March 2015 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

EQUiSat Optical Beacon CubeSat
by Trevor . 17 Oct '18

17 Oct '18

Students at the Ivy League Brown University are developing an amateur radio satellite EQUiSat that will carry a Xenon Flash Tube (XFT) subsystem to act as an Optical Beacon that should be visible to the unaided eye of observers on Earth. See http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=10635 73 Trevor M5AKA AMSAK-UK http://www.amsat-uk.org/ ----

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LVB Tracker USB serial port driver for Windows 7 x64?
by Bill Bordy, NJ1H 22 Dec '16

22 Dec '16

Has anyone located a driver for the LVB Tracker internal USB to serial port adapter on Windows 7 x64? If not, has anyone reverted to the serial port connection on LVB Tracker and used an external USB to serial port adapter successfully with SatPC32 on Windows 7 x64? I have an Edgeport multiple USB to serial port that has drivers for Windows 7 x64 that I will use if I have to. I would prefer using the LVB Tracker with its USB to serial adapter if someone has another solution. 73, Bill NJ1H

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AO-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010
by Mark L. Hammond 01 Jul '16

01 Jul '16

Hi All, Here is a quick AO-16 update. On Sunday I turned AO-16 long enough to get some telemetry packets. The satellite would remain on for less than one minute after being commanded on. A quick test of the "bent pipe" voice mode repeater was successful. . The "hardware watchdog timer problem" is still evident; as expected, spacecraft temperatures are insufficient to keep the transmitter ON (needs to be above 15 deg C). Orbit projections suggest that satellite illumination conditions will not result in increased temperatures for nearly 10 years. Command stations do periodically turn AO-16 "ON" to check on its condition and see if the hardware timer problem has "automagically" fixed itself (which in not anticipated, but who knows...). AO-16 telemetry 3 Oct 2010 1838 utc PACSAT MBL Telemetry Decoder Ver. 1.3 (c) Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN =============================================================================== (average values) +10V Battery Bus : 0.00 V Battery Charge Reg : 0.55 mA Base Temp : 9.07 °C PSK RF Out : 1.90 W +5V RX Bus : 4.87 V +8.5V RX Bus : 8.49 V +10V RX Bus : 11.24 V Here is another teaser :) Several months ago I commanded the AO-16 S-band transmitter ON; it too remains functional (albeit weak), and was received by me, Drew KO4MA, and Alan WA4SCA. 73, -- Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]

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CAPE-2 heard in France
by Jean-Pierre Godet 25 Sep '15

25 Sep '15

Dear friends from University of loisiana in Lafayette, Your bird was heard in the North of France when flying over Oran (Algeria), orbit number 204, especially the CW beacon (on 145.823 MHz +- Doppler) between 12:12:52 and 12:13:06 UTC, content was "EUL CAPE 2 OR UF231". The signal was somewhat chirpy, but it's exactly the sound which the real lover of CW like above all. Really ! :-) http://f5yg.pagesperso-orange.fr/forum/CAPE-2_orb204_03dec2013.mp3 The signal to noise ratio is not too good because I'm using an old AM/FM scanner from the 80s heterodyned by my medium wave homebrew transmitter fitted with a 456.9 Xtal. The antenna was a vertical half-wave inside the attic. The next orbit, number 205, was heard too, with the CW beacon affected at that time by a hoarse voice and suffering from a strong fadding. So I'm not absolutly sure, poor lonesome telegraphist, of my human decoding, "M5UL CAPE 2 ÜR 5045", something like that. It was over the East coast of Spain, between 12:12:52 and 12:13:06 : http://f5yg.pagesperso-orange.fr/forum/CAPE-2_orb205_03dec2013.mp3 Congratulation to the Cajun Advanced Picosat Experiment team from France ! Jean-Pierre F5YG -- Powered by Linux (Slackware 10.0 - kernel 2.4.26)

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Re: [amsat-bb] Handheld for LEO satellites?
by Steve Kristoff 11 Jul '15

