AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-332
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* FASTRAC Tracking Assistance Requested
* Antarctic Satellite Operation Planned From M/V Kapitan Khlebnikov
* AMSAT at the Tampa, FL Hamfest
* AMSAT at the 2010 Superstition Hamfest, Mesa, AZ
* Bill Ress, N6GHZ, appointed AMSAT Director of Launch Opportunities
* ESA to Sponsor Student Participation in IAA Conference in Rome
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
* ARISS Status - 22 November 2010
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.01
FASTRAC Tracking Assistance Requested
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.01
Sebastian Munoz, KE5FKV, FASTRAC Student Program Manager, reports that last
Friday 19 November 2010 the FASTRAC satellites (Emma and Sara Lily) were
launched from Kodiak, AK. At this point the FASTRAC Team has been able to
determine that both of them are beaconing and that they are talking to each
other from their own station and with the help of HAMs all over the world.
They have been able to decode both Sara Lily and Emma's beacons and some of
their crosslink data exchanges. From these they have been able to determine
that their primary sensor, a GPS receiver is working properly. At this
point Emma's beacon has reverted to its default configuration where the
satellite beacons at 9k6 every two minutes while Sara Lily is continuing to
beacon at 1k2 baud every three minutes. Also at this point Sara Lily's
signal appears to be weaker than Emma so they are asking the HAM community
to help track both of them.
To do so it is recommended that you first try to hear FASTRAC-2's (Emma's)
beacon which is on 145.825 MHz and then switch to see if you can listen for
FASTRAC-1's (Sara Lily's) beacon which is on 437.345. You might also be
able to hear the girls talking to each other at 9600 baud. The type of
beacons that you should get if you are able to decode them, should look
something like this:
FAST1>BEACON/1: <UI>:
F11001611484723.998635824658.10 +3888795.01 -567497.09 -1500.24821
+1194.21584 -7135.59277+0330282372 056 033 032 032 048
FAST2>BEACON/2: <UI>:
FAST2 Safe Mode
Stations not set up to receive packets, can send an audio file for attempted
decoding.
Current TLE's as of 25 November:
FASTRAC
1 90025U 0 10327.90121560 -.00000191 +00000-0 -19331-4 0 00099
2 90025 071.9702 131.7903 0018126 299.0783 060.8722 14.76368636000560
A single TLE can be used to track both satellites as Emma and Sara Lily are
currently stacked together.
The FASTRAC website will be updated with the most current TLEs
http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/for_radio_operators/users/phpBB3/predictedorbi…
If you track the satellites, please let the FASTRAC team know through their
website
http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/for_radio_operators/users/phpBB3/index.php
or at fastracsats(a)gmail.com.
If your station has powerful transmitting capabilities on both 145.825 MHz and
437.345 MHz and you are able to track the satellites, please let the team know
as you might be able to help them establish a command link which they are still
in the process of doing.
[ANS thanks Sebastian, KE5FKV, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.02
Antarctic Satellite Operation Planned From M/V Kapitan Khlebnikov
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.02
Herb, AA2PI plans amateur satellite operation during his voyage
aboard the polar-class Russian ice breaker Kapitan Khlebnikov as
it sails a route circumnavigating Antarctica from the Falkland
Islands to Hobart, TZ.
The itinerary is:
Depart Falkland Islands on December 4, 2010
Arrive Hobart, TZ on Jan 3, 2011
[ANS thanks Herb, AA2PI and Bill K7MT for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.03
AMSAT at the Tampa, FL Hamfest
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.03
AMSAT will have a booth at the Tampabay Hamfest coming up on 4 December in
Palmetto, Florida. AMSAT will also be doing 90 minutes of presentations on
satellites and ARISS during a forum on Saturday. Please come by to pick up the
latest AMSAT gear, learn about ARISSat-1, FOX, and other projects, make a
donation, or join or renew your AMSAT membership.
Andrew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT's VP of
Operations reports that he will also be
trying something new. For each donation of $25 or more, or each membership or
renewal, Drew will personally provide the parts and help assembling an antenna
for operating the satellites. We will be building a version of the CJU antenna
in the booth, which is a small but very effective antenna to use with an HT to
copy the Mode J satellites.
Using the CJU and an HT, and the 2m radio in your
car, the Mode J satellites are
easy to use. Drew requests that people interested in building the antenna
contact him ahead of time for details or to RSVP for this offer.
[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.04
AMSAT at the 2010 Superstition Hamfest, Mesa, AZ
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.04
The Superstition Amateur Radio Club will host its annual hamfest on the morning
of Saturday, 4 December 2010. The hamfest is located in the southwest parking
lot of Mesa Community College, along the east side of Dobson Road between
Southern Avenue and the US-60 freeway in Mesa, Arizona. Additional information
about the hamfest, including talk-in frequencies, is available at:
http://wb7tjd.org/hamfest
AMSAT will have a table at this hamfest, and Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, will be
on the air for demonstrations using various satellites. The hamfest is in grid
DM43bj.
[ANS thanks Patrick, WD9EWK, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.05
Bill Ress, N6GHZ, appointed AMSAT Director of Launch Opportunities
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.05
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW has appointed Bill Ress, N6GHZ of Camino,
CA as AMSAT's Director of Launch Opportunities, a
new position. The appointment
was announced at the AMSAT BOD meeting and AMSAT Annual Meeting that was held
last month in Elk Grove Village, IL. In his capacity as Director of Launch
Opportunities, Bill will serve as the central point for managing:
-Fox Launch Opportunities
-Ride Share Opportunities
-AMSAT Presence at small satellite conferences
Supporting Bill's efforts will be a volunteer task force to help coordinate and
compile launch information. Working with the VP-Engineering and AMSAT
President, the Director will make recommendations to the AMSAT BOD to develop
launch objectives and serve as the central point for securing feasible launches
for AMSAT spacecraft.
AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW noted Bill's qualifications for this
position. "As a former BOD member who chaired the Engineering Task Force that
developed the recommendation to the AMSAT Board of Directors to build a cubesat
('Project Fox'), Bill understands AMSAT's strategic vision, our current
capabilities and the current state of flight options. His professional contacts
and location on the West Coast places him in an excellent position to identify
and nurture potential launches, a significant
task that requires an appreciation
of both AMSAT and the state of the launch industry."
Bill and his team will be working to establish dialog with both satellite
customers who may have ride share potential a well as satellite builders to
evaluate potential ride share potential. The team will also evaluate and
determine how best for AMSAT to respond to NASA
Launch Initiatives, other launch
provider announcements, and potential university relationships for securing
launches as these opportunities arise.
Individuals who become aware of potential launch
opportunities which might be of
interest to AMSAT are encouraged to contact Bill (n6ghz at amsat.org).
[ANS thanks Barry, WD4ASW, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.06
ESA to Sponsor Student Participation in IAA Conference in Rome
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.06
The 1st International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Conference on
University Satellites Missions and Cubesat Conference which will
be held in Rome, Italy on January 24-29, 2011. Submissions are due
by December 18, 2010. Early registration begins on January 10, 2011.
The Gruppo di Astrodinamica Università degli Studi Sapienza is
pleased to announce that ESA has kindly offered ten scholarships for
students who will present a paper at the 1st IAA Conference on Uni-
versity Satellites Missions and Cubesat Conference next January. You
can find the information at the following link:
http://tinyurl.com/25wouy5
Arrangements have been made for student housing at the Conference:
http://tinyurl.com/26jybsx
The Gruppo di Astrodinamica and the IAA hopes that this will encourage
students to participate in the Conference.
[ANS thanks the Gruppo di Astrodinamica Università degli Studi Sapienza
the IAA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.07
Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.07
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.07
+ Art, W4ART has published a link to the photos he took at the
2010 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting:
http://www.afeller.us/Studio_dArt/Personal_Galleries/Pages/AMSAT_2010.html
Additional photos and captions will be published in the AMSAT
Journal.
+ Project Engineer for ARISS, Kenneth, N5VHO wrote, "For all you
that wonder what it is like for the astronauts to work ground
stations during a general pass. Col. Wheelock gives you a personal
video tour of the ISS ham radio station while he answers calls
from operators on the ground." Watch at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h73EYcyszf8
+ Membership of the FUNcube satellite and Software Defined Radio
(SDR) Dongle Yahoo Group has now reached the 100 mark. You can
join the FUNcube Yahoo Group at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube/
+ A photo gallery of the Minotaur launch from Alaska that launched
a payload of seven satellites can be viewed at:
http://spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/stps26/101120gallery/
+ Captain Yuri Bodrov, Master of the M/V "MOTTLER", says he will be
operating as UT1FG/MM on AO-7, AO-27, AO-51, HO-68, SO-50, SO-67,
amd VO-52 from the wet squares in the ocean on his next voyage
around South America from Brasil/Paranagua to Argentina/San-Lorenzo,
through the Strait of Magellan, Chile/San-Antonio/Punta Potache, and
the Panama Cannal.
+ Martin, KC9JGE, has made a YouTube video of one of his contacts with
Astronaut Doug Wheelock KF5BOC on the International Space Station.
You can watch the video via the SouthGate ARC site at:
http://tinyurl.com/25qtdrt
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-332.08
ARISS Status - 22 November 2010
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 332.08
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 28, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-332.08
1. Euro Space Center Contact Successful
Twenty-four students from the International School Zurich North, Switzerland,
attending the Euro Space Center in Transinne, Belgium, spoke with ISS astronaut
Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) contact on Tuesday, November 16. Telebridge station VK5ZAI in Australia
handled the radio link. Wheelock fielded 15
questions about life in space during
the session. The contact was an activity
incorporated into the Euro Space Center
Space Camp which hosts students from all over Europe and abroad.
2. Grand Junction Students Speak with ISS Astronaut
On Friday, November 19, students attending Holy Family Catholic School in Grand
Junction, Colorado participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) contact with on-orbit astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC. The
school involved the entire student body of 400
students in this project. Several
of the older students earned their amateur radio licenses prior to the contact
and younger students participated in essay contests and art activities devoted
to the contact with the ISS.
3. ARISS International Team Meeting Held
The monthly ARISS International Team teleconference was held on Tuesday,
November 16. Topics discussed included updates on ARISSat-1and the Columbus
module radio equipment. Minutes have been posted. See:
https://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2010-11-16.htm
4. ARISSat-1 Approved for Shipping
ARISSat-1 has been approved by Energia for shipment to Russia. The satellite is
currently scheduled to arrive in Russia the first week of December. After the
battery and the Kursk University experiment are
installed, the satellite will be
tested for flight and a final safety review will be scheduled.
