It all depends on how the government agencies write the regulations that implement the change.  Hopefully, it will be as you mentioned - moving much satellite-related stuff away from the US government munitions list. 


Correct on both counts. 

AMSAT-DL had been counting on the German government to help underwrite the launch costs.  They were turned down last fall.  Unfortunately, AMSAT-DL does not publicize how much they have raised and how much more they need to cover launch costs.  That's unfortunate, since not knowing that information means we on the outside have no idea how close (or how far away) a P3E launch really is.  The New Zealanders are working on a launch.  The last update on the KiwiSAT web site was from March, and I can't recall seeing or hearing anything else since that time. 

73!

Congratulations!


I don't think the Baofeng radio is capable of cross-band, full-duplex operation.  Even if it has two VFOs on the display, I don't think the radio was designed for that. 

How did you sound on the recording the other station sent you?  If you were only using the HT and no external amplifier to increase your transmit power, you're doing fine with just the power out of that HT.


If you are looking for a preamp, you might want to consider the broadband preamp AMSAT has on sale:

http://store.amsat.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=84

It comes assembled, works for 2m and 70cm, just don't transmit into it. 


Did your ADI file contain at least the following 7 fields:

CALL
QSO_DATE
TIME_ON
BAND
MODE
PROP_MODE (this must be SAT)
SAT_NAME (from the list at the bottom of https://p1k.arrl.org/lotw/faq for this field)

Other fields like FREQ, FREQ_RX, and BAND_RX are optional, but may be good to include in your QSO records.  Then your LOTW uploads will have all of the frequency/band information for each contact.

Download this PDF as a good reference for uploading satellite QSOs to LOTW:

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/LoTW%20Instructions/N5JB.pdf


Good luck, and 73!

Take a look at this link for fees related to Canadian amateur licenses:

http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf01862.html#F

Similar to how it is done in the US, the license is free.  You even get to put up to 3 choices for your initial Canadian callsign on the application, using a prefix or prefixes for the province/territory of your station address.   Callsigns are kept in a public database, so you are able to search for available calls before you put any on an application.  Volunteer examiners in Canada are allowed to charge a fee for the exams, and there is no set amount that the examiners can charge.  I didn't have to pay for the Basic and Morse exams I took in 2002 with one volunteer examiner, but was asked for a fee when I took the Advanced exam from a different volunteer examiner in 2003 (a contribution to the organization that sponsored the examiner).  

Industry Canada, the licensing authority for amateur radio in Canada, charges C$ 60.00 for each of the following transactions:

• 1. Changing your callsign
• 2. Obtaining additional callsigns (you can do this in Canada, but can only hold one call with a 2-letter suffix - unless grandfathered from years ago)
• 3. Obtaining a callsign for a club station
• 4. Obtaining a special-event callsign.  

More information is also available at http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/radioamateur.e if you are curious.

Hope that helps.  73!


P.S.: I visited Australia in 2011, and appreciated not having to apply for a VK call during my 10-day trip.  Being able to show up and operate as VK/WD9EWK under the arrangement that Australia implemented 3 or 4 years ago was very nice!

I have not tried a preamp with the TH-F6A.  Since it's not my primary receiver for satellite work, I have not worried about that radio too much.  I ordered the broadband preamp from AMSAT, but haven't had the time to try it out.  One of the many things on the radio to-do list......

73!

Try SatPC32:

http://www.dk1tb.de/downloadeng.htm

The free trial version requires you to enter your configuration - callsign, QTH, etc. - every time you start the program, until you purchase the license key from AMSAT.  SatPC32 will use an Internet connection to update the elements, from several predefined sources that you can choose from.  Erich DK1TB, the author of the program, has a lot of information about SatPC32 on his site...

http://www.dk1tb.de/

Good luck & 73!

I have used a TH-F6A for SSB satellite work, as a receiver while transmitting with an FT-817.  As has been mentioned in this thread, it is OK - but not great.  I have had my best luck with it on VO-52 and its stronger downlink.  It hasn't worked as well for me on FO-29 or AO-7 (mode B - haven't tried it on the 10m mode A downlink), mainly on higher passes where the downlinks are a little stronger.  Since its receiver has a wide front-end, strong adjacent signals will be a problem - even strong adjacent signals coming through the transponders. 

