September 2018 - ANS - mailman.amsat.org

ANS-266 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin
by Frank Karnauskas 22 Sep '18

22 Sep '18

AMAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-266 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://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 dot org. In this edition: * 2018 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results * Help ARISS Raise Funds for Critical ISS Radio Upgrades * AMSAT President Upcoming Ham Nation Interview on September 26th * Reminder - Registration Deadlines for 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium * Reminder - October 15 Deadline for Space Symposium Papers * AMSAT Rover Awards Update * SiriusSat First Signals Competition Winners Announced * New Indonesian Cubesat to Include Amateur Radio APRS Transponder * LimeSDR Blogs About Open Satellite Project * The European Astro Pi Challenge is Back for 2018/2019 * Call for Volunteers: ANS Seeks Rotating Editors * Upcoming Satellite Operations * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.01 ANS-266 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 266.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD September 23, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-266.01 2018 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results As a result of the 2018 Board of Directors Election Tom Clark, K3IO; Mark Hammond, N8MH; and Bruce Paige, KK5DO; will serve on the board for two years. The First Alternate is Peter Portanova, W2JV. The Second Alternate is Scott Harvey, KA7FVV. Both will serve for a term of one year. The results of the voting with 698 ballots cast are as follows: Tom Clark, K3IO............574 Mark Hammond, N8MH.........507 Scott Harvey, KA7FVV.......176 Bruce Paige, KK5DO.........402 Peter Portanova, W2JV......359 Submitted by: Martha Saragovitz, Manager Clayton Coleman W5PFG, Secretary [ANS thanks Martha Saragovitz, Manager and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, Secretary for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Help ARISS Raise Funds for Critical ISS Radio Upgrades AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign to raise $150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades on ISS. The upgrades are necessary to enable students to continue to talk to astronauts in space via Amateur Radio. Please help by donating today https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9 ARISS is in critical need of infrastructure upgrades to ensure that programs such as talking to astronauts in space using Amateur Radio can continue. Through your donations ARISS seeks the following upgrades: + Next Generation radio systems that will support easier transition to enable new, exciting radio modes and capabilities for hams, students and the general public including: * New Amateur Radio communication and experiment capabilities including an enhanced voice repeater and updated digital Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS), and * Slow Scan TV (picture up and downlinks) in both US and Russian segments of the ISS. + A new multi voltage power supply that will support present and future radio capabilities and allow wireless experiments to be conducted. ARISS needs to build ten Next Generation radio systems to support the development of on-orbit operations, training and long term maintenance. This includes two units for on-orbit use (one unit each for the US and Russian segments), two units for flight spares, three units for training, one unit for testing, and two units for ground-based maintenance and troubleshooting. AMSAT is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. [ANS thanks Frank, KA3HDO for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT President Upcoming Ham Nation Interview on September 26th AMSAT President Joe Spier, K6WAO will be featured on Ham Nation's September 26th episode #369. Well known Amateur Radio journalist Gordon West, WB6NOA will interview Joe and discuss the latest news from AMSAT and ARISS. Joe remarked, "The opportunity for this interview couldn't have come at a better time. With the launch of ARISS's Fundrazr drive to sustain Amateur Radio operations on the ISS and AMSAT's own development needs, this interview will help get the word out to segments of the Amateur Radio community that don't normally track the Amateur Radio satellite community. "Ham Nation is promoted well throughout Amateur Radio social media so the potential audience is substantial. I hope everyone has a chance to watch the show and perhaps share it with your friends who might become interested in AMSAT and Amateur Radio in Space." Ham Nation records live every Wednesday at 9:00pm Eastern / 6:00pm Pacific / 01:00 (Thu) UTC. See it at: https://twit.tv/shows/ham-nation [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Reminder - Registration Deadlines for 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium Make Your Hotel Reservations by October 10! Hotel accommodations will be next door at the Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center, 5 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Alabama USA. Hotel reservations for the Symposium may be made by individual attendees directly with Marriott reservations at: + 1-(800) 228-9290 or + (256) 830-2222 or + On-line at http://tinyurl.com/Marriott-2018-Symposium-Hotel. Please mention the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) reference number M-BIHHXTA for the group rate of $104 per night. + The AMSAT group rate is available 10/31/18 to 11/04/18. + Book by 10/10/18. + Marriott perks include free parking for attendees and complimentary Wi-Fi. Symposium Early Registration Rate Expires September 30! Registration for the Symposium can be ordered on-line at: https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-symposium/. + $60 Early Registration is through September 30, 2018. + $65 Registration is October 01, 2018 - October 26, 2018. + $70 Registration at the Door AMSAT Annual Saturday Night Banquet Reservations Are Due October 20! + Dinner reservations are $50 per person and should be made by October 20th to ensure accommodation. + Register online at: https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-symposium/. [ANS thanks the 2018 Symposium Committee for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Reminder - October 15 Deadline for Space Symposium Papers AMSAT has issued the second call for papers for the 2018 AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium. The symposium will be held at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL on the weekend of November 2-4. Proposals for papers, symposium presentations, and poster presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. Prospects should send a tentative title of their presentation as soon as possible. The final copy must be submitted by October 15th for inclusion in the