Date: Sat, 9 Apr 94 04:30:43 PDT From: Ham-Space Mailing List and Newsgroup Errors-To: Ham-Space-Errors@UCSD.Edu Reply-To: Ham-Space@UCSD.Edu Precedence: Bulk Subject: Ham-Space Digest V94 #85 To: Ham-Space Ham-Space Digest Sat, 9 Apr 94 Volume 94 : Issue 85 Today's Topics: Building Sat antennas (2 msgs) Greenland to Maryland? Motorola GPS engine group purchase update ORBS$098.MICRO.AMSAT ORBS$098.OSCAR.AMSAT SatTrack STS-59 SAREX Flight Information Send Replies or notes for publication to: Send subscription requests to: Problems you can't solve otherwise to brian@ucsd.edu. Archives of past issues of the Ham-Space Digest are available (by FTP only) from UCSD.Edu in directory "mailarchives/ham-space". We trust that readers are intelligent enough to realize that all text herein consists of personal comments and does not represent the official policies or positions of any party. Your mileage may vary. So there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Apr 94 15:28:09 GMT From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!usenet.ucs.indiana.edu!indyvax.iupui.edu!medicine.dmed.iupui.edu!JAY@ucbvax.berkeley.edu Subject: Building Sat antennas To: ham-space@ucsd.edu I am new to satelite communications. (This is just a warning!) I would like to build a 2m & a 70cm beam for use with satelites. Does anyone know of an article in QST or some other plan for such antennas? ------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 94 22:49:40 GMT From: agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!swrinde!gatech!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!darwin.sura.net!fconvx.ncifcrf.gov!mack@ucbvax.berkeley.edu Subject: Building Sat antennas To: ham-space@ucsd.edu In article JAY@medicine.dmed.iupui.edu (Jay Sissom) writes: >I am new to satelite communications. (This is just a warning!) > >I would like to build a 2m & a 70cm beam for use with satelites. Does anyone >know of an article in QST or some other plan for such antennas? Get the ARRL &/or RSGB antenna handbooks. THe calculations for a helix are trivial. They are wideband and non-critical in dimensions, unlike a yagi. However people don;t build them at 2m very often - they are more often used at UHF . I don't really know why but here are some guesses A 2m helix is large and hard to support (rods out from the center pole to the helix are long). It isn't 50 ohms. Itsa bout 140ohms and there are tricks to make it 50ohms but these are narrow band (still wide band by ham band standards) and a little tricky to get going. Maybe you can make more money by selling a yagi than a helix. It would beinteresting to find out the real reason, but most people if they want a fair bit of gain at 2m and 432 and want circular polarisation they use crossed beams 1/4lambda apart >From what I understand, a normal 2m or 70cm beam antenna would work, but a >circular polorization would be much better. I have no idea how one would >build a circular polorized antenna. > >Thanks >Jay KA9OKT > Joe Mack NA3T mack@ncifcrf.gov ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 12:16:19 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!mvb.saic.com!news.cerf.net!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!torn!nott!cunews!freenet.carleton.ca!FreeNet.Carleton.CA!ae517@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Greenland to Maryland? To: ham-space@ucsd.edu In a previous article, mitchell@aol14.wff.nasa.gov (Richard Mitchell 1026) says: >Based on the great experiences of everyone here, what are the >chances that someone in Thule, Greenland would have to talk >to someone in Maryland via 2m/70cm satellite? Is there one >that would be in range at both places at the same time (for >more than, say, 2 seconds)? Is Thule to far north for anything? >What about packet? I assume you are speaking of mode B (or mode J, for that matter) satellites other than AO-10 and AO-13, which should fill your requirements quite nicely. Well, all of the packet satellites should work just fine. I recall seeing ve8dx up in Pond Inlet on the KO-23 queue. He's roughly the same latitude, give or take a few degrees. I think I've even heard him on RS-10. 