AMSAT @ Huntsville Hamfest

Huntsville Hamfest 2009 has come and gone, but the memories linger.

WB5RMG & N8DEU representing AMSAT

In preparation for the hamfest Tim – N8DEU had

Castor, Pollux + BEVO-1

This bulletin from our AMSAT Area Coordinator:

Three payloads, Pollux, Castor and BEVO-1, have been deployed from the Space Shuttle today using Amateur Radio frequencies. Tune in and see if you can hear and/or decode them.

The two ANDE satellites (Castor and Pollux) have been deployed from the Space Shuttle now that it has separated from the ISS.

Both satellites will be transmitting on 145.825 MHz. Castor will transmit telemetry every 30 seconds. Pollux every 33 seconds.

Both are transmitting 1200 baud AX.25 packet Telemetry.

Most of the info is on the website:
https://goby.nrl.navy.mil/ANDE

The Pollux/Castor ANDE satellites are made mostly of parts from Digikey.

The following processors are flying:

Pollux: 1 – Atmega168, 3 – Atmega168
Castor: 1 – LPC2106, 2 – Atmega168, IGLOO FPGA AGL125, Atmega128

Sensors are gyroscopes from Melexis and Analog Devices. Magnetometer is the PNI Micro mag 3-axis unit.

The radio transmitter in the satellites are based on this module.
http://www.pratthobbies.com/proddetail.asp?prod=CANSAT-TX

BEVO-1 is also being deployed by the shuttle, freq 437.325 MHz, details at http://www.southgatearc.org/news/july2009/dual_picosat_deployment.htm

73’s,
Tim Cunningham – N8DEU
AMSAT Area Coordinator

AMSAT-India Award

AMSAT-India VO-52 Award

This is the 4th anniversary of AMSAT-India’s VO-52 satellite, and they are offering an award for those who submit QSL information that indicates that you have worked other stations with their satellite. I have enjoyed many contacts via VO-52 – and consider this my primary satellite for linear/ssb operations. Currently I am using a pair of homebrew antennas that are in the attic, and have great success with VO-52…

I appreciate their contribution towards the amateur satellite community and encourge others to give it a try. It is easier than you might think.

I am very proud of this fine award certificate.

Thanks /;^)

Satellite Status

If I called this “Instant Satellite Status“, someone would say – ‘not quite’.

So ‘nearly instant’ is more accurate. This web site had gone undetected by me, but definitely fills a need. There are so many different satellites now in orbit, specifically ham-radio related, that it takes some effort to keep up with not only where they are, when they come around, and what frequencies they use . . . let alone whether or not it is still functioning. Enter David Carr – KD5QGR, and Bob Bruninga – WB4APR and this little web application.

Amateur Radio Satellite Status Display

This is a snapshot from their Satellite Status Page,
http://oscar.dcarr.org/index.php

Here users complete a quick form indicating which satellite, which mode, and what time they just heard or made contact thru a particular satellite. The information is quickly compiled and presented so that the rest of us can keep aware of mode changes, or service outages easily. No more guessing or wondering if your radio has a problem. There is even an indication to select if you did NOT hear it when you expected to… Of course, the more we use it, the more meaningful the information will be.

Good job guys !! This should prove useful.
(I posted this previously on my old site, but thought it worth repeating here)

Thanks
/;^)