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ANS-213 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 30 Jul '16

30 Jul '16

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-213 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 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: * ARISS International Face-to-face Meeting Announced for 2016 * RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Nearing Completion * AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium 2016 July 29-31 * Dayton Hamvention® 2017 Venue Announcement * Good-Bye, Hara Arena! Hamvention to Relocate in 2017! * UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS, Heads Ham Contingent to 10 Downing Street * South African SDR Transponder Working Group * Past AMSAT President Doug Loughmiller, W5BL, SK * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-213.01 ANS-213 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 213.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE July 31, 2016 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-213.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS International Face-to-face Meeting Announced for 2016 The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) International Face-to-face Meeting for 2016 will take place in the Houston, Texas area, hosted by ARISS-US team members who will welcome the worldwide ARISS team. The dates are November 15 – 18, 2016. Meeting attendees can go on a special tour Monday afternoon, November 14 at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). ARISS-International Face-to-face Meetings are always open to the public from around the world as observers, and there is no registration fee. The meeting immediately follows the 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium to accommodate symposium attendees who can extend their stay. Meeting dates selected coincide with ARISS’s 20th anniversary and the team will be celebrating its 20 successful years. In November 1996, the first international ARISS meeting took place at NASA Johnson Space Center, as well. Many ARISS international team members plan to participate in this year’s meeting. The ARISS-International Face-to-face Meeting agenda is being worked and will center around ARISS’s hardware development project and future initiatives, sustaining the ARISS program through strategic partnerships and fundraising, and making a quantum improvement in educational outcomes. Other topics and discussions will be on: · how the full ARISS worldwide team can leverage the major outcomes achieved by the ARISS United Kingdom team members during Astronaut Tim Peake’s mission, · educating the team on expectations of ARISS’s two new benefactors: NASA Space Communications and Navigation and the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space · celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of ARISS, and · additional topics critical to the future of ARISS. The ARISS team welcomes all people from around the globe to the ARISS-International Face-to-face Meeting as observers. ARISS hopes attendees new to ARISS will decide to begin volunteering after learning about the many things the ARISS team does. Those interested in coming to the meeting during any part of November 15 - 18 can e-mail Rosalie White (k1sto(a)arrl.org) or Frank Bauer (ka3hdo(a)verizon.net). Information will then be forwarded about the hotel that will offer a special rate . About ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, go to: www.ariss.org www.amsat.org www.arrl.org Also, join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status [ANS thanks ARISS and the ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Nearing Completion RadFxSat flight unit has been assembled and is going through various stages of testing before it is put through environmental (shock, vibe, bakeout) testing in August for completion in early September. Launch is scheduled for January 20, 2017. In a recent test stop in Fox Labs for a few days, most of the testing was streamed live on YouTube to give enthusiasts an opportunity to “look over the shoulder” of VPE Jerry Buxton, N0JY as he conducted tests on the flight unit along with other Fox Engineering Team members on GoToMeeting. If you missed the live video, you can view the archives at http://www.youtube.com/c/n0jy/live RadFxSat is expected to be back in Fox Labs around August 11 for another round of tests and it is planned to have live streaming during those tests as well. http://www.amsat.org/?p=5379 [ANS thanks Jerry, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium 2016 July 29-31 The 2016 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium is taking place at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, over the weekend of July 29-31. The event is open to all. The presentations will be streamed at https://beta.batc.tv/live/amsatuk A full program of presentations, covering all aspects of the amateur satellite world, has been developed for the Saturday and Sunday and a “Beginners Session” was scheduled for the Friday afternoon. AMSAT Vice President of Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA was scheduled to give an update on the AMSAT-NA Fox Satellites on Saturday. Download the PDF Schedule https://ukamsat.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/schedule-2016-amsat-uk- colloquium-issue-h.pdf Sessions will include updates on the many new satellites that are expected to be launched over the next few months. This includes Eshail-2 which will carry the first ever geostationary amateur radio transponder and provide more than 8 MHz of new intercontinental spectrum – it will provide coverage to five continents. Additionally we will have a session on how to develop software receivers using GNU radio, reviews of the Tim Peake GB1SS ARISS contacts and the STEM results achieved, information about a new 76 GHz satellite project, a review of how to operate “in the field” and lots more. [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Dayton Hamvention® 2017 Venue Announcement The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) regrets to inform our many vendors, visitors and stakeholders that, unfortunately, HARA has announced the closing of their facility. We have begun execution of our contingency plan to move Hamvention® 2017 to a new home. DARA and Hamvention® have enjoyed many successful years working together with HARA Arena and we wish the Wampler family the best. DARA and Hamvention® have been working on a contingency plan in the event HARA would become unavailable. We have spent many hours over the last few years evaluating possible locations and have found one in the area we believe will be a great new home! Due to logistics and timing issues, we will make a formal announcement introducing our new partner. This information will be coming soon. We all believe this new venue will be a spectacular place to hold our beloved event. Please rest assured we will have the event on the same weekend and, since it will be in the region, the current accommodations and outside events already planned for Hamvention® 2017 should not be affected. http://hamvention.org/dayton-hamvention-2017-venue-announcement/ [ANS thanks DARA, Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, and the Hamvention Staff for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Good-Bye, Hara Arena! Hamvention to Relocate in 2017! Hamvention® has announced that Hara Arena, the home of Hamvention since 1964, is closing, but Hamvention will continue. Hamvention 2016, the event’s 65th running, was also the last held in the six-building Hara complex. Hamvention 2017 will be held at a new, yet-to-be-disclosed location in the Dayton area. “The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) regrets to inform our many vendors, visitors and stakeholders that, unfortunately, Hara has announced the closing of their facility,” a news release from Hamvention General Chair Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, said today (July 29). “We have begun execution of our contingency plan to move Hamvention® 2017 to a new home. DARA and Hamvention have enjoyed many successful years working together with Hara Arena and we wish the Wampler family the best.” The news has struck the Amateur Radio community like a lightning bolt — albeit tempered only by DARA’s assurances that Hamvention will not be going away as well. “We are painfully aware of the loss this announcement will generate, which is why we have fought so long and hard to prevent it,” Hara Arena Marketing Director Karen Wampler said in a news release. According to Cramer, DARA and Hamvention have been working on a contingency plan in the event that the deteriorating Hara Arena ever should become unavailable. “We have spent many hours over the last few years evaluating possible locations and have found one in the area we believe will be a great new home!” The announcement said that DARA and Hamvention expect to make a formal announcement soon “introducing our new partner.” “We all believe this new venue will be a spectacular place to hold our beloved event,” Cramer said. “Please rest assured we will have the event on the same weekend and, since it will be in the region, the current accommodations