April 2020 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: [amsat-bb] Repeater interference on AO-92
by Eric Williams 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

Yes, I am also listening to the uplink freq. Next pass is in about 1 hour. 73 Eric KV1J (I use digest mode for this list so pardon the not including the string of messages) -----Original Message----- From: Eric Williams [mailto:kv1j@comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2020 10:51 AM To: 'amsat-bb(a)amsat.org' <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: RE: Repeater interference on AO-92 I am in the area of a suspected repeater. Also in the area of the towns mentioned to could be that machine. I'll watch for the next AO-92 pass and announce my call of the repeater a few times and listen to AO-92. So if you hear "KV1J" it is me testing for the interference. I have not looked at the pass schedule yet but I can try a couple passes. 73, Eric KV1J FN42

3 3

Repeater interference on AO-92
by Roy Dean 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

> > Yes, I am also listening to the uplink freq. Next pass is in about 1 hour. > 73 Eric KV1J Keep in mind that somebody may be commanding it into picture mode. --Roy K3RLD

2 1

Re: [amsat-bb] Repeater interference on AO-92
by Eric Williams 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

I am in the area of a suspected repeater. Also in the area of the towns mentioned to could be that machine. I'll watch for the next AO-92 pass and announce my call of the repeater a few times and listen to AO-92. So if you hear "KV1J" it is me testing for the interference. I have not looked at the pass schedule yet but I can try a couple passes. 73, Eric KV1J FN42

3 2

Re: [amsat-bb] Repeater interference on AO-92
by Burns Fisher 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

>Maybe someone here can better explain how the Fox tone squelch >works, for example how long it stays on after hearing a tone. The Fox FM satellites (now AO-91 and AO-92) have their receivers on all the time and listen for the 67Hz tone. If they do not hear it they turn on the Tx every 2 minutes for about 10 seconds for a couple frames of telemetry and a voice ID (without the repeater enabled). If they do hear a tone, they turn on the repeater for 1 minute (extended each time they hear the tone). The tone detector is not too sharp so it might trigger on 69.3 or 71.9 Hz as well. It does require that the tone be heard for a bit of time (I don't remember exactly how long--in the hundreds of ms, I think), so it is not too likely to be triggered by random noise that has some components in that frequency range. Of course it is not impossible. Unlike many terrestrial repeaters, the Fox repeaters do not transmit a tone squelch on the downlink. Those frequencies are right where we stick the telemetry. I hope that is helpful... Burns WB1FJ AMSAT Fox Flight Software > >

1 0

Re: [amsat-bb] Repeater interference on AO-92
by tjschuessler＠verizon.net 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

Do be aware that the repeater that might be causing the interference may actually not be running 67Hz tone. The Fox satellites do need to hear 67 Hz to wake the transponder, but after that it is a bent pipe. Thus, as long as it got woke up, it would pass whatever FM it hears. Like the apparent DMR interference we dealt with several months ago, it's folks who think that it is "Clear air" down there and do their own thing. Hopefully someone with a scanner can locate and politely pass along some education. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP EM12ms _______ Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 08:55:51 -0400 From: Stephen DeVience <sjdevience(a)gmail.com <mailto:sjdevience@gmail.com> > To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org <mailto:amsat-bb@amsat.org> Subject: [amsat-bb] Repeater interference on AO-92 Message-ID: <CAMPfQQD4qBy7HOEC29rqjwVsWf7f=yoPfQY4gjibqqHtmPsajQ(a)mail.gmail.com <mailto:CAMPfQQD4qBy7HOEC29rqjwVsWf7f=yoPfQY4gjibqqHtmPsajQ@mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Following up on the previous discussion, I too heard a ragchew on AO-92 during the 4/26 15:20 pass, and others heard it on the 4/27 02:00 pass. I checked for repeaters in New England with a 67 Hz CTCSS tone, and W1RJC in New Bedford comes up. Its output at 145.110 MHz also uses a 67 Hz tone and would have a third harmonic at 435.330 MHz, just about right for AO-92 considering doppler. It is also consistent with hearing a NH callsign and discussions about sea vessels :) -Stephen, N8URE

