Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Mar 2 2012

AMSAT-LU SSTV and Crossband Repeater on Glider and Balloon

AMSAT-LU SSTV and GPS Payload

View of communications experiment: Below is the plate of the repeater. Top left is the SSTV camera and top right is the GPS receiver module. Image credit LU7AA

An SSTV and crossband repeater payload developed by AMSAT-LU will be flown on a Glider and a High Altitude Balloon on March 3 and 17.

AMSAT-LU LU7AA report:

We are pleased to inform next Saturday March-3 2012 (if weather permits) from 12hs (GMT-3), Amsat-LU and friends will be flying from Zarate (Route 193, km 19 from Buenos Aires) an UV repeater including APRS + SSTV + CW + DTMF thru several flights aboard manned glider, as test for LUSEX (LU Satellite Experiment), being developed by AMSAT-LU.

Afterwards on Saturday March-17 from 12hs-LU on (GMT-3), a free Balloon will fly same payload from the city of Junin (Club of Gliders, Lagoon of Gomez), 250Km west of Buenos Aires City.

Payload will operate as an UHF to VHF crossband repeater, with CW tlm, APRS location and SSTV emissions in local and space frequencies.

According to estimates Balloon could reach 100,000 feet (30 km) in height, travelling from 50 to 100 miles towards east.

Thus allowing contacts between stations located in provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Rios, Cordoba, La Pampa, San Luis and Uruguay.  See coverage map on http://www.amsat.org.ar/junincubr.jpg and possible trajectory in http://www.amsat.org.ar/junin120215.jpg .

For these experiences, Amsat-LU works with and it is thankful to hams of Radio Clubs of Junin, QRM Belgrano, APRS Group, Don Bosco Ramos Mejia School, gliders Clubs of Zarate, Junin and Cañuelas, and the twelve Amsat-LU members development team as well as those who have actively participated and sent their reports in previous experiences.

More information at http://www.amsat.org.ar/lu4aao/experimento_globo_y_parapente.htm

AMSAT-LU Glider

Glider

Several flown experiments have been successfully operated during 2011 in manned-gliders, airplanes, captive and free Balloons allowing operational & practice for hams contributing to platform validaton of LUSEX satellite (LU Satellite EXperiment) on development by Amsat Argentina. More on http://lusex.org.ar

In order to monitor the payload (if you are within 400 miles of launch area) you need just an FM receiver either handy or base, in 145.950 for repeater and/or 144.930 for APRS. The repeater, that is activated via 123 Hertz subtone, operates receiving voice FM in 435.950 Khz (-112dbm, 0,56 uV) and emits with 2W the received audio live on 145.950 Khz.

Simultaneously APRS data will be sent in Packet at 1200 bauds in 144.930, and also in 145.950.

The DTI APRS symbol would change from a Balloon (/O) during the ascent to a glider (/g) during parachute descent.

Payload would operate as voice repeater activated by 123 Hz subtone during 1 minute, a warning bip at 40 seconds will indicate telemetry is coming, which is emitted if the repeater is not in use, if in 20 seconds more voice repeater still in use a two bips will be heard signaling that short APRS packages will begin in the different frequencies, also every 5 minutes CW (telegraphy with tones of audio) with CQ + callsign (LU7AA), sequence#, ext. and int. centigrade temperatures and voltage of batteries, after which the cycle will repeat.

AMSAT-LU RF Module

The system board containing RF transmitter module, receiver module, level adjustments, duplexer and antenna connector. Image credit LU7AA

Experiment for the first time in these flights will emit SSTV pictures in ROBOT-36 (36 seconds) in real time, showing what glider/Balloon sees. Every 5 minutes during ascent/descent and more spaced at high altitudes. (It can be received among others with MIXW, MMSTV & RX-SSTV ).

Payload would also carry on board two TV cameras (one towards earth and another towards horizon) recording video and sound during the flight. These captured videos could be recovered when payload is recovered.

APRS trajectory could be seen every minute, including speed, height, external and internal temperatures and 7.2v battery voltage using UI-View ( download from the UI-View official site on http://www.ui-view.org/ ) and/or to see/follow from Internet connecting to http://aprs.fi/?call=lu7aa-11 or locally via Packet at specified frequencies.

There are georeferenced Maps for UI-View in http://www.amsat.org.ar/junin.jpg, http://www.amsat.org.ar/junin.txt, http://www.amsat.org.ar/zarate.jpg, http://www.amsat.org.ar/zarate.txt, http://www.amsat.org.ar/lachoza.jpg and http://www.amsat.org.ar/lachoza.txt . Download and place them in directory Program Files/Peak Systems/UI-View32/MAPS and rename files .txt to .inf.