and outside events already planned for Hamvention 2017 should not be affected.” “We look forward to your continued support as we move to a new future with The Dayton Hamvention.” A hockey team’s cancellation of its upcoming season earlier this month had raised questions about the future availability of Hara Arena for Hamvention®. Hara Arena has been facing long-standing financial problems — including unpaid property taxes. Renovations promised for the 2016 Hamvention never materialized. Hamvention attracted more than 25,000 visitors this spring and is worth millions of dollars to the Dayton area economy. The Wampler family has owned and operated Hara Arena since its humble origins in the 1950s, when Wampler Ballarena — then a dance hall and now an exhibit hall familiar to Hamvention visitors — was built in what had been a family- owned orchard. http://www.arrl.org/news/good-bye-hara-arena-hamvention-to-relocate-in-2017 [ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS, Heads Ham Contingent to 10 Downing Street UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS -- just back from a duty tour on the International Space Station -- headed a contingent of radio amateurs and youngsters invited to visit the new Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street earlier this month. The July 18 reception at the PM's residence celebrated the success of Peake's "Principia Mission" and his time in space. Sandringham School student Jessica Leigh, M6LPJ, and her head teacher Alan Gray, G4DJX, were among those also on hand, along with students from the Principia Mission schools. Jessica, then a brand-new ham, was the first student in the UK to speak with Peake during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) ham radio contact with the ISS. Peake inaugurated the use of the ISS Ham TV system when he spoke on January 8 with Jessica and other students at Sandringham School in Hertfordshire, England. Also attending the reception at 10 Downing Street were Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF, and the UK's first astronaut, Helen Sharman, GB1MIR, who traveled to the Russian Mir space station in 1991. Cristoforetti was among those responsible for configuring the Ham TV digital Amateur Radio TV (DATV) system on the space station. Peake dedicated part of his 6 months in space to educational activities for youngsters on Earth. He described his Principia Mission as the largest and most ambitious educational outreach program of any European space mission. It was supported by ARISS, the UK Space Agency, the ESA, and others on a long list of educational institutions and organizations. The July 29-31 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium in Guildford will feature presentations about Peake's Principia Mission, and Sandringham School students will talk about their ARISS experience. [ANS thanks ARISS and the ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- South African SDR Transponder Working Group During the first AMSAT SA SDR conversation, who met on Wednesday 27 July 2016, the participants discussed various aspects of changing transponders on future satellite missions to Software Defined Radio. The first step in the process is to develop a roadmap. The first roadmap proposals will be discussed at the group's next Skype conversation on Wednesday 10 August. The group is also working on setting up an information sharing platform. Visit www.amsatsa.org.za for more information on how to become a member of AMSAT SA and to join the SDR conversation. [ANS thanks the South African Radio League News for Sunday, 31 July 2016 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Past AMSAT President Doug Loughmiller, W5BL, SK Past AMSAT President and AMSAT Journal Editor Doug Loughmiller, W5BL, of McKinney, Texas, died on July 22. An ARRL Life Member, he was 60 and had been suffering from cancer. “This is very sad news,” said Al Ward, W5LUA. “He will be missed greatly.” Loughmiller was probably best known in recent years as a high-altitude Amateur Radio ballooning enthusiast, and he evangelized on that topic at the ARRL Centennial Convention in 2014 as well as at Dayton Hamvention®. He was the co- moderator of the BalloonSat Forum at Hamvention, and the co-founder of ARBONET (Amateur Radio Balloon over North East Texas) — described as “a poor man’s space program.” He also held a pilot’s license and was interested in motor sports, fishing, and scuba diving. He also was an active Amateur Radio instructor, and he was the recipient of the 2008 Herb S. Brier Award bestowed by the ARRL to recognize a volunteer Amateur Radio instructor. Loughmiller grew up in Indiana and, after graduating from high school there, he attended Paris Junior College in Texas. His first career was as a baker, but from there he jumped to a job in the Satellite Communications Department at the University of Surrey, in England, as a payload supervisor. Subsequently he pursued a successful career in the electronics component industry, working for Arrow Electronics, Future Electronics/FAI, and RAM Electronic Sales. Loughmiller ran for elective office in the ARRL West Gulf Division and in the North Texas Section. He was a member of the Denton County Amateur Radio Association and the Red River Valley Amateur Radio Club, where he served as president in the 1980s. A service was helded in Paris, Texas, on July 27, with many AMSAT, ARRL, and amateur radio friends in attendance. http://www.arrl.org/news/past-amsat-president-doug-loughmiller-w5bl-sk [ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Saturday, 6 August 2016 – Austin Summerfest in Austin TX *Saturday, 13 August 2016 – KL7KC Hamfest in Fairbanks AK *Saturday, 20 August 2016 – Spark in the Park in Wyoming MI *Saturday, 3 September 2016 - Shelby Hamfest in Shelby, NC (ARRL North Carolina State Convention) - AMSAT Forum Only *Saturday and Sunday, 10-11 September 2016 Boxboro Hamfest in Boxborough, MA (ARRL New England Division Convention) *Friday, 23 September 2016 – presentation at Jet Propulsion Laboratory Amateur Radio Club in Pasadena CA *Friday and Saturday, 21-22 October 2016 – CopaFest 2016, south of Maricopa AZ *Saturday, 12 November 2016 – Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club Hamfest in Marana AZ *Saturday, 3 December 2016 – Superstition Superfest in Mesa AZ *Saturday, 14 January 2017 – Thunderbird Hamfest 2017 in Phoenix AZ *Saturday, 4 February 2017 – Palm Springs Hamfest in Palm Springs CA *Friday-Sunday, 10-12 February 2017 Orlando HamCation in Orlando, FL *Friday and Saturday, 17-18 February 2017 – Yuma Hamfest in Yuma AZ [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Successful Contacts * A telebridge contact via W6SRJ with students attending the ESA Space Camp 2016 in Lenk, Switzerland, was successful Mon 2016-07-25 . * A telebridge contact via W6SRJ with students at United Space School hosted by the Foundation for International Space Education (FISE), in Seabrook TX, USA was successful Tue 2016-07-19. * A telebridge via VK4KHZ with students at the YOTA Camp 2016 IARU-R1 in Salzburg, Austria,was successful Mon 2016-07-18. * A telebridge via W6SRJ contact with students participating in Frontiers of Flight Museum's “Moon Day 2016”, Dallas TX, USA was successful Sat 2016-07-16. * A telebridge contact via W6SRJ with students from a consortium of schools attending the ISS R&D Conference, San Diego, CA, USA as part of STEM Day was successful Thu 2016-07-14. . Upcoming Contacts * A direct contact via BNØSH with students at Sacred Heart Primary School, New Taipei City, Taiwan, R.O.C, is scheduled for Tue 2016-08-02 08:36:03 UTC. The scheduled astronaut is Takuya Onishi, KF5LKS. The Sacred Heart Primary School in Taiwan was founded in 1965 and is part of the world family of Sacred Heart Schools which can be found on five continents. Its philosophy of education is rooted in the development of the whole person. This founding vision was that of a great educator- Madeleine Sophie Barat - who lived at the time of the French Revolution. In her day, as in ours, the social fabric was disintegrating. Her response was to try to rebuild and transform society through an education based on solid intellectual training and spiritual values leading to the development of the whole person. Sacred Heart Education People in East Asia are, to a large extent, shaped by Confucianism, whose tradition stresses respect for teachers and family. Our teachers are provided with regular in service training to enable them to meet the unique challenges of personal and social responsibility, posed by the influence of modern technology and the Western stress on individualism, which are rapidly changing our world. At the same time, they learn to nurture a global awareness and concern in their students. Sacred Heart School strives to give students a well-rounded education, based on the conviction that each person has talents and capacities which can contribute to the betterment of society. We believe that school is the place for students to both acquire a love of learning and experience hope, joy and fullness of life. We are convinced that true human development is based on faith in God's love for each person.Youngsters of various religious beliefs are welcome. Faith is integrated with