1 0

Repeater interference on AO-92
by Stephen DeVience 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

Following up on the previous discussion, I too heard a ragchew on AO-92 during the 4/26 15:20 pass, and others heard it on the 4/27 02:00 pass. I checked for repeaters in New England with a 67 Hz CTCSS tone, and W1RJC in New Bedford comes up. Its output at 145.110 MHz also uses a 67 Hz tone and would have a third harmonic at 435.330 MHz, just about right for AO-92 considering doppler. It is also consistent with hearing a NH callsign and discussions about sea vessels :) -Stephen, N8URE

2 1

Upcoming ARISS contact for Northern Virginia Schools Group - Woodbridge, VA
by David Jordan 27 Apr '20

27 Apr '20

AnInternational Space Station school contact has been planned withparticipants at NorthernVirginia Schools Group, Woodbridge VA on30 April. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 13:35 UTC.It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutesbefore this time. The duration of the contact is approximately 9minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a Multi-Point Telebridgebetween NA1SS and AB1OC. Amulti-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on thetelebridge from their own home. Thecontact should be audible over the state of New Hampshire andadjacent areas. U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in onthe 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted inEnglish. Watchfor live stream at: https://youtu.be/Cu8I9ose4Vo Story: Weare students from Northern Virginia. We are ages 5-10 years old andwe are in K-5th grade, in Woodbridge VA, just outside of DC. Ourschool year was ended on March 13th and we have been home learningmany things using distance learning methods. We have been learninghow to get along in small spaces with little contact with the rest ofour community. We are learning quickly how it must feel to be on theISS! Participantswill ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1.What does the sun look like from outer space? 2.How comfortable is it to sleep in space? 3.What is one thing you want to eat when you get back to earth? 4.I've heard that stars are red, yellow and blue. Can you see thosecolors in space when you look at the stars? 5.Besides your family, what do you miss most while being in space? 6.What are your thoughts on our Covid-19 situation right now? Does theEarth look differently over the last 3 monthsnow that many people are inside and not creating pollution? 7.How often do you get to go out of the ISS? Have you been on anyspace walks? 8.Who makes the rocket that takes you to the ISS? 9.What does it feel like to float all the time? 10.Do you use flashlights on space walks? 11.How do you exercise in space? 12.How do you get out for space walks safely without the air from theISS coming out into space? How does it feelto walk in space? 13.What do you wear in the space station? 14.How did it feel when you first got to space? 15.How is space different from Earth? 16.What do you study in school to become an astronaut? 17.What do you like the most about being in space? 18.Were you nervous when you launched into space? 19.How do you communicate with loved ones while you are in space? PLEASECHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: VisitARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on theInternational Space Station (ARISS). Toreceive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Nextplanned event(s): TBD AboutARISS AmateurRadio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperativeventure of international amateur radio societies and the spaceagencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In theUnited States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation(AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the ISS National Laband National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primarygoal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology,engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduledcontacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS andstudents in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radiocontacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn aboutspace, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information,see www.ariss.org. Thankyou & 73, David – AA4KN

1 0

AO-92 QRM
by Steve Kristoff 27 Apr '20

27 Apr '20

I heard a couple of folks call me and I tried to answer but the deliberate QRM on AO-92 may have prevented you from hearing me. We'll just keep trying until the annoying person gets tired and moves on. I did get W4DTA in the log. Steve AI9IN Em79ji Oldenburg IN

1 0

K4KDR featured on new Scott Manley Video
by Roy Dean 27 Apr '20

27 Apr '20

Scott (Chapman) is featured in Scott Manley's new video about the Iranian Noor satellite. https://youtu.be/SPTz7Ig9RQE Nice work, K4KDR! --Roy K3RLD

1 0

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-04-27 16:00 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 27 Apr '20

