SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1227 * SpaceNews 27-Dec-99 * BID: $SPC1227 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY DECEMBER 27, 1999 * LUSAT-OSCAR-19 NEWS * ======================= In anticipation of the 10th anniversary of the Microsat satellite launch on January 22, 2000, AMSAT-Argentina activated LUSAT-OSCAR-19's CW telemetry beacon transmitter on December 21, 1999. PSK is now being transmitted by the satellite on 437.150 MHz, and CW is available on 437.125 MHz. The digipeater is currently active, and the PSK beacon is currently transmitting the following text message: --------------------------------------------- Dec 21. CW beacon active for some hours Pse send your report and get a nice QSL card. 73 de Nestor, LU7XAC --------------------------------------------- LO-19, a 7 inch square microsat satellite, orbits 780 km above the earth's surface. Solar cells and NiCad batteries aboard LO-19 are maintaining better than 60% efficiency after over 51,600 consecutive charge/discharge cycles in space. The satellite is currently delivering over 1 watt of output power on both transmitters. Controllers invite everyone to copy either the CW or PSK telemetry transmissions from LO-19, and submit them to AMSAT-Argentina in exchange for a colorful QSL card. Reports may be sent via packet radio to: LU7AA@LU7AA.CF.ARG.SOAM, or via e-mail at lu7xac@amsat.org. AMSAT-LU's Web site is available at: http://www.amsat-lu.org/ The morse sent by LO-19 on 437.125 MHz is abbreviated slightly to save transmission time and conserve on-board electrical power. Morse is sent at 12 WPM, and is coded as follows: 0 - T 5 . E 1 .- A 6 -.... 6 2 ..- U 7 -... B 3 ...- V 8 -.. D 4 ....- 4 9 -. N The beacon has one status channel and eight 3 digit data channels. Data for each channel follows, and the formulas that follow provide the correct value. The message format is: LUSAT HI HI VL N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8 VL: Version of redundant software. N1 to N8 telemetry data of each channel. CH 1: N1 +5 voltage 636/N1 Volts CH 2: N2 +10 battery voltage 0.064*n2 Volts CH 3: N3 CW transmitter temp 0.354*(134.7-N3) Deg. C CH 4: N4 Output power TX ((10.9+N)^2)/40.1 mW CH 5: N5 Box temperature #4 0.356*(136-N5) Deg. C CH 6: N6 +10 v current 0.7*N6 mA CH 7: N7 +Z voltage panel 0.15*N7 Volts CH 8: N8 +8.5 voltage 0.056*N8 Volts LUSAT's BBS code is expected to be reloaded in mid-January 2000. Thanks go to LUSAT's first ground control station, Nestor Pavan, LU7XAC, for building up a team and placing LO-19 in full operation. Special thanks also go out to AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-Brasil, and Weber College with whom AMSAT-Argentina has shared the Microsat's Quest during the last ten years. [Info via LU7XAC and LU7AA] * EME NEWS * ============ EA3DUX reported via W2RS of his first successful 2-yagi to 2-yagi EME contact on 432 MHz. EA3DUX's report is as follows: Hi all: I am happy to announce an event long waited: the first 2yagi-2yagi EME QSO on 432 sked with my friend Andrea IK5QLO, on December the 23rd of 1999 at 05:27 UTC, with report "O - O" in both sides. After 6 and a half years of activity on 432 with 2x38el M2 and after many not successful skeds, it has been possible to complete a first ever 2yagi-2yagi on this band, with the help of moon perigee and very low sky noise. At the beginning signals were very poor, and we were not able to hear each other. After 15 minutes, sked conditions raised up to very good signals, each period conditions rised and rised until the end where conditions were excellent and permitted also a random QSO. The equipment was 2x28el + 1000 Watts at Andrea's (IK5QLO) side, and 2x38el M2 + 1350 Watts at EA3DXU's side. Both stations running near the limit state of the art of 432 MHz band. Now, with the state of the art equipment of 144 and 432 MHz, a big array is not necessary to have some QSOs on EME. Only good tropo equipment is necessary for some QSOs with big guns on EME. This could help some well equipped tropo or satellite stations to try to make some tests on EME, with full warranties that there are good possibilitites to complete some fantastic QSOs on both bands. I was fortunate to complete also the first 2yagi-2yagi 144MHz EME QSO on the 24th of September of 1988, with PA0JMV, on sked. Now the state of the art permits also quite usual 2yagi-2yagi random QSOs on 144 MHz. I am sure that in the coming years, 2yagi-2yagi random QSOs will be possible on the 432 MHz band, all that is necessary is a little improvement on TX power and RX noise factor or antenna gain, but I am sure that these conditions will be acomplished in the first years of the next 2??? years. Next step willl be of course 2yagi-2yagi random QSOs on 70cm, or 2yagi-1yagi random QSOs on 144 MHz. Merry Christmas and a happy new 2000 year. 73 de Josep EA3DXU * THANKS! * =========== Thanks to all who recently sent messages of appreciation and holiday greetings to SpaceNews, especially: GM1SXX KA2AEV N2GJ N2JUX YO3JW KC4QPH VK8KTC TG9IKE W9WDN All the best wishes to everyone for a healthy and happy holiday season and the best of luck and opportunities in the last year of the century! * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below: WWW: http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/ MAIL: John A. Magliacane, KD2BD Department of Engineering and Technology Brookdale Community College 765 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, New Jersey 07738 PACKET: KD2BD @ N2TDU.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET: kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net SATELLITE: AMSAT-OSCAR-16, KITSAT-OSCAR-25 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> <<=- Serving the planet (and beyond) since 1987 -=>> /EX