November 2014 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

AMSAT @ Ft. Wayne Hamfest
by Doug Kuitula 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

Hi, Just wanted to let everyone know that the AMSAT Forum at the Ft. Wayne hamfest will be held at 12:15 PM on Sat. Nov. 15th. Hope to see you there. for more info go to: www.fortwaynehamfest.com 73 de Doug KA8QCU

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Fox 1
by mm0kjg 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

Hello all. Can someone tell me when Fox 1a will be launched? Thanks Kev mm0kjg

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pre amps
by Jerry Ehlers 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

1- Mirage model KP-2 control box and mast mounted pre amp 1- Landwehhr model GMBH pre amp 2 meter both sold as is for $50.00 plus postage in lower 48 payment US Postal Money Order. Jerry w0sat

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Goddard Amateur Radio Club WA3NAN
by John Papay 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

The Goddard Amateur Radio Club Station, WA3NAN, was heard and worked on AO-7B on 10Nov2014 at 2128utc. According to QRZ.com, this is the club station at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt MD. They were planning to upload logs to LOTW but I think this would be a QSL card you might want for your collection. 73, John K8YSE/7

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Office Closed
by Martha 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

The AMSAT office will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th in observance of Veterans' Day. -- 73- Martha

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AMSAT INDIA at HAMFEST India 2014
by Nitin Muttin 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

Friends, AI participated in HFI 2014 and was represented by VU3TYG,VU2WMY,VU3GEK,VU2RVJ,VU3PZA,VU3HCJ,VU3JBA& VU2RMS. An update has been posted at http://amsatindia.org/ under events and some photos under the gallery. 73 Nitin [VU3TYG] Secretary, AMSAT INDIA

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New PACSATs?
by James Cutler 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

Hi, Just wondering if there is any discussion on new PACSATs or PACSAT-like capability? With all the new CubeSats in development, it would be straightforward to build a new class of PACSAT. 73, --Jamie KF6RFX

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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT 20 Meter Net Change - 9 November 2014
by Doug - k4gkj 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

I never knew there was a net. I'll do my best to help it 'stay alive'. Doug K4GKJ Doug Bennight K4GKJ 850-528-5772 850-926-2052 -------- Original message -------- From: Keith Pugh <w5iu(a)swbell.net> Date: To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Cc: Larry Brown <w7lb(a)earthlink.net> Subject: [amsat-bb] AMSAT 20 Meter Net Change - 9 November 2014 After much deliberation we have decided to make the following change in the AMSAT 20 Meter Net format: "The AMSAT 20 Meter Net will be changing format effective 9 November 2014. It will start with check-ins at 1900 UTC on 14.282 MHz and proceed with Satellite Q&A and other topics. The weekly AMSAT Bulletin Titles will be read and an offer will be made to read or discuss specific bulletins by request. We encourage check-ins from AMSAT Officers, BOD Members, Operators that are very active on the Satellites, and of course Operators that are new to the Satellites and/or Ham Radio. The activity will generally be over by 2000 UTC. We realize that not everyone has 20 Meter capability but we need more activity to continue running this net. Dust off your HF Gear, put up a 20 Meter Dipole, and join us or let the net die a natural death." We will be monitoring the response to this change before making further changes. 73 - Keith, W5IU _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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Re: [amsat-bb] Replacing parts on pre-amps
by Gregory Beat 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

Early FET designs were sensitive to damage due to static or ESD. Some amateurs installed external static discharge devices to reduce these failures. Later FET designs incorporated some ESD protection. Earl Andrews, VE3AB (Elliot Lake, Ontario) has a large collection of Dual Fate MOSFET devices and other pre-amp active devices. He has also tested and measured their characteristics in radio usage. http://www.earlandrews.com/dgmosfets.html DownEast Microwave is a good source for modern GaAsFET devices. http://fwfvq.tehfm.servertrust.com/category-s/1827.htm w9gb Sent from iPad Air

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AMSAT INDIA @ HAMFEST India 2014
by Nitin Muttin 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

Friends, AI participated in HFI 2014 and was represented by VU3TYG,VU2WMY,VU3GEK,VU2RVJ,VU3PZA,VU3HCJ,VU3JBA& VU2RMS. An update has been posted at http://amsatindia.org/ under events and some photos under the gallery. 73 Nitin [VU3TYG] Secretary, AMSAT INDIA

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Tucson Hamfest wrap-up
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 09 Nov '14

