October 2012 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: LEO to HEO
by Joshua 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

You make an excellent point, but I think you are assuming that the sat would be equipped with a solid fuel or other form of combustible/volatile propulsion. A cold-gas microthruster along with some sort of variable magnetic stabilization could in theory work around any liability concerns as liquid nitrogen, helium, etc can't explode under most conditions. I'm not sure about size requirements/ restrictions however. I'm far from an expert but I would guess if something like this could make it into orbit, the thruster would provide enough power to nudge the sat up and then use the planets gravity to acelerate it out to at least a MEO. It might even be able to do something like this in something as small as a 3U cubesat. Josh, KJ4VYR On Oct 18, 2012, at 10:39 AM, Bruce <kk5do(a)amsat.org> wrote: > good question and of course pondered and explored in the past. in order to move a satellite, you have to have some sort of propulsion for it. weather a kick start motor or plasma ejector or something. all of these require some type of 'fuel'. now, that being said, 'fuel' takes up a lot of space, requires special storage containers that are heavy and... no one will let you put fuel on their rocket and when your fuel goes bang by accident their entire mission is gone. if we were to pay for a launch the price of having the fuel would be included in the launch company's quote. we would also have to have insurance to cover a catastrophic event for them, mucho expensive. > > all said and done, yes, you can launch into an orbit and with the correct size motor/propulsion device, you could move it to where you want it. just not feasible. just like buying a grand piano, living on the 10th floor. can't go up stairs, can't go up elevator, if you want to get a crane or helicopter, you can get it there but then you have to bust out the side of the building. was the $100,000 trip to get that piano into your apartment worth the $5,000 cost of the piano? > > 73...bruce > > On 10/18/2012 7:44 AM, Joshua wrote: >> Morning folks, >> I'm a relatively new ham and started following amsat only a few months so forgive something of a novice question. >> >> The biggest trouble I see the community hitching a ride to a high orbit although low orbits seem to be easy to get. So my question is this, who says we can't launch a sat in LEO and design it to move itself up to a higher orbit? I mean if NASA can build probes capable of reaching mars, it stands to reason we can build a bird to move only a few thousand miles. >> >> Thanks, >> Joshua Abraham, KJ4VYR >> _______________________________________________ >> Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. >> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! >> Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb >> > > > -- > > Bruce Paige, KK5DO > AMSAT Director Contests and Awards > ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE > Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on Echolink - Conference *AMSAT* > Also live streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com > Podcast at http://www.amsatnet.com/podcast.xml or iTunes > Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News > http://www.arrl.org > > AMSAT on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/amsat >

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Re: hello!
by JOEL KANDEL 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

.. http://jpfly.com/nbcnewsat12.php?igmailID=90g7

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FITSAT-1 5840.0 MHz downlink received
by Trevor . 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

The 5840.0 MHz downlink on the FITSAT-1 CubeSat has been received in Japan. See video at http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=11100 73 Trevor M5AKA AMSAT-UK http://www.amsat-uk.org/ ----

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K2BSA/5 on satellites for JOTA
by Tom Schuessler 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

The National Scouting Museum in Irving Texas will again be making Satellite contacts as we can on Saturday, October 20 the for Scouting's Jamboree on the Air as K2BSA/5 Passes however will be limited if AO-27 is still out of commission. Will try FO-29 and AO-7 if in B mode. SO-50 will be too late in the day for us. Hoping that by next year we have FOX up as well as FunCube and UKCube for linear transponder options. No matter what, look for Scout stations and give them a call. Tom Schuessler 2713 Lake Gardens Drive Irving, Texas 75060 972-986-7456 214-403-1464 (Cell) n5hyp(a)arrl.net

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AMSAT-LU Stratospheric Balloon Video
by Amsat Argentina 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

On May-19 authorized high altitude Balloon was launched from La Pampa, Argentina, reaching 34.000 m, carring UHF to VHF (4w) subtone activated repeater, APRS lu7aa-11, Robot-36 live SSTV, CW, 40/20m CW tlm beacon and 2 video cameras. (Total weight 970 grams) Details (in spanish) on http://www.amsat.org.ar/globo19.htm During the 4 hours flight, over 200 stations pileup doing bilateral QSOs thru repeater participated using mostly dual band handies, a contest was in place, winner from Uruguay won a dual band handy, participants got certificates http://www.amsat.org.ar/cx2tq.jpg Payload was recovered from a mud on Oct-6 by 4x4 Adventure Group in isolated and flooded area, recovered payload photos & analysis on http://www.amsat.org.ar/rescate.jpg Video and sound taken by two on board TV Cameras spanned 6 hours, they had been compiled and available to view on http://youtu.be/ib9_zlgN8d0 Experiment is part of Amsat-LU development and field tests as well as users practice of LUSEX satellite http://www.lusex.org.ar Planned to be repeated during Nov/Dec timeframe pending flight authorization by Argentina Federal Aviation Authorities. 73, LU7AA, AMSAT Argentina info at amsat.org.ar http://www.amsat.org.ar http://www.facebook.com/Amsat.LU

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AO-7 N. Eu.
by Bob- W7LRD 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

the next pass of AO-7 at 1942Z I will be looking for N. Europe. I heard SM3KPX the last pass, always looking for Mika! On or about 145.957. 73 Bob W7LRD CN87wk Seattle, Wa.

