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ANS-344 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Paul Stoetzer 10 Dec '23

10 Dec '23

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-344 In this edition: * Proposal Submitted to ESA for Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload * ARISS Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Owen Garriott's STS-9 Operation * AMSAT Publishes 2022 Financial Review and IRS Form 990 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 7, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over 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/ ANS-344 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002 DATE 2023 December 10 Proposal Submitted to ESA for Geostationary Microwave Amateur Payload A proposal has been submitted to the European Space Agency (ESA) by AMSAT-UK, the British Amateur Television Club (BATC), and AMSAT-NA, with input from members of the UK Microwave Group for a geostationary microwave amateur payload with planned coverage of at least part of North America. This proposal was submitted in response to a presentation at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium from Frank Zeppenfeldt, PD0AP, of ESA, who has secured €250,000 in funding to investigate the possibility of an amateur satellite or payload in geostationary orbit. The proposal notes the desire for coverage of all ESA member and cooperating states, but that it is not possible for a satellite in geostationary orbit to cover the entirety of this territory, which ranges from Cyprus at approximately 34 degrees east to western Canada at approximately 141 degrees west and lays out example coverage from three slots: 5 degrees west, 30 degrees west, and 47 degrees west. In a later section, the proposal also discusses two non-geostationary orbit options that could provide the desired coverage: a tundra orbit and a high earth orbit just below the geostationary belt. The amateur radio and educational payload proposed consists of two 5.6 GHz uplink and 10 GHz downlink transponders (Mode C/x) - one 250 kHz wide with 20 watts of output for narrowband modes such as SSB, CW, and narrowband digital mdoes and one 1 MHz wide with 20 watts of output for wideband modes, including amateur television. The transponder design would include an optional SDR block for signal regeneration. Additionally, a 24 GHz receiver would also function as a transponder uplink. The proposal also calls for a 47 or 74 GHz multimode beacon or additional downlink transmitter, an earth-pointing camera with a still image downlink as part of the telemetry or beacon for educational outreach, and a red or near-infrared laser experiment aimed towards Western Europe. All downlink signals would be phase coherent with timing by GPS reference or a chip-scale atomic clock. The full proposal text can be found at https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/ESA-GEO-proposal… More information about the ESA opportunity can be found in PD0AP's AMSAT-UK Colloquium presentation at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FTvlEyDa1Y [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, the British Amateur Television Club (BATC), AMSAT-NA, and the UK Microwave Group for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ LAST CALL! The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are still available! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ ARISS Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Owen Garriott's STS-9 Operation ARISS has been celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first ham in space. On November 28, 1983, the Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off with Owen Garriott, W5LFL. Onboard was a specially customized Motorola MX-340 two meter handheld radio and an antenna that attached to the shuttle's window. Shortly before crossing the west coast on December 1, 1983, Columbia executed a roll manuever that exposed the antenna toward earth and W5LFL began to call CQ. At 02:38 UTC, Lance Collister, WA1JXN, in Frenchtown, MT answered his CQ and made the first amateur radio QSO with a human in space. A rush of QSOs followed over the next several days before Columbia returned to Earth on December 8th. Among the amateur operators in the log were Senator Barry Goldwater, K7UGA, and King Hussein of Jordan, JY1. Videos including QSOs from orbit have been posted to the ARISS YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@ARISSlive/videos On December 7th, ARISS hosted a webinar with Owen's son, Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, who later operated the amateur radio station aboard the International Space Station. An archived video of the webinar can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys0Jjn40Y_A During the webinar, ARISS International Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, announced that Richard Garriott would be the keynote speaker at ARISS's 40th anniversary celebration event in February 2024. Details for this event can be found at https://www.ariss.org/overview.html Additionally, in celebration of the STS-9 mission, ARISS teams worldwide have come together to prepare an SSTV event. SSTV from the ISS will be sent on 145.800 MHz using the PD120 format. Transmissions are scheduled to begin on December 16th at 10:15 UTC and end on December 19th at around 18:00 UTC. Melissa Gaskill, a science author from Austin, Texas, has written a comprehensive review about the 40-year history of amateur radio in space. In her article, "Ham Radio in Space: Engaging with Students Worldwide for 40 Years," Gaskill explores the Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX), which is now known as Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). The article can be found at https://www.nasa.gov/missions/station/iss-research/ham-radio-in-space-engag… Gaskill said that while she wrote the article, she is not an expert on thesubject but there are many who are including Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, International Space Station (ISS) Ham Project Coordinator since 2004. Ransom said that amateur radio in space was a possibility even before 1983, when Astronaut Owen Garriott, W5LFL (SK), made history during the STS-9 Space Shuttle Columbia mission with the first amateur radio contact from space. NASA had been looking for ways to bring amateur radio to Skylab (a space station designed as an orbiting workshop for scientific research) and even the moon. [ANS thanks ARISS and the ARRL for the above information] ------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Publishes 2022 Financial Review and IRS Form 990 AMSAT has posted its IRS Form 990 and 2022 Financial