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November 2017
- 4 participants
- 6 discussions
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-330
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:
* AO-91 Commissioned - Declared Open for Amateur Use!
* Fox-1B/AO-91 Facts
* Special AMSAT Membership Offer Celebrating RadFxSat/AO-91
Launch/Commissioning
* FUNcube-1 Celebrates 4th Anniversary
* Video of Launches of the Currently Orbiting FUNcube Satellites
* EcAMSat Deployed From ISS - 1200 baud Telemetry & QSL Card for
Reports
* MAI-75 SSTV Over Moscow from ISS Planned for December 6-8
* UT1FG/MM Now Active
* Support AMSAT on Cyber Monday
* Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for 11-21-2017, Object Comment
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-330.01
ANS-330 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 330.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
November 26, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-330.01
AO-91 Commissioned - Declared Open for Amateur Use!
At 06:50 UTC November 23, 2017 @AMSAT Engineering officially
commissioned AO-91 (RadFxSat/Fox-1B) Satellite. AMSAT VP of
Engineering, Jery Buxton N0JY turned over operation to Mark Hammond
N8MH and AMSAT Operations in a QSO on the AO-91 repeater during the
pass over the Eastern U.S.
N8MH responded and declared AO-91 open for amateur use!
[ANS thanks AO-91 Ops Team for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Fox-1B/AO-91 Facts
Name(s): AO-91 Fox-1B (RadFxSat)
NASA catalog number: TBD
Launch: Not Earlier Than 21 Sept 2017
NASA ElaNa XIV Mission
JPSS-1 Delta II, Vandenberg AFB, CA
Orbit: LEO (Low Earth Orbit)
Inclination: 97.6908 (Assuming it is Object 43016)
Eccentricity: 0259769 (Assuming it is Object 43016)
Period: Approx. 95 minutes
Estimated orbital lifetime: 5+ years
Size: 10 x 10 x 10 cm (4 inch cube)
Weight: 1.3 kg (~3 pounds)
Transmit power: 400 mW (Minimum)
Downlink: 145.960 MHz FM voice
AFSK digital data up to 9600 bps
Uplink: 435.250 MHz FM voice (67.0 Hz CTCSS tone)
>From a communications standpoint Fox-1B has two major changes from
AO-85. First, it will fly with a more sophisticated power control
system which utilizes a Maximum Power Point Tracker to insure optimum
charging of the batteries under all illuminations. This will be
largely transparent to the typical user but will significantly
increase the available battery life. Second, the detection of the
67.0 Hz tone has been enhanced, which will also help accommodate
ground stations whose CTCSS tones may be slightly off frequency. The
combination will make accessing the satellite easier and also
decrease the likelihood of dropouts.
Doppler Shift Correction for Fox-1B
Correcting for Doppler shift will involve the same techniques as for
AO-85, with slightly
different frequencies to prevent mutual spacecraft interference:
Receive Frequency Transmit Frequency
(67.0 Hz Tone)
Satellite Position
145.960 MHz 435.240 MHz (Mem #1) AOS
145.960 MHz 435.245 MHz (Mem #2) Approaching
145.960 MHz 435.250 MHz (Mem #3) Passing
145.960 MHz 435.255 MHz (Mem #4) Departing
145.960 MHz 435.260 MHz (Mem #5) LOS
Note that the AFC on the receiver may be working hinting that making
the above adjustments may not be necessary. AMSAT VP of Engineering
Jerry Buxton N0JY states "... in ground testing with Fox-1A. We
could be +/- 10 kHz and not even know it (that's how it was tested,
one guy programmed the wrong frequency in his HT)." He adds the
caveat,
"One station on the uplink is not the same situation as real life
though."
Fox-1B Telemetry
Subaudible Telemetry
Except for a different downlink frequency, the low speed subaudible
telemetry will be the same as for AO-85. It will be supported by the
same FoxTelem software released for AO-85.
High Speed AFSK telemetry
There are no experiments on Fox-1B which will require the use of
high speed telemetry.
[ANS thanks "Getting Started With Amateur Satellites 2107" By G.
Gould Smith WA4SXM and Friends and other sources for the above
information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Special AMSAT Membership Offer Celebrating RadFxSat/AO-91
Launch/Commissioning
As part of the preparations for the launch of RadFxSat on November
10th and the successful commissioning of AO-91 (RadFx/Fox-1B)opening
it for Amateur use on November 23, AMSAT is making our “Getting
Started With Amateur Satellites” book available for a limited time
as a download with any paid new or renewal membership purchased via
the AMSAT Store. This offer is only available with purchases
completed online, and for only a limited time. A perennial favorite,
Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur
satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite
operation. The 182 page book is presented in PDF format, in full
color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham
radio satellite.
Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store
at https://www.amsat.org/shop/ and selecting any membership option.
While there, check out our other items, including the M2 LEOpack
antenna system, Arrow antennas, AMSAT shirts, and other swag.
Thank you, and hear you soon on RadFxSat!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNcube-1 Celebrates 4th Anniversary
November 21st 2017, marked the fourth aniversary for FUNcube-1 in
orbit.
FUNcube-1 was launched at 07:10 UTC on November 21st 2013 and its
first signals were received immediately after deployment over the
Indian Ocean by amateurs in South Africa. Since then it has been
operating continuously in either its education mode or, with the
transponder active, in amateur mode when in eclipse and at weekends.
The spacecraft has spent the four years in space orbiting the earth
at between 640 and 580 km and has now travelled around the earth more
than 20,000 times. That represents a distance travelled of
approaching 500 million miles.
Up to now, each of the orbits has been spilt approximately 65% in
sunlight and 35% in eclipse. This has resulted in the temperatures
inside the small spacecraft varying by about 25o C during each orbit.
During the recent AMSAT Colloquium, Wouter, PA3WEG, during his
presentation about the FUNcube project mentioned that the power
available from the solar panels has been slowly increasing since
launch. This observation led the team to do some further
investigations as to the cause.
Although the launch was into a nominally Sun Synchronous orbit, over
time this has drifted and the spacecraft is now entering a period
when it will be in the sun for longer periods during each orbit.
The exact details are still being determined, but it seems likely
that, starting from January 2018, there will be periods when the
spacecraft will be in the sun for all, or almost all, of its orbits.
Of course, this means that the on-board temperatures will be much
higher than we have previously experienced in flight, although we
have some test records from pre-flight thermal air testing that were
undertaken after integration.
The key will be to discover what the equilibrium temperature will be
internally. For comparison, AO85 has already "enjoyed" periods of
full sun and its internal temperatures have reached up to around 55o
C.
So the next few months will be quite an exciting time for the team!
We remain extremely grateful to everyone is using the spacecraft for
both its educational and amateur missions. Of course we are also very
very grateful to those who are downloading the telemetry and
uploading the data to the Data Warehouse. It continues to provide a
unique record of "life on board" a 1U CubeSat in space.
FUNcube-1 / AO-73 details
TLM down link freq 145.935 MHz BPSK
Transponder:
Nominal Uplink 435.150 - 435.130 MHz LSB (Inverting) The passband
may be up to 15kHz higher depending on on-board temps. Low
temperature gives higher freqs!
Downlink 145.950 - 145.970 MHz USB
Please use a maximium uplink power of 5 watts to a 7 dBi gain
antenna. More power is not needed to use the transponder!
Currently operating full power TLM beacon (300 mW) when in sunlight,
and Transponder, plus low power (30mW) TLM beacon when in eclipse.
Normally switches to Transponder over weekends and holidays
[ANS thanks Funcube.org for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Video of Launches of the Currently Orbiting FUNcube Satellites
Wouter Weggelar, PA3WEG, released a composite video showing all
currently orbiting FUNcube family satellites being launched:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLevT3C5v6c&feature=youtu.be
[ANS thanks Wouter PA3WEG and AMSAT-UK for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
EcAMSat Deployed From ISS - 1200 baud Telemetry & QSL Card for Reports
The E. coli AntiMicrobial Satellite (EcAMSat) mission will investigate
space microgravity effects on the antibiotic resistance of E. coli, a
bacterial pathogen responsible for urinary tract infection in humans
and animals. EcAMSat is being developed through a partnership between
NASA’s Ames Research Center and the Stanford University School of
Medicine. Dr. A.C. Matin is the Stanford University Principal
Investigator.