life and students are offered an education which teaches personal values and emphasizes mutual respect among all people. At the same time, a deep appreciation for intellectual values is cultivated, allowing students to be knowledgeable, questioning, and reflective. Our students are taught to be persons capable of being both independent and able to work with others; of having a compassionate heart ? especially for the marginalized of society and of experiencing joy in service and in living for others. Creativity is encouraged in the teaching of all subjects so that the students can develop their own vision and learn to live with commitments. Profile At present the school has 781 students from 7 to 12 years of age. The campus is ideally situated in the suburbs, at the foot of the Goddess of Mercy Mountain, with the Tamsui River in the foreground. School buildings are surrounded by spacious gardens with abundant flowers, birds and trees. We believe that both dedicated educators and a healthy environment are essential to quality education which will influence the students for life. * A telebridge contact via IK1SLD with Scouts participating in Space Jam 10, in Rantoul IL, USA, is scheduled for Sat 2016-08-06 15:59:03 UTC. The scheduled astronaut is Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ. Greetings from the participants and volunteers of Space Jam 10 in Rantoul, Illinois. Though primarily a weekend Scouting and STEM education event, we are open to all interested youth. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from 27 states have come together in an educational and fun format to learn life skills that will prepare them for the increasingly complex future. We are adding Art to STEM this year making STEAM. While it is well known that Scouting teaches pioneering skills like camping and wilderness survival, the new pioneers and wilderness are in outer space and we are working hard at 44 technology oriented Merit Badges and activities, plus some fun things like the Duct Tape Merit Badge. Talking to the astronauts on the ISS is an unforgettable part of the experience at Space Jam and that's next on our list. We will not know for many years whether one of these youths becomes an astronaut themselves but it is certain that they are all part of tomorrow's leaders. Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS, Dave, AA4KN, and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over Fripp Island Activation EM92 On the AMSAT-BB, Nick, KE8AKW reports: On around July 30th to around August 6th we are going to be working the satellites from Fripp Island, South Carolina, EM92 and also will be activating IOTA NA-110 (Fripp Island) on HF 40-10 meters using a FT-857D and either a Buddipole or End fed dipole. As for our satellite work we are working all available satellites SSB/FM, the gear consists of a Arrow antenna and a IC-821. Note that we will be working the satellites and HF casually but will try to get it on air as much as possible. The operators will be either me or my Dad N8XQM behind the mic. Will try to post updates here either on the AMSAT-BB or my Twitter on how the operations are going. Fripp Island is a small island near the border of Georgia close to Savanna, it is a gated community noted for its nice vacation spot. Hope to hear you from Fripp Island. [ANS thanks Nick, KE8AKW for the above information] Chinese Rocket Burns Up Over North America The body of China's experimental Long March 7 rocket re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Wednesday night, July 27th, around 9:38 p.m. Pacific Time, creating a bright fireball over the western USA. The glowing trail was spotted in Utah, Nevada and much of California. The re-entry signaled the Long March 7's return from one month in space. It began its mission on June 25, 2016, in a night launch from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island off China's southern coast. The flight tested new technologies essential to China's developing space program. The Long March 7 is expected to play a key role in the construction of a Chinese space station planned for the decades ahead. Videos of the can be viewed here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=E1JRauKggsc [ANS thanks SpaceWeather.com for the above information] National Parks on The Air - Satellite Activation - Blue Ridge Parkway Video John Brier, KG4AKV, has post a video on YouTube of his recent NPOTA Activity. https://youtu.be/EyXZ59-t8BQ John reports this was filmed on Sunday July 17th, 2016 on the Craggy Overlook Trail on the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. I think this video is pretty fun! This was my first National Parks on The Air (NPOTA) activation and it couldn't have been more exciting and beautiful. I made ten contacts, which is the minimum required to get credit for an NPOTA activation, and half of those contacts were from a short pileup immediately after I put my call out on the bird, SO-50. This pass is from Sunday July 17th 2016 but I technically did my first activation the day before at the same place, and I even made 14 contacts on that near overhead pass, but I had more video sources (four) from Sunday than Saturday, and I also operated better, with more efficiency and with less screwups (though not none), than the Sunday activation. Saturday felt very hectic as I struggled to operate well while also tracking the relatively faster moving satellite overhead. If I make a video of that pass I'm sure it won't seem that bad to others but that's just how it felt. I probably will make a video of that pass too but I definitely also want to make more opportunities for me to experience pileups like this. That's why it was so exciting. As I said at the end of the video there are three national parks on the Outer Banks of North Carolina: Cape Lookout, Cape Hatteras and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. I'm sure those would be great places to get some cool video, though I'm not sure if I'll be able to use my DSLR out in that harsh environment! They'll also just be fun to visit. I'm thinking of trying HF operation too as I bet I could get a pileup there too. Maybe I'll get a Buddipole. That would be a cool addition to my operating because over the last year I've done almost exclusively satellite communications. It would be another opportunity for a different kind of video too. Stations contacted: 01) K8II 02) NP4JV 03) W7JSD 04) N6UA 05) KC3FHV 06) NX9B 07) W5CBF 08) KD8ATF 09) KD8VRX 10) K8YSE Please Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/SpaceComms1?sub_confirmation=1 Links to videos featured at the end: TOMSK Bandit ISS Repeater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svnB7h_k7_M My First Perfect ISS SSTV Image: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7to9uX1sWC4 Equipment I use for ISS Reception: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3JwOwjYIkM ISS Reception (Kopernik Observatory): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGFEanljOG8 [ANS thanks John Brier, KG4AKV 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, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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ANS-206 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 23 Jul '16

23 Jul '16

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-206 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 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: * AMSAT-UK Colloquium 29-31 July * AMSAT-NA 2016 Symposium at Sea * IARU President's Award to Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV * 70cm Satellite WebSDR Operational in the Netherlands * LibreCube CubeSat Open Standard Draft Open for Review and Comment * Satellite Operations From the Grand Canyon National Park * Radio Amateurs Invited to 10 Downing Street SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-206.01 ANS-185 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 206.