Monthly Archives: May 2013

May 6 2013

Amateur Radio Today – IARU-R1 Vienna Interview

IARU_Region_1_logoIn the show Amateur Radio Today for May 5, 2013 Murray Niman G6JYB is interviewed about the IARU Region 1 Vienna conference and discusses the proposal to permit amateur radio satellite linear transponders operate in the very bottom section of the 144 MHz band.

The show, hosted by Hans van de Groenendaal ZS6AKV, provides a preview of the Dayton Hamvention, Murray Niman who represented the SARL (and RSGB) at the IARU Vienna Conference talks about the importance of looking after our frequencies. Also, News Digest with the Hamnet report and SARL News, the Satellite report and the HF report.

Listen to Amateur Radio Today May 5, 2013 at
http://www.amateurradio.org.za/ARTODAY5MAY2013pod.MP3 (lo-res)
http://www.amateurradio.org.za/ARTODAY5MAY2013.MP3 (hi-res)

The interview with Murray Niman G6JYB starts 34 minutes into the show.

IARU Region 1 Agrees Addition 2m Satellite Allocation
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/30/iaru-region-1-agrees-addition-2m-satellite-allocation/

The use of this part of 144 MHz by satellites depends on agreement by IARU Regions 2 and 3. The IARU Region 2 Conference takes place in Cancun, Mexico in September 2013.

Amateur Radio Today
http://www.amateurradio.org.za/Amateur%20Radio%20TODAY.htm

May 5 2013

AMSAT-India VO-52 satellite completes eight years in orbit

HAMSAT VO-52

HAMSAT VO-52

On Sunday, May 5, 2013 AMSAT-India’s VO-52 completed 8 years in orbit. During this time it has proved to be a valuable communications resource for the amateur radio community.

Mani, VU2WMY, posted this on the AMSAT Bulletin Board:

It gives us great and immense pleasure to say that ‘HAMSAT VO-52’ completes eight fruitful years in orbit contributing to the wonderful cause of ‘Amateur Radio Satellite Communication’.

The overall health parameters are excellent and we do hope that transponder(s) on-board ‘HAMSAT VO-52’ would continue to render good services for many more years to come.

On this joyous occasion,on behalf of everyone here in ISRO/India and on my personal behalf, I thank each and every user, contributors and well wishers for this great achievement.

Special thanks to Guru VU2GUR, Nitin VU3TYG, Partha VU2GPS, Sunil VU2UKR, Bob W7LRD and others for sending in their reports and suggestions for the possible HAMSAT 2.

73 es good wishes de

Mani, VU2WMY
Secretary & Station-In-Charge
Upagrah Amateur Radio Club VU2URC
ISRO Satellite Centre

How to make contacts through the VO-52 satellite
https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-work-the-ssb-satellites/

Getting started on Amateur Radio satellites
https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/radcom-getting-started-on-satellites/

2005 – HAMSAT launch was 100% successful
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/may2005/hamsat_update2.htm

AMSAT-India http://www.amsatindia.org/

May 4 2013

SdrDx adds Supports FUNcube Pro+

The New versin of SdrDx 2.12p adds support for the Andrus, FunCube Pro Plus and AFEDRI SDRs; It also provides various features and fixes. See the link to the changes document, below.
8165852338_cab45acfce_o

Downloads: http://fyngyrz.com/?p=915
Documentation: http://fyngyrz.com/sdrdxdoc/sitemap.html
Changes: http://fyngyrz.com/sdrdxdoc/changes212.html

May 4 2013

How to pack a big solar sail in a tiny cubesat

Nicolas Lee A still photo from an experiment video shows a tiny cubesat satellite prototype after deploying a folded sail in weightlessness aboard NASA's "vomit comet" research plane.

Nicolas Lee
A still photo from an experiment video shows a tiny cubesat satellite prototype after deploying a folded sail in weightlessness aboard NASA’s “vomit comet” research plane.

By Tia Ghose
Space.com

A simple paper-folding technique could help tiny satellites unfurl big sails in space to detect micrometeoroid impacts, scientists say.

The folding strategy, described Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A Mathematical and Physical Sciences, could be used to pack relatively large sails into miniature satellites known as cubesats. When the sails pop out, they could provide a bigger area to catch meteoroid impacts.

“It’s like putting a bigger windshield on your car to catch more bugs,” said study co-author Nicolas Lee, an aerospace engineer at the California Institute of Technology.

 

May 1 2013

Find out about the BIS KickSat Sprite satellite

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

The British Interplanetary Society (BIS) invites those wishing to find out more about their KickSat Sprite to attend an end-to-end test day on Saturday, May 4.

The BIS invites people to participate in project KickSat, or simply come along to find out more.

Aims for the day
• End-to-end test – KickSat Sprite transmission to reception and decoded signal
• Connecting an antenna to the souvenir Sprite and getting the radio working
• Programming Sprites, including obtaining readings from the temperature sensor

Discussions on the day are likely to include:
• Programming options; less/more, safe/ambitious, pro’s/cons of each, etc.
• Ground stations; receiving, decoding, aggregating
• Virtualizing Sprites or creating mock-ups for testing

The following equipment will be available on the day:
• KickSat Sprite developer kit
• Souvenir sprite, antenna, solar cells, soldering equipment and a launchpad
• FUNcube dongles (at least one Pro and at least one Pro+)
• Laptop, projector and Wi-Fi

Bringing a laptop will be helpful for anyone wanting to participate. Also, bringing equipment to receive the test signals on a computer will be greatly appreciated.

The event takes place on Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 11:00 am to 5 pm at 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ

Information about KickSat can be found at:
http://www.bis-space.com/category/bis-projects
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zacinaction/kicksat-your-personal-spacecraft-in-space

Further information and attendance registration at
http://www.bis-space.com/2013/04/14/9755/kicksat-end-to-end-testing

16 year-old UK student to work on KickSat Sprite
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/23/uk-student-to-work-on-kicksat/

The KickSat Sprites from both the BIS and London Hackspace are planned to launch, with 198 others, on the SpaceX Falcon 9 ELaNa 5 / CRS 3 mission on December 9, 2013.