27 Apr '20

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-04-27 16:00 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Northern Virginia Schools Group, Woodbridge VA, Multi-point telebridge via AB1OC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact is go for: Thu 2020-04-30 13:35:00 UTC 62 deg Watch for live stream at: https://youtu.be/Cu8I9ose4Vo (***) A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home. ************************************************* Looking for some stay at home activities related to science and for when you are not playing on your radio? Check out these links: >From ARISS Vice Chair Oliver Amend DG6BCE: ESA Astronauts to offer inspiration during isolation in #SpaceConnectsUs https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Astronauts_to_offer_inspiration_during_isolati… Celestron, the telescope, microscope, and sports optics folks, now has something called #STEMINYOURBACKYARD that you can find on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. By the way, I don't work for Celestron or have any business dealings with them and this is just something I saw. Apparently there are 10 free STEM activities covering Astronomy, Nature and Wildlife, and The Microscopic World. Check out: https://www.celestron.com/blogs/news/discover-stem-in-your-backyard NASA has a STEM page with fun activities to do at home. Check out https://www.nasa.gov/stem ************************************************* ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates. The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19: Postponed: No additional schools (***) Cancelled: No additional schools (***) The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements here also. Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) 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 2020-04-27 16:00 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. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2020-03-21 00:00 UTC. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. Message to US Educators ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The Proposal Window of February 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 has now closed. For future proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Webinars, go to www.ariss.org. Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com. 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 ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org. ******************************************************************************** ARISS Contact Applications (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) Schools and Youth organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East interested in setting up an ARISS radio contact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station are invited to submit an application from September to October and from February to April. Please refer to details and the application form at www.ariss-eu.org/school-contacts. Applications should be addressed by email to: school.selection.manager(a)ariss-eu.org ARISS Contact Applications (Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Australia and Russia) Organizations outside the United States can apply for an ARISS contact by filling out an application. Please direct questions to the appropriate regional representative listed below. If your country is not specifically listed, send your questions to the nearest ARISS Region listed. If you are unsure which address to use, please send your question to the ARISS-Canada representative; they will forward your question to the appropriate coordinator. For the application, go to: https://www.ariss.org/ariss-application.html. ARISS-Canada and the Americas, except USA: Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD email to: ve3tbd(a)gmail.com ARISS-Japan, Asia, Pacific and Australia: Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ email to: ariss(a)iaru-r3.org, Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) https://www.jarl.org/ ARISS-Russia: Soyuz Radioljubitelei Rossii (SRR) https://srr.ru/ ****************************************************************************** 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 https://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? Please note that the HamTV system has been brought back to earth for troubleshooting. Please monitor ARISS-EU or ARISS-ON for the very latest news on the troubleshooting efforts. 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 The HamTV webpage: https://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/ **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 140 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 138 Sergey RV3DR with 133 Gaston ON4WF with 123 **************************************************************************** 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. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1387. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1320. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 48. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. https://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: South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: https://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correcti… Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 62 now on orbit Welcome aboard! Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Anatoli Ivanishin Ivan Vagner **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

1 0

FUNcube Warehouse Status
by David Johnson 26 Apr '20

26 Apr '20

Hi, End of day and we have a working server in a closed environment. All UI elements are working but we have to test upload. Will do that in the morning and if all goes well we should be collecting data again by midday UTC As you can imagine we have moved quite a lot of data but it went smoothly. Once again thank you for you patience. 73 Dave, G4DPZ

1 0

LVB tracker and Sat32PC
by Chris Busch 26 Apr '20

26 Apr '20

Gentlemen, just getting back into Satellite work - used to work AO-13 regularly with a pair of KLM twists, GASFET preamps, Yeasu 726R and Mirage amps plus a KCT tracker. Now trying to get my newly built LVB tracker to work with SAT32PC I’ve read the post and response in the archives from 2018 concerning interfacing the LVB tracker to Sat32PC which was a big help (thank you!), but my issue is that while Sat32PC can now control the azimuth via GS-232 commands over a serial port, the tracker is ignoring elevation commands. I have calibrated the (90 degree) elevation rotor multiple times and stored to EPROM, but no joy to any of the GS-232 elevation commands, even when I issue them directly from a Putty ap via the com port. I can read back the calibration offset values and the rotor position, but none of the commands to the rotor to change elevation work. I know the elevation rotor interface is working because I can move the rotor with the LVB push buttons. Although I just built this interface (from an AMSAT UK kit), the design is >15 years old and emails to the designer have gone unanswered. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I’m out of ideas. Thanks and 73 Chris K4CKB

