ANS
Threads by month
- ----- 2025 -----
- January
- ----- 2024 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2023 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2022 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2021 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2020 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2019 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2018 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2017 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2016 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2015 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2014 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2013 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2012 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2011 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2010 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2009 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2008 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2007 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
- July
- June
- May
- April
- March
- February
- January
- ----- 2006 -----
- December
- November
- October
- September
- August
January 2014
- 2 participants
- 2 discussions
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-005
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 …
[View More]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:
* NASA Digital Learning Network Special Opportunity
* Winter Issue of AMSAT-UK OSCAR News Available
* Hillbilly Tracking for Low Earth Orbit Satellites
* High Resolution Data available on FUNcube Data Warehouse
* Call for Papers for the AMSAT-SA Space Symposium
* OPDX Interview With ND9M.VQ9JC Diego Garcia
* AMSAT Representatives Requested for Vienna Wireless Society Hamfest
* ARISS News - TBD
* Satellite Shorts from All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-005.01
ANS-005 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 005.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 5, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-005.01
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA Digital Learning Network Special Opportunity
***Special Opportunity***
Would you like to have your class participate in an interactive
webcast with an astronaut? NASA invites students and teachers to an
inside look at America's Spaceport at 2:30pm ET on January 31st. Four
schools (target audience grades 5-9) will have the special opportunity
to connect directly and ask questions of astronaut and Director of
NASA's Kennedy Space Center Bob Cabana. Learn about his education and
training, living and working in space, and the future of space
exploration. All other schools may participate by watching the web
stream athttp://dln.nasa.gov. Email rachel.b.power(a)nasa.gov for more
information.
[ANS thanks NASA for the above announcement]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Winter Issue of AMSAT-UK OSCAR News Available
E-members of AMSAT-UK can now download the PDF of the Winter edition
of the OSCAR News magazine here (as well as previous 2013 and 2012
issues).
The paper edition should be posted to members soon.
In this issue
• FUNcube-1 Operations Report
• FunCube Dongle Pro+ V2.0 on Shortwave
• The Fun-Loop
• Space Science at Someries Junior School
• A newcomers view of satellite operating
• UKube-1, ESEO, QB50pc1 – Update
• Low Cost DVB-S Receivers Suitable For HAMTV
• HAMTV Reception
• FUNcube-1 – The Launch – A Personal Account
• IET/RSGB Joint Meeting
• $50SAT a low cost amateur radio satellite
• Shorts
The AMSAT-UK Membership year lasts for 12 months starting on January
1 each year.
Membership of AMSAT-UK is open to anyone who has an interest in
amateur radio satellites or space activities, including the
International Space Station (ISS).
E-members of AMSAT-UK are able to download OSCAR News as a
convenient PDF that can be read on laptops, tablets or smartphones
anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Join as an E-member at Electronic (PDF)
E-membership
There are two rates for the paper edition to cover the extra postage
costs:
UK
Rest of the World (Overseas)
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above announcement]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Hillbilly Tracking for Low Earth Orbit Satellites
In a video, Travis Goodspeed KK4VCZ describes his Low Earth Orbit
(LEO) satellite tracking system to the 30th Chaos Computer Congress
which took place December 27-30, 2013 at the Congress Center Hamburg
in Germany.
The YouTube description reads:
Satellites in Low Earth Orbit have tons of nifty signals, but they
move quickly though the sky and are difficult to track with fine
accuracy. This lecture describes a remotely operable satellite
tracking system that the author built from a Navy-surplus Inmarsat
dish in Southern Appalachia.
The entire system is controlled through a Postgres database, fed by
various daemons spread across multiple machines. So when I click on a
satellite on my laptop or cellphone, it runs “UPDATE target SET
name=’Voyager 1?;” and the motor daemon then begins to track the new
target while the prediction daemon maintains accurate estimates of
its position in the sky.
Additional daemons take spectral prints or software-defined radio
recordings of the targeted object for later review.
There is a description of the system on Travis Goodspeed’s Blog at
http://travisgoodspeed.blogspot.co.uk/
Other 30c3 videos available at
http://www.youtube.com/user/albertveli/videos
30th Chaos Computer Congress
https://events.ccc.de/congress/2013/wiki/Main_Page
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above announcement]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
High Resolution Data available on FUNcube Data Warehouse
As promised, we are making the FUNcube-1 (AO-73) CubeSat High
Resolution Data available for download from the Data Warehouse.
It contains Hi-Res data generated every hour, on the hour for the 60
minutes preceding the extract.
Please note that unlike the Whole Orbit Data, the Hi-Res data may be
incomplete (have significant gaps) because of a lack of ground
stations on the ground track.
Now that we have the WOD and Hi-Res extracts working, we are going
to move on to the RealTime extract.
Please provide any feedback on the FUNcube forum.
73 and Happy New Year,
Dave, G4DPZ
FUNcube-1 High Resolution Data
https://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/highres.html?satelliteId=2
Data Warehouse – Telemetry Archive
https://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/
Dashboard App – Telemetry Decoder
http://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/funcube-telemetry-dashboard/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above announcement]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Call for Papers for the AMSAT-SA Space Symposium
SA AMSAT has announced that its annual Space Communication symposium
will be held on Saturday 24 May 2014 at the Innovation Hub in
Pretoria. Proposals for papers are now called for. Submit a brief
overview of the planned paper by 15 March 2014 to
saamsat(a)intekom.co.za. Authors will be advised of the acceptance of
their paper by 31 March. The final written paper will be requited by
30 April and PowerPoint presentation by 15 May. Please also include a
short CV and a photograph of your self.
Registration for the symposium will open on 1 February. Follow details
of www.amsatsa.org.za.