printed proceedings. Abstracts and papers should be sent to Dan Schultz at n8fgv at amsat dot org. [ANS thanks Dan Schultz, N8FGV for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Rover Awards Update The AMSAT Rover award is granted to stations who achieve a combined 25 points using any combination of the defined criteria posted at: https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award. Points can be earned for each grid square activated outside of your home grid square using the FM, linear, and digital satellites. While FM contacts count for 1 point each multiplier points are available for contacts via the linear and digital satellites. Additional points are available for photographs, publicity, social media promotion, and AMSAT Journal articles. The options are numerous so please refer to the Rover Award Website for all of the details. Since the last Rover Award announcement in ANS-210 the following stations have qualified for the award: Number Callsign Award Date ------ -------- ---------- 028 K4FTP 30 Jul 2018 029 KB2YSI 15 Aug 2018 030 N3CRT 17 Aug 2018 031 N2WLS 19 Aug 2018 032 K2MTS 22 Aug 2018 033 AI6DO 23 Aug 2018 034 KD8RTT 18 Sep 2018 [ANS thanks AMSAT Director Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO, for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- SiriusSat First Signals Competition Winners Announced Russian cubesats, SiriusSat-1 and SiriusSat-2, were deployed during a spacewalk from the ISS in August. A QSL card is available for all Amateur Radio operators who send reception reports to: siriussat(a)sputnix.ru. Include your callsign, name, mailing address, time of reception, the satellite (RS13S or RS14S), and receiver description. A QSL card will be sent to your address. Winners have been announced of the first signals competition among Radio Amateurs for the reception of the first signals from the SiriusSat-1 and SiriusSat-2: + Rocco Valenzano (W2RTV, USA) + Anton Janovsky (ZR6AIC, South Africa) + Vladimir Chyorny (EU1SAT, Belarus) + Mike Rupprecht (DK3WN, Germany) + Dmitry Pashkov (R4UAB, Russia) The winners will receive a QSL card, a copy of the checklist employed by the cosmonauts for activation of the spacecraft prior to release and also books on space. Vladimir Chyorny has already been given Chris Hadfield's book "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" personally in Minsk, Dmitry Pashkov will be sent Stephen Hawking's book "A Brief History of Time," and foreign amateurs will receive Pavlov Shubin's illustrated album "The Space Rocket System N1-L3." SiriusSat noted that radio amateurs received the first signals and appreciated the dissemination of information about the reception of data and the establishment and activation of a specially developed software system for the reception of telemetry and decoding the data from the spacecraft. The satellites operate at these frequencies and call signs: + SiriusSat-1 callsign RS13S frequency 435.570 MHz SSID 1; + SiriusSat-2 callsign RS14S frequency 435.670 MHz SSID 2 GMSK 4800 + modulation is used, protocol is standard AX.25 G3RUH sending beacons every 30 seconds. Telemetry decoding/viewing software can be downloaded from: http://sputnix.ru/ru/nashi-sputniki/siriussat-2 This page includes configuration instructions and files with test signals. [ANS thanks Sputnix.ru for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- New Indonesian Cubesat to Include Amateur Radio APRS Transponder The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have selected a team from Surya University in Indonesia for the UNOOSA-JAXA KiboCUBE programme. The KiboCUBE programme was launched in 2015 by UNOOSA and JAXA to offer educational and research institutions from developing countries the opportunity to develop cube satellites (CubeSats) for deployment from the International Space Station (ISS). Thanks to the KiboCUBE programme, Surya University's cube satellite, Surya Satellite 1 (SS-1), will be the first cube satellite developed by an Indonesian University to be launched into space. The cube satellite will be equipped with an Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) that works on amateur radio frequencies. This will enable the cube satellite to transmit APRS messages to ground stations. Furthermore, SS-1 will be designed for a two-way communication use for educational and disaster mitigation purposes, which can be carried out by anyone with a valid amateur radio callsign. Access the full United Nations press release at http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=53079. [ANS thanks the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and spaceref.com for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- LimeSDR Blogs About Open Satellite Project Developer Lucas Teske has a very clear reason for having started the Open Satellite Project, an ongoing effort to develop open-source software for the receipt and decoding of satellite data using software-defined radio (SDR) hardware including the LimeSDR family. "The final goal is to have a generic satellite receiver that is easy to configure to a new satellite or protocol," project originator Lucas Teske explains of the Open Satellite Project and its open-source weather satellite software. With input from the community, Teske has a clear roadmap for the Open Satellite Project's future development. "The main goal now is to have a single application that does everything," he explains. "So far OSP has several parts, which makes it somewhat hard to set up. We're re- writing the main application - now called SatHelperApp - in Go which helps a lot in making it cross platform and easy to use. We also want to lower the costs of building a GOES Rebroadcast protocol (GRB) station, which provides the best images you can ever get from a satellite from the current generation - and also images from the Sun! The idea is to have a simple app that anyone could just download, follow some instructions for assembling the hardware, and get everything working, even if they don't have any technical skill for it." To read more about the Open Satellite Project and find ways your station can help access the full article on-line at https://limemicro.com/community/open-satellite-project/. [ANS thanks LimeSDR for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- The European Astro Pi Challenge is Back for 2018/2019 ESA Education, in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, is pleased to announce the launch of the 2018/2019 European Astro Pi Challenge. Students and young people are offered the amazing opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space by writing computer programs that run on Astro Pis - special Raspberry Pi computers aboard the International Space Station. Youths 19 or younger and live in an ESA Member or Associate Member State invited to form a team with at least friend of and apply to the Astro Pi Challenge's Mission Space Lab by