Is anyone interested in ride sharing to Pittsburgh? I plan to leave early
Friday, arrive before noon, and leave immediately after the tour on Sunday.
The XYL wil be coming also.
Dan Schultz N8FGV
I need someone who is going to this weekend's hamfest in Howard county to
please look out for a particular rare RF connector. I bought two of them from
a vendor at July's hamfest and now I need two more. If you can help let me
know and I will send you a photo of the connector and a description of the
vendor (I sure hope they are coming back for this one..)
Dan Schultz N8FGV
First, JC & Ray thank you so much for helping so much on Saturday. The lab
looks great!
99% of the AMSAT property is now inside the Pocomoke Lab (instead of the
warehouse on the other side of our wall). The construction and painting of
the lab & machine shop is complete! Come help and check out the new lab!
New photos here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/bob2leo/MDLab200709Sep
I have the following *schedule* for the AMSAT lab in October.
Sat Oct 6 Closed
Mon Oct 8 Open - Columbus Day and I have it off!
Sat Oct 13 Open
Sat Oct 20 Open
Sat Oct 27 Closed - AMSAT Space Symposium
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2007/index.php
<http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2007/index.php+>
I will be presenting two papers at the AMSAT Space Symposium in Pittsburg,
PA. First, the new AMSAT Pocomoke Spacecraft Integration Lab. Second, status
of the AMSAT Eagle spacecraft mechanical design. If you're interested in
either of my papers or in the symposium, send me an email.
My goals before end of *October*:
1) paint cleanroom (everything available to do this)
2) prep cleanroom as necessary for sprinkler system installation and finish
those fluorescent lights (just met with Fire Marshal again and contractor
will give quote now).
3) Make new module prototype (now looking at machined instead of
sheetmetal).
My goals for *November*:
1) Complete cleanroom (install filters, etc)
2) Raise tower?
3) APRS?
If you have any *questions*, send me an email KF4KSS(a)amsat.org or call my
cell 443-783-7794.
For *directions* to the Pocomoke Lab, map to this intersection:
Pocomoke Belt & Broad St
Pocomoke City, MD 21851
73
bob
Robert Davis
KF4KSS
This Saturday, Sept. 29 from 10 AM to 3 PM, the National Air and Space
Museum is planning a special Family Day Commemorating 50 Years in Space at
the Museum's Mall location.
See http://www.nasm.si.edu/events/eventDetail.cfm?eventID=664
The ARISS team has scheduled an ARISS contact with the ISS at 12:28 PM (via
telebridge from Hawaii) and the ARISS display with hardware will be
exhibited for the occasion. We're also expecting students from Thomas
Jefferson High School for Science Technology to be there to explain their
CubeSat project.
But we're in need of more volunteers Saturday to help out. If you're
available to help out for part or all of the exhibit time, please let me
know and I'll send you the details and schedule for the day. The Museum is
providing lunch and it should be a fun event if you can join us.
73,
Perry, W3PK
I'm looking for an aerial or satellite photo of DC and the metropolitan
area that I can use on a QSL card.
What I'd really love is a stylized photo that shows the DC borders.
Can someone pint me to one?
73 & Thanks,
Eric W3DQ
Washington, DC
I AM LOOKING FOR AN AMSAT MEMBER to
help set up and operate a ground station
at the AMSAT Lab in Pocomoke City, Md. The
task is to receive simple telemetry and to
participate in the radio net covering one
or both high-altitude balloon missions
carrying Amateur Radio on Tuesday, July 24
and on Wednesday, July 25.
For lots of background information about the
SimSat-3A and SimSat-3B flights please go to
The SimSat Announcement Page at:
http://www.patkilroy.com/simsat
See also the complete Task List for operators
to participate either from home or at our
launch site on the eastern shore.
What do you think?
A ground station at the AMSAT Lab supporting
a SimSat flight would provide good, positive
visibility to AMSAT.
Please give me a call and I'd be glad to
explain what can be done at the lab, however
simple. The event will be quite educational.
Could be quite a lot of fun too!
73 de
Pat N8PK
for SimSat
=================================================================
Patrick L. Kilroy WK
Integration & Test (I&T) 301-286-1984 Voice
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 301-286-1673 Fax
Building 5, Mail Code 568 Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/
=================================================================
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
- Albert Einstein
We've been working on putting together interesting programs in the
Central region of the PVRC that we hope will be of interest to all our
members and the amateur radio community at large.
Pencil in the following following speakers/presentations:
* Mid-or late September:
- Paul Dickson, (locally based) author of "Sputnik, The Shock of the
Century." This book, originally published in 2001 and being reissued in
time for the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik (October 4), is a
great discussion of the events leading up to and the aftermath of the
launch of Sputnik and the beginning of the space race.