[ANS thanks SARL News for Sunday, December 29, 2013 for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
OPDX Interview With ND9M.VQ9JC Diego Garcia
(Here is an interview from the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin with Jim Clary,
ND9M, known for his amateur radio and amateur satellite operation
from Diego Garcia, and maritime mobile operation. - ANS Ed.)
VQ9, CHAGOS (Update). Last week we reported that Jim, ND9M, is
once again active as VQ9JC from Diego Garcia. Jim informed OPDX
that he arrived on the island a month ago, but he had to get his
license renewed; it expired a couple days before he landed.
Jim states, "Normally, I get it renewed within one business day, but
this time there was an administrative hiccup that led to a month-
long delay. The British military officer in charge of the island -
called the 'Brit Rep' - was new to his post here. He read all the
can's and cannot's of the job, and the legal info about issuing ham
licenses says that tickets are signed by the Territorial Commissioner
who's back in the U.K.
The Brit Rep finally got the official word last week that issuing
authority was delegated to the local office, and my license was
signed the next day. This was the first time in the 15 years I've
been coming here that anything like that had happened. In fact,
licensing had been so smooth here that in 2008, I walked in to the
Brit Rep's office without an appointment and left 45 minutes later
with not only a signed renewal for my regular VQ9JC license but also
a special temporary license for my VQ98JC operation. I wonder if
anyone else can claim receiving two licenses fully authorized with-
out previous notice that fast!
Anyway, I'm still operating Field Day style from the covered picnic
table at the park which has AC power and dozens of gecko lizards
chasing the bugs. The table is about 30 feet from the wall of the
jungle, and this weekend I'll try to thread a 135-foot OCF dipole
through all the trees in the jungle so that I can not only leave
the antenna up but also have multi-band capability. If I hoist the
antenna where it can be seen, I would stand a very good chance of
it being quickly removed as the 150 pound fishing line that I use
to secure the antenna and the copper wire are both precious commo-
dities here.
The OCF dipole doesn't work on 15m, 30m, or 60m, even with a match-
box, so I'll put up separate dipoles for 15 and 30 and feed those
two and the OCF to a switch. I don't know yet if I'll put up a 60m
dipole. The 80m OCF is going to be a big enough project just to get
it hoisted to only 25 feet; the jungle's pretty thick! I'll also be
putting up a 20m dipole and maybe a 30m dipole as well on the ship.
Obviously, I sign /MM during any contacts made from the ship as I
did earlier this year. Contacts with me as /MM aren't valid for
DXCC of course, but SKCC ops can count them if my ship's QTH is near
the island.
The rig is an FT-857D. I'll be running 100 watts most of the time,
but I'm expecting to do some QRP work from here too. Most of my oper-
ating will be CW as usual (with a cootie most times), but I'll be on
SSB occasionally. Also, I'm a rookie when it comes to digital comms,
but I'm hoping to get my Rigblaster and FLDigi software configured
to do some PSK and RTTY work.
While on board the ship, I use an Icom IC-760 that I have set up in
my service shop. I feed the coax through a helicopter control center
that's directly above my shop. My shipboard antennas are about 115
feet above the water line. I don't have internet connectivity when
I'm at my operating QTH on the island, so I obviously can't help
with real-time QSY requests or the ever present 'EU PSE' when I'm
calling for NA & SA stations."
OPDX asked Jim about the status of the club station, possibly using
a special VQ prefix for 2014, activity on the satellites and if he
would attend the 2014 Dayton HamVention, and he replied, "Yeah, the
ham club station is gone forever unfortunately. The log periodic has
been grounded and dismantled, and everything in the shack has been
turned back over to the Navy. I'm here six months out of the year of
course, but once Larry, VQ9LA left three years ago, there was no one
reliably present during my off times. When the Navy's MWR office
personnel made a routine visit, they found nobody there since I was
Stateside, so they decided that the club was no longer in use and
took what they thought were appropriate steps. By the time I got
back to the island and worked my way up the chain of command, the
deal had been sealed.
And yes, I'm working the satellites out here although there aren't
many ops to work. I'll be on the birds when I get home again next
year.
I don't know yet if my XYL Cori (KK4CGA) and I will be at Dayton
this coming May or not. We're hoping to go to New England for the
ARRL Centennial in July, and we'll likely do only one trip. My
assignment schedule has me returning to the ship a few days
before the national convention, and I'm trying to work things out
with the guy that's here when I'm off ship for him to stay a little
longer so that I can attend. He hasn't given me a firm answer yet
though.
My plan for 2014 is to get VQ94JC issued for sometime during the
second half of the year. The local licensing office has no require-
ments toward my getting a ticket other than having one already
issued by the FCC. My US license expires in April, and the FCC
won't enable the renewing process until 90 days before the expir-
ation date, so I have to wait until early January to do that. If
I can get the renewed license here - actually just a scanned copy
will do and my XYL will send that - I can turn that over to the
local office, and they should issue me the short-term ticket.
Emphasis on special. It's all legal of course, but the folks in
that office are all British military who typically do one-year tours
here before being re-assigned, so I can never assume that the next
person will cooperate. I'm optimistic though as I've already had 7
VQ9xJC licenses plus the VQ975FOC ticket earlier this year, so the
precedent's pretty well established. When I started doing the VQ9xJC
bit in 2007, I did it just for fun and I thought the WPX chasers
would like it. I really didn't expect to still be doing it after so
many years. Now I'm looking ahead at rounding out the decade of
annual special callsigns and thinking about what special prefix
variation to initiate after the 10th one!" QSL via ND9M.
[ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1143 for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT Representatives Requested for Vienna Wireless Society Hamfest
Jack Welch, coordinator for the Vienna Wireless Society Hamfest, in
Northern Virginia is seeking AMSAT-related representatives, who would
like to either do a classroom presentation or a parking lot demo
during their winterfest this February. The event is on Feb 23rd in
Annadale, VA. It will be held at the Northern Virginia Community
College. They have a classroom and seminar room available for 30-60
minute presentations. Also available are parking lots, some for
parking, some for tailgating, that have a pretty good view of the
horizon for demos.
If you are available to help pleae contact AMSAT Director-Field
Operations, Patrick Stoddard, WE9EWK, at wd9ewk(a)amsat.org or Jack
Welch, AI4SV, dhakajack at gmail dot com
Our hamfest info is at: http://www.viennawireless.org/winterfest.php
[ANS thanks Jack Welch AI4SV for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
Uncoming ARISS contact with Zespel Szkel Technicznych, Ostriw
Wielkopolski, Poland
An International Space Station school contact has been planned with
participants at Zesp?l Szk?l Technicznych, Ostr?w Wielkopolski,
Poland on 08 Jan. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately
10:43 UTC. The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and
30 seconds. The contact will be direct between OR4ISS and SP3POW. The
contact should be audible over Poland and adjacent areas. Interested
parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The
contact is expected to be conducted in English.
The Centre of Technical Schools in Ostrew Wielkopolski is a school
which educates future electronics and mechatronics engineers,
computer scientists and renewable energy specialists. Our school has
been cooperating with Polish universities, electronic and mechatronic
industrial plants and schools in Germany and the UK, what brings very
good results. Thanks to the participation in the ARISS program our
school has partnered with the Space Research Centre of the Polish
Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Our students participate in various
forms of extra-curricular activities which develop their passions and
interests. As a result, they have created many interesting electronic
and mechatronic devices. For example, some of the recent
constructions include fpv plane, a qudrocopter, a stratospheric
balloon capsule, some amateur radio equipment and many more.
Currently, the school has 800 students aged 16 - 19 years. The
Center of Technical Schools has invited its younger mates (students
13 - 15 years old) from Junior High School No. 1 named of Polish
Nobel laureates in Ostr?w Wielkopolski and 10 - 12 year-old students
from Pope John Paul II Primary School in Lamki so that they all can
participate in the ARISS program. Preparations for the ARISS contact
began in late 2011. A series of amateur radio classes were carried
out so that students could learn the rules of work on the radio. It
was a very interesting experience to carry out radio communications
through amateur radio satellites and to take photos from NOAA
satellites. In addition, we monitored other radio signals from the
space. Most emotions were from the radio contact with the ISS in the
APRS system and from listening to ARISS contacts of other schools in
Poland and Europe.
The schools participating in the ARISS program organized a series of
events to promote various fields of science, particularly those that
are the most relevant for the development of astronautics.
Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time
allows:
1. What scientific experiments are carried out on the space station
at present?
2. How does the magnetic needle work in space?
3. How do you handle different illnesses?
4. How would a pendulum clock work on board of the ISS?
5. Was there anything that surprised or impressed you during your
stay in space?
6. What was the largest mammal (except for humans) which was on the
ISS?
7. How do flying insects behave in zero gravity?
8. Do you know how many centimeters your body lengthened in
weightlessness?
9. Is it easy to use a pen or a fountain pen on the space station?
10. Do you think that time in space passes faster?
11. How do you observe and explore the Moon?
12. What or how did you feel when you saw the Earth from space for
the first time?
13. Does Kirobo work well and fulfill its mission on the ISS?
14. Is it hard to get used to weightlessness?
15. Is it possible to be able to breed crystals in weightlessness?
PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES:
Sign up for the SAREX maillist at
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/sarex
Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station (ARISS).
To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status
Next planned event(s):
1. Berkeley Middle School, Williamsburg, VA, direct via K4RC
Wed, 08Jan2014, 18:33 UTC
ARISS is an international educational outreach program partnering
the participating space agencies, NASA, Russian Space Agency, ESA,
CNES, JAXA, and CSA, with the AMSAT and IARU organizations from
participating countries.
ARISS offers an opportunity for students to experience the
excitement of Amateur Radio by talking directly with crewmembers on-
board the International Space Station. Teachers, parents and
communities see, first hand, how Amateur Radio and crewmembers on ISS
can energize youngsters' interest in science, technology, and
learning. Further information on the ARISS program is available on
the website http://www.ariss.org/ (graciously hosted by the Radio
Amateurs of Canada).
[ ANS thanks David, AA4KN for the above update]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts from all over
SkyCube 2meter highly reflective balloon
The empty gray box shown at the top of the satellite model is
the container that holds SkyCube's balloon. We will command the
ballon to inflate 90 days into the mission.
Most CubeSats are far too small to see from the ground, but SkyCube
will be an exception. The satellite will carry a tightly-packed
balloon, made of 0.35-mil (9 µm) low-density polyethylene, coated
with highly reflective titanium dioxide (TiO2) powder. During the
final phase of the mission, the balloon will be inflated with a 4-
gram CO2 cartridge, and expand to a diameter of nearly 7 feet (2 m).
This will make SkyCube brightly visible to millions of people on the
ground as it passes over the Earth's twilight regions.
SkyCube's balloon serves another purpose. Once it inflates,
SkyCube's orbit will decay rapidly due to atmospheric drag. Less
than two weeks after balloon inflation, SkyCube will re-enter the
Earth's atmosphere and burn up harmlessly. The balloon lets SkyCube
end its mission cleanly, and avoid becoming space debris that could
harmfully impact future missions. SkyCube's balloon was developed by
Global Western, an experienced supplier of aerostats for NASA, JPL,
and others with unique high-altitude ballooning needs.
Further details are available in SkyCube's Orbital Debris Assesment
Report (ODAR), required by NASA and approved with our FCC license,
above.