EcAMSAT was deployed from the ISS on November 20, 2017.
EcAMSat will investigate spaceflight effects on bacterial antibiotic
resistance and its genetic basis. Bacterial antibiotic resistance may
pose a danger to astronauts in microgravity, where the immune response
is weakened. Scientists believe that the results of this experiment
could help design effective countermeasures to protect astronauts’
health during long-duration human space missions.
Operating at 437.100 MHz FM, the EcAMSat beacon sends an AX.25 packet
every 5 seconds, similar to the format of the GeneSat-1, PharmaSat,
O/OREOS, and SporeSat beacons; the packet contains data about the
spacecraft systems operation.
A tracking screen, mission information, and mission status are dis-
played on the EcAMSat Mission Dashboard: http://ecamsat.engr.scu.edu/
Links to beacon decoding and packet uploading instructions are also
included on the Dashboard.
An example of the EcAMSat QSL card is displayed at:
https://yc3bvg.blogspot.com/2017/11/ecamsat-qsl-cards.html
[ANS thanks the EcAMSat Team and NASA for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
MAI-75 SSTV Over Moscow from ISS Planned for December 6-8
The MAI-75 folks have scheduled some SSTV activity during specific
periods
each day from Dec 6-8. The times correlate to a small number of
passes each
day in range of Moscow.
Dec 6, 2017
Setup and power on - 13:40-14:20 UTC
Power off - 17:05-17:15 UTC
Dec 7, 2017
Power on - 13:45-13:55 UTC
Power off - 17:30-17:40 UTC
Dec 8, 2017
Power on - 14:05-14:15 UTC
Power off and stow - 17:00-17:10 UTC
See: https://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
UT1FG/MM Now Active
Yuri, UT1FG/MM, is back to sea on the Vessel Seahorse. It is
currently sailing from Algiers to Morocco where it will load cargo.
The plan is to sail to a USA port in the Gulf to be determined.
There are quite a few ships named Seahorse. The MMSI number is
538007572.
Yuri is using the Elk antenna but only has RG58 coax feeding it.
Even so he reports working K3SZH on AO-7 today. If he doesn't find
coax in Morocco, perhaps we can get some coax to him when he arrives
in a USA port. So he is likely to do better on a Mode B satellite
rather than one with a UHF downlink. He has keps for AO-91, AO-85
and CAS-4B.
Please wait for a while before sending your logsheets. He will
likely be able to mail qsl's when he docks in the USA.
[ANS thanks John K8YSE for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Support AMSAT on Cyber Monday
With Cyber Monday approaching, please keep AMSAT in mind while making
purchases on Amazon.com through AmazonSmile. AmazonSmile is a simple
way to support your favorite non-profit organizations, including
AMSAT. To get started, go to https://smile.amazon.com and designate
AMSAT as the recipient of a percentage of your purchases by selecting
“Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation.” After selecting AMSAT, and when
making purchases at Amazon, be sure to navigate to
https://smile.amazon.com.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Office for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for 11-21-2017, Object Comment
Due to Thanksgiving being on Thursday, the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
for this week will be today, November 21, 2017. Next week we will
continue with the normal TLE distribution on each Thursday of the
week. Note that, per comments below, AO-91 is most likely object 43016.
It appears that AO-91 is in the group of cubesats launched on 11-18-
17 that include objects 43016, 43017, and 43018. The object 43015
that we were using for AO-91 has separated enough to be confirmed as
Buccaneer RRM by 18th Space Control Squadron at Vandenburg AFB, CA.
One of 18 SPCS many missions is launch analysis.
Therefore, based analysis (by Nico Janssen, (PA0DLO) and discussion
by Alan Biddle (WA4SCA), Jerry Buxton (N0JY), Nico Janssen (PA0DLO),
Paul Stoetzer (N8HM) and myself AO-91 is most likely object 43016.
Note that these objects are still very close together and one more
change could be needed. The process of identification is one of
waiting for a group of objects to separate enough to isolate the one
you are interested in and positively identify it's signal as matching
a certain TLE set. Simple, right!
For comparison, Buccaneer (object 43015, not AO-91) is now at least
26 seconds from objects 43016, 43017, and 43018. Objects 43016,
43017, and 43018 are still about 2 seconds apart. (Analysis by
Nico,PA0DLO)
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[ANS thanks ******** for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ARISS News
+ A Successful contact was made between I.C. Villasanta, Villasanta
Italy and College Pierre de Fermat, Toulouse, France
and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign NA1SS. The
contact began Wed 2017-11-22 08:43:37 UTC and lasted about
nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via K6DUE.
ARISS Mentor was Gianpietro IZ2GOJ backed up by Joseph F6ICS.
Quantity of questions answered: 18
Quantity of people in attendance: approximatelt 200
Quantity of media present: local newspapers
+ A Successful contact was made between I.C. “Pascoli Forgione”, San
Giovanni Rotondo, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using
Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-11-15 11:36 UTC and lasted
about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via K6DUE.
ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF.
+ A Successful contact was made between Carmelita Manara, Milano,
Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign NA1SS. The
contact began 2017-11-15 11:36 UTC and lasted about nine and a half
minutes. Contact was telebridge via K6DUE.
ARISS Mentor was Gianpietro IZ2GOJ.
Quantity of questions answered: 23
Quantity of people in attendance: 270
Quantity of media present: Newspaper and TV
Additional information: Raoul Nespoli (Paolo's brother) was a
guest
at Milano.
+ A Successful contact was made between TX-801st Air Force JROTC at
Burleson High, Burleson, Texas, USA and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli
IZØJPA using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-11-13 14:50 UTC
and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge
via W6SRJ. ARISS Mentor was Keith W5IU.
Quantity of questions answered: All 19
Quantity of people in attendance: 225
Quantity of media present: local newspaper
+ A Successful contact was made between Liceo Scientifico “Valdemaro
Vecchi”, Trani, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using
Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-11-11 11:16 UTC and lasted
about nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via VK4KHZ.
ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF.
Quantity of questions answered: 14
Quantity of people in attendance: about 200
Quantity of media present: none reported
+ A Successful contact was made between I.I.S.S. “T.Fiore-C.Sylos”,
Terlizzi, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign
NA1SS. The contact began 2017-11-11 11:16 UTC and lasted about
nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via VK4KHZ.
ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF.
Quantity of questions answered: 14
Quantity of people in attendance: about 200
Quantity of media present: none reported
+ A Successful contact was made between Liceo Statale “Ilaria Alpi”,
Rutigliano, Italy from the University of Bari and Astronaut Paolo
Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-11-11
11:16 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was
telebridge via VK4KHZ. ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF].
Quantity of questions answered: 14
Quantity of people in attendance: about 200
Quantity of media present: none reported
+ A Successful contact was made between South Florida Science Center
and Aquarium, West Palm Beach, FL, USA and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli
IZØJPA using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began 2017-11-06 16:17 UTC
and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Direct via
WS4FSC. ARISS Mentors were Steve W1HQL and Ryan W4NTR.
Quantity of questions answered: All 12.
Quantity of people in attendance: 100
Quantity of media present: TV and newspaper
+ A Successful contact was made between Istituto di Istruzione
Superiore “Leonardo Da Vinci”, Lanusei, Italy and Astronaut Paolo
Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign OR4ISS. The contact began 2017-11-04
10:12 UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was
direct via ISØBWM and incorporated Ham TV.
ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF.
+ A Successful contact was made between Liceo Artistico Melotti,
Lomazzo, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA using Callsign
IR0ISS. The contact began 2017-11-03 09:27 UTC and lasted about
nine and a half minutes. Contact was telebridge via IQ5LI.
ARISS Mentor was [NAME, Gianpietro IZ2GOJ.
