AMSAT Eagle design, construction, and testing

Jim Sanford, WB4GCS, AMSAT Eagle's Project Manager recognized significant contributions to the EAGLE satellite design.

Jim wrote, "Some of the folks recruited since or around last year's Symposium have done GREAT things for Eagle. I'm referring to Juan Rivera, WA6HTP, and the Project Oscar team that he assembled. They have purchased materials for, constructed, and are testing the U-band receiver. This process has taught us many thing about our PROCESSES and designs, as well as done great things for the particular project at hand. AND THEY HAVE DOCUMENTED IT WELL!"

Jim continued, "Bill Ress, N6GHZ is another newcomer who has done great things. At a time when EAGLE's Advanced Communication Package is still in the conceptual design stage, Bill took it upon himself to design an S2-band receiver and built it. He did so on his own dime and did it in a way that lends itself to experimentation - modularized
construction."

Bob, N4HY, added, "Marc Franco, N2UO and Al Katz, K2UYH have delivered a paper to an international audience on our 145 MHz amplifier design. It is HUGELY efficient. Based on Cree Semiconductor amplifiers, it will be state of the art. We will be able to produce the most efficient and most linear HELAPS we have ever produced based on this work. Marc is the lead on this development and is now designing the modulator and driver stages."

Also Bob, N4HY and Tom, K3IO are working with development tools and new development boards to get the pieces of the SDX designed/simulated to deliver the signals needed for the HELAPS nonlinear channel and the modulator.

Lou McFadin, W5DID and his compatriots have made good progress on critical system elements for the best charge regulation system we have ever flown.

One of the discoveries arising out of testing the UHF receiver design is a recognition that we may need to redesign the switching power supply on the CAN-Do! widgets. So, I'm seeking a switching power supply designer. That individual will be faced with a wide range of load currents (tens of mA to A), very small "real estate" on the board, and demanding EMI requirements. Jim summarized, "Anyone interested in
this exciting project should contact me directly and immediately." (wb4gcs@amsat.org).

At the AMSAT Symposium in October, papers will be presented on the U Rx, the S2 Rx, and on the V-band power amp.

Jim, WB4GCS