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ANS-147 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Lee McLamb 26 May '18

26 May '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-147 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: * Help Requested to Monitor for Signals From Chinese Lunar Sats * Updates to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution * Digital Communications Conference (DCC) Call for Papers * Invitation to the 2018 NASA AAQ Workshop - September 7, 2018 * China Microsatellite Symposium 2018 * 25 Year Archive of Keplerian Elements Now on AMSAT Web Site * Satellite Shorts SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-147.01 ANS-147 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 147.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE May 27, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-147.01 Help Requested to Monitor for Signals From Chinese Lunar Sats After their launch on 2018-05-20 at 21:28 UTC, LJ 1 and LJ 2 were maneuvered onto a track to the Moon. Several amateurs received telemetry from the satellites. But now LJ 1 appears to encounter problems. Quoting Wei BG2BHC: "Can you help to find amateurs in the US to help to monitor DSLWP-A on 435.425 and 436.425 now? We lost the contact of satellite A on S band after an orbit adjustment. We just tried to switch on UHF, but we don't know if it works or not. If operating, 435.425 MHz should be 500bps GMSK and JT4 alternately. 436.425 MHz should be 250 bps GMSK. Both transmit once in 5 minutes. LONGJIANG 1 - NORAD CAT ID 43471 LONGJIANG 2 - NORAD CAT ID 43472 [Nico, PA0DLO, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Updates to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that three cubesat carrying Amateur Radio payloads were deployed from the ISS on May 11 at around 1030 UTC. See AMSAT News Service bulletin ANS-133 for details. The following cubesats have been added to this week's AMSAT-NA TLE distribution and are designated by Space-Track as follows: 1KUNS-PF (Kenya)- NORAD CAT ID 43466 (a 3U cubesat with a 1200 bps or 9600 bps telemetry beacon at 437.300 MHz) UBAKUSAT (Turkey)- NORAD CAT ID 43467 (a 3U cubesat with a CW beacon at 437.225 MHz, a telemetry beacon at 435.325 MHZ, and a linear transponder with a 435.200 - 435.250 MHz downlink / 145.940 - 145.990 MHz uplink) Irazu (Costa Rica) - NORAD CAT ID 43468 (a 1U cubesat with a 9600 bps telemetry beacon at 436.500 MHz) Nico Janssen (PA0DLO) reminds us that it is still too early to tell if the above CAT ID's are correct for each object. There may be changes. [ANS thanks Ray, WA5QGD, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Digital Communications Conference (DCC) Call for Papers Technical papers are solicited for presentation at the ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference (DCC) and publication in the Conference Proceedings. Annual conference proceedings are published by the ARRL. Presentation at the conference is not required for publication. Submission of papers are due by July 31st, 2018 and should be submitted to Maty Weinberg, ARRL 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111 or via the Internet to maty(a)arrl.org The ARRL and TAPR DCC is an international forum for radio amateurs to meet, publish their work, and present new ideas and techniques. This year, the DCC is in Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 14- 16. Presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about recent hardware and software advances, theories, experimental results, and practical applications. Topics include, but are not limited to: • Software Defined Radio (SDR) • Digital voice (D-Star, P25, WinDRM, FDMDV, DRMDV, G4GUO) • Digital satellite communications • Global position system • Precise Timing • Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) • Short messaging (a mode of APRS) • Digital Signal Processing (DSP) • HF digital modes • Internet interoperability with Amateur Radio networks • Spread spectrum • IEEE 802.11 and other Part 15 license-exempt systems adaptable for A mateur Radio • Using TCP/IP networking over Amateur Radio • Mesh and peer to peer wireless networking • Emergency and Homeland Defense backup digital communications in Amateur Radio • Updates on AX.25 and other wireless networking protocols • Topics that advanced the Amateur Radio art Go to https://tinyurl.com/y7wgm6vh to view the guidelines for paper submissions [ANS thanks the TAPR PSR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Invitation to the 2018 NASA AAQ Workshop - September 7, 2018 You are invited to participate in the 2018 NASA Academy of Aerospace Quality {AAQ) Workshop. This event will take place at Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday, September 7 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The event targets academics (faculty, researchers, students) involved with space related activities such as cube sat, small sat, high altitude balloon, rocket and more. It is also designed for those wishing to be involved with NASA space related projects. The event will feature speakers and a poster session. Travel stipends from NASA are available to attendees on a limited basis and will favor those giving a presentation or poster. There is no registration charge for attending the event but registration in advance is required. Please register at the link below by July 31. http://spider2.eng.auburn.edu/AAQ/registration.html The NASA Academy of Aerospace Quality is an open access virtual academy of educational modules, lessons learned, standards, case studies and more related to quality assurance for space related projects, especially those from academic based teams. The website is: http://aaq.auburn.edu Links to the agenda and materials from previous NASA AAQ Workshops can be found at the link below: http://aaq.eng.auburn.edu/events [ANS thanks Alice Smith and Jeff Smith for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- China Microsatellite Symposium 2018 The China Microsatellite Symposium(CMS2018), (www.microsatsymp.com) will be held at Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an China on 18th – 20th November 2018. The symposium includes keynote presentations and several sessions which will focus on the design experience, scientific missions, launch opportunities and all new technologies about microsatellites. In addition, another import session, International CubeSat and Mission Contest will be held on 20th November 2018, after which a free launch opportunity of 3U CubeSat or 1U payload capacity will be awarded to the winner of the first prize. Participants can get information and submit the works through the official website of our contest: www.cubesatcontest.org. The submission deadlines for the abstract of CMS2018 and work of CubeSat contest are both August 31, 2018. You could submit abstract and get information on the website www.microsatsymp.com Along with the symposium, there will also be a related exhibition, during which you can find the updated progress of CubeSat, launchers and other related technology. For exhibitors, you could also get information about booth on the website. The event is supported by China National Space Administration, International Astronautical Federation, Chinese Society of Astronautics and Chinese Institute of Command and Control. If you have any questions, please contact service(a)microsatsymp.com. [ANS thanks Ray Nugent for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Year Archive of Keplerian Elements Now on AMSAT Web Site AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager Ray Hoad, WA5QGD has made his archive of orbital elements for active amateur satellites back to October 1993. Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P has posted this on the AMSAT web site at: http://www.amsat.org/tle/historical/ Joe commented, "Thanks for all those bulletins, Ray. That represents a lot of work over 25 years!" [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD and Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts (Venice, LA, USA) Wyatt Dirks, AC0RA, and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG’s plan to activate maidenhead gridsquare EL58hx on Memorial Day weekend, 2018, is rescheduled due to unsafe weather conditions. The National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center confirms 70% potential for a tropical depression to form in the next five days with potential to move into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. Rainfall predicted to hit the Louisiana coast combined with additional moisture from the potential depression would inhibit safe access to the operating location. The new dates for the expedition are June 7-9, 2018. AMSAT Vice President Engineering, Jerry Buxton, N0JY has made his Engineering presentation at the 2018 Dayton Hamvention AMSAT forum available on-line: http://amsat.us/?p=189 There is a PDF version for viewing, and the original pptx version. You may reuse the information in this presentation in its entirety as a presentation, or by the use excerpts from this presentation to enhance your own pre- sentation, so long as you do not alter the original wording when making your own slides. (via @N0JY on Twitter) Members of the Radio Club Croatian Flora Fauna will be active as 9A90P from Vela Palagruza Island (CI-084, LH 0057) between June 16-23rd. Operators mentioned are Marijan/9A1MB, Radovan/ 9A2SC, Zeljko/9A3DF, Branko/9A3ST, Kiko/9A4WY, Vito/9A5VS, Neven/9A5YY and Emir/9A6AA. Activity will be on 80-6 meters near the IOTA frequencies using CW, SSB, the Digital modes and the satellites. QSL 9A90P via 9A2MF. ADDED NOTE. Look for some operators to possibly operate (using their own callsign) from neighboring islands: Mala Palagruza (EU-090, CI-461) and Galijula Island (EU-090, CI-462). (thanks to Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1365) --------------------------------------------------------------------- /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

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ANS-140 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Peter Laws 19 May '18

19 May '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-140 The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information 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(a)amsat.org. ***************************************************************************************** * AMSAT @ HAMVENTION May 18-20 - Booth (1007-1010 & 1107-1110) * ***************************************************************************************** In this edition: * AMSAT Activities at Hamvention 2018 * Ready for Phase 5? * CAMSAT amateur radio transponder satellites to launch this year * Call for Nominations - AMSAT Board of Directors * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-140.01 ANS-140 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 140.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. May 20, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-140.01 --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Activities at Hamvention 2018 At deadline, Hamvention 2018 was nearly over. If you are attending, and have somehow put it off, the AMSAT booth (1007-1010 & 1107-1110) will be open until noon local time on Sunday. Well-dressed satellite operators can still pick up the latest AMSAT fashions for 2018 as well as other AM-swag. The 2018 update of Gould Smith’s book, Getting Started With Amateur Satellites will be available as well. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Work the AMSAT Hamvention Demo Station! Hamvention 2018 is almost over, but there is still time to work W3ZM/8, the AMSAT Club Station. Listen for the station on passes from 1200-1600 UTC Sunday, May 21st. Hamvention is located in the six character gridsquare EM89aq and if you are attending, the demo station is outside Building 1. As a reward for working the AMSAT demo station, individuals working us will receive a digital certificate upon request. Please email n8hm(a)amsat.org with your QSO details to receive a certificate. [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready for Phase 5? Phase 3 was the term coined for AMSAT's first high-earth orbit satellites back in the late 1970s[1], Phases 1 and 2 being the prior "bleepsats" and early transponder based LEO satellites (the very successful AO-6, AO-7, and AO-8 among them). Later, Phase 4 was coined to indicate satellites in geosynchronous orbits and Phase 5 to denote missions that would leave Earth's orbit. While AMSAT-NA doesn't currently have any Phase 5 missions planned, industrious students at China's Harbin Institute of Technology not only have a Lunar mission planned, but it is expected to launch on May 20 at 21:30 UTC! Ambitious is a good description of the mission: not one, but two 47-kg microsats are expected to end up in an "HLO" -- a highly elliptical Lunar orbit -- and will be carrying amateur radio payloads. For more details and links to further information including a Linux-based "live CD" for using these satellites, see AMSAT-UK's news article here: https://amsat-uk.org/2018/05/19/dslwp-satellites-lunar-orbit/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] [1] - AMSAT Newsletter, Vol VII, #2, June 1975, p3 - see http://www.ka9q.net/AMSAT-Newsletter-1975.pdf --------------------------------------------------------------------- CAMSAT amateur radio transponder satellites to launch this year CAMSAT has released details of three new amateur radio satellites, CAS-5A, CAS-5B and CAS-6, that are hoped to launch in September 2018. Two of the satellites CAS-5A and CAS-6 will carry transponders. CAS-5A a 6U CubeSat which will include the following capabilities: • HF/HF – H/T Mode Linear Transponder • HF/UHF – H/U Mode Linear Transponder • HF – CW Telemetry Beacon • VHF/UHF – V/U Mode Linear Transponder • VHF/UHF – V/U Mode FM Transponder • UHF – CW Telemetry Beacon • UHF – AX.25 4.8k/9.6k Baud GMSK Telemetry. The transponders will have 30-kHz bandwidths except the H/U unit which will be 15 kHz wide. Planning a launch in September 2018 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center into a 539 × 533 km, 97.5 degree orbit. Details: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=619 CAS-5B, a femto-satellite architecture (90 x 80 x 50 mm, 500 g mass) with a proposed UHF CW beacon and to be deployed from CAS-5A when in space. Details: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=620 CAS-6 a 50 kg micro satellite (490 x 499 x 430 mm). It will include: • VHF CW Telemetry Beacon • U/V Mode 20 kHz Linear Transponder • AX.25 4.8k baud GMSK telemetry downlink • Deployable Antennas • Solar Panels, Lithium ion battery and power controller • Integrated Housekeeping Unit • Three-axis stabilization system • Atmospheric Wind detector • S-band TT&C system (non-amateur radio band) • X-band Data link system (non-amateur radio band) Planning a sea launch from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in September 2018 into a 579 x 579 km, 45 degree orbit. Details: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=622 [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Call for Nominations - AMSAT Board of Directors It's time to submit nominations for the upcoming AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election. Three directors' terms expire this year: those of Tom Clark, K3IO; Mark Hammond, N8MH; and Bruce Paige, KK5DO. In addition, up to two Alternates may be elected for one-year terms. A valid nomination requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT-NA member for Director. Written nominations, consisting of the nominee's name and call, and the nominating individuals' names, calls and individual signatures should be mailed to: AMSAT-NA 10605 CONCORD ST STE 304 KENSINGTON MD 20895-2526 In addition to traditional submissions of written nominations, which is the preferred method, the intent to nominate someone may be made by electronic means. These include e-mail, fax, or electronic image of a petition. Electronic petitions should be sent to martha(a)amsat.org or faxed to +1-301-822-4371. No matter what means is used, petitions MUST arrive at the AMSAT-NA office no later than June 15th. If the nomination is a traditional written nomination, no other action is required. If electronic means are used, a verifying traditional written petition MUST be received at the AMSAT-NA office within 7 days following the close of nominations on June 15th. ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT THIS SECOND, WRITTEN VERIFICATION ARE NOT VALID UNDER THE EXISTING AMSAT-NA BYLAWS. [ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News Hamvention and ARISS Work Together The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station team (ARISS) is happy to announce that Hamvention and ARISS are working together again this year. Hamvention's 2018 theme is, "Amateur Radio ... Serving the Community." ARISS serves communities by inspiring great numbers of youth to explore STEM and Amateur Radio. ARISS is kicking off its 2018 fund-raising campaign at Hamvention to raise money for the expensive space-rated parts needed to finish building the required multiple units of the custom-built Multi-Voltage Power Supply, and to help defray some costs of continuing ARISS operations. The power supply is part of the next-gen ARISS Interoperable Radio System to replace the intermittent, aging ISS amateur radio station. ARISS Chair Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, said, "Having Hamvention partner with ARISS really puts our 2018 funding campaign into gear." Hamvention's support began with a post on the convention's front web page. The posting discussed teaming up with ARISS, and announcing a special ARISS prize drawing at the convention, and the need for hams to contribute to ARISS right now by going to http://www.ariss.org/donate.html, to https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen, or stopping at the ARISS Hamvention booth on Sunday morning. The double boost to ARISS by Hamvention is the featuring of the ARISS Challenge Coin at a special drawing just minutes before the convention's big prize drawings on the final day. Thousands of people will hear about the ARISS Challenge Coin and how ARISS inspires students to engage in STEM studies and radio technology. 2018 Hamvention Prize Committee Chairman Bill Serra, N8NRT, wrote, "We are happy to be able to make the ARISS Challenge Coin a very special part of Sunday's prize awards." ARISS donated two of its handsome coins positioned side by side in a beautiful display, showing off each of the coin's sides. This ARISS Challenge Coin is the premium received by donors who give $100 or more to ARISS. The ARISS team will welcome convention goers at the ARISS booth in Building 1 through the weekend to donate and see a mock-up of the Multi-Voltage Power Supply that ARISS will launch in the future. A raffle is being held at the booth to win a coin - the owner of the ticket pulled does not have to be present to win. For those unable to make the trip to Xenia, readers can donate any amount by going to http://www.ariss.org/donate.html ARISS thanked everyone on the Hamvention staff whose personal efforts are aiding ARISS in its fund-raising and publicity goals. Rosalie White, K1STO, ARISS-US Delegate for ARRL, added: "We are so pleased and proud to know that Hamvention believes in the ARISS team and its goals of piquing the interest of young people and communities in a quite unique 'wow way' for STEM and Amateur Radio." 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), the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) 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, see www.ariss.org, www.amsat.org, and www.arrl.org. To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status [ANS thanks ARISS & David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The AMSAT-NA Office will be closed through Monday, May 21st. The office will reopen on Tuesday, May 22nd + AMSAT HQ, @amsat, tweeted some images of the latest "Am-swag" at https://twitter.com/AMSAT/status/997443139760771073 + Jeff, KE9V, @ke9v, tweeted some images of AMSAT activities at Hamvention here: https://twitter.com/ke9v/status/997528369087631360 + Burt, FJ8OJ, @fj8oj, has a list of upcoming satellite operations here: https://sat.fg8oj.com/calendar.php (his website has other information of interest to AMSAT members as well) + SpaceDaily.com published an article on May 15 which gives nice mention to AMSAT, RadFxSat/Fox-1B: "What Happens After Launch: Two NASA Educational CubeSats" - http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-RadFX-Fox1B [ANS thanks SpaceDaily.com for this item] + Get on the Satellites for Field Day! Field Day is right around the corner! Posted on the AMSAT website with the ARRL’s permission is an article entitled “Get on the Satellites for ARRL Field Day” written by Sean Kutzko, KX9X, and published in the June 2018 issue of QST. Read it at https://www.amsat.org/get-on-the-satellites-for-field-day/. As a reminder, AMSAT runs a Field Day event concurrently with ARRL Field Day. For more information, please see https://www.amsat.org/field-day/. [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information.] + EL58: Wyatt, AC0RA, and Clayton, W5PFG, will be activating EL58 on Satellite (FM and linear as W5PFG) between 0000 UTC May 26 and 1700 UTC May 27. In addition to satellite, the team will be active on 6-m SSB and digital modes (FT8, MSK144) with a 5-el Yagi at 10 m height and with 1 kW of power (as AC0RA). Because they will operate from the land portion of the grid, QSOs will count for Louisiana (WAS), Plaquemines Parish (for County Hunters), and IOTA NA-168. Skeds for QSOs >6000 km from the grid are available by contacting w5pfg(a)arrl.org. [ANS thanks Wyatt, AC0RA, & Clayton, W5PFG for the above information.] + EL60: 6E5RM/XF3 Cozumel Island Special Event. Members of the Radioclub Cancun will be active as 6E5RM/XR3 celebrating the 2018 Rally Maya Mexico on May 23rd and 24th. In addition to 6 m and HF operations, satellite operations are planned. Cozumel Island is IOTA NA-090. QSL via XE3N. [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin & dxnews.com for this information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. 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 student 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, Peter Laws, N5UWY n5uwy(a)amsat.org

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ANS-133 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 12 May '18

12 May '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-133 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. ******************************************************************** * DON'T FORGET THAT IT IS MOTHER'S DAY * * AMSAT at HAMVENTION May 18-20 booth (1007-1010 & 1107-1110) * * AMSAT ForumSaturday, May 19 in Forum room 4 at 2:45-3:45 PM * ******************************************************************** In this edition: * Dr. Alan B. Johnston (PhD), KU2Y, Named AMSAT Vice-President, Educational Relations * Jerry Buxton, NØJY CubeSat Presentation at Princeton Orbital Initiative * ARISS HamVideo Currently Not Transmitting * AMSAT at Hamvention 2018 -- 3rd and Final Call for Volunteers * Work the AMSAT Hamvention Demo Station! * Video Streaming of RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) Flight Model Testing * AMSAT Activities at Hamvention 2018 * Tips For Prompt Message Posting To The AMSAT-BB * Three CubeSats with Amateur Radio Payloads Deployed from ISS * Satellite-Image_26113 Re-recovered... Call for amateur help! * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-133.01 ANS-133 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 133.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. May 13, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-133.01 Dr. Alan B. Johnston (PhD), KU2Y, Named AMSAT Vice-President, Educational Relations AMSAT President, Joe Spier, K6WAO has announced the appointment of Alan Johnston, KU2Y as AMSAT Vice President-Educational Relations. Joe noted, "The subject of educational outreach is critical for the mission of AMSAT. AMSAT continues creating structure for fulfilling our mission component regarding education with projects such as the CubeSat Simulator, ARISS, and outreach to primary, middle, high school, and university programs. Alan has agreed to help AMSAT establish and coordinate an education initiative program and serve as AMSAT’s senior point of contact with outside organizations regarding educational outreach." Given the increasing importance of fulfilling education goals as justification for launch opportunities, this is an important subject for AMSAT. Alan is aptly suited for this position as he is currently an instructor at Rowan University in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department, and has previously taught at Seattle University, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Washington University in St Louis. Alan is interested in using amateur radio satellites to teach various engineering and