* Early October:
- Jim Brown, K9YC, renowned expert in audio reinforcement and author of
publications on RFI and amateur radio
(www.audiosystemsgroup.com/publish.htm). We have been talking to Jim
with the expectation that he will be able to swing through the area in
conjunction with the Audio Engineering Society's annual meeting in New
York during the first week of October.
* October 18 (Thursday) PVRC Downtown lunch
- Kristen Haring, author of "Ham Radio's Technical Culture," a
fascinating look at ham radio and the technical 'societies' and clubs
that sprang up in the post World War I era. Dr. Haring's book has
stirred up some controversy in traditional amateur radio circles (see
the review in the March 2007 QST) and is well worth reading.
More details as they develop.
Eric W3DQ
Washington, DC
Calling all space groupies:
The documentary film "In the Shadow of the Moon" will be shown Friday June 15
at 6pm at the AFI Silver theatre in Silver Spring as part of the Silverdocs
Film festival. This film premiered at the Sundance Film festival earlier this
year and won several awards.
See the web site at
http://64.13.231.35/festival/films/in-the-shadow-of-the-moon/
Also see the user comments at
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0925248/usercomments
Buy your tickets online before they sell out. (If they tell you that it is
sold out, wait a day and try again. They seem to find more tickets even after
it sells out.)
Dan Schultz N8FGV
******************************
"IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOON tells the story of the men who went to the moon in
their own words. Heroes then, they are wise men now.
For a brief shining moment in 1969, the world united around man’s first
journey to another celestial body. Just months before President Kennedy’s
stated deadline of the end of the decade to land a man on the moon, Neil
Armstrong took "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." It was
the first worldwide media event, and in the words of Buzz Aldrin, "more people
were watching us than had ever watched two men in history."
In the ensuing years, we’ve seen glimpses of these images in historical
montages on TV screens. The great pleasure of this film is seeing these
exquisite images of Earth in all its glory, carefully restored on the big
screen.
The images and story resonate deeply at a moment when the state of the Earth
itself is moving to the forefront of the global agenda. Astronaut John Young
wonders "Why are we worried about the price of a gallon of gasoline? Why do
people complain about the Earth? We are living in the Garden of Eden." Perhaps
these men who have been beyond the bounds of our planet can help us see the
world anew.
Would any of us like to donate? FYI, donation example,
50 euros = $67.70 (USD) based on the current exchange
rate of about 1.36. See below. -Pat N8PK
***************
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 26, No. 18
May 4, 2007
***************
[snip]
==>ARRL FOUNDATION PROVIDES SECOND DONATION TO ARISS COLUMBUS PROJECT
The ARRL Foundation has granted an additional $2000 toward the cost of
constructing and installing Amateur Radio antennas and equipment on the
International Space Station's Columbus module, set to launch later this
year. The ARRL Foundation earlier contributed $5000 to the project.
Columbus will house an additional Amateur Radio station, including the first
digital Amateur Radio TV (DATV) station in space as well as a ham radio
transponder. Funding to finish and install ham radio antennas on the
European Space Agency (ESA)-built laboratory module has been uncertain,
however.
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Vice Chairman
Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, says donations from various sources covered a payment
of 9000 Euros -- approximately $12,000 -- in March. A second payment is due
this fall. Bertels says the IARU Region 1 Executive Committee also donated
2000 Euro to the project.
The antennas have been manufactured and will be tested for acceptance at the
European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) before delivery to
Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, where a silicon dioxide coating
will be applied before the antennas are installed on the Columbus module,
Bertels explained.
"Their development and manufacturing cost is now nearly covered, but not yet
the cost of certification tests," Bertels told ARRL.
Other donations have come from AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-UK, among other
organizations, as well as from many individual donors.
The yet-to-be-built Columbus Amateur Radio gear will make it possible for
ARISS to establish wideband and video operations for the first time and
allow continuous transponder operation.
AMSAT-Belgium has set up a bank account to receive additional donations for
the Columbus project. Details are on the ARISS-EU Columbus Web page
<http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm>. Click the "Donate" button in the
left column.
===
Amateur Radio Station on Columbus
http://www.ariss-eu.org/columbus.htm
Currency Conversion
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=50&from=EUR&to=USD&submit=Con…
===
PLANS FOR ANTENNA COATINGS.TXT
dated March 30, 2007
Mark,
Thank for the email. Antenna manufacturing goes well and we maintain high
quality of all manufacturing processes.
Answers to you questions:
> 1) When will the antennas be at Goddard to be coated? I
understand that the
> date might not yet be known given the fabrication issues, but an
estimate is
> fine at this point.
The ESA time plan is for shipment antennas on 7th May to Goddard. We will
deliver them to ESA soon after Easter (what is only slightly late than in
timeplan: Easter). As we have four antennas made, tests can be run in
parallel: ESTEC can run thermal-vacuum tests with three antennas and one
antenna can be used for other tests, e.g. vibration tests.
