Date: Thu, 21 Jul 94 04:30:37 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 #200 To: Ham-Space Ham-Space Digest Thu, 21 Jul 94 Volume 94 : Issue 200 Today's Topics: Antenna questions CONNECTING THREE MODEMS Downlink signal LES9 (2 msgs) WEFAX from PYE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PT AM 10DYV Receiver? 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: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 18:24:19 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken.llnl.gov!quintro!rlile.glenqcy.glenayre.com!rel@network.ucsd.edu Subject: Antenna questions To: ham-space@ucsd.edu In article <9407181746.ZM13142@SALCIUS2> Wayne_Estes@csg.mot.com (Wayne_Estes) writes: >From: Wayne_Estes@csg.mot.com (Wayne_Estes) >Subject: Antenna questions >Date: 18 Jul 1994 17:46:44 -0500 >I installed Az/El rotors on a tripod on my roof this weekend. Next, I plan to >buy some M2 antennas: 14 el. CP yagi for VHF > 30 el. CP yagi for UHF >I must use the short VHF antenna because I have light-duty rotors, and a long >boom would bump into tree branches and an exhaust vent. >Can anyone answer the following questions? >1. Is it (mechanically) easy to build a phasing/relay assembly for RH/LH >polarity switching on the M2 antennas? Answering the mechanical part of the question is simply and issue of having space on the M2 boom for a relay box and the phasing line. Assuming that the M2 comes with a 50 Ohm phasing line for generating the RH or LH polarization, inserting a relay should not be hard. Do you have the information to do the phase shifting? >2. Is the M2 crossboom really 10 ft. long when assembled? >3. Would a 7 ft. crossboom be long enough for VHF and UHF yagis on each end, >and a future 2x3 ft. dish in the middle? (i.e. without undesired interaction >between the antennas) Yes, I have used 6 to 8 feet and have had no serious (read measureable) problems with my set up. Set up is currently, 12 turn helix on UHF and 10 element crossed yagis on 145 MHz. Tripod mounted on 7 foot cross boom. All homebrew by the way. >4. Would a preamp at the VHF yagi feedpoint distort the pattern of the>antenna? Or should I mount the preamp on the mast? Again mounting the preamp is mostly a mechanical issue. However, you do want to place it in the feedline before the phasing shifting relay. My preamp is mounted in an aluminum box on the tripod and works good. >5. Do some preamp models switch fast enough (PIN diodes maybe?) to allow me to>transmit "through" the preamp without a timing circuit that bypasses the>preamp before keying the transmitter? If so, do these preamps require a PTT>line routed up to the preamp, or do they detect the RF? NO, please don't trust any switching method that doesn't use a timing circuit. The cost of the preamp vs the timing circuit has no comparison. >Please respond to wayne@csg.mot.com, or to the newsgroup. Thanks in advance. >73 de WD5FFH (Wayne Estes, Mundelein, IL) >-- >Wayne A. Estes >Motorola Asia-Pacific Cellular Subscriber Division >600 N. U.S. Hwy. 45, Rm. A-S345 >Libertyville, IL 60048-1286 >PHONE: 1-708-523-2386 Z-MAIL: wayne@csg.mot.com >FAX: 1-708-523-8795 POST: w10191@email.mot.com ------------------------------ Date: 21 Jul 94 00:17:40 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: CONNECTING THREE MODEMS To: ham-space@ucsd.edu Message: I'm cross-posting to Digital and Space because my questions concern both, so a lot of people will see this twice. I recently purchased a PacComm PSK-1 satellite modem and last Saturday I purchased the PacComm TNC-NB96 (to celebrate getting my Advanced and passing the Extra written cold, but that's another story). Now I have to figure how to connect everything together. My primary use will be the satellites, both PSK and 9600 FM, but I'm sure I'll do some local stuff, too, now that I'm equiped. The 2M rig is an old Icom IC-251A and the satellite receiver is a Down East Microwave transverter/Kenwood TS-670 combination. Reading through the literature, it looks like I'll be making a LOT of connections. If anyone has any experience with a similar setup or can offer suggestions, please pass them along. What I need to know are things like: 1) Will I have to have separate taps for xmit and rcv for each mode? 2) Can I use some sort of switch box or relay scheme to route the signals or will I be constantly plugging and unplugging? 3) Can I use my direct connections for 9600 FSK for 1200 AFSK? Has anyone else got experience with the PacComm setup? Any suggestions for a good terminal program? Please post here. Thanks in advance. Gary WA4YMZ ------------------------------ Date: 20 Jul 94 23:45:38 GMT From: news-mail-gateway@ucsd.edu Subject: Downlink signal To: ham-space@ucsd.edu Message: Does anyone have any ideas about a problem I seem to have? My downlink signals seem to have a buzz as if there was bad filtering in the power supply of my transmitter. Last night I had a local ham meet me on 144.200 and he says the signal sounds fine. The equipment here is an IC-251A and Mirage amp for uplink and an TS-690S for recieve. The noise is there whether the amp is on or not. I noticed the same thing on the FO-20 downlink yesterday but didn't hear it today, so it isn't the reciever. The problem originally came up when operating RS-10. Any ideas or other input welcome. Thanks in advance. Gary WA4YMZ Gary Rogers@dgc.ceo.dg.com The opinions I express are mine alone. Data General doesn't want them and I change them from time to time anyway. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Jul 1994 15:12:33 GMT From: newsgate.melpar.esys.com!melpar!jbf@uunet.uu.net Subject: LES9 To: ham-space@ucsd.edu Anybody know the location of a satellite known as LES9? I believe it is a geosynchronous bird. Bruce Farquhar | "The opinions expressed are mine; nobody jfarquhar@melpar.esys.com| else would claim them! ------------------------------ Date: 21 Jul 1994 01:49:14 -0700 From: network.ucsd.edu!not-for-mail@network.ucsd.edu Subject: LES9 To: ham-space@ucsd.edu In article jbf@syseng1.melpar.esys.com (J. Bruce Farquhar) writes: >Anybody know the location of a satellite known as LES9? I believe it >is a geosynchronous bird. Yes, it is a geosync, inclined almost 17 degrees, and sitting at about 106 degrees west. LES 9 1 08747U 76023B 94200.91591465 -.00000102 00000-0 10000-3 0 6400 2 08747 16.6115 283.7785 0024551 111.5271 126.9263 1.00271924 12809 It's operating in the wide band mode at the moment, and you will find the telemetry at 249.360 Occasionally you'll hear some weekend warriers on it, but other than that, just some data and the BPSK signals from here. Brent Jones Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station 90 Degrees South, Antarctica ------------------------------ Date: 18 Jul 94 03:40:50 GMT From: ihnp4.ucsd.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!news.umbc.edu!hookup!reptiles.org!geac!herboid!cattnts!ncrcan!coutts!wwg@network.ucsd.edu Subject: WEFAX from PYE TELECOMMUNICATIONS PT AM 10DYV Receiver? To: ham-space@ucsd.edu The issue: Can this receiver work at 137+ Mhz? I have a PYE aircraft AM transceiver, that was modified to be a RX only unit (which is fine), using the two crystal sockets for two different receive frequencies, since the TX crystal is no longer needed. The current crystals cause the receiver to receive 123.2 and 122.8 Mhz at the moment. I want to receive the NOAA satellite WEFAX signals on 137.5 and 137.62 Mhz using this old receiver. The crystals currently in there are in the: (123.2 - 10.7) / 3 = 37.5 Mhz neighbourhood (this is verified). The 137.5 Mhz freq requires a 42.26666 Mhz crystal. The receiver details: PYE TELECOMMUNICATIONS Model PT AM 10DYV Serial 1944D, input 12 Volts, and has 4 tubes, of which none are required for receiving (receiver works with switch on standby, without lighting the tube filaments). It seems a bit of a stretch to go from a 37.5 Mhz crystal to 42.266 Mhz, but there is a series connected inductor that is tunable (at least in the current rendition of its wiring -- I don't have a schematic, so I don't know if this is original or not). I'm not sure how fussy the front end in this radio is... I doubt any serious problem there. Again with no schematic, and without having done much tracing from the antenna yet, its my opionion that there is not much "tuned circuit" to discriminate 137 Mhz from 120 Mhz. Anybody familiar (or not) with this radio, or someone with access to its schematic wish to comment on this? I'll have to get crystal(s) made to try this, which is the reason for this post. Should I invest/waste my money on crystals for this end? Of course, I'm assuming that NOAA signals are AM audio signals. However, if this should turn out to be FM instead-- no big deal. I can build a demod circuit after the IF section. Email preferred, thanks. -------------------- Warren W. Gay VE3WWG John Coutts Library Services Limited wwg@coutts.UUCP Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada (or wwg%coutts@uunet.ca, wwg%coutts@uunet.uu.net) ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Jul 1994 13:47:35 GMT From: telesoft!garym@uunet.uu.net To: ham-space@ucsd.edu References , , Reply-To : elements-request@alsys.com Subject : STS-65 Element Set (94201.289) STS-65 1 23173U 94039A 94201.28966185 +.00054802 00000-0 15851-3 0 423 2 23173 28.4662 281.0136 0003249 78.0464 282.0512 15.91226612 1864 Satellite: STS-65 Catalog number: 23173 Epoch time: 94201.28966185 (20 JUL 94 06:57:06.78 UTC) Element set: GSFC-042a Inclination: 28.4662 deg RA of node: 281.0136 deg Space Shuttle Flight STS-65 Eccentricity: 0.0003249 Keplerian Elements Arg of perigee: 78.0464 deg Mean anomaly: 282.0512 deg Mean motion: 15.91226612 rev/day Semi-major Axis: 6676.9815 Km Decay rate: 5.4802E-04 rev/day*2 Apogee Alt: 300.76 Km Epoch rev: 186 Perigee Alt: 296.42 Km -- Gary Morris Internet: elements-request@alsys.com KK6YB Packet: KK6YB @ N0ARY.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA San Diego, CA, USA Phone: +1 619-457-2700 x128 -- Gary Morris Internet: garym@alsys.com (garym@cts.com) Alsys Inc. Packet: KK6YB @ N0ARY.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NA San Diego, CA, USA Phone: +1 619-457-2700 x128 (voice/fax) ------------------------------ End of Ham-Space Digest V94 #200 ******************************