AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-249
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor@amsat.org
********************************************************************** * 2009 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting October 9-11 * * Four Points Sheraton Hotel at the Baltimore Washington Airport * * Details - http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2009/index.php * **********************************************************************
In this edition:
* AMSAT-NA BoD Ballots Due September 15 * Only One Month Until the AMSAT Space Symposium * FO-29 Recovery Efforts Continue * AO-7 DX Reports * Silent Key: Packet Satellite Pioneer Den Connors, KD2S * Satellite Shorts From All Over * ESA Astronaut Answers Your Questions From Space
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-249.01 AMSAT-NA BoD Ballots Due September 15
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 249.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 6, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-249.01
The deadline for returning the gold "corrected" ballot to the AMSAT office is September 15th. If you need biographical information on the candidates, it can be found on the AMSAT website.
[ANS thanks Martha for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-249.02 Only One Month Until the AMSAT Space Symposium
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 249.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 6, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-249.02
Co-Chairs, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and Janet Bauer remind you that the 2009 AMSAT Symposium is rapidly approaching! And we hope you can join us, especially given that there are some low-cost airfares out there for those of us in the US.
We have an outstanding venue this year at the Four Points Sheraton at the BWI Airport. Your symposium committee recently did a walk through of this facility. The accommodations and meeting rooms are superb. Frank said, "I do a lot of traveling and I must say that the rooms are absolutely beautiful. You will definitely get a substantial bang for your buck (or Euro, etc.) at this symposium. And planned 40th Anniversary celebratory events will be truly memorable".
So we'd love to see you in "Charm City"-Baltimore Maryland..for the symposium presentations, 40th anniversary celebrations, poster ses- sions, ARISS Operations Team Meeting, and AMSAT BoD meeting.
Full details are available on-line: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2009/index.php
You can now register online for the 2009 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting: http://www.amsat-na.com/store2/SymposiumReg2009.php Online registration will disappear on October 5th so do not wait too long!
Our guest speaker is Dr. Martin Collins from the the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. He will talk on "Making the Space Age: The First Fifty Years".
Follow the links from the Symposium page to book your room at the hotel. An 800 number is also available. When booking your room let the operator know that you are with the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation for the special rates. (They don't seem to know about AMSAT.)
[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, and Janet Bauer for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-249.03 FO-29 Recovery Efforts Continue
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 249.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 6, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-249.03
Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL reported that recovery efforts continue for the FO-29 satellite. Partial CW telemetry from FO-29 was received by Luciano, PY5LF, "during the orbit 64384 of FO29 I heard and decoded the telemetry for only 3 times then the satellite turned off." At the present time the ground control team continues to analyze telemetry and are continuing attempts to restore the satellite while it is over Japan.
The latest information can be found on Mineo's web page at: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/fo29rest.htm
[ANS thanks Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-249.04 AO-7 DX Reports
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 249.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 6, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-249.04
Piraja, PS8RF reported more transatlantic DX via AO-7 from Brazil. During the orbit number 59094 of AO-7 (MODE B - 20:14:21 UTC - 21/08/2009) I could hear Andre, ZS2ACP calling CQ and giving a signal report to another station here in Brazil (PY5LF). Unfortunately I could not find the uplink, was prepared, but I missed the time to call it. Despite the weather have been enough I could not hear me. The AO-7 in spite of 35 years continues to bring surprises to the satellite community. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meMa0zz5v4k
Piraja also noted another AO-7 milestone. Joe, K3SZH has reached 10,000 contacts via AO-7. Congratulations Joe!
[ANS thanks Piraja, PS8RF for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-249.05 Silent Key: Packet Satellite Pioneer Den Connors, KD2S
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 249.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 6, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-249.05
Tom Clark, K3IO noted, "It is with much sadness that I report the passing of Den Connors, KD2S. Den passed on after a year long fight to conquer lymphoma."