11 Jul '15

The Alinco DJ-G7 claims to be full-duplex capable. Anybody have thoughts on that radio? Steve AI9IN skristof(a)etczone.com On Wed, Jan 21, 2015 at 1:11 PM, D. Craig Fox <DFox(a)rwglaw.com> wrote: > All of the foregoing responses express valid approaches. One thing to keep > in mind if going the HT approach, is the long term reliability of the > radio. The fact that there are still so many Icoms, Kenwoods, Yaesus out > there is evidence of their long term reliability. Perhaps the inexpensive > Chinese radios will stand the test of time- maybe not. But for very little > more than the cost of two of the new cheap radios, you can have a full > duplex HT. As others have said, there is no real substitute for hearing > your downlink. I happen to like my full duplex Kenwood D7 because of its > on board TNC giving me the ability to communicate through the ISS > digipeater as I point my elk antenna while watching it go by. Way cool > experience. > > If you get really bitten by the sat bug like most of us, you will > eventually want a full duplex, all function transceiver to enable you to > work the linear (rd: low stress, high fun) satellites. Consider saving up > for that instead. > > Just my $.02 > > Craig > N6RSX > > > > NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential > information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, > or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to > the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and > immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or > disclosing the contents. Thank you. > _______________________________________________ > 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] Has anyone heard the 9600 baud signals from Spinsat?
by Armando Mercado 24 Apr '15

24 Apr '15

Hi, I've listened for Spinsat on 437.230 several times with no results. There have been no reception reports from Spinsat to the best of my knowledge. It is still near the ISS. Latest keps can be found at: http://www.celestrak.com/cgi-bin/TLE.pl?CATNR=40314 73, Armando N8IGJ

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LVBTracker issue and minor SatPC32 glitch
by kb2m＠arrl.net 01 Apr '15

01 Apr '15

Does anyone have this issue, I have to turn my sat system on in a certain sequence. 1. Turn on the LVBTracker. 2. Turn on the 9100. 3. Start SatPC32. Today I had a visitor in my shack who turned the Yaesu 5500 on first causing the LVB issue, so don't just say 'don't do that' J. If I turn on the 9100 before the LVBTracker I get a memory error on the LVBTracker and have to do a re-calibrate, a real pain if you're trying to work a bird that's already up. If I run SatPC32 before I turn on the radio I get a SatPC32 error that could be a little easier to resolve then it is. I would like to see a de-select, select sequence of the cat control to acquire the radio instead of a SatPC32 reboot, sometimes with a task manager assist in Win7 to halt the rotor serverSDX. I have no idea what would cause the LVB to behave in this manner. Anyone have the LVB issue? Any solutions? 73 Jeff kb2m

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K1N FO-29 Confirmed
by K3SV 31 Mar '15

31 Mar '15

Whoop whoop! Sent from my iPad

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Fwd: Amateur Radio Roundtable
by wa4hfn＠comcast.net 31 Mar '15

31 Mar '15

----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "W5KUB Broadcast" <wa5kub.video9(a)gmail.com> To: "Tom Medlin" <wa5kub.video9(a)gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 11:38:14 AM Subject: Amateur Radio Roundtable Reminder - Amateur Radio Roundtable, a live weekly ham radio webcast can be seen at W5KUB. <http://w5kub.com/>*com* every Tuesday night at 8:00 PM CDT (0100 UTC Wednesday). The show covers all aspects of ham radio; such as, balloon launches, Satellite, go-kits, emergency communications, SDR, digital modes, DXing, home brewing, and much more. This week’s guests include: Russ Woodman, K5TUX, discussing Linux and open source for ham radio Brian Schell, KD8OTD, author, discussing D-star and Echolink for beginners Glen Popiel, KW5GP, author of the book “Arduino for Ham Radio” To watch Amateur Radio Roundtable go to W5KUB.com, click on Live Events and sign in with your existing User Name and Password. If you don’t have a user name and password, just enter your call or name, leave the password blank and hit sign in. We need your help with topics. If you have a specific subject that you would like to present in a future show, send an email to tom(a)W5KUB.com. Join us for fun and interesting ham radio discussions. We’ll see you on the webcast! Tom Medlin, W5KUB To follow our webcasts and to discuss ham radio, please join our Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/w5kub/. You are receiving this message because you joined W5KUB.com. If you would like to be removed from these mailings, please click Reply and type ' *Remove*' in the subject line.

