Thursday, February 2, 2012

SumbandilaSat Fails

South Africa’s Defence Web reports that the nations second satellite, SumbandilaSat also known as SO-67 is no longer fully operational.

Rob Olivier is the head of Business Development at SunSpace. He told Defence Web that although contact can still be made with the satellite, it cannot capture images. As such it is no longer fulfilling its main purpose.

Oliver added that chances of repairing the satellite on-orbit are virtually none. As such SunSpace has moved on to other projects.

SumbandilaSat was damaged during a solar storm in the June of 2011.
The power supply to its onboard computer stopped working and the satellite stopped sending back images.

In addition to its primary mission SumbandilaSat also carried an radio payload as well. This consisted of a voice beacon, a store and forward parrot repeater and VHF to UHF FM repeater.
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Yaesu to Introduce New Digital Radios in 2012

Yaesu is hinting that they will be coming out with new digital amateur radios in 2012.

A new pamphlet discussing amateur digital radios shows the new Vertex Standard APCO P-25 commercial radios, as well as new amateur radios based on the C4FM FDMA digital audio system commonly known as MotoTrobo.

The pamphlet makes it appear that Yaesu will be offering amateur gear based on the MotoTrobo digital standard sometime this. The new vertex radios look identical to their Motorola counterparts.

Our guess is that any launch of such a project would likely take place at the Dayton Hamvention in mid-May.
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My Stamp Collecting Blog

My Stamp Collecting Blog

Counter Added January 1, 2011

free counters

HOW TO READ PROPAGATION NUMBERS

The A index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 1 to 6 is BEST
  • 7 to 9 is OK
  • 11 or more is BAD

Represents the overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Ap" if averaged from the Kp-Index) (an average of the eight 3-hour K-Indices) ('A' referring to amplitude) over a given 24 hour period, ranging (linearly) typically from 1-100 but theoretically up to 400.

A lower A-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Ap-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

SFI index [ HIGH is GOOD ]

  • 70 NOT GOOD
  • 80 GOOD
  • 90 BETTER
  • 100+ BEST

The measure of total radio emissions from the sun at 10.7cm (2800 MHz), on a scale of 60 (no sunspots) to 300, generally corresponding to the sunspot level, but being too low in energy to cause ionization, not related to the ionization level of the Ionosphere.

Higher Solar Flux generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; Solar Flux rarely affects the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

K index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 0 or 1 is BEST
  • 2 is OK
  • 3 or more is BAD
  • 5 is VERY VERY BAD

The overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Kp" if averaged over the planet) over the past 3 hours, measured by 13 magnetometers between 46 & 63 degrees of latitude, and ranging quasi-logarithmically from 0-9. Designed to detect solar particle radiation by its magnetic effect. A higher K-index generally means worse HF conditions.

A lower K-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Kp-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

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