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, 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 additional benefits. Application forms are
available from the AMSAT Office.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-325
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North
America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* CubeSat Launch Includes Amateur Radio Missions
* AMSAT Rolls Out Web Fund Raising Widgets
* FUNCube Comes to Life at Martlesham, First Command & Telemetry Success
* WAS-Satellite Certificate Now Accepted as Credit for AMSAT Awards
* FO-29 Returns to Service
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
* CubeSat Winter Session and IAA Conference in Rome, January 24-29
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-325.01
CubeSat Launch Includes Amateur Radio Missions
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 325.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 21, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-325.01
A Minotaur-4 launch from the Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska,
managed by Alaska Aerospace Corp. on November 19 lifted seven
satellites into a 400 mile high circular orbit.
Four of the satellites will be of interested to amateur radio
operators:
+ FASTRAC (science and amateur radio mission)
+ RAX - Radio Aurora eXplorer (science and amateur radio mission)
+ NanoSail-D
+ O/OREOS
FASTRAC
-------
http://fastrac.ae.utexas.edu/for_radio_operators/overview.php
Status: Beacon copied and decoded after launch.
The FASTRAC mission consists of two satellites built by students
at UT-Austin. This mission is divided into two basic phases, both
phases relying heavily on the participation of the amateur radio
community.
The first phase is the science portion of the mission. During this
phase the two satellites will be sharing GPS data as long as they
are within range of each other. The GPS data will be processed on
board each satellite and then stored in flash memory to calculate
an on-orbit relative navigation solution.
Also, the satellites will be performing attitude determination with
the GPS receiver. FASTRAC 1 will be firing the micro-discharge plasma
thruster whenever the thrust vector is within 15 degrees of the anti-
velocity vector. The data will be relayed to the ground when the sat-
ellite is in communication with a ground station. A coordination plan
is being developed so that participating amateur radio ground stations
can play a major role in collecting this data and relaying it back to
the FASTRAC web site.
The second phase of the mission begins by reconfiguring the satel-
lites for use by the amateur radio community. The capabilities of
these satellites are governed largely by the functionality of the
Kantronics KPC9612-Plus TNC. The satellites will be reconfigured
after the primary mission to serve on the APRS network.
FASTRAC 1 "Sara Lily" FASTRAC 2 "Emma"
--------------------- ----------------
Downlink 437.345 MHz FM 145.825 MHz FM
Beacon 437.345 MHz* 145.825 MHz*
Uplink (1200 Baud) 145.980 MHz FM 435.025 MHz FM
Uplink (9600 Baud) 145.825 MHz FM 437.345 MHz FM
* AX.25 1200 AFSK beacon data format
RAX (Radio Aurora eXplorer)
---------------------------
http://rax.engin.umich.edu/
Status: Beacon copied and decoded after launch.
RAX is a space weather science spacecraft carrying a 9600 baud UHF
transceiver that will transmit telemetry in the amateur satellite
bands. This mission also consists of a primary scientific experiment
with future reconfiguration for amateur radio experimentation.
In the science phase the satellite will use a a radar receiver capable
of 1 MHz I/Q sampling of select bandwidths between 400-500 MHz, includ-
ing the amateur satellite bands.
The primary objective of the mission is to use the onboard radar rece-
iver in conjunction with a powerful radar station in Alaska to study
the formation of a plasma anomaly known for causing the scintillation
of radio signals in the UHF and higher bands. This scintillation effect
is known to inhibit our space radar tracking capabilities and ground-
space communications.
The RAX team is looking for amateur ground stations to help acquire
RAX's 437.505 MHz beacon during the next few weeks of early launch and
continue to help collect telemetry throughout the mission.
The amateur radio phase of the mission is still under development. The
RAX team will invite the AMSAT community to get involved with submit-
ting proposals on how the radar receiver could be used for amateur radio
experiments after the primary mission objective is achieved. They will
issue a call for proposals which will be posted to the AMSAT-BB in the
next few months.
NanoSail-D
----------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/nanosaild.html
NanoSail-D is a test of solar sail mechanism technology. The solar
sail is designed to operate predominantly as a drag sail and will
cause it to de-orbit in less than 100 days as a test of small
satellite de-orbiting techniques. The amateur radio beacon will
transmit a one-half second data signal every 5 seconds on 437.270 MHz.
The satellite will operate primarily on battery power because of the
short duration of the mission.
O/OREOS
-------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/smallsats/oreos/main/index.html
Status: Beacon copied and decoded after launch.
O/OREOS is a biological test spacecraft developed by scientists and
engineers at NASA Ames Research Center. O/OREOS is a triple cube
spacecraft planned to perform two tests during its 1-year mission.
The first experiment will test how microorganisms survive and adapt
to the stresses of space; the other will monitor the stability of
organic molecules in space. O/OREOS includes an amateur radio beacon
operating on 437.305 MHz. This satellite also includes a novel de-
orbit mechanism design by a Santa Clara University graduate student.
AX.25 437.305 MHz O/OREOS Beacon decoding information:
http://beacon.engr.scu.edu/BeaconProcessingSystem/OOREOSBeaconDecoding.pdf
If you are able to capture the beacon telemetry, please take the time
to file a report at http://beacon.engr.scu.edu/Submission.aspx which
is an interface to the Beacon Data Processing System.