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. July 24, 2016 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-206.01 AMSAT-UK Colloquium 29-31 July This year’s Colloquium is less than a week away. The event, taking place as usual at the Holiday Inn in Guildford, will be held over the weekend of the 29/31st July. A full programme of presentations, covering all aspects of the amateur satellite world, has been developed for the Saturday and Sunday and a “Beginners Session” is scheduled for the Friday afternoon. As well as the presentations during the day, Libby Jackson, from the UK Space Agency, with whom the ARISS UK team worked closely during the Tim Peake mission, will be speaking during the Gala Dinner on the Saturday evening. Other highlights will include visits to the SSTL facilities (Friday evening and Saturday morning) and the opportunity to see the special ground station equipment that was used for all the ARISS contacts. This will be available for use for contacts during passes of all the available satellite transponders. Visitors can either turn up on the day, book day passes on the website. The URL for the AMSAT-UK shop to book day passes is http://shop.amsat-uk.org. Day passes cost £10 per day (incl tea/coffee, etc) , please pay at the AMSAT-UK shop (not hotel reception). If you wish to attend the Gala dinner on Saturday, please book at least 7 days in advance, either with the hotel (by booking dinner, bed, and breakfast), or at the AMSAT-UK shop. As well at the AMSAT-UK shop, there will be a number of specialist suppliers present, and we are hoping that the RSGB bookshop will also be present Members and non-members will be made very welcome and booking info can be found here https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/ The Colloquium team are looking forward to meeting many old friends and making many new acquaintances during the event. [ANS thanks Jim, G3WGM, Hon Sec AMSAT-UK, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-NA 2016 Symposium at Sea Get ready to set sail for the 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting – at sea! With only a few months between now and our sailing date of November 10, cabins are starting to fill up quickly. If you have not made reservations, please consider doing so to ensure your cabin preference may be accommodated. While our AMSAT group reservation has a negotiated rate for category 4B inside cabins, many group members have opted to reserve ocean view and balcony cabins. IMPORTANT NOTES: - Booking your Carnival Cruise does not register you for the AMSAT Symposium. There is a charge for each Symposium attendee of $40. This fee applies to those who will attend the technical presentations only and includes a copy of the printed Proceedings. Additional guests are entitled to attend all other events. The registration form is available from the AMSAT office or store website. - The AMSAT 2016 Space Symposium Cruise flyer included in the 2016 Board of Directors ballot mailing lists an incorrect group booking code. The correct AMSAT group code is 8Z0FR5. - Ground transportation options have been added to the FAQ page on the AMSAT Symposium web page. Carnival offers round-trip transportation from HOU airport to the cruise terminal at approximately $74 per person, IAH airport $94 per person. CONTACT INFORMATION AND LINKS: - Symposium registration: http://store.amsat.org/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=130 - Cruise registration: 1-800-438-6744 extension number 70005. Our group name is AMSAT and the group code is 8Z0FR5. Outside of the USA, the number to call is +1 305-599-2600 extension number 70005 (not available on weekends.) DATES AND LOCATION: - 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting November 10-14 aboard the Carnival Liberty departing from Galveston, Texas. - 2016 AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting November 9-10 at the DoubleTree Galveston Beach Hotel, Galveston, Texas. [ANS thanks Clayton, W5PFG, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- IARU President's Award to Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV On Thursday 21 July, Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, was informed by the IARU Secretariat that the IARU President's Award has been awarded to him for his many years of service to the IARU and the contributions he has made to the IARU especially in the area of satellite frequency coordination. The award will be presented to Hans during an upcoming League function. Congratulations Hans. [ANS thanks the South African Radio League News for July 23, 2016 for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- 70cm Satellite WebSDR Operational in the Netherlands Fontys University Eindhoven, Netherlands, has opened their PI5FTS WebSDR to the amateur radio community. This site will receive the 70cm amateur satellite band: http://vhf.pi5fts.nl/ You need both Java and JavaScript enabled for this page to work properly. If you don't hear anything, probably Java is disabled or its version is too old (i.e., pre-1.4.2). A web chat feature for the SDR users is also included on the site. It is operated by Harry and Martin, e-mail pa3dsc-at-veron.nl. [ANS thanks the Fontys University Eindhoven for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- LibreCube CubeSat Open Standard Draft Open for Review and Comment The LibreCube standard project is engaged in the endeavor to write on a handbook that surveys openly available space standards (mostly ECSS and CCSDS) for potential application in CubeSat missions. In a message posted to the cubesat.org list, Artur Scholz announced that the draft of this handbook is now ready for review. It mainly consists of two parts: 1. Processes (i.e. Management, Quality, and Engineering) 2. Systems(i.e. the Space System, composed of Space Segment and Ground Segment). The reasoning for standardizing Processes is to improve quality and reliability, and to allow for cross support in testing. The benefit of standardizing Systems is improved reliability, collaboration, and cross support during development and operations. The table of contents is here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_-jwG2gLchfa19KeHBsc1B6cWM End of the year this handbook will be published as freely available open book. Before that, it would be extremely useful to get extensive feedback and review of the draft. If you would be willing to contribute as a reviewer and receive the draft, please provide the editor, Artur Scholz (artur.scholz(a)librecube.net) the following details of you: - full name - email - short background about yourself and experience with CubeSats/SmallSats Your feedback on the draft will be duly acknowledge in the final book! [ANS thanks Artur Scholz and the LibreCube Project for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Operations From the Grand Canyon National Park Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK, reported that the ARRL just released the July issue of their National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) newsletter for National Park Service staff and volunteers. On the last page of this month's newsletter is a short mention of one way to deal with an "uncooperative ionosphere" - work satellites. It shows Fernando Ramirez, NP4JV, working a satellite from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona. These newsletters are at: http://www.arrl.org/npota-for-nps and the July issue is available at: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/NPOTA-News/NPOTA-July2016.pdf Fernando commented, "It was a nice surprise to find our picture on this month's ARRL National Park on the Air newsletter! I am humbled by the mention. "I'm also happy to see that some of our trips and portable operations are helping to promote AMSAT and their goal of 'advancing the state of the art in space science, space education, and space technology.'" Fernando frequently posts reports of his satellite operating activities via Twitter where his ID is @NP4JV. You may also visit: http://twitter.com/NP4JV to see his activities, including the photo that got his name in the news. Sean Kutzko, KX9X, at the ARRL wrote via the AMSAT-BB, "It was an easy choice; that photo is amazing!" Congratulations, Fernando! [ANS thanks Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK/VA7EWK, Fernando Ramirez, NP4JV, and Sean Kutzko, KX9X, at the ARRL for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Radio Amateurs Invited to 10 Downing Street Radio amateurs were invited to a reception at the UK Prime Minister’s residence to celebrate the successful mission of UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI / GB1SS. Sandringham school student Jessica Leigh M6LPJ and her head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX attended the event with Tim Peake GB1SS. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF and the UK’s first astronaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR also attended. Jessica was the first UK school student to establish amateur radio communications with Tim Peake during his six month mission on the International Space Station. The contact took place on January 8, 2016 and was featured on national TV and in the press. Year 10 pupil Jessica M6LPJ, along with two other students Polly M6POG and Emma M6GJQ, passed her amateur radio Foundation exam just before Christmas 2015 after training with the Verulam Amateur Radio Club. Sandringham school caters for 1300 students aged 11-19 with 100 teachers including specialist teachers of computing science and three female physics teachers all of whom have a specialist interest in space and astronomy. In addition, the head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX is a very active radio amateur who was extremely supportive of the ISS contact. Sandringham School presentation by ML&S https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/28/sandringham-school-presentation/ Video of Tim Peake amateur radio contact with Sandringham School https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/09/video-tim-peake-sandringham/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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ANS-199 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 16 Jul '16

16 Jul '16