[ANS thanks Kevin Fetter and the Seesat-l mailing list for the
above short]
2M Scotland
Listen for Paul Robinson, 2E1EUB/2M1EUB/P operating
portable from Scotland beginning on 4 January for 7 days. Paul
plans to be active on the satellites via AO7, AO73, VO52, FO29 and
SO50. His operations will be from his van, holiday style. Paul says
that on this trip he will only be in NE Scotland this time.
[ANS thanks Paul, 2E1EUB/2M1EUB/Pfor the above short]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/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,
Joe Spier, K6WAO
k6wao at amsat dot org
[View Less]
1
5
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-019
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 …
[View More]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:
* ARRL Features Bringing Space into the Classroom
* The Pragmatic Guide for Using the FUNCube Materials Science
Experiment in the Classroom
* SA AMSAT Invites Educational Payload Proposals
* PhoneSat 2.4 Ham Radio CubeSat
* UK CubeSat programme in New Electronics
* Peter Portanova W2JV To be Active on Satellites as W1AW/2
* Deorbitsail CubeSat
* 2014 Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference -- April 11-13
* FUNcube-1 in Practical Wireless Magazine
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-019.01
ANS-019 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 019.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
DATE January 19, 2014
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-019.01
ARRL Features "Bringing Space into the Classroom"
Bringing space into the classroom is an incredibly powerful learning
experience for students. The marriage between wireless technology
literacy and space literacy is a strong one that produces a portfolio
of activities that can engage virtually all students at some ability
and interest level.
The portfolio of activities can range from simply having a satellite
prediction software package running in the back of the classroom on
an old, salvaged computer, a simple receiver to collect telemetry
data from orbiting satellites, to a full-up ground station to
communicate with other hams via satellites, or even with the
astronauts in the International Space Station through the ARISS
(Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) program.
New Resources for Classroom Instruction
For an overview of recent additions of classroom resources designed
to help teachers instruct students about research projects to be
launched by AMSAT on its Fox satellites, view a video of a
presentation by Mark Spencer, WA8SME at the 2013 AMSAT Symposium.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl8HCBEGv4Q
This library is a collection of resources designed for teachers who
want to explore satellite communications with students. There are
also instructional resources designed for classroom exploration of
satellite telemetry data used to understand satellite engineering and
research deployed on satellites. The classroom resources are
manipulatives that can prepare students to understand and utilize
live telemetry data that can be captured from orbiting satellites.
The collection includes
+ Satellite Antenna Rotor Simulator
+ CubeSat Classroom Simulator
+ Study Satellite "Wobble" Using Telemetry Data
+ Managing Satellite Power: A Study in Maximum Power Point Tracking
+ MAREA: Mars Lander Simulation
+ Using FUNCube to do Materials Science in the Classroom
+ Studying Satellite Rotation
In the interest of supporting teachers who want to bring space into
the classroom by actively engaging students with amateur radio
satellite communications, the Education Technology Program has
developed some equipment resources designed with utility to support
ham radio satellite operations for classroom use.
+ Satellite Tracker Interface
+ ISS Minimalist Antenna
+ ISS Minimalist Antenna, UHF Version
+ Inexpensive Broadband Preamp for Satellite Work
+ Inexpensive “WRAPS” Rotor for Satellite Work
For more information visit
http://www.arrl.org/classroom-library-satellite-communications
This information nicely supplements other ARRL Educational
Information.
The ARRL Educational & Technology Program Curriculum Guide
http://www.arrl.org/curriculum-guide
Reports on classroom activities
http://www.arrl.org/reports-on-classroom-activities
Amateur Radio Curriculum Connections
http://www.arrl.org/curriculum-connections-and-benchmarks
and other articles and stories that describe the classroom
activities of students
http://www.arrl.org/articles-and-stories
[ANS thanks Debra Johnson K1DMJ and the ARRL for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Pragmatic Guide for Using the FUNCube Materials Science
Experiment in the Classroom
A guide to supplement the FUNCube Handbook
(http://funcube.org.uk/), produced by AMSAT-UK, has been authored to
provide some practical advice to interested hams and classroom
teachers on how to access and use the Materials Science Experiment
(MSE) on-board the satellite. "The Pragmatic Guide for Using the
FUNCube Materials Science Experiment in the Classroom" was prepared
by ARRL Education & Technology Program Director
Mark Spencer WA8SME
"The Guide" can be downloaded by visiting this web page on the ARRL
web site:
http://www.arrl.org/classroom-library-satellite-communications
On this page you will find the Guide and other useful information
that has been developed for teachers interested in using space
technology in their classrooms.
There are six chapters included in the Guide, this article provides
only a summary glimpse of the material. If this summary peaks your
interests, or you think the Guide may contain material that your club
or local teacher could use, take a closer look.
The first chapter of the Guide includes a brief overview of the MSE
and a basic refresher of thermodynamics. The primary mission of the
FUNCube is education and the MSE is the focus of that mission. There
are actually two different experiments included in the MSE, one using
the thermally isolated aluminum bars mounted on one of the satellite
faces, the other using four aluminum bars mounted as part of the
satellite body in the corners of the cube. The data collected by the
MSE is transmitted via a two-meter data link and decoded and
displayed by an AMSAT-UK software package called the Dashboard.
Collecting the data is only part of the education mission, the other
and more meaningful part is interpreting the data. Interpreting data
starts with a thermodynamics refresher. In the broadest terms,
thermodynamics is the study of how heat moves from one place to
another. The amount of heat energy that is absorbed by, or radiated
from, a material depends on material’s temperature, the temperature
of the surroundings, and the emissivity of the material. The purpose
of the FUNCube MSE is to allow students to witness heat transfer by
radiation first hand in an environment (space) where convection and
conduction are not present.
