April 2008 - Amsat-dc (INACTIVE)

AMSAT ARISS ISS contact on Space Day, Sat., May 3 at Air and Space Museum downtown
by Perry Klein 30 Apr '08

30 Apr '08

Space Day this year is this Saturday, May 3 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the downtown National Air and Space Museum location. This year, ARISS/AMSAT will have our exhibit in the new "America byAir" gallery, Gallery 102 on the first floor, just past the Museum Store before you reach the Flight Simulators. Below is an NASM press release. The theme this year is NASA's50th Anniversary, and the press release lists as a highlight, an amateur radiocontact with the ISS. Will Marchant, KC6ROL reports that the program introducing the contact begins at 11:40 AM, Astronaut Dr. Lee Merin will present an overview at 11:50, and actual ISS AOS is at 12:10 PM. If you've never seen an ARISS ISS contact, this is an excellent opportunity that once witnessed first-hand, you're not likely to forget! We'll also have ARISS and AMSAT hardware on display for Space Day from 10 to 3. And we're hoping to have Mr. Kemp and students from his Systems Engineering Class at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. They'll explain their progress on their Cubesat project and show some hardware. This is an especially exciting week with the launch on Monday of six Cubesats using amateur radio frequencies, on an Indian rocket. The satellites were built by university student teams in Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan (2), and the Netherlands. ARRL's story is at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/04/28/10067/?nc=1 Try to travel via Metro (L'Enfant Plaza Station, Maryland Ave. Exit. Orange, Yellow, Blue or Green lines). There's a Nationals game at the new Ballpark Saturday beginning at 1:05 PM, so traffic is likely to be unpredictable. I hope you can join us! 73, Perry, W3PK cell: (202) 438-8830 Press Release April 21, 2008 Public information: 202-633-1000 Celebrate Space Day at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Visitorsof all ages are invited for a galactic adventure at the National Air and Space Museum ’s annual Space Day Saturday, May 3,celebrating NASA’s 50th anniversary this year. Space Daywill feature a busy schedule of astronaut appearances; live performances by theaward-winning a cappella group The Chromatics; an interactive space quiz; LEGOdisplays of real and imagined space vehicles by WAMALUG (Washington Metro AreaUsers Group), NASA and National Air and Space Museum scientists; and tours and stories forchildren. Among the day’s highlights will be alive contact via amateur radio with the International Space Station at 11:30 a.m. Astronaut Garrett Reisman willbe available to answer students' and young visitors' questions for an hour. SpaceDay, created in 1997 by Lockheed Martin, is designed to encouragestudents to consider careers in space exploration as they study math, science,engineering and technology. Lockheed Martin sponsors Space Day eventsacross the United States andCanada , with morethan 70 partners and associates, including the National Air and Space Museum and NASA. Organizationsoffering activity stations at the museum include NASA,the Northern Virginia Association of Rocketry, Team America Rocketry, AMSAT-Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation andWashington Metro Area Users Group. The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington , D.C. , is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly , Va. , near Washington Dulles International Airport . Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (Closed Dec. 25)Admission is free, but there is a $12 fee for parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center .

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2.4GHZ Beacon in Red Lion, PA
by Charles Heisler -K3VDB- 25 Apr '08

25 Apr '08

As some of you know, The W3HZU Beacons located on Grid FM19qv on Freqs of 2.4GHZ and 1.2GHZ has preformed flawlessly for over a year now. This note is just to let you know we have temporally taken both beacons off the air in preparation to add a third beacon on a freq. of 5.76GHZ. I will post a message on this BB when the beacons are back on the air. Charlie K3VDB

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Re: : Information Request
by Pat Kilroy 24 Apr '08

24 Apr '08

Yes, indeed. EVERYBODY PLEASE see the message from a ham in northern Virginia, below. If you want to use a copy of Rick Hambly's PowerPoint slides from our recent AMSAT-DC meeting (or after Dayton) then say so. Cheers, Pat N8PK Archives http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo http://amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-dc/2008/date.html > -----Original Message----- > From: Martha [mailto:martha@AMSAT.Org] > Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 03:52 PM > To: n8pk(a)AMSAT.Org, rrbunn(a)cox.net > Subject: Fwd: Information Request > > Pat - Would you post this on AMSAT-DC. > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: AMSAT Website <www(a)amsat.org> > Date: Thu, Apr 24, 2008 at 3:09 PM > Subject: Information Request > To: martha(a)amsat.org > > > This message originated from the AMSAT website > > Sender: Richard Bunn Email: RRBunn(a)cox.net > Host: proxy-ext-77.osd.mil > > Subject: Information Request > > Message: > I am the president of the Alexandria Radio CLub in Alexandria VA. I would > like to arrange for a AMSAT program either on July 11th or August 8th at > 7:30 PM at the Alexandria Fire Training Center. > > We have a few AMSAT members in the club, but we would like to hear about > current and future satellites and possibly what equipment is needed to work > these satellites. > > Best Regards / 73 > Rick Bunn > N4ASX > > Phone Number: 703-695-9880 Best Time to Call: 0730 am Eastern > > (end of message) > > > Problems with this message? Email to w0eec(a)amsat.org > >