Den was TAPR's first president, overseeing the transition from a local Tucson club into the multi-national TAPR. He was a major sponsor of the adoption of AX.25 as the amateur packet standard. Under his lead, TAPR introduced the TNC-1 and then later the TNC-2. Den worked with Tom to define an amateur store-and-forward packet radio satellite which morphed into the AO16, IO-26, AO-27, and MO-30 Microsats.
73, Den -- you will be missed by all your friends!
[ANS thanks Tom Clark, K3IO for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-249.06 Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 249.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 6, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-249.06
+ The dates of the 2010 AMSAT-UK Colloquium will be the weekend of July 30 to August 1, 2010. The location will be the same as in 2009, the Holiday Inn, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom. (G3WGM)
+ Please collect and send telemetry data you receive on 145.825 from the Pollux and Castor satellites to ande@juno.nrl.navy.mil. There was a laser ranging experiment this weekend from Maui to illuminate the retroreflectors on both satellites. If you include your address you can receive a QSL card. (KD4HBO)
+ Photos of the night time launch of STS-128 can be viewed on-line: From 200 miles north on Jekyll Island, GA see: http://bit.ly/4uBi3N The view from Orlando can be seen at http://www.mydrive.ch/en. The username is plethra2. The guest password is aa4kn_1. They are found in the STS-128 folder.
+ Listen for Tom, KB9BIT as he activates the far western part of the Oklahoma Panhandle between September 12 - 19 (grids DM86 and DM87) To get your QSL card e-mail Tom at kb9bit@arrl.net or tmlask@att.net with the details of the QSO.
+ Congratulations and a hearty well-done to Clint, K6LCS on his very successful "How to Work Ham Sats With Your HT" presentation to the Moreno Valley (CA) Amateur Radio Association. Clint says, "They were, indeed, properly impressed!" Listen for Clint's upcoming demos on: September 11 - EchoLink/IRLP via K0GQ September 17 - Conejo Valley ARC October 5 - WARA (Fullerton) meeting October 17 - Victor Valley ARC's JOTA
+ West Coast USA stations worked Hawaii via AO-51 on September 4. Ron, W6ZQ operated from Kauai in grid BL02. Robert, NH7WN from Honolulu (BL11) was also on the same pass. Patrick, WD9EWK said he was able to work W6ZQ at just under 2 degrees elevation and got NH7WN at just over 3 degrees elevation.
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-249.07 ESA Astronaut Answers Your Questions From Space
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 249.07
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 6, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-249.07
This week Space Daily carried a story dateline September 3, from Paris, France about a new way to contact the International Space Station.
How do you wash your clothes in space? How does food stay fresh if there is no fridge on the ISS? ESA's Frank De Winne is answering these, and many more of your questions, right now, from space.
Is there something you always wanted to know about being an astro- naut? Or you are just curious about living and working in space? Well, now is the time to ask. Instead of searching the Internet, you can ask an ESA astronaut directly. Frank De Winne, on the International Space Station, is keen to answer your questions personally via ESA's YouTube channel.
Questions answered so far have been "Will you exercise a lot on your bike?", "What medical conditions would stop you becoming an astronaut?", "Will Europe have its own Space Shuttle in the future?" and "Do you use washing powder for washing clothes in space?"
Frank is answering questions from space fans all over Europe, and he will greet you in English, French or Dutch in your personal video response.
All you have to do is record your question using a webcam, video camera or mobile phone, and post it on ESA"s YouTube channel. Each week, Frank posts his responses to your questions on the site, directly from space.
Frank is part way through his six-month mission on the International Space Station. Later in his mission, he will also become the first European commander of the ISS.
Have a go, it could be your question answered next!
Record and upload your questions to ESA"s YouTube channel as a 'Video Response' to De Winne's video message which can viewed at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okpNcG3vu_E
(ed. note: Frank's amateur radio callsign is ON1DWN.)
[ANS thanks SpaceDaily.com for the above information]
/EX
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. And with that please keep in mind when wondering how important feed line loss is in your antenna installation that ancient wisdom reminds us about the man who digs his well at a distance from the tent soon laments when his wife's mustache catches fire.
73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org