The second chapter discusses how to access the FUNCube telemetry
using a typical VHF all-mode receiver (the FUNCube Dongle (SDR) is
not covered in the Guide). A simple interface circuit between the
receiver audio and the sound card is illustrated. There is a lengthy
discussion of the minimum antenna required to receive usable FUNCube
telemetry data. It is suggested that a minimum of 50 frames of
telemetry data are required to develop a usable data set from
directly received telemetry. The performances of various simple
antennas, with and without preamps, are compared against this goal of
receiving 50 frames of telemetry data.
The third chapter presents an affordable Leslie’s Cube experiment
set up that you can duplicate. The Leslie’s Cube experiment allows
students to explore the concept of emissivity and how that property
affects the ability of a material to radiate heat energy (MSE is a
space borne equivalent of the Leslie’s Cube experiment).
Alternatively, the fourth chapter presents an inexpensive MSE In-
class Simulator experiment that can be easily and affordably
duplicated for demonstrating the thermodynamics of heat absorption.
The simulator uses simple aluminum bars that are coated with black
paint and shiny aluminum foil to simulate the MSE panel bars in the
FUNCube. Thermistors are mounted in the bars to measure the
temperatures of the bars as they are exposed to a heat source, and
then as they cool when the heat source is removed. By manipulating
the heat source (i.e., turning it on and off at different rates),
conditions on orbit can be simulated in the classroom and the
students can evaluate the results. This installment produced the
greatest surprise results of the whole Guide effort and proved to be
instrumental in interpreting the real FUNCube MSE data.
The fifth chapter presents a number of examples how to interpret the
MSE data, and this is the most important section of the Guide. There
is a disconnect between the whole-orbit-data that is received from
the FUNCube and what is expected when considering basic
thermodynamics. This disconnect is evaluated, discussed, and
speculated on at length in this section. Data generated from the
Leslie’s Cube presented in installment three, and from the MSE In-
class Simulator presented in installment four are used to speculate
about and try to explain the observed behavior of the MSE bars on-
orbit. The content of the fifth chapter will be controversial, but at
the same time thought provoking and could possibly stimulate a lot of
classroom discussion.
The final chapter simply presents additional ideas and explorations
that could be used in the classroom to take the FUNCube MSE to a
whole new, and unintended level.
On the ARRL web page where the Guide is located, you will also find
some additional material that might be of interest. For example,
there are some video clips and other graphic materials that you can
use to help explain how passive, fixed magnets are used in a cubesat
to align the Z-axis of the satellite along the lines of the Earth’s
magnetosphere to optimize antenna orientation toward Earth. These
visual aids might encourage students take a closer look at the
telemetry data from FUNCube to see if they can detect the effects of
these magnets in action.
“I know there is an ongoing discussion of the value of cubesat
telemetry when compared to transponder operations,” Spencer says.
“[Y]ou just might find that an occasional look at the telemetry will
help you better understand satellites and make you a better satellite
operator.” He goes on to state that the FUNcube MSE is “an
exceptional educational resource,” and he praised AMSAT-UK’s efforts.
“It’s now our turn to gain as much as we can from their efforts, and
I hope the Guide will help you get started.”
The guide can be directly downloaded at the following link
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/ETP/FUNCube%20Guide.pdf
[ANS thanks Mark Spencer WA8SME and the ARRL for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SA AMSAT Invites Educational Payload Proposals
The South African Amateur Radio Satellite Association SA AMSAT is
inviting schools and universities to submit proposals for an education
project for inclusion in their CubeSat satellite current being
developed.
SA AMSAT is building a small satellite with a 20 kHz transponder to
offer amateur radio enthusiasts on the African continent an
opportunity to experience space communications. "We believe this is
an ideal opportunity to include an educational project that will be of
interest to learners to promote Science and Technology based
activities", Hannes Coetzee who leads the project said.
"Space is a magical subject and attracts the attention of many young
people even those who may not have shown an interest in science as a
subject at school or as a past time. Combining Amateur Radio with
Space doubles the attraction."
"While the satellite will carry a telemetry beacon which report on the
health of the satellite and provides interesting opportunities for
learners to acquire more knowledge about space, we believe that a
student designed project will add the additional magic."
Proposals for a project are invited from high Schools and
Universities. The most interesting proposal received will be
considered for inclusion in the satellite. The criteria for judging
includes originality and once operating from space the amount of
interest it is likely to draw from young people.
"It should also be noted that the project needs to be small enough to
fit in with the rest of the equipment of the 10x10x10 cm CubeSat and
draw as little as power as possible."
"I believe this an ideal opportunity for a school's science club to
take a project into space and to be able to monitor information about
their project included in the spacecraft telemetry string."
Proposals should be documented as comprehensively as possible and be
emailed to SA AMSAT at saamsat(a)intekom.co.za. The closing date for
proposals is 28 February 2014.
[ANS thanks SARL News in English for 1/18/2014 for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PhoneSat 2.4 Ham Radio CubeSat
Jan Stupl provides an update on PhoneSat 2.4 which was part of the
ORS3 / Elana 4 launch from the Wallops Flight Facility on November
19, 2013
By now there are TLEs at space-track for all 29 objects of that
launch (NORAD ID 39380 – 39409), but only five of them have been
identified on space-track.
The PhoneSat team thinks that 39381 is theirs, but 39402, 39400 and
39397 are also (less likely) possibilities. Because the satellites
are still close, using the radio beacon for identification is
somewhat ambiguous. Getting more observations would be very helpful
for everybody on that launch.
You find all information about the 437.425 MHz PhoneSat 2.4 on the
phonesat.org website and people can submit received packets as well,
and comment which TLE they used. The latter is obviously important to
gain confidence on the assigned TLEs.