sending their experiment idea by the end of October. There are two themes for experiments: The 'Life on Earth' theme will use the Astro Pi computer Izzy, fitted with a near-infrared camera facing out of an ISS window, to study the Earth. The 'Life in space theme will use the Astro Pi computer Ed, which is equipped with a camera for light sensing, and investigate life inside the Columbus module of the ISS. The complete announcement, rules and regulations can be found at https://tinyurl.com/Astro-Pi-2018-2019. [ANS thanks the ESA and the Raspberry Pi Foundation for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Call for Volunteers: ANS Seeks Rotating Editors The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is seeking volunteers to serve as rotating editors for its weekly newsletter. Editors work on a rotating schedule, each taking a different turn editing a specific week's newsletter as scheduled by the ANS Editor in Chief. Editors support each other by seeking and reporting to the Editor of the week, information and resources of interest to the AMSAT community. The number of newsletters assigned will be dependent upon the number of available editors at any given time. The average editor can expect to spend, on average, 4-5 hours for each newsletter, dependent on available material. Prospective editors are required to be AMSAT members in good standing and have a genuine interest in satellite operation and an understanding of AMSAT's mission. Former editing experience is a plus but not required. If interested, please submit an inquiry, including your contact information to ans-editor at amsat dot org. [ANS thanks the ANS editors for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations Western Colorado (DM77, DM67, DM57, DM58, DM59 DN50, DN60) - September 28-30, 2018 Ron AD0DX will be back in Western Colorado Sept. 28/29/30. Plans are Friday DM77, DM67; Saturday DM57, DM58, DM59; Sunday DN50, DN60. Specific pass announces will be posted to his Twitter account. https://twitter.com/ad0dx North to Alaska (CO28) - October 5-9, 2018 Tucker, W4FS, will be in Juneau, AK, October 5-9th, using the call sign W4FS/KL7. Weather permitting, he may slip up to Whitehorse to use his new Canadian call VE9FS. Watch his Twitter account for specific plans. https://twitter.com/Whiskey4FoSho Kure Beach, NC (FM13) - October 13-19, 2018 (Originally 9/22-28. Rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence) Wayne, NM3B, will be operating holiday style from Kure Beach, NC, October 13-19. Send QSL for confirmation. Bermuda (DXCC NA-005) - November 12-14, 2018 Tom, N2YTF, will be operating as N2YTF/VP9/P from Bermuda, NA- 005 vacation style Nov. 12, 13, 14; all FM passes (and perhaps a few transponder birds). Tom will also be working HF QRP portable from the beach. Tom is looking for a 2m ssb tropo path to some US super station(s). If interested, contact him directly. Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al at yahoo dot com Updated September 19, 2018 [ANS thanks Robert, KE4AL for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + Updated Hosting Information Posted The information on how to apply for an ARISS event has been updated and posted at: http://www.ariss.org/hosting-an-ariss-contact-in-the-us.html. [ANS thanks Ken Ransom for the above information.] + Upcoming Contacts Obie Elementary School, Kurashiki, Japan, direct via 8N4KLO The ISS callsign is scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU. Contact is a go for: Wed 2018-09-26 08:47:27 UTC 53 deg. Indian Trails Middle School, Winter Springs, FL, telebridge via VK4KHZ The ISS callsign is scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT. Contact is a go for: Thu 2018-09-27 17:52:47 UTC 74 deg. + Successful Contacts Otori Elementary School, Sakai City, Japan, direct via 8N3OH. The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut was Ricky Arnold KE5DAU. Contact: Mon 2018-09-17 11:45:55 UTC 74 deg. The total number of ARISS ISS to earth school events is 1256. Each school counts as 1 event. Total number of ARISS ISS to earth school contacts is 1203. Each contact may have multiple schools sharing the same time slot. Total number of ARISS supported terrestrial contacts is 47. The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands. + ARISS congratulates the following mentors who have now mentored over 100 schools: Satoshi 7M3TJZ with 134 Francesco IKØWGF with 132 Gaston ON4WF with 123 Sergey RV3DR with 107 [ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts from All Over + EA4GPZ's IberRadio LO-94 (DSLWP-B) Talk Available On-line Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ, gave a presentation about receiving the downlink from the Chinese lunar orbiting satellite LO-94 (DSLWP-B) on September 15 at the IberRadio Spanish Amateur Radio Fair. Daniel's presentation was in Spanish and he says he has finished adding English subtitles to the recording his talk. You can watch the video either with Spanish or English slides and either with Spanish or English subtitles. You may also download copies of the slides from this site. https://destevez.net/2018/09/dslwp-b-talk-in-iberradio/. [ANS thanks Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ for the above information.] + British Amateur Television Club CAT18 Videos on YouTube The British Amateur Television Club has released all videos of the CAT18 talks on their BATConline YouTube channel. https://tinyurl.com/ans-batc-cat18 The talks include: ISS HAMTV Update - Ciaran, M0XTD & Phil Crump, M0DNY Es'hail-2 Update - Graham @G3VZV & Dave Crump, G8GKQ The Future - Charles Brain @G4GUO [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and the British Amateur Television Club for the above information.] + AMSAT-DL Launches Updated Website AMSAT-DL has launched their modernized website. Visitors can select German, Spanish, French, and English versions. See it at: https://amsat-dl.org/ [ANS thanks AMSAT-DL for the above information.] -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 six post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student membership information. 73, This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw 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 member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

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ANS-261 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results
by JoAnne Maenpaa 17 Sep '18

