AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-152
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: [email protected]
In this edition:
* AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nomination Announcement * SatPC32 Version 12.8 Released * FCAL Mission Patch Winners * Satellite Shorts From All Over * Two Opportunities to Fly Your Name and Callsign in Space * ARISS Status Report for the Week of May 26, 2008
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-152.01 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Nomination Announcement
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 152.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 1, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-152.01
Nominations are open for the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors (BOD). The nominations must be in writing and received at the AMSAT office by end of business June 15, 2008.
AMSAT-NA member societies or five current individual members may make nominations of fellow members to serve a 2-year term. Three of the seven seats must be filled this year.
The board members whose terms are expiring are:
Tom Clark, K3IO Lou McFadin, W5DID Bob McGwier, N4HY
Prospective AMSAT-NA BOD members generally attend two meetings each year, usually during the first and third quarters of the year. Attendance at the meetings is mandatory. Travel expenses for BOD meetings are paid for by AMSAT-NA.
Nominations must be in writing and mailed to:
AMSAT-NA Board of Director Nomination 850 Sligo Ave #600 Silver Spring, MD 20910
The nominations with descriptive information about each candidate will be mailed out July 15, 2008. Ballots must be received in Silver Spring,MD by September 15, 2008. Only active members as of July 24, 2008 are eligible to vote.
[ANS thanks AMSAT HQ for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-152.02 SatPC32 Version 12.8 Released
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 152.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 1, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-152.02
Erich Eichmann DK1TB has released SatPC32, version 12.8, a satellite tracking program which now contains improvements for Windows Vista compatibility, CAT control of multiple radios, and CAT control of Icom half-duplex radios.
Erich Eichmann DK1TB has donated SatPC32 to AMSAT, so all proceeds support amateur satellite programs. Please support amateur satel- lites by registering your copy of SatPC32.
A demo version may be downloaded from the author's web site: http://www.dk1tb.de/indexeng.htm. Some users of the new SatPC32 v12.8 have experienced a few minor problems with this release and Erich is investigating these reports.
Registered SatPC32 users may use their existing registration code to activate the downloaded new version. New users are encouraged to purchase a registration code from AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-DL, or AMSAT-UK. The online store is down at the moment but you may purchase a regis- tration code by calling Martha at the AMSAT office at 888-322-6728. Version 12.8 will not be available on CD until the existing stock of 12.7 CDs is depleted.
Here are the changes listed in the 12.8 "What's New" file:
+ The setup program has been updated to the the latest 32-bit Vista compatible version of Installshield Express.
+ The CAT steering functions of SatPC32 have been expanded to now include the ICOM IC-706MKIIG, IC-7000 and compatible radios.
+ Full duplex satellite operation with 2 separate radios for uplink and downlink has been improved. Numerous devices can be combined, e.g. the Yaesu semi-duplex transceivers with each other or with Icom semi-duplex radios or single band radios or Icom radios with each other.
+ The Vista compatibility has been improved.
+ SatPC32 now includes a simple text editor that can alternatively be used besides Notepad to edit auxiliary files (data files, i.e. Doppler.SQF).
+ Further improvements include operation of narrow FM mode of the IC-910H. The program now shows the file date of the selected Keplerian data file. CAT steering of the FT-736R has been fixed.
[ANS thanks Erich Eichmann, DK1TB for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-152.03 FCAL Mission Patch Winners
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 152.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 1, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-152.03
Ivan Galysh, KD4HBO wrote on behalf of the FCAL satellite mission, "Now that FCAL is down, I went through all the emails sent with FCAL data. I received data from Mike Ruppercht DK3WN, Armando Mercado N8IGJ, Bent Bagger representting AMSAT-OZ, and Edward Chuang BX1AD."
Ivan continued, "All will receive an FCAL mission patch plus a mission coffee mug. One surprise about the mission patch. These are STP mission patches that have flown on the space shuttle when FCAL and ANDE were released. I will include the letter of authentication that indicates these patches flew in space. Thanks for all your help. Hope to do it again soon."
[ANS thanks Ivan, KD4HBO for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-152.04 Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 152.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 1, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-152.04
+ Congratulations are in order for 10 year old Piyumi, VE4WPL in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada for making her first satellite contact on AO-51. She used an Icom IC-W32A handheld at 5 watts with an Arrow antenna to make the contact.
+ Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK represented AMSAT at the Yavapai Amateur Radio Club (YARC) and Verde Valley Amateur Radio Club (VVARA) joint hamfest on Saturday, 31 May 2008. He set up an AMSAT table at the hamfest and provided on-air demonstrations using the AO-51 satellite.
+ Allen, N5AFV was also active in promoting amateur radio satellite activity on the weekend of May 31 - June 1. On May 31 Allen op- erated via satellite from the second highest point in Texas at the top of Enchanted Rock. June 1 gave Allen the opportunity to operate using the Ten Ten International club call sign, W6OI from 20th Annual Ten Ten Hill Country Picnic. QSL information for both operations is to N5AFV with an SASE.
+ Richard, N2SPI managed the AMSAT Booth at the 2008 Rochester (NY) Hamfest this weekend. He was also on the air with live satellite demos. If you have an opportunity to promote AMSAT at a hamfest near you contact Martha at AMSAT HQ for materials.
+ Martian weather data from the Canadian Space Agency's weather station aboard the Mars Phoenix lander can be viewed on your computer using tool available from http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/. Mac OSX 10.4.3 (or higher), or Vista is required. (Via UniverseToday.com).
+ Word has been received from VU2POP that AMSAT-India has completed construction of the Hamsat-2 transponder built by one of their student members. They are now working on flight plans for an orbit similar to to VO-52 and hopefully higher if possible.
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-152.05 Two Opportunities to Fly Your Name and Callsign in Space
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 152.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 1, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-152.05
Although not totally amateur satellite related many AMSAT folks still enjoy all aspects of space exploration so here are a couple of fun things for you to enjoy, and perhaps involve young folks also.
Send your name to the moon ... NASA invites everyone to take advantage of the opportunity to send your name to the Moon on board the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The LRO mission site has a form to send your name, embedded into a compu- ter chip, into orbit around the moon. The link to sign up is: http://lro.jhuapl.edu/NameToMoon/index.php. More information about the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission can be found at: http://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/moonfacts.html.
Send your name into solar orbit ... Kepler is NASA's first mission capable of detecting Earth-size and smaller planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. Planned to be launched from Kennedy Space Center in February 2009, the space- craft will be launched into orbit around the Sun. When you submit your name, you may also chose to provide a message of 500 words or less of why you think the mission is important. Your will be stored on a DVD and rocketed into space on board the Kepler spacecraft. The link to sign up is at: http://namesinspace.seti.org/
The deadline to submit your name for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission is June 27, 2008; the deadline to submit your name for the Keppler Mission is November 1, 2008.
[ANS thanks NASA, SETI, and UniverseToday for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-152.06 ARISS Status Report for the Week of May 26, 2008
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 152.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
June 1, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-152.06
1. Delta Researchers School Contact Successful
On Friday, May 23, Delta Researchers Schools 2008 Space Expo in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, experienced an ARISS contact via tele- bridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Garrett Reisman, KE5HAE, answered 15 questions posed to him by children from twelve Dutch primary schools. The audio for this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. Photos and audio will be posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site when available.
2. ARISS Delegate Receives CQ's Radio Hall of Fame Award
ARISS delegate and mentor Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, was inducted into CQ magazine's Amateur Radio Hall of Fame for making a sig- nificant contribution to amateur radio and our planet. This award is given to persons who not only excel in personal performance in amateur radio, but also give back to amateur radio in a significant manner. On May 16, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a web story covering this news. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/05/16/10100/?nc=1
3. ARRL QST Articles on ARISS Activities
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) June QST published an item under "Media Hits" (page 12) about Yi So-yeon launching to space to perform ARISS ham activities.
Also posted in the June QST is a Field Day multi-page insert. Under ideas for fun things to do on Field Day is a suggestion for hams to listen for general contacts being made from the International Space Station.
4. ARISS International Team Meeting Held
The ARISS monthly meeting was held on Tuesday, May 20. Topics of discussion included the ARISS Face to Face Meeting to be held in Moscow in July and the status of SuitSat-2. Minutes have been posted. See: http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-05-20.htm
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]
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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.
73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org