PhoneSat 2.4
http://www.phonesat.org/
Minotaur-1 ELaNa-4 Satellites
http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/elana-4-cubesats/
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
UK CubeSat programme in New Electronics
"New Electronics" has a feature on the UK CubeSat programme and the
amateur radio UKube-1 satellite which it says should be launched from
Kazakhstan on March 27, 2014
The article says:
Caroline Harper is a programme manager at the UK Space Agency and
one programme that comes under her wing is UKube-1.
CubeSats can also have a role in education, as Harper pointed out.
“We have a payload called FUNCube, which will allow kids in schools
to download real housekeeping data from the spacecraft almost in real
time and to do their own experiments on that data. We hope that will
encourage interest in STEM subjects.”
FUNcube was developed entirely by volunteers at the amateur radio
organisation AMSAT-UK. TOPCAT, meanwhile, is a payload that will
measure the regions of space just beyond the Earth’s atmosphere – the
ionosphere and plasmasphere – in order to help GPS users by
monitoring and subsequently reacting to variable space weather
conditions that adversely affect the Global Positioning System. The
payload will consist of a specialised dual frequency GPS receiver
that is suitable for operation in the space environment. The
development has been led by a postgraduate at the University of Bath,
with support from Chronos Technology, RAL and MSSL.
Read the article at
http://tinyurl.com/ANS019-emerging-opportunities
In addition to the educational telemetry beacon the FUNcube boards
on UKube-1 will also provide a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for
SSB/CW communications.
UKube-1 communications subsystem:
• Telemetry downlink 145.840 MHz
• FUNcube subsystem beacon 145.915 MHz 1200 bps BPSK
• 400 mW inverting linear transponder for SSB and CW
- 435.080 -435.060 MHz Uplink
- 145.930 -145.950 MHz Downlink
• 2401.0 MHz S Band Downlink
• 437.425-437.525 MHz UKSEDS myPocketQub Downlink
March launch for UKube-1 and TechDemoSat-1
http://tinyurl.com/ANS019-UKube-1
The UK CubeSat Forum
http://amsat-uk.org/2013/12/19/announcing-the-uk-cubesat-forum/
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Portanova W2JV To be Active on Satellites as W1AW/2
Peter Portanova W2JV will be active on all the amateur satellites
from 1/22 - 1/28 as W1AW/2 as part of the W1AW Portable Operations,
ARRL Centennial QSO Party
The ARRL Centennial "W1AW WAS" operations are taking place
throughout 2014 from each of the 50 states, relocating each Wednesday
(UTC) to a new pair of states (this week, Nebraska and Delaware.
Listen for W1AW/0 and W1AW/3). During 2014 W1AW will be on the air
from every state at least twice and from most US territories, and it
will be easy to work all states solely by contacting W1AW portable
operations.
[ANS thanks Peter W2JV former WB2OQQ for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Deorbitsail CubeSat
Students and researchers at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC) in the
University of Surrey, Guilford, are developing the 3U CubeSat
Deorbitsail. It is planned to launch on a Dnepr rocket into a 600 km
Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
The aims of the mission are:
(1) Deploy a large (5-by-5-metre) square Kapton sail.
(2) Deorbitsail is equipped with 3-axis-stabilizing attitude
determination and control system. A novel capability of this system
is pointing via Centre-Of-Mass / Centre-Of-Pressure (COM/COP) offset.
(3) The satellite will deorbit much more quickly than otherwise due
to its deployable sail. Satellite pointing will be optimized by the
attitude control system for maximum drag.
(4) The satellite will provide beacons which radio amateurs will be
able to receive. The ISIS UHF/VHF radio will provide a 9600 bps BPSK
downlink on 145.975 MHz.
For further information read DeOrbitSail Nanosatellite Mission
http://tinyurl.com/ANS019-deorbitsail
DeorbitSail: A Spacecraft Mission to deploy sails in Space
http://www.athena-spu.gr/projects/DeOrbit
Kapton https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapton
Deorbitsail: a deployable sail for de-orbiting by Olive R. Stohlman,
University of Surrey and Vaios Lappas, University of Surrey
http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2013-1806
Inspection of a co-orbital solar sail using a microthruster attitude
control system
http://tinyurl.com/ANS019-microthruster-attitude
Open access to latest research output from Surrey Space Centre
http://amsat-uk.org/2013/06/19/open-access-to-ssc-research/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2014 Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference -- April 11-13
The 40th Eastern VHF-UHF-MW Conference will be held the weekend
before Easter. The 2014 event will be held at the same hotel as it
was in 2013.
On-line Registration will be available very soon at:
http://www.newsvhf.com/vhfconf.html
40th ANNUAL EASTERN VHF/UHF/MICROWAVE CONFERENCE
Fri./Sat./Sun. April 11-12-13 2014
BAYMONT INN & SUITES,
20 Taylor St., Manchester, CT 06042
(just a few miles northeast of Hartford, CT off I-84, at Exit 63)
FRIDAY--6pm to ?--SUPER HOSPITALITY ROOM & INDOOR SWAP
SATURDAY--8am to 5pm--Presentations & Indoor Vendors
7pm-- BANQUET BUFFET, Tom Kirby Award Presentation,
Banquet Speaker, Trivia Quiz by Dave Olean K1WHS, Door Prizes
SUNDAY
8am--SWAP/TAILGATE in Parking Lot
The Baymont Room rates will be the same as last year
......Double $69.00, Suites $99.00
Registration $25 before April 1, $30 after April 1 and at the door
Banquet $28. Must order banquet before April 1.
On-line Registration will be available very soon at:
http://www.newsvhf.com/vhfconf.html
We are still looking for your interesting presentation!
Want to give a Presentation and/or have something for the Proceedings?
