September 2010 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-255 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins
by Dee 12 Sep '10

12 Sep '10

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-255 ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor(a)amsat.org In this edition: * BOD Ballots last reminder * Symposium 2010 Note * Satellite Shorts From All Over * WSR Bulletins * ARISS Status - 7 September 2010 SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-255.01 BOD Ballots last reminder AMSAT News Service Bulletin 255.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. September 12, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-255.01 On September 15th, AMSAT will stop accepting the Board of Director's Ballots. This is a friendly reminder to send your votes in ASAP. Most feel this action will not be changing anything by 1 vote, however, if 2000 plus people felt this way, the true vote count for those that win will not be an actual survey of the members wishes. This year we are pleased to have great people running and all are more than qualified to earn your vote. Again, please drop your ballot in the mail ASAP so the BOD has a great place to start. [ANS thanks Martha for the above information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-255.02 Symposium 2010 Note AMSAT News Service Bulletin 255.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. September 12, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-255.02 Symposium to Feature ARISSat-1 on Saturday, October 9 As the 2010 Symposium schedule and papers take shape the Symposium Committee says we plan for Saturday morning, October 9 to be dedicated to the latest news, information, and demonstrations of ARISSat-1. AMSAT's Engineering and Development Team will discuss the design of the hardware and software. A working satellite will be present at the Symposium. Stand by for more details as the schedule is finalized in the coming weeks. ADDITIONAL SYMPOSIUM IMPORTANT INFO & REMINDERS ----------------------------------------------- Two important deadlines are approaching for AMSAT's 2010 Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting being held on Friday, October 8 through Sunday, October 10. EARLY SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION EXPIRES SEPTEMBER 15 ------------------------------------------------- The early Symposium conference fee of $40 expires on September 15. Your conference fee includes entrance to the Symposium, refreshments and a copy of the 2010 Symposium Proceedings: $40.00 per person before 15 September 2010 $45.00 from 21 September through 5 October Online registration closes 5 October at Midnight. Registration at the door will be $50.00. You can register for the Symposium on-line at the AMSAT Store: http://www.amsat-na.com/store/SymposiumReg.php RESERVED ROOMS SPECIAL RATE EXPIRES ON SEPTEMBER 24 --------------------------------------------------- The block of reserved hotel rooms at the Chicago/Elk Grove Holiday Inn is available until September 24. This hotel is located west of O'Hare Airport at 1000 Busse Road, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. The registration code for the discount rate of $79.00 per night is AMS. The direct link to the www.holidayinn.com hotel web page is: http://tinyurl.com/2aptoeu You can also reach this page from the Symposium web page at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2010/Hotel.php The telephone number at the hotel is 1-847-437-6010 FLIGHT & AIRPORT INFORMATION ---------------------------- Chicago-O'Hare International Airport is the closest to the Chicago/ Elk Grove Holiday Inn Hotel. The hotel offers free hourly shuttle service to and from O'Hare Airport. Call the hotel upon arrival to let them know to come pick you up. Caution! Several cheap flights to/from Chicago go to Midway Airport. Note that Chicago-Midway Airport is approximately 40 miles from the hotel and will require commuting or a $22.00 Shuttle fee. O'Hare Airport is served by all major air carriers. Getting there by car: The hotel address is 1000 Busse Road, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. A map link is included on the hotel web page. The GPS coordinates are 42° 00' 37.30" N 87° 57' 36.5" W. [ANS thanks the 2010 Symposium Committee for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-255.03 Satellite Shorts From All Over AMSAT News Service Bulletin 255.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. September 12, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-255.03 + Clint, K6LCS said this week, "Attendees of the upcoming West Coast ARRL regional conventions will be subjected to my AMSAT "Work the Sats with your HT" spiel." Watch the registration lobbies' bulletin boards for times of passes to be worked outside the entrances: September 17-19 http://www.sandarc.net/Convention2010/index.html ARRL Southwestern Division Convention, San Diego, California K6LCS presentation - Saturday, 9AM October 15-17 http://www.pacificon.org/ ARRL Pacific Division Convention, San Ramon, California K6LCS presentation - Saturday. 