73 de va3rr/aa8lu -- ------------------------------ Date: 9 Apr 94 02:07:05 GMT From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!news.byu.edu!news.mtholyoke.edu!uhog.mit.edu!grapevine.lcs.mit.edu!chaos.dac.neu.edu!lynx.dac.neu.edu!not-for-mail@ucbvax.berkeley.edu Subject: Motorola GPS engine group purchase update To: ham-space@ucsd.edu I too may be interested in this purchase....please email me with info on the price when you get it. N1ILY -- Jeffrey Perry j.perry@lynx.dac.neu.edu ------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 94 05:12:00 GMT From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!utnut!utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca!tribune.usask.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!quartz.ucs.ualberta.ca!alberta!ve6mgs!usenet@@. Subject: ORBS$098.MICRO.AMSAT To: ham-space@ucsd.edu SB KEPS @ AMSAT $ORBS-098.D Orbital Elements 098.MICROS HR AMSAT ORBITAL ELEMENTS FOR THE MICROSATS FROM WA5QGD FORT WORTH,TX April 8, 1994 BID: $ORBS-098.D TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Satellite: UO-14 Catalog number: 20437 Epoch time: 94094.18864115 Element set: 978 Inclination: 98.5904 deg RA of node: 179.9647 deg Eccentricity: 0.0011994 Arg of perigee: 50.9587 deg Mean anomaly: 309.2663 deg Mean motion: 14.29834719 rev/day Decay rate: 6.3e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 21901 Checksum: 351 Satellite: AO-16 Catalog number: 20439 Epoch time: 94093.26738149 Element set: 778 Inclination: 98.6001 deg RA of node: 180.2108 deg Eccentricity: 0.0012270 Arg of perigee: 53.9212 deg Mean anomaly: 306.3104 deg Mean motion: 14.29889216 rev/day Decay rate: 7.6e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 21889 Checksum: 309 Satellite: DO-17 Catalog number: 20440 Epoch time: 94093.71879587 Element set: 777 Inclination: 98.5997 deg RA of node: 180.9543 deg Eccentricity: 0.0012412 Arg of perigee: 51.3730 deg Mean anomaly: 308.8563 deg Mean motion: 14.30028150 rev/day Decay rate: 5.8e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 21897 Checksum: 330 Satellite: WO-18 Catalog number: 20441 Epoch time: 94094.25256090 Element set: 779 Inclination: 98.6007 deg RA of node: 181.4888 deg Eccentricity: 0.0013013 Arg of perigee: 50.7174 deg Mean anomaly: 309.5160 deg Mean motion: 14.30003284 rev/day Decay rate: 4.9e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 21905 Checksum: 288 Satellite: LO-19 Catalog number: 20442 Epoch time: 94093.74592051 Element set: 777 Inclination: 98.6010 deg RA of node: 181.2260 deg Eccentricity: 0.0013246 Arg of perigee: 51.9430 deg Mean anomaly: 308.2937 deg Mean motion: 14.30098281 rev/day Decay rate: 6.0e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 21899 Checksum: 297 Satellite: UO-22 Catalog number: 21575 Epoch time: 94096.62196308 Element set: 480 Inclination: 98.4392 deg RA of node: 172.5493 deg Eccentricity: 0.0008170 Arg of perigee: 138.1574 deg Mean anomaly: 222.0255 deg Mean motion: 14.36905377 rev/day Decay rate: 1.04e-06 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 14280 Checksum: 303 Satellite: KO-23 Catalog number: 22077 Epoch time: 94093.90979456 Element set: 374 Inclination: 66.0795 deg RA of node: 75.4986 deg Eccentricity: 0.0012237 Arg of perigee: 305.4986 deg Mean anomaly: 54.4889 deg Mean motion: 12.86285631 rev/day Decay rate: -3.7e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 7723 Checksum: 354 Satellite: AO-27 Catalog number: 22825 Epoch time: 94095.20620110 Element set: 275 