When using the TH-F6A, it is probably best to set the VFO with the all-mode receiver (I think it is VFO B) to tune in the smallest possible steps for SSB, 33 Hz.  Its tuning steps aren't as fine as your IC-7000 in SSB or other radios like FT-817s and FT-857s to name a couple of examples, but 33 Hz should be good enough to tune in signals to have them sound intelligible.  The TH-F6A's receiver is not as sensitive as other radios like those mentioned previously, so don't expect to hear VO-52 when it is just above the horizon.  With my Elk antenna, I usually start to hear voices clearly when VO-52 is at least 8 to 10 degrees above the horizon. 

The TH-F6A is a good backup radio for my portable satellite station.  I can use it on FM satellites, as an all-mode receiver, and - one day, in the future - as a chirpy CW transmitter by keying the HT's PTT.  Good luck and 73!

The advice W5PFG offered, about using a fixed (more or less) downlink frequency and adjusting your uplink frequency is also valid for AO-7.  For FO-29, with a 2m uplink and 70cm downlink, try to keep your uplink frequency fixed and just follow the downlink.  This would be the so-called "One True Rule", making adjustments on the higher of the two frequencies, where the Doppler effect is greater, if you are not using computer control for your radio(s). 

AMSAT's web site is in the process of being rebuilt, and - even on the old site - didn't have a lot of information for getting started on the SSB satellites.  I've worked those satellites using a two-radio setup (transmit with an FT-817ND, receive with either another FT-817ND or some radio with an all-mode receiver at 2m/70cm like the Kenwood TH-F6A HT, Icom IC-R20 receiver, etc.) and a handheld antenna for several years.  I have some YouTube videos where I'm working SSB via satellite at:

http://youtube.com/va7ewk

and would be happy to go back and forth with you on getting set up to making SSB satellite contacts - either through this forum, or directly via e-mail.

Good luck and 73!

The satellite part of ham radio is in a state of change.  We no longer get lots of opportunities for free or very cheap launches, as we did in the past.  Either hams pay for launches, or someone else pays for the available space on launches.  NASA awarded AMSAT a launch opportunity, for a small CubeSat satellite that will go into a lower orbit, so we are taking advantage of one of the few remaining "free rides" left for satellites.  The AMSAT-DL group has a larger high-orbit satellite basically ready to go, if someone can spare US$ 10 million or so for the launch.  Other groups are still building launches, using different approaches to get their launches - including simply paying for launches. 

SO-50 will pass over your location more than a couple of times a day.  It's not as easy to work as other FM satellites were.  AO-51 failed in late 2011, and AO-27 is in the process of being recovered by its ground station, but SO-50 is there.  As for those who "might want to dip their toes into the hobby" (related to satellite operating), that is easier than it has ever been.  Take an inexpensive 2m/70cm FM HT and a homebrew Yagi or log periodic antenna, and there you are.  You can spend more if you want, but that's the starting point.  Maybe even cheaper than a 100W HF radio and a dipole to get on HF.


The ISS "repeater" is actually the cross-band repeat function in essentially a "generic radio with crossband capabilities on it" - a Kenwood TM-D700 2m/70cm FM mobile transceiver.  The issue is that the TM-D700 is not designed for extended use as a crossband repeater.  Ham gear is not intended for extended periods of transmission.  For a radio that could work as a repeater, it would probably need to be modified extensively - or a repeater would have to be built from scratch, one that could fit in a very small space on the station.  Then it would have to pass testing by the space agencies.  Then a flight up to the ISS. 

Sending equipment up to the ISS requires lots of planning and coordination with whoever is providing the launches (Russians, Europeans, and now NASA via SpaceX).  Keep in mind that it is not cheap to send equipment up there.  When Richard Garriott flew up there in 2008, anything he took with him had to go on a scale.  He was limited in how much he could carry on the Soyuz craft.  Similar limits are in play for using the other launches to the ISS, even with the larger capacity of a Russian Progress vessel, the SpaceX Dragon craft, and the vessels launched by the Europeans. 

With the costs of maintaining a manned station in orbit, I seriously doubt the space agencies are interested in paying crews to make contacts with hams - no matter what PR value there could be from that.  The space agencies already pay crews for the scheduled contacts with schools and other events.  Otherwise, crewmembers decide if they wish to operate the radio.  They are never forced to use the radio in their spare time to talk with hams on the ground.  In the past, on the Mir station, more crewmembers made use of the ham equipment than now on the ISS.  Crews have more options for their limited free time on the ISS - books, movies, e-mail, phone calls to friends and family on the ground, etc.  We can hope for the time where there are crews that have an interest in talking to hams like us.  That's all we can ask for.

