Aug 18 2013

Battery Charger for FUNcube-1 Amateur Radio CubeSat

FUNcube-1 charger developed by Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG - Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

FUNcube-1 charger developed by Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG – Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

The launch date for the amateur radio FUNcube-1 satellite remains on schedule for November this year. Coming up this week, on August 22 at 14:39 UT, is the next DNEPR launch from Dombarovsky near Yasny so we are looking forward to the successful insertion of its KOMPSAT5 payload into orbit as this will give greater confidence for the actual FUNcube-1 launch date. http://www.kosmotras.ru/en/news/127/

FUNcube-1 flight model - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 flight model – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

In the meantime every CubeSat needs to be able to have the capability to charge its on board batteries when already in its POD. Of course this means that we need a suitable battery charger and it needs something quite special so as to be certain that there is no risk of overcharging or other disaster.

The pictures show the charger which was specially designed and constructed by Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG for FUNcube-1. Smartly presented in a blue anodised case, this charger can be set to charge the Li battery to the best voltage for long term storage, approx 7.6 Volts, and can also be used to enable the final pre-launch testing of the spacecraft and its flight software before launch.

FUNcube-1 carries a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications and a 145 MHz 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon. Further information at https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/funcube-cubesat/

FUNcube-1 battery charger - Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

FUNcube-1 battery charger – Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

Aug 16 2013

FUNcube Dongle SDR – Free Shipping Offer

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Software Defined Radio

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Software Defined Radio

On the FUNcube Dongle Software Defined Radio site Howard G6LVB says:

I’ll be away for a few days next week (19 August to 23 August), so as there will be a short delay in dispatch, I’m currently offering free shipping until I return if you place an order before I return.

Make sure you check the “Free Shipping” check box when you checkout!

I will use the same shipping methods, ie FedEx International Priority for non-UK, and Royal Mail Special Delivery, just it’ll be free over that period.

Free shipping offer http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/?p=1507

Ordering your FUNcube Dongle Pro+ http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/?page_id=1113

The FUNcube Dongle (FCD) Software Defined Radio (SDR) was originally developed for educational outreach as part of the ground segment for the FUNcube satellite. A proportion of the sales of the FCD goes to support AMSAT-UK’s FUNcube satellite.

You can join the FCDProPlus Yahoo Group by following these steps:
• Send a blank email to fcdproplus-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
• Yahoo will send you an email in response, you may need to check your SPAM folder
• Click on the link in the email, this will bring up a Yahoo page in your browser
• On the Yahoo page ignore the big Join link in the middle and click on the link at the bottom of the page instead, it says: “As an alternate option, you may join the mailing list instead.”
• You should then be a member of the group.

Some of the SDR decoding programs available include:
• SDR Sharp (SDR#) http://sdrsharp.com/
• SDR-Radio http://www.sdr-radio.com/
• HDSDR http://www.hdsdr.de/

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ LF/MF/HF/VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio Video
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/10/03/funcube-dongle-pro-plus-sdr-video/

Aug 16 2013

Lithium-ion Capacitor satellite OPUSAT in the press

OPUSAT Team - Image credit SSSRC

OPUSAT Team – Image credit SSSRC

The OPUSAT CubeSat, built by students at the Osaka Prefecture University Small Spacecraft Systems Research Center (SSSRC), will test Lithium-Ion Capacitors in space.

OPUSAT - image credit SSSRC

OPUSAT – image credit SSSRC

Lithium-Ion Capacitors have a high energy density (reportedly 14 Wh/kg) and so could potentially be of use in small satellites such as CubeSats where space and mass are at a premium.

OPUSAT will have deployable solar panels and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). The downlink on 437.150 MHz will be CW, 1200 bps AFSK or 9k6 GMSK telemetry.

The satellite has attracted the attention of the press. Read one Japanese newspaper story in Google English at http://tinyurl.com/Nikkan-OPUSAT-130815

OPUSAT in space - Image credit SSSRC

OPUSAT in space – Image credit SSSRC

A launch is planned on the JAXA H-2A-202 rocket in Spring 2014 into a 400 km circular 65 deg orbit along with the primary payload Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). There should be a number of other satellites carrying amateur radio payloads on the launch, including:
• STARS-2 – Kagawa University
• TeikyoSat-3 – Teikyo University
• ShindaiSat – Shinshu University
• INVADER – Tama Art University
• ITF-1 – University of Tsukuba

OPUSAT website in Google English http://tinyurl.com/OPUSAT

Aug 14 2013

Amateur Radio Foundation Exam and NB TV at UKHAS Conference

James Coxon M6JCX launching a PICO balloon on 434.301 MHz USB

James Coxon M6JCX launching a PICO balloon on 434.301 MHz USB

There are a few tickets still available for the UKHAS conference at the University of Greenwich, London on Saturday, September 7.

The UK High Altitude Society (UKHAS) conference attracts those interested in learning about building and flying High Altitude Balloons or in tracking their 434 MHz signals.

The conference is open to all, you don’t have to have flown a High Altitude Balloon, you’ll probably get more out of it as a total beginner as there will be a huge wealth of experience in the room you can speak to.

