SatVector

Pro-tip if you're using a breakout board for #a4988 motor drivers. The switches for microstepping only break the circuit to +5v and do *not* send to ground. This can create a floating ground and introduce issues with your stepper motor commands. #arduino #steppermotor #engineering

Working at the bench tonight testing out new WebBLE code on the #arduino. Chrome <-> Arduino works great, but gotta improve grounding between circuits to avoid spurious motor movement. #dev #hamradio #nano #stem

First time playing with Web Bluetooth in Chrome and it is ridiculously cool. So much more reliable and straightforward than the old HC-05 modules I was using.

Big #dev weekend for SatVector Web! Stood up the db plus got the auth service running. You will be able to set up your custom profile/sats/prefs and log all your contacts right within SatVector w/.adif export. Previews from dev env tonight. #hamradio #satellite

It's been a busy few months behind the scenes at SatVector HQ! While the Mac app will still be developed, a new web app has also been in the works so both Mac & Windows can be supported. Dev for Web Bluetooth in Chrome w/new Arduino hardware starts Sun. Check out the new web interface!

Damn, I let the smoke out! A short in the 12v Nema 17 power input will need some attention and probably a new input filter capacitor. #engineering #amateurradio #oops

TIL that the onboard regulator for the 12v #Arduino Nano input cannot power the Nano, an HC-06, and the logic side of two A4988 motor drivers! Once this power snafu is sorted, SatVector hardware will be off bench power and completely battery operated. #engineering #hamradio #electronics #robotics

A promotional graphic for World Amateur Radio Day, featuring the theme "Entering the Next Century of Amateur Radio Communications & Innovation" by the IARU. The text thanks educators, partners, fellow amateurs, and supporters. The image includes four photos: two astronauts in space, a group of people at a radio workshop, and children speaking into a microphone. Captions describe astronauts making radio contacts from the ISS, a student talking to the ISS crew, and teachers at a SPARKI workshop. The ARISS logo is in the bottom right corner.

It's World Amateur Radio Day!

Congratulations to the Pan-African Citizen Science e-lab group on a successful contact with Nichole Ayers today.

We hope you enjoy all your operating activities!

The satellite data tracking data stream is live for the first time! Some refinement will come as I connect it to the AZ/EL motors and adjust the software to work smoothly with the hardware, but the tracking code framework is complete and operational! #amateurradio #developer #python #hamradio #maker

Resolved two persistent bugs this weekend and (I think) have the pass prediction module in an excellent place. Starting the maths for direct AZ/EL entry & tracking mode commands to send the #Arduino for AZ/EL steps. New hardware design to test, too! #python #developer #maker #amateurradio #satellite

Fram2Ham: SSTV Image Handling The Fram2Ham SSTV transmissions are part of a STEM contest. Here’s how to handle your images: Do: Upload captures to ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV ASAP. They’ll stay private until the mission ends. Don’t: Post to social media until we give the all-clear. The image includes a "FRAM2" logo with five figures in white suits, a snowy landscape with a puzzle overlay, and an ARISS/ISS logo, set against a grid background.

Expect Fram2Ham SSTV transmissions to start later today, so be ready to monitor your passes.

Please remember you’re listening in on a STEM contest for students.

Share your images to the ARISS image gallery, but please don’t share them on social media until after the event!

Busy week of testing and printing gears & new base plates. Increased to 6" thrust bearing, too; way more stable! Got a good fit and mockup tonight with the direct drive on both AZ/EL motors. Testing with the SatVector software tomorrow! #maker #3dprinting #engineering #amateurradio

I was excited to test both axes simultaneously. That testing revealed several shortcomings, so I suppose it failed successfully! Testing a planetary gear design to direct drive AZ w/a larger thrust bearing. Haven't ruled out doing the same for EL. #maker #engineering #antenna #nema17 #gears

Added elevation motor, gear, and drive shaft, & printed an expanded base. A belt driven gear for EL worked great. Next base iteration will add reinforcement for the AZ shaft housing & center support for EL shaft. Great weekend of improvements! #maker #engineering #amateurradio #developer #bambu

