GPS set for problems from the Sun

Researchers say the Sun is awakening after a period of low activity, which does not bode well for a world ever more dependent on satellite navigation.
The Sun's irregular activity can wreak havoc with the weak sat-nav signals we use.
The last time the Sun reached a peak in activity, satellite navigation was barely a consumer product.
But the Sun is on its way to another solar maximum, which could generate large and unpredictable sat-nav errors.
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Garmin GPS: Year 2010 bug - possible pitfall for APRS Ops

This might be interesting to all GPS users - especially APRS operators. There seem to be a year 2010 bug with some Garmin devices. When switching on date and time are calculated wrong. But making it even worse almanac data is also lost. So it needs to search for all satellites whenever it is turned on (cold boot). Indeed the whole celestial mechanics is wrong: trying to display sunset
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Huge Snow Storm

Many of you already are aware of this. Huge storm to hit the east coast of the United States.

Powerhouse snowstorm to wallop the East... Developing...
Watches/Warnings...
RADAR...
Virginia declares state of emergency...
Snow clean-up burden for cash-strapped states...

EARTH-DIRECTED ERUPTION?

NASA's STEREO-B spacecraft is tracking four active regions strung across the eastern hemisphere of the sun. Click on the image below to set the scene in motion--and keep an eye on number 4.

The movie shows an eruption of unstable magnetic loops. The blast occured around 0130 UT on February 5th and may have hurled some material in the general direction of Earth. (Our planet is off the right edge of the image.) The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has a direct view of the blast site and it may be able to help evaluate this possibility.

UPDATE:
There is a gap in SOHO image data spanning the time of the eruption. At present, there is no sign of a major CME heading toward Earth, but a lesser cloud could be en route. Polar sky watchers should be alert for auroras on or about Feb. 8th.

Spring 2010 Skywarn Training Schedule

Spring 2010 Skywarn Training
Febuary 20, 2010. Muskegon, MI
9:00am EST.
Muskegon Community College Room 1100 Stevenson Center
221 S. Quarterline Road
Muskegon, MI 49442

Skywarn Training Schedule for Southwest Lower Michigan

Up-Coming Event; AM Transmitter Rally

Building on the success of AM-specific operating events such as the Heavy Metal Rally, 1st Wednesday AM Night, and the Antique Wireless Association's Amplitude Modulation QSO Party, organizers announce the AM Transmitter Rally taking place February 6 on 160-10m using 'standard' Amplitude Modulation.

The purpose of this event is to encourage the use of Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands, and to highlight various types of AM equipment in use today.

This event is open to any and all radio amateurs who are running full carrier amplitude modulation (standard AM), and any type of equipment may be used.

Although there is a "points" system to encourage friendly competition, there is also an awards incentive for categories that showcase the relaxed, satisfying nature of receiving and transmitting conversations on AM.

The event runs from 6:00 AM E.S.T. Saturday morning Feb. 6, to 2:00 AM E.S.T. the following day.

Commonly used AM Frequencies:
160 Meters: 1880-1885, 1930, 1945, 1975-1995.
80 Meters: 3730-3740, 3870-3885.
40 Meters: 7160, 7280-7295.
20 Meters: 14286.
15 Meters: 21425.
10 Meters: 29000-29200.

Complete details with scoring, awards, logbook templates, and additional information is at:
http://www.classeradio.com/amtr.pdf

1926 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue

What a treat.....Thank you to whoever sent me the (1926 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue) It is really awesome. No return address or anything on box. Just my address.

Just Thinking

I wish outer space guys would conquer the Earth and make people their pets, because I'd like to have one of those little beds with my name on it.

Gaua Volcano, Vanuatu

Eruptions have increased at Gaua volcano, Vanuatu during January. Ash emissions have increased significantly since 16th January. Ash emissions reached a height 3000 m. Strombolian eruptions occurred on 24th January. Explosions were seen and heard from villages on the east coast of Gaua on 29th January. Water level in Lake Letas has risen up to 30 cm since 22nd January. People are advised to avoid the volcano until further notice.

