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Upcoming ARISS contact with Huntington High School, Huntington, TX
by n4csitwo＠bellsouth.net 24 Feb '19

24 Feb '19

An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at Huntington High School, Huntington, TX on 25 Feb. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 19:39 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be direct between NA1SS and KI5AJL The contact should be audible over the state of Texas and adjacent areas. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. Huntington High School is located in Huntington, Texas which is a small, rural community located in deep East Texas near Sam Rayburn Lake. There are 493 students in our school. Currently, 10 of these students are involved in the ARISS program through their teacher Mrs. Peggy Albritton and our mentor, Mr. Kris Kirkland. Kris, who is a HAM radio enthusiast and a coach/mentor of our high school robotics team, is the person responsible for bringing the ARISS program to our school. There are currently 3 Freshman, 3 Sophomores, 3 Juniors and 1 Senior participating. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What is the most exciting experience that you have had or discovery you have made while on the ISS? 2. How does being in space affect blood pressure? 3. What is your favorite movie set in outer space, and which movie do you feel most accurately portrays what it is like in space? 4. How do you incorporate 3D printers on the ISS and how valuable is it to the success of the ISS program? 5. How much physical training do you have to do during a space mission and how do you do this? 6. What do you do for entertainment while in space? 7. What does it feel like wearing a spacesuit and are they custom made to fit you? 8. How good is the food on the space station and what's your favorite kind? 9. How can astronauts have a shower on board? 10. What type of physical training did you have to do to prepare to be on the ISS? 11. What advice can you give to students who aspire to follow in your footsteps? 12. Have you ever tried to pull pranks on each other and, if so, what were they? 13. If presented with the opportunity, would you like to be involved with colonizing Mars and how? 14. Is your daily routine regimented to a time zone, or can you sleep, wake, and work at times you choose? 15. How does being in space affect how you sleep and dream? 16. How do you clean up your messes in space? 17. When and why did you decide to become an astronaut? 18. Are you working on anything that will help make a colony on Mars. 19. How did you feel when you saw planet Earth for the first time? 20. What is the first thing you want to do when you get back on earth? 21. Do the astronauts ever leave time capsules to be found on the ISS in the distant future? 22. How do you brush your teeth on board the ISS? 23. What do you think should be the focus of the space program over the next years? 24. What do you want to do as soon as you get back home? 25. How do you draw blood in space for all the experiments requiring that? 26. What is your favorite part about living in space? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status Next planned event(s): TBD About ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. Thank you & 73, David - AA4KN --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

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AMSAT Awards
by Bruce 23 Feb '19

23 Feb '19

You know, one of the really cool things about receiving an AMSAT award in the mail is the certificate inside. However, what is even cooler is the envelope. Yes, the envelope. My wife has purchased stamps for years and years. I use those stamps on the envelopes I mail. None of those little white labels from the post office. Some stamps are from the 70's, 80's and 90's. She is still purchasing so when the older ones are gone which should be in about 5 years or more, I will be starting on newer ones from the 2000's. Today's mailing included 32 cent stamps featuring the roaring 20's which came out in 1995, 1996, 1997 time frame. Is it time for you to apply for an AMSAT award or to add to your stamp collection :-) 73...bruce -- Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards AMSAT Board Member 2016-2020 ARRL Awards Field Checker (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on Echolink - Conference *AMSAT* Also live streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com Podcast at http://www.amsatnet.com/podcast.xml or iTunes Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org AMSAT on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/amsat

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2nd QO-100 in 3B8
by Jean Marc Momple 23 Feb '19

23 Feb '19

Dear All, Just to share. My younger brother Patrice (3B8FA) won the race for first 3B8 operation on QO-100, however was able to correct a few issues with my Tx antenna and made it today, worked 5 countries today, therefore 2 station in 3B8 active and another OM getting ready. Really a nice bird particularly when you are in an island in the middle of the ocean and HF at its lowest, congratulations again to the project team which gave us such a good toy. 73 Jean Marc (3B8DU)

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Off to the Motherland
by Gabriel Zeifman 23 Feb '19