Quantity of questions answered: 15
Quantity of people in attendance: 300
Quantity of media present: Local TV and newspapers
+ A Successful contact was made between Liceo Scientifico
‘Francesco Cecioni”, Livorno, Italy and Astronaut Paolo Nespoli
IZØJPA using Callsign IR0ISS. The contact began 2017-11-03 09:27
UTC and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct
via IQ5LI and incorporated Ham TV.
ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF.
Quantity of questions answered: 15
Quantity of people in attendance: 300
Quantity of media present: Local TV and newspapers.
+ A Successful contact was made between Asociación Civil Instituto
Maria Montessori, San Cristóbel, Venezuela and Joe Acaba KE5DAR
using Callsign IR0ISS. The contact began 2017-10-31 18:23 UTC and
lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via
YY2CMR. ARISS Mentor was Brian VE6JBJ.
Quantity of questions answered: 15
Quantity of people in attendance: 650
Quantity of media present: 44 press media representatives,
regional, national, and international
Additional information: It was wonderful. The signal was 9+40dB.
+ A Successful contact was made between Primaria e Secondaria di
primo grado Istituto comprensivo Via XVI settembre, Civitavecchia,
Italy and Astronaut Joe Acaba KE5DAR using Callsign NA1SS. The
contact began 2017-10-30 11:20 UTC and lasted about nine and a half
minutes. Contact was direct via IK0WGF and incorporated Ham TV.
ARISS Mentor was Francesco IKØWGF.
Quantity of questions answered: 16
Quantity of people in attendance: About 200
Quantity of media present: Video streaming was on BATC.TV
Additional information: https://youtu.be/nhWL4xLroKU
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-11-22 07:00 UTC
I.C. Villasanta, Villasanta Italy and College Pierre de Fermat,
Toulouse, France, telebridge via K6DUE
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact is a go for: Wed 2017-11-22 08:43:37 UTC 45 deg K6DUE
Ashbury College, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, telebridge via VK4KHZ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Joe Acaba KE5DAR
Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-11-27 18:39:58 UTC
Huntley Centennial Public School, Carp, ON, Canada, telebridge via
IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli
Contact is a go for: Tue 2017-11-28 18:46:37 UTC
S.G.B. De La Salle, Rome, Italy and Istituto Comprensivo Luigi
Nono, Mira, Italy, telebridge via W6SRJ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli IZØJPA
Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-11-30 08:04:20 UTC
Bishop Hendricken High School and its sister school, St. Mary
Academy -
Bay View, Warwick, RI, telebridge via IK1SLD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli
Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-11-30 17:02:09 UTC
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be IRØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Paolo Nespoli
Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-11-30 17:02:09 UTC
[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ EagleSat-1 Requests Help Listening for Beacon
RadFxSat-1/Fox-1B AO-91's P-POD mate on the ELaNa XIV, EagleSat-1:
their team is having trouble hearing their beacon on 437.645MHz. The
beacon transmission timing is 1 minute. Please send reception
reports to Deborah Jackson (jacksd40 at my.erau.edu) and Steven Buck
(bucks2 at my.erau.edu) ... via
[ANS thanks Jerry N0JY for the above information]
+ RSGB Space Posters
Several of @theRSGB posters promoting Amateur Radio feature Space
Communications. PDF Posters are available for free download from
http://tinyurl.com/ANS330-RSGB-Posters
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
+ New URL for Farnham WebSDR
The SUWS LF/VHF/UHF/uW WebSDR based at Farnham near London has a
new URL: http://farnham-sdr.com/ The antennas on 2m and 70cm are
optimized for Satellite and High Altitude Balloon reception.
[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,
EMike McCardel, AA8EM
aa8em at amsat dot org
1
0
ANS-327 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletins - AO-91 Commissioned Declared Open for Amateur Use
by E.Mike McCardel 23 Nov '17
by E.Mike McCardel 23 Nov '17
23 Nov '17
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN
ANS-327
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:
* AO-91 Commissioned - Declared Open for Amateur Use!
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-327.01
ANS-327 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletins - AO-91 Commissioned
Declared Open for Amateur Use
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 327.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
Month Day, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-327.01
AO-91 Commissioned - Declared Open for Amateur Use!
At 06:50 UTC November 23, 2017 @AMSAT Engineering officially
commissioned AO-91 (RadFxSat/Fox-1B) Satellite. AMSAT VP of
Engineering, Jery Buxton N0JY turned over operation to Mark Hammond
N8MH and AMSAT Operations in a QSO on the AO-91 repeater during the
pass over the Eastern U.S.
N8MH responded and declared AO-91 open for amateur use!
[ANS thanks AO-91 Ops Team 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
aa8em at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-323
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:
* RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launched, Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91)
* ESA Announcement for CubeSat Team Concurrent Engineering Workshop
* Australian Amateurs do first HamTV Telebridge outside of Europe
* UPDATE - Polish Amateur Radio Union Award for ARISS SSTV Reception
* December 20 Launch for HA-1 CubeSat with FM transponder and SSTV
* HamSCI Announces Workshop - Posts Survey
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-323.01
ANS-323 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 323.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE November 19, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-323.01
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launched, Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91)
The Delta II rocket carrying RadFxSat (Fox-1B) launched at 09:47:36
UTC on November 18, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Following a picture-perfect launch, RadFxSat was deployed at 11:09
UTC. Then the wait began. At 12:12 UTC, the AMSAT Engineering team,
watching ZR6AIC's WebSDR waterfall, saw the characteristic "Fox Tail"
of the Fox-1 series FM transmitter, confirming that the satellite was
alive and transmitting over South Africa. Shortly after 12:34 UTC, the
first telemetry was received and uploaded to AMSAT servers by Maurizio
Balducci, IV3RYQ, in Cervignano del Friuli, Italy. Initial telemetry
confirmed that the satellite was healthy.
After confirmation of signal reception, OSCAR Number Administrator
Bill Tynan, W3XO, sent an email to the AMSAT Board of Directors
designating the satellite AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91). Bill's email stated:
"RadFxSat (Fox-1B) was launched successfully at 09:47 UTC today
November 18, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and has
been received by several amateur stations.
RadFxSat (Fox-1B), a 1U CubeSat, is a joint mission of AMSAT and the
Institute for Space and Defense Electronics at Vanderbilt University.
The Vanderbilt package is intended to measure the effects of radiation
on electronic components, including demonstration of an on-orbit
platform for space qualification of components as well as to validate
and improve computer models for predicting radiation tolerance
of semiconductors.
AMSAT constructed the remainder of the satellite including the
spaceframe, on-board computer and power system. The amateur radio
package is similar to that currently on orbit on AO-85 with an uplink
on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz.
Experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the DUV subaudible
telemetry stream, which can be decoded using the FoxTelem software.
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) was sent aloft as a secondary payload on the United
Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket that transported the JPSS-1
satellite to orbit. RadFxSat (Fox-1B) is one of five CubeSats making
up this NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites
(ELaNa) XIV mission, riding as secondary payloads aboard the JPSS-1
mission.
Since RadFxSat (Fox-1B) has met all of the qualifications necessary to
receive an OSCAR number, I, by the authority vested in me by the AMSAT
President, do hereby confer on this satellite the designation
AMSAT-OSCAR 91 or AO-91. I join amateur radio operators in the U.S.
and around the world in wishing AO-91 a long and successful life in
both its amateur and scientific missions.
I, along with the rest of the amateur community, congratulate all of
the volunteers who worked so diligently to construct, test and prepare
for launch the newest amateur radio satellite.
William A. (Bill) Tynan, W3XO
AMSAT-NA OSCAR Number Administrator"
AMSAT Engineering reminds stations that the satellite will not be
available for general use until the on-orbit checkouts are complete.
Please continue to submit telemetry to assist the Engineering team in
completing the commissioning process.