Review on the AMSAT website at https://www.amsat.org/audit-and-other-financial-reports/ AMSAT publishes its financial statements as reviewed by an independent accountant as part of its commitment to transparency regarding its financial status with its membership and donors. In 2022, AMSAT had total revenue of $306,801 and total expenses of $129,261. As of December 31, 2022, AMSAT reported net assets totaling $1,494,470. In the decade between 2012 and 2022, AMSAT's reserves increased by nearly 250% while designing, constructing, and launching five Fox-1 satellites and working on several other projects, including GOLF, Fox Plus, the Linear Transponder Module, and the AMSAT CubeSatSim. AMSAT thanks its membership and donors for their generous support over the years. Keeping amateur radio in space is an endeavor that requires significant financial resources. Despite the currently healthy status of AMSAT's finances, spending on hardware acquisitions for construction of GOLF and Fox Plus is expected to ramp up over the coming year, so please consider a donation if you are able. AMSAT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your contributions may be tax deductible. If you need to make a Required Minimum Distribution from a retirement account by the end of the year, please also consider making a donation to AMSAT from your RMD. Donations may be made at https://www.amsat.org/donate/ AMSAT also needs donations of time from interested volunteers with both technical and non-technical skills. Please visit https://www.amsat.org/volunteer-for-amsat/ and consider volunteering for AMSAT. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information] +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Need new satellite antennas? Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack 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/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for December 7, 2023 Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/ HADES-D may not be correctly associated with its object number; use TLEs with caution. The following satellites have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: EIRSAT-1 NORAD Cat ID 58472 IARU coordinated downlink on 437.100 MHz ENSO NORAD Cat ID 58470 IARU coordinated downlink on 436.500 MHz and beacon at 14.099 MHz The following satellites have been removed from this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution: CTIM NORAD Cat ID 52950 Decayed from orbit on or about 4 December 2023 Move-IIb NORAD Cat ID 44398 Decayed from orbit on or about 4 December 2023 [ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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 +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ 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. Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Harbor Creek School, Harborcreek, PA, direct via KC3SGV The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is KD8COJ Contact is go for: Mon 2023-12-11 13:45:04 UTC 46 deg Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/@AdvancedTechnologiesGroup Obninsk, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Konstantin Borisov The ARISS mentor is RV3DR Contact is go for Wed 2023-12-13 09:15 UTC Primary School of Zipari Kos, Zipari, Greece, direct via SV5BYR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Andreas Mogensen KG5GCZ The ARISS mentor is IKØWGF Contact is go: Thu 2023-12-14 13:17:31 UTC 26 deg( Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVW_nsutRMEfS2e8tURrltw and also at https://linktr.ee/zipariss2023 Comments on making general contacts I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities. Typical daily schedule Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well. SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements. And don’t forget that the packet system is active. As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol. ARISS Radio Status Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops. Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Temporarily stowed. Default mode is for packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops. SSTV (Kenwood D710) – STATUS - OFF. Default mode is for scheduled SSTV operations (145.800 MHz down) * Next planned operation date(s): 40th Anniversary of STS 9 (PD120 mode) - Schedule is Dec. 16 at 10:15 UTC | 5:15 AM ET through Dec. 19 around 1800 UTC | 1:00 PM ET. * Specifically configured for SSTV ops. 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] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations No scheduled operations are listed at this time. A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location. [ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and 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, says, "Think a 75-minute presentation on "working the easy satellites" would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!" Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences. [ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, and AMSAT for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + EB1AO reports the successful telecommand of AMSAT Spain's HADES-D satellite. A test of the FM transponder is expected to follow. + The Russian resupply mission to the International Spacee Station, Progress MS-25, launched on Dec. 1 and then had to be manually docked due to issues with its automated rendezvous system. Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko, RN3DX, and Nikolai Chub, monitoring the approach from the station's Zvezda module, took over by remote control at the direction of Russian flight controllers and deftly guided the vehicle in for docking early on Dec. 3. (ANS thanks CBS News for the above information) + Hubble temporarily took a break from science operations while NASA investigates faulty readings from one of its gyroscopes, just as the telescope hit 30 years on from STS-61, the mission that corrected its optics and brought the iconic space telescope to full operation. On December 8th, Hubble returned to science operations with all three of its gyroscopes operational and the spacecraft healthy. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NASA for the above information) + With moderate coronal mass ejections (CMEs) inbound and our Sun heading into its solar maximum faster than anticipated, it’s an excellent time to watch for auroras. However, the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns that the geomagnetic storms pose risks of increased atmospheric drag and other risks for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NOAA for the above information) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm [at] amsat.org