10AM Clint's web page is at: http://www.work-sat.com + A time-lapse 4-minute movie of preparing and launching STS-131: http://tinyurl.com/sts-131-prep (www.airspacemag.com site). + In the "Trying to stretch the footprint on AO-7 mode A" department Bob, W7LRD describes this as a most masochistic endeavor. However, partial success was found trying to work from Seattle to Japan on AO-7. On September 10 Bob copied a partial signal from JH1BCL at a distance of 7719 KM. + To help speed up the CubeSat design process, Clyde Space published their full User Manuals online. They can be downloaded from: http://www.clyde-space.com/news/282_cubesat-user-manuals-now-online Clyde Space now has its own YouTube channel for videos showing hard- ware tests, presentations and general goings on: http://www.youtube.com/user/ClydeSpace Also, see the story on SouthGate ARC news site at: http://tinyurl.com/32kd6t5 + *The next "Hudson Valley, NY Satcom" net date is Thursday Sept. 16 at 8PM (EDT) or (2400UTC) On the 146.97 MBARC repeater, w/ a Pl. of 100, & an echo link node of N2EYH-L & more info: www.hvsatcom,.org & all welcome! Stu (WA2BSS) [ANS thanks everyone for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-255.04 WSR Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 255.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. September 12, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-255.04 An additional ANS bulletin, Weekly Satellite Report, WSR249(this week), is put out weekly by James French, W8ISS. This contains a listing of all operational satellites as well as information on non-operational and deorbitted ones. If you subscribe to this ANS news you automatically get that WSR bulletin as well. In particular, you will have up to the minute information on Amateur Satellites. A well done goes to James for keeping us all this well informed. [ANS thanks James French, W8ISS, for his fine work] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-255.05 ARISS Status - 7 September 2010 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 255.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. September 12, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-255.05 1. Upcoming School Contact The Norwegian Museum of Science, Technology and Medicine, Oslo, Norway has been taken place via Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Saturday, September 11 at 12:16 UTC via telebridge station LU8YY in Neuquen, Argentina. The museum has a small planetarium which offers classes on astronomy and space. A total of 63,000 students at all levels in the Norwegian school system attend 25 different programs at the museum throughout the year. The museum participated in the NASA Albedo Project in 2008 and distributed Galileoscopes during the International Year of Astronomy 2009. 2. Successful Contact with Konu Milky Way Observatory Konu "Milky Way," a children's astronomical observatory in Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Japan, participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Monday, August 30. Shannon Walker, KD5DXB answered 27 questions posed to her by the youth. The observatory provides the general public with an opportunity to observe the night sky and to learn about the ISS and amateur radio. It operates its own club station 8J4MY. 3. Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS On September 3, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1725 included a story on Dave Taylor, the new ARISS-U.S. delegate. "Names in the News: W8AAS Appointed AMSAT US Delegate to ARISS International" may be found at: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt 4. Astronaut Training Status ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA had an ARISS refresher course on September 3. He was briefed on procedures to install the VHF Ericsson radio system in the Columbus module. Nespoli is slated to fly with Expedition 26 in December 2010. [ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information] /EX ANS is released worldwide via the AMSAT ANS e-mail reflector and a live radiocast on the AMSAT-NA 20-meter net held each Sunday on 14.282 MHz. Pre-net operations start at 18:00 UTC, with current ANS bulletins trans- mitted to the eastern U.S. at 19:00 UTC and to the western U.S. at 19:30 UTC. Information on AMSAT-NA is available at the following URL: http://www.amsat.org Mailing address: AMSAT-NA 850 Sligo Avenue, Suite 600 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-4703 Voice: 301-589-6062 888-322-6728 FAX: 301-608-3410 In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org