[ANS thanks Paul, N8HM, for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ESA Announcement for CubeSat Team Concurrent Engineering Workshop
Dreaming of flying a satellite into space but not sure how? Wonder
no more! The ESA Education Office and ESA's Systems and Concurrent
Engineering Section have the perfect workshop for you. We are currently
looking for university students who would like to participate in ESA
Academy's first Concurrent Engineering Workshop dedicated to CubeSats.
The 4-day workshop will be organised between 16 and 19 January 2018 at
the Training and Learning Centre in ESEC, Belgium.
In concurrent design, all stages of a satellite design take place simul-
taneously, through the direct collaboration of engineers and scientists
from different disciplines in a dedicated and specially equipped facility.
The "CubeSats Concurrent Engineering Workshop" will introduce student
teams to the concurrent design of a CubeSat mission. The workshop can help
to better prepare those universities that are planning to embark on a Cube-
Sat project or are at the early stages of one. Teams wishing to participate
do not need to be at an advanced stage in their CubeSat project. They can
be at a conceptual and/or preliminary phase of their CubeSat design.
The deadline for applications is 4 December 2017, 23:59 CET.
Application requirements, program overview, and more information can be
found on-line at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-316-ESA-Workshop
(http://www.esa.int)
[ANS thanks the European Space Agency for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Australian Amateurs do first HamTV Telebridge outside of Europe
Led by Shane, VK4KHZ in Queensland who handled the audio on 2m. and
video for a
telebridge contact between the ISS and 3 Italian schools on 11 Nov. Four
stations across Australia joined together to "chain" the live video
coming down
from the ISS on 2.4 Ghz.
As the ISS approached Australia from the west Martin VK6MJ in West
Australia was
the first to receive the video signal down from Paolo, IZ0JPA and held the
signal till Joe VK5EI in Adelaide picked it up then onto Tony VK5ZAI in
Kingston
SE South Australia finally as the ISS headed N-E over Queensland Shane
picked up
the video signal in Glenden while he was handling the audio for the linkup.
The video from the 4 Australian hams was streamed live to the BATC site
in GB.
where it was patched together to form one long video transmission so the
public
could watch as Paolo answered the Italian students questions.
The URL for the British Amateur Radio Club is: https://ariss.batc.tv/hamtv/
[ANS thanks Tony, VK5ZAI, for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE - Polish Amateur Radio Union Award for ARISS SSTV Reception
UPDATE November 5 - Armand SP3QFE advises that the deadline to apply
for your ARISS SSTV Reception Award has been extended to December 30,
2017 at 23:59 UTC. (see below for text of Armand's original bulletin
for details of the award).
Armand, SP3QFE reported the Polish Amateur Radio Union (PZK),
in cooperation with ARISS and S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space
Corporation ENERGIA, offer an electronic Award to Amateurs who
received and decoded at least one SSTV series 7 image during
the 20th Anniversary of ARISS commemorative 2017 a Slow Scan
Television (SSTV) event from the ISS between July20 and July 24.
The SSTV pictures transmitted during this event were series #7
of 12 of images covering the history of Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) over the last 20 years.
To apply for the award first upload your image(s) to the ARISS
SSTV Gallery at:
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/index.php
The Award rules and a link to the on-line application form are
on-line at: http://ariss.pzk.org.pl/sstv/ The deadline to apply
is September 30, 2017 at 23:59 UTC.
Note: If you have already uploaded images to the ARISS SSTV
Gallery you do not need to re-submit the image and only need to
complete the application form.
[ANS thanks Armand, SP3QFE for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
December 20 Launch for HA-1 CubeSat with FM transponder and SSTV
The IARU has announced frequency coordination has been completed for
HA-1, a 2U CubeSat developed by the Teenagers Amateur Radio Center of
Activity in Huaian, China. HA-1 is planned for launch on December 20.
HA-1 will be mainly used for teenagers in Huaian to carry out activities
related with amateur radio and aerospace science education. The cubesat
is equipped with amateur radio repeater and SSTV(Slow Scan Television)
component, which is to validate still image transmission in narrowband
voice channel.
There is an SSTV beacon, which puts Date/Time/Location information/temp-
erature etc on a SSTV picture. Amateurs worldwide can also use HA-1 to
test SSTV via the cubesat.
Uplink: 145.930 MHz FM
Downlink: 436.950 MHz FM
Telemetry: 437.350 MHz 9k6 BPSK
[ANS thanks the IARU for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
HamSCI Announces Workshop - Posts Survey
HamSCI - the Amateur Radio citizen science initiative - has announced a
2-day workshop February 23-24 at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
in Newark. HamSCI's Nathaniel Frissell, W2NAF, has posted a survey to
gauge interest and potential attendance.
"We are inviting all hams and scientists interested in ham radio science,"
Frissell said. "This aim of this workshop is to foster collaborations
between the ham radio and the space science and space weather research
communities through presentations, discussions, and demonstrations. This
year's meeting will focus on solar eclipse analysis, ham radio data sources
and databases, and the development of a 'personal space weather station.'"
Full details and access to the survey are available on-line:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-316-HamSCI-Workshop (arrl.org)
[ANS thanks the ARRL and HamSCI for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Amateur-Satellite Service mentioned in article by @IARU_President Tim
Ellam
VE6SH about International Amateur Radio Union #IARU and CCIR/ITU-R.
Download
PDF of latest #ITU News Magazine 04/2017 (see page 55):
http://www.itu.int/en/itunews/Pages/default.aspx
(via AMSAT-UK)
+ Jose, PW8PM, posted a YouTube video of his satellite operation from
The four-corner grid square at FH88/89/98/99 on November 12. Jose
worked several stations in South and North America via AO-7 Mode B.
The direct YouTube link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5IfFbb48qk
+ Damon, WA4HFN, says interest is growing in the satellite operating awards
offered by the Squirt-The-Birds Group. This week Damon says
congratulations
are due to Adrian Liggins, VA3NNA, for earning Got Grids? #18. These
awards
are free and we at Squirt the Birds support AMSAT NA.
Go to www.squirtthebirds.com for more info.
+ Amateur-Satellite Service mentioned in article by @IARU_President Tim
Ellam
VE6SH about International Amateur Radio Union #IARU and CCIR/ITU-R.
Download
PDF of latest #ITU News Magazine 04/2017 (see page 55):
http://www.itu.int/en/itunews/Pages/default.aspx
(via AMSAT-UK)
/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, KT4TZ
kt4tz at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-322.01
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launched, Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91)
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 322.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE November 18, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-322.01
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launched, Designated AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91)
The Delta II rocket carrying RadFxSat (Fox-1B) launched at 09:47:36
UTC on November 18, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Following a picture-perfect launch, RadFxSat was deployed at 11:09
UTC. Then the wait began. At 12:12 UTC, the AMSAT Engineering team,
watching ZR6AIC's WebSDR waterfall, saw the characteristic "Fox Tail"
of the Fox-1 series FM transmitter, confirming that the satellite was
alive and transmitting over South Africa. Shortly after 12:34 UTC, the
first telemetry was received and uploaded to AMSAT servers by Maurizio
Balducci, IV3RYQ, in Cervignano del Friuli, Italy. Initial telemetry
confirmed that the satellite was healthy.
After confirmation of signal reception, OSCAR Number Administrator
Bill Tynan, W3XO, sent an email to the AMSAT Board of Directors
designating the satellite AMSAT-OSCAR 91 (AO-91). Bill's email stated:
"RadFxSat (Fox-1B) was launched successfully at 09:47 UTC today
November 18, 2017 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and has
been received by several amateur stations.
RadFxSat (Fox-1B), a 1U CubeSat, is a joint mission of AMSAT and the
Institute for Space and Defense Electronics at Vanderbilt University.
The Vanderbilt package is intended to measure the effects of radiation
on electronic components, including demonstration of an on-orbit
platform for space qualification of components as well as to validate
and improve computer models for predicting radiation tolerance
of semiconductors.
AMSAT constructed the remainder of the satellite including the
spaceframe, on-board computer and power system. The amateur radio
package is similar to that currently on orbit on AO-85 with an uplink
on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz.
Experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the DUV subaudible
telemetry stream, which can be decoded using the FoxTelem software.