17 Sep '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-261.01 In this Special Bulletin: * 2018 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-261.01 ANS-261 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 261.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE September 18, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-261.01 2018 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Results As a result of the 2018 Board of Directors Election, Tom Clark, K3IO; Mark Hammond, N8MH; and Bruce Paige, KK5DO; will serve on the board for two years. The First Alternate is Peter Portanova, W2JV. The Second Alternate is Scott Harvey, KA7FVV. Both will serve for a term of one year. The results of the voting with 698 ballots cast are as follows: Tom Clark, K3IO............574 Mark Hammond, N8MH.........507 Scott Harvey, KA7FVV.......176 Bruce Paige, KK5DO.........402 Peter Portanova, W2JV......359 Submitted by: Martha Saragovitz, Manager Clayton Coleman W5PFG, Secretary [ANS thanks Martha Saragovitz, Manager and Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, Secretary for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers life memberships, and 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 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space, This week's ANS Contributing Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM k9jkm at amsat dot org

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ANS-259 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by E.Mike McCardel 15 Sep '18

15 Sep '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-259 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: * Booking is Open for 2018 Symposium in Huntsville * AMSAT 2018 Space Symposium Schedule of Events * Funcube/AO-73 Schedule Changes Due to Full Sun Illumination * FM, Linear Satellite Frequency Table Updated * Tips Regarding Image Capture From AO-92 * Hosting an ARISS Contact in the USA * Frank Griffin K4FEG, SK * Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors * Upcoming Satellite Operations * ARISS News * Shorts From All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-259.01 ANS-259 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 259.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. September 16, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-259.01 Booking is Open for the 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium in Huntsville AMSAT's 2018 36th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held Friday through Sunday, November 2, 3, & 4, 2018 in Huntsville, Alabama. The 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. Hotel reservations for the Symposium may be made by individual attendees directly with Marriott reservations at: + 1-(800) 228-9290 or + 1-(256) 830-2222 or + On-line at http://tinyurl.com/Marriott-2018-Symposium-Hotel + Please mention the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), Reference Number M-BIHHXTA for the group rate of $104 per night. The AMSAT group rate is available 10/31/18 to 11/04/18 Book by 10/10/18 + Marriott perks include free parking for attendees and complimentary WiFi. 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. + 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 soon. Registration for the Symposium $60 per person. Banquet registration is $50 per person. Registration for the Symposium and Banquet can be ordered on-line at: https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-symposium/ + $60 Early Registration Through September 30, 2018 + $65 Registration October 01, 2018 - October 26, 2018 + $70 Registration at the Door + Dinner reservations are $50 per person and should be made on line by October 20th to ensure accommodation! There are multiple alternate activities and attractions in the Huntsville area include: + The Huntsville Botanical Garden + Monte Sano State Park + U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum + Von Braun Center [ANS thanks the 2018 Symposium Committee for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT 2018 Space Symposium Schedule of Events The 2018 AMSAT Symposium Committee has announced version 1.1 of the schedule of events for the 2018 AMSAT-NA 36th Annual Space Symposium and General Meeting, November 1-4, 2018 at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Huntsville, Alabama Thursday, November 1, 2018 - Board of Directors Meeting Huntsville Marriott at the Space and Rocket Center + 8 am - noon AMSAT Board Meeting, Columbia Room + Noon - 1 pm AMSAT Board Lunch Break, Columbia Room + 1 pm - 6 pm AMSAT Board Meeting, Columbia Room + 6 pm - 7:30 pm AMSAT Board Dinner Break, Columbia Room + 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm AMSAT Board Meeting, Columbia Room + 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Registration, (TBD) Friday, November 2, 2018 - U.S. Space & Rocket Center Morning + 8 am - noon AMSAT Board Meeting, Marriott Columbia Room (Closed Session) + U.S. Space & Rocket Center Educator Training Facility + 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Registration, Foyer + 9:00 am - noon Self-guided tours of Huntsville and US Space and Rocket Center + 1:00 pm - 1:15pm AMSAT Symposium Kickoff, President's Welcome, Educator Training Facility + 1:15 pm - 5:00 pm Paper Sessions, Presentation Schedule TBD + 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm Informal Dinner on your own + 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm AMSAT Reception, Educator Training Facility Cash Bar Available Saturday November 3, 2018 - U.S. Space & Rocket Center Educator Training Facility + 8:00 am - 11:45 am Registration, Foyer + 8:00 am - 8:15 am AMSAT Symposium Welcome + 8:15 am - noon Paper Sessions Presentation Schedule TBD + Noon - 1:00 pm Lunch on your own + 1:00 pm - 3:15 pm Paper Sessions, Presentation Schedule TBD + 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm AMSAT Annual Meeting & Awards Ceremony + 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Attitude Adjustment, Cash Bar, Saturn V Hall + 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Cash Bar, Saturn V Hall + 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Banquet, Saturn V Hall Keynote Speaker - TBD Prize Drawing Sunday November 4, 2018 + 9:00 am - 4:00 pm U.S. Space and Rocket Center Marshall Space Flight Center Tour Exact Times, Itinerary, and Cost TBD [ANS thanks the 2018 Symposium Committee for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNcube/AO-73 Schedule Changes Due to Full Sun Illumination FUNcube/AO-73 is now in continuous sunlight and the FUNcube team has decided to leave the satellite in education mode (full power beacon, no transponder) until further notice. The reason for doing this is to allow the satellite's temperature to stabilise. There is more information at https://funcube.org.uk/news/ Due to the continuous illumination this means that the usual auto- nomous switching between transponder on in eclipse and high-power telemetry when in sunlight will no longer be effective! At this time it looks like the spacecraft will be in this situation for more than eight months until sometime in April next year. This schedule was originally planned to provide a very strong tele- metry signal for schools to use during daylight hours and for amateur operation at night (and also at weekends and over holidays). The FUNcube team