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Re: Space Day (3 May) planning?
by Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-568.0) 21 Apr '08

21 Apr '08

Hi Bob, Was good to see you at the AMSAT-DC meeting. Thanks for your message. I have not heard any more details yet either, except that I myself may not end up being at the National Air and Space Museum this time in favor of likely helping with the NASM Space Day ARISS contact at the NA1SS station in Greenbelt. I trust that as soon as more news is available, Frank Bauer KA3HDO and others will post them to the amsat-dc list. So, let's keep an eye out. Cheers, Pat N8PK -----Original Message----- From: Robert Morales [mailto:wp4bqv@gmail.com] Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008 2:25 PM To: Kilroy, Patrick L. (GSFC-568.0) Subject: Space Day (3 May) planning? Hi Pat, Hadn't seen any traffic regarding whether there was still a need to man the Space Day activities in DC on 3 May. You're probably not the PoC, but I figured I'd start with you :) How goes the battle over there at GSFC? I'm in the same I&T racket as you, albeit for Navy programs on the other side of the Potomac. 73s de Bob, WP4BQV. -- R. L. Morales, WP4BQV wp4bqv(a)gmail.com http://journals.aol.com/wp4bqv/RadioIntercepts/ Echolink node# 165727 APRS mobile: WP4BQV-7 "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." - Carl Sagan

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AMSAT Lab volunteers
by Robert Davis 18 Apr '08

18 Apr '08

To all prospective volunteers of the AMSAT Lab in Pocomoke, The AMSAT Lab will be open: Sat Apr 5 9a-5p Sat Apr 12 10a-4p (thanks to Steve who will keep the lab open most of the day while I'm at the Sussex County Hamfest www.k3str.com) Just came back from the monthly meeting of the Lewes Amateur Radio Club in Delaware. I gave a presentation covering "what is AMSAT" and "what are we doing". I think they got a kick out of it, and I always do. Anyway, I will update the online photos this weekend. We have a call for volunteers for a couple of subjects: 1) machinist for Saturday help or work at home. This is for holes & such in boxes used on SuitSat-2 which will be taken to the International Space Station for release by an astronaut. 2) volunteers for an education outreach balloon launch with amateur radio gear. This would be over the summer and we're looking for help in organizing it ahead of time, and of course for volunteers for the actual event. As always, more later! If you're interested in coming by and don't know where we are, or just you have a question, email me at KF4KSS(a)amsat.org or call my cell 443-783-7794. 73 bob Robert Davis KF4KSS

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NatGeo to Use TV Frequencies for Wildlife Sensing, Imaging in DC Area
by Eric Rosenberg 11 Apr '08

11 Apr '08

FYI, Eric W3DQ Washington, DC --------------------------- TV Technology Email Newsletters :: Doug Lung's RF Report NatGeo to Use TV Frequencies for Wildlife Sensing, Imaging by Doug Lung, April 11, 2008 The latest list of FCC experimental license grants, covering the period from Jan. 1, 2008, to Feb. 1, 2008, includes a license allowing use of VHF and UHF TV frequencies for wildlife sensing and imaging within Washington, D.C. License WE2XMB allows National Geographic to operate in the 54–72, 76–88, 174–216, 420–432, 433.92, 470–608, 614–806 and 902–928 MHz bands Ham Radio operators around Boulder, Colo., may hear unusual signals in the 2 meter and 440 MHz bands. The Colorado Space Grant Consortium at the University of Colorado in Boulder received a license to operate in the 144–146 and 435–440 MHz bands for testing the atmospheric neutral density explorer. As previously covered in RF Report, the FCC has been granting experimental licenses to nuclear power plant operators allowing them to use broadcast TV spectrum for communications around nuclear reactors. In the latest list, Nuclear Management Company LLC was allowed to use 470–806 MHz at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant in Welch, Minn. Boeing was granted an experimental license to use Ku-band satellite frequencies for testing a Maritime Mobile Satellite Earth terminal in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, U.S territories and international waters. See the latest list of FCC experimental license grants for the complete list.

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