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ARISS News Release No. 23-64
by David Jordan 09 Dec '23

09 Dec '23

ARISS News Release No.23-64 Dave Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR aa4kn(a)amsat.org FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE ARISSContact is Scheduled with Students at Primary School of Zipari Kos, Zipari, Greece December9, 2023—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has receivedschedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboardthe International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Primary School ofZipari Kos located in Zipari, Greece. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each yearbetween students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboardthe ISS. The Primary School of Zipari is located on the island of Kos in the Dodecanese in Greece. The Islandof Kos, with a population of 35,000, is in the southern part of the country.The school serves 400 students aged 6-12 and 45 teachers, and participates ininnovative programs such as European Erasmus+ programs and often takes part inPan-Hellenic competitions. This year an Astronomy School Club was formed toprepare students for this ARISS contact. Other student activities includeparticipation in the ESA Moon camp challenge (2nd and 6thgrade students), robot building, how to track the ISS, and amateur radiocommunication (including morse code). This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions ofAstronaut Andreas Mogensen, amateur radio call sign KG5GCZ. The downlinkfrequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners thatare within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station. The amateur radio ground station for this contactis on the island of Kos in the Dodecanese in Greece. Amateur radio operators usingcall sign SV5BYR, will operate the ground station to establish and maintain theISS connection. TheARISS radio contact is scheduled for December 14, 2023 at 3:17:31 pm EET (Greece)(13:17:31 UTC, 8:17 am EST, 7:17 am CST,6:17 am MST, 5:17 am PST). Thepublic is invited to watch the live stream at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVW_nsutRMEfS2e8tURrltw and also at https://linktr.ee/zipariss2023 _______________________________ Astime allows, students will ask these questions: 1.How long have you been in space? 2.How many people, men and women are there now on the space station? 3.Can you name one reason you became an astronaut? 4.Do you believe there is life on other planets? 5.How did you feel the first time you left Earth? 6.What is your favorite food in space? 7.What is your favorite spot in the Space Station? 8.How did you feel when you first saw the Earth from above? 9.What scares you in space? 10.What do you miss about Earth? 11.After how long do you start missing your loved ones? 12.What message would you send to your loved ones? 13.Do you ever feel lonely on the International Space Station? 14.What is the main danger you might encounter there? 15.What do you do when you get sick? 16.What is your favorite sport? Can you play that in space? 17.What do you do for fun in space? 18.Which is your favorite planet and why? 19.Have you ever had an accident during a repair? About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the InternationalSpace Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radiosocieties and the space agencies that support the International Space Station(ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio Relay League(ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur SatelliteCorporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN)and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers. The primary goal of ARISS isto promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, andmathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts viaamateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before andduring these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities takepart in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, andamateur radio. For more information, see http://www.ariss.org . MediaContact: DaveJordan, AA4KN ARISSPR Findus on social media at: Twitter:ARISS_Intl Facebook:facebook.com/ARISSIntl Instagram:ariss_intl Mastodon:[email protected] Checkout ARISS on Youtube.com.