2 1

observer not centered sat 32
by James Brown 26 Apr '20

26 Apr '20

Running ver 8d sat 32. Can not get observer (my qth)to center on map. Think this happened after a windows update.Any ideas? Jim KI6WJ

1 0

PSAT-2 SSTV
by PY5LF 26 Apr '20

26 Apr '20

Images of PSAT-2 in a one minute video. https://youtu.be/goaTrVtWH3o -- *PY5LF * *Luciano Fabricio* *www.falautomation.com.br <http://www.falautomation.com.br>*

1 0

Quetzal-1 deploy from ISS 28th Apr
by Masahiro Arai 26 Apr '20

26 Apr '20

JAXA announced Guatemalan 1st satellite Quetzal-1 deploy from ISS 1520z 28th April. The live will be on YouTube JAXA channel at 1445-1540z. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M39SjJJsEc Quetzal-1 is 1U CubeSat. She operates on amateur band. http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=653 This is J-SSOD#13 mission. G-Satellite is also J-SSOD#13 mission. There is no her deployment info. G-Satellite is 3U CubeSat. She does not operate amateur band, but very interesting satellite. G-Satellite deploys miniature figures of Mobile Suite GUNDAM and Char ZAKU in orbit and sends messages from space about the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. It might be postponed until the Games. https://tokyo2020.org/en/news/g-satellite-completed https://tokyo2020.org/en/news/tokyo-2020-g-satellite-carried-to-the-interna… Masa JN1GKZ Tokyo Japan

1 0

ANS-117 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by KI7UNJ Tucker 26 Apr '20