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-199 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 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: * ARISS Well Represented at ISS R&D Conference * LUSEX Transponder Test Successful * Home of Australia's First Satellite is at it Again * Cubesat Launch Opportunity for December | Are You Ready To Go? * LilacSat-2 Linear Transponder Tested * AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Ballots in the Mail * Satellite Activation of NPOTA Blue Ridge Pkwy PK01 * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-199.01 ANS-199 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 199.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. July 17, 2016 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-199.01 ARISS Well Represented at ISS R&D Conference ARISS was well represented at the ISS R&D Conference, held this past week in San Diego. An ARISS Team led by ARISS International Chairman and AMSAT VP for Human Spaceflight Frank H. Bauer KA3HDO, had the opportunity to meet with others that have a vested interest in or support to the ISS-including those responsible for ISS payloads, scientists/researchers, contractors, aerospace developers and NASA employees. The team including Bauer, Rosalie White K1STO, Kerry Banke N6IZW, Tim Bosma W6MU, and Dave Taylor W8AAS, staffed a display and helped with an ARISS contact during the conference. The ARISS contact was conducted among a consortium of schools attending the ISS R&D conference as part of STEM day and telebridged via W6SRJ. Descriptions of the schools participating in the contact are shown below: Lake Elementary School, Oceanside, CA Lake Elementary School opened in 1989 in southeastern Oceanside. A top priority continues to be the use of technology by students and staff to prepare children for 21st Century College and Career readiness. Community Montessori Charter School, Escondido , CA CMCS currently serves approximately 375 students in grades K-8. Students attend one of five resource centers located throughout San Diego county, and are on a Montessori home study program. Vista Magnet Middle School, Vista, CA Students will be literate, reflective and critical thinkers in all areas of interaction who transfer knowledge and embrace diversity within a global society. Monte Vista Elementary School, Vista, CA Our vision at Monte Vista Elementary is to ignite a love of learning and a sense of curiosity in all students. We will promote academic achievement through high expectations and develop problem solvers who are technologically proficient. Lilac School, Valley Center, CA The Lilac Learning Community shares a commitment to exploring, developing and differentiating deliberate, effective strategies and practices for learning in a dynamic environment of collaboration, inquiry and diversity. STAR Prep Academy, Los Angeles, CA The STAR PREP ACADEMY is an extraordinary private middle & high school for students who seek an individualized approach to learning, based on their desired areas of specialization. Westminster Christian School, Miami, FL Founded in 1961, Westminster is an independent, college-preparatory, coeducational Christian school serving 1,241 students from preschool through 12th grade. There were 210 in attendance near CASIS Space Station Explorers booth. Astronauts Carl Walz and Josh Cassada attended and talked with audience pre and post contact. All 16 students asked and had their questions answered with a total of 21 questions being answered. The event was covered by San Diego TV station Channel 8 (CBS). [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- LUSEX Transponder Test Successful On the night of Wednesday 13 July, the scheduler loaded into the computers of fresh, the satellite ñusat1 that houses the lusex, active the experiment of Amsat-Lu. The breath of the transponder could be received between 145.950 and 145.955 with more intensity and heard the call of lu1esy and the issuance of lu9do CW. These first tests will continue during the next weekend conducted by lu1cgb, to try to improve the living conditions of the operational lusex. Those who live in the ignition of the lussat-1 we could feel the same way this "birth" of lusex and feel the same way. Friends, it's an honor to join the group of lusex development, which is proposed and I reach the goal and congratulations... We by the commitment to achieve it. In a follow-up it was reported "...07/14 LUSEX transponder was activated. We heard noise from space @145.950 and then a call from LU1ESY. Transponder is under test, enabled occasionally. We are very excited. More news soon. http://lusex.org.ar https://facebook.com/Amsat.LU http://amsat.org.ar [ANS thanks Nacho LU1ESY for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Home of Australia's First Satellite is at it Again The Melbourne University is now designing a CubeSat, and hopefully will have it ready for launch in 2018. The same university built Australia's first Amateur Radio satellite Australis-OSCAR-5, that was launched on 23 January 23, 1970. It was then the first Amateur Radio satellite built outside of the United States. Australis-OSCAR-5 was a beacon on 29.450 MHz and 144.050 MHz with telemetry starting with HI sent in Morse code, with sensors giving the battery voltage, temperature and the satellite's orientation. Passive magnetic attitude stabilisation was achieved by two bar magnets to align with the Earth's magnetic field to provide a favourable antenna footprint. Built on a small budget, it had bed springs for deploying the bird, and a cut down metallic measuring tape for antennas that extended from the sides of the satellite. At least 200 observers heard it reporting from 27 countries up to 46 days before going silent when its batteries failed. Today, Melbourne University Engineering Department students are working on the CubeSat project and restoring the Melbourne University old dish tracking antenna getting it ready for launch day. Despite its small size the satellite's state-of-the-art communications system can send more data than other satellites, because of a world- first antenna that uses a special acid for inflation in space. The new CubeSat could potentially find applications in agriculture, weather monitoring or even as a telescope in space. [ANS thank Jim Linton, VK3PC and the VK1WIA News for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cubesat Launch opportunity for December | are you ready to go? In an email to the Cubesat,org mailing list, Abe Bonnema Marketing Director, ISIS - Innovative Solutions In Space wrote, "Dear CubeSat (and nanosat) developers, "We normally present launch opportunities well in advance and primarily through our website, at conferences and in direct communication with you, yet given the very short time available, we opted for using the great medium of the CubeSat mailing list to make you aware of a very interesting, short-term launch opportunity; Launch Vehicle: Indian PSLV Launch Period: Dec 2016 - Feb 2017 Orbit: 580 km SSO Launch Interface: ISISpace QuadPack or DuoPack family deployers (or ISIPOD on request) (www.isispace.nl/cubesats/#supported-sizes) "We have a few 1U/2U/3U or 6U slots available still. "We'll have to close the manifest and configuration in the coming weeks. So if you're still looking for a launch from end of this year, and the abovementioned orbit is suitable, please contact us through launches(a)isispace.nl. We'll be at the CubeSat Workshop and SmallSat as well for possible final additions to the manifest. Looking forward to placing your satellites on this (or another, future) launch." [ANS thanks Abe Bonnema for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- LilacSat-2 Linear Transponder Tested On July 10, 2016 the SSB/CW linear transponder on the student built satellite LilacSat-2 was successfully tested LilacSat-2, call sign BJ1SI, was built by students at the Harbin Institute of Technology and launched on September 19, 2015. The 40 kHz wide SSB/CW transponder is Non-Inverting which means the Doppler shift of a signal going through the transponder will be twice that seen on other Low Earth Orbit inverting linear transponder satellites. Clayton Coleman W5PFG reported that he and Glenn Miller AA5PK had a contact through the transponder, a recording can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/w5pfg/lilacsat-2-2016-07-11-1315z-ssb- transponder The transponder frequencies are: • 144.3425-144.3825 MHz Uplink • 437.180-437.220 MHz Downlink It is not yet known when the transponder will be activated again. LilacSat-2 https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/lilacsat-2/ [ANS thanks Southgate ARN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Ballots in the Mail Ballots have been mailed to AMSAT-NA members in good standing, and must be returned to the AMSAT-NA office by September 15, 2016 in order to be counted. Those sent outside North America were sent by air mail. If you have not received your ballot package in a reasonable time for your QTH, please contact the AMSAT-NA office. Your completed ballot should be sent as promptly as possible, and those from outside North American preferably by air mail or other expedited means. This year there are five candidates: Tom Clark, K3IO Clayton Coleman, W5PFG Mark Hammond, N8MH Bruce Paige, KK5DO Paul Stoetzer, N8HM The three candidates receiving the highest number of votes will be seated as voting Board Members with two year terms. The two candidates receiving the next highest number of votes will be non-voting Alternate Board Members with terms of one year. Please vote for no more than three candidates. Please take the time to review the candidate statements that accompany the ballot and determine who you wish to see on the Board. Election of Board members is both an obligation as well as an opportunity by our membership to help shape the future direction of AMSAT-NA. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Activation of NPOTA Blue Ridge Pkwy PK01 John Brier's KG4AKV first National Parks on The Air activation from Blue Ridge Parkway PK01 EM85 at Craggy Gardens in North Carolina was a big success and very fun. On the July 16th 1546 UTC SO-50 pass he made fourteen contacts with the following stations, in order of contact: K8YSE, N8HM, K4FEG, KM4ULB, W2JV, KI4RO, WI9I, WA5KBH, W4DTA, N4UFO, AA5PK, WU2M, K5ND, W1PA. John thanks all the above stations. To those he couldn't get back to, like NP4JV, he suggests "we'll have to do it next time." John stated he really enjoyed the spot he found, it had a very wide open view to the west and was mostly clear in the other directions except for some small brush in the immediate vicinity. It was also out of the way from most of the park attendees, so he didn't have to annoy anyone expecting a tranquil nature hike. After the pass he wasn't sure he made the ten contacts he needed to get credit to be an activator, so he made several more contacts on 146.520 simplex, talking to stations in South Carolina, Charlotte, Hickory, Hendersonville, and a few more nearby towns. He was also able to connect with one of the Golden Packet [1] stations in Roan Mountain and communicated with him over the UHF coordination frequency. He helped John configure his Kenwood TH-D72a to communicate on their APRS network and they shared several packets. John wasn't digipeated along the whole length of the Appalachian Trail, nor did he stick around for the golden packet attempt, but he did communicate directly with one of the stations using the official frequency, and states "that was very cool." John hopes to take part more seriously next year. John further thanks Bob, WB4APR, for responding to his NPOTA activation announcement email to let him know about the event. A picture of the video of the beautiful view where he recorded the SO-50 pass is on his Twitter profile. He plans to make a video of the pass for his "Space Comms" YouTube channel. New videos are released there every Wednesday. This coming Wednesday, July 20th, won't be a video of this NPOTA activation as he has already started work on an ISS SSTV video, but look for the NPOTA video in two weeks. http://aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html https://twitter.com/johnbrier/status/754349709104480256 https://www.youtube.com/c/Spacecomms1 [ANS thanks John KG4AKV for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + A Successful contact was made between Frontiers of Flight Museum's "Moon Day 2016", Dallas TX USA and Astronaut Jeff Williams KD5TVQ using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Sat 2016-07-16 15:54:09 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via W6SRJ. ARISS Mentor was Keith W5IU. + A Successful contact was made ISS R&D Conference, San Diego, CA, USA and Astronaut Jeff Williams KD5TVQ using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Thu 2016-07-14 16:03:33 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via W6SRJ. ARISS Mentor was Frank KA3HDO. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: YOTA Camp 2016 IARU-R1, Salzburg, Austria, telebridge via VK4KHZ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Contact is a go for: United Space School hosted by the Foundation for International Space Education (FISE), Seabrook TX, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Contact is a go for: Tue 2016-07-19 14:52:20 UTC Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Skripochka RN3FU Contact is a go for Thu 2016-07-23 18:50 UTC [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The world's largest radio telescope has just been completed China's 30-soccer-field-wide radio telescope will start the hunt for extraterrestrials. For the full story visit http://tinyurl.com/ANS199-RadioTelescope [ANS thanks Astronomy Magazine 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, AA8EM (former KC8YLD) kc8yld at amsat dot org

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ANS-192 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Joseph Spier 09 Jul '16

09 Jul '16

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-192 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 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: * AMSAT Field Day Submissions Due July 11 * AMSAT Awards Update * Two Radio Amateurs Set to Head for the International Space Station * Australia CubeSat Testing Begins * AMSAT Events * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-192.01 ANS-192 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 192.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE July 10, 2016 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-192.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Field Day Submissions Due July 11 If you participated in Field Day and you plan on submitting your group's score, you have until 23:59 PM on Monday, July 11th to get those submission sheets in to AMSAT. AMSAT's deadline is sooner than the ARRL deadline for Field Day. Bruce Paige, KK5DO, will then prepare the story and send it off to the editor of the AMSAT Journal who will have it in the upcoming issue that goes to press shortly thereafter. Please send your score sheet and photos to Bruce kk5do(a)arrl.net or kk5do(a)amsat.org You will receive an email back that day or the next day when Bruce has received your submission. If you do not receive the email, he did not get it. Don't assume that because you sent it,it was received. Make sure you get the confirmation email. [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Awards Update Congrats to all who have earned an AMSAT Award since the last posting. AMSAT Satellite Communicators Award for making their first satellite QSO Vinícius Leite, PU4VLT Marcos Kazan, PU2MXU Cleber Rodrigues PU3IBD Pitor Gorecki, SP9RXP Malcolm Harper, VE2DDZ Italo Adriano B.C. Marcelino, PU7ASP Marc-Andre Gingras, VA2EI ------ AMSAT Century Club Award Carl Noll, KA4H #46 ------ AMSAT Robert W. Barbee Jr., W4AMI Award Ramirez-Ferrer, NP4JV #86 1000+ To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or http://www.amsatnet.com/awards.html [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Two Radio Amateurs Set to Head for the International Space Station Two Amateur Radio licensees are part of the International Space Station (ISS) crew increment bound for the orbiting outpost this week. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, astronaut Takuya Onishi, KF5LKS, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin of Roscosmos will launch early on July 7 (0136 UTC) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The trio will spend approximately 4 months on station and will return to Earth in October. An upgraded Soyuz MS-01 spacecraft will carry Rubins, Onishi, and Ivanishin into space. They will test modified systems for 2 days - 34 Earth orbits - before docking with the ISS on July 9. According to NASA, the modified Soyuz is equipped with upgraded thrusters that are fully redundant, additional micrometeoroid debris shielding, redundant electrical motors for the Soyuz docking probe, and increased power with more photovoltaic cells on the spacecraft's solar arrays. This week's launch will mark the first of at least two missions in which enhanced Soyuz hardware will be tested and verified. Once the hatches between the Soyuz and the ISS have been opened, Expedition 48 Commander Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, of NASA, and Flight Engineers Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, and Alexey Ovchinin of Roscosmos will greet their new crewmates. The Expedition 48 crew members will continue experiments in biology, biotechnology, physical science, and Earth science. Rubins, Onishi, and cosmonaut Ivanishin will replace Expedition 47 Commander Tim Kopra, KE5UDN; Flight Engineer Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS, and Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP, who returned to Earth in mid-June after a little more than 6 months in space. NASA TV will cover the launch and the arrival online at, http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html#public . About ARISS Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) is a cooperative venture of international amateur radio societies and the space agencies that support the International Space Station (ISS). In the United States, sponsors are the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The primary goal of ARISS is to promote exploration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics by organizing scheduled contacts via amateur radio between crew members aboard the ISS and students in classrooms or informal education venues. With the help of experienced amateur radio volunteers, ISS crews speak directly with large audiences in a variety of public forums. Before and during these