Inclination: 98.6598 deg RA of node: 171.7361 deg Eccentricity: 0.0009638 Arg of perigee: 62.0236 deg Mean anomaly: 298.1903 deg Mean motion: 14.27616610 rev/day Decay rate: 4.8e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 2727 Checksum: 304 Satellite: IO-26 Catalog number: 22826 Epoch time: 94094.70192756 Element set: 275 Inclination: 98.6593 deg RA of node: 171.2616 deg Eccentricity: 0.0010140 Arg of perigee: 64.2606 deg Mean anomaly: 295.9612 deg Mean motion: 14.27719595 rev/day Decay rate: 5.2e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 2720 Checksum: 312 Satellite: KO-25 Catalog number: 22830 Epoch time: 94093.74818451 Element set: 278 Inclination: 98.5599 deg RA of node: 168.3571 deg Eccentricity: 0.0012553 Arg of perigee: 37.4701 deg Mean anomaly: 322.7354 deg Mean motion: 14.28044298 rev/day Decay rate: 5.9e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 2707 Checksum: 325 /EX ------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 94 05:09:00 GMT From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!utnut!utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca!tribune.usask.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!quartz.ucs.ualberta.ca!alberta!ve6mgs!usenet@@. Subject: ORBS$098.OSCAR.AMSAT To: ham-space@ucsd.edu SB KEPS @ AMSAT $ORBS-098.O Orbital Elements 098.OSCAR HR AMSAT ORBITAL ELEMENTS FOR OSCAR SATELLITES FROM WA5QGD FORT WORTH,TX April 8, 1994 BID: $ORBS-098.O TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Satellite: AO-10 Catalog number: 14129 Epoch time: 94093.93015575 Element set: 273 Inclination: 27.1781 deg RA of node: 334.0078 deg Eccentricity: 0.6020533 Arg of perigee: 167.5108 deg Mean anomaly: 219.1680 deg Mean motion: 2.05877978 rev/day Decay rate: -1.05e-06 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 8125 Checksum: 301 Satellite: UO-11 Catalog number: 14781 Epoch time: 94096.58268703 Element set: 679 Inclination: 97.7904 deg RA of node: 114.6531 deg Eccentricity: 0.0012422 Arg of perigee: 134.3680 deg Mean anomaly: 225.8545 deg Mean motion: 14.69185628 rev/day Decay rate: 3.27e-06 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 53979 Checksum: 341 Satellite: RS-10/11 Catalog number: 18129 Epoch time: 94096.18122248 Element set: 887 Inclination: 82.9274 deg RA of node: 22.0643 deg Eccentricity: 0.0010248 Arg of perigee: 220.6223 deg Mean anomaly: 139.4177 deg Mean motion: 13.72334834 rev/day Decay rate: 6.7e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 34003 Checksum: 288 Satellite: AO-13 Catalog number: 19216 Epoch time: 94091.48205291 Element set: 898 Inclination: 57.8647 deg RA of node: 260.1651 deg Eccentricity: 0.7210810 Arg of perigee: 338.2200 deg Mean anomaly: 2.3008 deg Mean motion: 2.09726624 rev/day Decay rate: -4.61e-06 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 4440 Checksum: 282 Satellite: FO-20 Catalog number: 20480 Epoch time: 94093.91224327 Element set: 673 Inclination: 99.0286 deg RA of node: 259.8058 deg Eccentricity: 0.0541198 Arg of perigee: 147.6860 deg Mean anomaly: 215.8633 deg Mean motion: 12.83224718 rev/day Decay rate: -4.3e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 19460 Checksum: 323 Satellite: AO-21 Catalog number: 21087 Epoch time: 94096.76922921 Element set: 451 Inclination: 82.9460 deg RA of node: 195.5516 deg Eccentricity: 0.0033925 Arg of perigee: 284.0542 deg Mean anomaly: 75.6843 deg Mean motion: 13.74537051 rev/day Decay rate: 9.3e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 15977 Checksum: 326 Satellite: RS-12/13 Catalog number: 21089 Epoch time: 94095.92841184 Element set: 677 Inclination: 82.9188 deg RA of node: 65.0333 deg Eccentricity: 0.0028619 Arg of perigee: 312.8771 deg Mean anomaly: 46.9979 deg Mean motion: 13.74038159 rev/day Decay rate: 3.4e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 15872 Checksum: 348 Satellite: ARSENE Catalog number: 22654 Epoch time: 94089.09349977 Element set: 248 Inclination: 1.5156 deg RA of node: 104.5135 deg Eccentricity: 0.2923641 Arg of perigee: 175.5080 deg Mean anomaly: 188.1427 deg Mean motion: 1.42202601 rev/day Decay rate: -1.05e-06 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 7 Checksum: 273 /EX ------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 94 22:52:41 GMT From: agate!dog.ee.lbl.gov!ihnp4.ucsd.edu!galaxy.ucr.edu!library.ucla.edu!