26 Apr '20

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-117 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT, 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 commun- icating 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. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans In this edition: * March/April 2020 Edition of Apogee View Posted * Long-Lost U.S. Military Satellite Found By Amateur Radio Operator * Let's Take Some Pictures * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * The W4AMI Award and How to Obtain One * New OSCAR T-Shirt Available from AMSAT Zazzle Store * Upcoming Satellite Operations * ARISS News * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.01 ANS-117 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 117.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE 2020 April 26 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-117.01 March/April 2020 Edition of Apogee View Posted The March/April 2020 edition of Apogee View, a comprehensive update on AMSAT's activities from AMSAT President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, has been posted to the AMSAT website. https://www.amsat.org/apogeeview/ [ANS thanks AMSAT the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Long-Lost U.S. Military Satellite Found By Amateur Radio Operator Scott Tilley, VE7TIL, has made the news once again for tracking down yet another "zombie" satellite. Scott was the subject of a report broadcast on National Public Radio on Friday, April 24. This time, he managed to identify signals from LES-5, an experimental military UHF communications satellite built by the Massachusetts Insti- tute of Technology's Lincoln Laboratory and launched in 1967. Even though the satellite was supposed to shut down in 1972, it's still go- ing. As long as the solar panels are in the sun, the satellite's radio continues to operate. In 2018, Tilly found a signal from a NASA probe called IMAGE that the space agency had lost track of in 2005. With Tilley's help, NASA was able to reestablish contact. He has rediscovered several other long- forgotten birds, including Transit 5B-5, a nuclear-powered U.S. Navy navigation satellite launched in 1965. Scott announced his findings on LES-5 through his Twitter account, @coastal8049, on March 24. The full NPR story may be found at: https://n.pr/2x64aAZ. [ANS thanks NPR.org for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office is closed until further notice. For details, please visit https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Let's Take Some Pictures The command team has had a few requests for camera mode on AO-92 over the last few weeks, and it’s been a while, so let’s take some pictures next week. Next Tuesday morning, April 28th, we’ll attempt to command the camera on at approximately 1440Z and 1612Z. We’ll also try the 1750Z pass. If we can’t command on the 1750Z pass, we’ll find a suitable pass later in the week for the west coast. Take a look at https://www.amsat.org/foxtelem-software-for-windows-mac-linux/ for a guide on how to set up FoxTelem, and https://www.amsat.org/tlm/showImages.php?id=4 for near-live images as we go. Remember, the more stations submitting telemetry during the event, the better the chance of complete images! [ANS thanks Andrew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront. 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution Last week's AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin (ANS-110.01) contained a news item entitled "Receiving SMOG-P and ATL-1 Nano Satellites With an RTL-SDR" from Zoltan Doczi, HA7DCD. Please note that on December 19, 2019 AMSAT designated SMOG-P as Magyar-OSCAR 105 (MO-105) and ATL-1 as Magyar-OSCAR 106 (MO-106). In the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution, the TLEs for these two Hungarian satellites are shown as follows: MO-105 is NORAD Cat ID 44832 (SMOG-P) MO-106 is NORAD Cat ID 44830 (ATL-1) [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- The W4AMI Award and How to Obtain One Just a little history, Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI, was a very prolific operator and in his honor this certificate was created and the first certificate was issued to him on June 27, 1994. He has since become an SK and his local club has taken over his call sign. The award was originally the W4AMI Satellite Operator Achievement Award. The local club asked me not to use their call sign for the award. I changed the award to The Robert W. Barbee, Jr. W4AMI Satellite Operator Achievement Award. And here we are today, finally having issued over 100 certificates and over 30 of the 5,000 certificates. This award is for making 1,000 contacts with any station any time. You can say hello to your friend on every satellite on every pass every day and count those contacts. That being said, any contact you log counts. The award has endorsements for making 1,000 more contacts up to 4,000. Another 1,000 contacts will earn a special W4AMI 5,000 certificate. To submit for the award, please email me an extract from your log either in Microsoft Excel XLS(X) format or ADI(F) format. Either will work just fine. Then wait for me to get back to you notifying you to go online and make your payment. I need nothing from LoTW, confirmed contacts are not an issue, this award is for simply making a contact. https://www.amsat.org/amsat-robert-w-barbee-jr-w4ami-award/ [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ New OSCAR T-Shirt Available from AMSAT Zazzle Store Thanks to an post on Twitter from Michael Styne, K2MTS, AMSAT is pleased to offer a new t-shirt on the AMSAT Zazzle Store. This t- shirt design is available in variants suitable for printing on either dark or lightly colored shirts. The shirt features a representation of AMSAT-OSCAR 7 in orbit with the tagline "OSCAR - Adventure and Excitement in Space Age Communication" This image was used in advertisements for the 1978 ARRL book "Getting to Know OSCAR." The ARRL has granted AMSAT permission to republish this classic image as a t-shirt. Get yours today! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/oscar_t_shirt_dark-235643945481104970 https://www.zazzle.com/oscar_t_shirt_light-235449229998854129 [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive VP, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations ZW8, BRAZIL (Special Event). Operators Freddy/PY3YD, Joselito/PS8BR, Fernando/PS8CW, Raimundo/PS8DX, Jose/PS8ET, Milton/PS8HF, Nelson/PS8NF, Pirajah/PS8RF, Dalton/PS8TV and Andre/PT9AL are using the special event callsign ZW8THANKS as a tribute to health care professionals fighting COVID-19. Activity will be on all bands and modes including the satel- lites. QSL via direct, eQSL or LoTW. (ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1461 for the above information) Due to COVID-19, there are no other announced satellite operations at this moment. Any roving activity of which AMSAT becomes aware will be posted at: https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/ Until then, stay safe and keep making contacts from home. Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org [ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS News ARISS lets students worldwide experience the excitement of talking directly with crew members of the International Space Station, inspir- ing them to pursue interests in careers in science, technology, engineering and math, and engaging them with radio science technology through amateur radio. Northern Virginia Schools Group, Woodbridge VA, Multi-point telebridge contact via AB1OC is scheduled for Thursday, April 30. The ISS call- sign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS, and the scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR. The contact is go for 13:35:00 UTC at a max- imum elevation of 62 degrees. Stations in the eastern U.S. should be able to listen in on this contact on 145.80 MHz FM. A multi-point tele- bridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home. The ARISS team continues to test and firm up a plan to transform ARISS contacts and how ARISS interacts with youth and education institutions. ARISS will provide distance learning with every student and staff mem- ber in their own homes (even quarantined). [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space? AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meet- ings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. Due to COVID-19, many hamfest and events around the United States have been canceled or postponed. While we make every effort to ensure the information contained below is correct, there may be some that we missed. We wish all of you safekeeping and hope to be at a hamfest near you soon. Current schedule: June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Com, Plano, TX September 26, 2020 Arrowhead Radio Amateurs Club Hamfest, Superior, WI The following events scheduled to have an AMSAT presence have been CANCELED: May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Association Hamfest, Sierra Vista, AZ May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest, Prescott, AZ May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, OH A copy of the AMSAT hamfest brochure is available for download from: https://bit.ly/2ygVFmV This color brochure is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a tri-fold handout. To include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or demonstration, please send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot) org. [ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Diwata-2 (PO-101) has been active daily to provide emergency access during Covid-19 pandemic. Check https://twitter.com/Diwata2PH For Daily activation schedule (ANS thanks DIWATA-2 Ground Team for the above information) + On this 50th anniversary of the flight of Apollo 13, the BBC has pro- duced a documentary video series, "13 Minutes to the Moon," along with associated web resources and podcasts. The documentary can be accessed worldwide at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2 (ANS thanks Peter Green, G0ABI, for the above information) + Happy 30th anniversary, Hubble! The Hubble Space Telescope was laun- ched into LEO on April 24th, 1990 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery STS-31 launch video). Featuring a 2.4 m mirror and optics that are smooth to 10 nanometers (but were in the wrong shape until corrected by the first of five servicing missions in 1993), Hubble takes images of the Universe with never-before-seen quality. The telescope may work into the 2040s, hopefully being joined by its more-advanced sib- ling, the JWST, next year. Take a moment to browse some of Hubble’s most stunning snapshots of the Universe at: https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/ (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information) + Astronauts onboard the International Space Station have gotten a first good look at the controversial Starlink satellites. On April 13th, they photographed a train of 16 Starlinks cutting through Southern Lights over the Antarctic. Learn more about their unique photo + corresponding ground-based sightings on Spaceweather.com (ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information) + SpaceX launched 60 more spacecraft Wednesday to join the Starlink fleet. The successful launch Wednesday marked the 84th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket since June 2010. That makes SpaceX’s Falcon 9 the most-flown orbital-class U.S. launcher currently in operation, ex- ceeding the 83 missions performed by the Atlas 5 rocket built by rival United Launch Alliance. With Wednesday’s launch, SpaceX has delivered 422 Starlink satellites to space. The company is seeking regulatory approval to fly 4,400 of the satellites in the project's first phase. SpaceX’s next Starlink launch after Wednesday could happen as soon as early May on another Falcon 9 rocket mission. That will be followed by SpaceX’s first launch with astronauts on-board — scheduled for May 27 — to begin a test flight of the company’s Crew Dragon spaceship to the International Space Station. (ANS thanks spaceflightnow.com for the above information) + A series of unusually severe spring storms parading across the south- eastern USA had residents taking shelter this week from hail and tor- nadoes. High above the maelstrom, sprites were dancing. Sprites are a form of electricity in powerful storm clouds. While regular light- ning lances down, sprites leap up. They can reach all the way to the edge of space 90 km or more above Earth’s surface. (ANS thanks Southgate ARC and spaceweatherarchive.com 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 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Casey Tucker, KI7UNJ ki7unj at amsat dot org

