January 2022 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Problems with nasabare.txt
by Mark Johns, K0JM 03 Jan '22

03 Jan '22

A number of operators are reporting difficulties with SatPC32 this morning after updating the nasabare.txt file. The problem is that a second set of Keps appears to have been appended to the first, so that each satellite is listed twice. A fix is to find and open the nasabare.txt file in a text editor, and to find the second time that AO-07 appears in the list. Then block and delete that second entry and all that follows. An alternative is to use a different element set, or delay updating, until the issue is resolved. -- Mark D. Johns, KØJM AMSAT Ambassador & News Service Editor Brooklyn Park, MN USA EN35hd ----------------------------------------------- "Heaven goes by favor; if it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in." ---Mark Twain

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ARISS News Release No. 22-01
by David Jordan 03 Jan '22

03 Jan '22

ARISS News Release No. 22-01 Dave Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR aa4kn(a)amsat.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ARISS Contact Scheduled for Participants at Scouts Victoria (Radio and Electronics Team), Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia January 3, 2022—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact with astronauts. ARISS is the group that puts together special amateur radio contacts between students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses on the International Space Station (ISS). This will be a telebridge contact via amateur radio and students will take turns asking their questions of Astronaut Mark Vande Hei, amateur radio call sign KG5GNP. Local Covid-19 protocols are adhered to as applicable for each ARISS contact. The downlink frequency for this contact is 145.800 MHZ and may be heard by listeners that are within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the telebridge station. ARISS team member Fred Kemmerer, using his call sign AB1OC in New Hampshire, will serve as the ARISS relay amateur radio station. The ARISS radio contact is scheduled for January 4, 2022 at 10:27 pm AEDT (Mt Waverley, AU), (11:27 UTC, 6:27 am EST, 5:27 am CST, 4:27 am MST and 3:27 am PST). The Victorian Scout Jamboree is a week-long event that has enabled over 4000 scouts, venturers, rovers and leaders to travel to Elmore in Central Victoria for 10 days of excitement and fun. The scout organizers’ goal is to provide an adventurous, fun, challenging and inclusive program for youth, teaching them life skills and leadership. During the event, the Radio and Electronics Team will be providing radio and electronics related support and activities for scouts of all ages and abilities, which include STEM-related activities while also promoting amateur radio training (radio participation and license qualification). _____________________________ As time allows, students will ask these questions: 1. What 3 things do you miss from Earth? My Mum worked on a ship and missed; sleeping with the window open, the smell of cut grass and the sound of rain on the roof. 2. What do you have to do to become an astronaut? 3. What would happen if someone were seriously ill on the ISS, and what would you do? 4. How do you prepare and eat your meals while up in the space station? 5. What is it like to float around in no gravity without friction? 6. How does it feel going from zero gravity in space back to earth's gravity? Does it hurt?? 7. What is the scariest thing to happen to you whilst you have been in space? 8. How do you shower and go to the toilet in space? 9. After being in the space station for so many months, how does it feel to experience planet Earth and nature again with all your senses, especially smell? 10. How do the seasons affect the veggie production system on the ISS? How often do you get to eat fresh food? 11. Did you always want to be an astronaut and how did you make it happen? 12. Why do people go into space and how long is an average mission? 13. If you only had the chance to go to into space 1 time but only live till 30 or not going into space at all/not being able to see the stars or the milky way and live to over 70, which would you choose? 14. Can you share some of the science that was worked on in space that we can now see on earth? 15. Is there sound or much noise in space? 16. Multiple nations have had space stations each bestowed with a specific name - Russia had Mir, NASA had Skylab and China Tiangong-1. As a truly international effort and the largest man-made object in space, does the ISS have a nickname or is there a name that the astronauts use for the individual components? 17. What energy supply do you use to power the station. If nuclear, what type of reactor do you use? If solar, how many solar panels do you use, and what are their power density? 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-Space Station Explorers, and NASA’s Space communications and Navigation program. The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before and during these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities take part in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org. Media Contact: Dave Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Search on Amateur Radio on the ISS and @ARISS_status. Check out ARISS on Youtube.com.