> 2) Will you or someone else be hand-carrying the antennas here, or will you
> be shipping them to the US?
We consider it, as it will speed up delivery and it is always helpful to
have antenna designer at hand during high-impact technological processes on
the final product. The point is to keep excellent electrical contacts in the
cable assembly and to keep a proper operation of three sliding foot.
> 3) How many units will need to be coated?
Three antennas. I think, that three antennas which will pass thermal-vacuum
tests and vibration (lower levels) in ESTEC can be shipped immediately for
coating, whereas the fourth one will be avaialble some time during May,
depending on the completness of vibration tests.
With Kind Regards,
Pawel
Associate Professor
Institute of Telecommunications, Teleinformatics and Acoustics
Wroclaw University of Technology
Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego 27
50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
tel: +48-71-320-31-91
fax: +48-71-320-25-30 or 31-89
Pawel.Kabacik(a)pwr.wroc.pl
=================================================================
Patrick L. Kilroy WK
Integration & Test (I&T) 301-286-1984 Voice
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 301-286-1673 Fax
Building 5, Mail Code 568 Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/
=================================================================
"Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted."
-Albert Einstein
Is anyone keeping an eye on the "launch opportunities
for small spacecraft" topic at the local symposium as
identified below?
It might be of direct interest to the CubeSat group at
Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax, Va. and many
others!
Cheers,
Pat
N8PK
http://spaceweather.gmu.edu/meetings/ssw/
>>>From: Michael Hesse <michael.hesse(a)nasa.gov>
>>>Date: March 5, 2007 6:06:45 PM EST
>>>Subject: NSF small sat workshop info
>>>
>>>Dear all,
>>>
>>>Here is some information on the NSF small sat workshop.
>>>
>>>Cheers,
>>>Michael
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>ANNOUNCEMNT: NSF workshop on Small Satellite Missions for Space Weather
>>>and Atmospheric Research
>>>
>>>The National Science Foundation is sponsoring a workshop on Small
>>>Satellite Missions for Space Weather and Atmospheric Research on May
>>>15-17, 2007 in Arlington, VA.
>>>
>>>In the recent report by the Assessment Committee for the National Space
>>>Weather Program ( www.ofcm.gov/r24/fcm-r24.htm
>>>< http://www.ofcm.gov/r24/fcm-r24.htm> ) a key recommendation was
>>>for NSWP agencies to investigate immediately the feasibility of using
>>>micro-satellites with miniaturized sensors to provide cost-effective
>>>science and operational data sources for space weather applications.
>>>In response, NSF's Division of Atmospheric Sciences is organizing a
>>>workshop with the purpose to explore the possibilities and benefits of
>>>utilizing small satellite missions to provide essential measurements for
>>>space weather and atmospheric research.
>>>
>>>Topics that will be addressed at the workshop include:
>>>-launch opportunities for small spacecraft
>>>-innovative technology developments for small satellite systems
>>>-miniaturization of scientific payloads
>>>-advancing research by means of measurements from small satellites
>>>-using small satellites as an educational tool for science and
>>>engineering
>>>-identify key space weather needs that can be satisfied by small
>>>satellite observations
>>>
>>>The Workshop will include both invited and contributed presentations and
>>>posters. Scientific and technical contributions that can help establish
>>>existing capabilities as well as emerging new developments on all these
>>>topics are invited. Those that contribute to space weather research and
>>>applications are particularly encouraged.
>>>
>>>A program committee will oversee the planning of the program for the
>>>workshop. Its members are:
>>>Charles Gay, NASA HQ
>>>Michael Hesse, NASA GSFC
>>>Robert McCoy, ONR
>>>Kent Miller, AFOSR
>>>Therese Moretto Jorgensen, NSF
>>>Howard Singer, NOAA SEC
>>>
>>>To suggest a presentation for the workshop please email a brief
>>>description to Therese Moretto Jorgensen at NSF, tjorgens(a)nsf.gov,
>>>preferably before April 15, 2007.
>>>
>>>The meeting will be held at George Mason University, Arlington Campus.
>>>The local organizer is Robert Weigel, rweigel(a)gmu.edu
>>>
>>>For practical information and to register for the workshop please go to
>>>the meeting website, spaceweather.gmu.edu/meetings/ssw/
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>Dr. Michael Hesse, Chief
>>>Space Weather Laboratory, Code 674
>>>NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
>>>Greenbelt, MD 20771
>>>Phone: (301)-286-8224
>>>Fax: (301)-286-1648
>>>Email: michael.hesse(a)nasa.gov
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------
=================================================================
Patrick L. Kilroy WK
Integration & Test (I&T) 301-286-1984 Voice
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 301-286-1673 Fax
Building 5, Mail Code 568 Patrick.L.Kilroy(a)nasa.gov
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov/
=================================================================
"Great discoveries are accidents
observed by prepared minds."
- Louis Pasteur
