AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-185

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:

* AMSAT Field Day Submissions * AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2016 * North Texas "Moon Day" for AMSAT, ARISS and Amateur Radio * South Africa Satellite Day * UAE Satellite Will Have Amateur Radio Transponder

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-185.01 ANS-185 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 185.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. July 3, 2016 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-185.01

AMSAT Field Day Submissions

Now that Field Day is only a blur, it is time to prepare your score and submit it for the AMSAT Field Day results. All submissions are due by 11:59PM Central Time on Monday, July 11, 2016. Bruce Paige, KK5DO, will then prepare the story and send it off to the editor of the AMSAT Journal who will have it in the upcoming issue that goes to press shortly thereafter.

Please send your score sheet and photos to Bruce

[email protected] or [email protected]

You will receive an email back that day or the next day when Bruce has received your submission. If you do not receive the email, he did not get it. Don't assume that because you sent it,it was received. Make sure you get the confirmation email.

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information]

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AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2016

This year’s Colloquium is now only a few weeks away. The event, taking place as usual at the Holiday Inn in Guildford, will be held over the weekend of the 29/31st July.

A full programme of presentations, covering all aspects of the amateur satellite world, has been developed for the Saturday and Sunday and a “Beginners Session” is scheduled for the Friday afternoon. Sessions will include updates on the many new satellites that are expected to be launched over the next few months. This includes Eshail-2 which will carry the first ever geostationary amateur radio transponder and provide more than 8MHz of new intercontinental spectrum - it will provide coverage to five continents. Additionally we will have a session on how to develop software receivers using GNU radio, reviews of the Tim Peake ARISS contacts and the STEM results achieved, information about a new 76GHz satellite project, a review of how to operate “in the field” and lots more.

As well as the presentations during the day, Libby Jackson, from the UK Space Agency, with whom the ARISS UK team worked closely during the Tim Peake mission, will be speaking during the Gala Dinner on the Saturday evening.

Other highlights will include visits to the SSTL facilities (Friday evening and Saturday morning) and the opportunity to see the special ground station equipment that was used for all the ARISS contacts. This will be available for use for contacts during passes of all the available satellite transponders.

Visitors can either turn up on the day, book day passes on the website or, if planning an overnight stay, now is the last week to make their hotel bookings at the preferential rate and which have been block-booked by AMSAT-UK. The URL for the AMSAT-UK shop to book day passes is http://shop.amsat-uk.org. If you wish to book overnight accommodation, please contact the hotel direct on 01483 784413. Please note that due to problems with their booking system THE HOTEL WILL KEEP OUR RESERVED ROOMS UNTIL 6 JUL. Day passes cost £10 per day (incl tea/coffee, etc) , please pay at the AMSAT-UK shop (not hotel reception). If you wish to attend the Gala dinner on Saturday, please book at least 7 days in advance, either with the hotel (by booking dinner, bed, and breakfast), or at the AMSAT-UK shop.

As well at the AMSAT-UK shop, there will be a number of specialist suppliers present, and we are hoping that the RSGB bookshop will also be present

Members and non-members will be made very welcome and booking info can be found here https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

The Colloquium team are looking forward to meeting many old friends and making many new acquaintances during the event.

[ANS thanks Jim, G3WGM, Hon Sec AMSAT-UK, for the above information]

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North Texas "Moon Day" for AMSAT, ARISS and Amateur Radio

July 16th, 2016 will be the date for the annual "Moon Day" at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field in Dallas, TX, STEM event. Check out http://www.flightmuseum.com/moon-day-2016/ for more information.

Moon Day is a large space exploration and science themed STEM event from 10a-5P that features numerous exhibitors, technology demonstrations, an ARISS contact with the ISS and AMSAT/Amateur Radio as key elements. Over 1500 attended last year's event including many Boy/Girl Scouts and other young people and families. This year's event might be even bigger.

As last year, AMSAT members from North Texas, along with the Dallas Amateur Radio Club, will have a shared display space with STEM activities for people to learn about satellites, orbital mechanics and the exciting possibilities of personal communications through Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio satellites. Aside from the indoor space, we want to be able to offer multiple opportunities for satellite pass demos on the outside of the building as well.

Keith Pugh, W5IU, will be the ARISS Mentor/coordinator for the scheduled ARISS contact and has a support team for that but we need other Amateur Satellite enthusiasts to help man the display space and also to run the pass demos outside the facility. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, has communicated with the event coordinator asking them to provide an approved outside space and published promotion and "Carrots" to get people out there. Being summer and most likely hot. Tom also asked if there could have some sort of tent or easy-up to block the sun from the operating point.

What is needed are people to man the inside display table, where you will get to explain some of the basics of Amateur Radio satellites, orbits, footprints and cubesat to hundreds of inquisitive young people. Also needed are some experienced satellite and Amateur Radio operators who will be willing to handle the heat outside and get people involved with this fun aspect of our hobby. (With enough of us we can do shifts). There is quite a good list of pass opportunities between 10a and 5p so you would not be bored.

Please let Tom, N5HYP, or Keith, W5IU, know if you can join us and help with a great public outreach for Amateur Radio and AMSAT.

[ANS thanks Tom, N5HYP, for the above information]

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South Africa Satellite Day

AMSAT SA is planning to arrange a weekly satellite day to encourage radio amateurs to operate satellites. The proposal is to dedicate preferred slots for satellite operation, for example Tuesday between 18:00 and 23:00. There are a number of relatively easy to operate satellites. These will be identified and operating slots with details about the orbit and time over South Africa and neighboring countries will be published in advance. AMSAT SA is seeking input from radio amateurs who would be interested in participating. Please send your proposals and ideas to [email protected]

[ANS thanks the SARL weekly news in English 2016-7-2 for the above information]

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UAE Satellite Will Have Amateur Radio Transponder

The United Arab Emirates newspaper The National reports on the Nayif-1 spacecraft developed by Emirati students from the American University of Sharjah in partnership with The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.

Nayif-1 carries a 435/145 MHz transponder (FUNcube-5) for amateur radio SSB/CW communications. It is expected to launch along with other amateur radio satellites such as Fox-1C and Fox-1D on a SpaceX rocket between September and November 2016.

The National says:

Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said the satellite’s development was a testament to its commitment to develop Emirati talent.

“There is no doubt that the field of satellite design and manufacturing is a new industry to UAE universities and students,” Mr Al Shaibani said.

“The Emirati students possess the skills and capabilities to design and build a CubeSat as a result of a knowledge-transfer strategy and cooperation between academic and professional institutions that are launching real space projects, enabling students to see the product of their work as a reality in space.”

The satellite is about 10 cubic centimetres and weighs about 1 kilogram. One of its most notable features is that it is programmed to transfer messages in Arabic.

“This is a great achievement and a source of pride for all of us,” said Dr Bjorn Kjerfve, chancellor of American University of Sharjah.

Nayif-1 CubeSat https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/nayif-1/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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 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, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org