23 Feb '19

Hello fellow bird folk and sky yellers, I am on the first of four flights now on the way for another one of my signature trips. This voyage will take me to Poland (Feb 24-28), Lithuania (Feb 28-Mar 4), Kaliningrad (Mar 4-7), Saint Petersburg (Mar 7-11), Åland Islands (Mar 11-13), and Helsinki (Mar 13-14). I think the most desired entities are going to be UA2 and OH0 (unfortunately OH0 is gonna be quick, get in in the evening and leave in a morning, so two nights and one full day). I’m hoping to make US contacts from every entity and will try to hit as many grids as feasible (I’ll have a car in Vilnius and Kaliningrad), but good transatlantic locations will take precedence over grids. Don’t expect me on every pass, I’m traveling with family and we’ll be doing touristy stuff, but I’ll make my best effort to be on the great AO-7 and FO-29 passes across the ocean, updates will be on Twitter @AL6D_Alaska. I’m operating ninja portable like the good ole days, QRP with two FT-817NDs and an arrow, hopefully that doesn’t attract too much negative attention from customs in Russia. 73, Gabe “Harambe” Zeifman AL6D/VE6NJH/Harambe1

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Using an SDR Receiver with SatPC32
by Les Rayburn 22 Feb '19

22 Feb '19

Finally, I have all the components together to add a SDRPlay2 receiver to my satellite station. I purchased two Alpha Delta 4 way N female switches. This will allow me to have one each for the 2M antenna, and another for the 432 antenna. Attached to each will be the IC-910H, Kenwood TM-D71GA (with duplexer), SDRPlay2, and my D-STAR ID-800H (with a duplexer.) In theory, this will allow me to route the antennas to any of the four radios for either TX or RX depending. The last hurdle is how do I interface my SatPC32 software to control both the uplink on the IC-910H and the SDRPlay2 for the downlink at the same time? Any help appreciated. 73, Les Rayburn, N1LF Maylene, AL EM63nf AMSAT #38965, ARRL Life Member, CVHS Life Member, SVHF Member

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Yaesu G-5500 Rotor
by Mike Lucas 22 Feb '19

22 Feb '19

After a 15+ year break from Ham Radio, the spark has returned and trying to get all set back up on the Satellites again. Lots has changed! I've downloaded HRD and a trial version of PST Rotator s/w to drive my TrakBox connected to the Yaesu rotator. Making headway with the USB/Serial connection to the TrakBox but need to update the firmware. Also I'm sure the internal Lithium battery is likely gone so will need a replacement. Any idea of sources? TAPR says they have some new EPROM's so will get that coming. I have a USB/Serial interface board coming so I can control the Yaesu FT-736 from HRD. Question on the Yaesu rotator controller. I don't have the rotator itself hooked up yet but wanted to make sure the control box is still working Ok. I plugged it in to the 120VAC but there's no meter lights and the EL meter goes negative so wondering if that's normal behavior if the rotator isn't actually connected to the control box? The fuse is Ok. Regards, Mike N7ASZ

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Re: [amsat-bb] KickSat-2 received but not decoded
by andy thomas 22 Feb '19

22 Feb '19

Ken, many thanks. I have cut and pasted your offer in your posting onto the google group for kiscksat-2 and its Sprite mission, so hopefully someone will come back to you for your recording (or you can post it there?) the site is:Google Groups | | | | Google Groups Google Groups allows you to create and participate in online forums and email-based groups with a rich experienc... | | | | | | | Google Groups Google Groups allows you to create and participate in online forums and email-based groups with a rich experienc... | | | https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/kicksat-gs 73 de andy g0sfj

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KickSat-2 received but not decoded
by Ken Swaggart 22 Feb '19

22 Feb '19

Put KickSat-2 in my telemetry lineup and could clearly see the beacon on the SDR but pretty weak during the 16:20Z pass over the Pacific northwest at 31 degrees max elevation. What modulation does it use? I'll try to capture a IQ recording during one of the other passes today. Who should the recording be sent to? 73, Ken, W7KKE CN75xa

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Beresheet Info?
by Martin Davidoff 22 Feb '19

22 Feb '19

Can anyone point to a source for Tx frequencies and up-to-date trajectory data for Beresheet (the moon lander built by SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries) which was launched 21 Feb? K2ubc

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AO73/FUNcube-1 Operations
by Graham Shirville 22 Feb '19

22 Feb '19

Hi All, AO73 is now in amateur mode for the weekend with the transponder active and available for your use! Please send all requests for fitter message uploads to operations(a)funcube.org.uk allowing at least two weeks notice. thanks and have FUN 73 Graham G3VZV

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