October 2017 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-302 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 29 Oct '17

29 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-302 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-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program * AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President * Jordan’s first satellite – JY1-SAT * APRS Satellites QIKCOM-1 Deployed * FalconSat-3 Video w/ WiSP File Upload/Download * Special Membership Offer for RadFxSat Launch * Pope Asks Spacemen Life's Big Questions In ISS Live Chat * AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-302.01 ANS-302 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 302.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. October 28, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-302.01 AMSAT-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program At the AMSAT-NA Annual General Meeting in Reno, NV, AMSAT-NA President Joe Spier, K6WAO, announced the next phase of AMSAT’s CubeSat program: GOLF. GOLF, an acronym for “Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint,” is a crucial step towards fulfilling AMSAT’s strategic goals involving high altitude, wide access satellite missions. As an initial step in the GOLF program, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors approved the submission of a NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative proposal for the GOLF-T satellite project. The GOLF-T project will serve as a rapidly deployable Low Earth Orbit (LEO) testbed for technologies necessary for a successful CubeSat mission to a wide variety of orbits, including LEO, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), or beyond. AMSAT-NA Vice-President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said “The GOLF-T project tees off the next phase of our CubeSat program. GOLF-T provides AMSAT hardware and knowledge for Attitude Determination and Control (ADAC) capability and the opportunity to develop a 3U spaceframe with deployable solar panels that can be used in LEO or HEO missions, two of the major systems required in future GOLF and HEO missions.” In addition, GOLF-T provides the opportunity for rapid deployment and on orbit testing of the AMSAT’s Advanced Satellite Communications and Exploration of New Technology (ASCENT )program’s technology, including radiation tolerant transponder and Integrated Housekeeping Unit (IHU) technologies that will lead the way for low cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems that can function in the MEO and HEO radiation environments. GOLF-T will also provide for the development of “Five and Dime” Field-Programmable Gate Array Software Defined Radio (FPGA SDR) transponders for use on a variety of missions and orbits. [ANS thanks the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors and our Engineering Team for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President At it’s annual meeting, held at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel in Reno, NV, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors elected Joe Spier, K6WAO, of Reno, NV, President, succeeding Barry Baines, WD4ASW, who has retired after nine years of service as AMSAT’s President. Joe is a Life Member of AMSAT-NA and has previously served as Executive Vice President and Vice-President Educational Relations. He also has Life Memberships in the ARRL, SARA (Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers) and the AFA (Air Force Association). He holds an Extra Class license as well as commercial licenses. Immediate Past President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said “It has been an honor to serve as President for the past nine years and as a board member since 1999. I’m confident that the successes of the past nine years while serving as President will lead to new opportunities in AMSAT’s future as Joe assumes the helm working with the new Senior Leadership Team. I’m also thrilled that Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, are new voting members on the Board, including the assumption of my former slot. I’m excited that the new Board combined with the new Senior Leadership Team will bring insight, enthusiasm, energy and commitment to move AMSAT forward.” Other officers elected by the Board were: * Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, of Washington, DC, as Executive Vice President * Jerry Buxton, N0JY, of Granbury, TX, as Vice-President Engineering * Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, of New Port Richey, FL, as Vice-President Operations * Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, of Granbury, TX, as Secretary * Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, of Corunna, ON, as Treasurer * Martha Saragovitz of Silver Spring, MD, as Manager [ANS thanks the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jordan’s first satellite – JY1-SAT During the final satellite integration training for Jordan’s first satellite, JY1-SAT, the team was supported for the final stages of integration by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II. The spacecraft has been given to students of the Masar Initiative at the Jordan University of Science and Technology as part of the JY1- SAT mission support and training program under the Crown Prince Foundation given by ISIS – Innovative Solutions In Space and AMSAT-UK and AMSAT Netherlands. The JY1-SAT mission was proposed by Jordanian students who participated in the first batch of the cooperation program with NASA, after which the interns had suggested the design and launch of the first Jordanian satellite CubeSat. To build up the capability to design and develop such a first mission, the Crown Prince Foundation signed a support agreement with ISIS – Innovative Solutions In Space and the AMSAT Radio Amateur Societies of the UK and the Netherlands, for hardware and training support, building on ISIS’ and AMSAT’s experience with FUNcube radio amateur transponder missions. As a special development for the JY1-SAT mission, AMSAT has expanded the capabilities of the FUNcube transponder to be able to transmit stored images reflecting the Jordanian culture and its historical heritage, along with a voice message recorded by the Crown Prince to be transmitted in space to receivers around the world. The launch of the JY1-SAT, scheduled during the first half of next year, is in memory of His Majesty the late King Hussein, the first founder of the HAM Radio in Jordan and holder of call sign JY1. JY1-SAT will have a linear, inverting, transponder downlinking between 145.855 & 145.875 MHz with the uplink between 435.100 & 435.120 MHz. The telemetry downlink will be on 145.840 MHz and be FUNcube compatible. A new Dashboard will be made available before the launch of JY1-SAT. The Jordan Times – Crown Prince puts final touch on mini satellite project http://tinyurl.com/ANS302-JY1-Sat [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- APRS Satellites QIKCOM-1 Deployed QIKCOM-1 was deployed from the ISS Friday at 0915 UTC attached to the SIMPL spacecraft. It is an APRS digipeater just like the ISS. Whereas it also supports the same ARISS alias as the ISS digipeater, please use the ALIAS of APRSAT on your uplinks instead of ARISS so that you only hit QIKCOM-1 for these first few passes with your test uplinks (once a minute).. Or you can be specific via QIKCOM-1 callsign. At 4 Watts, it will be 10 dB stronger than PSAT(84) and about the same power level as ISS and should be easy to receive on the 145.825 downlink. We ask all potential IGates to check your ground stations and make sure they are ready to IGate packets during those initial orbits from all over the globe. If you do not have an IGate, just capture packets and email them to qikcom1 at gmail.com until we see that everything is making it to the APRS-IS. The downlink should be available on the original http://pcsat.findu.com and also on http://59.167.159.165/satreporter/index2.html Being released from ISS, QIKCOM-1 will of course have the same Elements and tracking info as ISS until they begin to separate. This means passes over the USA every 90 minutes beginning at 0630 EDT in the Southeast and ending after 1440 PDT in Southern California. Web page: http://aprs.org/qikcom-1.html As usual, QIKCOM-1 is not intended for UNATTENDED BEACONS. It is designed for Live Operations and experiments only. For the initial passes, do not attempt 2-way contacts. Just set your STATUS text to indicate your TX power and antenna type and transmit at 1m intervals ATTENDED as described on the web page during these first few orbits. So we can get sttistices on uplink quality. [ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FalconSat-3 Video w/ WiSP File Upload/Download If anyone would like to see how the WiSP software handles uploading & downloading files to FalconSat-3, I made a video of the highest elevation pass tonight: https://youtu.be/9spO1e8NVj0 ... I don't understand it all yet, but am seeing some uploads & downloads. I keep UISS open and ready in case anyone is active w/ APRS packets, but on this pass I didn't transmit from UISS to give the MSPE program from WiSP maximum time to work. There's a little explanation in the notes below the video on YouTube if you click "SHOW MORE" on that page. Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, has scanned and posted the chapter on WISP from Gould Smith's 2005 Digital Satellite & Telemetry Guide to the FalconSAT-3 page on amsat.org. He hopes it is helpful to everyone diving back into this excellent program from the past. It can be found near the bottom of the page at https://www.amsat.org/falconsat-3/ [ANS thanks Scott, K4KDR and Drew KO4MA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Membership Offer for RadFxSat Launch As part of the preparations for the launch of RadFxSat on November 10th, AMSAT is making our “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites” book available for a limited time as a download with any paid new or renewal membership purchased via the AMSAT Store. This offer is only available with purchases completed online, and for only a limited time. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The 182 page book is presented in PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/shop/ and selecting any membership option. While there, check out our other items, including the M2 LEOpack antenna system, Arrow antennas, AMSAT shirts, and other swag. Thank you, and see you soon on RadFxSat! [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Pope Asks Spacemen Life's Big Questions In ISS Live Chat Pope Francis chatted with six astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, kicking off the rare interview with a philosophical question on "man's place in the universe". Italian Paolo Nespoli, 60, admitted that despite the bird's eye view of Earth he too remained "perplexed", while American Mark Vande Hei said seeing the planet from space made them "realise how fragile we are". The Argentine pontiff sat at a Vatican desk, facing a wide-screen television on which the astronauts from America, Russia and Italy could be seen floating together in their blue suits. "Good afternoon... or good evening. I imagine time passes differently at the space station, right?" the pope quipped. "Astronomy makes us think about the universe's boundless horizons, and prompts questions such as 'where do we come from, where are we going?'" he mused. A 30-second delay in the satellite feed gave Nespoli, Vande Hei, Americans Randolph (Randy) Bresnik and Joseph Acaba, and Russians Sergej Nikolaevic Rjazanskij and Alexandr Misirkin time to weigh up life's biggest questions. "Our aim here is to spread knowledge, (but) the more we learn, the more we realise we do not know," admitted Nespoli, who is on his third trip into space. "I would like people like you, theologians, philosophers, poets, writers, to come to space to explore what it means to be a human in space," he said, as Francis nodded and smiled. US mission commander Bresnik told the Argentine that from the visible thinness of the planet's atmosphere shows how fragile life is on earth. - 'Future of humanity' - But the pope had not finished: what, he wanted to know, was their opinion of love as a force that moves the universe? What was their source of joy up in the space station, and how did a life without gravity change their view of the world? The crew took it in turns to get their philosophical caps on, and not even a technical hitch which temporarily interrupted the interview, or the lack of a Russian translator, could throw the space travellers off course. "I get the most joy by looking outside every day and seeing God's creation, maybe a little bit from his perspective," Bresnick said. Far from wars, famines, pollution or human folly, he said "the future of humanity looks better from up here". Bresnik, 50, a former Marine Corps aviator who goes by the nickname "Komrade", made his fifth career excursion outside the space station this month to carry out crucial repairs to the ISS's robotic arm with NASA colleague Acaba. Acaba, 50, the first person of Puerto Rican heritage to become an astronaut, cheerfully said hello to the pope in Spanish before tackling the question on how the men deal with 'up' and 'down' losing their meaning in space. Francis is not the only Roman Catholic leader to have put in a call to the star-covered heavens. The first pope to get on the line to space was Benedict XVI in 2011, who rang the ISS -- which has been continuously occupied since 2000 -- when Nespoli was once again among the crew. [ANS thanks Ella IDE via Space Daily for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between Istituto Scolastico Comprensivo “Nardi”, Porto San Giorgio, Italyand Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 09:31 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct/Telebridge via I6KZR and IQ5VR.HamTV was active. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. + A Successful contact was made between I.C. Michelangelo Buonarroti, Marina di Carrara, Italyand Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 09:31 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct/Telebridge via I6KZR and IQ5VR. HamTV was active. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. + A Successful contact was made between Istituto Comprensivo “Tauro Viterbo”, Castellana Grotte (Ba), Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 14:23 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via IZ7RTN. HamTVC was active. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. Event location: Cittadella Mediterranea della Scienza, Bari, Italy + A Successful contact was made between “A.Gramsci-N.Pende”, Noicattaro, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-21 14:23 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via IZ7RTN. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. HamTVC was active. Event location: Cittadella Mediterranea della Scienza, Bari, Italy + A Successful contact was made between Chiddix Junior High School, Normal, IL, USA and Astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-10-23 15:31 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via W9AML ARISS Mentor was Joe K6WAO. + A Successful contact was made between Beaconsfield State School, Mackay, Queensland, Australia and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-26 08:23 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via IK1SLD ARISS Mentor was Shane VK4KHZ. + A Successful contact was made between Colegiul National Calistrat Hogas Piatra Neamt, Piatra Neamt, Romania and Astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR using Callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 2017-10-26 09:55 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via EI1ISS. ARISS Mentor was Armand SP3QFE. + A Successful contact was made between Glanmire Community College, Cork, Ireland and Astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR using Callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 2017-10-26 09:55 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via EI1ISS. ARISS Mentor was Seamus EI8BP. + A Successful contact was made between Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico “Enzo Ferrari”, Borgo A Mozzano, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-28 08:13:31 UTC. Contact was Direct via IQ5LU and IQ1SM. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF. + A Successful contact was made between Liceo Statale “G. D. Cassini”, Sanremo, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign IRØISS. The contact began 2017-10-28 08:13:31 UTC. Contact was Direct via IQ5LU and IQ1SM. ARISS Mentor was Gianpietro IZ2GOJ. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule + Primaria e Secondaria di primo grado Istituto comprensivo Via XVI settembre, Civitavecchia, Italy direct via IKØWGF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-10-30 11:20:34 UTC Watch for HamTV to be operative. + Asociación Civil Instituto Maria Montessori, San Cristóbel, Venezuela, direct via YY2CMR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Joe Acaba KE5DAR Contact is a go for: Tue 2017-10-31 18:23:28 UTC + Liceo Scientifico ‘Francesco Cecioni”, Livorno, Italy and Liceo Artistico Melotti, Lomazzo, Italy, direct via IQ5LI. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-11-03 09:27:26 UTC Watch for HamTV to be operative. + Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “Leonardo Da Vinci”, Lanusei, Italy, direct via ISØBWM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Sat 2017-11-04 10:12:16 UTC Watch for HamTV to be operative. [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Daylight saving time 2017 in the United Kingdom ends at 02:00 on Sunday, 29 October [ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information.] + Curious about when Daylight Savings time begins and ends around the world? Thank goodness for UTC. Visit https://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/2017.html [ANS thanks EMike AA8EM for the above information] + RUSSIAN WAR GAMES SPARK 'BLUE AURORAS' Around the Arctic Circle, people see green auroras almost every night. It's nothing to write home about. Blue auroras, on the other hand, are very unusual. Photos and more information are highlighted on Spaceweather.com. [ANS thanks Spaceweather.com via Southgate ARN 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, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org