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Icom IC-471A repairs
by James Hickox 31 Mar '15

31 Mar '15

Hello,I have a -471a that is deaf and dumb. memories work, sound comes from speaker, squelch works, but will only hear HT signal when placed close to printed circuit board wen case is off. Will go into transmit mode, but no power output noted. Please let me know what might be the possible fixes, and is there is anyone within a couple of hundred miles of Abilene, Texas who will be willing to assist with repairs or who do it for a fee. Thanks, James, AA5AO

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ISS SSTV + AESP-14 Deployment Video
by M5AKA 31 Mar '15

31 Mar '15

ISS Slow Scan TV Active on Weekend of April 11 http://amsat-uk.org/2015/03/31/iss-sstv/ Video of AESP-14 CubeSat deployment from ISS http://amsat-uk.org/2015/03/30/video-of-aesp-14-cubesat-deployment-from-iss/ The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has published an article explaining to schools and other organisations what amateur radio is and how it work. Read How to ‘Make That Call': #TalkToTim on the ISS https://space.blog.gov.uk/2015/03/27/how-to-make-that-call-talktotim-on-the… Astronaut issues challenge for UK students to “make that call” http://amsat-uk.org/2015/03/20/astronaut-issues-challenge-for-uk-students-t… ---- 73 Trevor M5AKA AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amsatuk Twitter https://twitter.com/AMSAT_UK ----

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Simple setup for SO50
by Clint Bradford 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

Luciano - AMSAT-NA's new FOX-1A is going to actually be EASIER to work with portable/minimum equipment! Engineers have promised about a 6db INCREASE in its 2M downlink as compared to our recent FM voice birds with their 440 downlinks! THANKS for the video! Keep up the wonderful work! Clint K6LCS

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M2 leo pack antenna
by Bruce 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

We used my M2 Leo Pack antenna at the Houston Hamfest Saturday and they worked great from AOS to LOS on both passes. Both antennas use 'N' connectors. If you are going to build them, I would suggest installing the driven elements last, do not use the push retainers on those two until you are all done building the antenna. I built mine and messed up 2 of the push retainers. I think there were 1 extra in each of the 2m and 70cm antennas but I pushed a little too hard and the elements were no longer centered. You cannot back them up. You have to replace them. M2 does not ship one or two of them, I had to purchase a package of 50 just to get 2 of them. Cost... $13. I reckon if anyone else makes an oops, I can drop a few in the U.S. mail to you. Just a heads up. They will be shipping out the last of the AMSAT orders that have been waiting to ship... 5 going out in today's UPS delivery. They will have some packaged and on the shelf ready to ship for those that are ready to order now. No waiting. 73...bruce -- 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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AMSAT's "new" FM satellite flyer
by Clint Bradford 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

Patrick, your emory is a little hazy regarding the history of this publication. As an AMSAT area coordinator, and with AMSAT-NA's blessings, I released the AMSAT-approved "Work AO-51" tutorial on September 3, 2007, to the world. That grew to "Work Satellites With Your HT" tutorial I produced in January, 2008 - again with AMSAT-NA's blessings. Then other variants began to appear ... BUT THE BOTTOM LINE - in my mind - is getting the information out. And as accurately and timely as possible. Over the years, my tutorial has been revised / amended / improved more than 20 times - to keep up with changes and new info. No problem ... ancient history, actually, in the scheme of things. Many thousands of my tutorials have been downloaded and handed to convention attendees and club members, and I hope the AMSAT-NA download page gets promoted with updated and current info for all, too. Clint Bradford K6LCS http://www.work-sat.com

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Simple setup for SO50
by PY5LF 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