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FUNcube mode change: silent during eclipses
by wouter weggelaar 03 Jan '22

03 Jan '22

Hi All, FUNcube-1 (AO-73) mode has been changed. It will be in telemetry mode in sunlight and silent during eclipse. This will allow the team to gather valuable telemetry, including energy consumption and battery health in current illumination conditions. This is not an error! We are grateful for the continued uploading of telemetry data to the Amsat-UK data warehouse, and the continued support of everyone in gathering it! 73s, Wouter PA3WEG FUNcube operations team

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Re: XW-3 issues and tips for success?
by Daniel Schultz 02 Jan '22

02 Jan '22

XW-3 is a 6U satellite in a 770 km orbit, with an Earth imaging camera onboard. How does that compare to US ham satellites? 1. NASA has never come close to offering a 6U launch through the ELANA program. Space X has let it be known that they will gladly sell us a launch at the market price, but no one rides for free. 2. Orbital Debris requirements are making it harder and harder for US satellite builders to get licenses for higher orbits. The regulations seem designed to keep us confined to low orbits where it can be assured that we will not interfere with Starlink and the other internet constellations. 3. Cameras on US Earth orbiting satellites must be licensed by NOAA to ensure that we are not running a spy satellite on the side. Apparently China has no such requirement. "New Space" is a euphemism which means that anyone without a lot of financial backing is no longer welcome to play in the orbital sandbox. It is a variation on "leave space to the professionals, kid". Say what you will about "Chinese electronics" but it seems that Chinese hams are having an easier time than their American counterparts in getting satellites into space. And I doubt if it would even be possible to build an American satellite without some Chinese electronics onboard. Dan Schultz, N8FGV ------ Original Message ------ Subject: [AMSAT-BB] Re: XW-3 issues and tips for success? > We're grateful the Chinese and Russians are putting up satellites for us to "play" with. Anyone have Elon's ear? > 73 Bob W7LRD > > > On 01/01/2022 1:55 PM Michael Walker <va3mw(a)portcredit.net> wrote: > > So many people said the correct things. Kudos to you for supporting XW-3!! > > > > Space is not the exact science we would like it to be. > > > > Mike va3mw

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Blog: New Chinese linear satellite XW-3 and its issues
by John Brier 02 Jan '22

02 Jan '22

Link: https://spacecomms.wordpress.com/2022/01/02/new-chinese-linear-satellite-xw… (XW-3 aka HO-113) 73, John Brier KG4AKV

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Re: SatPC32 problem- Access is denied
by Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC 02 Jan '22

02 Jan '22

You're right: running the program under my Admin profile is not the same as "Run as Admin", and I'd forgotten to try that. Intermittent problems can be annoyingly slow to show themselves, but I'll go down that rabbit hole and start over. 73, Jim, ND9M -----Original Message----- From: Roger Heindl <rwheindl(a)gmail.com> To: Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC <claryco(a)aol.com> Sent: Tue, Dec 28, 2021 4:54 pm Subject: Re: [AMSAT-BB] Re: SatPC32 problem- Access is denied In case it isn't the cable, have you tried running SatPC32 as administrator also? 73,AC9BT On