The experiment in 435.950 KHz besides voice, receives and accepts DTMF sequences commands on demand, I.E. sending B* (DTMF with handy keyboard on UHF) will return S5 … ….. in 145,950 VHF CW, reporting in CW signal strength received from your station, if S9+10 will returns P10.

There are also DTMF commands qualifying emission of CW tlm or APRS beacon or SSTV emission, commands that allows remote release of payload, mode changes, timers control, energy, power, etc.

Frequencies for previous coordination, announcements and flights will be 7090 Khz LSB +/-10 Khz and local repeaters.

During the flights will remain active wide coverage AMSAT-LU APRS Igate LU7AA-10 on 144.930 and 430.930 KHz, operating from the Constituyentes Investigation Center transferring whatever is received towards Internet.

For being an experiment oriented to a next satellite, the contacts made between stations via this payload will be considered valid for the recently announced permanent, gratuitous and applicable Satellite Certificate that AMSAT-LU and RClub QRM Belgrano grants, more info on http://www.amsat.org.ar/certsat.html

During the Balloon flight, amateur groups will chase the payload, aiming to locate and recover. Trapping ventures holds on this activity, as in the case of the Pampero 15 Balloon sent from San Miguel del Monte which landed in the middle of the Magdalena’s state prison … See http://www.lu5egy.com/Proyecto_pampero/vuelo_15/n_1esk.htm

All reports welcome. If you wish or can organize or want be part of control, or like to pursuit and recovery, or like operating and capturing data as an independent station, and/or wishes to join us personally in this adventure from the launching places email us to parapente at amsat.org.ar.

We appreciate reading of this information and thankful if distribution possible.

73, LU7AA, Amsat-LU, aiming at the future by making the present funny.
http://www.amsat.org.ar/
info at amsat.org.ar

Mar 2 2012

Interorbital Systems Feature in SatMagazine

The March issue of SatMagazine features a 4 page article by Randa Relich Milliron, CEO and Co-Founder of Interorbital Systems.

Interorbital Systems plans to launch a number of amateur radio CubeSats along with dozens of TubeSats on it’s Neptune 9 rocket.

Among the CubeSats to be launch by Interorbital Systems is Euroluna’s Romit1 which aims to be the first CubeSat to use propulsion to significantly raise its orbit, from 310 to 700 km.

The Interorbital Systems article appears on page 90 and is followed on page 94 by an article on the Space Foundation which aims to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in schools.

Download your free copy of the March SatMagazine http://www.satmagazine.com/2012/SM_Mar2012.pdf

Mar 1 2012

HamRadioNow – AMSAT Edition

In this HamRadioNow video Lou McFadin W5DID describes the ARISSat-1 satellite, using the operational model at the AMSAT booth at the Orlando HamCation. HamRadioNow says Gary KN4AQ feels inadequate in the presence of such accomplished hams, and he insults the astronauts. That makes Lou uncomfortable, so he goes on to talk about the future of AMSAT and ARISSat.

Lou says that the reason for the ARISSat-1 435 MHz antenna snapping off was due to damage in transit up to the Internatonal Space Station (ISS). He mentions that he hopes NASA can be persuaded to take ARISSat-2 to the ISS. Lou also describes the problems caused by the US Federal Government ITAR restrictions.

Watch HamRadioNow Episode 2, Part 2 – AMSAT

The grab handles shown on ARISSat were supplied by a member of AMSAT-UK.

HamRadioNow http://HamRadioNow.TV/

YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/HamRadioNow

Mar 1 2012

Euroluna OZ9LUNA CubeSat Launch Update

Euroluna

Original design of the Euroluna Romit-3 Lunar Rover – Image courtesy of Andrew Collis/X-Prize Foundation

The President of Euroluna Palle Haastrup OZ1HIA gives an update on the Romit1 CubeSat and plans for Romit2 and Romit3.

Euroluna are a Danish amateur team participating in the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE contest to be the first privately funded team to land and drive a rover on the Moon.

Romit1 is a 2U CubeSat that is planned to launch on the Interorbital Systems Neptune 9 rocket. It will transmit on 437.505 MHz at 1200 bps.

If everything goes well it should, after a year, be out in a 700 km orbit, having started in a 310 km orbit.