My Dog

Something happened to my dog tonight, I am not for sure what. She ran around the house, jumped on the couch, then her eyes rolled and she fell off the couch. Her body stiffened and then she quit breathing. Almost like a seizure. We called every vet in Muskegon and none would see her. Got to wait till Monday and see our vet. Some of the vets would see her if we had been under their care currently. No humanity anymore.

TERRESTRIAL GAMMA-RAY FLASHES

There's a mystery in the skies of Earth. Something is producing bright flashes of gamma radiation in the upper atmosphere of our own planet. A spacecraft called 'Firefly' is going to investigate:
full story.

Contest this Weekend.

The 2010 Winter Field Day will be held from 1700 UCT (12:00 noon EST) Saturday January 30, 2010 through 1700 UCT (12:00 noon EST) Sunday January 31, 2010. The object of the event is familiar to most Amateur Radio operators: set up emergency-style communications and make as many contacts as possible during the 24 hour period. The rules encourage as many contacts on as many bands and modes as possible, because during a real emergency, the most important factor is the ability to communicate, regardless of band, mode or distance.

There is also the CQ World Wide 160-Meter Contest.

I do not know how much contesting I will do but plan on being out there.

NASA WEB CHAT

Later today (Friday, Jan. 29th) NASA planetary scientist Barbara Cohen will answer your questions about the Moon and Mars during a live web chat hosted by the Marshall Space Flight Center. Click here to join the discussion, which begins at 3 pm EST (2000 UT).

BIGGEST FULL MOON OF THE YEAR

If you think tonight's Moon looks unusually big, you're right. It's the biggest full Moon of 2010. Astronomers call it a "perigee Moon," some 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons of the year.

Johannes Kepler explained the phenomenon 400 years ago. The Moon's orbit around Earth is not a circle but an ellipse, with one side 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other. Astronomers call the point of closest approach "perigee," and that is where the Moon will be Friday night through Saturday morning.

A good time to look is around sunset when the Moon is near the eastern horizon. At that time, illusion mixes with reality to produce a truly stunning view. For reasons not fully understood by psychologists, low-hanging Moons look unnaturally large when they beam through foreground objects such as buildings and trees. Why not let the "Moon illusion" amplify a full Moon that's extra-big to begin with? The swollen orb rising in the east may seem close enough to touch.

ISS SSTV experiment

ISS SSTV experiment The Russian Federal Space website lists the International Space Station (ISS) MAI-75 experiment (Slow Scan TV on 145.800 MHz) taking place from Wednesday January 27 to Friday January 29. This may mean Amateur Slow Scan TV (SSTV) may take place on one or more of these days. Previous activations of the SSTV system have produced some good images that can be seen on the ARISS SSTV picture gallery site.

The ISS puts out a strong signal on 145.800 MHz FM and a 2m handheld with a 1/4 wave groundplane antenna will be enough to receive it. The FM transmission uses 5 kHz deviation which is standard in much of the world.
Many FM rigs in the UK can be switched between wide and narrow deviation FM filters so select the wider deviation. Handhelds all seem to have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

Free PC sound card Slow Scan TV software such as MMSSTV can be used to display the pictures and you can use software such as the IZ8BLY Vox Recoder to save the audio for later decoding if you are away at work.

Russian Federal Space - ISS Experiments January 25-31 (Google English)
http://tinyurl.com/yhy49t4

Information on the MAI-75 SSTV experiment
http://www.energia.ru/eng/iss/resear...cation-26.html

How to access the ISS Slow Scan TV
http://www.marexmg.org/fileshtml/howtoisssstv.html

Free Slow Scan TV Software MMSSTV uses your PCs Soundcard
http://mmhamsoft.amateur-radio.ca/

IZ8BLY Vox Recoder, enables you to record the signals from the ISS on 145.800 MHz while you're away at work
http://xoomer.alice.it/aporcino/VoxRecorder/

ISS Real Time Tracking (tick draw footprint)
http://www.n2yo.com/?s=25544

Amateur Radio on the International Space station (ARISS) SSTV picture gallery
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/

ISS Fan Club
http://www.issfanclub.com/

AMSAT-UK publish a colour A4 newsletter, OSCAR News, that is full of Amateur Satellite information.
Join online at https://secure.amsat.org.uk/subs_form




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