09 Nov '14

Hi! Yesterday's (8 November) Tucson Hamfest in Marana, Arizona, was a good morning for AMSAT. Between a larger crowd than at last year's hamfest, good weather, and two complete satellite stations for demonstrations - AMSAT did very well. Many thanks to the Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club for providing AMSAT with space for our booth. I also have to thank John Papay K8YSE/7, who helped me with the AMSAT booth at the hamfest. Not only did I have my portable all-mode satellite station at the hamfest, John brought his portable station (Icom IC-910H, Arrow Antennas 2m/70cm Yagi on tripod, laptop with SatPC32). I worked early passes on FO-29 and the ISS, and John worked the later passes, doing demonstrations of satellite operating through much of the morning. One of the passes John worked, on SO-50, can be seen in a video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-1sokpmnw0 I can't attach photos to this post on the AMSAT-BB list, but you can see some photos I took at the hamfest on my @WD9EWK Twitter feed. To get to the photos, along with a link to the same video I referenced above, please visit: https://twitter.com/WD9EWK/media To view my @WD9EWK Twitter feed in a browser, including photos and videos I post, please use this link: https://twitter.com/WD9EWK Some of the satellite operators we saw at the hamfest included Jack KC7MG, Larry WA6DIR, Ron W6ZQ, and Larry W7LB. Hams from all over Arizona, along with a few from northern Mexico, attended the hamfest. Thanks to everyone who called WD9EWK or K8YSE/7 on the various passes yesterday morning! It's nice to know that we can count on having good demonstrations with lots of stations. We worked stations from all over the USA and Mexico on those passes. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Replacing parts on pre-amps
by Doug - k4gkj 09 Nov '14

09 Nov '14

Just wondering how others have done on replacing the parts in pre-amps. Also wondering a good but inexpensive supplier exist.... I have a couple that got hit by static I guess..... They worked great, but later they just don't... I was using them on a portable 100' tower that wasn't properly grounded (I know, bad mistake).... I had been moving it constantly though and was not aware that would damage the gas-fet so easily.... Learned that the hard way. Just wondering if the gas-fet only goes, or of other parts go too. I'll be ESD safe, but wondering about other hazards to watch out for as well. KLM 2m pre amps Thanks in advance! Doug K4GKJ Doug Bennight 850-528-5772 850-926-2052

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F.S. Bird 4304 wattmeter
by Joe W2KJ 09 Nov '14

09 Nov '14

I offer for sale my Bird 4304 wattmeter in MINT LIKE-NEW condition...not a mark on this unit.....photo available. Original Blue epoxy paint on this unit from Bird and it is flawless. Covers 25Mhz to 1000Mhz with 15W/50W/150W/500W scales on the meter and has FORWARD POWER/REFLECTED POWER Nomograph on the back. Full Scale accuracy +/- 6%. No elements needed for this meter. Bird Small Quick Change type Female UHF connectors. Comes with original Bird manual. Will ship and insure CONUS only for $285. 73, Joe W2KJ Amsat 29592