Tue, Dec 28, 2021 at 12:55 AM Jim, ND9M / VQ9JC via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: I feel your pain, Larry. I have seen the very same thing happen on my end a bunch of times; it doesn't happen regularly, but it happens enough that I have to keep a close watch on SatPC32. I'm a full time RVer, so all of my operating is portable. When I operate from what I consider my home grid (EM70), it's generally not that big of a deal, but it's happened during roving trips too. If the truck is disconnected from the fifth wheel, I'll set up on the tail gate; otherwise, I'll use a small folding table from Wally World and set up on that. My IC-9700 is controlled usually by an Asus netbook but sometimes by an HP laptop; both are Windows 10. I've used a variety of cables, but for the last couple months have been using a Tripp Lite cable with ferrite chokes on both end. My thinking was that the problem is RFI related, so I've taken to keeping the laptop separated from the rig by as much distance as possible and in the opposite direction from the current satellite pass' general azimuth. After I started spacing the rig and laptop farther apart, I don't see the problem occur as much, but it still does occasionally. Most times, I discover SatPC32 has crashed because I hear my downlink signal "take off" and I start sounding like Donald Duck. A quick glance at the Tracking menu invariably shows that the Cat control has become disabled, i.e. "C+" has become "C-". My eyesight isn't what it used to be, so spotting that change gets a little tricky since the laptop is farther away from the rig. I get the "Access Denied" message when clicking the "X" too. Closing the program with Alt F -> Q and then restarting it usually does the trick, but sometimes I have to do a full laptop reboot as well as disconnect and reconnect the USB cable. One laptop has two USB ports and the other has three, and I've seen the same thing happen on all ports. (Thankfully, the port assignment doesn't change when I move the USB cable around, but I keep a watch on that too just in case.) So far, I've noticed these symptoms happen only on U/V birds, not V/U. Also, I've seen this happen regardless of when I'm using my User account or Admin account. I'm interested to see what you find out. I'll let you know if I figure something out. 73, Jim, ND9M -----Original Message----- From: Larry Ryan <llryan807(a)gmail.com> To: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org Sent: Mon, Dec 27, 2021 7:28 pm Subject: [AMSAT-BB] SatPC32 problem- Access is denied This problem has occurred a few times during a pass. SatPC32 stops working (I can see its not updating the frequencies) and whenever I click the tone control (T0, T1) I get the message "Access is denied" and the Countdown window dissappears. If I click OK on the message popup, the window reappears. It gets worse;In order to restore operation meaning to get doppler control so I can make a sat QSO, I need to restart SatPC32 but when I click the X, I get the error message. I must click File, Quit. By this time, the pass is over. Restarting SatPC32 does restore normal operation. This problem is intermittent. Most of the time, SatPC32 works well with my IC-9700. The PC is running Win10. Do these symptoms point to a known issue or do I just reinstall everything? ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/amsat-bb@amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/amsat-bb@amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org

