AN AMSAT-DC WORKSHOP will be held on Saturday, April 25, at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

A small "simulated satellite" kit will be built, tested and operated by individuals attending. The completed kit, soon to be widely known as a PICetSat II module, is a simple remote sensing unit that serves as an expendable high-altitude small balloon payload. It transmits downlink telemetry on the 70 cm Amateur Radio band.

Other attendees will provide and configure radios, computers and software needed to receive, decode and analyze the PICetSat II telemetry.

The workshop is an experiment unto itself for the sponsoring AMSAT-DC group. This workshop may prove to be a fine training opportunity for one to learn the basics of the design, construction, testing, calibrating and operating an earth- orbiting satellite. All in one long Saturday of fun!

HELP IS NEEDED The workshop planning team meets weekly on Thursday evenings via a telephone conference. If you wish to help organize and/or execute the workshop then there may still be time to hop aboard if you are quick. Contact me by e-mail for the details of connecting with the group on the telecom at pat.kilroy@nasa.gov. We need another experienced soldering and construction helper or two, a photographer, a videographer, and several "Go-fers" to name a few.

INFORMATION COMING Because of the workshop's experimental nature, the size is designed to be small in attendance this inaugural year. It will be an exclusive opportunity to AMSAT members, new and old alike.

On Sunday, March 16, we expect to release details on the attendance application process and donation. Watch for information about the workshop via the AMSAT News Service (ANS) bulletins, the AMSAT-DC e-mail list, and the local AMSAT-DC web page.

IMPORTANT LINKS http://www.amsat.org/ http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/ http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc/

More info to follow later. Thank you for your patience on this subject.

Cheers,

Pat Kilroy N8PK AMSAT Area Coordinator

-----Original Message----- SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-011.03 AMSAT-DC Spring Satellite Workshop Seeks Members for Mission Teams

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 011.03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

January 11, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-011.03

If you find yourself in the Baltimore-Washington DC area this spring you may be interested in learning more and participating in an AMSAT-DC workshop which simulates building, testing, launch- ing, and receiving signals from an Amateur Radio satellite.

AMSAT Area Coordinator for the Maryland-DC area, Pat Kilroy, N8PK is proposing such a workshop for the 2009 AMSAT-DC Meeting and Space Seminar. This meeting is historically held in early spring at or near the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

Pat is proposing individuals and groups of Amateur Radio operators form teams who compete at this AMSAT-DC workshop to create and operate a satellite mission.

The first groups will build a PICetSat II flight module from a kit of electronic parts on a small printed circuit board. You can see an example of the original PICetSat module at: http://patkilroy.com/simsat/3/

The second groups will set up simple satellite ground stations to operate on 433.920 MHz SSB. These team members need to provide a radio, antenna, and feedline for the 70 cm band.

The third groups will be in charge of setting up and loading soft- ware in the computers at the ground stations to decode the telemetry and to analyze it according to a set of instructions.

This event will be perfect for beginners and advanced satellite users alike, all ultimately working together to "launch" the flight module, receive the downlink, and decode the telemetry. Instructions will be provided in advance of the event to enhance preparation.

Pat notes he needs volunteer help to plan and organize this event. A couple of dedicated individuals are needed immediately to start the plans to lock in the workshop meeting space, advertise the event, to do the footwork needed to process participant applications, and to assure one set of radio and computer stations are on hand and ready at the start of the workshop. To volunteer contact Pat at his e-mail address: n8pk@amsat.org as soon as possible. Pat will convene a conference call for all interested participants to finalize the Workshop details with the volunteers.

Pat requests that interested amateur radio operators RSVP to him via e-mail n8pk@amsat.org and indicate which group you will be most inter- ested in working with. The cost of the Workshop is still "TBD" to cover the materials and meeting space. Those choosing the PICetSat II will keep their completed project.

[ANS thanks Pat, N8PK for the above information]

/EX

-----Original Message----- Message: 1 Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2009 09:43:37 -0600 From: Patrick.L.Kilroy@nasa.gov Subject: [amsat-dc] AMSAT-DC Workshop Planning Starts

Hi! We must start the planning sessions for the next AMSAT-DC gathering. If you would like to join us then please send me an RSVP e-mail soon. I will respond to you with the call-in numbers.

Our first planning session will take place next week, via telecon, likely on Thursday evening at 7:00 PM EST. I hope it will last less than a half-hour, certainly no more than 45 minutes.

The first agenda item will be to discuss the location and date of the all-day event.

You may check the local AMSAT web page at http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc to refresh your memory on what I propose to take shape for this workshop in place of the "old" seminar type of meetings that we held in the past.

Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks!

Cheers,

Pat Kilroy N8PK AMSAT Area Coordinator Maryland-DC Area

----------------------------------------- Mr. Patrick L. Kilroy Flight Systems Integration and Test (I&T) Building 5, Mail Code 568 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 Phone: 301-286-1984 E-mail: Patrick.L.Kilroy@nasa.gov ------------------------------------------- LRO Project http://lro.gsfc.nasa.gov

"Your writing skills are evidence of your ability to think clearly." - Constance Newman, Director, OPM

Outreach: http://patkilroy.com/simsat/3/