scientific topics and understands the teacher perspective as well. He holds an Amateur Extra license and is also a published author. [ANS Thanks Joe, K6WAO for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Jerry Buxton, NØJY CubeSat Presentation at Princeton Orbital Initiative The Princeton Orbital Initiative, a student organization at Princeton University, has invited Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering, to share his experience with CubeSat development and AMSAT's proven technology combining scientific telemetry with on-orbit CubeSat voice operations, further expanding AMSAT's educational outreach. Dan Marlow, K2QM, a faculty advisor to the Princeton Orbital Initiative (POI) says the group plans to build and fly a 3U CubeSat with a goal to submit the project to the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative in November of this year. Marlow's invitation includes meetings with Andrew Redd, the lead for the POI initiative and an additional session with the graduate student chief designer of the thruster that the Princeton Plasma Lab is planning. Marlow said the visit would also provide an opportunity to explore possible mutual interest in partnering along the lines of some of the recent Fox missions. Buxton will give a presentation followed by a Q&A session, and have informal sessions with the students. The students have begun mechanical design of their 3U CubeSat and are looking to AMSAT for advice and guidance for their electronic and communications systems. Buxton commented, "Many institutions have been calling us for input on building CubeSats and to explore partnerships, and I think that this opportunity from an Ivy League University reflects the high level of standing and reputation AMSAT has established in the satellite industry ... with a specialty in amateur radio satellites of course." AMSAT North America pioneered satellite operations in space and con- tinues that tradition now based based on reliable CubeSat operations with amateur radio transponders, hosting scientific experimental missions sharing the amateur radio payload, successful multiple CubeSat deployment, and orbital deployment from the International Space Station. AMSAT was an early participant with the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative in the Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) program and con- tinues to have our launches selected based on our prior success and exciting future technological, scientific and educational opportunities. [ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President of Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS HamVideo Currently Not Transmitting In the official ARISS News Release No.18-06 dated May 10, 2018, ARISS PR Editor David Jordan, AA4KN, reports that the ARISS HamVideo is not currently transmitting The HamVideo digital Amateur Television (DATV) transmitter aboard the International Space Station (ISS) Columbus module recently ceased transmitting. The unit's indicators show it is functioning but its signal cannot be detected on the ground. The ARISS team's efforts to get the transmitter working again have been unsuccessful, thus far. A series of steps are currently being undertaken to try to diagnose the problem. However, if an actual failure occurred, only a ground- based evaluation will fully diagnose the problem. The ARISS International team is working diligently to bring HamVideo back to full operation as soon as practical. We have started coordination with our space agency partners and with our sponsors to expeditiously troubleshoot the issue on-board and, if necessary, troubleshoot and repair the device on the ground. The HamVideo DATV transmitter has become a very valuable educational asset that astronauts enjoy employing as part of the ARISS connection. Astronauts Tim Peake, KG5BVI; Paolo Nespoli, IZ0JPA; and Thomas Pesquet, FX0ISS, regularly utilized HamTV to inspire students and educators during ARISS contacts scheduled as part of these astronauts' ISS missions. Australian and European HamTV ground stations have been operational for receiving and distributing DATV signals from the ISS, and in the US, HamTV stations are under development. Several hams in Japan have set up ground stations that have received HamVideo. As more information becomes available on the HamVideo status and on any potential repair plans, we will keep you informed through future news releases and via messages on the ARISS web site www.ariss.org. [ANS thanks David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT at Hamvention 2018 -- 3rd and Final Call for Volunteers Hamvention 2018 in Xenia, Ohio is next week, May 18-20! If you’ve been waiting to volunteer until you’d firmed up your plans, we need to hear from you ASAP! If you're an experienced satellite operator, we can use you and your experience. If you've never operated a satellite before, we can use your help too. Whether you're available for only a couple of hours or if you can spend the entire weekend with us, your help would be greatly appreciated. Please send an e-mail to Phil, w1eme(a)amsat.org if you can help. Thank you! [Information provided by Phil Smith, W1EME Hamvention 2018 Team Leader] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Work the AMSAT Hamvention Demo Station! As previously announced, AMSAT will have it's traditional presence at Hamvention this year, including a satellite demo station. The demostation will operate under the AMSAT club callsign W3ZM/8. We intend to be on most passes of voice satellites between 12:00 UTC and 20:30 UTC on Friday, May 19th and Saturday, May 20th and between 12:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC on Sunday, May 21st. Hamvention is located in the six digit gridsquare EM89aq. As a reward for working the AMSAT demo station, individuals working us will receive a digital certificate upon request. Please email n8hm(a)amsat.org with your QSO details to receive a certificate. If you are attending Hamvention, please stop by the demo station outside Building 1! [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Video Streaming of RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) Flight Model Testing AMSAT Vice President Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, has been streaming live videos of testing of the flight model of RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E) from Fox Labs in Granbury, TX. You can view archived videos at: https://www.twitch.tv/n0jy/videos/all. The first two are also posted at: https://tinyurl.com/ANS133-RadFxModelTest Follow @N0JY on Twitter for future live streams of RadFxSat-2 flight model testing. RadFxSat-2 is scheduled to launch later this year on the ELaNa XX mission aboard Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne air-launch-to-orbit system. The satellite carries a 30 kHz wide V/u linear transponder and radiation experiments for Vanderbilt University's Institute for Space and Defense Electronics. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer N8HM, and Jerry Buxton, N0JY for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Activities at Hamvention 2018 The 2018 Hamvention will be held on May 18-20, 2018 at Greene County Fairground and Expo Center in Xenia Ohio. AMSAT is planning for an exciting event. May 17 – Booth setup on Thursday. May 18, 19, 20 – AMSAT in full operation at Hamvention May 20 – Booth teardown on Sunday AMSAT Booth Stop by the AMSAT booth (1007-1010 & 1107-1110) Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 9am-1pm to meet board members, officers, and active satellite operators. You’ll be able to ask questions and see demonstrations of AMSAT’s current and upcoming technologies. Well dressed satellite operators will look forward to picking up the latest AMSAT “swag” and fashions for 2018. Gould Smith’s book, Getting Started With Amateur Satellites, has been updated for 2018 and will be on sale during the Hamvention. AMSAT Forum The AMSAT Forum at Hamvention 2018 will be held on Saturday, May 19 in Forum room 4 at 2:45-3:45 PM. Amateur Satellite Demonstrations Amateur Satellite operation demonstrations will be held every day outside the main Maxim Hall (Building 1 or E1) entrance. AMSAT will be be demonstrating actual contacts with the operational amateur satellites. We especially invite youth to make a contact via an amateur satellite. All are