An overview of the Kodiak launch can be found on-line at:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/stps26/101112launchpreps/
Photos of the payloads during integration with the launcher can
be found on-line at:
http://spaceflightnow.com/minotaur/stps26/101112cleanroom/
[ANS thanks the CubeSat Teams and SpaceFlightNow.com for the above
information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-325.02
AMSAT Rolls Out Web Fund Raising Widgets
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 325.02
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 21, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-325.02
AMSAT-VP Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA announced AMSAT is now
using a new web based fund raising tool on Facebook called Fundrazr
along with a web widget from PayPal Labs you can add to other web
pages. He hopes this will stimulate additional fund raising support
for ARISSat-1 and AMSAT-FOX. He is looking for help rolling these
web page widgets out to the public. Both are designed to be spread
virally and attract donations from those outside the normal AMSAT
circles.
For those with private webpages or blogs, we have a PayPal widget that
can also be added to your own webpages and blogs. It has been added to
the front page at http://www.amsat.org . Please consider adding it to
your own webpages and blogs in a prominent place.
Drew concludes, "I'm proud to announce that the Facebook and PayPal
widget campaign has raised $1,000 over the last 48 hours! This is a
great first step towards replenishing the funds used in the construc-
tion of ARISSat-1, and beginning the design and construction of
AMSAT-FOX. Thank you to those who posted the fundraiser to their own
pages, and to those who donated."
Drew's Facebook page at http://bit.ly/c861N7 now prominently includes
the Fundrazr widget that you can share or post. Drew has also added
the PayPal Labs widget on his QRZ.com entry, see:
http://www.qrz.com/db/KO4MA or http://www.qrz.com/db/K9JKM
For the FundRazr app on Facebook, go to Drew's Facebook page and click
share. For the PayPal widget on all other web sites, use the "add to
site" button. It will prompt you how to do it. It also lets AMSAT see
who and where it has been posted, and how much money has been raised
from each location.
Please let Drew know if you add either of these so he can track results!
(e-mail: ko4ma(a)amsat.org)
[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-325.03
FUNCube Comes to Life at Martlesham, First Command & Telemetry Success
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 325.03
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 21, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-325.03
The UK Martlesham Microwavers Round Table weekend also included an
AMSAT-UK FUNCube developer meeting. The aim of the working session
was to build a `stack' of the various boards which will make up FUNcube
and see if they worked!
Congratulations are in order to the FUNCube team being able to report
success on these milestones:
+ Prove that we could command the satellite remotely via RF.
+ Receive and examine the telemetry from the stack remotely using the
FUNcube dongle.
+ Command the antennas to deploy.
+ Command the satellite to change modes between transponder mode to
education mode, and back again.
The main 'new' PCBs that arrived were David's PA, Wouter's RF board,
and the CCT board from Jason and his team.
Photos of the meeting and FUNCube construction and testing videos can
be viewed on-line at:
http://funcube.org.uk/working-meetings/cubesat-mtg-1314-nov-2010/
A screenshot of the first captured telemetry from FUNCube can be seen
on-line at: http://www.funcubedongle.com/?p=195
The Spectravue plot to the right shows the satellite's downlink received
using a FUNcube Dongle. To the right hand side of the plot, the solid
green `hump' is the telemetry and the signal to the right of that being
simultaneous transponded SSB voice traffic.
To the bottom left, old hands will recognise the AO-40RCV window being
used to decode raw frames. The basic telemetry specification is based
heavily on AO-40's FEC model.
[ANS thanks the AMSAT-UK FUNCube developers and Howard, G6LVB for the
above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-325.04
WAS-Satellite Certificate Now Accepted as Credit for AMSAT Awards
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 325.04
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 21, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-325.04
AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards Bruce Paige, KK5DO says
congratulations are in order for these radio amateurs who earned
operating awards this month:
The following have entered into the Satellite Communicators Club for
making their first satellite QSO:
Club Station, SP9PEX
Rick Tejera, K7TEJ
Merle Olmsted, AA4QE
Zachary Beougher, KD8KSN
George Heath, KF5IRG
Anthony Sirianni, Sr., KD8OEE
The following have earned the AMSAT Communications Achievement Award:
Ronald Oldham, N8RO #521
Ryan Case, KB9RID #522
Merle Olmsted, AA4QE #523
Zachary Beougher, KD8KSN #524
The following have earned the South Africa AMSAT Communications
Achievement Award:
Ronald Oldham, N8RO #US152
Bob Herrell, AJ5C #US153
Ryan Case, KB9RID #US154
Merle Olmsted, AA4QE #US155
Zachary Beougher, KD8KSN #US156
The following have earned the AMSAT Sexagesimal Award:
Ronald Oldham, N8RO #154
Zachary Beougher, KD8KSN #155
Bob Herrell, AJ5C #156
Terry Moorby, VE3DIJ #157
The following have earned the AMSAT Century Club Award:
Nick Kucij, KB1RVT #40
The following have earned the W4AMI 5000 Satellite Communications
Achievement award:
Zeljko Ulip, 9A2EY #25
Bruce also said that in some cases he can credit holders of the ARRL
Worked All States (with the Satellite endorsement) toward appropriate
AMSAT Satellite Operating Awards. He will accept a scanned copy of your
Worked All States-Satellite certificate as proof of 50 of the 60 con-
tacts to fill in the missing states for the AMSAT Sexagesimal Award or
to qualify for the AMSAT Communication Achievement Award. Contact
Bruce via e-mail (kk5do(a)amsat.org) with your specific details to see
if you qualify.
Unfortunately, the ARRL W.A.S. certificate cannot be used towards the
South Africa AMSAT Award. As all contacts for this award must be done on
LEO satellites, there is no way to determine if LEO or HEO was used on
the certificate.