radio contacts, students, teachers, parents, and communities learn about space, space technologies, and amateur radio. For more information, go to: www.ariss.org www.amsat.org www.arrl.org Also, join us on Facebook: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Follow us on Twitter: ARISS_status [ANS thanks the ARRL and ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Australia CubeSat Testing Begins Satellites are being tested at the Australian National University Mount Stromlo space facility in Canberra ahead of a mass satellite launch from the International Space Station later this year. The three CubeSats to be rigorously proven as space-ready have been developed by researchers at ANU, the University of Sydney, University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. In one Australian experiment, space weather and solar activity will be looked at as they are important to GPS navigation, financial systems and electricity grids. A second CubeSat will carry new instruments to measure atmospheric water and carbon dioxide. The third will carry four separate experiments including a specially designed receiver and electronics with the ability to self-repair if hit by radiation and something breaks. The Australian CubeSats will be launched as part of the European Union’s QB50 program of 50 satellites from 27 countries including Brazil, China, Europe, Russia and the USA. [ANS thanks WIA News and Jim Linton VK3PC for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Events Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations). *Saturday, 6 August 2016 – Austin Summerfest in Austin TX *Saturday, 13 August 2016 – KL7KC Hamfest in Fairbanks AK *Saturday, 20 August 2016 – Spark in the Park in Wyoming MI *Saturday, 3 September 2016 - Shelby Hamfest in Shelby, NC (ARRL North Carolina State Convention) - AMSAT Forum Only *Saturday and Sunday, 10-11 September 2016 Boxboro Hamfest in Boxborough, MA (ARRL New England Division Convention) *Friday, 23 September 2016 – presentation at Jet Propulsion Laboratory Amateur Radio Club in Pasadena CA *Friday and Saturday, 21-22 October 2016 – CopaFest 2016, south of Maricopa AZ *Saturday, 12 November 2016 – Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club Hamfest in Marana AZ *Saturday, 3 December 2016 – Superstition Superfest in Mesa AZ *Saturday, 14 January 2017 – Thunderbird Hamfest 2017 in Phoenix AZ *Saturday, 4 February 2017 – Palm Springs Hamfest in Palm Springs CA *Friday-Sunday, 10-12 February 2017 Orlando HamCation in Orlando, FL *Friday and Saturday, 17-18 February 2017 – Yuma Hamfest in Yuma AZ [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Sucessful Contacts * Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, telebridge via VK5ZAI The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Contact was successful: Wed 2016-07-06 14:28:20 UTC 77 degx A successful telebridge contact this morning. All 20 questions were answered, with time to spare for a round of thanks from the audience and a farewell from Jeff. * A direct contact via DN1JKG with students at Justus-Knecht-Gymnasium, Bruchsal, Germany was successful Fri 2016-07-01. The Justus-Knecht-Gymnasium is one of the biggest schools of general education in the administrative district of Karlsruhe in Baden-Wurttemberg. More than 1,300 students are taught by over one hundred teachers. Our focus is on a scientific profile with the succession of languages being English-French or English-Latin. Furthermore, science and technology is a major subject starting in year 8. About 85% of our students opt for this profile. For four years now the Justus-Knecht-Gymnasium has been one of 44 model schools in Baden-Wurttemberg which allow students to take their A-levels at different speeds - either after eight or nine years of secondary education. The Justus-Knecht-Gymnasium is also participating in three different educational pilot projects. In the last two years leading up to their A-levels, students may take up Mathematics "plus" (an enhanced version of the subject Mathematics, six lessons a week) or computer science as a major subject as well as science and technology as a minor subject. Additionally, there are optional subjects for senior students, such as for example psychology, philosophy, drama, and especially natural sciences like geology, computer algebra, computer science, and astronomy. The Justus-Knecht-Gymnasium cooperates with partners in various fields, especially the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In 2015 the town of Bruchsal organized the "Heimattage Baden-Württemberg" (Homeland Days of Baden-Württemberg). The Justus Knecht-Gymnasium took part in different projects, e.g. "Heimat Erde" (Homeland Earth). Students of different years worked on the topic. Moreover there's a study team working together with the amateur radio operators of Bruchsal. They established radio communication, built a stratosphere balloon and prepared the radio link to the ISS. see: http://www.jkg.ka.schule-bw.de/ (Note: above link is in German) BadenTV video link (Also in German) http://www.baden-tv.com/mediathek/video/iss-funkkontakt-date-mit-einem- raumfahrer/ * A direct contact vie RZ9WWB with The All-Russian Public Organization Radio And Radiolûbitel 'Stva" The Russian Amateur Radio Union", in Ufa, Russia, was successful Thu 2016-06-30. Upcoming Contacts * ISS R&D Conference, San Diego, CA, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Contact is go for: Thu 2016-07-14 16:03:33 UTC 37 deg Descriptions of the schools participating in the contact are shown below. Lake Elementary School, Oceanside, CA Lake Elementary School opened in 1989 in southeastern Oceanside. A top priority continues to be the use of technology by students and staff to prepare children for 21st Century College and Career readiness. Community Montessori Charter School, Escondido , CA CMCS currently serves approximately 375 students in grades K-8. Students attend one of five resource centers located throughout San Diego county, and are on a Montessori home study program. Vista Magnet Middle School, Vista, CA Students will be literate, reflective and critical thinkers in all areas of interaction who transfer knowledge and embrace diversity within a global society. Monte Vista Elementary School, Vista, CA Our vision at Monte Vista Elementary is to ignite a love of learning and a sense of curiosity in all students. We will promote academic achievement through high expectations and develop problem solvers who are technologically proficient. Lilac School, Valley Center, CA The Lilac Learning Community shares a commitment to exploring, developing and differentiating deliberate, effective strategies and practices for learning in a dynamic environment of collaboration, inquiry and diversity. STAR Prep Academy, Los Angeles, CA The STAR PREP ACADEMY is an extraordinary private middle & high school for students who seek an individualized approach to learning, based on their desired areas of specialization. Westminster Christian School, Miami, FL Founded in 1961, Westminster is an independent, college-preparatory, coeducational Christian school serving 1,241 students from preschool through 12th grade. * Frontiers of Flight Museum's “Moon Day 2016”, Dallas TX, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Jeff Williams KD5TVQ Contact is go for : Sat 2016-07-16 15:54:09 UTC 88 deg * Ufa, Russia, direct via TBD The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Skripochka RN3FU Contact is a go for Thu 2016-07-23 18:50 UTC Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled. [ANS thanks ARISS, Dave, AA4KN, and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over Upcoming High Altitude Balloon Flights Include Amateur Radio The Amateur Radio High Altitude Ballooning e-mail list (BALLOON_SKED(a)yahoogroups.com) reports that two upcoming flights will include amateur radio payloads beyond the usual APRS downlinks used for tracking. ----- 2016-07-23 @ 09:00 MST Arizona Near Space Research to launch: ANSR-101 from the Williams Ham Fest, Williams, Arizona (35.2587, -112.185 Grid: DM35VG) Website: http://www.ansr.org, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ballooning/ Tracking via APRS.FI: KA7NSR-6, KA7NSR-7 Telemetry: APRS: 144.340 MHz, Also 445.925, both digipeated to 144.39 2 crossband repeaters: Uplink #1: 146.560 MHz CTCSS 162.2 Downlink #1: 445.925 MHz Uplink #2: 147.560 MHz CTCSS 89.1 Downlink #2: 446.025 MHz Live video streaming on 440 MHz and 2.4 GHz to ground station at Ham Fest. Contact: Bill McLean bmclean1(a)gmail.com QRZ: KA7NSR ----- 2016-08-06 @ 07:45 CDT Balloon Assisted Stratospheric Experiments (DePauw University) to launch BASE 90 from Rantoul National Aviation Center Airport-Frank Elliott Field Rantoul, IL (100 miles south of Chicago; 40.294, -88.142 Grid: EN50WH) during the Space Jam 10 Boy Scout Jamboree Website: http://www.depauw.edu/academics/departments-programs/physics-astronomy/ department-research/base/ Tracking via APRS.FI: WB9SA-11 Telemetry: APRS: 144.390MHz Contact: Howard Brooks hlbrooks(a)depauw.edu QRZ: WB9SA Crossband repeater and SSTV downlink frequencies will be announced. [ANS thanks the BALLOON_SKED(a)yahoogroups.com list 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, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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ANS-185 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 02 Jul '16