There is an impressive line-up of speakers in addition to which there will be workshops, demonstrations along with assessments and exam for the amateur radio Foundation licence. Among the presentations will be one on Narrow Band TV by Phil Heron 2I0VIM.

SSDV picture from a PIE balloon - Image credit Dave Akerman M6RPI

SSDV picture from a PIE balloon – Image credit Dave Akerman M6RPI

Workshops :
Balloon Q&A – James Coxon M6JCX
Pi – Dave Akerman M6RPI
Foundation Exam Preparation – Phillip Crump M0DNY
Knots! – Anthony Stirk M0UPU

Demonstrations:
Balloon -> ISS APRS Setup – James Coxon M6JCX
Setting up Receiving Station – Anthony Stirk M0UPU

The current itinerary (subject to change!) is at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SjENgll8iYXLDli4HJHR1DgjHrHjmpAm1vChTz-bo-M/edit?usp=sharing

You can get tickets at
http://ava.upuaut.net/store/index.php?route=product/category&path=74

James M6JCX and Anthony M0UPU report that the British Amateur Television Club batc.tv have kindly agreed to attend to give the conference the “AMSAT” treatment so for those of you unable to make it we hope to finally stream the conference. They will where time permits also take questions from people watching remotely.

The conference will start at 0930 and finish 1700, afterwards there will be the traditional pub trip this time into Greenwich.

The International UKHAS 2013 Conference http://ukhas.org.uk/general:ukhasconference2013

Aug 14 2013

Astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP talks about his ham radio contacts

Luca Parmitano KF5KDP on Expedition 36 EVA July 9, 2013 - Image credit ESA

Luca Parmitano KF5KDP on Expedition 36 EVA July 9, 2013 – Image credit ESA

On his ESA blog astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP talks about his ham radio contacts from the International Space Station.

I set the radio to the ‘random’ contacts frequency, and without knowing what to expect, I put on the headphones. Physically, the International Space Station was still many kilometres away from the coastlines of Europe, but our horizon stretches out beneath us for thousands of kilometres and the various European ground stations could already see us. My ears were immediately overwhelmed by a cacophony of unidentifiable sounds and noises, voices, screeching and white noise. Then suddenly, a voice surfaced above the other sounds; it was a young man, in my mind barely more than a boy. He was calling the ISS American radio call sign (NA1SS) and repeating his own call sign. I was taken aback by the emotion that rose in me as I tried to reply to the call, using the Italian call sign (IR0ISS). But my excitement was nothing compared to the sheer astonishment and disbelief I heard in that voice, thousands of kilometres away. Speaking English with a beautiful Portuguese accent, the radio operator on the other side of the signal only managed to say a few words – “I don’t know what to say… This is a dream come true for me!” – before our conversation was interrupted and buried by swarms of other calls.

Read the blog at http://blogs.esa.int/luca-parmitano/2013/08/13/message-in-a-bottle/

Astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP making ham radio contacts
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/08/12/astronaut-luca-parmitano-kf5kdp-making-ham-radio-contacts/

Aug 13 2013

UKube-1: Art in Space

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit

Artists impression of UKube-1 in orbit – Credit Clyde Space

In addition to the amateur radio FUNcube boards the UK Space Agency’s first CubeSat UKube-1 will also carry designs by artists Jon Gibson and Amanda White, who run the famous iam8bit gallery in Los Angeles.

The Wired story says

“[Nanosatellites] open the door to do lots of different things in space,” says Clyde Space CEO Craig Clark. “Within five years I’d like to be making 100 nanosatellites a year”.

40 percent of CubeSat missions, which are satellites with a one-liter volume, carry Clyde Space hardware. The company has invested over £500,000 of its money into UKube-1, which will be the first satellite entirely assembled by them. 

“Craig Clark, the head honcho at Clyde Space, emailed us and said he was a fan of our work,” says Gibson (according to Clark, iam8bit’s art adorns the walls of the company’s offices). When Gibson and White realized that Clark was serious about them doing art with the satellite, “our faces lit up! To design something that’s going to orbit Earth — how cool is that?”

Read the full Wired story at http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-08/13/pop-art-satellite-ukube1

Watch “Art in Space” – The Universe’s First Celestial Charging Station

Flight and Engineering Models of FUNcube-1 with FUNcube-2 boards

Flight and Engineering Models of FUNcube-1 with FUNcube-2 boards

UKube-1 will carry a set of AMSAT-UK FUNcube-2 boards which will provide:
• 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.915 MHz
• Linear transponder downlink 145.930-145.950 MHz for SSB/CW communications
• Linear transponder uplink 435.080-435.060 MHz

In addition UKube-1 also carries:
• ISIS 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon on 145.840 MHz
• UKSEDS myPocketQub 442 on 437.425-437.525 MHz with 11 mW output using spread spectrum
• 1 watt transmitter on 2401.0 MHz from Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Cape Town, for high data rate mission data downlinking using up to 1 Mbps QPSK or OQPSK modulation

Gunter’s Space Page lists UKube-1 as manifested on a Soyuz-2-1b Fregat-M rocket. It is expected to be launched at the end of this year from Baikonur in Kazakhstan.