Full information on all of the AMSAT Satellite Operating Awards can
be found on-line at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/awards/
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-325.05
FO-29 Returns to Service
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 325.05
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 21, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-325.05
Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL reported that the FO-29 Command Team succeeded
in bringing FO-29 back in service on 07:46UTC, 16 Nov 2010. Good
signals have been reported. Rick, WA4NVM reported, "I caught Kerry,
WC7V with a booming signal at 2 degrees elevation. Its nice to hear
this bird again!"
Two weeks ago, Yutaka Murata, JA1COU reported that the JARL FO-29
command team hypothesized that recent shutdowns of the satellite
may have been caused when the temperature aboard FO-29 became too
high to allow continuous operations and to accept commands or any
other satellite operations.
The FO-29 command team expected that the temperature aboard FO-29
would drop as the length of eclipse increases:
Eclipse of FO-29 is:
November 1 0% (full illumination)
November 20 14%
November 30 17%
[ANS thanks Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL and Yutaka Murata, JA1COU for the
above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-325.06
Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 325.06
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 21, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-325.06
+ An article and accompanying video on the SouthGate Site shows
how terrestrial operation can impact satellite operations when
the operators unwisely choose their frequency:
http://tinyurl.com/24r4bdx (SouthGate)
+ Congratulations to Loren, K7CWQ on being awarded Satellite WAS
#323 from the ARRL. His first contact was on 11-6-2009 with K8YSE.
All of his contacts have been with an HT and an Arrow antenna from
his driveway.
+ NASA and the National Institute of Aerospace have launched a new
planetary rover engineering competition called Exploration Robo-Ops
Student Challenge. University teams are eligible to win as much as
$10,000 for designing and building a planetary rover. Teams are
required to submit a project plan proposal by Dec. 15. More info
can be found at SpaceDaily.comhttp://tinyurl.com/28nsglr
+ Tom, W5KUB was on Memphis, TN Channel 5 news with his amateur
radio contact with the ISS. Video at http://tmedlin.com/iss.wmv
+ ReadySat Go is a store-and-forward CubeSat being developed by
students at San Jose State University. They have posted a video
showing construction of the satellite on the SouthGate site:
http://tinyurl.com/274f7wq
+ NASA's Eyes on the Solar System is a browser application that
gives you a 3D environment operating in real time, so you can
virtually tag along with our robot spacecraft. More information
and the stuff you need to download can be found at:
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes/
+ Check out the Ten Years Of the ISS in Pictures feature on-line
at UniverseToday.com ... http://tinyurl.com/27nglfh
+ The Daily Mail had a feature showing astronaut Tracy Caldwell
Dyson and the views from the ISS Cupola: http://tinyurl.com/38eryox
[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-325.07
CubeSat Winter Session and IAA Conference in Rome, January 24-29
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 325.07
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 21, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-325.07
The 1st IAA Conference on University Satellites Missions and Cubesat
Conference which will be held in Rome, Italy on January 24-29, 2011.
Submissions are due by December 18, 2010. Early registration begins
on January 10, 2011.
The conference is organized by a team of professors, students and
researchers from the School of Aerospace Engineering of Sapienza
University of Roma (GAUSS - Gruppo di Astrodinamica dell'UniversitÃ
degli Studi Sapienza - Group of Astrodynamics of Sapienza University)
The Conference is supported by several authorities including:
+ The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA)
+ The European Space Agency (ESA)
+ Kosmotras)
+ The Von Karman Institute (VKI)
+ The Centro Ricerche Progetto San Marco
+ Sapienza Università di Roma
+ Morehead State University
Two days of the Conference will be entirely dedicated to the Winter
Session of the Cubesat Workshop, for the first time in Europe.
More information can be found at: http://www.gaussteam.com under the
section 'events'. An e-mail contact for the conference is:
gauss.group(a)gmail.com
[ANS thanks Group of Astrodynamics, Sapienza University of Roma 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 additional benefits.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. And, with that
please keep in mind the young ham expressing his frustration of his
radio battery dying so his therapist recommended that he find an outlet.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-318
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America,
The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* AMSAT Amateur Radio Satellite Awards
* Video Tour Live November 16
* Earth Impact Simulator
* E-book on propagation
* K8OCL, Silent Key
* ARISS Status - 8 November 2010
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.01
AMSAT Amateur Radio Satellite Awards
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.01
AMSAT offer a range of Amateur Radio Satellite awards, starting with the
single contact Satellite Communicator's Club.
On the AMSAT bulletin board Clint Bradford, K6LCS, writes:
AMSAT has offered several awards over the years.
And you do not need 100 contacts to get awarded for your accomplishments:
a single documented satellite contact qualifies you for the AMSAT Satellite
Communicator's Club award!
Current and past AMSAT awards include ...
-Satellite Communicator's Club
-Satellite Communications Achievement
-South African AMSAT Award
-OSCAR Sexagesimal Award
-OSCAR Century Award
-WA4AMI 1000 Award
-WA4AMI 5000 Award
-51 on 51 Achievment Award
Details on the AMSAT awards available at ...
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/awards/
In addition, the ARRL recognizes satellite efforts, too, with their WAC,
DXCC, WAS, and VUCC awards.
-Worked All Continents Award (WAC) - Make one satellite contact with any
station on each of the six continents.
-DXCC Award with Satellite Endorsement - Make one satellite contact with any
station in 100 different DXCC countries.
