January 16th 07, 11:52 PM
posted to rec.radio.shortwave
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Jan 2007
Posts: 6
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New Satellite
Well, a new satellite has been launched that may be interesting to
copy/QSL...
From the ARRL web site (arrl.org):
(Jan 15, 2007) -- AMSAT-LU (Argentina) has announced that Pehuensat-1,
the second Argentinian Amateur Radio satellite, now is in a 635 to 640 km
sun-synchronous polar orbit (97.92 degree inclination). It was launched
on January 10 from India. Once activated Pehuensat-1 will transmit voice
messages in three languages
-- English, Hindi and Spanish -- on 145.825 MHz followed by AX.25 1200
bps packet. Named after the native Patagonian Pehuen tree, Pehuensat-1
was developed by the Argentina School of Engineering at the National
University of Comahue, the Argentina Association for Technology and Space
and AMSAT-LU. More information is on the AMSAT-LU Web site. To determine
the next pass at your location, click
on the small revolving globe off of the coast of Argentina, select your
location from the map, and then select PEHUENSAT-1. Reception reports are
welcome. -- AMSAT-NA; AMSAT-LU
To know when to copy the satellite, you have to know when it is close to
your location. To do that you need a good satellite tracking program.
You can use the one mentioned in the article above, but it seems a bit
difficult to use and only covers a limited number of cities. Let me
recommend a very nice tracking program with a very nice price--free!
Go to www.stoff.pl and download "Orbitron 3.71". Once you load and
install it, make sure you update the "Keplarian elements", the latest
orbital data the program needs to give you accurate tracking info.
Satscape is a better Satellite Tracking program.
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