ANS-106 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-106
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor- mation service of AMSAT North America, 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.
In this edition:
* Friday TAPR/AMSAT Banquet at Hamvention * Packet From The International Space Station Is Back On 145.825 MHz * AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers * Eldorado Space Program: The League of Extraordinary Space Cowboys * N7S Special Event Station Commemorates First Shuttle Launch * Live HAMTV France April 25-28 * IARU Frequency Coordination Announcement for PicSat * Australian university students to launch satellite in 2018 * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-106.01 ANS-106 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 106.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
April 16, 2017 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-106.01
Friday TAPR/AMSAT Banquet at Hamvention
The eleventh annual joint TAPR/AMSAT Banquet will be held on Friday evening, May 19th. This dinner is one of the main AMSAT activities during the Hamvention. Tickets ($35 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store at http://tinyurl.com/ANS106-TAPR-AMSAT-Tickets.
The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Tuesday, May 16th. Banquet tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the AMSAT booth. Different from previous years, this year there will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door at the banquet center.
The Banquet will take place at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center, 4572 Presidential Way, Kettering, OH 45429 (just south of Dayton). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a cash bar with the buffet dinner served at 7:00 p.m.
AMSAT and TAPR alternate the task of providing a speaker for the banquet. It is TAPR’s responsibility this year.
Carl Laufer will discuss “The World of Low Cost Software Defined Radio.” Carl is the creator and author of the extremely popular RTL- SDR Blog, author of the book, “The Hobbyist Guide to RTL-SDR,” and supplier of the RTL-SDR dongle. The RTL-SDR dongle is a low-cost, receive-only SDR receiver that hobbyists around the world are using for a variety of radio receiver projects, and Carl blogs about them at http://www.rtl-sdr.com/.
Seating is limited to the number of meals we reserve with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Office for the above information]
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Packet From The International Space Station Is Back On 145.825 MHz
The ARISS Team (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) is pleased to announce that packet from the International Space Station (ISS) is once again on 145.825 MHz! ARISS did the foot work and paperwork a few months ago to launch the last back-up Ericsson VHF handheld radio to the ISS. This work was begun in October after the failure of the Ericsson unit that had been used on the ISS. The Ericssons have been operating on the ARISS for 16 years. In the last days of February, the SpaceX 10 launch vehicle, Dragon, flew to the ISS with the HT onboard. After the docking, ISS crew members had the odious job of unloading and unpacking 5,500 pounds of cargo, including the Ericsson HT.
ARISS got word Friday morning that we now have VHF capability back in the Columbus module. Followers of ISS Fan Club have already posted that they've heard and used VHF packet, and are thrilled and happy to have it again!
In 2015, ARISS began its first fundraising campaigns. ARISS relies on NASA, ARRL, AMSAT and many fine individual donors, along with ARISS volunteers, to maintain the day-to-day operations and cover those expenses along with all costs and work related to the hardware, and building a new radio system, including the expensive space certification tests. Donors can go to www.amsat.org and www.ariss.org to support the program that excites hams and young people and educators who are inspired by amateur radio on the ISS.
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. Also, join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) . Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
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AMSAT at the Dayton Hamvention -- Call for volunteers
Last year, we had about 50 people assist with the AMSAT booth at the Hamvention. It was the efforts of those volunteers that made the 2016 Dayton Hamvention a success for AMSAT.
The interaction with AMSAT members, satellite operators, designers, and builders makes the whole experience a lot of fun.
The 2016 Hamvention is May 19-21 in a new venue: the Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio. Would you consider helping AMSAT at the Hamvention this year?
Whether you're available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated.
Please send an e-mail to Steve, n9ip at amsat.org if you can help.
[ANS thanks Steve N9IP for the above information]
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Eldorado Space Program: The League of Extraordinary Space Cowboys
The Eldorado High School with a total of 156 students in grades 9-12 has an Engineering Class with about 10 students. This STEM activity is mentored by Danny Ray Boyer, W5AHN.
You can read about their activities at the following web sites: http://eldorado-space-cowboys.com/ and they are also on facebook: http://tinyurl.com/ANS106-SpaceCowboys
The class is in the running for a $5,000 grant for their work in their Space Program. The grant will be awarded by popular vote by the San Angelo Area Foundation, Solar Cen Tex, and KIDY FOX San Angelo who are committed to funding STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) innovation in the Concho Valley, Texas.
Vote at the link below for your favorite video, and the 1st place winner will win $5000! 2nd place - $3000! 3rd place - $2000! http://www.myfoxzone.com/formula4thefuture
Please share the link with your Ham friends and business & family acquaintances to see if you can get them some more votes?
[ANS thanks Danny Ray Boyer, W5AHN, and the Eldorado Space Cowboys for the above information]
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N7S Special Event Station Commemorates First Shuttle Launch
The KB7QPS Air, Space, and Technology special event station will operate from the Boeing Employees Amateur Radio Society club station located at Seattle's Boeing Field. Additional operators around the country may be utilizing their home station.
N7S commemorates the first launch of the Space Shuttle. QRV between April 13 and 17.
This is one in a series of activities for marking historic milestones in air and spacecraft technology. For a schedule of remaining Special Event Station operations and QSL information see: http://airspacetechnology.webs.com/
[ANS thanks the KB7QPS Special Event Station and the DXNL Newsletter #2036 Apr 12, 2017 for the above information]
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Live HAMTV France April 25-28
Daniel Cussen reported on the HamTV@yahoogroups list that there may be live HAMTV over France and Europe during the time period of April 25-28. The date of a school contact is not yet set but it will be a daytime pass.