Hi Take a look on this video where PT9BM works many stations on SO50 using a simple UV5R and a Nagoya antenna . <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=697NY-Y3C3I&feature=youtu.be> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=697NY-Y3C3I&feature=youtu.be So , you no need to spend a lot of $ to try sat contacts . 73 PY5LF Luciano Fabricio Curitiba-PR-BR GG54jm http://www.qrz.com/db/PY5LF

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Getting Ready for Fox-1A - Correction
by Clint Bradford 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

Tentative launch date the 27th of August - not the 25th. Clint

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AMSAT's "new" FM satellite flyer
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

Hi! One of the items in yesterday's ANS bulletin described a flyer that is now available from AMSAT's web site, available at: http://www.amsat.org --> Satellite Info --> Station and Operating Hints. (or at the direct link is http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=2144 ) I am not the only author of these flyers. Back in 2008, Gould Smith WA4SXM asked Tim Lilley N3TL and me to work with him on the original version of this flyer for use by AMSAT's Area Coordinators. Gould and Tim were most helpful in this project, and I thank them for their contributions. Over the next 6+ years, this flyer has been revised several times. Until AMSAT's old web site was shut down a couple of years ago, updated versions were available in a special section of that site used by Area Coordinators. With the changes related to the web site in the past couple of years, that private area for Area Coordinators has not been recreated, and we're taking the opportunity to make the flyer available to everyone. This is probably long overdue, as the information has been available in many places (including AMSAT's "Getting Started with Amateur Satellites" books, available at AMSAT booths/tables and from AMSAT's online store). Since I live in Arizona, with many hamfests in close proximity to the Mexican border, many Mexican hams come up to these hamfests. I asked a couple of friends, Larry Teran KI6YAA and Alex Pereida XE2BSS/N2IX, to translate this flyer into Spanish in 2011, which was a great help. My grasp of Spanish is OK (some of you hear me speaking Spanish when I work stations in Mexico and central America), but I was not comfortable translating the flyer by myself. After Larry and Alex did the initial Spanish translation in 2011, I have been able to update the Spanish version as the English version was updated. A separate flyer is already in the works for the Fox-1A satellite, which will be available before the satellite's scheduled launch date in late August. Between content for the AMSAT web site and articles in upcoming issues of the AMSAT Journal, there will be lots of information about Fox-1A available. Once we see how well Fox-1A works, that information will be incorporated in both the English and Spanish versions of this flyer, and posted on the AMSAT web site. We're starting to take advantage of how easy it is to make documents available on the AMSAT web site, using the WordPress content management system. This has been done with many documents related to the Fox project already, and we will continue to do this in the future. If anyone wishes to translate this flyer into other languages, that would be great. Please e-mail me directly, so we can discuss this in more detail. Any additional translations will be posted on the AMSAT web site, along with the existing English and Spanish versions. Thanks, and 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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WD9EWK's road trip to DM51/DM52 & DM52/DM53 - report
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