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KD8KSN/0 In DN60
by Zachary Beougher 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

All, I have received several requests for DN60, so we have decided to make a special trip and work this grid. The good news is that I will put DN60 on the air, the bad news is that I will only be on one pass on either Wednesday or Thursday afternoon/evening. I will try to post details if we hit WiFi in the Rockies. I apologize that this is so vague. Thanks to all for the QSOs on AO27 this afternoon - I managed to get 13 QSOs through the QRM and popping noise I was getting on my received signal (??????). I appreciate the other portable stations standing by and letting me make some contacts. 73! Zack KD8KSN/0 DM78mo

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Mode S antenna
by Matt Patterson 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

Just won this antenna on ebay for my portable V/S setup. Hope it will work for what I'm wanting to do. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160477089933> &item=160477089933 Plan on mounting the downconverter to the back of it. Now to program the memories of both my HTs. 73 Matt W5LL

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SatPC32 and rotor controller not working
by Allen Fugelseth 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

It appears that my G6LVB controller is not driving the G5500 from SatPC32 V12b I am running WinXP ==> SatPC32 V12b ==> G6LVB interface ==> G5500 rotor. My rotor is not responding to SatPC32. I have successfully used the cmds in the G6LVB instructions with HyperTerminal to drive the rotor. SatPC32 does drive the FT847. I have toggled the SatPC32 screen R+/- without good results. I am using the FTDI USB with the 2.8.2.0 driver to virtual Com Port 6. As anyone had and solved this problem? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks and 73, Allen WB6RWU

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Satellite Equip For Sale
by Andi Miller 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

I have M2 14C, 7 element cross yagi for 70 cm RHC, RF switching pre amps by SSB If interested let me know. Please respond to KA5SMA(a)amsat.org or call 615 545 6035 73, Mike Miller KA5SMA

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Next "HV Satcom" Net
by Stuart Balanger 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

*The next "HV Satcom" net date is Thursday Sept. 16 at 8PM (EDT) or (2400UTC) On the 146.97 MBARC repeater, w/ a Pl. of 100, & an echo link node of N2EYH-L & more info: www.hvsatcom,.org & all welcome! 73,.Stu (WA2BSS) PS Due to unknown curcumstances, I won't be at this yr's "symposium! *

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TwitPic from Space - Ham Radio coment also
by Fabiano Moser 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

Hi, During a 25 Aug Birthday QSO Cel. Doug Whellock promess to send me a Twitter from ISS showing Portugal. Here are the Photo with greetings also to friends in Spain * "A view of the Iberian Peninsula, the Strait of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean, and northern Africa . A special ‘shout out’ to my Ham Radio friends in Spain and Portugal: Fabiano, Paolo and Marco! Looks like a splendid summer afternoon, I am looking forward to our next contact. My very best wishes… "* http://twitpic.com/2ndq3b -- 73 Fabiano Moser CT7ABD / PY5RX "There is no great talent without great will. (Honoré de Balzac)"

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SO-50 today at 1555 UTC
by Tom 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

I worked a station with call ending in 6FOG on SO-50 this morning. I never was able to get the first letter of his call but he was in CM95. Was that W6FOG or K6FOG? Or some other prefix? Thanks. Tom - K0TW

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KD8KSN/0 Update
by Zachary Beougher 11 Sep '10

11 Sep '10

Good morning from beautiful Colorado, I wanted to let everyone know that we made it into CO last evening and got settled in at the camp site after a L O N G trip from OH. I was able to get on SO50 once on the way out from EM08 while sitting at the gas pumps UNDER the pump roof (for lack of a better word). Thanks K0TWB, KB1RVT, K8YSE and WC7V for the QSOs - I was working half duplex with a 1/4 wave on the roof. We are on our way to Pike's Peak today (DM78), and should be up there between 1500z-2000z (approx). We will be in DN70 in a couple days, and there is also a very, very SLIGHT chance of a DN60 grid activation. We have heard that most pine trees have been cut down on that side of the park due to the pine beetle, so I am not even sure if we are planning on going over to that side. We had our fill of treeless land coming through Kansas yesterday =) 73! Zack KD8KSN/0 DM78mo

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DN53/54 DN63/64 DN74
by kladuke1144＠msn.com 10 Sep '10

10 Sep '10

All, I plan on operating from DN53/54/63/64 and possibly DN74 starting with the AO27 pass at 1837Z September 10, 2010. Look for me on AO51 and SO50 also. Operation from DN54 or DN53 on an earlier pass is possible. 73 WC7V Kerry

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