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Re: OT: (very OT) ARRL 2024 Handbook
by Clint Bradford 09 Dec '23

09 Dec '23

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Re: AO-7 Mode A Sked
by Will Ruef 09 Dec '23

09 Dec '23

It comes across to me as being pretty random. It sometimes switches into mode A, B, or the telemetry only mode for multiple days in a row. I have noticed that when it goes into mode A it usually stays there for the full 24 hours. When it's in mode B and someone uses too much power it can crash and reset the whole bird and I'm guessing that also resets the timer. I ran the illumination forcast tool by DK3WN the other day and the next eclipse of the bird is not until May 28th so it will probably be sporadically changing modes until then. 73, Will, KN6QVA On 12/8/23 15:38, Thomas Schuessler via AMSAT-BB wrote: > Since AO-7 switches from mode A to mode B every 24 hours when in full sunlight, what time of day is that switch happening these days? > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Dec 8, 2023, at 13:57, Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: >> >> On 11/3/23 21:28, Will Ruef via AMSAT-BB wrote: >>> Anyone interested in trying some contacts on AO-7 mode A? The transponder has been in great shape the last couple of times I worked it but no luck catching anybody on there. Just an occasional whistle or cw paddle of someone trying to find their signal. I am in DM04 and can work the bird consistently in that mode on passes 25 degrees elevation or more. >> Hi Will, >> >> I noticed that AO-7 was in Mode A yesterday and was able to call CQ (CW) with no takers. Looks like it might still be in that mode for the rest of today, but I'll check the beacon at 29.502 to be sure. >> >> If you're available for the the 22:24Z pass today, take a listen around 29.450 for my CW CQ. >> >> --- Zach >> N0ZGO >> >> ----------------------------------------------------------- >> >> 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/[email protected] >> 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/[email protected] > 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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Re: AO-7 Mode A Sked
by Thomas Schuessler 08 Dec '23

08 Dec '23

Since AO-7 switches from mode A to mode B every 24 hours when in full sunlight, what time of day is that switch happening these days? Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 8, 2023, at 13:57, Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: > > On 11/3/23 21:28, Will Ruef via AMSAT-BB wrote: >> Anyone interested in trying some contacts on AO-7 mode A? The transponder has been in great shape the last couple of times I worked it but no luck catching anybody on there. Just an occasional whistle or cw paddle of someone trying to find their signal. I am in DM04 and can work the bird consistently in that mode on passes 25 degrees elevation or more. > > Hi Will, > > I noticed that AO-7 was in Mode A yesterday and was able to call CQ (CW) with no takers. Looks like it might still be in that mode for the rest of today, but I'll check the beacon at 29.502 to be sure. > > If you're available for the the 22:24Z pass today, take a listen around 29.450 for my CW CQ. > > --- Zach > N0ZGO > > ----------------------------------------------------------- > > 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/[email protected] > 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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ARISS News Release No. 23-63
by David Jordan 08 Dec '23