73!

Or at the end of the contest - I think Sweepstakes ran until 0300 UTC, for those who wanted to be on at the very end.


Unless your coax runs are very short - think around 10 feet or so - or you are running preamps on your receive antennas, you will want to do better than RG-8X on the coax.  Coax losses are very noticeable as you go higher in frequency.  LMR400 is probably a good starting point for improving your coax situation. 

There were times that AO-51 would sound very strong, when the command stations set its downlink to 1W or 1.5W.  That did not happen often, due to the power budget that had to be maintained on that satellite.  But that would be 1W or 1.5W on a single frequency.  VO-52 has a strong downlink, but its transmitter power is shared across all signals passing through the transponder - across a 60 kHz spread.  Unless there is only one signal going through the transponder, or possibly when one station is overpowering the transponder, you probably won't hear too many signals that rival the "high power" setting from AO-51. 

73!

The standard for SSB voice communications on the satellites is to end up receiving in USB on the downlink.  VO-52, FO-29, and AO-7 in mode B (70cm up/2m down) all use inverting transponders.  You transmit in LSB to those satellites, and receive the downlinks in USB.  AO-7 in mode A (2m up/10m down) is the only "exception" to this "rule" among our current crop of satellites with linear transponders, where it does not use an inverting transponder.  You transmit to AO-7 on 2m in USB, and receive the 10m downlink in USB. 

If you are able to copy the downlinks, you are off to a good start.  Make sure you are able to do that, before transmitting up to the satellite.  VO-52 is usually the easiest one of those transponders to copy. 

Good luck, and 73!

That's one way to deal with the desense.  It's unfortunate that you have to employ a second duplexer, but many use a duplexer on the 70cm feedline like you did to deal with desense from a 2m transmitter - no matter what the antenna or antennas happen to be. 

Good luck, and maybe we will hook up soon on a satellite pass - in FM, or SSB.  73!

This is a great setup.  I have the Satellite Tracker on an iPod Touch and an iPhone, along with the $$$ version of that app (Satellite Tracker Plus) on my iPod.  Great little apps.  The Plus version will even show you a world map with the footprint of the satellite you are interested in, although I just use the basic setup that both programs share when in the field - or my backyard.  With both apps on my iPod, I can generate predictions for two locations.  I usually keep my home QTH in the Plus app, and wherever I happen to be in the other app.  They store their data separately, so there is no conflict between these two apps on an iPod, iPhone, or iPad. Using the free Satellite Tracker app at hamfests or other demonstrations is a great way to show that a good tracking app can also be free.

As for recording audio, I use a separate Sony audio recorder for that.  Easier than trying to connect a patch cable from my radio's speaker jack to the iPod, without buying an adapter to split out the speaker and microphone connections from the single 4-conductor jack used on the Apple i-whatever devices.  The recorder stores audio in MP3s, and presents itself to computers just like a USB memory stick.  And no iTunes to deal with.  :-)


With practice, you will figure out the best angle to point the antenna.  Twisting it as well, to compensate for fading signals.  I will eventually put my antenna on a tripod, but would still like the ability to twist the boom as signals fade.

73!

Have you tried FO-29 with that setup?  I did in the past, and had desense when I had the Arrow as my antenna with two FT-817s connected to each of the Arrow's feedpoints.  Even at 5 watts. The FO-29 desense went away when I went to the Elk, and then used a Comet diplexer to feed the single feedline from the antenna to the two radios.  VO-52 and AO-7, along with Fox-1 when it is launched, all use 70cm uplink frequencies which gets you away from desense due to the 3rd harmonic of the 2m uplink transmitter for the current FM bird(s) and FO-29. 

N6JSX mentioned the duplexer design for the Arrow.  It is not very durable, and - of course - only rated for no more than 10W due to the size of its components.  You can improve things with some other duplexer, but most of those will be larger than the one from Arrow Antennas.  Before I switched to the Elk, I replaced the small Arrow duplexer with others (once I used a Diamond duplexer, then an MFJ that looked just like a Diamond duplexer, then one from Comet). 

Good luck, and 73!

