AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-129
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.
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In this edition:
* JO-97 Linear Transponder Active * DIY-1 Designated DIY-OSCAR 111 (DO-111) * NO-104 (PSAT2) Update * Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 6, 2021 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 129.01 To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2021 May 9
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JO-97 Linear Transponder Active
On May 1, 2021, PV8DX reported that the JO-97 (JY1-SAT) telemetry beacon stopped transmitting at 12:57 UTC during a pass over Brazil. After a few days of silence, the U/v linear transponder was reported active over Europe on the morning of May 4th. The telemetry beacon remains inactive.
JO-97's inverting linear transponder has an uplink of 435.100 MHz - 435.120 MHz and a downlink of 145.855 MHz - 145.875 MHz.
The transponder has remained active in both eclipse and sunlight since May 4th. W2RTV observed frequency jumping while the satellite apparently rebooted in eclipse.
JO-97 is a project of the Crown Prince Foundation of Jordan and was launched on Spaceflight's SSO-A mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on December 3, 2018 contains an AMSAT-UK/NL FUNcube linear transponder and telemetry beacon that can also transmit stored SSDV digital images.
[ANS thanks various satellite operators for the above information]
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DIY-1 Designated DIY-OSCAR 111 (DO-111)
On March 22, 2021, the DIY Satellite Group DIY-1 PocketQube was launched on a Soyuz-2-1a Fregat launch vehicle from Baikonur, Kazakhstan. DIY-1 carries a deorbiting device experiment, and a CW/RTTY/FSK beacon. Further information is available at http://diysatellite.com/
At the request of the DIY Satellite Group, AMSAT hereby designates DIY-1 as DIY-OSCAR 111 (DO-111). We congratulate the owners and operators, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them a long mission and continued success on this and future projects.
More information about OSCAR numbers can be found at https://www.amsat.org/oscar-numbers-policy/
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, OSCAR Number Administrator, for the above information]
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NO-104 (PSAT2) Update
Looks like PSAT2-1 DTMF log shows first 2-way DTMF contact between N3CRT and KN2X QSO numbers 86 and 87.
And a total of 17 unique DTMF users:
LW2EE,KI6TSF,KE4AZZ,N3CRT,NN2K,N6AJ,PY5LF,PI6TSF,KK4YEL, K3CRT,KN2K,YD0NXX,P3CRT,F5VKV,KE6BLR,2E0CRV,AB8SA
Though N3CRT, P3CRT and K3CRT are probably the same person.
Since recovery on 26 April, PSAT2 appears completely healthy. http://aprs.org/psat2.html
[ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, for the above information]
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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/
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Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for April 15, 2021
The following satellite has been added to this week's AMSAT TLE Distribution:
CubeSX-HSE - NORAD Cat ID 47952 (Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO)
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]
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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!
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ARISS News
Green Bank Elementary Middle School, Green Bank, WV, direct via N8RV The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP Contact was successful: Fri 2021-05-07 12:35:51 UTC 30 deg (***) Congratulations to the Green Bank Elementary Middle School and Mark! (***) This was Mark’s first ARISS contact! (***)
Collège Descartes, Atony, France, telebridge via NA7V The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG
Contact is go for: Tue 2021-05-11 10:54:35 UTC 35 deg
Current Status of ISS Stations
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - ACTIVE. supporting cross band repeater operation (145.990 up [67 Hz tone] /437.800 down MHz). Next mode change to packet operations targeting mid-June. Supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.
Service Module radios: Kenwood D710E – STATUS - Radio usually off. Supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts and SSTV.
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]
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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
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
N6AJ: FROM DM05 TO EM04, I will be headed to OK from CA around May 17 , DM74 AND DM75 is on the list for sure. I will be on FM and SSB. As it closer I hope to have a schedule.
N9NCY and KX9X will be celebrating my birthday in style in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, grids EN57 & EN67. Look for us on the birds from July 15-19. Maybe some POTA, too.
W7LT: EN36/37/38/46/47/48/57/58 for late May is on my radar.
Major Roves: CM93 Possibility: N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once before.
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]
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Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, reports these upcoming presentations scheduled for …
05/18 - Puget Sound 05/26 - South New Jersey 06/01 - University of Arizona 06/09 - San Jose 06/15 - East Massachusetts 10/21 - Conejo Valley CA
… and dates for Roseland NJ, Austin TX, Maine, and NH to be firmed up!
Think a lively, entertaining, AND educational 75-minute presentation to YOUR club or organization on “Working the Easy Sateliites” would be appropriate for your club? Send me a message or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor http://www.work-sat.com k6lcs AT work-sat DOT info (909) 999-SATS (7287)
[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador, and Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events Page Manager, for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Please keep your (radio) ears open for AO-109 beacon on 435.750 +/- doppler. The AMSAT Engineering and Operations teams have been slowly & methodically bringing it to a state where it should be sending a weak beacon, though it has not been heard. Reports welcome! Use FoxTelem to receive telemetry and send to the server. (via WB1FJ)
+ UVSQ-SAT's FM transponder is scheduled to be activated over North America on Monday evening. Check https://twitter.com/uvsqsat for more details (via F6KRK Radio Club)
+ Satellite DXCC league tables are now live on Club Log. See https://clublog.org/satleague.php. Do let me know if any data appears in the wrong columns! A special thank you for the excellent help getting this bootstrapped on Twitter, much appreciated. (via G7VJR)
+ Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, Inc. (ARISS-USA) is seeking volunteers to support their mission. Details at https://www.amsat.org/ariss-usa-volunteer-search/
+ Arduino's Project Hub has published details of an antenna turret project that points in the direction of the ISS or any other satellite. Details at https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/viorelracoviteanu/antenna-turret-toy-wi...
+ Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
+ All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to AMSAT members on AMSAT’s new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT’s Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If you’re a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/
+ The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted. The print edition is $30 plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print
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73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm at amsat dot org