Big milestone today! Got the azimuth housing prototype printed (after a few revisions) and successfully tested out AZ control using manual mode. 5:1 gear ratio means 1,000 steps for full AZ rotation = .36 degrees/step resolution. #maker #robotics #amateurradio #developer #satellite

How does SatQueue mode work in SatVector? I made a handy chart to demonstrate the decisions and flow for this function. #developer #python #hamradio #amateurradio

The SatQueue feature is done! Here's a quick preview of it as I run pass data for all favorite sats, add to SatQueue, and export. SatQueue tracking mode development is already underway and AZ gears arrive tomorrow for testing. #amateurradio #development #python #satellite #maker

I'd be remiss if I didn't wish everyone a happy Pi day! This week has seen a lot of progress in coding the SatQueue feature. This allows you to create a custom queue of sat passes to not only export, but also tee up passes for SatVector to track for you. #amateurradio #python #developer

Mounting hardware mockup tonight. Base plate (white) mounts to lighting stand for portability & main gear mounted stationary above the plate. 12v delivered through center w/o tangling via slip ring. AZ motor/housing orbits for position. prototyping 5:1 gear ratio #maker #engineering #amateurradio

The goal of SatVector isn't just to predict passes, but command an #Arduino antenna tracking system. Control commands from SatVector are sent over bluetooth to the Nano, which decodes them & signals the appropriate A4988 driver controlling AZ/EL positions. #maker #robotics #engineering #amateurradio

A graphic titled "ARISS Frequencies" details amateur radio frequencies on the ISS. An astronaut, Thomas Pesquet (KG5FYG), is shown inside the ISS, holding a microphone amid equipment and patches. The frequency plan includes: ARISS voice repeater (437.800 MHz transmit, 145.990 MHz receive with 67 Hz PL tone), packet radio (145.825 MHz), and educational contacts (145.800 MHz). Caption: "Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG using one of the ARISS radios. NASA Photo." An ARISS logo is in the bottom right.

Are you up to date on your ARISS frequencies? Here are the 4 you need to know.

What about casual ham radio contacts with the crew? When they choose to get on the radio you will hear them on the the repeater. Listen for NA1SS or one of our other callsigns.

The drive gear for the Nema 17 motor is dialed in. Still need some minor adjustments for the main gear but it's coming along. This week's updates will mostly be about catching up on the hardware/robotics half of the project. #maker #Robotics #amateurradio #antenna #satellite

Big day here at SatVector HQ! New @bambulabglobal.bsky.social A1 Mini arrived and Benchy came out perfectly. Time to start working on the gears and hardware components of SatVector. #maker #3DPrinting

Testing went well, found a couple of bugs and did some documentation. In the end, decided not to put out a beta and will work on a few more features instead.

Working on packaging up a macOS beta of the data/prediction side of SatVector. Major features are done, but still have plenty of improvements in mind. If testing goes well I'll drop it in the #GitHub. #amateurradio #satellite #amsat #ariss #python

Ever wondered how to calculate your Maidenhead grid square from lat/long? Spoiler alert: it's math!! Here's a screenshot of the #python I put together to display it in SatVector settings. Snag the text from the image & try yourself! Tip: % is python math for "remainder" www.w8bh.net/grid_squares...

New feature added! Just finished the initial "favorites" module for amateur radio satellites. This keeps your favorite sats easy to find so you aren't scrolling through a giant list to find your faves. Bonus: screenshot taken during a great #AMSAT AO-7 pass! More tk #python #tkinter #developer

Ditched the giant text widget for pass data output in favor of the much nicer Treeview class. Export output is now .csv as well. Also added location detail to the title, plus a little button reorg. More pass prediction improvements still on the way! #python #tkinter #developer

First post! Here's the latest peek at the GUI. Just finished some logic for adding/removing/validating location data to the config json. Can't wait to catch you all up on where I'm at with developing SatVector. More tk #python #tkinter #STEM #developer