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QIKCOM-1 pass predictions
by skristof＠etczone.com 29 Oct '17

29 Oct '17

I don't see QIKCOM-1 in the pull down menu in the AMSAT online pass predictions. Is it reasonable to continue to use the ISS pass predictions for QIKCOM-1? Steve AI9IN

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Asociación Civil Instituto Maria Montessori, San Cristóbel, Venezuela
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Asociación Civil Instituto Maria Montessori, San Cristóbel, Venezuela on 31 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 18:23 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and YY2CMR. The contact should be audible over Venezuela and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. La Unidad Educativa Instituto María Montessori, ubicada en San Cristóbal, Venezuela fue fundado en el año 1969 por las ideas innovadoras de dos psicólogas de vanguardia y una artista plástico. En sus inicios fue un Preescolar, de los primeros del país. Es un colegio privado, sin fines de lucro, humanista y constructivista. Atiende una matrícula de 332 estudiantes, en los niveles de Educación Inicial, Primaria y Media General. Con un promedio de 25 estudiantes por aula, un Docente Titular y un Auxiliar Docente. Se favorece la inclusión, la atención individualizada y la promoción del aprender haciendo con respeto hacia las diferencias y los procesos de aprendizaje. Es una institución cuyos principios direccionan la formación de los estudiantes en: el desarrollo de su inteligencia emocional, los valores, lo deportivo y cultural, lo científico, la innovación y la creatividad. Se estimula la formación permanente del docente a través de un Programa Institucional y se promueve el diseño e implementación de proyectos pedagógicos innovadores. Para ampliar la participación y compromiso de los padres y docentes se creó la Fundación Montessori, que apoya las iniciativas y propuestas pedagógicas de la institución. Para el instituto la experiencia escolar acerca de la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de los contenidos referidos al espacio y la exploración espacial implican un área de interés por la importancia que nos planteamos en el presente y a futuro en el desarrollo de personas conscientes de las grandes capacidades tecnológicas y científicas que los seres humanos tenemos; así como la valoración de nuestro planeta y de su entorno. Otro aspecto fundamental, es poder aproximar a nuestros niños y jóvenes a la riqueza que implica el contacto con otros países y los avances que en desarrollo científico y de exploración espacial tienen a fin de estimular sus intereses y motivaciones vocacionales futuras. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. ¿Cuál es su función en la Estación Espacial? 2. ¿Por qué decidió ser astronauta? 3. ¿Qué pueden comer en el espacio? 4. ¿Qué están estudiando en esta misión? 5. ¿Cuándo tienen que usar el traje espacial? 6. ¿Qué siente cuando esta realizando una caminata espacial? 7. ¿Se detiene en algún momento la Estación Espacial? 8. ¿Cuál es el protocolo para un hipotético caso de encuentro con vida extraterrestre? 9. ¿Cómo logró ser parte de la NASA? 10. ¿De existir un planeta habitable, cuál es el tiempo estimado para un transporte interplanetario? 11. ¿Qué es lo que más le gusta de ser astronauta? 12. ¿Qué descubrimientos importantes ha hecho durante la trayectoria que lleva como astronauta? 13. ¿Qué temperatura hay en la Estación Espacial? 14. ¿Cómo se ven las estrellas en el espacio? 15. ¿Por qué se atan los astronautas para dormir? 16. ¿Existe suficiente información acerca del conocimiento actual sobre el espacio? 17. ¿Cómo se ve la Tierra desde el Espacio? 18. ¿De aplicarse las leyes físicas en el espacio cómo afectan al planeta en lo micro y lo macro? 19. ¿Qué es lo más extraño que le ha sucedido en el espacio? 20. ¿La Nasa conoce algún planeta capaz de soportar una atmósfera artificial con una vertiente de agua y suelos fértiles? Translated: 1. What is your role on the Space Station? 2. Why did you decide to become an astronaut? 3. What can you eat in space? 4. What are you studying in this mission? 5. When do you have to wear the space suit? 6. What do you feel when you are doing a space walk? 7. Does the Space Station stop anytime? 8. What is the protocol for a hypothetical case of encounter with extraterrestrial life? 9. How did you become part of NASA? 10. If there is a habitable planet, what is the estimated time for an interplanetary transport? 11. What do you like most about being an astronaut? 12. What important discoveries have you made during your career as an astronaut? 13. What is the temperature on the Space Station? 14. How do stars look in space? 15. Why are astronauts tied to sleep? 16. Is there enough information about current knowledge about space? 17. What does the Earth look like from Space? 18. Of applying the physical laws in space how they affect the planet in the micro and the macro? 19. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you in space? 20. Does NASA know of any planet capable of withstanding an artificial atmosphere with a water slope and fertile soil? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): 1. Liceo Scientifico 'Francesco Cecioni", Livorno, Italy and Liceo Artistico Melotti, Lomazzo, Italy, direct via IQ5LI The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-11-03 09:27 UTC Watch for HamTV 2. Istituto di Istruzione Superiore "Leonardo Da Vinci", Lanusei, Italy, direct via ISØBWM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Sat 2017-11-04 10:12 UTC Watch for HamTV About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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Upcoming ARISS contact with Primaria e Secondaria di primo grado Istituto comprensivo Via XVI settembre, Civitavecchia, Italy
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Primaria e Secondaria di primo grado Istituto comprensivo Via XVI settembre, Civitavecchia, Italy on 30 Oct. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 11:20 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between IR0ISS and IK0WGF The contact should be audible over Italy and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in Italian. Primaria e Secondaria di primo grado - Istituto comprensivo Via XVI settembre, is attended about 300 pupils aged 6 -11. The school was build in 1926 and named "Alessandro Cialdi", a Civitavecchia renowned citizen who lived from 1807 to 1882 and he was famous as Papal Navy commander, Head of the prestigious "Accademia dei Lincei". Besides curricular subjects (italian, maths, science, english, etc.) our pupils take part in specific projects, for the duration of one year, for instance the "Comenius" project called " Save the Planet", in cooperation with seven european schools. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. La tua missione si chiama VITA, c'è un motivo particolare per aver scelto questa parola? 2. Tu non sei il solo Italiano ad andare nello spazio, come mai così tanti astronauti Italiani? 3. Perché sulla luna c'è il "Mare della tranquillità" se concretamente non c'è acqua? 4. La ISS orbita intorno alla terra, ma è possibile una stazione spaziale in orbita sulla Luna? 5. Se si scoprisse che c'era anticamente la vita su Marte, vi spingereste a scoprire perché è terminata? 6. Avete mai trovato qualcosa di raro e unico nello spazio? 7. Avete ed usate dei droni sulla ISS? 8. Avete mai visto un meteorite passarvi vicino la ISS? 9. Coltivate qualcosa in orbita? Avete delle piantagioni? 10. Come è stato possibile costruire la ISS a circa 400 Km dalla Terra e a quella velocità? 11. Quanto tempo è stato impiegato per costruire la ISS? 12. Nella ISS, in assenza di peso, l'aria circola come sulla Terra? 13. Sulla ISS il giorno e la notte hanno la stessa durata che hanno sulla Terra? 14. Se la Terra gira, come fanno gli astronauti ad atterrare al posto giusto e al momento giusto? 15. Qual è lo scopo della sua missione? 16. Puoi fare una foto della mia città dalla ISS? Translated: 1. Your mission is called VITA, is there a particular reason for choosing this word? 2. You are not the only Italian to go to space, how come so many Italian astronauts? 3. Why is called the "Sea of Tranquility" on the moon if there is no water? 4. ISS orbits around the earth, but is it possible for a space station to orbit the moon? 5. If you discovered that there was life on Mars in ancient times, would you go and find out why it was over? 6. Have you ever found something rare and unique in space? 7. Do you use drones on the ISS? 8. Have you ever seen a meteorite passing near the ISS? 9. Cultivate something in orbit? Do you have plantations? 10. How could ISS be built about 400 km from Earth and at that speed? 11. How long has it been spent to build the ISS? 12. In the ISS, in the absence of weight, does air circulate as on Earth? 13. On the ISS, do day and night have the same duration they have on Earth? 14. If Earth turns, how do the astronauts land at the right place and at the right time? 15. What is the purpose of your mission? 16. Can you take a picture of my city from the ISS? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): 1. Asociación Civil Instituto Maria Montessori, San Cristóbel, Venezuela, direct via YY2CMR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Joe Acaba KE5DAR Contact is a go for: Tue 2017-10-31 18:23 UTC 2. Liceo Scientifico 'Francesco Cecioni", Livorno, Italy and Liceo Artistico Melotti, Lomazzo, Italy, direct via IQ5LI The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-11-03 09:27 UTC Watch for HamTV 3. Istituto di Istruzione Superiore "Leonardo Da Vinci", Lanusei, Italy, direct via ISØBWM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Sat 2017-11-04 10:12 UTC Watch for HamTV About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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wtb..2m sat beam
by willmarbrowns＠charter.net 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

