AMSAT News

AMSAT Academy to be Held Prior to Dayton Hamvention

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Come join us the day before Hamvention, for AMSAT Academy – a unique opportunity to learn all about amateur radio in space and working the FM, linear transponder, and digital satellites currently in orbit.

AMSAT Academy will be held Thursday, May 16, 2019, from 9:00am to 5:00pm, at the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) Clubhouse, located at 6619 Bellefontaine Rd, Dayton, Ohio.

Registration Fee includes:

Full day of instruction, designed for both beginners and advanced amateur radio satellite operators, and taught by some of the most accomplished AMSAT operators.
Digital copy of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites, 2019 Edition ($15 value)
One-Year, AMSAT Basic Membership ($44 value)
Pizza Buffet Lunch.
Invitation to the Thursday night AMSAT get together at Ticket Pub and Eatery in Fairborn.

AMSAT Academy 2019 Registration Fee: $85.00. Registration closes May 10, 2019. No sign ups at the door. No refunds, No cancellations.

Registration may be purchased on the AMSAT Store.

Details about AMSAT’s other activities at the 2019 Hamvention, including the TAPR/AMSAT Banquet may be found here.

FoxTelem Version 1.07 Released

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I’m officially releasing version 1.07 of FoxTelem. A test version has been out for a while, but it had several issues, including a lower decode rate than 1.06. That prevented release for a while. Those issues (and something like 65 other defects) are now all fixed and this decoder performs better than 1.06. Feel free to test them side by side and report back if that is not the case for you. We are always interested in any comparative results.

In addition to defects in FoxTelem 1.06 and earlier versions of 1.07, this also introduces Doppler calculation with automatic adjustment of the decoder frequency. This is especially useful for decoding beacons and has been helpful in testing for Fox-1A / AO-85 and Fox-1Cliff / AO-95 which are both in SAFE mode. Decoding from Doppler takes a bit of configuration to get right. Have a read of the new sections in the manual or ask for help if you want to give it a try. There are pros and cons vs “Find Signal” for sure.

Version 1.07 changes the core SDR within FoxTelem to use a Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO) rather than an FFT Filter for the conversion to base-band. This produces better decodes and will allow the support of wider bandwidth SDRs in the future. The old decoder is available still if needed from the settings screen. Read the manual for details.

Version 1.07 also introduces two new BPSK decoders in advance of the Fox-1E launch. (I have no inside information about when that will be, but I have the decoder ready 🙂 I also wrote some notes on the comparison between the two decoders, which you can read if you are interested in BPSK decoding performance, or just wonder what I do with my time in the evenings: http://www.g0kla.com/workbench/2019-03-09.php

The releases are here:
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows/foxtelem_1.07y_windows.zip
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux/foxtelem_1.07y_linux.tar.gz
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac/foxtelem_1.07y_mac.tar.gz

KEY CHANGES in 1.07
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* Ability to add a new spacecraft from the menu. You can also remove them.
* Doppler calculation and tracking as an option instead of “Find Signal”
* A better SDR based on a Numerically Controlled Oscillator, ready for wider SDRs
* Two new PSK decoders – Costas Loop and Dotproduct
* RTL dongle implemented for testing, though more work to do
* Stops downloading keps when position calc is off
* Allows toggling of high speed / DUV display when in auto mode
* Fixed plotting issues for Earth plots
* Fixes several crashes and bugs
* Fixes copy paste issues with tables
* Respects left/right audio preference when processing wav files
* Implements formats for later spacecraft – Fox-1E and HuskySat
* Linux and Mac launch script updated to locate the JVM (especially on Mac). Please report if when this works/does not work
* MEMS gyro calibration updated
* Fixed a bug where AO-85 data from the server could not be stepped through

And many other bug fixes. Full list of changes here: https://github.com/ac2cz/FoxTelem/milestone/12?closed=1

Let me know any feedback.

73
Chris
G0KLA / AC2CZ

AO-85 Status Update

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All,

As you probably know, AO-85 has had issues recently with the batteries dropping precariously low during eclipse. We think it’s likely the batteries suffered degradation due to heat during previous periods of no eclipses. This has made it difficult to keep the satellite available for use without endangering the batteries. Today the nominally 3.6v pack was down to 2.8v at the end of the eclipse. That is dangerously low.

In an effort to extend the usable life of the satellite, this evening we turned both the IHU and the transmitter off. This ceases all transmissions, including the beacons every two minutes in both sunlit and eclipsed parts of the orbit. We will periodically turn the satellite back on for an orbit or two, in order to gather telemetry. If all goes as planned, we will turn the repeater back on during the next period of no eclipses beginning around January 24th. In the meantime, it is important to leave AO-85 tracked in your FoxTelem setups, in order for us to gather telemetry and keep tabs on the situation. If you do happen to hear a Veronica beacon, or either the normal repeater or the COR/no telemetry repeater, please let the AMSAT-BB know, or send me an email or message directly.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we try to make the most of the situation. Please consider supporting the AMSAT GOLF project with your membership, and one-time or recurring donations at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/ or https://www.amsat.org/donate/.

73, Drew KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations

Support AMSAT Using Your IRA

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United States residents over age 70 1/2 may distribute up to $100,000 annually from their Individual Retirement Account (IRA) directly to qualifying charities, like the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), without first having to declare the distribution as income. That means your income will not increase, enabling you potentially to remain in a lower tax bracket for income taxes and possible Medicare premium surcharges. Donating directly from your IRA to AMSAT could have more tax advantages for you than a direct personal donation, depending on your personal tax situation.

To make this kind of donation, first contact the custodian of your IRA plan (e.g., the bank, mutual fund, brokerage, insurance company, etc.) that manages your IRA, and instruct that you wish to make a donation to AMSAT directly from your IRA.

The check from the custodian must be made payable to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. Your custodian will then send you a 1099 form showing you, as the owner of the IRA, did not receive the income for your personal use. Most custodians will have you complete a direct donation form, and will mail the check directly to AMSAT.

AMSAT greatly appreciates any size donation from your IRA. Please call the AMSAT Office at 301-822-4376 for help with any information or mailing instructions required by your IRA custodian.

AMSAT strongly encourages those interested in supporting AMSAT through an IRA to consult with their attorney, accountant, and tax preparer or financial advisor to determine the implications and impact of such a gift on your personal situation.

Thank you for supporting AMSAT!

The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation is an IRC 501(c)(3) organization (tax identification number 52-0888529).