invited to observe, participate and ask questions. Satellite pass times will be posted at the AMSAT booth and in the demo area. Annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” Party The annual AMSAT “Dinner at Tickets” party will be held Thursday at 1800 EDT at Tickets Pub & Eatery at 7 W. Main St, Fairborn, OH. Feast on a great selection of Greek and American food and great company! No program or speaker, just good conversation. Food can be ordered from the menu, drinks (beer, wine, sodas and iced tea) are available at the bar. Leave room for dessert, there’s an in-house ice cream shop! Come as you are. Bring some friends and have a great time the night before Hamvention. AMSAT/TAPR Banquet The twelfth annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held at the Kohler Presidential Center on Friday at 1830 EDT. This dinner is always a highlight of the AMSAT and TAPR activities during the Dayton Hamvention. We are pleased to announce that Jeri Ellsworth, AI6TK will be our speaker. Jeri will present her innovative ideas and adventures in Amateur Radio. Banquet tickets are no longer available There will be no tickets to pick up at the AMSAT booth. Tickets purchased on-line will be maintained on a list with check-in at the door of the banquet center. AMSAT Announces Hamvention Forum Speaker Line Up The AMSAT Forum at Hamvention 2018 will be held on Saturday, May 19 in Forum room 4 at 2:45-3:45 PM. The speaker and topic line up includes: Moderator: Keith Baker, KB1SF / VA3KSF “AMSAT Status Report” by Joseph Spier, K6WAO, AMSAT-NA President, who will highlight recent activities within AMSAT and discuss some of our challenges, accomplishments, projects, and any late breaking news. “AMSAT Engineering Program” by Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Engineering, will talk about the Fox-1 and Golf (Greater Orbit Larger Footprint) Projects. “ARISS Report 2018” by Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA Vice President for Human Spaceflight will discus ARISS’ “Next Generation ARISS Radio System” on the International Space Station. AMSAT/TAPR Banquet Speaker – Jeri Ellsworth, AI6TK The twelfth annual joint AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held on Friday, May 18 at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center, 4572 Presidential Way, Kettering, OH 45429 (just south of Dayton). Doors open at 6:30 PM for a cash bar with the buffet dinner served at 7:00 PM. Jeri Ellsworth, AI6TK, will present on her innovative ideas and adventures in Amateur Radio. Jeri is an American entrepreneur, self- taught engineer, and an autodidact computer chip designer and inventor. She gained notoriety in 2004 for creating a complete Commodore 64 system on a chip housed within a joystick, called C64 Direct-to-TV. That “computer in a joystick” could run 30 video games from the early 1980’s, and at peak, sold over 70,000 units in a single day via the QVC shopping channel. Ellsworth co-founded CastAR (formerly Technical Illusions) in 2013 and stayed with the company until its closure on June 26, 2017. In 2016, she passed all three amateur radio exams, earned her Amateur Extra license, and received the AI6TK callsign. This has now launched new adventures into Amateur Radio. She has been featured in January 2017 QST and in YouTube videos from Quartzfest earlier this year. Jeri has been given a free hand to speak on whatever topic she wishes (as long as it’s amateur radio, somewhat). [ANS thanks The AMSAT Office for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips For Prompt Message Posting To The AMSAT-BB Recently, there have been several posts, including some time sensitive roving information, which have been held for moderator release because they were sent by list members from accounts other than the one used to register with the list. While the moderators are happy to release these messages, it can result in significant delay. Since there are many new members here, below is a guide which was published two years ago. Tips for prompt message posting. People sometimes post time-sensitive messages to AMSAT-BB. Examples are last minute grid activities, unexpected satellite mode changes, requests for critically important telemetry, etc. These normally go through promptly, but occasionally get held for two basic reasons: While AMSAT-BB is an open list, that means it is open for membership, not posting. In order to post to the list, it normally must be from the same account you originally registered. For instance, if you registered from your home account, and post from your office account, it will normally be held for release by a moderator. Likewise, some people have all their email forwarded to a single account from which they reply. We can create a filter to pass the second address, but that is not automatically done on the first instance, and does require moderator action. AMSAT-BB receives many pieces of spam for each legitimate message. As part of the filtering process, emails larger than 50 kB are blocked. This usually happens to legitimate email when someone attempts to attach a large file, or does not trim an extended series of exchanges. Also, there is a limit to the number of addresses before an email is held as potential spam. I have seen legitimate email sent to 30+ addresses. We have a team of volunteer moderators, but they are not available 24/7. The result is that a message sent in the evening or on a holiday, US time, may well be held for several hours before being released. So, if it absolutely, positively needs to be distributed promptly: 1. Post from the same account you registered, or one which from past experience you know has been flagged as acceptable. 2. Do not use attachments. (Pictures and other files should be included by a link.) They will be blocked to the list, and if the total size of the message plus attachments exceeds 50 kB, the mail will be held. 3. Send it to AMSAT-BB and a few other addresses at most. If you must send to a large distribution list, send to them, and another copy to AMSAT-BB. (A trick which seems to work well is to place most of the addresses in the BCC rather than CC line.) 4. Consider also posting to the AMSAT Twitter and Facebook accounts. There is overlap in membership, though at present it is far from 100%. 5. Do not send large commercial press releases, or things which look like them. They will be caught by heuristic spam filters. A simple posting of an event or activity will normally go through. Note that there are existing exemptions for official channels such as ANS, ARISS, other AMSAT organizations, etc. 6. All new accounts are automatically flagged for moderation. This flag will normally be cleared on the first or second posting, but do allow for and expect an initial delay if you establish a dedicated account for your satellite organization. 7. Remember that this is a text-only list. Posting using HTML formatting will have unpredictable results, and may trigger the 50 kB hold for what appears to be a short message. [ANS thanks Alan WA4SCA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISS Orbit Reboost Saturday May 12 The International Space Station was scheduled to raise its orbit this weekend (Saturday, May 12) to prepare for the departure of three Expedition 55 crew members and the arrival of a new Russian cargo craft. The docked Russian Progress 69 resupply ship will fire its engines Saturday at 6:07 p.m. EDT for two minutes and 52 seconds slightly boosting the orbital lab’s altitude. This orbital reboost sets up the proper phasing trajectory for the Soyuz MS-07 spacecraft when it undocks June 3. The Soyuz will carry Commander Anton Shkaplerov and Flight Engineers Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai back to Earth after six-and-a-half month mission in space. The reboost will also enable a two-orbit launch to docking opportunity for Russia’s next resupply ship the Progress 70 in July. [Ed note: Stations who have not refreshed their Keplerian Elements will discover that the ISS is arriving slightly later than predicted.] https://tinyurl.com/ANS133-ISS-Boost [ANS thanks NASA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Three CubeSats with Amateur Radio Payloads Deployed from ISS The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has announced that three CubeSats carrying Amateur Radio payloads, including one with a V/U linear