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) was sent aloft as a secondary payload on the United
Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket that will transport the Joint
Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-1 mission. RadFxSat (Fox-1B) is one of
four CubeSats making up this NASA Educational Launch of Nanosatellites
(ELaNa) XIV mission, riding as secondary payloads aboard the JPSS-1
mission.
Since RadFxSat (Fox-1B) has met all of the qualifications necessary to
receive an OSCAR number, I, by the authority vested in me by the AMSAT
President, do hereby confer on this satellite the designation
AMSAT-OSCAR 91 or AO-91. I join amateur radio operators in the U.S.
and around the world in wishing AO-91 a long and successful life in
both its amateur and scientific missions.
I, along with the rest of the amateur community, congratulate all of
the volunteers who worked so diligently to construct, test and prepare
for launch the newest amateur radio satellite.
William A. (Bill) Tynan, W3XO
AMSAT-NA OSCAR Number Administrator"
AMSAT Engineering reminds stations that the satellite will not be
available for general use until the on-orbit checkouts are complete.
Please continue to submit telemetry to assist the Engineering team in
completing the commissioning process.
[ANS thanks Paul, N8HM, for the above information]
/EX
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-316
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.
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In this edition:
* AMSAT RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch Delay - New Plan NET November 14
* FoxTelem V.1.05 Available for Download - Including Update Patch
* RadFxSat Telemetry Reception Challenge
* Special Membership Offer for RadFxSat Launch
* Fox-1D Integrated, Ready for Launch
* NASA ELaNa XX Mission Launching RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Set for NET
End of Q1 2018
* Donate to AMSAT Tax-Free From Your IRA
* November 15 Deadline for U.S. Proposals for ARISS Contacts
* D-Star ONE Launch on November 28
* November Satellite Activity Planned for HC8 Galapagos DXpedition
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-316.01
ANS-316 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 316.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE November 12, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-316.01
AMSAT RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch Delay - New Plan NET November 14
United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced on November 6 that the launch
of the Delta II rocket carrying RadFxSat has been delayed due to a
faulty battery on the booster. The launch is now scheduled for Tuesday,
November 14th at 09:47 UTC. NASA TV coverage begins at 09:15 UTC.
Web streaming will be available on www.nasa.gov/ntv - launches are
also often streamed at http://www.ulalaunch.com and spaceflightnow.com
Continue reading for what you can expect after the launch and how you
can help ...
INTRODUCTION
RadFxSat is a partnership with Vanderbilt University ISDE and hosts
four payloads for the study of radiation effects on commercial off the
shelf components. RadFxSat features the Fox-1 style FM U/v repeater
with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on
145.960 MHz. Satellite and experiment telemetry will be downlinked via
the "DUV" subaudible telemetry stream and can be decoded with the
FoxTelem software:
https://www.amsat.org/foxtelem-software-for-windows-mac-linux/ .
LAUNCH AND EARLY ORBIT PHASE (LEOP)
At this time, pre-launch Keplerian elements are not expected to be
available. However, based on the Local Time of the Ascending Node
(LTAN) of the primary payload, 13:30, stations should expect to have
their initial ascending passes starting around noon local time.
The estimated time of "First Veronica," the initial beacon after
deployment, is 12:07 UTC. Due to the tight constraints on the primary
payload deployment, the secondary payloads may be delayed slightly, so
this should be considered the soonest the transmitter will be enabled.
Orbital elements will be published as soon as they are available on
the AMSAT website. Stations in Europe, South America, and North America
should point your beams south and have FoxTelem running while awaiting
the initial post-launch Keplerian elements.
Participation in telemetry collection by as many stations in as many
parts of the world as possible is essential as AMSAT Engineering looks
for successful startup and indications of the general health and
function of the satellite as it begins to acclimate to space.
If you are capturing telemetry with FoxTelem please be sure that
"Upload to Server" is checked in your settings, and that your "Ground
Station Params" are filled in as well. You can help AMSAT and everyone
waiting to get on the air with RadFxSat tremendously by capturing
RadFxSat telemetry.
About 60 minutes after deployment, or 140 minutes after launch, the
satellite will start up in Beacon Mode. In this initial mode, the
transmitter is limited to 10 seconds on time and then will be off for
two minutes. For those of you capturing telemetry, that means that you
will only see Current frames and no High or Low frames. The High and
Low frames are truncated as it takes just over the 10 second limit to
send two frames. Veronica may also be cut off before she gets to say
her whole ID string as the full ID, "RadFxSat Fox-1B Safe Mode," is a
bit longer than the approximately 3.5 seconds she has in Beacon Mode.
If the voice ID is cut off, the satellite is still in Beacon Mode.
If AMSAT Engineering is seeing nominal values from the telemetry you
gather, the satellite will be commanded from Beacon Mode to Safe Mode
on the first good pass over the United States. In Safe Mode, the
satellite transmits a full two frames of telemetry (one Current frame
followed by, and alternating each ID cycle, a High or a Low frame).
Veronica now has time to make the whole ID announcement in Safe Mode.
The on-orbit checkout procedure for RadFxSat is similar to
Fox-1A/AO-85 and could be completed in as little as a few days if
users cooperate. It is very important, and good amateur operating
practice, to refrain from using the transponder uplink so the on-orbit
tests can be performed, including when the satellite is switched into
Transponder Mode for testing.
AMSAT will make it broadly known when the tests are complete and the
transponder is available for all to use. If you hear someone on the
transponder, please do not assume that it is open for general use -
check AMSAT's website, Facebook, and Twitter before transmitting to be
sure you do not interfere with testing.
AMSAT asks all satellite operators to contribute just a little bit of
your time by gathering telemetry, not using the transponder uplink, to
help complete the last few days of getting RadFxSat operating for the
amateur radio community.
Lots of hams put thousands of volunteer hours of their time into
making RadFxSat happen. Just like any ham radio project you might
undertake, AMSAT builds satellites. AMSAT volunteers do it because
they like to, and when they are done, AMSAT freely shares their
project with hams everywhere as is the spirit of amateur radio.
Thank you very much and see you on the bird!
RADIO PROGRAMMING CHART
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Doppler Shift Correction
Memory 1 (AOS) - TX 435.240 MHz (67.0 Hz Tone), RX 145.960 MHz
Memory 2 (Rise) - TX 435.245 MHz (67.0 Hz Tone), RX 145.960 MHz
Memory 3 (TCA) - TX 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz Tone), RX 145.960 MHz
Memory 4 (Descend) - TX 435.255 MHz (67.0 Hz Tone), RX 145.960 MHz
Memory 5 (LOS) - TX 435.260 MHz (67.0 Hz Tone), RX 145.960 MHz
Frequencies are subject to change post-launch.
[ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY, for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
FoxTelem V.1.05 Available for Download - Including Update Patch
Given the United Launch Alliance Delta II launch delay to November 14
you have time to download and install AMSAT's FoxTelem Version 1.05
telemetry capture, decoding, and data warehousing software so your
ground station can participate and assist during the commissioning of
RadFxSat/Fox-1B.
If you have already installed FoxTelem Version 1.05w in preparation
for RadFxSat it is recommended that you install an update patch. This
will upgrade you to 1.05x.
This patch fixes the following bugs with v1.05w or earlier 1.05
releases:
* When two spacecraft are tracked and "When Above Horizon" is set to start
and stop the decoder, the decoder NEVER starts.
* If the matched filter is selected for DUV then FoxTelem crashes
* When a spacecraft is being decoded, the position is not updated on the
screen
* When the decoders is automatically stopped/started, then the FunCube
Dongle becomes disconnected
To apply this patch simply copy the jar file into your Version 1.05
installation directory and overwrite the existing file.
If you are running FoxTelem Version 1.04f or earlier, you should install
the full release for Version 1.05x
The files for the full release and the update patch are here:
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows/
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux/
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac/
The download package includes the latest version of the FoxTelem User
Guide.
