug that caused GET_SAT (UDP socket) requests to fail after GET_DOPPLER requests were issued. (Tnx: KF6RFX)
* Fixed a bug in earthtrack where latitude and longitude options sent to xplanet were reversed under certain circumstances. (Tnx: ZL2BSJ)
* earthtrack has been modified to work with xplanet version 1.0 and later. Compatibility for versions of xplanet prior to 1.0 is retained through an earlier version of earthtrack that has been moved into an old_version directory.
* Orbital phase, eclipse depth, and squint angle data has been appended to the information returned to UDP client applications in response to the GET_SAT command.
* Moon tracking code was replaced with a more precise algorithm based on Meeus method.
* Added a lunar prediction mode that predicts passes of the Moon.
* Added a solar prediction mode that predicts passes of the Sun.
* Added MoonTracker , a small utility that runs in the background and directs an AZ/EL antenna array toward the position of the Moon (for EME communications).
* The Moon s declination, Greenwich hour angle, and right ascension have been appended to the information returned to UDP clients in response to the GET_MOON command.
* The Sun s declination, Greenwich hour angle, and right ascension have been appended to the information returned to UDP clients in response to the GET_SUN command.
* PREDICT now returns orbital data in NASA Two-Line format to UDP clients in response to the GET_TLE command.
* Added a new UDP socket command (GET_MODE) to return PREDICT s current tracking mode (single, multi, none) to networked clients. If PREDICT is operating in Single Satellite tracking mode, then the name of the satellite currently being tracked is returned by GET_MODE.
* In Main Menu option [G] (Edit Ground Station Information), ground station latitude and longitude may now be entered in degree, minute, second (DMS) format in addition to decimal degrees.
* The vocalizer feature was dramatically improved. Sound samples are now read from ubiquitous .wav files, making it easier for users to create samples of their own, even in languages other than English. PREDICT now articulates numeric values in their entirety (i.e.: three hundred forty nine 😉 instead of articulating each digit individually ( three four nine 😉 as was done previously. Alarms and additional announcements were added to alert a visual observer when a spacecraft is visible, when it enters into sunlight, and when it enters into eclipse.
* Added fodtrack , written by Luc Langermann, LX1GT. This utility permits AZ/EL antenna control using the Fodtrack hardware interface via the parallel port.
* Added titles to windows when PREDICT is run under X.
* The latest version of gsat (1.1.0) has been included.
* Several other coding changes were made. Linux-specific code was removed in an effort to allow easier compilation under FreeBSD, MacOS X, and other Unixes in general.
* PREDICT s main menu was expanded to handle the additional program options. The main menu also now displays the text Server Mode when the program is invoked in socket server mode (-s).
* Program documentation was updated.
PREDICT may be downloaded from:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/software/Linux/predict-2.2.2.tar.gz
—
Klla: ANS 180
Categories
P3T uppdaterad för FEC
Fljande info frn ANS:
If you have been following AO-40 telemetry on the Goddard server recently, you may have seen curious A-blocks with the message:
+——————————————————-+
~~ RECONSTRUCTED FROM DECODED FEC BLOCK ~~
+——————————————————-+
These blocks were decoded by Stacey Mills, W4SM, using a modification of the G3RUH MK II 400 BPS PSK demodulator, and a new version of the P3T telemetry decoding software program. The modification to the demodulator, developed by G3RUH, involves the addition of an 8 bit ADC, with minimal changes. For more details, see:
http://www.jrmiller.demon.co.uk/products/p3adc.html
With this modification, the MK II demodulator can continue to function in standard or hardware mode or, with the flip of a switch, can output ADC data at 9600 BPS, 1 byte per bit of telemetry data. P3T will also function in standard mode as before, but now includes the option for ADC input. In ADC input mode, P3T expects a serial port data stream as detailed above of one 8-bit byte per bit of telemetry data. In this mode, it will decode standard format telemetry blocks and will also handle all FEC decoding processes, generating a reconstituted A-block with the header as seen above. Eventually, P3T will be further modified to accept ADC data from a soundcard.