I currently have a TH-D72A, and had the original VX-8R (the -8DR improved the TNC, but is the same radio other than that) along with the VX-8GR (I'll talk about that in a moment).  With that out of the way, on to your question...

If you are looking for APRS and the ability to work satellites full-duplex, the TH-D72A is the better option - and the only option from an HT in current production.  The VX-8DR does not come with the GPS module and a way to mount it on the radio (you need either a bracket on the top of the radio or a special speaker/mic that has a socket for the GPS - both cost extra, like the GPS module).  The TH-D72A will do APRS and its TNC can be used for other packet work with a supplied USB cable, where the VX-8DR's TNC is only usable by the radio for APRS.  The TH-D72A has a built-in GPS unit.  Once you add all that up, the VX-8DR is more expensive than the TH-D72A - and you still don't have full-duplex operating for satellites that you would have with the TH-D72A.  The TH-D72A's firmware can be updated using that USB cable by the user, without having to ship it back to Kenwood (the VX-8DR's firmware can't be updated by the user), which has brought improvements to the radio in the time it has been on the market.

An advantage of the VX-8DR is its ability to transmit on two additional bands (6m and 222 MHz, with very low power at 222 MHz), where the TH-D72A will transmit only at 2m and 70cm.  Since you posted in a satellite forum, and 6m and 222 MHz are not bands where satellite operation is permitted, I'd still lean toward the TH-D72A. 

If you are not interested in those other two bands, want APRS, but want something that can work satellites (half-duplex only) and other stuff at 2m and 70cm, the VX-8GR might be an option to consider.  It does not transmit at 6m or 222 MHz, but it has a built-in GPS unit like the TH-D72A.  Its TNC is limited to APRS use by the radio only, just like the VX-8DR's TNC (and unlike the TH-D72A).  But if you are considering a VX-8DR and don't necessarily need 6m and 222 MHz transmit capabilities, you could save a lot of money with a VX-8GR compared to a VX-8DR plus the GPS and either the GPS bracket or special speaker/mic.  Otherwise, the TH-D72A is really a good value for what is built into the radio.

If you are looking for a single radio that is suitable for working FM satellites, there are a handful in current production.  One HT (Kenwood TH-D72A), and a few mobiles: Icom IC-2820H, Kenwood TM-D710 and TM-V71A, Yaesu FT-8800R and FT-8900R (and possibly the FTM-350), Alinco DR-635.  You won't see any mention in the manuals or the brochures/advertisements for these radios that they are well-suited for satellite work, but they are.  They can listen on one band (70cm) while you transmit to the satellite on another band (2m).  Many others are available if you look on the used market at discontinued models from all the ham manufacturers.  Or do what others have mentioned - get a second radio.  The radio you use to receive the satellites could be a little Yaesu VX-3R HT, or one of the Baofeng or other Chinese-made miniature HTs that can work at 2m and 70cm. 

If you are wanting to do more than work the two FM satellites (SO-50, AO-27 - only in the northern hemisphere, though), then you're having to get into the realm of all-mode radios.  K7WDO's mention of the Kenwood TR-751/TR-851 pair is a good example from the past of all-mode monoband transceivers that would be usable for satellites.  I use a pair of FT-817s, or sometimes I replace the 817 I use as a receiver with another radio like an Icom IC-R20 handheld wideband/all-mode receiver or the Kenwood TH-F6A HT (transmits on 3 bands in FM, but has an all-mode receiver up to 470 MHz). 

You can look at radios like the FT-100 and the FT-8x7 series from Yaesu, or the IC-706Mk2/Mk2G or the IC-7000 from Icom, for examples of HF/VHF/UHF all-mode transceivers that can be paired up for an all-mode satellite station.  The receive radio can be a wideband/all-mode receiver, since it doesn't need to have any transmit capability.  These radios I mentioned all have the capability of being controlled by software, meaning you can use a program like SatPC32 to take care of the frequency adjustments.  I work "old school", doing all adjustments by hand on my FT-817s, and enjoy working whatever satellites are available.  Others like to have some of the work automated - controlling the radio(s), antenna(s), etc.

YouTube can be the Internet's video cesspool, but there are a good number of videos showing satellite operating with a variety of radios and antennas.  Search for AMSAT or the names of satellites like AO-27 or SO-50 at YouTube, and you'll come up with a bunch of videos.  My videos are available at http://www.youtube.com/va7ewk if you want to see an example of my portable satellite operating.

Good luck, and 73!