-Worked All States Award - Make one satellite contact with any station in
each of the 50 states.
VHF/UHF Century Club Award - Make one satellite contact with any station in
100 different grid squares. Endorsements for each additional 25 grid
squares.
ARRL Awards information -
http://www.arrl.org/awards/
Congratulations to these hams who have recently earned their VUCC Award with
a Satellite Endorsement:
VUCC Satellite #203 Bob Herrell, AJ5C
VUCC Satellite #204 Zack Beougher, KD8KSN VUCC Satellite #205 Greg Butler,
KI4OTG
[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.02
Video Tour Live November 16
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.02
Tom, W5KUB puts on an excellent show and I bet most AMSAT members would be
happy to tune in even though this is news isn't specifically satellite
related ... Tom is an AMSAT member.
Live Web Cast From MFJ on November 16
Tom, W5KUB will run a live web broadcast giving you a video guided tour of
MFJ, Cushcraft, Hygain, Ameritron, Mirage, and Vectronics on Tuesday,
November 16, starting at 0800 Central Standard Time, or 1400 UTC. Prizes
will be given to lucky viewers. All you have to do is be logged in to be
eligible for the drawings.
You can log into view the web video and join the on-line hamradio chat via
Tom's web page at: http://w5kub.com. You can also join the live chat by
pointing your IRC client to /server irc.liveharmony.org and then /join
#hamradio.
Tom, W5KUB is well known for his live internet web casts from Dayton and
from the Huntsville Hamfest every year.
[ANS thanks Tom, K5KUB for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.03
Earth Impact Simulator
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.03
Hams Like Science: Impact Earth Simulator For Your Shack
UniverseToday.com reported on Impact Earth, an interesting web page for
scientifically oriented readers who may like to predict the effects of an
asteroid impact before it happens.
All you have to do is input the parameters of the asteroid on the recently
updated "Impact Earth" website:
http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth
You'll find out everything about what an impactor will do to Earth,
including an estimate of the size of the crater, how far away you'll need to
be in order to avoid being affected by the impact (and if that is possible),
tsunami wave height, and other details of the subsequent disaster. This
version does not predict if your amateur radio antenna will remain standing.
The original Impact Earth website was created in 2002 for use by NASA and
homeland security. The new version, built in a collabora- tion between
Purdue University and Imperial College London, is more user-friendly for the
general public, as well as providing more visual details of an impact.
Besides being rather fun to play around with, the website is highly
educational about what a various sized impacts would do Earth, depending on
if it hit ground or water.
[ANS thanks UniverseToday.com for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.04
E-book on propagation
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.04
Hams Like Free Stuff: Download E-Book Understanding LF and HF Propagation
Steve G0KYA and Alan G3NYK, of the Radio Society of Great Britain's
(RSGB) Propagation Studies Committee, have released a free ebook called
'Understanding LF and HF Propagation'
In 2008/2009 Steve and Alan wrote a series of features on LF and HF
propagation for the RSGB's "RadCom" magazine.
The features consisted of a month-by-month look at each HF band in turn,
showing the reader the propagation modes behind each band and explaining
some of the technicalities of ionospheric propagation.
Steve says: "I looked at the D, E and F layers, Sporadic E, the MUF/LUF,
using solar data, propagation programs, NVIS and much more.
"Alan then took over and wrote three detailed features on LF propagation.
We are told that the features were well received and as a result I have
managed to persuade the RSGB to allow me to put them together into a single
document, which is now freely available for amateurs worldwide to download."
You can download your free copy of "Understanding LF and HF Propagation"
at http://www.g0kya.blogspot.com
[ANS thanks the SouthGateARC News Site for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.05
K8OCL, Silent Key
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.05
It is with great sadness that I report Dr. John Champa, K8OCL, has become a
silent key.
I was friends with John since 1970 as we both served in the U.S. Army and
were officers in
The Ft. Gordon, Ga. Amateur radio club.
His daughter, Rebecca, reported his passing after a formidable fight with an
inoperable
Tumor. I know he was on the BOD of AMSAT for several years and framed many
important contributions
and avenues for Projects undertaken.
He will be missed by all and his important opinions (to me) will allow me to
keep his
ideas alive and in the hearts of all AMSAT members.
[ANS thanks Dee Interdonato, NB2F, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.06
(ARISS) Status Report November 8, 2010
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-318.06
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report
November 8, 2010
1. Upcoming School Contact
St. Louis Charter School, St. Louis, Missouri contact on Thursday, November
11 at 18:07 UTC. was a success St. Louis is a public charter school with an
enrollment of 930 students in grades K - 8. Additional students are enrolled
in the school's Special Education Self Contained Classrooms. The school has
integrated the ARISS contact into its science curriculum which covers the
solar system, space exploration and space missions. Students have taken part
in several hands on activities and research papers to prepare for the
contact.
2. Malaysian Contact Successful
On Tuesday, November 2, students from S.K. Bukit Damansara visited the
National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and participated in an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The youth
posed questions to astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC about what it is like to
live in space. The contact was made in conjunction with the "Prime
Minister's - National Space Challenge Trophy 2010" event.
3. Crew Debrief Held with Caldwell-Dyson
Expedition 23/24 astronaut Tracy Caldwell-Dyson, KF5DBF participated in an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) debrief session on
Wednesday, November 3. The feedback she provided on the ISS Ham radio
equipment and school contacts will aid the ARISS team in updating its
program procedures.