WTB-2M SATELLITE BEAM CIR POLARIZED looking for something like M2 2mcp14...cushcraft a144-20t ...a148-20t possibly other brands that are circular polarized or could be made cp. tnx es 73 Bruce ke0lx willmar, mn 56201

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Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-10-28 20:30 UTC
by AJ9N＠aol.com 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-10-28 20:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico “Enzo Ferrari”, Borgo A Mozzano, Italy and Liceo Statale “G. D. Cassini”, Sanremo, Italy direct via IQ5LU and IQ1SM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact was successful: Sat 2017-10-28 08:13:31 UTC 24 deg (***) Watch for Ham TV Primaria e Secondaria di primo grado Istituto comprensivo Via XVI settembre, Civitavecchia, Italy direct via IKØWGF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-10-30 11:20:34 UTC 65 deg Watch for HamTV Asociación Civil Instituto Maria Montessori, San Cristóbel, Venezuela, direct via YY2CMR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Joe Acaba KE5DAR Contact is a go for: Tue 2017-10-31 18:23:28 UTC 35 deg Liceo Scientifico ‘Francesco Cecioni”, Livorno, Italy and Liceo Artistico Melotti, Lomazzo, Italy, direct via IQ5LI The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-11-03 09:27:26 UTC 87 deg Watch for HamTV Istituto di Istruzione Superiore “Leonardo Da Vinci”, Lanusei, Italy, direct via ISØBWM The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Contact is a go for: Sat 2017-11-04 10:12:16 UTC 34 deg Watch for HamTV **************************************************************************** ** International Space Station Astronauts are Calling CQ Students – ARISS-US program education proposal deadline is November 15, 2017 September 18, 2017: The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program is seeking proposals from U.S. schools, museums, science centers and community youth organizations to host radio contacts with an orbiting crew member aboard the International Space Station (ISS) between July 1 and December 31, 2018. Each year, ARISS provides tens of thousands of students with oppor- tunities to learn about space technologies and space communications through the exploration of Amateur Radio. The program provides learning opportunities by connecting students to astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) through a partnership between NASA, the American Radio Relay League, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation and other Amateur Radio organizations and worldwide space agencies. The program’s goal is to inspire students worldwide, to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through Amateur Radio. Educators overwhelmingly report that student participation in the ARISS program inspires an interest in STEM subjects and in STEM careers. Ninety-two percent of educators who have participated in the program have indicated that ARISS provided ideas for encourag- ing student exploration, discussion, and participation, and 78 percent said that ARISS was effective in stimulating student interest in STEM. ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan. Students can learn about satellite communications, wireless technology, science research conducted on the space station, what it is like to work in space, radio science, and any related STEM subject. Students learn to use Amateur Radio to talk directly to an astronaut and ask their STEM-related questions. ARISS will help educational organizations locate Amateur Radio groups who can assist with equipment for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students. The proposal deadline for 2018 contacts is November 15, 2017. The ARISS website has additional details on expectations, proposal guidelines, and the proposal form. See: http://www.ariss.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-us.html **************************************************************************** ** ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n(a)amsat.org or aj9n(a)aol.com. Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz. **************************************************************************** *** All ARISS contacts are made via the Kenwood radio unless otherwise noted. **************************************************************************** *** Several of you have sent me emails asking about the RAC ARISS website and not being able to get in. That has now been changed to http://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. **************************************************************************** Looking for something new to do? How about receiving DATV from the ISS? If interested, then please go to the ARISS-EU website for complete details. Look for the buttons indicating Ham Video. http://www.ariss-eu.org/ If you need some assistance, ARISS mentor Kerry N6IZW, might be able to provide some insight. Contact Kerry at kbanke(a)sbcglobal.net **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 124 Francesco IKØWGF with 124 (***) Gaston ON4WF with 123 Sergey RV3DR with 100 **************************************************************************** The webpages listed below were all reviewed for accuracy. Out of date webpages were removed and new ones have been added. If there are additional ARISS websites I need to know about, please let me know. Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time. All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS The complete schedule page has been updated as of 2017-10-28 20:30 UTC. (***) Here you will find a listing of all scheduled school contacts, and questions, other ISS related websites, IRLP and Echolink websites, and instructions for any contact that may be streamed live. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1176. (***) Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1131. (***) Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf Please feel free to contact me if more detailed statistics are needed. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-10-28 20:30 UTC. (***) http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correction .rtf Listing of ARISS related magazine articles as of 2006-07-10 03:30 UTC. http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ARISS_magazine_articles.rtf Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 52 on orbit Randy Bresnik Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA Sergey Ryazanskiy Exp. 53 on orbit Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP Alexander Misurkin Joe Acaba KE5DAR **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