Hi again! After yesterday's hamfest in Tucson, I made a detour to the southeast, so I could stop and operate from 3 different rarely-heard grids in that part of Arizona, before heading home. I made a change to the plans I had posted on this list last week, but was able to make many contacts from the two different places I operated from. My first stop yesterday was the DM51bx/DM52ba grid boundary, west of US-191 and south of I-10 in Cochise County. This is location I usually visit once or twice a year, usually after hamfests in this part of Arizona. The spot I use is just over an hour's drive from the hamfest site, about 80 miles east of Tucson. After I found the exact spot and the obligatory photos of my station with a GPS receiver in the picture, I worked two AO-7 passes and an FO-29 pass. I logged 14 QSOs on these 3 passes, even after I stopped working the second AO-7 pass around the midpoint. My change in plans turned out to be a good thing. When I stopped working the second AO-7 pass, I had about an hour and 40 minutes to cover the 70 miles to the second stop on this quick road trip - the DM52ax/DM53aa grid boundary. This spot is along US-70, northwest of the town of Safford in Graham County. In the past, I once made this drive in 80 minutes, in between a couple of AO-51 passes. I wasn't interested in setting any land speed records, but I ended up making the drive in 85 minutes. A larger part of US-191 between I-10 and Safford had been upgraded to a divided highway with a 65mph speed limit - and I took advantage of that. I found the exact spot next to US-70, set up my radio on the spot, and had 10 minutes to spare before the first of the two SO-50 passes. I had used my GPS to find the exact spot on the grid boundary, placed my radio on the spot, and took the obligatory photos after the first of the two passes I worked. Each of the SO-50 passes had a lot of stations. Even with the crowds, I was able to hand out QSOs with DM52 and DM53 to 13 stations on each of the passes. Of these two grids, DM53 is the rarer of the two - a two-hour drive from either Phoenix or Tucson, away from I-10 through this part of Arizona. I had last operated from DM53 in 2011, and I think KL7R has been in this area recently. Someone always needs either - or both - of these grids, so it is fun to make the drive and put these grids into lots of logs. All of my QSOs from Saturday, between the hamfest and other stops I made during the day, are in Logbook of the World. Within minutes after I uploaded these contacts, almost half of them were confirmed. Some of these QSLs were with relatively new satellite operators. It's nice to see more satellite operators using LOTW. If you worked WD9EWK and would like a QSL card, I still print and mail QSL cards. Just e-mail me directly with the QSO details, and I will check my log. If you're in the log, I will be happy to send you a QSL card. These locations are outside my 200km limit for the satellite VUCC award, so I don't seek cards for QSOs I make from those locations. There is no need to first send me your QSL card and/or SASE to get my QSL card. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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Tucson (Arizona) hamfest on 28 March - report
by Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) 30 Mar '15

30 Mar '15

Hi! I had an AMSAT table at yesterday's Radio Society of Tucson hamfest in Tucson, Arizona. A great turnout, larger than last year's crowd, and good weather helped make this a nice place to spend the morning. During the morning, there was a lot of traffic around my AMSAT table. Between the demonstrations that always draw crowds and more talk about the upcoming Fox-1 satellites, there was a lot of interest in this corner of ham radio. After talking about the Fox project for many years, it has been nice to attach some launch dates to a couple of the satellites. As I did a week ago at another hamfest in Scottsdale AZ, there was interest in using the USB SDR dongles with the small Windows tablets. I was on a few passes during the hamfest - a couple of AO-73 passes; and one pass each of AO-7, FO-29, and the ISS. I logged a couple of QSOs on the FO-29 pass just after 1330 UTC, and a few more on the AO-73 pass around 1740 UTC. Among the QSOs on the later AO-73 pass, I worked Andy W5ACM and Bruce KK5DO, who were at the Greater Houston Hamfest representing AMSAT. Thanks to them, and everyone else, who worked WD9EWK during the demonstrations. 73! Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK

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For Sale - Yaesu FT-847 w/accessories & Smartuner - SGC-230
by K5AXW 29 Mar '15

29 Mar '15

For Sale - Very nice Yaesu FT-847 all band/mode TX/RX tracking transceiver. Radio comes with original box, manual, DC power cord and hand mic. Installed are the INRAD 2.1 KHz SSB, Collins 2.5 KHz and 500 Hz CW mechanical filters, ready for full duplex cross-band operation. Mobile mounting bracket MB-66 included. The TX is opened up to cover 60 meters and MARS frequencies. Power switch replaced and upgraded. Also included is the MD-100 desk mic, home brew data adapter for PSK/RTTY/data use and a serial CAT cable for radio control & satellite Doppler tracking. $1150 shipped Continental U.S. Separately for an all-in-one type station, a companion SGC Model SGC-230 "Smartuner" with original box, manual, extra control cable and a type 43 toroid core for $375 but will sell both the FT-847 & SG-230 for $1450 shipped Continental U.S. All of my contact info is on QRZ. Please respond off the list. Thanks. 73, Bill K5AXW Austin, TX

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AO-73 telemetry reception
by Steve Kristoff 29 Mar '15