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ANS-002 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Jan. 2
by Mark Johns, K0JM 01 Jan '22

01 Jan '22

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-002 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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 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 You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/ In this edition: * HamSCI invites abstracts for its 2022 Workshop * New QO-100 satellite antenna for DP0GVN * VUCC Awards-Endorsements needs a new author * CAMSAT XW-3(CAS-9)is designated Hope-OSCAR-113, HO-113 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 30, 2021 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over ANS-002 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2022 Jan 02 HamSCI invites abstracts for its 2022 Workshop The ARRL report that HamSCI is soliciting abstracts for the 2022 HamSCI Workshop. The submission deadline is February 1, 2022. The workshop will be a hybrid (in-person and virtual) event from March 18 – 19, 2022, at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “The primary objective of the HamSCI workshop is to bring together the amateur radio community and professional scientists,” said HamSCI Lead Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, an assistant professor within the Department of Physics and Electrical Engineering at The University of Scranton. “This year’s theme is ‘The Weather Connection,’ with invited speakers Tamitha Skov, WX6SWW, and Jim Bacon, G3YLA.” "Skov and Bacon will present tutorials on the impacts of space and terrestrial weather on the ionosphere. Chen-Pang Yeang, an associate professor and director for the Special Project on Scientific Instruments at the University of Toronto, will deliver the keynote address, “Ham Radio and the Discovery of the Ionosphere.” Additional information is available at: https://bit.ly/3EHDAe5 [ANS thanks ARRL News for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Join the 2021 President's Club! Score your 2" 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin. This gold finished coin comes with Full Color Certificate and Embroidered "Remove Before Flight" Key Tag Donate today at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ You won't want to miss it! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ New QO-100 satellite antenna for DP0GVN On December 29, 2021, our new QO-100 SatCom ground station antenna for DP0GVN arrived intact in Antarctica at Neumayer Station III. This should ensure future operations for the upcoming 2022/2023 over-wintering crew. Securing the operation: Since the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 over-wintering team, radio contacts with Antarctica via the first amateur geostationary radio satellite Qatar-OSCAR 100 / QO-100 (Es’hail-2) enjoy the greatest popularity. AMSAT-DL provided the appropriate radio equipment for DP0GVN at Neumayer Station III, covering all costs for setup and provision of the required radio equipment and antenna. While amateur radio operations mostly take place during free time, contacts with schools have also been arranged on a regular basis. Similar to ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), such contacts in Antarctica are also something very special for the students. This will certainly also arouse interest in scientific or technical professions and, last but not least, amateur radio. During the night of 13/14 August 2021, one of the strongest storms at Neumayer Station III measured average wind speeds of 176 km/h and even more than 207 km/h at peak. This did not remain without consequences and so among other things the satellite antenna for QO-100 was damaged so strongly that with it no more radio operation was possible. DP0GVN via QO-100 so unfortunately QRT until further notice. AMSAT-DL therefore decided at short notice to build a new antenna and to deliver it in less than 2 months construction time in the middle of October for the ship transport to Antarctica. The antenna has now arrived there safely and was immediately transported from the ship at the ice edge to Neumayer Station III. The next step is to hoist the antenna onto the roof of the station by crane and rewire everything. As the team on site has a huge work program at the moment, it can certainly take a few more days and weeks to get DP0GVN up and running via QO-100. Patience is requested until then, but all stars are aligned for a successful 2022 with DP0GVN !!! (ANS thanks Peter Gulzow, DB2OS, President, AMSAT-DL 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ VUCC Awards-Endorsements is getting a new author Ron Parsons, W5RKN Has announced that he is retiring as the author of the VUCC Awards and Endorsments list. He says: "Jon Goering, N7AZ has offered to take over on February 1. I will pilot on January 1 with Jon as copilot. I was happy to have done the task for the past few years and wish Jon equal pleasure. My method is completely manual, so someone might want to automate. An AMSAT member who wishes help Jon should reach out to him. Many Thanks to Ron who has done a great job of organizing and keeping up with VUCC activities! Ron reports: "Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period December 1, 2021 through January 1, 2022. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! This is my last time preparing this list. Next month it will be done by Jon Goering, N7AG." CALL Dec. January K8TL 1012 1016 WN9Q 710 783 K9UO 675 695 XE1HG 100 639 N5BO 580 635 KN2K 401 450 N6UTC 400 450 EA2AA 396 400 VU2LBW 350 400 N8URE (FM19) 279 326 NA1ME 275 300 K8BL 283 292 RA3DNC 252 276 K3HPA 176 201 M0NKC 200 New WD9EWK (DM23)173 182 DL6KBG 150 175 A65BR New 157 WA7HQD 150 151 K6MX New 134 KG7CW New 115 K9AQ New 109 N6UTC(MOJAVE)New 101 KE6LB New 100 W4GLU New 100 "This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing a lot of the work! Ron W5RKN" [ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN, for the above information]] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ AMSAT's GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control, now manifested for launch on NASA's ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be worth it! https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ CAMSAT XW-3(CAS-9)is designated Hope-OSCAR-113 HO-113 Drew Glasbrenner, AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator, has announced the OSCAR assignment: "On December 26, 2021, the XW-3 (CAS-9) satellite was launched on a CZ-4C launch vehicle from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China. Also known as Hope-3, XW-3 (CAS-9) was developed by the Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) in cooperation with the Chinese government's aerospace and education departments, and is used to provide services to amateur radio enthusiasts around the world and to educate students in science and technology. CAMSAT completed the design and manufacture of the amateur radio payload and manages the satellite in-orbit operation. At the request of CAMSAT and the XW-3 (CAS-9) team, AMSAT hereby designates XW-3 (CAS-9) as Hope-OSCAR 113 (HO-113). We congratulate the owners and operators of HO-113, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them continued success on this and future projects." Early reports of telemetry and contacts came in quickly. Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, Provided additional information: "Doppler measurements show that XW 3 (CAS 9) is object 50466 (2021-131B). Frequency CW beacon: 435.57515 MHz." From the XW-3（CAS-9）Amateur Radio Satellite User's Manual 2 / 21 V1.0 by BA1DU: UHF antenna: 1/4 wavelength whip antenna CW telemetry beacon: *Frequency: 435.575MHz *RF power: 20dBm *CW rate: 22wpm GMSK telemetry: *Frequency: 435.725MHz *RF power: 23dBm *Data rate: 4800bps V/U mode linear transponder: *Uplink frequency: 145.870MHz *Downlink frequency: 435.180MHz *RF power: 20dBm *Bandwidth: 30kHz *Spectrum inverted Photo download should be available in the future. The XW-3 (CAS-9) satellite user manual is available from the AMSAT website: https://bit.ly/3FH8lS2 Mike Sartoretti, KC2YSF has the following reminder for S.A.T. tracker users: "If you are using a sat tracker from CSN technologies we do have the TLE’S and frequencies for this satellite already in place. Just hit your TLE update button and you’re ready to go, XW-3 or CAS-9." Congratulations to CAMSAT for a successful launch. [ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator, Alan Kung, BA1DU, Nico Janssen PA0DLO, and Mike Sartoretti, KB2YSI for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 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 for December 30, 2021 The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has removed from this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution: NO-84 (PSAT) - NORAD Cat ID 40654 (The decay date was most likely 12-22-2021) The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution: XW-3 (CAS-9) - NORAD Cat ID 50466 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO for the identification) XW-3 (CAS-9) was launched December 25, 2021 from China’s Complex 9 on a Long March 4C rocket. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, TLE Manager for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS NEWS Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2021-12-30 Scouts Victoria (Radio and Electronics Team), Mt Waverley, Victoria, Australia, via AB1OC. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The scheduled crewmember is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP. Contact is go for: Tue 2022-01-04 11:27:32 UTC 60 deg On the AMSAT-BB reflector, VE7JMN noted that the ISS has been tracking differently on websites and several programs. Charlie Sulfana AJ9N of the ARISS Operations Team offered this explanation: "The ISS apparently did a burn over the last day or so. As a result one of the upcoming ARISS contacts is now about 5 minutes sooner than what I originally posted. The latest amsat-bb posting I did this morning has the newest time. Maybe that is what you are seeing." The next mode change to voice cross band repeater is expected to occur in early January, 2022. The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html [ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events + 23rd annual Ham Radio University (HRU) educational conference will again be held as a virtual event on January 8, 2022 W2JV, Peter Portanova, will be giving a talk on "The Art of operating thru the FM Amateur Satellites" The goal of this forum is to at minimum give you the tools and the confidence to listen to a few satellite passes as a stepping stone to making contacts. The HRU announcement follows: With Covid19 uncertainties precluding an in-person gathering for a second year, the 23rd annual Ham Radio University (HRU) educational conference will again be held as a virtual event – on Saturday, January 8, 2022 -- 8:00am to 3:00pm EST (12:00– 20:00 UTC) -- as a GoToWebinar on-line video conference. Advance Registration Required -- Starting December 20th 2021 HRU 2022 will be adding five forums, for a total of 19 presentations by experts in a broad range of Amateur Radio activities including: Amateur Radio Emergency Communications; Basics of HF Operating; Ham Radio Contesting and Dxing, Communicating Through Amateur Radio Earth Satellites; Software Defined Radios; HF and VHF Digital Communications; Parks on the Air, Skywarn, Cables & Connectors, and Using RaspberryPi Computers in Amateur Radio. In addition to viewing the presentations, on-line attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters. Founded