has decided to have AO73/FUNcube-1 initially operate for alternate periods of one week in either safe or educational modes. This should enable an evaluation period to determine whether the currents do affect the spin rate. Safe mode provides low power tele-metry and education mode the usual high power telemetry. It will also enable an analysis to see whether the satellite becomes hotter or cooler in each mode. This schedule may be changed in light of experience and the FUNcube team will update everyone on such changes via the AMSAT-BB. This will be a new experience for the spacecraft so the capture of the largest possible amount of telemetry remains an important tool for the team to have. We are very grateful to everyone who continues to upload the telemetry they have received to the Data Warehouse. It is invaluable. In addition to AO73/FUNcube-1, the FUNcube-2 transponder on UKube-1 remains operational and EO88/Nayif-1 continues to operate autonomously with the transponder on when in eclipse and high- power telemetry in sunlight. [ANS thanks the FUNcube/AO-73 for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- FM, Linear Satellite Frequency Table Updated The AMSAT FM and linear transponder satellite frequency summaries have been updated with recent coordination information: FM https://www.amsat.org/fm-satellite-frequency-summary/ Linear https://www.amsat.org/linear-satellite-frequency-summary/ [ANS thanks Paul N8HM for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips Regarding Image Capture From AO-92 Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice-President Engineering, provided some insight about of how the AO-92 camera image capture is transmitted via its high speed telemetry data downlink to how the images are produced on the Fox telemetry web pages. Visit this page to view the images that have been captured: http://www.amsat.org/tlm/leaderboard.php?id=0&db=FOXDB Some stations may have captured partial images that they can see on their local FoxTelem display, the web page image is produced from the data received by the server from the many stations who may be capturing the pass with FoxTelem. That literally means the more the merrier, and even if you only see as little as one scan line on your FoxTelem image that line will be sent to the server to be "stitched together" with all other image data that others capture. Your line may be the only capture of that line and just what is needed to complete the whole image. While the single line or incomplete image on your display may seem insignificant or be disappointing, you are contributing to the opportunity to have the entire image available on the web. That is significant, and counting on several stations to receive the components of a full image is part of the design of FoxTelem. To participate in capturing the full image you must have the Decoder Options "Upload to Server" checked in your FoxTelem settings. That setting plus the participation of many stations, no matter how much or how little data they might individually receive, is what can make full images available for all to see on the website. Thank you for participating in the science the Fox-1 satellites deliver, and enjoy the birds! [ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice-President Engineering for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Hosting an ARISS Contact in the USA Editor's Note: The Proposal Window Is Now Open Proposals from schools and organizations in the US are accepted during two proposal windows each year. The Fall 2018 proposal window is now open for contacts to be scheduled from July 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. This proposal is due to ARISS by November 15, 2018 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. A scheduled ARISS contact is a voice-only communication via Amateur Radio between the International Space Station (ISS) crew and classrooms and communities. ARISS contacts allow education audiences to learn firsthand from astronauts what it is like to work and live in space. These scheduled contact opportunities are offered to formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together. The radio contacts are approximately 10 minutes in length due to the radio communication window permitted by the logistics of orbital passes of the ISS. During the contact, students interact directly with astronauts and cosmonauts during this communication window using a question and answer format. To maximize these radio contacts, the ARISS program looks for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the radio contact into a well-developed education plan. Because of the nature of human spaceflight and the complexity of scheduling activities aboard the ISS, organizations must demonstrate flexibility to accommodate changes in contact dates and times. ARISS Proposal Requirements U.S. education organizations interested in hosting an ARISS scheduled contact will find information about submitting a proposal below. (International schools should submit applications following instructions provided on the international ARISS Program website.) Educational proposals should include plans for students to: study topics related to space technology, space exploration, or space research, and, learn about communication, wireless technology, and radio science The more advance preparation educators make with educational plans, the more learning and value the ARISS event will have for students. Imagine your students interviewing an astronaut in space, maybe even using an antenna your students have assembled! ARRL's Education & Technology Program and NASA offer valuable resources to help you and your students learn about wireless technology and satellite communications and space exploration. Go to ARRL's web page: Preparation for an ARISS Contact for links to those resources. An ARISS Technical Mentor is assigned to assist educational organizations with technical preparations and logistical coordination of the contact. With the assistance of your ARISS Technical Mentor, ARRL and AMSAT can help you find a local Amateur Radio group to provide equipment and expertise. In some cases, local ham radio club volunteers may also be able to assist with lessons on communication, wireless technology, or radio science. Submitting a Proposal The Proposal Window Proposals from schools and organizations in the US are accepted during two proposal windows each year. The Fall 2018 proposal window is now open for contacts to be scheduled from July 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019. This proposal is due to ARISS by November 15, 2018 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. The ARISS Proposal Process Following is the sequence of steps involved in the proposal and selection process. Interested organizations in the US should obtain a planning guide with information about expectations and preparations for a proposal. Organizations participate in an online Information Session. Organizations reach out to local educational partners and local Radio Amateurs to develop and submit a proposal using the current proposal form. A committee of representatives from NASA, ARRL and AMSAT evaluate and approve proposals. 