[amsat-bb] ISS SSTV - Old and New

[Robert Bruninga]

Went out with a bunch of students to observe ISS SSTV downlink.
ISS was transmitting but I demonstrated how not to do a pass:

OLD FUD Approach:

1) Prepped the laptop.  Battery was dead
2) rigged up heavy battery and 60 Hz inverter (1 hr to go)
3) Booted laptop but it was locked out of network
4) After three tires at password, it locked me out of all my accounts on
every PC at the school
5) Gave up and dug out a Kenwood VC-H1 SSTV handheld to go with a TH-D72
(30m to AOS)
6) VC-H1 batteries were of course dead
7) Found new batteries (10m to AOS)
8) From 20 years ago, had a hard time remembering how to work it
9) Nothing heard at beginning with 3 element yagi
10) commented how this is not unusual for ISS to change schedules
11) Then heard it, but too weak
12) I explained how to track in AZ and EL and Polarity to maximize the
signal
13) Had to keep asking the mids for the TIME so I knew where to point

MELINNIAL APPROACH:

MEANWHILE I noticed some of the students holding their Phones in their
hands at arms length and waving them around.  They pointed to ISS... The
phones showed exactl;y where the ISS was as the AP placed the ISS and sky
track  on the sky view.   Done!

Im sure most of you are well aware of these things, but for the other old
fuds:

The AP was SKYGUIDE:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sky-guide/id576588894
And SKYWALK:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/star-walk-explore-the-sky/id295430577
I am sure there are others.

Time for me to get out of the way... ;-(
Bob, WB4APR