transponder, were deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on May 11 at around 1030 UTC. Irazu (Costa Rica) and 1KUNS-PF (Kenya) carry beacon/telemetry in the 70-centimeter Amateur Radio band, while UBAKUSAT (Turkey) carries an Amateur Radio linear transponder for SSB and CW, in addition to CW and telemetry beacons. Irazu is a 1U CubeSat developed by students at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology, with a telemetry beacon at 436.500 MHz. 1KUNS-PF is a 3U CubeSat developed by students at the University of Nairobi, with a telemetry beacon (9.6 kbps) at 437.300 MHz. UBAKUSAT, a 3U CubeSat developed by students at the Istanbul Technical University, has a CW beacon at 437.225 MHz, and a telemetry beacon at 437.325 MHz. The linear transponder downlink is 435.200 - 435.250 MHz; the uplink is 145.940 - 145.990 MHz. [ANS thanks ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite-Image_26113 Re-recovered... Call for amateur help! Earlier this week Scott Tilley again recovered IMAGE on S-band. The spacecraft started a series of eclipses and the first one appeared to cause IMAGE to reboot and start transmitting again. After the initial recovery in January of this year IMAGE faded away in late February. NASA is now trying to reestablish control of the spacecraft and has been actively attempting with some success to have the spacecraft accept commands over the last couple of days. A number of phenomenon have been observed that has challenged the ground controllers to understand what is going on with the spacecraft and they have asked for amateurs to contribute s-band signal data particularly as the spacecraft passes through eclipse. If you have access to equipment and are suitably located to contribute observations please contact me for more information and support in sharing your observations with NASA. NASA kindly supplied the following table for stations planning to monitor IMAGE during eclipses. Those studying the TLE for IMAGE will note eclipses primarily happen in the southern hemisphere and have limited visibility to northern hemisphere locations. It's not impossible for northern stations but not 'convenient'. https://tinyurl.com/ANS133-ImageRecovery For those needing general information about the mission to plan their efforts: Track: 26113 IMAGE, see Spacetrack... Frequency: 2272.5MHz +/- Doppler If possible, record amplitude, frequency and timestamp to a machine readable file and send to me with any information that may be needed to interpret your data. Please include lat/long and altitude of observing station and provide general details of the station. I.e. GPS time and frequency disciplined etc, antenna etc. If all you can do is record a plot that's fine too! Stations collecting real data or needing more help can email me directly and I will forward to NASA: sthed475 (at) telus (dot) net IMAGE thanks you. For more information on IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration) visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAGE [ANS thanks Scott Tilley and Seesat-l for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News The following ARISS contacts have been successful: 2018-04-17 16:44 UTC Astronaut Scott Tingle KG5NZA using ISS callsign NA1SS with Salado Intermediate School, Salado, TX, USA, direct via K5LBJ. ARISS Mentor was Gene K5YFL. 2018-04-18 15:57 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign NA1SS with Central Islip Union Free School District, Central Islip, NY, USA, direct via KD2IFR. ARISS Mentors were Gordon KD8COJ and Backup John K4SQC. 2018-04-19 12:05 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using, ISS callsign NA1SS with King's High School, Warwick, UK, direct via GB4KHS, ARISS Mentor was Ciaran MØXTD. 2018-04-24 11:05 UTC Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov using ISS callsign RSØISS with About Gagarin From The Space. Implementation Of The Session Of Radio-Love Communication With Participants Of "Artek" Change, near Black Sea, Russia, direct via RM6KD. Mentor was Sergey RV3DR. 2018-04-26 12:30 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign OR4ISS with Zespól Szkoly Podstawowej i Publicznego Gimnazjum w Buczku, Buczek, Poland; I Liceum Ogólnoksztalcace im. Tadeusza Kosciuszki w Lasku, Lask, Poland; and Zespól Szkól Ponadgimnazjalnych w Zelowie, Zelów, Poland, direct via SP7KYL. ARISS Mentor was Armand SP3QFE. 2018-05-03 15:47 UTC Astronaut Scott Tingle KG5NZA using ISS callsign NA1SS with Mill Springs Academy, Alpharetta, GA, USA, direct via WA4MSA. ARISS Mentor was John K4SQC. 2018-05-03 17:22 UTC Astronaut Scott Tingle KG5NZA using ISS callsign NA1SS with Students for the Exploration & Development of Space, College Station, TX, USA, direct via W5QZ. ARISS Mentor was Keith W5IU. 2018-05-07 13:54:10 UTC Astronaut Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign NA1SS with Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN, USA, direct via WA4SXM. ARISS Mentor was Dave AA4KN. Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule An International Space Station school contact has been planned with participants at University of the Philippines Integrated School, Quezon City, Philippines on 15 May. The event is scheduled to begin at approximately 08:22 UTC. It is recommended that you start listening approximately 10 minutes before this time.The duration of the contact is approximately 9 minutes and 30 seconds. The contact will be a telebridge between NA1SS and W6SRJ. The contact should be audible over the west coast of the U.S. Interested parties are invited to listen in on the 145.80 MHz downlink. The contact is expected to be conducted in English. The UP Integrated School (est. 1976) is the laboratory school of the UP College of Education. It offers an integrated curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It is one of the country's pioneer integrated schools and has been offering an integrated curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 10 since its inception until the mandatory implementation of the Department of Education's K-12 program in 2012. The UPIS is the product of the merging of three schools whose functions it inherited. These are the UP High School (est. 1916), the UP Elementary School (est. 1936), and the UP Preparatory High School (est. 1954). Age of students is 14 and 15. Participants will ask as many of the following questions as time allows: 1. What are the challenges that astronauts face while working inside the international space station? How are these issues addressed? 2. What can you give as an advice or words of inspiration to young aspiring Filipinos dreaming of becoming involved in NASA's (or International) space programs? 3. The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone (typhoon, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions) countries in the world. What researches does the ISS have to help these countries (or the Philippines, in particular) minimize risks related to such disasters? 4. Which of the recent breakthroughs/discoveries in your research in the ISS is your team's favorite and why? 5. Given the latest discoveries/experiments your team has done in the ISS, which field in science and technology do you think has the most promising advancement in the upcoming years? 6. How can the youth have a more active participation in space programs? (Skills training, seminars, etc.) 7. How long does it take to get use to the weightlessness in space? 8. What did you do before you became an astronaut? 9. Compared to Earth-based monitoring programs, how does the ISS facilities and equipment help in monitoring environmental disasters? 