6 to 8 weeks after the close of the proposal window, organizations with approved proposals are sent a congratulatory email. Declination emails are also sent out at that time. Organizations are given the opportunity to request proposal feedback. Selected organizations participate in an ARISS Orientation Session and are paired with an ARISS Technical Mentor who will help them develop an Equipment Plan. After the Equipment Plan is approved, the organization initiates their Education Plan and preparations for the contact get underway If you have questions regarding the proposal process, please send an email to: ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com Upcoming Proposal Webinars In order to help organizations prepare proposals, the ARISS program offers online Proposal webinars. These webinars are an hour in length and are designed to provide more information regarding US ARISS contacts and the proposal process, as well as provide an avenue for interested organizations to ask questions. Attending an online Proposal webinar is not required but is strongly encouraged. Online Proposal webinars for the Fall 2018 proposal window will be offered during the fall proposal window. Check back at this web site in early September for details on webinars. ARISS Proposal Guide A Proposal Guide is offered to help you plan and identify the resources you will need to host an ARISS scheduled contact. After reading the Guide and developing your plan, you can complete the ARISS Proposal Form and submit it during the proposal window. Download the current version of the Proposal Guide (Fall 2018) ARISS Proposal Form US schools and educational organizations may download the ARISS Proposal Form to submit a proposal to host an ARISS contact. Use this form to submit the details of your Education and Outreach Plan. For Additional Information Contact the ARISS US Program Coordinator to obtain information about Program expectations and proposal guidelines by sending an e-mail to ariss.us.education(a)gmail.com For an overview of the ARISS international program visit www.ariss.org. Technical Proposal Use this form to provide the information needed by the ARISS Operations Team to be assured that you have the equipment in place to successfully support your contact. Submit this completed form to your assigned Technical Mentor as soon as possible, but no later than 3 months after your Education Plan is approved. Download the Equipment Plan Form Ground Station Recommendations The recommendations for the ground station to support a scheduled ARISS school contact are considerably more robust than needed for a casual contact with the ISS. Because the scheduled contact is a one- time event involving a large audience every effort is taken to configure a ground station that will offer the maximum communications window possible within the constraints of orbital mechanics and line of sight considerations, and to provide redundancy in the event of unexpected equipment failure. If you are considering supporting an ARISS scheduled contact please review current Ground Station Recommendations. [ANS thanks ARISS for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Frank Griffin K4FEG, SK ANS has received word that Frank Griffin K4FEG has become a silent key. Many will recognize K4FEG as a friendly voice on the birds, as well as a mentor/elmer. Many have Frank in our satellite logs. He had a knack of remembering folks voices and replying to them by name. We express our collective sympathies and best wishes to Frank's family. [ANS thanks Ed WA7ETH and others via AMSAT-BB for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is seeking volunteers to serve as rotating editors for its weekly newsletter. Editors work on a rotating schedule, each taking a different turn editing a specific week's newsletter as scheduled by the ANS Editor in Chief. Editors support each other by seeking and reporting to the Editor of the week, information and resources of interest to the AMSAT community. The number of newsletters assigned will be dependent upon the number of available editors at any given time. The average editor can expect to spend, on average, 4-5 hours for each newsletter, dependent on available material. Prospective editors are required to be AMSAT members in good standing and have a genuine interest in satellite operation and an understanding of AMSAT's mission. Former editing experience is a plus but not required. If interested, please submit an inquiry, including your contact information to ans-editor at amsat.com. [ANS thanks the ANS editors for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations Route 66 On the Air – W6D – September 8-16, 2018 (UTC) Christy, KB6LTY, will be operating in the special event Route 66 On the Air, using the special event call sign W6D. She will be on as many of the birds as sh can operate during the week: FM, APRS digi, and transponders. No schedule, just listen for the special event call sign W6D. For more information on the event (QSL/certificate ) go to the website: http://w6jbt.org/ AMSAT-EA Special Event – AM1SAT – September 10-17, 2018 As part of the IV RadioHam Fair IberRadio 2018 activities, AMSAT-EA members, using the special event call sign AM1SAT, will be activating 14 grid squares across Spain from September 10th to September 17th. AMSAT-EA is offering an AM1SAT Special Award in two categories: SILVER and GOLD. More information, to include rules and log submission instructions, is available on QRZ: https://www.qrz.com/db/am1sat Yellowstone (DN42, DN43, DN44, DN52, and DB53) – September 12-21, 2018 RJ, WY7AA, fired up the El Camino and headed to the Rocky Mountains for and little camping trip. FM only. With no internet access, keep an eye on RJ’s QRZ page for details, including the DN42/43/52/53 grid corner activation on September 21st. Southeast Colorado (DM77, DM87, DM88) – September 15, 2018 Ron, AD0DX, will activate some Southeast Colorado grid lines Saturday, September 15th. Plan is DM87/88 grid line at 1604z and then AO-91 at DM77/87 grid line at 1727z, followed by AO-92 at 1737z. Keep an eye on Ron’s Twitter page for further updates https://twitter.com/ad0dx Honduras (DXCC) – September 15-16, 2018 HR2CH will sponsor a special event station in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Radio Club de Honduras. See QRZ page for QSL info. Northern Michigan (EN76, EN85, EN86) – September 15-18, 2018 Chris, AA8CH is heading back to northern Michigan and Drummond Island. September 15: EN76, EN85 September 16: EN85, EN86 September 17: EN85, EN86 September 18: EN76, EN85 Anyone who missed Chris from N8R in July and/or