4. Astronaut Training Status
On Friday, November 5, Aki Hoshide, KE5DNI was given an ARISS overview
training session and Suni Williams, KD5PLB was provided with a refresher
course on the ARISS program. Both astronauts are slated to fly on Expedition
32.
5. Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS
On November 5, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1734 ran three ARISS
related news items under Ham Radio in Space. "The ISS Celebrates its 10th
Anniversary" talks about the crew members who have flown on the Space
Station, many of whom were ham radio operators. "Second Ham Station for the
ISS" covers the Ericsson radio which will be installed in the Columbus
module in early 2011 and "ARISSat-1 Passes Safety Test" is a status on the
satellite which will soon ship to Russia for final integration and testing.
All stories may be found at: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt
[ANS thanks Yutaka Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]
/EX
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Dee Interdonato, NB2F
nb2f at amsat dot org
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-311
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor(a)amsat.org
In this edition:
* November AO-51 Schedule
* Hudson Valley SatCom Net
* November 15 Deadline for NASA CubeSat Initiative Proposal
* AMSAT-UK FUNcube Frequencies Now Confirmed
* FO-29 Status Update
* OSCAR-11 REPORT 31 October 2010
* ARISS Status - 1 November 2010
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-311.01
November AO-51 Schedule
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 311.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-311.01
AMSAT-NA VP Operations, Drew KO4MA published the November schedule
for AO-51. Drew wrote, "This month we are catching up on several
requests for L, S and even 38k4 BBS time. In January AO-51 leaves
continuous illumination for many years and many of these modes may
not be possible due to power budget and battery condition. However,
if we find these modes under used this month, we may modify the sched-
ule as we go.
October 31 (late UTC)
FM Repeater, L/SU
Uplink: 1268.705 MHz FM (no PL tone)
Downlinks: 2401.200 MHz FM and 435.300 MHz FM (at low power!)
November 4 (late UTC)
FM Repeater, V/U
Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM (no PL tone)
Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM
9k6 Baud PBBS Operations, L/U
Uplink: 1268.705 MHz FM at 9600 baud
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM at 9600 baud
November 14 (late UTC)
38k4 Baud PBBS Operations, L/U
Uplink: 1268.705 MHz FM at 9600 baud
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM at 38,400 baud
November 18 (late UTC)
FM Repeater, L/SU
Uplink: 1268.705 MHz FM (no PL tone)
Downlinks: 2401.200 MHz FM and 435.300 MHz FM (at low power!)
November 21 (late UTC)
FM Repeater, V/U
Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM (no PL tone)
Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM
9k6 Baud PBBS Operations, L/U
Uplink: 1268.705 MHz FM at 9600 baud
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM at 9600 baud
SO-67 is active over North and South America this month, according
to the schedule at http://www.amsatsa.org.za/ . V/U users of AO-51
are encouraged to try SO-67 while AO-51 is in mode L/US.
Read the latest AO-51 Control Team News on the AMSAT web at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php
[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-311.02
Hudson Valley SatCom Net
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 311.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-311.02
The next Hudson Valley Sat com Net will be Thursday Noveber 11 on
the Mt. Beacon ARC 146.970 MH repeater and on EchoLink via the
N2EYH-L node. Net starts at 8PM EST (UTC - 5). More information
is available at http://www.hvsatcom.org and wa2aqh(a)amsat.org.
[ANS thanks Stu, WA2BSS for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-311.03
November 15 Deadline for NASA CubeSat Initiative Proposal
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 311.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-311.03
NASA made the first open announcement to create an agency-prioritized
list of available CubeSat auxiliary payloads in April 2010. Additional
CubeSat launch capacity is still available in 2011 and 2012, so NASA
released a second announcement of CubeSat integration and launch oppor-
tunities. CubeSat mission proposers must still be educational institu-
tions and contribute to NASA strategic goals and outcomes.
Investigations proposed for this pilot project must address an aspect
of science, exploration, technology development, education or opera-
tions encompassed by NASA's strategic goals and outcomes as identified
in the NASA Strategic Plan and/or NASA's Education Strategic Coordina-
tion Framework.
Collaborators may be required to provide partial reimbursement of
approximately $30,000 per CubeSat. NASA will not provide funding to
support CubeSat activity or development. Selection does not guarantee
an availability of a launch opportunity.
The complete CubeSat Launch Initiative Announcement can be viewed
on-line at NASA.gov at http://tinyurl.com/2b97n6r.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-311.04
AMSAT-UK FUNcube Frequencies Now Confirmed
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 311.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-311.04
Trevor, M5AKA reported the IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency
Coordination panel has announced coordinated frequencies for
the AMSAT-UK FUNcube 1U CubeSat.
The frequencies are:
Inverting linear transponder:
Uplink 435.080 - 435.060 MHz Downlink 145.960 - 145.980 MHz
Beacon 145.955 MHz CW and 1200 bps BPSK
FUNcube website
http://www.FUNcube.org.uk/
FUNcube SDR Dongle
http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/
FUNcube Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube/
[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA and AMSAT-UK for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-311.05
FO-29 Status Update
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 311.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-311.05
Yutaka Murata, JA1COU reported news from the Japan Amateur Radio
League (JARL) FO-29 command team testing this past weekend when
continuous commands were transmitted to the satellite when it was
in range of Japan.
The current hypothesis of the recent shutdown of the satellite is
that the temperature aboard FO-29 is too high to allow continuous
operations and to accept commands or any other satellite operations.