10. What can the Philippines do if it wants to participate in international space programs? PLEASE CHECK THE FOLLOWING FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ARISS UPDATES: Visit ARISS on Facebook. We can be found at Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS). To receive our Twitter updates, follow @ARISS_status [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + Get on the Satellites for Field Day! Field Day is right around the corner! Posted on the AMSAT website with the ARRL’s permission is an article entitled “Get on the Satellites for ARRL Field Day” written by Sean Kutzko, KX9X, and published in the June 2018 issue of QST. Read it at https://www.amsat.org/get-on-the-satellites-for-field-day/. As a reminder, AMSAT runs a Field Day event concurrently with ARRL Field Day. For more information, please see https://www.amsat.org/field-day/. [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information.] + 6Y5IDX log I, Marty N9EAT, have been working with Chris, VO1IDX/6Y5IDX to get his logs sorted out. However, some passes may have been lost due to phone issues during rainstorms while he was in Jamaica. The following are in the log at this time, and we plan to upload May 11: YS1MS(x2), TI2CDA, TI4DJ, FG8OJ, WP4PRD, N1RCN (x2), KE4AL, K9EO, N1COR, HP2VX, NA2AA(x2), N9EAT, AK4WQ, AA5PK, N8HM, N8RO, K4FEG, KD8ATF, KG4AKV, KB1PVH, NK1K. If you worked them, and have a recording available to prove it, forward them to either me or Chris VO1IDX. His email is good on QRZ. Additionally, forward any lotw issues to either of use. Paper QSL cards are via direct to VO1IDX. [ANS thanks Marty N9EAT for the above information.] + 6E5RM/XF3 Cozumel Island Special Event Includes Satellite Operation Members of the Radioclub Cancun will be active as 6E5RM between May 23rd and June 1st. Activity is to celebrate the 2018 Rally Maya Mexico. However, on May 23rd and 24th, they will be active as 6E5RM/XF3 from Cozumel Island. Operations are expected to be on 80-6 meters using SSB, RTTY, FT8 and the satellites. They will be on the air as much time as possible for the Rally activities. [ANS thanks Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin #1363] + ARISS Story Line Featured in Book Emily Calandrelli KD8PKR recently released her third short novel for kids, "Take Me to Your Leader". In it, her main character, Ada Lace uses amateur radio around her hometown. She also uses radio to contact an astronaut on the ISS. I believe it is Sandy Magnus in her story. Even though the contact does not follow the ARISS protocol, she talks about the ARISS program in one of the appendices at the back of the book. If you (or your schools) are ever looking for a good short book to explain a little about radio contacts, this would be a good choice. [ANS thanks Brian VE6JBJ 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

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ANS-126 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Chris Bradley (AA0CB) 06 May '18

06 May '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-126 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: * The end of daytime HF * Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-05-04 * EL58hx Grid Expedition - 25-27 May * UK Unicorn-2a PocketQube + HuskySat-1 transponder frequencies * VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 2018 * Introducing the Satellite FAQ and How-To wiki * 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium, Nov 2-4, in Huntsville, Alabama * ARRL Executive Committee Discussion of Small Satellite NPRM SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-126.01 ANS-126 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 126.01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE May 6, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-126.01 The end of daytime HF The National Electric Code now requires electronics on every module of a solar array communicating via signalling on the DC power lines to assure EACH pair of panels can shut down independently. This is to make all possible faults never allow more than 80 volts anywhere in the system. This is effective 1 Jan 2019 This is the nail in the coffin of simple DC series string arrays which are the quietest systems and almost demands microinverters or optimizers on every panel. Refer to the QST article a few years ago about how disastrous optimizers are to RFI and HF operations with modules all over the roof.. Here is the Solar news: https://solarbuildermag.com/bos/nec-2017-module-level-solar-system- shutdown/ Also, what is going to happen to an array that has signaling all over it in the near field of HF? Although you can avoid it by going solar before then, you may have problems when your neighbors go later. I hate to be an alarmist but we all know what happens when ham radio and commercial systems are incompatible and even though Ham radio might be in the right, we are only 1 in 600 and no one is going to side with us. We took on broadband over power and squelched that dumb idea, but now this has the potential for equal demise of Ham radio. It should be fixable, but we also know that there is high competition in the solar market and the modules that are made the cheapest will be popular and will likely not be adequately filtered. Sorry for posting to the AMSAT-bb but it is the only HAM email reflector I subscribe to. If nothing else, we need to find out what systems are terrible emitters and nip them in the bud. Maybe all it takes is driving by solar systems you see and turing on your AM radio on a weak signal channel and seeing if the background noise peaks near that home. But also it has individual peaks, so it might also be nice to tune around too find the max and then check the range. I find the noise can go hundreds of feet along the power lines.... You cant miss em... just sounds like a 60 Hz buzz on all the harmonics of the inverter switching frequency. [ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule 2018-05-04 07:30 UTC Mill Springs Academy, Alpharetta, GA, direct via WA4MSA The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA Contact was successful for: Thu 2018-05-03 15:47:30 UTC 25 deg (***) Students for the Exploration & Development of Space, College Station, TX, direct via W5QZ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Scott Tingle KG5NZA Contact was successful for: Thu 2018-05-03 17:22:31 UTC 47 deg (***) Mooreland Heights Elementary, Knoxville, TN, direct via WA4SXM/N4CFB The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for: Mon 2018-05-07 13:54:10 UTC 23 deg [ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- EL58hx Grid Expedition - 25-27 May The activation of maidenhead grid square EL58hx by W5PFG & AC0RA is just three weeks away. Even if you are not a grid or awards chaser, we would love to work you during this expedition via satellite. There are no permanent residents of this grid square, as the majority of it is open water in the Gulf of Mexico. What little land in EL58 is sandbar at mouth of the Mississippi River and accessible only by boat. See here: http://qthlocator.free.fr/index.php?locator=el58hx During the entire expedition, we will be land-based in the grid, meaning this activation will count as Louisiana, Plaquemines Parish (County), USA. It counts as Islands on the Air IOTA NA-168, Burwood Island. If you participate in the 2018 ARRL International Grid Chase, this might be your only opportunity to work EL58. Operating activity is estimated to begin around 23:00 UTC on 25 May. There are some variability in our arrival time and it will take us some time to prepare the site for operation. We will likely conclude operations around 15:00 UTC on 27 May. There are a total of 110 satellite passes predicted, 42 being FM. While we won't work every one of those, we should be on the ones that fall into good times and the best footprints over population centers. The list below are satellites we plan to utilize: FM: SO-50, AO-85, AO-91, AO-92 SSB: AO-7, FO-29, AO-73, XW-2A, XW-2B, XW-2C, XW-2F, CAS-4B Skeds are available for DX and stations greater than 6000 kms distance from EL58hx. Sked via direct email only to w5pfg at arrl dot net. Even if you worked the previous EL58 trip (K5L/mm), we'd love to work you again. This expedition we will use callsign W5PFG on satellites and AC0RA on 6m. We are hoping to work and confirm as many grid squares as possible, so if you want to work us from a nearby grid line to your home QTH, it is appreciated! AC0RA is responsible for the 6m side of our activation. You may hear either of us on 20m and 40m. Any one who works us is encourage to spot us. I may activate other grids in route to EL58, especially Friday morning the 25th. I'll try to announce those via Twitter @w5pfg but it may be on short notice. [ANS thanks Clayton, W5PFG, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- UK Unicorn-2a PocketQube + HuskySat-1 transponder frequencies UK Unicorn-2a PocketQube Satellite https://amsat-uk.org/2018/05/01/unicorn-2a-pocketqube-satellite/ Amateur radio regulatory changes in Eire https://amsat-uk.org/2018/05/01/amateur-radio-regulatory-changes-in- eire/ HuskySat-1 Linear Transponder frequencies have been coordinated by IARU. As well as the V/U transponder for SSB/CW the satellite also has a downlink on 24 GHz http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/finished_detail.php?serialnum=604 King's High School ARISS contact on BBC TV https://amsat-uk.org/2018/04/19/kings-high-school-ariss-contact-bbc/ Emily Calandrelli's new book aimed at young people - Ada Lace, Take Me to Your Leader - features amateur radio and space communication. Sean Kutzko KX9X was an advisor for the book http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2018/may/ada-lace-book-features-ham- radio.htm AMSAT-EA May issue of English language newsletter now available https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/10352773/AMSAT-EA- Newsletter_05-2018.pdf AMSAT-UK http://amsat-uk.