Fox Telemetry Decoder Software Version 1.0

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Version 1.0 of the Fox Telemetry Decoder software has been released, enabling setup, testing, and debugging of your Fox-1A ground station prior to the launch of the satellite. FoxTelem is used to demodulate, store and analyze telemetry data from AMSAT's Fox series of CubeSats.

Fox-1 satellites include two telemetry formats:

  • Slow Speed, also called Data Under Voice (DUV) is 200 bps FSK data  sent at the same time as the transponder audio. Whenever the transmitter is on, data is being sent. This happens during beacons and  during live QSOs.
  • High Speed is 9600 bps FSK sent instead of the transponder. This is  used for data intensive experiments such as the Virginia Tech Camera. This is only active when commanded from the ground. You can recognize  High Speed because it sounds like an old school computer modem.

FoxTelem will receive and store both formats assuming you can feed it audio that does not have the frequencies below 200 Hz filtered. For High Speed, the audio must also extend to include the full 9600bps bandwidth of the FM signal. For both modes this is best achieved from a Software Defined Radio or from the 9600 bps packet port of some radios. The FoxTelem User Guide provides more details.

FoxTelem is supplied as an archive file (.zip on windows, .dmg file on MacOs, .gzip on Linux).

Downlad - http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=4532

 

FreeDV Fortnightly Europe-wide Net / Test Session

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17th September 2015 saw the first FreeDV test session/NET, the intention being to have several stations running the Open Source FreeDV digital voice mode (http://www.freedv.org) on HF, so that we can see how well it works across Europe and to allow both those sending and receiving to set levels in the software to enable the best transmission copy.

There were eight active participants sending and a further twelve stations monitoring activities on air and via the chat room at qso.freedv.org.

Forty metre band conditions were not good and the net suffered a lot of QRM despite moving frequencies several times.

Both the standard 1600 and the new 700B modes were used. PC, MAC and SM1000 based stations took part. Some progress and a few contacts were made.

This sked will occur next on October 1st at 1800 UTC, this time using 20 metres.

Full details are on the digital voice Google Group - https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/digitalvoice

 

Lundy DX Group 2015

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The Lundy DX Group will be active again from Lundy Island IOTA EU-120 from the 6th - 13th October 2015, operating using the callsign MX0LDG.

This year's team will be John (M5JON), Pete (M0ILT), Anthony (MW0JZE) and John (G3JKL), the team hope to be up and running from 1400 UTC, 6th October 2015

K800 Lundy MX0OLDG will be on 10m to 40m SSB & RTTY . Due to the electricity being turned off at midnight until 6am we will not be operating between these times.

The team are endeavoring to run 4 stations for the period of the activation, from Stony Croft Cottage the location of the 2012 activation 

  • 2 Kenwood TS-590's
  • 1 Kenwood TS-570
  • 1 Yaesu FT-450 
  • Antennas 3 - G3TXQ Light Weight D-Hexpedtion Hexbeams Supplied by Ant MW0JZE
  • 1 Steppir Vetical

IOTA: EU-120 , Grid Locator: IO71pe, WAB: SS14, Lighthouse Old Devon light ARLHS: ENG 073.

Logs will be uploaded to ClubLog daily,  internet connection permitting.

QSL Via Tim M0URX - OQRS System http://www.m0urx.com/oqrs/

QSL cards for this DXpedition are printed and will be posted out as soon as logs are confirmed.

Please note that MX0LDG is NOT affiliated to the RSGB. So bureau ONLY Via OQRS. No incoming cards will be collected.