needs any of these grids can send me an email (see QRZ) and he’ll keep you in the loop for expected passes. Kure Beach, NC (FM13) – September 22-28, 2018 Wayne, NM3B, will be operating holiday style from Kure Beach, NC, September 22-28. Send QSL for confirmation. North to Alaska (CO28) – October 5-9, 2018 Tucker, W4FS, will be in Juneau, AK, October 5-9th, using the call sign W4FS/KL7. Weather permitting, he may slip up to Whitehorse to use his new Canadian call VE9FS. Watch his Twitter account for specific plans. https://twitter.com/Whiskey4FoSho Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) yahoo.com Updated September 13, 2018 https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/ [ANS thanks Robert KE4AL for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News The following contacts were successful through the first half of September: + 2018-09-06 16:49 UTC between [ASTRONAUT Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign NA1SS and Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, Santa Ana, CA, USA Contact was direct via AA6TB. ARISS Mentors were Primary Charlie AJ9N with Backups: Brian AB6UI and Norm K6UU + 2018-09-10 15:20 UTC between Astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT using ISS callsign NA1SS and Colegio Del Sol, San Miguel de Tucuman, Tucuman, Argentina, Contact was direct via LU5KHF. ARISS Mentor was Brian VE6JBJ + 2018-09-12 08:21 UTC between Ricky Arnold KE5DAU using ISS callsign NA1SS and Walford Anglican School for Girls, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, Contact was telebridge via W6SRJ. ARISS Mentor was Tony VK5ZAI Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule Otori Elementary School, Sakai City, Japan, direct via 8N3OH The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for: Mon 2018-09-17 11:45:55 UTC Bischöfliche Schule / Technisches Institut, St.Vith, Belgium, and Berufliche Schule Direktorat 1 Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Alexander Gerst KF5ONO Contact is a go for: Fri 2018-09-21 10:15:22 UTC [ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Shorts From All Over + Free Book Download: Introduction to Amateur Digital TV Jim, KH6HTV, has released a new book titled "Introduction to Amateur Digital Television". (https://kh6htv.com/) This free book pulls together a lot of information previously scattered in over 40 application notes. Download the PDF from https://kh6htv.files.wordpress.com/2018/08/an-45-dtv-book.pdf [ANS thanks Jim KH6HTV for the above information] + APRS Operating Tips Page AMSAT-UK tweeted a link with operating tips for APRS contacts via ARISS and PSAT: https://tinyurl.com/ans259-APRS-Tips [ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information] + KO4MA on Amateur Radio Newsline AMSAT Vice-President of Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, discussed the interference to AO-92 from DMR operation on the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 2132 for Friday, September 7, 2018 Text script and audio playback are available at: https://tinyurl.com/ANS259-AO92-Interference [ANS thanks Amateur Radio Newsline for the above information] + XW-2E Back in AMSAT Elements Distribution Satellite XW-2E has been reactivated (NORAD CAT ID 40909) and has been added back to AMSAT's 2-line elements distribution. [ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT-NA Orbital Elements Manager, 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-254 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - AO-92 to Try Imaging Hurricane Florence September 13-14
by JoAnne Maenpaa 11 Sep '18

11 Sep '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-254.01 In this Special Bulletin: * AO-92 to Try Imaging Hurricane Florence September 13-14 SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-254.01 ANS-254 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 254.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE September 11, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-254.01 AO-92 to Try Imaging Hurricane Florence September 13-14 AMSAT Vice-President of Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA says that the camera on AO-92 is planned to be used to try to image Hurricane Florence during North American east coast passes on Thursday, September 13, and Friday, September 14. AO-92 will not be in its U/V FM voice transponder operation during these passes. Ground stations should standby and not attempt to access AO-92 during this time. Voice operation will be available later during these days. The high speed image data will be transmitted on the 145.880 MHz downlink. The image can be captured, decoded, and uploaded to the Fox-1 data warehouse using the FoxTelem v.1.06 software available from AMSAT: http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/windows http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/mac http://amsat.us/FoxTelem/linux [ANS thanks AMSAT Vice-President of Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers life memberships, and 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 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space, This week's ANS Contributing Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM k9jkm at amsat dot org

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ANS-252 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
by Chris Bradley (AA0CB) 09 Sep '18

09 Sep '18

ans-editor at amsat dot 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: * Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors * Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-09-09 20:10 UTC * Satellite Operator Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, SK * AMSAT-EA Offers AM1SAT Special Event Award * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-252.01 ANS-245 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 252.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. September 9, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-252.01 Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is seeking volunteers to serve as rotating editors for its weekly newsletter. Editors work on a rotating schedule, each taking a different turn editing a specific week's newsletter as scheduled by the ANS Editor in Chief. Editors support each other by seeking and reporting to the Editor of the week, information and resources of interest to the AMSAT community. The number of newsletters assigned will be dependent upon the number of available editors at any given time. The average editor can expect to spend, on average, 4-5 hours for each newsletter, dependent on available material. Prospective editors are required to be AMSAT members in good standing and have a genuine interest in satellite operation and an understanding of AMSAT's mission. Former editing experience is a plus but not required. If interested, please submit an inquiry, including your contact information to