02 Jul '16

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-185 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 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: * AMSAT Field Day Submissions * AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2016 * North Texas "Moon Day" for AMSAT, ARISS and Amateur Radio * South Africa Satellite Day * UAE Satellite Will Have Amateur Radio Transponder SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-185.01 ANS-185 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 185.01 From AMSAT HQ Kensington, MD. July 3, 2016 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-185.01 AMSAT Field Day Submissions Now that Field Day is only a blur, it is time to prepare your score and submit it for the AMSAT Field Day results. All submissions are due by 11:59PM Central Time on Monday, July 11, 2016. Bruce Paige, KK5DO, will then prepare the story and send it off to the editor of the AMSAT Journal who will have it in the upcoming issue that goes to press shortly thereafter. Please send your score sheet and photos to Bruce kk5do(a)arrl.net or kk5do(a)amsat.org You will receive an email back that day or the next day when Bruce has received your submission. If you do not receive the email, he did not get it. Don't assume that because you sent it,it was received. Make sure you get the confirmation email. [ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2016 This year’s Colloquium is now only a few weeks away. The event, taking place as usual at the Holiday Inn in Guildford, will be held over the weekend of the 29/31st July. A full programme of presentations, covering all aspects of the amateur satellite world, has been developed for the Saturday and Sunday and a “Beginners Session” is scheduled for the Friday afternoon. Sessions will include updates on the many new satellites that are expected to be launched over the next few months. This includes Eshail-2 which will carry the first ever geostationary amateur radio transponder and provide more than 8MHz of new intercontinental spectrum - it will provide coverage to five continents. Additionally we will have a session on how to develop software receivers using GNU radio, reviews of the Tim Peake ARISS contacts and the STEM results achieved, information about a new 76GHz satellite project, a review of how to operate “in the field” and lots more. As well as the presentations during the day, Libby Jackson, from the UK Space Agency, with whom the ARISS UK team worked closely during the Tim Peake mission, will be speaking during the Gala Dinner on the Saturday evening. Other highlights will include visits to the SSTL facilities (Friday evening and Saturday morning) and the opportunity to see the special ground station equipment that was used for all the ARISS contacts. This will be available for use for contacts during passes of all the available satellite transponders. Visitors can either turn up on the day, book day passes on the website or, if planning an overnight stay, now is the last week to make their hotel bookings at the preferential rate and which have been block-booked by AMSAT-UK. The URL for the AMSAT-UK shop to book day passes is http://shop.amsat-uk.org. If you wish to book overnight accommodation, please contact the hotel direct on 01483 784413. Please note that due to problems with their booking system THE HOTEL WILL KEEP OUR RESERVED ROOMS UNTIL 6 JUL. Day passes cost £10 per day (incl tea/coffee, etc) , please pay at the AMSAT-UK shop (not hotel reception). If you wish to attend the Gala dinner on Saturday, please book at least 7 days in advance, either with the hotel (by booking dinner, bed, and breakfast), or at the AMSAT-UK shop. As well at the AMSAT-UK shop, there will be a number of specialist suppliers present, and we are hoping that the RSGB bookshop will also be present Members and non-members will be made very welcome and booking info can be found here https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/ The Colloquium team are looking forward to meeting many old friends and making many new acquaintances during the event. [ANS thanks Jim, G3WGM, Hon Sec AMSAT-UK, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- North Texas "Moon Day" for AMSAT, ARISS and Amateur Radio July 16th, 2016 will be the date for the annual "Moon Day" at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field in Dallas, TX, STEM event. Check out http://www.flightmuseum.com/moon-day-2016/ for more information. Moon Day is a large space exploration and science themed STEM event from 10a-5P that features numerous exhibitors, technology demonstrations, an ARISS contact with the ISS and AMSAT/Amateur Radio as key elements. Over 1500 attended last year's event including many Boy/Girl Scouts and other young people and families. This year's event might be even bigger. As last year, AMSAT members from North Texas, along with the Dallas Amateur Radio Club, will have a shared display space with STEM activities for people to learn about satellites, orbital mechanics and the exciting possibilities of personal communications through Amateur Radio and Amateur Radio satellites. Aside from the indoor space, we want to be able to offer multiple opportunities for satellite pass demos on the outside of the building as well. Keith Pugh, W5IU, will be the ARISS Mentor/coordinator for the scheduled ARISS contact and has a support team for that but we need other Amateur Satellite enthusiasts to help man the display space and also to run the pass demos outside the facility. Tom Schuessler, N5HYP, has communicated with the event coordinator asking them to provide an approved outside space and published promotion and "Carrots" to get people out there. Being summer and most likely hot. Tom also asked if there could have some sort of tent or easy-up to block the sun from the operating point. What is needed are people to man the inside display table, where you will get to explain some of the basics of Amateur Radio satellites, orbits, footprints and cubesat to hundreds of inquisitive young people. Also needed are some experienced satellite and Amateur Radio operators who will be willing to handle the heat outside and get people involved with this fun aspect of our hobby. (With enough of us we can do shifts). There is quite a good list of pass opportunities between 10a and 5p so you would not be bored. Please let Tom, N5HYP, or Keith, W5IU, know if you can join us and help with a great public outreach for Amateur Radio and AMSAT. [ANS thanks Tom, N5HYP, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- South Africa Satellite Day AMSAT SA is planning to arrange a weekly satellite day to encourage radio amateurs to operate satellites. The proposal is to dedicate preferred slots for satellite operation, for example Tuesday between 18:00 and 23:00. There are a number of relatively easy to operate satellites. These will be identified and operating slots with details about the orbit and time over South Africa and neighboring countries will be published in advance. AMSAT SA is seeking input from radio amateurs who would be interested in participating. Please send your proposals and ideas to saamsat(a)intekom.co.za [ANS thanks the SARL weekly news in English 2016-7-2 for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- UAE Satellite Will Have Amateur Radio Transponder The United Arab Emirates newspaper The National reports on the Nayif-1 spacecraft developed by Emirati students from the American University of Sharjah in partnership with The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre. Nayif-1 carries a 435/145 MHz transponder (FUNcube-5) for amateur radio SSB/CW communications. It is expected to launch along with other amateur radio satellites such as Fox-1C and Fox-1D on a SpaceX rocket between September and November 2016. The National says: Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of The Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre, said the satellite’s development was a testament to its commitment to develop Emirati talent. “There is no doubt that the field of satellite design and manufacturing is a new industry to UAE universities and students,” Mr Al Shaibani said. “The Emirati students possess the skills and capabilities to design and build a CubeSat as a result of a knowledge-transfer strategy and cooperation between academic and professional institutions that are launching real space projects, enabling students to see the product of their work as a reality in space.” The satellite is about 10 cubic centimetres and weighs about 1 kilogram. One of its most notable features is that it is programmed to transfer messages in Arabic. “This is a great achievement and a source of pride for all of us,” said Dr Bjorn Kjerfve, chancellor of American University of Sharjah. Nayif-1 CubeSat https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/nayif-1/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK 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, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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