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ANS-313 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-313 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including 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. The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org. ***** HAPPY ANNIVERSARY AO-7, Launched 15 November 1974 ***** In this edition: * AO-7, 40 years in Space November 15 * Special-Event Station for 40th Anniversary of OSCAR 7 Launch * Changes to AMSAT 20M Net Announced * EIAST launches UAE's first CubeSat Mission, Nayif-1 * Japanese Microsatellites Launched * Challenge Coin Premium for AMSAT Fox Donations Continues * K6LCS Sells Personal Items To Assist FOX Satellite Fundraising * CubeSat Simulator Intern Opportunity at Goddard Space Flight Center * Design The Next AMSAT Satellite! * ARISS U.S. Partners Now Accepting Proposals for Contacts in 2015 * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-313.01 ANS-313 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 313.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE November 9, 2014 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-313.01 AO-7, 40 years in Space November 15 40 years ago: AMSAT-OSCAR 7 was launched at 1711 UTC, November 15, 1974 from the Western Test Range at Vandenberg AFB in California AO-7 became the second AMSAT-NA constructed and Phase 2 amateur radio satellite launched into Low Earth Orbit. It remained operational until a short circuit in a battery in 1981. On 21 June 2002 the satellite was heard again on its 2 meter beacon (145.9775 MHz CW) after 21 years of silence, and 27 years in space. AO-7 remains semi-operational with reliable power only from its solar panels. The restoration of service was due to the short circuited battery becoming an open circuit allowing the solar cells to power the spacecraft. When the satellite eclipses it powers down. It is operational while the solar panels are illuminated by sunlight. The following links offer history and information on AO-7. Read the original AO-7 launch announcement in the 1974 AMSAT Newsletter: AMSAT-Newsletter-1974-AO-7Launch. AMSAT.org information on AO-7 http://ww2.amsat.org/?page_id=1031 A series of pictures of the historic AO-7 OSCAR mission can be found on pages 63-75 in the following PDF http://tinyurl.com/ANS313-AO7-Pictures-pp63-75 Michael Fletcher OH2AUE has published Schematics of linear AO-7's transponders. He apoligizes about the Finish http://www.kolumbus.fi/michael.fletcher/ao_07a.gif http://www.kolumbus.fi/michael.fletcher/ao_07b.gif Construct an OSCARLOCATOR in Celebration of AO-7! William Leijenaar, PE1RAH has revived the OSCARLATOR and provides a downloadable and printable version! http://www.qsl.net/pe1rah/oscarlator.htm [ANS thanks AMSAT, Michael OH2AUE and William PE1RAH for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Special-Event Station for 40th Anniversary of OSCAR 7 Launch Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK/VA7EWK has secured the special call sign W7O (WHISKEY SEVEN OSCAR) for use in commemorating the 40th anniversary of the launch of OSCAR 7 on 15 November 1974. He plans on having this call on the air between 15 and 24 November 2014, working satellites and possibly other bands. He will work satellite passes from Arizona, including AO-7 passes, and hopes to recruit a small group of operators who can work other passes that cover eastern North America along with other places that he can't work from his home QTH (i.e. Europe, north Africa, South America). He may also recruit some operators to work HF with this call. Patrick will handle the QSL requests for W7O during this period. "I am thinking of incorporating the original QSL card design AMSAT used to confirm AO-7 reception reports from the 1970s in the W7O card. (Does anyone have a good scan of both sides of that 1970s QSL card? Not the 30th anniversary AO-7 card - I have those, and there is a copyright on that design I do not wish to violate.) The QSL cards will be printed after the W7O activity wraps up. I will also upload W7O QSOs to ARRL's Logbook of the World system." Please contact Patrick directly (patrick at wd9ewk dot net) if you have any questions related to this operation, or if you are willing to operate on satellites and/or HF as W7O during this 10-day period. *Late Breaking* Patrick followed up the original announcement with this communication of driectives via the AMSAT-BB. "Thanks to all who have posted in public forums and sent me private e-mails about the upcoming W7O operation. I am now ready to take sign-ups for those who would like to operate as W7O during the 15-24 November (UTC time) period. "An important point regarding who can operate as W7O... W7O can only be operated from US territory, where amateur radio is regulated by the FCC. It cannot be used from outside US territory, as these 1x1 special calls - just like US club calls - are not covered by any of the arrangements like CEPT, IARP, or other agreements between the USA and other countries. I have been asked by some non-USA hams who were interested in operating as xxx/W7O or W7O/xxx in their countries. I'm sorry - this is not possible. "For the HF/6m operating, I will take signups for one-hour increments on the HF bands (excluding 60m) plus 6m, for CW, phone, and digital modes. For the 30m band, only CW and digital modes. I am wanting to avoid two stations operating on the same band/mode combination as W7O at the same time. If you are willing to operate for 2, 4 or more hours at one time - please feel free to sign up for more consecutive slots. Also, please let me know about your HF station - rig(s), antenna(s), etc. If you do sign up, please follow through with being on the air at the specified times. Stations will be looking for W7O on the different bands. "For the satellites, I am looking for operators in different parts of the USA. In particular, operators in the eastern USA capable of working Europe, north Africa, and South America along with North America will be welcomed. Other operators who are not able to work other continents are also welcome, but there has been interest from hams outside of North America to work W7O on the satellites - especially AO-7. I plan on working W7O on the satellites during weeknights and as much as possible on the two weekends during this 10- day period, but would be happy to share the work with others who may want to work as W7O during those times. "Operators would need to operate within the limits of their amateur licenses. The W7O call does not grant additional privileges to the operator. Operators are required to give their personal call signs once per hour when operating under a 1x1 special call. For example, saying "W7O, operated by (operator's call)" would satisfy this requirement. On the satellites with passes that are typically 10 to 20 minutes in length, giving the "W7O, operated by (operator's call)" announcement around the midpoint of each pass worked would be a good thing. "Once I get some operating commitments from operators, I will publish the schedule through a link on my WD9EWK QRZ.com entry and my web page. This way, others will know where and when to look for W7O during this 10-day period. "After the 24th, W7O operators would need to send me a log of stations worked, with the usual bits of data - date/UTC time, call, band (or bands, for satellite QSOs), mode, and (for satellites) satellite name. I can handle ADIF log files, Excel spreadsheets, text files, and logs pasted into the body of e-mails. If you are not able to send me a file in any of these formats, please let me know, so we can work out a way to get the logs. Logs will be uploaded to Logbook of the World, and I (WD9EWK) will handle the QSL cards for W7O. "Please e-mail me directly (patrick at wd9ewk dot net) if you're interested in operating as W7O, or if you have any other questions about this operation." [ANS thanks Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes to AMSAT 20M Net Announced Keith Pugh, W5IU and Larry Brown, W7LB, Net Control stations for the AMSAT 20M International net have announced changes to the net operation. Keith wrote, "The AMSAT 20 Meter Net will be changing format effective 9 November 2014. It will start with check-ins at 1900 UTC on 14.282 MHz and proceed with Satellite Q&A and other topics." Continuing, he adds, "The weekly AMSAT Bulletin Titles will be read and an offer will be made to read or discuss specific bulletins by request. We encourage check-ins from AMSAT Officers, BOD Members, Operators that are very active on the Satellites, and of course Operators that are new to the Satellites and/or Ham Radio. The activity will generally be over by 2000 UTC. We realize that not everyone has 20 Meter capability but we need more activity to continue running this net. Dust off your HF Gear, put up a 20 Meter Dipole, and join us or let the net die a natural death." [ANS thanks Keith Pugh, W5IU and Larry Brown, W7LB for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- EIAST launches UAE's first CubeSat Mission, Nayif-1 EIAST, in partnership with American University of Sharjah (AUS), launched the UAE's first CubeSat Mission, Nayif 1, on November 4. CubeSat is a Nanosatellite that offers hands-on experience to engineering students in the design, integration, testing, and operation of a communications satellite. The CubeSat is scheduled to be launched on board a Falcon 9 rocket by the end of 2015 where a ground station will be built at AUS and operated by Emirati engineering students, responsible for mission planning and operations. The CubeSat development program, the first of its kind in the UAE, aims at investing and developing capabilities of Emirati engineering students in space technologies. A group of Emiratis consisting of seven students from various engineering disciplines at AUS, including computer engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, have been assigned to the project. Students will go through an intense systems design and testing training and will partake in the program as their Senior Engineering Design project and participate in the design, assembly, integration and testing of the CubeSat. Nayif-1 will carry out a 1U Communication Mission with development taking place in AUS, EIAST's facilities and Delft in the Netherlands. The project will be carried out in partnership with the implementation partner "Innovative Solutions in Space", one of the leading companies worldwide in the development of space components and NanoSatellite Systems. EIAST will take on the role of the integrator in the process and ensure that all necessary processes are in place to preserve and build upon the experience gained. Its objective will be to put in place all the necessary infrastructure at the University for a CubeSat development program between the implementation partner and AUS's Emirati students. Nayif-1 will integrate engineering student expertise and capabilities with the expertise, capabilities and resources from UAE industry, government and academia, which is a typical integration cycle in all KBEs, to build and launch CubeSat Mission. Yousuf Hamad Al Shaibani, Director General of EIAST commented on the launch and stated, "this program plays a significant role in developing the Science and Technology sector in the UAE through investing in local talents and capabilities. We expect to have significant involvement of Emirati engineering students with the outcome being a UAE built and owned CubeSat. The program will also aid in establishing the necessary infrastructure at a UAE university to enable an ongoing university satellite program, preparing undergraduate, and later on, post graduate students to enter the UAE's space technology industry with firm practical knowledge in all disciplines of Satellite Systems Engineering". A CubeSat is of standardised and simplified design with an average dimension of 10 cubic centimetres (referred to as "one unit" or "1U"). Its weight is less than or equal to 1 kg; allowing it to be accessible and easily managed by students. CubeSats can also be scaled along one axis by 1U increment so that "2U" refers to CubeSat dimension of 20*10*10 cm and "3U" to 30*10*10 cm dimension. CubeSat usually utilises commercial, off-the-shelf components for development and is mainly operated by educational institutes for scientific research purposes. With simple infrastructure, design procedure, available components, and open launch opportunities, CubeSats have become popular in the space industry and an area of interest to educational institutes and governments. Above all, they are cost-effective and an independent means of getting payloads into orbit for learning, testing and verifying space systems. [ANS thanks SatellitePro Mid East for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Japanese Microsatellites Launched On Thursday, November 6 at 07:35:49 UT a Dnepr rocket carrying the primary payload Asnaro-1 and four microsatellites was launched from Dombarovsky near Yasny. Kosmotras report all spacecraft have been inserted into their target orbits. The four Japanese microsatellites are: - ChubuSat-1 (Kinshachi-1) 437.485 MHz CW/AX.25 (Digipeater uplink 145.980 MHz) - TSUBAME 437.250 MHz CW and 437.505 AX.25 - Hodoyoshi-1 467.674 MHz - QSAT-EOS (Tsukushi) an AX.25 GMSK payload has been reported but the frequency is unknown. Signals have been received from both ChubuSat-1 and TSUBAME. The 50kg class ChubuSat-1 aims to * Relay messages in amateur service (AX.25 packet radio Digipeater) * Take pictures of particular site on Earth commanded from the Earth station with an optical camera and an Infra-red camera * Try to take pictures of space debris commanded from the Earth station with above two cameras It will have 3 axis stabilisation. The 30kg class TSUBAME aims to * Demonstrate satellite bus technology for 30kg-class microsatellite and verification of COTS components such as micro-processors, memory and Li-ion batteries in the space environment * Verify of Control Moment Gyros developed by the Laboratory for Space Systems * Demonstrate of high-speed attitude manoeuvres technology using Control Moment Gyros. Some sensor data acquisition experiments will be conducted at the same time in order to demonstrate applications of CMGs * Demonstrate of SRLL communication protocol developed by Tokyo Institute of Technology and high-speed GMSK data downlink * Collect data through internet with the aid of radio amateurs all over the world TSUBAME TLE http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=51785 Kosmotras announcement http://www.kosmotras.ru/en/news/155/ Satellite info and launch video http://russianspaceweb.com/dnepr_asnaro.html ChubuSat-1 Slides http://www.frontier.phys.nagoya-u.ac.jp/chubusat/ChubuSat-20130311.pdf UHF Satellite frequencies http://www.satellitenwelt.de/freqlisten/SatFreq-UHF.txt IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel Status Pages http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Challenge Coin Premium for AMSAT Fox Donations Continues AMSAT has commissioned a unique challenge coin for donors who have contributed at the $100 level or higher. This challenge coin is shaped as an isometric view of a Fox-1 CubeSat, complete with details such as the stowed UHF antenna, solar cells, and camera lens viewport. Struck in 3mm thick brass, plated with antique silver, and finished in bright enamel, the