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!darwin.sura.net!fconvx.ncifcrf.gov!mack@ucbvax.berkeley.edu Subject: SatTrack To: ham-space@ucsd.edu In article <1994Apr4.203441.4071@news.vanderbilt.edu> HEAGYWS@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu () writes: >I'm sorta new to this sat. tracking stuff but am trying to get a >handle on it. A friend gave me a shareware copy of SatTrack to >try out. The data file seems very old. Does anyone know where >I could get up to data data files for SatTrack? Use your nearest archie server. Ask someone who understands the network on your local node or go man archie at the prompt (if you're on a unix machine) Joe Mack NA3T mack@ncifcrf.gov ------------------------------ Date: 7 Apr 94 18:46:29 GMT From: agate!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!utnut!utcsri!newsflash.concordia.ca!canopus.cc.umanitoba.ca!tribune.usask.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!quartz.ucs.ualberta.ca!alberta!ve6mgs!usenet@@. Subject: STS-59 SAREX Flight Information To: ham-space@ucsd.edu SB SAREX @ AMSAT $STS-59.002 STS-59 SAREX Flt Info Launch of next SAREX mission imminent The next Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX) mission is ready for launch at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This flight, designated STS-59, is scheduled for launch on Friday April 8 at 12:06 UTC. Weather conditions could cause the launch to move forward or back by one hour. STS-59 will carry Jay Apt, N5QWL and Linda Godwin, N5RAX on a nine day mission which will include packet radio and some voice operations. A SAREX fact sheet, courtesy of Jay Apt, the ARRL and AMSAT follows. Note that during this mission, the JSC ARC, W5RRR, expects to retransmit NASA Select audio on AO-13. The planned downlink frequency will be 145.84 MHz. In addition the JSC ARC crew in Houston have set up a dial-in BBS which is now in operation. Orbital elements will be available on this machine throughout the mission. The phone number for the BBS is (713) 244-5625. Please use 9600 baud or less. SAREX FACT SHEET - STS-59 WHO: Space Shuttle Endeavour crew WHAT: Talk via Amateur Radio with students and radio amateurs on Earth. WHERE: Earth Orbit. Altitude 220 kilometers, with radio coverage in latitudes from 70 degrees North to 70 degrees South. This flight is in one of the lowest altitude orbits ever flown by the shuttle, so pass times will be shorter than usual. OPERATORS: Dr. Jay Apt (N5QWL) and Dr. Linda Godwin N5RAX. N5QWL is the commander of the Blue Shift aboard Endeavour and will operate the shuttle systems during the "night" shift, while N5RAX is the Payload Commander, responsible for overall operation of three large radars in the shuttle's cargo bay during the "day" shift. WHEN: April 8, 1994 at 12:06 UTC (9 day mission) WHY: As part of the Shuttle Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) component of the STS-59 mission. SPONSORS: The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) and The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). SAREX MODES: FM Voice and Packet VOICE CALL SIGNS: N5QWL and N5RAX PACKET CALL SIGN: W5RRR-1 SAREX RADIO FREQUENCIES: Voice Downlink: (Worldwide) 145.55 MHz Voice Uplink: 144.91, 144.93, 144.95, 144.97, 144.99 MHz Voice Uplink: (Europe only) 144.70, 