Romit1 - Image Credit GomSpace ApS

Romit1 – Image Credit GomSpace ApS

When the rocket reaches its orbital altitude, the satellite is deployed using a spring-loaded device. Romit1 then powers up and conducts a systems test. The satellite must stabilize itself so that it has the right orientation (with the propulsion system pointing aft). The spacecraft will immediately start its engine so that it can begin its journey to a higher altitude, away from any traces of atmosphere that would produce drag, slow it down, and shorten its orbital lifespan.

It is hoped that radio amateurs across the world will assist the team in retrieving the data sent down, for example, they can gather images from the six cameras. Radio amateurs can send the pixels they receive to Euroluna who will assemble them into a full image.

The group are currently looking for a launch opportunity for Romit2 as well as Romit3 that is planned to reach the Moon.

A list of the current CubeSat launch opportunities under consideration can be seen on the teams Google Lunar X PRIZE blog at http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/teams/euroluna/blog/low-cost-launches-low-earth-orbit

Watch romit2-parts-delivered.wmv

Watch euroluna-compliant-q4-2011.wmv

Watch cube-sat-launch.wmv

Twitter http://twitter.com/Euroluna

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Euroluna/337261739568

Web http://www.euroluna.dk/

Interorbital Systems http://www.interorbital.com/

Google Lunar X PRIZE http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/

Mar 1 2012

HAMSAT VO-52 Falls Silent

HAMSAT VO-52

HAMSAT VO-52

The amateur radio satellite HAMSAT VO-52 ceased operating on February 28, neither it’s beacon or 435/145 MHz SSB/CW linear transponder have been heard since.

Ib Christoffersen OZ1MY reported that he heard and briefly used the transponder on the pass with Acquisition of Signal (AOS)  in Copenhagen at 0826 UT on February 28. On the next pass with AOS at 1003 UT it was not on.

Mani VU2WMY provides this update:

Dear HAMSAT VO-52 users,

With regrets, we confirm the non-availability of the transponder on HAMSAT VO-52 since 28th February 2012. This is the first ever interruption in the services of HAMSAT since 5th May 2005.

The timely feed back from John K8YSE, Domenico I8CVS, Eugenio IZ8JHD, Jan PE0SAT and Nitin VU3TYG were highly appreciated and acknowledged by the ISRO’s HAMSAT Mission Management Board.

I’m herewith enclosing the mail received from Mr. T.Parimalarangan, Operations Director-HAMSAT VO-52 regarding the ‘Temporary Non-availability’ of VO-52 transponder and beacon.
__________________
Mr. Subramani VU2WMY:

Thanks for obtaining the user feedback. You may please post the following message in the Users website. If possible, try to find out who has last operated HAMSAT payload transponder on 28th and at what time

“HAMSAT Transponder services not available temporarily due to operational reasons. Inconvenience regretted”

With Best Regards,
T PARIMALARANGAN
OD, HAMSAT (NP)

ISTRAC/ISRO
Ph:  080 – 2202 9011 (O)
080 – 2535 0132 (R)
0 – 9480333563 (M)
080 – 2202 9062

Feb 26 2012

ISS Astronaut Active on 145.800 MHz

André Kuipers PI9ISS on ISS

André Kuipers PI9ISS on the ISS

Astronaut André Kuipers PI9ISS was calling CQ from the International Space Station on 145.800 MHz FM on both Saturday and Sunday afternoon, Feb. 25-26.

Paul Waddington M6WAD

Paul Waddington M6WAD and son Ethan

André worked mainly Dutch stations although one UK Foundation holder Paul Waddington M6WAD was lucky enough to have a contact with him on Sunday.

Paul says “I am absolutely thrilled to have had a QSO with the ISS. I just thought I would put out a random call, as I have done so many times in the past, and he answered me. I must say, when he did reply, I became a little tongue tied in disbelief!!! I use a Yaesu FT7900 to a Comet GP-15N Triband antenna.”

When the astronauts work other radio amateurs back on Earth they transmit on 145.800 MHz FM but operate “split” listening for replies 600 kHz lower on 145.200 MHz. If you are lucky and hear them calling CQ just remember to activate your rigs repeater shift to ensure you reply on the correct frequency. You should never transmit on 145.800 MHz.

The amateur rado station on the ISS runs QRP, just 5 watts of FM to an omni-directional antenna. Despite the low power it is a strong signal and can easily be received on a handheld radio with quarter wave whip.

Get the latest status of the space station at the ISS Fan Club http://www.issfanclub.com/

Read ‘Listening to the International Space Station’ http://www.uk.amsat.org/3491

M6WAD http://www.qrz.com/db/M6WAD

M6WAD Station

M6WAD Station