coin is scaled to be approximately 1:4 scale, or 1 inch along each of the six sides. The reverse has the AMSAT Fox logo. Donations may be made via the AMSAT website, via the FundRazr crowdsourcing app at http://fnd.us/c/6pz92/sh/561Zd, or via the AMSAT office at (888) 322-6728. The Fox program is designed to provide a platform for university experiments in space, as well as provide FM repeater capability for radio amateurs worldwide. Fox-1A and 1C are set to launch in 2015, and Fox-1B (also known as RadFXSat) is awaiting NASA ELANA launch assignment. Further information on the Fox project can be found at http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=1113. [ANS thanks AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- K6LCS Sells Personal Items To Assist FOX Satellite Fundraising Clint Bradford K6LCS is offering something a little different for those interested in donating to AMSAT-NA's FOX satellite projects. "I am digging up some unique space-related items and am offering them for sale, with 100 per cent of the sale price forwarded directly to AMSAT-NA's Fox fund," Clint reports. The first items available were six commemorative USPS first day covers celebrating the Apollo/Soyuz projects and the Apollo 11 Moon landing, as well as a 24-stamp plate block. Look for more items to be posted as the older ones sell. Details at ... http://work-sat.com/FUNDRAISING.html [ANS thanks Clint K6LCS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- CubeSat Simulator Intern Opportunity at Goddard Space Flight Center The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is offering an internship position for the Spring, 2015 semester. Applications are being taken on the NASA One Stop Shopping Initiative (OSSI) recruiting web site: https://intern.nasa.gov/ This position is in the Simulated Satellite (SimSat) program. Job Title: CubeSat Simulator Upgrade Plus (15-1) (Internship) The objective of this Opportunity is to allow a university level student to rework, repair and improve a prototype "1-Unit" CubeSat simulator/model on loan from AMSAT and then to share his or her experiences as a result. The model used in this Opportunity is similar to that described in The AMSAT Journal article "Education With A Satellite Simulator: ETP CubeSat Simulator," by Mr. Mark Spencer, ARRL Education and Technology Program Coordinator, Part 1 in the September/October 2009 issue and Part 2 in the November/December 2009 issue. Back copies are available at: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ETP/CubeSat/CubeSat-Pt1-SepOct09.pdf http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ETP/CubeSat/CubeSat-Pt2-NovDec09.pdf A course of study in engineering is required. Electrical/Electronics Engineering or Electrical and Computer Engineering for university students in their junior class or higher. Experience in hardware is also required. The immediate skills required of the intern are to be a well-rounded individual, and to have an excellent knowledge of and experience with Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office (especially in using spreadsheets), electrical and electronic circuits (theory and practice), microcontrollers, interfacing, and basic laboratory test equipment and procedures. Familiarity with the CubeSat community is important. A proficiency in either C++ or a similar language for microcontrollers and the desire to learn a new one is necessary. A basic understanding of data acquisition, signal processing, or control is required. Hands-on experience in building something, repairing or upgrading PCs or other electronic gear, or just getting stuff to work is required. Mechanical and electrical construction skills will be used. Experience in RF or wireless technology (anywhere between 3 and 2400 MHz) is very important. Holding or obtaining an Amateur Radio license from the FCC and practical radio experience is a distinct advantage. A good attitude, an exceptional willingness to learn and to contribute as a team player are essential qualities. Likewise, excellent communicator skills (verbal, writing and definitely e- mail), reliability, punctuality, having a self-starter work ethic and the ability & desire to work independently for long periods are required. You may ask questions regarding the tasks and skill requirements with the mentor in advance (Mr. Pat Kilroy, Code 568, Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov) and telephone interviews will be available. The deadline to apply for the Spring 2015 semester is November 9. Applications must be made via the OSSI web. [ANS thanks Pat Kilroy, N8PK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Design The Next AMSAT Satellite! At the 2014 AMSAT Space Symposium AMSAT Vice President - Engineering Jerry Buxton announced the plan for the next generation of AMSAT satellites. "The door is open for everyone, to submit their ideas. AMSAT Engineering has a long term strategy and this is the first step." The Engineering long term strategy includes the following goals Advancement of amateur radio satellite technical and communications skills Enhance international goodwill Grow and sustain a skilled pool of amateur radio satellite engineersEstablish and maintain partnerships with educational institutions Develop a means to use hardware common to all opportunities With respect to the last goal Jerry said "Within the bounds of the type of satellite it takes to achieve any of the various orbit opportunities, let's consider in those plans the possibility of developing a platform that can suit any and all orbits. Perhaps a modular CubeSat, using a common bus as we did in Fox-1, which gives great flexibility in building and flying different sizes and configurations of CubeSats with simple common-design hardware changes." Submissions should be thorough and contain the following information. The purpose of the proposal is not just in suggesting an idea; being an all-volunteer team AMSAT needs your help in carrying out the idea. Design Implementation - CubeSat platform Estimated timeline Cost - volunteer resources, commercial (COTS) units Launch - how does it get to orbit Strategy - how it fits into AMSAT's Engineering long term strategy As mentioned above the idea should be based on the CubeSat platform. This is the standard through which we will look for launches in the foreseeable future. In considering your proposal, Jerry encourages you to contact him for more details on the criteria. A guidebook to the criteria is now available for download here. In particular, if you plan to include a university as a partner to provide experiments or other support and you are not representing that university, please contact Jerry for assistance in working with our existing partners or establishing a new partnership. "Being amateur radio operators, it is easy for us to fall into a particular trap because of our history of communicating with other amateurs throughout the world" says Jerry. "Specifically, most people who are not already involved in the world of satellite technology are unaware of or simply overlook the provisions of the current ITAR and soon to be EAR export rules particularly with regard to deemed exports which requires governmental permission to discuss satellite projects with foreign nationals." While all amateurs are invited to submit ideas, U.S. amateurs must take particular care of they choose to become involved in a collaboration which includes individuals from other countries. It is permissible to receive ideas and proposals from outside the U.S., but it is not permitted for U.S. Persons to export or share design ideas with other countries unless they have taken the proper steps to insure compliance with ITAR