144.75, 144.80 MHz Packet Downlink: 145.55 MHz Packet Uplink: 144.49 MHz Successful QSOs on voice will be facilitated by using standard international phonetics for your call sign. The crew not answer any stations using non-standard phonetics. Use your entire call sign -- the crew logs with an audio tape recorder. Do not use the Shuttle call sign -- passes are very short, and the crew wants to work as many folks as possible. If you can, decrease your radio's deviation to 3 KHz (most are initially set at 5 KHz) and compensate for the Doppler shift. If you cannot, wait until a minute or 90 seconds after the Shuttle comes over your horizon to transmit -- that will put you within the SAREX IF. The above applies to both voice and packet. INFORMATION: Goddard Amateur Radio Club, Greenbelt, MD, WA3NAN. SAREX news and NASA Mission audio retransmissions on 3.86, 7.185, 14.295, 21.395, and 28.65 MHz and on VHF at 147.45 MHz. Johnson Space Center Amateur Radio Club, Houston,TX, W5RRR. SAREX news bulletins on HF bands at 3.850, 7.227, 14.280, 21.350, and 28.400 MHz and VHF at 146.64 MHz. Also 145.84 on AO-13 at times ARRL, Newington, CT, W1AW. SAREX news bulletins (9:45 PM, 12:45 AM EST) on HF bands at 3.99, 7.29, 14.29, 18.16, 21.39, 28.59 and VHF at 147.555 MHz. PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS: Ealy Elementary School, West Bloomfield, MI Kanawha Elementary School Davisville, WV Alcatel Amateur Radio Association and Circle 10 Council-BSA Richardson, TX Anthony Elementary, Anthony, KS St. Bernard High School, Playa Del Rey, CA Country Club School, San Ramon, CA 94583 Deep Creek Middle School, Baltimore, MD 21221 Paltamo Senior High School, Paltamo Finland Ogilvie School, Northampton, Western Australia OPERATIONS NOTES: If you have a packet QSO number issued to you by the robot, don't try to get another one! The on-board program drops the duplicates anyhow, and all you are doing is making it harder for the other folks. A QSL card will be issued if you appear in the "heard" list on the TNC. N5QWL will be asleep over most USA passes, and N5RAX will be busy with assigned duties for most daylit US passes, so if the sun is up, try SAREX on packet. The Shuttle crew will try to work voice (1) when we are not otherwise engaged, and (2) at night or when the ground is cloudy (we are generally busy taking pictures of the Earth during clear daylight passes). If Jay Apt can get to it, he will activate the SAREX about 3 hours into the mission. QSL via: ARRL, ATTN: STS-59 QSLs, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111, USA. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE). Non-US stations include a self addressed envelope with $0.50 of US postage affixed or appropriate IRCs. Include the Callsign worked, Date, UTC, Mode, and Frequency. For packet contacts, include the QSO number issued by the robot. SWL QSL's: Include the Callsign heard, Date, UTC, Mode, and Frequency. STS-59 Keplerian elements for a 12:06 UTC launch: STS-59 1 00059U 94098.74878017 .00221188 00000-0 11303-3 0 80 2 00059 57.0053 277.0416 0009259 269.9963 90.0094 16.19806752 54 Satellite: STS-59 Catalog number: 00059 Epoch time: 94098.74878017 = (08 APR 94 17:58:14.61 UTC) Element set: 008 Inclination: 57.0053 deg RA of node: 277.0416 deg Space Shuttle Flight STS-59 Eccentricity: .0009259 Prelaunch Element set JSC-008 Arg of perigee: 269.9963 deg Launch: 08 APR 94 12:06 UTC Mean anomaly: 90.0094 deg Mean motion: 16.19806752 rev/day G. L. Carman Decay rate: 2.21188e-03 rev/day^2 NASA Johnson Space Center Epoch rev: 5 Checksum: 325 Submitted by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO for the SAREX Working Group /EX ------------------------------ Date: (null) From: (null) Thanks Jay KA9OKT ------------------------------ End of Ham-Space Digest V94 #85 ******************************