by Phil Lewis, N2MUN, who passed away in March, 2020, HRU also will be the on-line convention of the NYC-Long Island Section of ARRL - The National Association for Amateur Radio® As in years past, participation in HRU 2022 will be free of charge, with an optional suggested donation of $5.00, but advance registration – starting December 20, 2021-- will be required for each presentation. Further information, including the schedule of forums and advance registration starting December 20, 2021, is on line at: http://www.HamRadioUniversity.org +Winterfest, the ARRL Midwest Division Convention Collinsville, IL Jan 22 2022 +ARRL National Convention and Orlando Hamcation Feb 10-13 2022 Registration details at http://www.arrl.org/arrl-expo Updates may be found at: https://www.amsat.org/other-events/ +AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events. AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, makes online presentations to Amateur Radio clubs and other interested organizations. He reports: "Seven presentations lined up to start the new year so far, including three clubs in Canada, and clubs in Florida, California, New York and Nevada! Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Contact Clint at http://www.work-sat.com or by phone at 909-999-SATS (7287) to arrange a presentation. [ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Pete Portanova, W2JV, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + CNES, French Space Agency Special Callsigns TM60CNES, TO60CNES, TX60CNES and TK60CNES for the 60th anniversary of CNES are activated since December 18, 2021 and until January 2, 2022 on different frequency bands and different modes. To know the activated callsigns (realtime) as well as their mode and frequency consult the AMSAT-F page : https://site.amsat-f.org/. A Google translation may be viewed from https://bit.ly/3HflGkA ANS thanks Christophe Mercier, President AMSAT-F, for the above information) + Starlink satellite’s near-collision with Chinese station puts focus on space jam. First reported by The Guardian, which cited experts as saying the Chinese action was unusual, the incident spotlights the growing risk in space, where orbital room is being crowded out by an astronomical race in which nation-states as well as private companies are increasingly active. Behind it are projects such as the Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Starlink constellation and rival Amazon’s Project Kuiper. Both companies want to create a web of low-earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft that will beam down internet connectivity to anywhere on the planet. And then there are several countries – Russia and India being the most recent – that have carried out tests of satellite-killing missiles, generating millions of pieces of debris. More is available at: https://bit.ly/3FFQz1c (ANS thanks Southgate News for the above information) + JWST is on its way to orbit L2! On Christmas Day, JWST launched successfully (video) aboard its Ariane 5 from French Guiana. During its flight, the rocket performed a unique sawtooth maneuver, rotating back and forth 30° to protect JSWT’s instruments from overheating due to direct solar illumination (as opposed to Apollo’s ‘BBQ roll’). After release, the spacecraft deployed its solar array—here’s a video, which likely includes the final close proximity image of the craft. Now beyond the orbit of the Moon, it has successfully performed two course corrections and deployed its gimbaled antenna assembly. Jonathan McDowell has a timeline of JWST's ongoing “30 days of terror” deployment schedule on its way to L2. The sunshield has started its multistep deployment and, in about a week, mirrors will begin unfolding. Check-in on its live mission dashboard to see where it is and what it’s doing, follow it on Twitter, or watch NASA’s Deep Space Network real-time dashboard to see active communications underway. Hopefully, the first images from Webb should be available by next summer. The Planetary Society has an excellet summary of the JWST mission at: https://bit.ly/3pG6045 (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information.) + More JWST Coverage: Over the next two weeks, NASA will provide broadcast coverage and other updates on major deployment milestones for the James Webb Space Telescope, the world’s largest and most powerful space science telescope. Broadcasts of milestone events will air live on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website: https://www.nasa.gov/live. NASA provides regular updates on the Webb telescope blog, https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb The public can also follow Webb’s deployments online via a “Where is Webb?” interactive tracker and a Deployments Explorer at https://go.nasa.gov/3eEkGdQ (ANS thanks NASA for the above information) + UVSQ-SAT: Transponder expected to be active on 01/01/2022 from 12:00 UTC. The LATMOS team has programmed the UVSQ-SAT satellite to go into transponder mode on January 1, 2022 at 12:00 UTC. The transponder will be active during 11 consecutive hours. Frequencies used: Telemetry: 437.020 MHz - BPSK - GR3UH 9k6 FM transponder : Uplink frequency : 145.905 MHz Downlink frequency: 437.020 MHz More information on AMSAT Francophone https://site.amsat-f.org/uvsq-sat/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/ In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to: * Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization). * 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 student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. * Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information. 73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! This week's ANS Editor, Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ kd4iz at frawg dot org