Eclipse of FO-29 is:
November 1 0% (full illumination)
November 20 14%
November 30 17%
It is expected that the temperature aboard FO-29 will drop as the length of
eclipse increases. FO-29 is designed to work over a wide temperature range.
Because of degradation over time in orbit it is possible that some components
may have lower performance. The JARL Command Team hopes that FO-29 will accept
commands and resume operation when the temperature cools down during increased
eclipse.
[ANS thanks Yutaka Murata, JA1COU for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-311.06
OSCAR-11 REPORT 31 October 2010
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 311.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-311.06
This report covers the period from 30 September to 31 October
2010. During this time the satellite has been heard from 09 to
19 October and from 30 October. At the time of writing it is
transmitting and is expected to continue until 09 November.
Excellent signals have been reported from stations located
around the world, and good copy obtained from decoded telemetry
frames.
The satellite is now transmitting during eclipses, although
signals are weaker at those times. This indicates that there is
still some capacity remaining in the battery.
The on-board clock is now very stable. It gained only ten
seconds in 33 days. This is comparable with its accuracy when the
satellite was fully operational, when it gained approximately one
minute per year. However, there is still an accumulated loss of
309 days, which has occurred during eclipses of the last few
years.
Operation during eclipses and stability of the on-board clock
suggest that some part of the system may have recently failed
'open circuit' thus reducing the overall power drain of the
system, and allowing more power to be available during eclipses.
There was an unexplained current drain observed when analogue
telemetry was last transmitted. This fault might have cleared.
The Beacon frequencies are -
VHF 145.826 MHz. AFSK FM ASCII Telemetry
UHF 435.025 MHz. OFF
S-band 2401.5 MHz. OFF
Reception reports have been received from Jeff N3QO, Rod CX2ABP
and Ian KI4HLV/6Y5 (G4JMM) . Many thanks for those and to
everyone who posted reports on the satellite status website. This
is a very convenient and easy to use facility, which shows the
current status of all the amateur satellites. Strongly
recommended for future reports! Reports around the expected times
of switch-on and switch-off are of special interest. The URL is
http://oscar.dcarr.org/index.php
OSCAR-11 transmits on 145.826 MHz., set receiver to NBFM. The
satellite has a characteristic sound, rather like raspy slow
morse code, sending "di di dah dah dah dah dah dah dah" sent over
a period of five seconds. If you are receiving a very weak
signal, switch the receiver to CW or SSB. You should hear several
sidebands around the carrier frequency and should be able to hear
the characteristic 'morse code like' sound on at least one
sideband.
Please note that you need a clean noise-free signal to decode
the signals, and your receiver must be set to NBFM mode, for a
decoder to work.
If you need to know what OSCAR-11 sounds like, there is an audio
clip on my website www.g3cwv.co.uk/ which may be useful for
identification and as a test signal for decoding.
The current status of the satellite, is that all the analogue
telemetry channels, 0 to 59 are zero, ie they have failed. The
status channels 60 to 67 are still working. The real time clock
is showing a large accumulated error, but is now incrementing
accurately to within a few seconds per month. The day of the
month has a bit stuck at 'one' so the day of the month may show
an error of +40 days for some dates. The time display has
switched into 12 hour mode. Unfortunately, there is no AM/PM
indicator, since the time display format was designed for 24 hour
mode.
The spacecraft computer and active attitude control system have
switched OFF, ie. the satellite' attitude is controlled only by
the passive gravity boom gradient, and the satellite is free to
spin at any speed.
The watchdog timer operates on a 20 day cycle. The ON/OFF times
have tended to be very consistent. The average of many
observations have shown this to be 20.7 days, ie. 10.3 day s ON
followed by 10.4 days OFF.
Listeners to OSCAR-11 may be interested in visiting my website.
If you need to know what OSCAR-11 should sound like, there is a
short audio clip for you to hear. The last telemetry received
from the satellite is available for download. The website
contains an archive of news & telemetry data which is updated
from time to time. It also contains details about using a
sound card or hardware demodulators for data capture. There is
software for capturing data, and decoding ASCII telemetry. The
URL is www.g3cwv.co.uk .
If you place this bulletin on a terrestrial packet network,
please use the bulletin identifier $BID:U2RPT150.CWV, to prevent
duplication.
73 Clive G3CWV xxxxx(a)amsat.org (please replace xxxxx by g3cwv)
[ANS thanks Clive, G3CWV, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-311.07
ARISS Status - 1 November 2010
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 311.07
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
November 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-311.07
1. Successful ARISS Contact with Funakata Elementary
On Friday, October 29, an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS) contact was held between students from Funakata Elementary School in
Nagoya, Aichi, Japan and astronaut Shannon Walker, KD5DXB on the International
Space Station (ISS). The youth were able to get in 16 questions before the ISS
went over the horizon. Approximately seventy students, guests and media were
present.
2. Astronaut Training Status
Astronauts Joe Acaba, KE5DAR and Aki Hoshide, KE5DNI participated in simulated
ARISS school contacts with students attending Ralph McCall School in Airdrie,
Alberta, Canada on Tuesday, October 26. The training sessions were
terrestrial-based amateur radio contacts using ARISS equivalent equipment.
Acaba, who is slated to fly with Expedition 31, also had an ARISS refresher
course on Wednesday, October 27 for his upcoming mission in 2012.
[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, 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 additional benefits. Application forms are
available from the AMSAT Office.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org