and deemed export rules. Additionally, those wishing to work on proposals should use care in presenting themselves in their contacts. While the goal is for AMSAT to build and launch the satellite, it is not an AMSAT project until it is accepted by the AMSAT Board of Directors. It is acceptable to represent yourself as members of a project team that plans to submit a proposal to AMSAT for a future satellite project, as the AMSAT name is well known. "It is not our intention that ideas be submitted to AMSAT-NA which would be more appropriately handled by an AMSAT organization in a country where AMSAT is established. AMSAT-NA is seeking ideas from amateurs in North America and will certainly consider ideas from amateurs in countries which do not have an established AMSAT organization or relationships with an existing AMSAT organization." The deadline for submissions is May 30, 2015. After the submission date the ideas will be screened for completeness and then reviewed by a board consisting of the AMSAT Engineering Team, AMSAT Senior Officer and Board of Directors representatives, and aerospace industry members. The review board may modify or consolidate ideas and will consider which meet the criteria to become a project based on feasibility, cost, and the ability to bring value to the amateur satellite community. The review process is expected to be completed in September 2015. For those ideas selected to become a project which satisfy the requirements for an ELaNa launch, the idea authors will be asked to work with the AMSAT Engineering Team on an ELaNa proposal. The Engineering Team will then work on the details of execution for the selected project(s) and present a proposal to the AMSAT Board of Directors in October 2015 for final approval to begin work. Once approved, any ELaNa proposals will be submitted in November 2015 and the project(s) will move forward. Now is the time for YOU to begin working on the next AMSAT satellite! [ANS thanks Jerry, N0JY, for the above information --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS U.S. Partners Now Accepting Proposals for Contacts in 2015 The ARISS U.S. partners have opened a window seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations in the U.S., individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS during 2015. The proposal window is October 17 - December 15, 2014. Read the announcement at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS313-ARISS To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. More details on expectations, audience, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions are available at www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions about hosting a contact in the U.S.to ariss(a)arrl.org. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between SK Putrajaya Presint 9, Putrajaya, Malaysia and Astronaut Gregory Wiseman KF5LKT using callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 2014-11-01 11:14 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via 9M2RPN. ARISS Mentor was 7M3TJZ. + A Successful contact was made between Baltic State Technical University "Voenmekh" (BGTU), Saint-Petersburg, Russia and Cosmonaut FNAME Maxim Suraev using callsign RS0ISS. The contact began 2014-11- 03 09:15 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via RA1AJN. ARISS Mentor was RV3DR. + A Successful contact was made between Gulf English School, Kuwait City, Kuwait and Astronaut Gregory Wiseman KF5LKT using callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2014-11-04 12:56 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridged via K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was IN3GHZ. + A Successful contact was made between Language High School "Geo Milev", Dobrich, Bulgaria and Astronaut Gregory Wiseman KF5LKT using callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2014-11-04 12:56 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridged via K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was IN3GHZ. + A Successful contact was made between DLR School Lab TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany and Astronaut Alexander Gerst KF5ONO using callsign DPØISS. The contact began 2014-11-08 09:54 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via DLØIKT. ARISS Mentor was IN3GHZ. + A Successful contact was made between Woehlerschule, Frankfurt, Germany and Astronaut Alexander Gerst KF5ONO using callsign DPØISS. The contact began 2014-11-08 09:54 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via DLØFFM. ARISS Mentor was IN3GHZ. + A Successful contact was made between Airdrie Space Science Club, Airdrie, Alberta, Canada and Astronaut Gregory Wiseman KF5LKT using callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2014-11-08 16:01 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via VE6JBJ. ARISS Mentor was VE6JBJ. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule >From 2014-11-10 to 2014-12-07, there will be no US Operational Segment (USOS) hams on board ISS. So any schools contacts during this period will be conducted by the ARISS Russia team. [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] Official ARISS Website http://www.ariss.org ARISS on FACEBOOK http://tinyurl.com/ANS313-ARISS-Facebook ARISS on Twitter https://twitter.com/ARISS_status or @ariss_status ISS Fan Club http://www.issfanclub.com Amateur radio Stations Heard via ISS Digipeater http://www.ariss.net/ Did You Know... Current flight rules require all the ham radios to be off during an EVA. Technically, the VHF radios needs to be off for Russian EVAs and the UHF radio needs to be off for US EVAs. For dockings and undockings, again the ISS operates under a flight rule that has the VHF/UHF radios off for Progress, Soyuz and ATV vehicle activity. Note that Cygnus, Dragon, HTV and formerly the Shuttle did not require the radios to be off. For Ham TV, already mentioned is that it will be off for any EVA. It needs to be off for ATV (the last one planned is there now) docking and undocking. It also has to be off when the Robotics arm is in close proximity. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + AMSAT North America Facebook page now boasts 920 members and growing. Join the fun! https://www.facebook.com/groups/7828379515/ + Paul N8HM reninds us that AO-73 now has more convenient evening pass times as we've fallen back to Standard Time here in the United States. + Share This information With An Edcuator Near You! The following NASA information is of interest to Teachers; Educational, Museum and Science Centers Administrators; and anyone interested in supporting or using space as an educational tool. Please forward these on as you judge appropriate. NASA Education listserv sign up: http://www.nasa.gov/education/express NASA Twitter: http://twitter.com/nasa NASA Education Twitter: https://twitter.com/nasaedu NASA Blogs: http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/newui/blog/blogs.jsp NASA Education EXPRESS Blog: http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/educationexpress + Interesting ISS Information Space Station Timelines http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/timelines/#.VF0IXPnF90o Console Displays http://spacestationlive.nasa.gov/displays/index.html ISS Fligth Schedule http://spider.seds.org/shuttle/iss-sche.html Q&As With Reid Wiseman KF5LKT http://tinyurl.com/ANS313-Wiseman-Q-A Reid talks about Amateur Radio on the ISS in this Segment http://tinyurl.com/ANS313-Wiseman-HamRadio --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX 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 addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, KC8YLD kc8yld at amsat dot org