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK Facebook https://facebook.com/AmsatUK YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK [ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards-Endorsements for April 2018 Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period April 1, 2018 through May 1, 2018. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month! There were two calls which decreased by one this month. I have reported these to ARRL. These are not listed below. ARRL corrected some similar errors last month. CALL 1 Apr 1 May 2018 N8RO 1030 1040 NP4JV 699 730 N4UFO 724 725 W5RKN 575 606 NJ4Y 549 580 WD9EWK 425 430 N0JE 248 400 NS3L 275 300 VE7CEW 251 292 AA8CH 175 218 PT9BM 172 176 K5IX 125 175 N7AGF 126 152 KE8FZT 100 151 AL6D 112 150 NA2AA 127 128 N1PEB New 125 G0ABI 122 124 PU8RFL 101 120 NX2X New 119 AE5B New 100 If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at <mycall>@<mycall>.com and I'll revise the announcement. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for April 1, 2018. and May 1, 2018. It's a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work! [ANS thanks Ron, W5RKN, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Introducing the Satellite FAQ and How-To wiki http://sats.wikidot.com/ The main content so far: = What apps can I use to track satellites? = * http://sats.wikidot.com/what-apps-can-i-use-to-track-satellites * A table of Android/iOS mobile apps with supported/not supported checkmarks for various features. I don't have iOS so I had to put question marks on a lot of features for those apps. * If you know the status of the features let me know off list, or I can add you to the wiki so you can edit it yourself. = How do you know when the ISS is transmitting SSTV? = * http://sats.wikidot.com/how-do-you-know-when-the-iss-is- transmitting-sstv * Includes instructions on how to setup email notifications on the RSS feed of ariss-sstv.blogspot.com website using blogtrottr so you can be emailed when new events are announced. = How do you add 2 meter only digipeaters to SatPC32 = * http://sats.wikidot.com/how-do-you-add-add-2-meter-only- digipeaters-to-satpc32 * I just added this based on an email from 2 hours ago = How to create multiple profiles in GoSatWatch = * http://sats.wikidot.com/gosatwatch:multiple-profiles * You can create the equivalent of profiles in the GoSatWatch by cloning an element set then selecting only those satellites of interest. * Brad WF7T created this tutorial Brad, WF7T and I started this wiki.The purpose is to document answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) across the various forums like amsat-bb, the AMSAT-NA Facebook group, twitter, QRZ.com forums, etc. How-Tos are also acceptable. The goal is not to be a comprehensive source of amateur satellite information (especially not lists of all the sats, as that info is on many other sources), just to supplement what is already out there and provide a place to collect commonly requested information. More information on the intention/philosophy of the wiki can be found here: http://sats.wikidot.com/about If you want to add stuff or edit the wiki, please create an account on wikidot and let me or Brad know your username/email address and we can add you. On the To-Do list [1] I have a goal to make a new page with a list of full duplex HTs. I know a list of these HTs already is on the web but I don't believe it's updated. I also know Patrick, WD9EWK has a lot of detailed info on various Chinese radios. All of this could be summarized and updated as new HTs come out. If you want to start it "that would be great." ;-) 1) http://sats.wikidot.com/talk:start [ANS thanks John Brier, KG4AKV, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium, Nov 2-4, in Huntsville, Alabama AMSAT announces that the 2018 36th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting will be held on Friday through Sunday, Nov. 2, 3, & 4, 2018 in Huntsville, Alabama. Location will be at the US Space and Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Alabama (https://www.rocketcenter.com/). Hotel accommodations will be next door at the Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center, 5 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Alabama USA. The 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting features: * Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations * Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World * Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members (The AMSAT BOD will meet at the Marriott at the US Space and Rocket Center) * Opportunities to Meet Board Members and Officers * AMSAT Annual General Membership Meeting * Auction, Annual Banquet, Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes !! Our Keynote Speaker this year will be announced at a later date. Additional information about the 2018 AMSAT Symposium will be posted on the AMSAT web site, www.amsat.org The Marriott at the US Space and Rocket Center is located at 5 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL, 35805. Hotel Reservations for the Symposium may be made by individual attendees directly with Marriott reservations at 1-(800) 228-9290 or (256) 830-2222, please mention the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), Reference Number M-BIHHXTA. [ANS thanks 2018 AMSAT Symposium Committee, for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARRL Executive Committee Discussion of Small Satellite NPRM The ARRL Executive Committee meeting on April 21 in Windsor, Connecticut, discussed the FCC's recent Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the deployment of "small satellites" by colleges, universities, and commercial entities using experi- mental licenses on Amateur Radio spectrum. The Committee was told that the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has changed its previous policy regarding the coordination of small satellites (CubeSats), and that FCC policy is overly restrictive in some respects and insufficiently protective against commercial exploitation of amateur spectrum in other respects. AMSAT has requested ARRL's input. The Committee agreed that ARRL's comments should reflect their support for World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 Resolution 659 and IARU policies. In addition, ARRL (a) will support and encourage college and university Amateur Radio experiments where the sponsor of the experiment is an amateur licensee and all operation is in amateur spectrum, and (b) will discourage commercial or Part 5 experimental operations using Amateur Radio spectrum. ******* Editor's note ******* The ARRL plans to file a comment on the FCC's Part 25 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). AMSAT may file comments as well, though the focus of those comments will be about any potential inference to the Part 97, Amateur Radio Service. AMSAT and the ARRL have been in contact discussing this Part 25 NPRM. Until this NPRM has been published in the Federal Register, the comment period has not opened. Once published, the comment period will be open for 45 days. [ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + http://www.satmagazine.com/ .... May SatMagazine available for reading on-line or download. Seems to have mostly a commercial satellite focus this month. --------------------------------------------------------------------- /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 aa0cb at amsat dot org

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