29 Mar '15

I would like to receive the telemetry from AO-73. I have the FUN-Cube Dashboard running. I can hear the telemetry signal on my Yaesu FT290RII set on USB and run through a Signalink USB to my computer. The antenna is a 5/8 wave ground plane on top of my 2 story house. I can get ground based APRS. I can receive ISS APRS and packet. Occasionally I can even hit AO-07 in mode A. I have received the AO-73 telemetry once, but nothing since. Do I need to use a directional antenna? Maybe it's because I'm only home at night and weekends and the telemetry is at 30 mW during those times? Would a pre-amp help? All helpful thoughts and ideas are very welcome! Steve Kristoff AI9IN EM79ji Oldenburg IN skristof(a)etczone.com

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Getting Ready for FOX-1A
by Clint Bradford 29 Mar '15

29 Mar '15

August is only getting closer ... (grin). AMSAT-NA hopes to launch FOX-1A on August 25, 2015. Here are the frequencies to program into your handheld - it is the "reverse" of what we are used to with, say, SO-50: The downlink will be on 2M, and the uplink on 440. This is great for portable ops - we should achieve about a 6db INCREASE in downlink signal strength! Two docs have the freqs for you to program into your HTs - http://work-sat.com/Home.html --- the Tutorial has SO-50 and FOX-1A freqs for you. http://work-sat.com/FUNDRAISING.html --- here's just the freq list, and AMSAT-NA's article on "How to Work" FOX-1A. My demo radios are already programmed ... (grin) Clint Bradford K6LCS

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AO73 Telemetry Reception
by Clint Bradford 29 Mar '15

29 Mar '15

Since you are successful with other birds, it may be the times you are working '73 are when it is in its 30mW mode. And even a modest beam points its way will out-perform the vertical. Heck, we heard it on its 30mW mode at the Palm Springs HamFest a couple Saturdays ago with just a tape measure beam. Clint http://www.work-sat.com

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AMSAT FieldOps Team SO-50 Operating Guide is Available
by Clint Bradford 29 Mar '15

29 Mar '15

I hope AMSAT-NA doesn't wait 12 years after launch of FOX-1A, too, to highlight how to work it ... I started getting folks excited about it several months ago ... Sorry ... Guess we should all be pleased that updates to the site are occurring! Clint Bradford

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ANS-088 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 29 Mar '15