[ANS thanks Chris, G0KLA/AC2CZ for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
RadFxSat Telemetry Reception Challenge
Get FoxTelem set up and ready to go on Tuesday! The first amateur
radio operator that successfully receives RadFxSat (Fox-1B) telemetry
and uploads it to the AMSAT server will receive a commemorative 3D
printed QSL card.
RadFxSat is scheduled for launch at 1:47am PST (09:47 UTC) on Tuesday,
November 14th from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The first
transmission from RadFxSat is expected to occur around 12:07 UTC. Due
to a lack of prelaunch Keplerian elements, it is not known exactly
where the satellite will be when it makes it's first transmission.
For further details regarding the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP)
of RadFxSat operations, please see:
https://www.amsat.org/getting-ready-for-radfxsat-fox-1b/
[ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Membership Offer for RadFxSat Launch
As part of the preparations for the launch of RadFxSat on November
10th, AMSAT is making our "Getting Started With Amateur Satellites"
book available for a limited time as a download with any paid new
or renewal membership purchased via the AMSAT Store. This offer is
only available with purchases completed online, and for only a limited
time. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year
with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier
primer of satellite operation. The 182 page book is presented in PDF
format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first
contacts on a ham radio satellite.
Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store
at https://www.amsat.org/shop/ and selecting any membership option.
While there, check out our other items, including the M2 LEOpack
antenna system, Arrow antennas, AMSAT shirts, and other swag.
Thank you, and see you soon on RadFxSat!
[ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Fox-1D Integrated, Ready for Launch
While RadFxSat (Fox-1B) is just days from launch, preparations for the
launch of the next Fox-1 satellite are already underway. On Monday,
November 6th, AMSAT Vice-President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY,
delivered
Fox-1D to Spaceflight, Inc. in Seattle, WA where it was integrated into its
Innovative Solutions in Space QuadPack for delivery to India. Fox-1D will
launch on the next ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) flight, sched-
uled to take place by the end of December.
In addition to the Fox-1 U/v FM transponder, Fox-1D carries several univer-
sity experiments, including a MEMS gyro from Pennsylvania State University–
Erie, a camera from Virginia Tech, and the University of Iowa’s HERCI (High
Energy Radiation CubeSat Instrument) radiation mapping experiment. Fox-1D
also carries the AMSAT “L-Band Downshifter” giving the option of utilizing
a 1.2 GHz uplink for the FM transponder.
Fox-1D
------
Uplink: 435.350 MHz FM / 1267.350 FM MHz * (67 Hz CTCSS)
Downlink: 145.880 MHz FM
* Switchable by command station. Not operational simultaneously.
Read the full article, including photos, on the AMSAT web:
https://www.amsat.org/fox-1d-integrated-ready-for-launch/
[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA ELaNa XX Mission Launching RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E Set for NET
End of Q1 2018
AMSAT has been informed that the launch for the NASA Educational
Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) XX mission carrying RadFxSat-2
(Fox-1E) is now scheduled "No Earlier Than" (NET) the end of Q1,
2018.
In addition to RadFxSat-2, the ELaNa XX mission will carry 12
CubeSats constructed both by NASA and several universities around
the United States. The mission will be launched by Virgin Galactic
on their LauncherOne air launch to orbit system from Mojave, CA
RadFxSat-2, like RadFxSat (Fox-1B), is a partnership opportunity
between the Vanderbilt University Institute for Space and Defense
Electronics and AMSAT and will carry a similar radiation effects
experiment, studying new FinFET technology.
RadFxSat-2 will be the fifth Fox-1 satellite built by AMSAT. Fox-1A,
now AMSAT-OSCAR 85 (AO-85), was launched on October 8, 2015 and is
fully operational, providing science data from it's onboard experi-
ments and FM transponder service for the amateur radio community.
Fox-1Cliff and Fox-1D are scheduled for launch soon. RadFxSat/Fox-1B
is scheduled to launch November 10, 2017.
The RadFxSat-2 spacecraft bus will be built on the Fox-1 series but
will feature a linear transponder "upgrade" to replace the standard
FM transponder in Fox-1A through D. In addition, the uplink and down-
link bands will be reversed from the previous Fox satellites in a
Mode V/u (J) configuration using a 2 meter uplink and 70 cm downlink.
The downlink will feature a 1200 bps BPSK telemetry channel to carry
the Vanderbilt science data in addition to a 30 kHz wide transponder
for amateur radio use.
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Engineering and Operation Teams for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Donate to AMSAT Tax-Free From Your IRA
Are you over 70-1/2 years of age and need to meet your IRA's Required
Minimum Distribution for 2017? Consider making a donation to AMSAT!
Under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015, individuals
over 70-1/2 years of age may make direct transfers of up to $100,000
per year from a traditional IRA to an eligible charity without
increasing their taxable income. Consult your tax advisor or
accountant to make certain you are eligible.
AMSAT is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational and scientific
organization whose purpose is to design, construct, launch, and operate
satellites in space and to provide the support needed to encourage
amateurs to utilize these resources. AMSAT's federal tax ID is
52-0888529.
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Board of Directors for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
November 15 Deadline for U.S. Proposals for ARISS Contacts
Reminder - November 15 deadline! The Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) program is seeking proposals from U.S. schools,
museums, science centers and community youth organizations to host radio
contacts with an orbiting crew member aboard the International Space
Station (ISS) between July 1 and December 31, 2018. See ARISS website
for additional details on expectations, proposal guidelines, and the
proposal form: http://www.ariss.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-us.html
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
D-Star ONE Launch on November 28
D-Star ONE is the first private German CubeSat and the first D-Star
communication spacecraft wordwide.
D-Star ONE will be launched on November 28, 2017 from Vostochny launch
site jointly with the Meteor-M ?2-1 mission of the Russian State Space
Corporation ROSCOSMOS. Final launch preparations are currently being
performed.
D-Star repeater & beacon frequencies:
Uplink: 437.325MHz
Downlink: 435.525MHz
RF-Power: 800mW
Additional information will be posted at: http://www.d-star.one/
Spaceflightinsider.com published an article about successful final
testing on D-Star ONE: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-316-Spaceflightinsider
www.spaceflightinsider.com)
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and the D-Star ONE team for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
November Satellite Activity Planned for HC8 Galapagos DXpedition
HC8, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS. An Argentinian group will be active as
HC8LU from San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos Islands between
November 29 to December 8, 2017.
Operators include Alejandro/LU8YD, Alejandro/LU9VEA, Mario/LU7VB,
and Patricio/LU3YK. Pilot stations are Sergio/LU7YS and Javier/
LU5FF.
Activity will be on 160-10 meters using mainly SSB and Digital modes
(WSPR, JT65, FT8, PSK31). Also operations on the satellites (LEO, FM
and SSB). QSL via IK2DUW.
Visit their Blog page for updates, at: https://hc8lu.blogspot.com.ar
[ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1331 for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Ever since the launch of OSCAR I in 1961, it has been traditional
for amateur radio satellites to carry the name OSCAR, for "Orbiting
Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio." At the request of the original
Project OSCAR organization, AMSAT-NA now administers the numbering
of OSCAR satellites. In anticipation of adding a new OSCAR on Tuesday,
a listing of all 90 satellites that have received OSCAR designations
has been posted to the AMSAT website at:
https://www.amsat.org/orbiting-satellites-carrying-amateur-radio/
+ During launch and early operations phases of a cubesat deployment
many satellite operators participate in an unofficial Internet Relay
Chat (IRC) #cubesat channel on the Freenode network. IRC clients in-
clude Nettalk, mIRC, the ChatZilla plugin for Firefox browser. A web
based connection is available at: https://webchat.freenode.net
(Nickname = Callsign; Channels = #cubesat) More information about the
Freenode network is posted at: https://freenode.net
+ Damon, WA4HFN says congratulations are due to Al, XE2AT for his
triple award winner for earning the following Squirt the Birds awards:
o Grid Master #6
o 5 in EM55 #61
o Got Grids? #18
These awards are free and we at Squirt the Birds support AMSAT NA
Go to www.squirtthebirds.com for more info.