The performance of this system really has to be seen to be fully
appreciated. In FEC mode with even a modest receiving setup, every single block should be properly error corrected if the squint is less than 90 degs. FEC blocks that are barely audible or with severe spin-modulation fading will decode correctly. The P3T software is in final beta testing and will be available within a few days. This system will be demonstrated live at the upcoming AMSAT-UK meeting in Surrey by G3RUH using a solo RHCP patch antenna (no dish).
Klla: ANS 201
Categories
7P8 DXpedition
Frn ANS kommer fljande info:
The July 18-25 Lesotho 7P8 DXpedition sponsor by the Lone Star DX Association and the Texas DX Society has added amateur satellite mode to its planned operations, DXpedition Leader Charles Frost, K5LBU/7P8TA has announced.
The operation will be on the AO-40 satellite. The uplink will be U–band (70cm). Equipment including antennas and a down converter were donated by Wayne Estes, W9AE, and a spare down converter donated by Bruce Paige, KK5DO. For additional 7P8 satellite information and news click on
http://www.amsatnet.com
We re glad to offer such a needed mode from Lesotho, Frost said, adding that those wanting to make a contact with the DXpedition take it easy on us because none of us are satellite operators, but we are willing to try our best at giving everyone who wants one a 7P8 QSO.
Operations will be will be at the Hotel Mount Maluti
http://www.seelesotho.com/mountmaluti.htm near Mohale s Hoek (30.16 S and 27.48 E).
QSLs will be handled by each operator separately via their home calls as each will have their own 7P8 call.
QSL routes are: 7P8CF–K5LBU–Frosty; 7P8TA–WW5L–Tom; 7P8MJ–W5MJ–Madison; 7P8NK–VA7DX–Neil; 7P9DA–K4SV- Dave; and 7P8IZ–W0IZ–Igor.
For additional information contact Frost at frosty1@pdq.net or Tom Anderson at WW5L@gte.net.
Klla: ANS 201
Frn det senaste numret av AMSAT-OZ Journal finns information om de nya Cubesats som skts upp den 30:e juni. Varje satellit har en egen hemsida med mer info.
Notera att alla anvnder frekvenser p amatrradiobandet. Nasanumret r i flera fall inte faststllt.
DTUsat
437.475 MHz FM ASFK 2400 bps
CW-beacon var 10:e minut
400 mW, LHCP antenn
Status: Ingen signal hrd
Troligtvis Nasanr: 27842
http://www.dtusat.dtu.dk
AAU Cubesat
437.450 MHz FM GMSK 9k6 bps
500 mW till en crossed dipol
50 ms beacn varje minut
Status: Signal hrd
Troligtvis Nasanr: 27842
http://www.cubesat.auc.dk
CanX
437.880 MHz FM AFSK 1200 bps
500 mW till en dual monopol
Beacon varje minut
Status: Ingen signal hrd
Troligtvis Nasanr: 27842
http://www.utias-sfl.net
Quakesat
436.675 MHz
1.2 W till LHCP antenn. 500 ms beacon var 10:e minut
Troligtvis Nasanr: 27845
Status: Signal hrd, bra signalstyrka
http://www.quakefinder.com/quakesat.htm
Cute-I
436.8375 MHz CW, 100 mW output
437.470 MHz FM AFSK 1200 bps, 350 mW output
Troligtvis Nasanr: 27844
Status: Signal hrd, bra signalstyrka
http://lss.mes.titech.ac.jp/ssp/cubesat/index_e.html
XI-IV Titech
Nerlnk: 437.490 MHz FSK AX.25 1200 bps, 600 mW output
Upplnk: 145.835 MHz FSK AX.25 1200 bps
Beacon: 436.8475 MHz CW, 100 mW output
Status: Signal hrd, men tydligen inte s stark
Troligtvis Nasanr: 75909 (??)
http://www.space.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/cubesat/index-e.html
—
Klla: AMSAT-OZ Journal nr. 124