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Re: XW-3 issues and tips for success?
by William Herbert Sims 01 Jan '22

01 Jan '22

Not to mention the coherence between uplink and downlink. One high pass I was showing a 3.5KHz offset between uplink and downlink frequencies. The next pass (15'ish degs) the downlink was drifting severly (yes, my Doppler was accounted for)....I think they have some thermal issues to work out. It's a new spacecraft so some issues is a given. Herb On 12/31/21, 6:41 PM, "D. Craig Fox" <DCFox(a)rwglaw.com> wrote: John, I was on a 12 deg CAS-3 pass earlier today. I really did not hear myself until max elevation and even then my downlink was marginal with TS2Kx, 5el up, 11 el down, no preamps. I have been on several evening passes including my first QSO on it with Christy, KB6LTY. Very few stations heard. While I lack the technical skills of John K8YSE to provide any graphical analysis, speaking entirely subjectively, I can confirm that the downlink is not particularly strong compared to, say, XW-2F or CAS4B, especially on the earlier 12 deg pass, and the transponder's passband noise is quite noticeable and definitely would cover weaker stations. The noise reminds me of the noise in JO-97's passband. When I worked Christy it was a much higher pass and the downlink was sufficiently strong until I lost it somewhere around the 15 deg point when descending. My Doppler file is set up right at .180 for the downlink and that is where I have hovered, except to move up or down to avoid the noise. I believe my first uplink calibration was around 900 hz, so it was already pretty close and did not require much searching for my downlink. Of course, YMMV I am sure others would appreciate a summary of operation suggestions. HNY satops! 73, Craig N6RSX DM 13 -----Original Message----- From: John Brier <johnbrier(a)gmail.com> Sent: Friday, December 31, 2021 3:44 PM To: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: [AMSAT-BB] XW-3 issues and tips for success? So, I tried XW-3/CAS-9 on the first orbit and once later but didn't have any luck finding myself on the downlink. I want to try again but it seems the bird has issues and I'd like to understand more about those issues so I can have better luck next time I try. On Twitter I've heard others say the sat is weak, has high SWR, not a sensitive receiver, noisy at TCA, fluctuating AGC, etc. It's also possible that the RX sensitivity issue is only bad at the edges of the passband, forcing people to work in the center. Has anyone confirmed that? What's up with the AGC? What kind of uplink power/ERP is required/recommended? Maybe we can come up with some general tips to make successful contacts on this bird more likely. 73, John Brier KG4AKV https://twitter.com/k8yse/status/1476022600593809411 https://twitter.com/k8yse/status/1476047464796987400 https://twitter.com/dk3wn/status/1476276565285687312 ----------------------------------------------------------- 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. Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/amsat-bb@amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org (If this message is spam, please report it to IT Dept. Thank you.) NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this communication to the intended recipient, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you. ----------------------------------------------------------- Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Acceptable Use and Privacy Policies available at https://www.amsat.org/about-amsat/ View archives of this mailing list at https://mailman.amsat.org/hyperkitty/list/amsat-bb@amsat.org To unsubscribe send an email to amsat-bb-leave(a)amsat.org Manage all of your AMSAT-NA mailing list preferences at https://mailman.amsat.org

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Fwd: Re: AO-7 frequencies
by David G0MRF 01 Jan '22

01 Jan '22

That all looks like AO73 to me. Mode U/V Linear435.140145.960 BPSK Telemetry0.000145.935 -----Original Message----- From: William Herbert Sims <herb.sims(a)mchsi.com> To: michael sartoretti <kc2syf(a)gmail.com> CC: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Sent: Sat, 1 Jan 2022 19:15 Subject: [AMSAT-BB] Re: AO-7 frequencies Yes, that answers my question. That is different than on the AMSAT website: AMSAT Mode U/V Linear432.150 435.140145.950 145.960 CW Beacon145.975 145.815 The AMSAT webpage has the beacon at 145.975 (which I cannot hear) and you’re showing 145.815 (which I will try next pass). The downlink and uplink worked this pass using 432.150 and 145.950…. Hence my confusion…… Herb From: michael sartoretti <kc2syf(a)gmail.com> Date: Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 12:57 PM To: William Herbert Sims <herb.sims(a)mchsi.com> Cc: AMSAT BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> Subject: Re: [AMSAT-BB] AO-7 frequenciesces at https://mailman.amsat.org

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VUCC Awards-Endorsements for January 1,2022
by Ronald Parsons 01 Jan '22

01 Jan '22

Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period December 1, 2021 through January 1, 2022. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! This is my last time preparing this list. Next month it will be done by Jon Goering, N7AG. CALL Dec. January K8TL 1012 1016 WN9Q 710 783 K9UO 675 695 XE1HG 100 639 N5BO 580 635 KN2K 401 450 N6UTC 400 450 EA2AA 396 400 VU2LBW 350 400 N8URE (FM19) 279 326 NA1ME 275 300 K8BL 283 292 RA3DNC 252 276 K3HPA 176 201 M0NKC 200 New WD9EWK (DM23) 173 182 DL6KBG 150 175 A65BR New 157 WA7HQD 150 151 K6MX New 134 KG7CW New 115 K9AQ New 109 N6UTC (MOJAVE DE New 101 KE6LB New 100 W4GLU New 100 This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing a lot of the work! Ron W5RKN

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