Dr David Morgan has released a new paper “Further Developments of an SDR Radio Telescope” using the FUNcube Dongle Pro+ and SpectrumLab.
“Further Developments of an SDR Radio Telescope” details the equipment configuration and software involved in setting to work a small 3m diameter amateur radio telescope using the FUNcube Dongle Pro+ software defined radio receiver.
It demonstrates how Spectrum Lab can provide digital filtering to observe up to 20 individual sub-bands to help overcome interference issues. David also provides details of gain and noise stability measurements for the FUNcube Dongle and observations of emissions from the quiet Sun and the Cygnus arm of the Milky Way.
This paper adds to the work that David has undertaken in the past and is interesting reading for anyone wanting to experiment with SDR solutions for amateur radio astronomy.
Professor Jacques Verly ON9CWD (Montefiore Institute) and Amandine Denis ON4EYA, Head of Project OUFTI (LTAS) with OUFTI-1 – Image credit ESA
The OUFTI-1 team have released videos of the integration of the amateur radio D-STAR GMSK CubeSat built by students at the University of Liege.
OUFTI-1 is currently being integrated at the Liège Space Center, a research center of the University of Liège in Belgium. The flight model of OUFTI-1 should be assembled by October 25, 2013.
The team plan to use 145.950 MHz for a D-STAR and FSK AX.25 downlink and 145.980 MHz for a CW beacon. A D-STAR uplink on 435.045 MHz is proposed. A launch is planned for late 2014 on the ESA “Fly your satellite” program.
The first video shows the second day of integration. The team performs preliminary steps: preparation of wires and sensors, gluing of solar panels, preparation of the battery box etc.
Watch Integration of OUFTI-1, part 1 (CSL, October 21, 2013 AM)
The second video shows preparation of an assembly consisting of the EPS board and the chassis. They are linked by the thermal strap, which is glued and screwed on both the EPS board and the chassis.
Watch Integration of OUFTI-1, part 2 (CSL, October 22, 2013 AM)
In the third video it begins looking like a CubeSat ! Different boards are stacked (and plugged) onto the base-plate + OBC1 assembly. The OBC2 (homemade) is stacked first and then the EPS, together with the chassis.
Watch Integration of OUFTI-1 part 3 (October 22, 2013 PM)
The fourth video shows OUFTI-1 at the end of October 23, the last but one day of integration. Final steps for today: fixing the PCB with the thermal knives and the top plate. The wires of the solar panels will also be soldered.
Watch OUFTI-1: almost ready to orbit the Earth !
The fifth video shows the very last step: soldering of the wires to the solar panels. OUFTI-1 is now ready to undergo the test campaign!
On Saturday, October 19, at 2302 UT Hector Martinez CO6CBF achieved what is possibly the first amateur radio contact between Cuba and the UK on the FO-29 satellite.
Hector Martinez CO6CBF operated from the roof of an apartment block
Hector writes:
I am pleased to report that I had my first contact on satellites with the UK.
Peter Atkins G4DOL (IO80so) and I (EL92sd) completed a contact successfully on FO-29. It is the result of a long history which began six months ago.
We tried several times but Peter never could hear below a degree toward my location. I have the same problem in my home station and I usually go to specific spots to try these kinds of contacts. So, I suggested him assemble a portable station to operate from a better spot. He did so and his first smoke test was on October 15th, we almost completed a contact but Peter could not hear my report; I couldn’t reach a good spot due to the rain. Yesterday, I went to a very tall building, I got access to the building `s top and operated from there. Actually, it is a very good spot, it allowed me a great horizon visibility toward Europe; I was able to work FO-29 until -1.5 degrees.
Peter Atkins G4DOL operated portable from a high location
We had a very narrow window but there was enough time to exchange reports, grids and greetings. Our maximum elevation was 1.1 degrees. I believe it is the first contact between UK and Cuba on FO-29! It is a 7286 km contact, a new grid and new country for us!
Please, note that our success was on the 2301z pass, it was very late in the night for Peter. He had to load his car with antennas, radio, a battery and drive five miles from his home looking for a good spot in the windy and dark coast. He was running 50W into a 10 elements Yagi and was using 19 elements Yagi for the downlink; He mounted both antennas on a big tripod and had to manage with a “heavy weigh”. Needless to say that Peter did the difficult part and a very good job!
I was running a FT-817nd, a 50W homebrew power amplifier and ELK antenna. Everything was supplied by a 12V 7A Gel battery. I was operating Half-Duplex but we ran the frequency calculations based on the great feature implemented on SatPC32 V12.8b. So, it was very easy to find each other in the pass band. It was my 8th transatlantic contact with Europe on FO-29!
Right Now, FO-29 has a big footprint. Please, if you are into the footprint and want to try a long distance contact, just drop me an email. I will try until complete a contact with you. Unfortunately, Cubans cannot operate on AO-7B; FO-29 is our only chance for DX contacts.
Thanks very much to Peter for this exciting contact!
73!
Hector, CO6CBF
El92sd
Listen to a recording of the contact between CO6CBF and G4DOL
A high altitude balloon launch – Image credit Dhruva Space
Global Brands Magazine features the High Altitude Balloon work of Dhruva Space and Indian radio amateurs.
Dhruva Space in association with Indian Institute of Astrophysics is gearing up to observe comet ISON when it passes earth on November 28, 2013 using a high altitude balloon platform.
Weekly test flights are in progress as part of the preparations for the ISON observation. On one such flight on October 13, the balloon which was carrying a 5 kilograms payload containing various sensors reached a peak altitude of 21 km and it traveled over 600 km into the Arabian Sea. What makes this test flight special is that the ground station at Bangalore and the two mobile payload recovery teams were able to receive the 145.765 MHz FM APRS radio signals from the balloon for over 12 hours without any disruption.
Hyderabad based National Institute of Amateur Radio which is one of the program partners has provided immense support in successful post-flight payload recovery.
Ham radio operators in Karnataka and Goa in India, and Middle East and Africa were able to receive encoded APRS signals containing real time location, altitude and other operating conditions of the flight.
The Basement Satellite was screened at the 5th DMZ Korean International Documentary Film Festival on October 19, 2013.
The film, directed by Hyoung-ju Kim, tells the struggle of Korean artist Hojun Song DS1SBO to develop a satellite, OSSI-1, in his basement studio and launch it into space.
After helping the Odisha government in disaster relief during cyclone Phailin, amateur radio operators will now help astrophysicists track a comet.
The Hindustan Times reports that astrophysics experts are joining hands with ham (amateur) radio operators to track and read data comet ISON, scheduled to pass nearest to the earth on November 28, 2013.
Scientists of Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Astrophysics will send a balloon 40 km into the atmosphere to get data on the comet.
As the instruments drop with a parachute it will be a team of ham radio operators, who will track the APRS packet radio signal and retrieve the balloon.
AMSAT-UK 
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