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AMSAT 20 Meter Net Change - 9 November 2014
by Keith Pugh 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

After much deliberation we have decided to make the following change in the AMSAT 20 Meter Net format: "The AMSAT 20 Meter Net will be changing format effective 9 November 2014. It will start with check-ins at 1900 UTC on 14.282 MHz and proceed with Satellite Q&A and other topics. The weekly AMSAT Bulletin Titles will be read and an offer will be made to read or discuss specific bulletins by request. We encourage check-ins from AMSAT Officers, BOD Members, Operators that are very active on the Satellites, and of course Operators that are new to the Satellites and/or Ham Radio. The activity will generally be over by 2000 UTC. We realize that not everyone has 20 Meter capability but we need more activity to continue running this net. Dust off your HF Gear, put up a 20 Meter Dipole, and join us or let the net die a natural death." We will be monitoring the response to this change before making further changes. 73 - Keith, W5IU

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Re: [amsat-bb] WTB working Yaesu 5400 or 5500 rotor
by Doug - k4gkj 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

Agree. Paid $500 for my 5400B that included two CP VHF antennas and 125' of wore..... Plus shipping. That port on the back is rather important for auto tracking.... Doug K4GKJ Doug Bennight K4GKJ 850-528-5772 850-926-2052 -------- Original message -------- From: Kevin M <n4ufo(a)yahoo.com> Date: To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] WTB working Yaesu 5400 or 5500 rotor Any body on the list have a good idea what a G5400 new in the box is worth? I've got one that has been opened but everything is still in the plastic bags unopened. (verified everything was packed) Thanks Mike KA7HBB PS Of course that means it hasn't been connected up and tested yet also. . Not nearly as much as a 5400B... the 5400 (no B) does not have the 8 pin DIN jack on the back to hook up an interface for computer control. It is either a strictly manual control rotator or you would have to add your own control lines, if that is possible. I don't know, I haven't seen the 5400 schematics. Not sure if the motors are the same between the two versions and if you could look for a 5400B controller to go with it or not. I know the 5600B is wired different and the 5500 is a wired like the 5600B but with different connections. NOW... if you just left the 'B' off and you actually have a 5400B, the last 5400B I saw listed went for about $400 in VGC. I paid $300 shipped for mine about a year ago, but it needed a bit of refurbishing and there was a long line of folks wanting it; I was the lucky first one to respond to a great deal. A year or so ago, some sold for $500. If it's a 5400B, new and still packed with grease (not corroded) and known to be in proper working condition, $500 would be my asking price to start out. But as always, something is worth what the market will bear, not what was paid in the past. So... your mileage may vary. And if it's a 5400 (no B) you'd have to find a buyer who doesn't care about computer control and see what you could get. Just one opinion... hopefully you will get a few more. 73, Kevin N4UFO ------------------------------------------------------------------ "Control is the need of the fearful mind. Trust is the need of the courageous heart." _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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Funcube warehouse error
by Rick Walter 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