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ANS-301.01 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program
by JoAnne K9JKM 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-301.01 In this Special Bulletin: * AMSAT-NA Announces GOLF CubeSat Program SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-301.01 ANS-301 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 301.01 From AMSAT SYMPOSIUM, RENO, NV DATE October 28, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-301.01 At the AMSAT-NA Annual General Meeting in Reno, NV, AMSAT-NA President Joe Spier, K6WAO, announced the next phase of AMSAT’s CubeSat program: GOLF. GOLF, an acronym for “Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint,” is a crucial step towards fulfilling AMSAT’s strategic goals involving high altitude, wide access satellite missions. As an initial step in the GOLF program, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors approved the submission of a NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative proposal for the GOLF-T satellite project. The GOLF-T project will serve as a rapidly deployable Low Earth Orbit (LEO) testbed for technologies necessary for a successful CubeSat mission to a wide variety of orbits, including LEO, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), or beyond. AMSAT-NA Vice-President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, said “The GOLF-T project tees off the next phase of our CubeSat program. GOLF-T provides AMSAT hardware and knowledge for Attitude Determination and Control (ADAC) capability and the opportunity to develop a 3U spaceframe with deployable solar panels that can be used in LEO or HEO missions, two of the major systems required in future GOLF and HEO missions.” In addition, GOLF-T provides the opportunity for rapid deployment and on orbit testing of the AMSAT’s Advanced Satellite Communications and Exploration of New Technology (ASCENT )program’s technology, including radiation tolerant transponder and Integrated Housekeeping Unit (IHU) technologies that will lead the way for low cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems that can function in the MEO and HEO radiation environments. GOLF-T will also provide for the development of “Five and Dime” Field-Programmable Gate Array Software Defined Radio (FPGA SDR) transponders for use on a variety of missions and orbits. [ANS thanks the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors and our Engineering Team for the above information] /EX

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Kenwood TH-D7A(G) For Sale
by Tucker McGuire 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

Hi all, Looking to sell my Kenwood TH-D7A(G) with 2 AA holders and SMA to BNC adapter for use with arrow antenna, to raise funds for other stuff. Some dings on the case but overall great condition. This rig works great full duplex for our current FM transponder satellites. Asking $120 shipped. Cheers & 73, Tucker W4FS

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AMSAT General Meeting Audio Stream Available - 3:30pm PDT / 22:30 UTC
by Paul Stoetzer 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

The AMSAT General Meeting in Reno, NV will be available to all members and interested amateur radio operators via local VHF repeater, IRLP, and EchoLink. The meeting will start at 3:30pm PDT (22:30 UTC) today. The meeting will be available locally in the Reno area on the SNARS 147.300 MHz repeater as well as globally via IRLP Node 7873 and the W7TA-R EchoLink (854520). The IRLP access code is #88 + the node number you wish the dial. The IRLP hang up code is #8873. A live stream of the meeting audio may also be found at http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/13048 Questions will be taken via EchoLink and Twitter (use hashtag #AMSATGM).

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Pacsat Portables and Mobiles?
by Tony 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

All: I seem to recall a station or two working Pacsat mobile though either GO-32 or AO-51. I suspect that may have been difficult with a dual-band vertical, but not impossible. I understand the Kenwood TM-700 series have built-in TNC's with full-duplex capability so they'd seem to work right out of the box. Any Pacsat operators that plan on trying Falconsat-3 with a mobile or portable setup? Tony -K2MO

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AO7 mode A today
by jeffory broughton 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

Looks like AO7 MODE A TODAY. I will be on in 20 min at 1935 utc. Nice 62 degree pass.29.450 mhz Usb. WB8RJY EN72 jeff broughton

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Qwiksat
by Alex Weimer 28 Oct '17

28 Oct '17

Nothing heard of Qwiksat on pass over west coast this morning.. RS0ISS strong however.. Jack-KC7MG

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AO73
by Jose Elias Diaz 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

Hi guys this night at 2222 utc I’ll be on AO73 on central band looking for USA Enviado desde myMail para iOS

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AO-73/FUNcube Mode switch
by Jim Heck G3WGM 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