+ An article, "CubeSats are challenging" by Charles Phillips on 'The
Space Review' at http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3364/1 offers
university cubesat teams advice we already know ... "One good resource
could be the busy amateur community that likes to listen for the down-
link of satellites: a developer probably should have some amateurs
lined up to listen just in case they are needed."
+ The Sun-Sentinel newspaper printed an article about the November 6
ARISS contact with the South Florida Science Center in West Palm Beach
with Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-316-SunSentinelARISS (www.sun-sentinel.com)
+ The Chertsey Radio Club got some good publicity for both amateur radio
and the FUNcube-1 (AO-73) satellite in the Heathrow Villager newspaper
published on November 4, 2017. During the JOTA event the FUNcube-1 sat-
ellite transmitted a special Fitter Message from Space that the Scouts
successfully decoded: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-316-AMSATUK-Scouts
(www.amsat-uk.org)
+ The November edition of the AMSAT-EA newsletter (in Spanish) is now
available for download https://www.amsat-ea.org/contenidos/ -and, a
PDF file in English: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-316-AMSATEA-English
(amsat-ea.org)
+ Masa, JN1GKZ, informs us from Tokyo that JAXA is preparing for the
deployment of NRCSD#13 from the ISS in the November 16-17 timeframe.
NRCSD#13 includes the ELaNa XXII CubeSats: ASTERIA, Dellingr/RBLE,
and OSIRIS-3U. OSIRIS-3U will transmit on 437.505 MHz with GMSK data
rates up to 38k4. The cubesats were delivered by Dragon CRS-12 in
August, 2017.
+ On November 13, Venus and Jupiter will rise together in the morning
sky shortly before sunrise. Venus and Jupiter will come within a mere
17 arcminutes of each other, and remain close for a day before and
after the conjunction itself. (Reminder: Your fist held at arm's length
measures about 10 degrees across. There are 60 arcminutes in 1 degree.)
The two planets will be visible in the constellation Virgo, west of the
waning crescent moon, which will be higher in the sky. Observers should
look just south of east; the planets will be rising almost exactly ahead
of the sun. https://www.space.com/33792-venus-jupiter-conjunction.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------
/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. And, with that consider the tale of the superconductor
who walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Get out! We don't serve
your kind here." The superconductor left without resistance.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
k9jkm at amsat dot org
1
0
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-309.01
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:
* QUIKCOM-1 Module Update
* Update Patch for FoxTelem
* New Grid Master Awarded
* Countdown Continues for RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch on November 10
* Satellite Operating Road Trip Announced - This Week
* AMSAT Describes RadFxSat/Fox-1B Commissioning Plans
* NASA JPSS-1 and ELaNa XIV/RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch Briefings and Events
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-309.01
ANS-309.01 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 309.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
November 5, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-309.01
QUIKCOM-1 Module Update
The QIKCOM-1 module was to be powered by 28 volts after the host
spacecraft
deployed its solar panels, charged its batteries and determined that
power
was nominal. Since QIKCOM-1 also had a completely separate QIKCOM-
11 VHF
beacon and separate antenna to come on over the USA too, and neither
have
been heard, we assume the module has not been powered up. Both the
host
and QKCOM-1 were delivered about two and a half years ago and spent
most of
that time stored on ISS awaiting deployment.
We thank everyone who listened after the deployment on Friday, but
since
both transmitters are on common APRS frequencies, monitored
routinely in
USA and around the world we will surely see it anyway if it powers up.
Since it was deployed from ISS to avoid re-contact later, then it
will be
in essentially the same orbit but going lower. And lower orbits go
faster. Deployed at 0.3 m/s or about 1kph, my guess is it will gain
about
20 seconds a week.in front of ISS AOS as a wild guess.
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR
[ANS Bob Bruninga WB4APR for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Update Patch for FoxTelem V.1.05 Available for Download
If you have already installed FoxTelem Version 1.05w in preparation
for RadFxSat it is recommended that you install an update patch. This
will upgrade you to 1.05x.
This patch fixes the following bugs with v1.05w or earlier 1.05
releases:
* When two spacecraft are tracked and "When Above Horizon" is set to
start
and stop the decoder, the decoder NEVER starts.
* If the matched filter is selected for DUV then FoxTelem crashes
* When a spacecraft is being decoded, the position is not updated on
the
screen
* When the decoders is automatically stopped/started, then the FunCube
Dongle becomes disconnected
To apply this patch simply copy the jar file into your Version 1.05
installation directory and overwrite the existing file.
If you are running FoxTelem Version 1.04f or earlier, you should
install
the full release for Version 1.05x
The files for the full release and the patch are here:
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows/
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux/
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac/
[ANS thanks Chris, G0KLA/AC2CZ for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
New Grid Master Awarded
Rick, WA4NVM and Damon, WA4HFN have teamed up to promote the
use of amateur satellites and support AMSAT North America with
a series of awards for satellite operators.
On November 3 Damon announced, "Congrats to Al, XE2AT for earning
Grid Master Award #6". The Grid Master Award is given for confirmed
satellite contacts with all 488 U.S. Grids.
Previous Grid Master award winners include:
#1 John K8YSE 5/16/2014
#2 Doug KD8CAO 12/15/2014
#3 Rick WA4NVM 4/26/2015
#4 Glenn AA5PK 8/22/2017
#5 Clayton W5PFG 9/14/2017
In addition to the Grid Master award Rick and Damon also sponsor
these satellite operating awards:
+ Got Grids Award - for 1 satellite contact in each of the
10 maiden head grids blocks in the US
+ 5 in EM55 Award - for 5 satellite contacts with operators
in EM55
+ These awards are available at no cost but Rick and Damon request
you make a donation to AMSAT-NA.
For more information visit their web site:
http://www.squirtthebirds.com
[ANS thanks Damon, WA4HFN for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Countdown Continues for RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch on November 10
RadFxSat (Fox-1B) is scheduled for launch at 01:47 PST (09:47 UTC) on
November 10, 2017. RadFxSat is one of four CubeSats making up the NASA
ELaNa XIV mission, riding as secondary payloads aboard the Joint Polar
Satellite System (JPSS)-1 mission. JPSS-1 will launch on a Delta II
from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
RadFxSat is a partnership with Vanderbilt University ISDE and hosts
four payloads for the study of radiation effects on commercial off the
shelf components. RadFxSat features the Fox-1 style FM U/v repeater
with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on
145.960 MHz. See: https://www.amsat.org/countdown-to-launch-radfxsat-fox-1b/
Satellite and experiment telemetry will be downlinked via
the "DUV" subaudible telemetry stream and can be decoded with the
FoxTelem software.
Existing users of FoxTelem will get an upgrade notice and a download link
when they next re-launch FoxTelem.
If you have not tried FoxTelem before then you can download it from here:
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows/
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux/
http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac/
(see related news item below for software patch information0
Launch updates are available via the United Launch Alliance web:
http://www.ulalaunch.com/delta-ii-to-launch-jpss1.aspx
and also at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-309-Spaceflightnow-Launch
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Engineering and Operations Teams for the above
information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Operating Road Trip Announced - This Week
On Friday Dave, KG5CCI revealed plans for road trip with the goal of
activating grids via satellite from Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North
and South Dakota.
Dave wrote, "I'll go north on Nov 5th, and try to activate at least
a few grids in the state of Missouri (since that's a needed WAS entity)
and once in EN21 I'll likely rove around the local area (Iowa and Nebraska)
and hit up EN20/11/10 while there."
On November 9th, 10th, and 11th, he plans to meet up with Wyatt, ACORA.
The dynamic duo will go blasting thru the frozen plains of South and North
Dakota hoping activating numerous grids on Satellites and 6m MSK144.
The planlooks generally like this:
http://druidnetworks.com/K0D-Plan.png
Watch Dave's twitter @KG5CCI for alerts.
In conclusion, Dave said, "Unfortunately the only way to make a trip
like this work, is with a tight schedule, and we both have to get back
to our real lives after only a few days off. This means we will likely
only do 1 or maybe 2 passes from each grid. Emphasis will be on grid
lines when possible, and high, US wide footprints when available."