Just uploaded data to the warehouse from Funcube and went out to check my rank and received this error: Secure Connection Failed An error occurred during a connection to warehouse.funcube.org.uk. SSL received a record that exceeded the maximum permissible length. (Error code: ssl_error_rx_record_too_long) The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified. Please contact the website owners to inform them of this problem. Anyone else getting the same thing? Rick - WB3CSY -- Sent from Rick's gmail account

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W1AW/7 AO-73
by Bob- W7LRD 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

Check my last post AO-73 is in full power beacon mode this weekend so the transponder is only on in eclipse. 73 Bob W7LRD

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W1AW/7 AO-73
by Bob- W7LRD 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

W1AW/7 will be on AO-73 at 1733Z from Washington 73 Bob W7LRD CN87

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Re: [amsat-bb] AO-40 Mounting Bracket FS - Benefits AMSAT-NA
by Clint Bradford 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

When Clint wins the lottery, three things will occur - 1. I will approach AMSAT-NA for a geosynchronous bird project over the US ... or whatever project "needs" to be commissioned at the time. 2. I will contract with Kenwood have 5,000 HTs made. They will be made for the visually-impaired hams in thew world. Voice prompts for EVERYTHING ... in several languages ... made in concert with HandiHams' input. And donated to them. It irritates me that the industry hasn't done this already - but you and I know exactly why - the big firms do not think there's money in it for this market. 3. Pay off my first mortgage. Clint

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Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 9, Issue 376
by mm0kjg＠gmail.com 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

Hello all. Can someone please tell me the launch date for Fox 1a . Is it this year. Thanks Kev mm0kjg Sent from my HTC ----- Reply message ----- From: amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org To: <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 9, Issue 376 Date: Wed, Nov 5, 2014 12:00

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my Twitter feed
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 08 Nov '14

08 Nov '14

Hi! Sorry about a typo last night..... my Twitter feed is @WD9EWK if you use Twitter, or the web link to my feed is: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK (without the "-9" at the end) Too much APRS on my mind., before going to bed. A few people pointed that out to me - thanks! 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Re: [amsat-bb] WTB working Yaesu 5400 or 5500 rotor
by Kevin M 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

Any body on the list have a good idea what a G5400 new in the box is worth? I've got one that has been opened but everything is still in the plastic bags unopened. (verified everything was packed) Thanks Mike KA7HBB PS Of course that means it hasn't been connected up and tested yet also. . Not nearly as much as a 5400B... the 5400 (no B) does not have the 8 pin DIN jack on the back to hook up an interface for computer control. It is either a strictly manual control rotator or you would have to add your own control lines, if that is possible. I don't know, I haven't seen the 5400 schematics. Not sure if the motors are the same between the two versions and if you could look for a 5400B controller to go with it or not. I know the 5600B is wired different and the 5500 is a wired like the 5600B but with different connections. NOW... if you just left the 'B' off and you actually have a 5400B, the last 5400B I saw listed went for about $400 in VGC. I paid $300 shipped for mine about a year ago, but it needed a bit of refurbishing and there was a long line of folks wanting it; I was the lucky first one to respond to a great deal. A year or so ago, some sold for $500. If it's a 5400B, new and still packed with grease (not corroded) and known to be in proper working condition, $500 would be my asking price to start out. But as always, something is worth what the market will bear, not what was paid in the past. So... your mileage may vary. And if it's a 5400 (no B) you'd have to find a buyer who doesn't care about computer control and see what you could get. Just one opinion... hopefully you will get a few more. 73, Kevin N4UFO ------------------------------------------------------------------ "Control is the need of the fearful mind. Trust is the need of the courageous heart."

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Anyone want to work DM32 tomorrow afternoon?
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

Hi! After the Tucson Hamfest wraps up tomorrow, I am thinking about driving home via grid DM32 south of Phoenix. I could work some passes in the afternoon, possibly into the early evening. If you want to try for a satellite QSO with DM32 tomorrow, please e-mail me directly. As with my other road trips, my travels should show up on APRS. Look for WD9EWK-9 there, or use this link: http://aprs.fi/wd9ewk-9 I also use Twitter to send out updates. You are welcome to follow me (@WD9EWK), or if you don't do Twitter use this link to read my Twitter updates: http://twitter.com/WD9EWK-9 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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Another satellite demo Saturday (8 November) AM
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 07 Nov '14

07 Nov '14

Hi! Craig KL4E e-mailed a bunch of us, asking to pass along a bit of last- minute news.... KL4E will do a satellite demonstration from grid DM16 in southern Nevada during the 1619-1627 UTC SO-50 pass tomorrow morning. Please call Craig and be a part of his demo if you hear him on. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/

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