08 Dec '23

ARISS News Release No.23-63 Dave Jordan, AA4KN ARISS PR aa4kn(a)amsat.org FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE ARISSContact is Scheduled with Students at Harbor Creek School, Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, USA December8, 2023—Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has receivedschedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboardthe International Space Station (ISS) and students at Harbor Creek School in Harborcreek, PA. ARISS conducts 60-80 of these special amateur radio contacts each yearbetween students around the globe and crew members with ham radio licenses aboardthe ISS. Harbor Creek Senior High School provides students STEM-relatedlearning activities that include the opportunity to join/participate in the school’samateur radio and STEM club - Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) (KC3SGV). About30 of ATG’s student club members (grades 7-12) have been preparing for thisARISS contact - having built the antennas, and learning the various systems andskills needed to make a successful ISS contact, with many of these students havingearned their FCC ham licenses. For this ARISS contact, students will be using ATG’sradio station. ATG’s past activitieshave included high-altitude balloon launches, amateur radio competitions, foxhunting, and Geocaching. Earlier this year, students launched a high-altitudeballoon that had live APRS tracking, weather data collection instruments, GPStracking, and live HD video broadcast for most of the flight. Other2023 club projects allowed students to learn astrophotography using a trackingmount and software, discover how to map the universe’s hydrogen levels through radioastronomy, and receive images of the Earth from the NOAA GOES satellite. Theschool has also partnered with members of the Wattsburg Wireless Association,Amateur Radio Club (K3WWA), who have provided, and continues to providestudents very helpful support. This will be a direct contact via Amateur Radio allowing students to ask their questions ofAstronaut Andreas Mogensen, amateur radio call sign KG5GCZ. The downlinkfrequency for this contact is 145.800 MHz and may be heard by listeners thatare within the ISS-footprint that also encompasses the relay ground station. The amateur radio ground station for this contactis in Harborcreek, PA. Amateur radio operators using call sign KC3SGV, willoperate the ground station to establish and maintain the ISS connection. TheARISS radio contact is scheduled for December 11, 2023 at 8:45 am EST (PA, USA)(13:45 UTC, 7:45 am CST, 6:45 am MST, 5:45 am PST). The public is invitedto watch the live stream at: https://www.youtube.com/@AdvancedTechnologiesGroup _______________________________ Astime allows, students will ask these questions: 1.How will the work astronauts are doing today helphumanity in the future? 2.How soon do you see living in space as a possibility in the future? 3.Do you believe we are alone in the universe, and why? 4.What is the hardest thing to acclimate to on the ISS? 5.What is the most fun or interesting thing about living in space that you wouldnot be able to do on earth? 6.What is the first thing you plan to do when you get back to Earth? (Notrequired NASA stuff.) 7.What is the biggest challenge in future space exploration? 8.What other professions were you interested in prior to NASA, and are you stillinterested in them? 9.What or who inspired you to become an astronaut? 10.What was the biggest challenge you had to face in order to become an astronaut,and why? 11.Why do you think that space exploration is important? 12.How long did it take you to adapt to zero G? 13.What tasks do you enjoy doing the most and least on the ISS? 14.What do you see as the future of space flight? 15.What is something you didn't expect to miss about living on Earth, after beingon board the ISS? 16.How do you see private companies and NASA working together in the future? 17.What was your most challenging experience in space?What made the experience so challenging? 18.Did you have any concerns about your travel when you first went into space, anddo you still have these concerns? 19.Were there any times where you felt it was never possible to become anastronaut, and why? 20.Can you describe the diversity of the crew on ISS,and how you work together to accomplish the mission? 21.How do you stay in touch with your family while onboard the ISS? 22.What was the first thing you missed about Earth, and why? About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the InternationalSpace Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radiosocieties and the space agencies that support the International Space Station(ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the American Radio Relay League(ARRL), Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), Radio Amateur SatelliteCorporation (AMSAT), NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN)and the ISS National Lab—Space Station Explorers. The primary goal of ARISS isto promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, the arts, andmathematics topics. ARISS does this by organizing scheduled contacts viaamateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students. Before andduring these radio contacts, students, educators, parents, and communities takepart in hands-on learning activities tied to space, space technologies, andamateur radio. For more information, see http://www.ariss.org . MediaContact: DaveJordan, AA4KN ARISSPR Findus on social media at: Twitter:ARISS_Intl Facebook:facebook.com/ARISSIntl Instagram:ariss_intl Mastodon:[email protected] Checkout ARISS on Youtube.com.