Hi Folks, This is to let you know that I have just switched AO-73/FUNcube into amateur mode, with transponder activated 24/7. Early this week due to ground station availability. As per normal, we will switch back to autonomous mode on Sunday pm UTC. 73s Jim G3WGM and the FUNcube Team ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FUNcube frequencies and other details ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ AO-73 FUNcube-1 The transponder is normally operational only when the satellite is in eclipse, ie the solar panels are NOT being illuminated. During weekends (from pm Fridays UTC to PM Sundays UTC) the transponder is operational 24/7. When the transponder is switched off, the telemetry beacon is on full power, when the transponder is on the beacon it is on low power. During holidays, eg Christmas, New Year, Easter, etc, the transponder maybe activated for extended periods. Watch AMSAT-BB for announcements which are usually made on Friday evenings (UTC) The nominal transponder frequencies are: Uplink: 435.150 - 435.130 MHz LSB (Inverting) Downlink: 145.950 - 145.970 MHz USB Telemetry Tx: 145.935 MHz BPSK (The passband may be up to 15kHz higher depending on on-board temps. Low temperatures give higher freqs!) FUNcube-2 aka FUNcube on UKube The FUNcube-2 sub-system continues to operate autonomously and, almost continuously, in amateur mode. The transponder is operational and the telemetry downlink is functioning with about 70mW output. The FUNcube-1 Dashboard does not correctly display the telemetry but it does correctly decode the data and uploads it to the FUNcube Data Warehouse from where it can be examined. Most of the real time data channels are operational and these include battery voltages, temperatures and ADCS data coming via the main On Board Computer (OBC). The transponder is interrupted for a few seconds every 2 minutes when the other transmitter sends its CW beacon and, occasionally, for a few seconds when the main OBC reboots (approx seven times each orbit). The nominal transponder frequencies are: Uplink: 435.080 - 435.060 MHz LSB (Inverting) Downlink: 145.930 - 145.950 MHz USB Telemetry Tx: 145.915 MHz BPSK (The passband may be up to 10kHz higher depending on on-board temps. Low temperatures give higher freqs!) EO79 FUNcube-3 Due to power budget constraints the transponder cannot be operational 24/7 and an orbit specific schedule has been developed. The transponder will commence operation 27 minutes after the spacecraft enters sunlight and will stay on for a period of 25 minutes. This schedule may be modified in future months as a result of experience. The nominal transponder frequencies are: Uplink: 435.0723-435.0473 MHz LSB (Inverting) Downlink: 145.946-145.971 MHz USB Further detailed info on EO79 transponder frequencies is at: https://amsat-uk.org/2016/11/10/eo79-funcube-3-transponder-commences-regula… Nayif-1 FUNcube-5EO88 is presently operating in autonomous mode. The transponder isoperational when the satellite is in eclipse, ie the solar panels are NOTbeing illuminated.When the transponder is switched off, the telemetry beacon is on full power,when the transponder is on the beacon it is on low power.The transponder frequencies are:Uplink: 435.045 – 435.015 MHz LSB (inverting)Downlink: 145.960-145.990 MHz USBTelemetry Tx: 145.940MHzAll FUNcube transponders are sponsored by AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL. We are verygrateful for the assistance given by Innovative Solution In Space Bv, TheNetherlands. _______________________________________________ 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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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XW-2F on 9600?
by Tony 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

All: Does anyone know if CAS-3F (XW-2F) is still active on 9600 baud GMSK on 145.955? Thanks, Tony -K2MO

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ARISS test [REPORT]
by Robert Bruninga 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

Pretty Good Test Report on USA pass of ISS at 1834 to 1839 UTC on 27 Oct 2017: Conclusion, HT's outdoors with whip antennas do not hear as well as we thought and the Uplink is more challenging than we thought. But certainly gave the thrill expected of monitoring the ISS pass with an HT. This was during mid-afternoon class time on a Friday over Maryland with noob operators. We had 6 radios, One was an Oscar class ground station plus 5 HT's outside. * The Oscar station heard 11 stations (out of 32 packets total) * HT with long dual band whip heard 4 stations * HT with full size 1/4 whip heard 3 stations * HT with long dual band whip heard 2 stations * HT with rubber duck heard 2 stations * HT with arrow heard one (but had bumped radio on 145.830!) Of the 11 different stations heard by the OSCAR station: * Two were heard 6 or 7 times * One was heard three times * four were heard twice, one using 5W & ELK, one 10W to quad, one 10W to arrow * four were heard once, one was a mobile, HTs Receive performance: all of the stations heard by the HT's were from the same 5 in the middle of the pass, with none being more than 250 miles away. The other six stations heard by the Oscar class ground station were up to a bit farther up to 600 miles away. All 5 of our HTs were on the Planned-Test-1-minute schedule and NONE were heard by the ISS(digipeated). Of all the 11 stations, three of the four heard twice were following the suggested protocol and so were assumed to be on a 1 minute schedule. So, during an 8 minute pass, only got two packets through even though they had modest beams on uplink. Again, probably during the middle of their overhead geometry. But for our 4 minute window, then they had a 50% success rate. The APRS-IS captured a total of 30 packets during the same time frame that we got 32 and only 2 or 3 were missed by either of us. There were 8 different Igates with four of them contributing 4 to 6 packets and four contributing one or two. All of this data was from the 4 minute pass window from first station heard by the Oscar class station to the last one heard by that station. The APRS-IS of course heard other stations before and after, but the window was only taken during our OSCAR class pass. The downlink was sparse and it is doubtful that there was too much overload on the uplink, (though we all know that the downlink says NOTHING about what the uplink receiver on ISS is having to deal with). But that could be eliminated if we could get someone in Hawaii to do the same test. Horizon to horizon with a few radios at the same time. On the same 1 minute test schedule. The students with the handhelds were not skilled operators and so the attitude of the HT's and antennas relative to the ISS track should be considered completely random. For what it's worth. Bob, WB4aPR -----Original Message----- From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, October 27, 2017 1:17 PM Subject: QIKCOM-1 and ARISS test We have not heard from QIKCOM-1 but since we asked users to include their Power and Antenna gain and beacon once a minute for these few passes, we are going to finish the day by seeing what we hear from ISS. We already see a few people giving that data, so we are going to switch our uplink from the path of APRSAT back to the path of ARISS for the remainder of the day. This will give us all an idea of what hits ISS and what does not. I've seen these so far: WN9Q>CQ,RS0ISS*,qAR,WA8LMF-SG::APRSAT :5w 14el klm cross yagi KB6LTY-3>CQ,RS0ISS*,qAR,W0ARP-15:=3429.70N/11712.30W- power 20W - 9.2 dbi beam- DM14jl Attended packets only to end of today's test. Bob, WB4aPR