Audio may be on new VHF handheld not UHF.
ARISS expects have more definite news late next week.
HamVideo operational status aboard the ISS can be found at: http://www.amsat-on.be/hamtv-summary/
Ham Video downlink frequencies: + 2369 MHz + 2395 MHz + 2422 MHz + 2437 MHz DVB-S modulation; Symbol rates: 1.3 Ms/s and 2.0 Ms/s FEC : 1/2; NTSC format (SIF: 352×240 or D1:720×480)
[ANS thanks ARISS and Daniel Cussen for the above information]
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IARU Frequency Coordination Announcement for PicSat
http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=536
PicSat from CNRS/LESIA - Observatoire de Paris has received IARU frequency coordination for their 3U CubeSat - Science mission: do a photometric survey of Beta Pic star to detect light variation, demonstrate feasibility of light injection in single mode fiber in space. A UHF 9k6 BPSK downlink using AX25. Amateur mission with FM transponder (VHF up, UHF down) Launch not yet finalised but may be a PSLV into a 520km SSO in Q2 2017. More info at http://tinyurl.com/ANS106-CoordinationPDF
** 435.525 MHZ has been coordinated for the downlink** ** Now planning a launch on PSLV C39 in September 2017**
[ANS thanks the IARU for the above information]
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Australian university students to launch satellite in 2018
Students at the University of Melbourne are well advanced on a program to build a nano-satellite, with the Wireless Institute of Australia assisting in the IARU frequency and other coordination processes.
Through the Melbourne Space Program (MSP) affiliated with the University of Melbourne, all is moving ahead for a hand-over of the nano-satellite in November and a launch as early as January 2018.
Funding comes from the University of Melbourne, while the Melbourne Space Program is an organisation that holds the licensing, and other matters related to the launch.
In a media release, the MSP revealed that plans are well under way with rideshare provider SpaceFlight with a contract signed for a November hand-off and its launch as early as January 2018. It has involved a group of ambitious students, seeking to understand and help redefine the Australian space sector through innovation in education, economics and policy, as well as engineering.
Australia is the only Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nation without a space agency. In 1966, University of Melbourne students built Australia's first satellite that was launched in 1970 as Australis Oscar 5 to be tracked by 200 radio amateurs in 27 different countries.
The Melbourne Space Program has about 70 active members who are students ranging from 1st year university to masters level and post- graduate.
The key objectives include being the first students to launch an Australian nano-satellite, create education, research in space, collaborate with academia and industry, and promote gender parity in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and Arts disciplines.
Work was continuing to launch Australia's first nano-satellite and more news is expected in coming months.
(Fred Swainston VK3DAC/VK4FE, WIA STEM Coordinator)
Aussies tracking satellite
Students of the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences in Germany will launch the COMPASS 2 cube-sat in May and are at looking for a possible ground station partner in Australia.
WIA Director Fred Swainston VK3DAC/VK4FE, WIA STEM Coordinator says the International Space Station Crew Fund Scholarship winner for 2017, Ian Benecken has asked the Wireless Institute of Australia for help to track it.
COMPASS 2 is to be launched from a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle by the Indian Space Research Organisation carrying other commercial satellites.
From a polar 600 kilometre high orbit the cube-sat will beacon once
a minute the callsign of ON04DL (ON zero four DL) on 437.300 MHz.
The unique location of Australia makes it ideal for partner ground stations, and already it has piqued an interest from the ARISS telebridge centres on VK4, VK5 and VK6.
Soon to be published is software that anyone can use to decode the beacon signal and the launch is likely to be on the 1st or 2nd week of May.
If you wish to contact Ian Benecken, their email address is: ian.benecken at alumni.fh-aachen.de
[ANS thanks the VK1WIA News for the above information]
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ARISS News
+ A Successful contact was made between College Roger Martin Du Gard, Bellême, France and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign FXØISS. The contact began Fri 2017-04-14 15:20:44 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via F6KCO. ARISS Mentor was Joseph F6ICS.
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule
+ Brook Haven School, Sebastopol, CA, direct via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Contact is a go for: Wed 2017-04-19 18:40:43 UTC
ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts.
ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance.
Feel free to send your reports to aj9n at amsat.org or aj9n at aol.com.
Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.8Ø MHz
QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html
ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS
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The successful school list has been updated as of 2017-04-04 06:00 UTC.
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/news/Successful_ARISS_schools.rtf
Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts
https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415
*******
Exp. 49 on orbit Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD Andrei Borisenko Sergey Ryzhikov
Exp. 50 on orbit Peggy Whitson Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG Oleg Novitskiy
[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Apollo 11 Capsule Going On Road Trip
To accommodate the Smithsonian renovation of its gallery at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, the Cpsule will vidit four US cities. The four city tour will include Houston, St. Louis, Pittsburg and Seattle as part of the a new exhibit: "Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission". For more information visit: https://apnews.com/b04812315fd44be79b1d7c85f76b0d0b
[ANS thanks Associated Press 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 addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office.
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 stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.
73, This week's ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM aa8em at amsat dot org
participants (1)
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E.Mike McCardel