1 0

Re: [amsat-bb] Uplink Calibration in SatPC32
by tjschuessler＠verizon.net 25 Apr '20

25 Apr '20

The clock is important to be as accurate as possible. Also make sure that you are using as accurate a latitude and longitude setting in Observer setup. Even just using two decimal places after the Lat/Lon value may not be adequate especially on high passes even if the clock is accurate. These two settings will make all the difference. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP EM12ms ______________________ ------------------------------ Message: 10 Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2020 10:13:44 -0500 From: "Alan" <wa4sca(a)gmail.com> To: "AMSAT-BB" <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Uplink Calibration in SatPC32 Message-ID: <000201d61a4a$f318f710$d94ae530$(a)gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Have you checked your system clock? Try https://time.is which is very accurate. Some computer clocks can drift badly, and this can cause the need for constant tweaking, even with very stable satellites. 73, Alan WA4SCA

1 0

VHF/UHF Transverter?
by Ham Radio Essentials 25 Apr '20

25 Apr '20

Hello, I've been doing FM satellites for quite some time, and I am wondering if there is a cheap way to get into linear satellites. Could I use a transverter for VHF and UHF? I have an IC-7300 for HF. Could I just hook that up to a transverter and it would put out RF on VHF and UHF? 73 de W0AAE

5 7

Let's take some pictures.
by Andrew Glasbrenner 24 Apr '20

24 Apr '20

The command team has had a few requests for camera mode on AO-92 over the last few weeks, and it's been a while, so let's take some pictures next week. Next Tuesday morning, April 28th, we'll attempt to command the camera on at approximately 1440Z and 1612Z. We'll also try the 1750Z pass. If we can't command on the 1750Z pass, we'll find a suitable pass later in the week for the west coast. Take a look at https://www.amsat.org/foxtelem-software-for-windows-mac-linux/ for a guide on how to set up FoxTelem, and https://www.amsat.org/tlm/showImages.php?id=4 for near-live images as we go. Remember, the more stations submitting telemetry during the event, the better the chance of complete images! 73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT VP Operations

1 0

Long-Lost U.S. Military Satellite Found By Amateur Radio Operator
by Bob Hammond 24 Apr '20

24 Apr '20

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/24/843493304/long-lost-u-s-military-satellite-f…

5 4

Uplink Calibration in SatPC32
by VA3ASE 24 Apr '20

24 Apr '20

I've been learning to operate my station using SatPC32. I'm finding I need to constantly adjust my uplink calibration in the CAT Tuning menu or I start to lose myself. On the most recent pass of XW-2A it required adjustment of about 150 Hz over the duration. This seems like a lot to me - I know its normal to make fine adjustments at the beginning of a pass but thought I could then leave it. Is this normal or is something amiss? If anything I suspect it is related to keps - I update these manually by going to Satellites and clicking Update Keps. Then selecting the nasa.all file and Download. Have I missed something? Station details: Icom IC-9700 transceiver (firmware 1.21), SatPC32 version 12.8d, Windows 10. Crossed yagis on a G-5500 rotator, K3NG based interface. Thanks in advance and 73, Alex VA3ASE

4 3

Another Effect of Covid 19
by Brad Smith 23 Apr '20

23 Apr '20

< With everybody at home these days every day is like a weekend on the FM satellites. Good luck if you've got an HT and an Arrow. > It has been difficult, but I keep trying and sometimes succeeding. The discouraging thing is the open mics on 91 and 92, which I am beginning to think is a deliberate act by some disgruntled ham that can't get into the bird. What doesn't make sense is that if the station is powerful enough to disrupt, it would be powerful enough to get in. Brad KC9UQR

2 1

AO-92 L band
by Ronald Parsons 23 Apr '20

23 Apr '20

Everything conspired against L-Band for me today (UTC). Family, other commitments, bedtime, . A belated 73 to all the regulars. Ron W5RKN

1 0

AO-92 L band
by 73 Bob W7LRD 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