Please email Paul Wade, W1GHZ, W1GHZ at arrl dot net
Sponsored by: North East Weak Signal Group (NEWS)
Questions?
Email Mark, K1MAP: map1(a)mapinternet.com
or Contact one of the Conference Co-Chairs:
Mark K1MAP, (hospitality, hotel, swaps/vendors)
Ron, WZ1V, (registration, website, test session)
Paul, W1GHZ, (presentations, proceedings)
Check: www.newsvhf.com for updates--MORE TO COME!
[ANS thanks Eastern VHF/UHF Society and the North East Weak Signal
Group for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNcube-1 in Practical Wireless Magazine
In the February issue of Practical Wireless, the Data Modes column,
written by Mike Richards G4WNC, devotes three pages to describing how
to receive the signals from the FUNcube-1 (AO-73) satellite
The World of VHF column by Tim Kirby G4VXE also covers FUNcube-1 and
what is believed to be the first contact between Cuba and the UK on
the FO-29 satellite. The contact took place on October 19, 2013
between Hector Martinez CO6CBF and Peter Atkins G4DOL.
It is understood that postal copies of Practical Wireless can be
purchased using a Debit or Credit card, by ringing +44 (0)1202 751611
Monday – Thursday 8.30am – 4.00pm.
Practical Wireless
http://www.pwpublishing.ltd.uk/?page_id=632
G4WNC Data Modes Yahoo Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/datamodes
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
+ A Successful contact was made between Istituto Tecnico Industriale
"Galileo Ferraris", San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy and Astronaut
Koichi Wakata KC5ZTA using callsign IOR4ISS. The contact began
Wed 2014-01-08 12:21 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes.
Contact was direct via IQ5GX. ARISS Mentor was IKØWGF.
The Technical Institute "Galileo Ferraris" is active on the
territory of the Arno Valley since 1979 and has trained over the
years the engineers of the many industrial enterprises in the area.
The technical institute in fact offers a solid general education and
training of scientific and technical basis necessary for both a rapid
entry into the world of work and the professions and for the
continuation of studies at university . In particular, enables the
student to face the entrance test for the various scientific
disciplines . Its strength lies in teaching laboratory accompanied by
a solid theoretical and scientific .
Branches of study offered the institute is currently divided into
the following specializations:
o Electronics and electrical engineering.
o Chemistry, Materials and Biotechnology
o Data processing and telecommunications
The time is for all specializations of 32 hours per week , spread
over four days per week of five hours (from 8.10 am to 13.10) and two
days a week for six hours (from 8.10 am to 14.10 ).
The school is equipped with several laboratories and a large gym.
Among these, for the two years, we have the laboratories of
Physics, Chemistry, Drawing- CAD, Computer Science, for the three
years, Chemistry, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer
Science, Mathematics, Technology Design and Planning, Automatic
Systems, Information systems .
In addition, the active school every year internships at companies
in the area and technical projects in cooperation with such companies.
+ A Successful contact was made between Zespól Szkól Technicznych,
Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland and Astronaut Koichi Wakata KC5ZTA using
callsign OR4ISS. The contact began Wed 2014-01-08 10:43:57 UTC
and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via
SP3POW. ARISS Mentors were SP3QFE and IN3GHZ.
The Centre of Technical Schools in Ostrów Wielkopolski is a school
which educates future electronics and mechatronics engineers,
computer scientists and renewable energy specialists.
Their school has been cooperating with Polish universities, electronic
and mechatronic industrial plants and schools in Germany and the UK,
which brings very good results. Thanks to the participation in the
ARISS program their school has partnered with the Space Research
Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw.
Their students participate in various forms of extra-curricular
activities which develop their passions and interests. As a result,
they have created many interesting electronic and mechatronic
devices. For example, some of the recent constructions include fpv
plane, a quadrocopter, a stratospheric balloon capsule, some amateur
radio equipment and many more.
Currently, the school has 800 students aged 16 - 19 years.
The Center of Technical Schools has invited its younger mates
(students 13 - 15 years old) from Junior High School No. 1 named of
Polish Nobel laureates in Ostrów Wielkopolski and 10 - 12 year-old
students from Pope John Paul II Primary School in Lamki so that they
all can participate in the ARISS program.
Preparations for the ARISS contact began in late 2011. A series of
amateur radio classes were carried out so that students could learn
the rules of work on the radio. It was a very interesting experience
to carry out radio communications through amateur radio satellites
and to take photos from NOAA satellites. In addition, we monitored
other radio signals from space. Most emotions were from the radio
contact with the ISS in the APRS system and from listening to ARISS
contacts of other schools in Poland and Europe.
The schools participating in the ARISS program organized a series of
events to promote various fields of science, particularly those that
are the most relevant for the development of astronautics.
+ A Successful contact was made between Berkeley Middle School,
Williamsburg, VA, USA and Astronaut Michael S. Hopkins KF5LJG using
callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2014-01-08 18:33 UTC and lasted
about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via K4RC. ARISS
Mentor was K4SQC.
Berkeley Middle School, Williamsburg, VA is one of three middle
schools. There are thirty-six core teachers, sixteen elective
teachers, a gifted and talented teacher, reading specialist, math
specialist, and ten special education teachers. Additionally, there
are three administrators, two school counselors, a Student
Advancement Coach, and media specialist along with support staff.
The student to teacher ratio is 28:1.
Uniquely, the school is one of two located in the City of
Williamsburg, serving students in the city and county. Over the past
few years, enrollment has steadily increased, which is a direct
reflection of the growth within the community. At the end of
September 2013, the enrollment was 913 with an even distribution
among its three grade levels (6-8). Berkeley's student population is
approximately 60 percent white, 30 percent black, and 10 percent
identify as other ethnicities such as American Indian, Asian,
Hispanic, etc. Nearly 30 percent of the student population receives
special education services, close to 20 percent are identified as
gifted and talented, and less than 5 percent identify as English
Language Learners (ELL). At Berkeley, 41 percent of the students
qualify for federal free or reduced lunch.