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FalconSAT-3 and WISP
by Andrew Glasbrenner 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

Hi All, I apologize for my lack of timely responses for many of you that have emailed me personally about getting WISP running on FalconSAT-3. I've been overwhelmed. Today I scanned and posted the chapter on WISP from Gould Smith's 2005 Digital Satellite & Telemetry Guide to the FalconSAT-3 page on amsat.org. I hope it is helpful to everyone diving back into this excellent program from the past. It can be found near the bottom of the page at https://www.amsat.org/falconsat-3/ 73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT VP Operations

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QIKCOM-1 and ARISS test
by Robert Bruninga 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

We have not heard from QIKCOM-1 but since we asked users to include their Power and Antenna gain and beacon once a minute for these few passes, we are going to finish the day by seeing what we hear from ISS. We already see a few people giving that data, so we are going to switch our uplink from the path of APRSAT back to the path of ARISS for the remainder of the day. This will give us all an idea of what hits ISS and what does not. I've seen these so far: WN9Q>CQ,RS0ISS*,qAR,WA8LMF-SG::APRSAT :5w 14el klm cross yagi KB6LTY-3>CQ,RS0ISS*,qAR,W0ARP-15:=3429.70N/11712.30W- power 20W - 9.2 dbi beam- DM14jl Attended packets only to end of today's test. Bob, WB4aPR

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QIKCOM 1 TLE available
by Nico Janssen 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

SIMPL / QIKCOM 1 is object 42983, 1998-067NF. TLE available through the usual sources. 73, Nico PA0DLO

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EI1ISS
by Dave Ryan 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

Congratulations to ARISS - EI on completing 2 fantastic ISS QSO's, from Tallaght in Dublin and Glanmire in Cork. Here are my recordings of both, Im currently holidaying in Cyprus, but was able to hear the very end of the Tallaght QSO from Paphos. Both recordings were from my remote station in the UK. Dave M0GIW / EI4HT https://youtu.be/PhUxwEjbLuo https://youtu.be/VW2t0KTAmK4

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Re: [amsat-bb] ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President
by george.carrii15 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

Congrats to all. Looking forward to continuing growth of AMSAT as we grow the interest in hamsats. Many thanks to Barry for his past leadership 73George CarrWA5KBH Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone -------- Original message --------From: JoAnne K9JKM <k9jkm(a)comcast.net> Date: 10/26/17 18:34 (GMT-06:00) To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-299 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-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-299.01 ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 299.01 From AMSAT SYMPOSIUM, RENO, NV DATE October 26, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-299.01 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Elects Joe Spier, K6WAO, President At it’s annual meeting, held at the Silver Legacy Resort Hotel in Reno, NV, the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors elected Joe Spier, K6WAO, of Reno, NV, President, succeeding Barry Baines, WD4ASW, who has retired after nine years of service as AMSAT’s President. Joe is a Life Member of AMSAT-NA and has previously served as Executive Vice President and Vice-President Educational Relations. He also has Life Memberships in the ARRL, SARA (Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers) and the AFA (Air Force Association). He holds an Extra Class license as well as commercial licenses. Immediate Past President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, said “It has been an honor to serve as President for the past nine years and as a board member since 1999. I’m confident that the successes of the past nine years while serving as President will lead to new opportunities in AMSAT’s future as Joe assumes the helm working with the new Senior Leadership Team. I’m also thrilled that Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, are new voting members on the Board, including the assumption of my former slot. I’m excited that the new Board combined with the new Senior Leadership Team will bring insight, enthusiasm, energy and commitment to move AMSAT forward.” Other officers elected by the Board were: * Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, of Washington, DC, as Executive Vice President * Jerry Buxton, N0JY, of Granbury, TX, as Vice-President Engineering * Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, of New Port Richey, FL, as Vice-President Operations * Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, of Granbury, TX, as Secretary * Keith Baker, KB1SF/VA3KSF, of Corunna, ON, as Treasurer * Martha Saragovitz of Silver Spring, MD, as Manager [ANS the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors for the above information] /EX _______________________________________________ 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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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Quickcom
by alex weimer 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

Pass at 1516Z over western U.S. Nothing heard.. RS0ISS heard very strong. JACK KC7MG DM42

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Re: [amsat-bb] Australia Pass ISS : Nothing heard from QIKCOM Yet
by Andrew Rich 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

CW heard with doppler 145.828 MHz might be a cube sat Andrew > On 28 Oct 2017, at 12:48 am, Andrew Rich <vk4tec(a)tech-software.net> wrote: > > Next pass is right over the top > > Andrew VK4TEC

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QIKCOM-1 monitoring
by Robert Bruninga 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

SIMPL deployed from ISS at 0515 EDT. Didn’t hear it during the first 0628 EDT pass over the Southeast USA. Did hear RS0ISS OK. Bob, WB4APR

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Microset Dual band Amp for sale
by jeffory broughton 27 Oct '17

27 Oct '17

New never used Microset VUR 30 dual band LINEAR amp for sat work,SSB AND FM.Bought new for $300.never used. $250 free ship.WB8RJY JEFF jeff broughton

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