29 Mar '15

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-088 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. In this edition: * AMSAT FieldOps Team SO-50 Operating Guide is Available * AMSAT Hotel Room Reservations for Dayton Hamvention * AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers * ARISS School Proposal Window, for US, Remains Open Through April 15 * Tim Peake and ARISS - GB1SS Listening and Standing By * Mark T. Vande Hei, KG5GNP, New Astronaut Ham * Satellite operation from Isle of Mull * Vote to Name the Next United Launch Alliance Rocket SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-088.01 ANS-088 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 088.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. March 29, 2015 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-088.01 AMSAT FieldOps Team SO-50 Operating Guide is Available AMSAT's Director of Field Operations, Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK says the FieldOps team is working to make how-to-operate-satellites information readily available on the web. Based on a hamfest handout designed and written by Patrick, "Getting Started with the FM Satellites", is available for download. Patrick shows the basic equipment and techniques to learn successful operating on the satellites. This guide also gives specific information on how to operate via SO-50, the only currently available FM satellite at the moment. Patrick's guide is posted at: http://www.amsat.org --> Satellite Info --> Station and Operating Hints. The direct link is http://www.amsat.org/?page_id=2144 where you'll find the link "Operating FM Satellites" (and a link to the Spanish version also). [ANS thanks the AMSAT FieldOps Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Hotel Room Reservations for Dayton Hamvention Once again, this year, as in previous years AMSAT has reserved a block of rooms for the Dayton Hamvention at the Country Inn & Suites in Fairborn, Ohio. The cost is $109 per night. The cutoff date for reservations is April 12. First priority will be given to AMSAT members assisting with the booth operations, satellite operating demonstrations, and the AMSAT Forum presentations. Call Martha at the AMSAT office at 301-822-4376 to give her your arrival/departure dates and your credit card information. [ANS thanks Martha at the AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers Last year, we had 52 people assist with the AMSAT booth at the Dayton. It was the efforts of those volunteers that made the 2014 Dayton Hamvention a success for AMSAT. The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders makes the whole experience a lot of fun. The 2015 Hamvention is May 15-17. Would you consider helping AMSAT at Dayton this year? Whether you're available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please send an e-mail to Steve, n9ip at amsat.org if you can help. [ANS thanks AMSAT's Hamvention Chairman Steve Belter, N9IP for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS School Proposal Window, for US, Remains Open Through April 15 ARISS is now accepting proposals for U.S. schools wishing to schedule contacts between their students and the International Space Station for the next cycle. Details on submitting proposals can be found below in the attached ARRL News Release. Message to US Educators Amateur Radio on the International Space Station Contact Opportunity Call for Proposals Proposal Window February 15 - April 15, 2015 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program is seeking formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the ISS. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between *January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2016*. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. 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. The deadline to submit a proposal is April 15, 2015. Proposal information and documents can be found at www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. The Opportunity Crew members aboard the International Space Station will participate in scheduled Amateur Radio contacts. These radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length and allow students and educators to interact with the astronauts through a question-and-answer session. An ARISS contact is a voice-only communication opportunity via Amateur Radio between astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the space station and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts afford education audiences the opportunity to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to live and work in space and to learn about space research conducted on the ISS. Students also will have an opportunity to learn about satellite communication, wireless technology, and radio science. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in contact dates and times. Amateur Radio organizations around the world, NASA, and space agencies in Russia, Canada, Japan and Europe sponsor this educational opportunity by providing the equipment and operational support to enable direct communication between crew on the ISS and students around the world via Amateur Radio. In the US, the program is managed by AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARRL (American Radio Relay League) in partnership with NASA. More Information Interested parties can find more information about the program at www.ariss.org and www.arrl.org/ARISS. For proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Sessions go to www.arrl.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact. Please direct any questions to ariss at arrl dot org. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tim Peake and ARISS - GB1SS Listening and Standing By The UK Space Agency has launched a new programme, targeted at students, for the Tim Peake “Principia” mission to the ISS later this year. This is the result of nearly a nearly a years’ worth of effort, working with the UKSA to find a way to bring space to the students and enthuse the next generation of scientists, engineers technicians and mathematicians. The programme is a joint effort between ARISS, UKSA, RSGB, ESERO in the UK and ESA to raise awareness in Space, Amateur Radio and STEM subjects in general. The basis behind the programme is that schools/educational establishments offer a two day Space STEM event where space can be explored within the confines of the UK National Curriculum. Schools/establishments that are successful in applying for such a two day event will then also take part in an ARISS scheduled contact with Tim on the ISS as he orbits above the UK. Many different aspects of Amateur Radio are being promoted from amateur radio in general to the amateur satellite service, data from orbiting spacecraft (FUNcube and with luck the first of the Fox satellites) to the latest equipment on the ISS, the HAMVideo system assuming all goes to plan with the upcoming testing. ARISS UK mentors will assist the schools, provide all the necessary RF equipment and will, with our colleagues in the BATC, live web stream the contacts. We are also promoting this as an opportunity for a suitably licensed student to be in charge of the transmitter for the actual contact itself and to host the call to the ISS. Our national society, the Radio Society of Great Britain, will be working with the selected schools and interested students to ensure that the students that wish to obtain their own license can do so. Tim will be making use of the GB1SS call sign that has been granted by Ofcom, the spectrum regulator in the UK. Tim Peake recently also recorded a short video and you can see this at http://www.amsat-uk.org/ along with the contents of the UKSA press release. Tim is extremely enthusiastic and is looking forward to using the amateur radio equipment whilst he is on orbit. The Tim Peake ESERO resource page is at http://www.esero.org.uk/timpeake The announcements with the guide, application form, press releases and a downloadable copy of the video are at http://tinyurl.com/ariss-timpeake The RSGB announcement is at http://rsgb.org/main/blog/news/gb2rs/headlines/2015/03/20/g3rjv-wins- prestigious-technical-award/ [ANS thanks Ciaran, M0XTD, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark T. Vande Hei, KG5GNP, New Astronaut Ham Mark T. Vande Hei attended license classes on March 11 and 12 and passed the Technician exam on March 13. His callsign, KG5GNP, appeared in the FCC database on March 24. Vande Hei was selected in June 2009 as a member of the 20th NASA astronaut class. He completed astronaut candidate training in June 2011 and is now qualified for future flight assignment. From June 2012 to May 2013, he served as the Astronaut Office's Director of Operations in Russia. He currently works in the Astronaut Office's CAPCOM Branch. He reported to the Johnson Space Center in July 2006 to serve as a Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) in the Mission Control Center, Houston. He served as an International Space Station CAPCOM for Expeditions 15 to 20 and STS-122, 123, 124, 126 and 127. Vande Hei was a member of the 18th NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) expedition that spent nine days living and conducting research 62 feet below the surface in Florida International University's Aquarius Reef Base undersea research habitat off the coast of Key Largo, Fla. They investigated tools, techniques and technologies that will benefit spacefarers aboard future International Space Station and long-duration exploration missions. "NEEMO 18 was a fantastic opportunity for me to participate in the development of technologies and techniques for future exploration," said Vande Hei. "That by itself would have been plenty, but on top of that I got to experience life in an environment that most of us don't get to experience as well as enjoy the company of some fantastic teammates, both on the crew and in the ground control and support team." [ANS thanks Kenneth N5VHO , ARISS and NASA for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite operation from Isle of Mull Ten members of the Camb-Hams are returning to Grasspoint IO76EJ on Mull (IOTA EU-008) from May 15-21, 2015 as GS3PYE/P. They will be QRV with multiple stations on HF on 3.5-28MHz SSB, CW, RTTY and PSK with dipoles and verticals and up to 400W if necessary. VHF activity will be on 50MHz, 70MHz and 144MHz, all bands QRO with sizeable antennas. VHF will be mainly QRV using JT6m or ISCAT on 50MHz, FSK441 on 70MHz and FSK441 and JT65b (for EME) on 144MHz, but SSB and CW is also possible, especially in any sporadic E propagation openings. Other modes by agreement. Satellite operations on 2m & 70cm will use an Icom IC-910 and X-Quad antennas mounted on a fully automatic AZ/EL tracking system. If internet connectivity allows, the VHF operators will monitor ON4KST Chat for terrestrial activity and N0UK JT65 chat for EME. You can submit your VHF sked requests online here: http://tiny.cc/gs3pyesked The team will be QRV in the 80m CW CC event on the 21st and in the 144MHz contest on the 16th and 17th. They may do very short side trips to Iona and the Treshnish Islands and will announce these nearer the time on the website. Please QSL only via OQRS on ClubLog for direct or bureau cards. Do not send any cards direct or via the bureau. For the latest info see http://dx.camb-hams.com/ http://twitter.com/g3pye http://facebook.com/CambHams http://youtube.com/CambHams [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Vote to Name the Next United Launch Alliance Rocket United Launch Alliance (ULA), is asking America to help name its next rocket, calling on citizens to play a role in the future of space launch by voting for the name of the new rocket that will be responsible for the majority of the nation's future space launches. For the next two weeks, the public can vote for its favorite rocket name - Eagle, Freedom, GalaxyOne, Vulcan or Zeus - with the results being announced on April 13 along with the design and components of ULA's innovative, next- generation rocket. The top three names were selected from more than 400 names submitted by ULA's 3,400 employees and space enthusiasts earlier this year. ULA employees - rocket scientists, engineers and patriots - will design and build this rocket with the first flight expected in 2019. In order to vote for America's next rocket, voters can visit the website from March 23 to April 6: http://bit.ly/rocketvote. Voters can also text 22333 to submit a vote for their favorite name. The following key can be used to text a vote: . ULA1 for "Eagle" . ULA2 for "Freedom" . ULA3 for "GalaxyOne" . ULA4 for "Vulcan" . ULA5 for "Zeus" (Text and data rates may apply.) [ANS thanks the United Launch Alliance for the above information] /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, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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