In partnership with parents and community members, Berkeley strives
to foster a safe, caring and supportive learning environment that: a)
knows its population, b) maintains a culture of continuous
improvement, c) maximizes learning time, and d) remains focused and
determined to close the achievement gap.
+ A Successful contact was made between Collège Les Gondoliers, La
Roche sur Yon, France and Astronaut Koichi Wakata KC5ZTA using
callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 2014-01-17 09:51 UTC and lasted
about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via F6KUF/p.
ARISS Mentor was F6ICS.
Les Gondoliers Secondary School, with its 500 pupils -aged 11-15- is
located in Vendée, 70 km south of the city of Nantes, where famous
Jules Verne author was born . At the end of the last year, the pupils
take an exam called "Diplôme National du Brevet". Their Astronomy Club
has resumed its activities this year with the objective to enter in
contact with the ISS. The starting point has been the visit of the
exhibition "Voyages planétaires" (Planetary spaceflights), in Nantes,
during the International Planetary Science Congress. Various
astronomy and amateur radio activities were organized, with the
help of members of the association of "radioamateurs of Vendée", who
came to their school to display their activities and provide students
with the tools that were necessary to get in contact with the ISS.
+ A Successful contact was made between Wallingford STEM
Academy/Town of Wallingford, Wallingford, CT, USA and Astronaut
Koichi Wakata KC5ZTA using callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2014-01-
18 15:18 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was
telebridged via K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was W2CYK.
Wallingford STEM Academy is a community based and family oriented
organization that excites students about science, technology,
engineering and mathematics. This program, previously known as the
Young Astronaut Club of Wallingford and founded in 2000, has been
providing STEM enrichment for students in grades 4 through 8 for over
thirteen years through Wallingford Youth and Social Services.
The Wallingford STEM Academy is a collaborative partnership between
the Spanish Community of Wallingford (SCOW), the Town of Wallingford
Youth and Social Services Department (WYSS), the Wallingford
Education Association (WEA). STEM Academy branches in Wallingford,
and Hamden, are the flagship programs for CEA's STEM Education
Initiative. They currently serve the Spanish Community of Wallingford
(SCOW) and the general population. 40% of their STEM Enrichment
Academy is comprised of students from the Spanish community and 40%
of our students are girls interested in STEM education. Their weekly
meetings are conducted at the Spanish Community of Wallingford Great
Room and in their STEM Education Classroom next to SCOW.
Since 2005, a companion project to Wallingford STEM Enrichment
Academy is the Wallingford Family Science and STEM Night Series. At
least twice a month, they organize and implement family oriented
Science and STEM Family Nights in Wallingford. These events range
from evening programs, daytime vacation programs, hands-on
investigations, assembly style programs, and night sky observations.
The purpose of this organization is to deepen student, and family,
understanding of STEM concepts as a compliment to an existing inquiry
based STEM curriculum in Wallingford. Their major funders for both
STEM Academy and Wallingford Family STEM Nights are the Wallingford
Rotary Club's Wallingford Foundation, 3M Charitable Contributions and
the Connecticut Education Association.
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule
Marymount University (Fort Belvoir Elem.), Arlington, VA,
telebridge via W6SRJ
Contact is a go for: Fri 2014-01-24 15:06:04 UTC
[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Cyber-security: Small satellite dish systems called ripe for hacking
Thousands of small satellite dish-based computer systems that
transmit often-sensitive data from far flung locations worldwide –
oil rigs, ships at sea, banks, and even power grid substations – are
at high risk of being hacked, including many in the United States, a
new cyber-security report has found.
Read the full Christian Science Monitor article at:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS019-cybersecurity
VSAT terminals are opened for targeted cyber attacks
http://intelcrawler.com/about/press05
[ANS thanks Stephen G7VFY and Southgate ARN for the above
information]
+ Japan to test 'magnetic net' that can fish out floating space junk
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) is teaming up with a
company that manufactures fishing equipment to create a net that
will sweep the heavens of the man-made debris orbiting our planet.
See story at
http://tinyurl.com/ANS019-magnetic-net
[ANS thanks South China Morning Post for the above information]
+ SatMagazine January 2014 Edition features The Small Satellite
Surge... Note AMSAT's own Nick Pugh's picture on page 30.
SatMagazine is available online http://www.satmagazine.com/
+ January 2014 Edition of MilsatMagazine is now online
http://www.milsatmagazine.com/
+ Andy Thomas G0SJF describes lessons learned about using dashboard
software etc. from the perspective of an interested science teacher
using an AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle Software Defined Radio (SDR).
He says: For those of us about to receive the Kicksat Sprites (when
launched), and others using RTL dongles, the experience may be
useful.
https://sites.google.com/site/andythomasorg/funcube
[ANS thanks Andy G0SJC and AMSAT-UK for the above information]
+ January 432 and Above EME Newsletter
The January issue of the free amateur radio 432 MHz and Above EME
Newsletter is now available
The Word and PDF formats the newsletter can be downloaded from
http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm.html
Previous newsletters are at
http://www.nitehawk.com/rasmit/em70cm_arc.html
[ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information]
+ "Wake Up, Rosseta"
Want to be one of those who helps to "wake up" a sleeping
comet-chasing ESA space probe?? Well you can. See information
at link below:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/17/tech/rosetta-comet-chaser/
[ANS thanks Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF and ARNewsline 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,
EMike McCardel, KC8YLD
kc8yld at amsat dot org
[View Less]
1
0