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Re: AO-7 Mode A Sked
by John Antonuk - AL7ID 08 Dec '23

08 Dec '23

Thanks for the tip.One never knows if the spacecraft has been in the sunlight for long enough to switch to mode A 73, John Antonuk AL7ID(a)yahoo.com On Friday, December 8, 2023 at 01:49:01 PM AKST, John Antonuk - AL7ID via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: I'm on SSB downlink on 29.450 right now 2247Z 73, John Antonuk AL7ID(a)yahoo.com On Friday, December 8, 2023 at 10:57:08 AM AKST, Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: On 11/3/23 21:28, Will Ruef via AMSAT-BB wrote: > Anyone interested in trying some contacts on AO-7 mode A? The > transponder has been in great shape the last couple of times I worked it > but no luck catching anybody on there. Just an occasional whistle or cw > paddle of someone trying to find their signal. I am in DM04 and can work > the bird consistently in that mode on passes 25 degrees elevation or more. Hi Will, I noticed that AO-7 was in Mode A yesterday and was able to call CQ (CW) with no takers. Looks like it might still be in that mode for the rest of today, but I'll check the beacon at 29.502 to be sure. If you're available for the the 22:24Z pass today, take a listen around 29.450 for my CW CQ. --- Zach N0ZGO ----------------------------------------------------------- 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/[email protected] 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/[email protected] 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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Re: AO-7 Mode A Sked
by John Antonuk - AL7ID 08 Dec '23

08 Dec '23

I'm on SSB downlink on 29.450 right now 2247Z 73, John Antonuk AL7ID(a)yahoo.com On Friday, December 8, 2023 at 10:57:08 AM AKST, Zach Metzinger via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: On 11/3/23 21:28, Will Ruef via AMSAT-BB wrote: > Anyone interested in trying some contacts on AO-7 mode A? The > transponder has been in great shape the last couple of times I worked it > but no luck catching anybody on there. Just an occasional whistle or cw > paddle of someone trying to find their signal. I am in DM04 and can work > the bird consistently in that mode on passes 25 degrees elevation or more. Hi Will, I noticed that AO-7 was in Mode A yesterday and was able to call CQ (CW) with no takers. Looks like it might still be in that mode for the rest of today, but I'll check the beacon at 29.502 to be sure. If you're available for the the 22:24Z pass today, take a listen around 29.450 for my CW CQ. --- Zach N0ZGO ----------------------------------------------------------- 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/[email protected] 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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Re: AO-7 Mode A Sked
by Zach Metzinger 08 Dec '23

08 Dec '23

On 11/3/23 21:28, Will Ruef via AMSAT-BB wrote: > Anyone interested in trying some contacts on AO-7 mode A? The > transponder has been in great shape the last couple of times I worked it > but no luck catching anybody on there. Just an occasional whistle or cw > paddle of someone trying to find their signal. I am in DM04 and can work > the bird consistently in that mode on passes 25 degrees elevation or more. Hi Will, I noticed that AO-7 was in Mode A yesterday and was able to call CQ (CW) with no takers. Looks like it might still be in that mode for the rest of today, but I'll check the beacon at 29.502 to be sure. If you're available for the the 22:24Z pass today, take a listen around 29.450 for my CW CQ. --- Zach N0ZGO

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OT: (very OT) ARRL 2024 Handbook
by Kevin Muenzler 08 Dec '23

08 Dec '23

Greetings all space-faring Amateur Radio Operators and please forgive this off topic question. Has anyone heard anything or seen anything about the ARRL 2024 Handbook? I keep seeing advertisements for the “Handbook 100” which is the 2023 Handbook which I bought last year. I remember when the Handbook were $9USD but that was during the last century when a year membership was also about $10 and the lifetime membership was $200. I kick myself every time I pay my membership for not getting the lifetime membership when I was licensed in 1975. Anyway, thanks in advance for any information you might have, the ARRL has been silent to my emails. Kevin, WB5RUE EL09

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