I had AO92 all to myself. I sounded pretty good hihi 73 Bob W7LRD

2 1

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-04-22 17:30 UTC
by aj9n＠aol.com 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-04-22 17:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Northern Virginia Schools Group, Woodbridge VA, Multi-point telebridge via AB1OC The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact is go for: Thu 2020-04-30 13:35:00 UTC 62 deg A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home. ************************************************* Looking for some stay at home activities related to science and for when you are not playing on your radio? Check out these links: >From ARISS Vice Chair Oliver Amend DG6BCE: ESA Astronauts to offer inspiration during isolation in #SpaceConnectsUs https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Astronauts_to_offer_inspiration_during_isolati… Celestron, the telescope, microscope, and sports optics folks, now has something called #STEMINYOURBACKYARD that you can find on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. By the way, I don't work for Celestron or have any business dealings with them and this is just something I saw. Apparently there are 10 free STEM activities covering Astronomy, Nature and Wildlife, and The Microscopic World. Check out: https://www.celestron.com/blogs/news/discover-stem-in-your-backyard NASA has a STEM page with fun activities to do at home. Check out https://www.nasa.gov/stem ************************************************* ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates. The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19: Postponed: Salem-South Lyon District Library, South Lyon, MI, telebridge via TBD (***) Cancelled: YOTA Region 2 Camp, Voice of America (VOA) Museum, West Chester, OH, telebridge via TBD or direct via W8Y (***) The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements here also. Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) 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 2020-04-22 17:30 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. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.rtf https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/arissnews.txt The successful school list has been updated as of 2020-03-21 00:00 UTC. https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/ Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. Message to US Educators ARISS Contact Applications (United States) The Proposal Window of February 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 has now closed. For future proposal information and more details such as expectations, proposal guidelines and proposal form, and dates and times of Information Webinars, go to www.ariss.org. Please direct any questions to ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com. 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 ISS National Lab and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or public forms. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org. ******************************************************************************** ARISS Contact Applications (Europe, Africa and the Middle East) Schools and Youth organizations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East interested in setting up an ARISS radio contact with an astronaut on board the International Space Station are invited to submit an application from September to October and from February to April. Please refer to details and the application form at www.ariss-eu.org/school-contacts. Applications should be addressed by email to: school.selection.manager(a)ariss-eu.org ARISS Contact Applications (Canada, Central and South America, Asia and Australia and Russia) Organizations outside the United States can apply for an ARISS contact by filling out an application. Please direct questions to the appropriate regional representative listed below. If your country is not specifically listed, send your questions to the nearest ARISS Region listed. If you are unsure which address to use, please send your question to the ARISS-Canada representative; they will forward your question to the appropriate coordinator. For the application, go to: https://www.ariss.org/ariss-application.html. ARISS-Canada and the Americas, except USA: Steve McFarlane, VE3TBD email to: ve3tbd(a)gmail.com ARISS-Japan, Asia, Pacific and Australia: Satoshi Yasuda, 7M3TJZ email to: ariss(a)iaru-r3.org, Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) https://www.jarl.org/ ARISS-Russia: Soyuz Radioljubitelei Rossii (SRR) https://srr.ru/ ****************************************************************************** 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 https://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? Please note that the HamTV system has been brought back to earth for troubleshooting. Please monitor ARISS-EU or ARISS-ON for the very latest news on the troubleshooting efforts. 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 The HamTV webpage: https://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/ **************************************************************************** ARISS congratulations the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Francesco IKØWGF with 140 Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 138 Sergey RV3DR with 133 Gaston ON4WF with 123 **************************************************************************** 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. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1387. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1320. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 48. A complete year by year breakdown of the contacts may be found in the file. https://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: South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ QSL information may be found at: https://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS **************************************************************************** Frequency chart for packet, voice, and crossband repeater modes showing Doppler correction as of 2005-07-29 04:00 UTC https://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/ISS_frequencies_and_Doppler_correcti… Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415 **************************************************************************** Exp. 62 now on orbit Welcome aboard! Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Anatoli Ivanishin Ivan Vagner **************************************************************************** 73, Charlie Sufana AJ9N One of the ARISS operation team mentors

1 0