[ANS thanks Dave, KG5CCI for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
AMSAT Describes RadFxSat/Fox-1B Commissioning Plans
AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY wrote what to
initially expect when the AMSAT RadFxSat/Fox-1B cubesat is launched
as a passenger on NASA's ELaNa XIV mission on Friday, Nov. 10, from
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Liftoff will be aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from
Space Launch Complex 2 and is targeted for 1:47 a.m. PT (4:47 a.m. ET,
9:47 am UTC) at the opening of a 65-second launch window. Launch cov-
erage will begin on NASA Television and the agency’s website at
1:15 a.m. PT.
RadFxSat/Fox-1B will automatically come up in Beacon Mode, transmitting
a beacon and voice ID (Veronica saying "RadFxSat Safe Mode") every two
minutes, starting about 50 minutes after deployment. The AMSAT command
stations will want to see voltage and current data to determine that
it's healthy and conduct various tests before opening it up for general
use.
Telemetry makes the engineering and operations teams very happy,
starting ASAP after startup (~55 minutes after deployment) and for
the next 72-96 hours at least as we look for successful startup, watch
the general health and function as the satellite begins to acclimate
to space, and perform the on orbit checkout. Ground stations are also
invited to continue uploading received telemetry for the life of the
satellite.
If you are capturing telemetry with FoxTelem please be sure that "Upload
to Server" is checked in your settings, and your Ground Station Params
are filled in as well. You can help AMSAT and everyone waiting to get
on the air with RadFxSat tremendously, by capturing RadFxSat telemetry.
In the initial Beacon Mode, the transmitter is limited to 10 seconds on
time then does the two minutes off cycle as Paul pointed out. For those
of you capturing telemetry, that means that you will only see Current
frames and no High or Low frames because the High and Low are truncated
as it takes just over 10 seconds to send two frames. Veronica may also
be cut off before she gets to say her whole ID string. If Veronica is
speaking, "RadFxSat Fox-1B Safe Mode" which is the full ID, if it's cut
off then we're still in Beacon Mode. If we are seeing good data from
user telemetry data, it is likely when it comes over the U.S. for the
first good pass we will command it from Beacon Mode to normal Safe Mode,
which then puts RadFxSat in full (still Safe Mode though) operation and
transmits a full two frames of telemetry which is one Current frame
followed by, and alternating each ID cycle, a High or a Low frame.
Veronica now has time to make the whole ID announcement, in Safe Mode.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!
--------------------
Jerry, NØJY commented further ...
Help your friends and all of our satellite ham friends get on the air
and have fun sooner by being polite and patient!
The on orbit checkout procedure is similar to Fox-1A/AO-85 and could
be completed in as little as a few days if we have the cooperation of
the users. It is very important, not to mention just plain good Amateur
Operating Practice, to refrain from using the transponder uplink so we
can do the on orbit tests, including when we turn on transponder mode
for testing. I can't stress enough, the importance of this cooperation
not just for us but for all users, simply having a little patience so
we can conduct the tests as quickly and accurately as possible.
AMSAT will make it broadly known when the tests are complete and the
transponder is available for all to use. If you hear someone on the
transponder, please don't assume that it is open for general use -
check the AMSAT website, Facebook, Twitter, to be sure you're not
accidentally jumping in with and unwittingly interfering with the
commissioning process.
Lots of hams put thousands of volunteer hours of their time into making
RadFxSat happen. Just like any ham radio project you might undertake,
we build satellites. We do it because we like to, and when we're done
we freely share our project with hams everywhere as is the spirit of
amateur radio.
I am asking all satellite hams to contribute just a little bit of your
time to the fun now, by being patient and just gathering telemetry,
not using the transponder uplink, and helping us complete the last few
days of getting RadFxSat in orbit and operating for all of you.
Thank you very much, see you on the bird!
[ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY, for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NASA JPSS-1 and ELaNa XIV/RadFxSat/Fox-1B Launch Briefings and Events
AMSAT RadFxSat/Fox-1B will be launched as a passenger on NASA's ELaNa
XIV mission. The primary payload for this flight is the Joint Polar
Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1), the first in a new series of four highly
advanced NOAA polar-orbiting satellites, which will help increase weather
forecast accuracy from three to seven days out.
JPSS-1 and ELaNa XIV (including RadFxSat/Fox-1B) is scheduled to launch
on Friday, Nov. 10, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Liftoff
aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Space Launch
Complex 2 is targeted for 1:47 a.m. PT (4:47 a.m. ET, 9:47 am UTC) at the
opening of a 65-second launch window. Launch coverage will begin on NASA
Television and the agency’s website at 1:15 a.m. PT.
Visit the NASA JPSS-1 Briefings and Events page for a full description
of the JPSS-1 mission and a timeline of press and launch events:
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/jpss-1-briefings-and-events
The ELaNa missions generally get discussed on the L-2 Day Prelaunch
News Conference and Science Briefing followed by CubeSat owner inter-
views.
As AMSAT approaches the launch of RadFxSat/Fox-1B, Jerry Buxton, NØJY,
Vice-President Engineering, compiled a playlist of the streaming and
recorded videos he made as we went through the final testing and qual-
ification of the flight model: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-288-Fox1B-YouTube
On a related topic the next AMSAT-NA CubeSat of the Fox Team is Fox-1Cliff.
Here are links to videos showing Fox-1Cliff's "ride":
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-288-Spaceflight-Video-1
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-288-Spaceflight-Video-2
[ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, NØJY, for the
above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ D-Star One is a 3U CubeSat, designed for technology
demonstration. It will qualify a novel EPS and a new OBC, developed
and built by GOS in Berlin. Among other payloads, the satellite will
have four D-Star communication modules onboard. Two of these modules
will be fully dedicated to the amateur radio community. The other two
modules will be used for TT&C. **A downlink frequency of 435.700 MHz
has been coordinated**
[ANS thanks AMSAT UK for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+ Page 12 of the November issue of SatMagazine features an article
on the Jordanian JY1-SAT CubeSat which will carry an Amateur Radio
linear transponder. Download the magazine PDF
from http://www.satmagazine.com/ (via AMSAT-UK)
[ANS thanks JoAnne, K9JKM for the above information.]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+ The new version of the VHF handbook is available in the "Resources"
section of the iaru website and can be accessed at:
http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php/vhfuhsshf/1737-vhf-manager-handbook-versio…
[ ANS thanks IARU Region 1 and AMSAT-UK for the above]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+ 5K0, SAN ANDRES ISLAND (Update). Members of the Grupo Yaguarete
DX, whopostponed their DXpedition
(which was scheduled between October and November) to Sint Martin due to
the extreme damage by hurricane Irma, have now re-scheduled to be active
as 5K0T from San Andres Island (NA-033)
between November 12-26th. Operators mentioned are Joe/LU1FM (Team Leader),
Dan/LU9FHF, Andy/LU2JCW, Wally/LU3FMD, Fer/LU6FOV and Bob/KK6EK. Activity
will be on 160-10 meters, using CW, SSB, Digital modes (PSK31 and FT8)
and the Satellites. They plan to have 3 HF stations and one satellite
station on the air. Complete list of equipment is available on QRZ.com.
QSL via LU1FM. The 5K0T DXpedition will be officially supported by the
Cordell Expedition's DXA3 logging system <www.dxa3.org>. For more details
and updates, see: http://tarjetasqsl.com.ar/5k0t/index.html
[ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1333 for the above information]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
+ FalconSAT-3, CAS-4A, CAS-4B Now Supported in LoTW.
The ARRL released TQSL configuration file version 11.2.
FalconSAT-3, CAS-4A, and CAS-4B are now supported in LoTW.
Note that FalconSAT-3 is abbreviated FS-3. (via ARRL)
[ANS thanks A.R.R.L. 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,
Chris Bradley, AA5EM
aa5em at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
Opinions expressed
are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official
views of AMSAT-NA.
Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
program!
Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
1
0