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T-Sat1 Assembly Video
by Trevor . 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

A video of T-Sat1 assembly can be seen at http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=11061 73 Trevor M5AKA

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ANS-291 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT Space Symposium Begins Next Week
by JoAnne Maenpaa 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-291 Special Bulletin 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 at amsat.org In this edition: * 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium Begins Next Week in Orlando SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-291.01 ANS-291 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Bulletin 291.01 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 17, 2012 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-291.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium Begins Next Week in Orlando This bulletin is a reminder that the time of the 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium is quickly approaching. The Symposium will be held on Friday, October 26th through Sunday, October 28th in Orlando, Flor- ida at the Holiday Inn at Orlando-International Airport. The Symposium weekend will feature: + Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations + Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World + Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members + Meet Board Members and Officers + Annual General Membership Meeting + Annual Banquet-Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes Symposium Registration including Proceedings o Starting September 24, 2012: $ 50.00 o At the Door: $ 55.00 o Saturday Evening Banquet $ 45.00 o Sunday Morning Area Coordinators' Breakfast $ 15.00 o Sunday Trip to the Orlando Science Center - contact Martha at the AMSAT Office (888-322-6728 or 301-589-6062) by October 17 to reserve your spot for the tour of the Star Wars Exhibit. o Monday (Oct 29) bus trip to KSC and entrance ticket $ 100.00 See the AMSAT Web Store to complete your on-line registration: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=27 Downloadable paper registration forms in MS-Word format and PDF format are available on the 2012 Symposium page: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/index.php The hotel offers free Internet connection and free airport shuttle. When you arrive at the Orlando Airport call 407-709-5310 to request the shuttle. The Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the closest to the Sympos- ium and is served by most major air carriers. The hotel address is: 5750 T.G. Lee Blvd - Orlando, FL 32822. A map link is included on the hotel web page: http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/orlando/mcoap/hoteldetail Special Symposium Visitor Hector Martinez, CO6CBF ------------------------------------------------- Hector Martinez, CO6CBF will travel from Cuba to the AMSAT Symposium in Orlando next week. AMSAT extended an invitation for Hector to attend and to make a presentation. Thanks to the work done by Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK, Hector has been able to obtain a visa to come to the United States for the Symposium. Once the invitation was extended, Hector had to approach both govern- ments and file applications to get a Cuban passport and travel permit and a US visa. All expenses for his trip must be guaranteed by some- one outside Cuba. Patrick took on that task personally on behalf of AMSAT, even signing legally-binding documents for the Cuban government to that end. Patrick has covered expenses out of his personal funds since no AMSAT funds are available. Patrick would appreciate donations to cover the expenses via his callbook address. AMSAT looks forward to welcoming Hector, CO6CBF at the Symposium! Dr. Samuel T. Durrance, NASA Astronaut at the Saturday Evening Banquet ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The featured speaker for the AMSAT 2012 Saturday Evening Banquet on October 27 will be Dr. Samuel T. Durrance, NASA Astronaut/Payload Specialist and Professor of Physics and Space Sciences at the Flor- ida Institute of Technology. For all the details see: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/BanquetSpeaker.php 2012 AMSAT Symposium Schedule ----------------------------- To help you plan your trip to Orlando the 2012 Symposium Committee has posted a high-level schedule of the weekend's events. Thursday 25 October 2012 AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting 8am - 9pm Friday 26 October 2012 AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting 8am - Noon Trips to SkyCraft 9am - Noon AMSAT Symposium 1pm - 5pm Saturday 27 October 2012 Symposium 8am - 3pm AMSAT Annual General Meeting 3:30pm AMSAT Banquet 6:30pm - 10pm Sunday 28 October 2012 AMSAT Area Coordinator's Breakfast 7:30am Trip to the Orlando Science Center 9:00am Monday 29 October 2012 Special trip to Kennedy Space Center 8am-6pm The AMSAT Symposium Web Schedule Pages include links for details of the activities: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2012/SymposiumSchedule.php [ANS thanks the 2012 Symposium Committee for the above information] /EX

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Yavapai Amateur Radio Club Hamfest on Saturday (20 October)
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

Hi! While I have been working on my plans for the AMSAT Symposium next week, I am going to attend another hamfest this coming Saturday, 20 October 2012. This will be the Yavapai Amateur Radio Club's hamfest in Dewey, Arizona - north of the Phoenix area. More information about the hamfest, including a map to get to the hamfest site, is available at: http://www.w7yrc.org/arizona_ham_fest.htm During the hamfest, I will try to work various satellite passes for on-air demonstrations of satellite operating. If you hear WD9EWK on those passes, please feel free to call and join in the demonstration. The hamfest site is in grid DM34. As with my other hamfests and presentations, I will be happy to send a QSL card to stations making contact with WD9EWK during the hamfest. Just drop me an e-mail with the QSO details, and I'll mail a card. QSOs will also be uploaded to the Logbook of the World. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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JOTA and ISS
by James Luhn 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

Besides HF, I hope to be able include some satellite contacts this weekend for the Boy Scouts Jamboree on the Air (JOTA). I would love to hear from others who will attempt some satellite contacts for JOTA. I am just beginning to figure out what passes and satellites will work on Saturday, October 20. I will be operating from Galveston State Park in Galveston, TX. Also, does anyone have info on when the ISS will be in contact with the Boy Scouts in Irving, TX this weekend? I understand they have a schedule set up and perhaps we can give a listen. Perhaps on the next pass or so, they will consider a contact with others. 73, -james W5AOO

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