ans-editor at amsat.com. [ANS thanks the ANS editors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-09-05 04:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Colegio Del Sol, San Miguel de Tucuman, Tucuman, Argentina, direct via LU5KHF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT Contact is a go for: Mon 2018-09-10 15:20:04 UTC Walford Anglican School for Girls, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for Option #3: Wed 2018-09-12 08:21:02 UTC Watch for live simulcast at: https://batc.org.uk/live/vk4khz AMSAT received the sad news from the Mt. Beacon Amateur Radio Club and Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, of the passing of Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Stu recalled, "Gary was a long time member of the club and a personal friend of many of ours outside of radio as well. He was a mainstay in the local satellite arena and a very active proponent of AMSAT. We remember his many QSOs on .97 as he worked late shifts driving his trucks at night and kept the local VHF bands warm." Gary's obituary is posted at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-252-WA2AQH Funeral services and interment will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Burnett & White Funeral Homes 7461 S. Broadway, Red Hook, NY. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.Burnett-White.com [ANS thanks Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, for the above information] AMSAT received the sad news from the Mt. Beacon Amateur Radio Club and Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, of the passing of Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Stu recalled, "Gary was a long time member of the club and a personal friend of many of ours outside of radio as well. He was a mainstay in the local satellite arena and a very active proponent of AMSAT. We remember his many QSOs on .97 as he worked late shifts driving his trucks at night and kept the local VHF bands warm." Gary's obituary is posted at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-252-WA2AQH Funeral services and interment will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Burnett & White Funeral Homes 7461 S. Broadway, Red Hook, NY. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.Burnett-White.com [ANS thanks Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, for the above information] AMSAT received the sad news from the Mt. Beacon Amateur Radio Club and Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, of the passing of Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Stu recalled, "Gary was a long time member of the club and a personal friend of many of ours outside of radio as well. He was a mainstay in the local satellite arena and a very active proponent of AMSAT. We remember his many QSOs on .97 as he worked late shifts driving his trucks at night and kept the local VHF bands warm." Gary's obituary is posted at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-252-WA2AQH Funeral services and interment will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Burnett & White Funeral Homes 7461 S. Broadway, Red Hook, NY. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.Burnett-White.com [ANS thanks Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-EA Offers AM1SAT Special Event Award AMSAT-EA will be using its special call, AM1SAT, on all active satellites from September 10 - 17 as part of the IV RadioHam Fair IberRadio 2018 activities. IberRadio is the biggest event for the ham community in South West Europe, opening on September 14 - 15. Learn more about IberRadio at http://www.iberradio.es. The AM1SAT callsign will be active from a minimum of 14 different grids during that time to help satellite operators to collect as much EA locators as possible. As part of this activity and in order to promote the participation, AMSAT-EA is sponsoring the AM1SAT Special Award in two categories: SILVER and GOLD. AWARD RULES 1. This award can be requested and issued to any licensed amateur station and also SWLs 2. Will be valid for all contacts via AMSAT satellites from September 10 - 17, 2018 using all transmission modes. 3. There are two different requirements to get the awards, depending of the applicant location. If the applicant is in a European country: To qualify for the SILVER award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 5 different grids (We consider "grid" as a 4-digits main locator. For example IN71, IM68, JN00, etc). To qualify for the GOLD award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 10 different grids. If the applicant in a non-European country: To qualify for the SILVER award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 2 different grids (We consider "grid" as a 4-digits main locator. For example IN71, IM68, JN00, etc). To qualify for the GOLD award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 4 different grids. 4. There is no need for paper QSLs nor EQSLs to apply for the award. When the applicant gets the requirements, email a log with the QSOs, listing your callsign, name, and QSO data (Date, GMT time, frequency, mode, received grid and the satellite). Include your e-mail for AMSAT-EA to send the award. You will receive your award within 2 months in PDF format. There is no charge for this award. 5. Logs and any question about this activity must be sent to eb1ao at amsat-ea.org . 6. Logs must be received by October 1st 2018. We will consider the AM1SAT operators logs to check and cross the QSOs. Disputes or open issues will be solved by AMSAT-EA committee. [ANS thanks AMSAT-EA and Jose Elias Diaz, EB1FVQ for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + World Maker Faire in NYC to Include Satellite Activity https://tinyurl.com/y7j3pytn + Congratulations to John, AE5B on completing Worked All States - Satellite (Via Twitter) + FY, French Guiana: Manfred/DL5FAB will be in Kourou from the 5th to 18th to participate in the launch preparations for the satellite MetOp-C. QRV from the club station of the Radio Amateur Club de Kourou {FY5KE) as FY/DL5FAB on HF (CW, FT8). QSL via DL5FAB (d/B), eQSL. via DARC DX Newsletter 2109 September 5, 2018 + AMSAT-UK tweeted: September edition of Satmagazine has an article on the Goonhilly Earth Station by Matthew Cosby. Download the free magazine PDF from http://www.satmagazine.com/download.php + Congratulations @N7AGF for satellite WAS! I hear @n6rfm uses LOTW, so that should be a quick QSL... :-) via Twitter /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 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Christopher Bradley, AA0CB aa0cb at amsat dot org ans-editor at amsat dot 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: * Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors * Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-09-09 20:10 UTC * Satellite Operator Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, SK * AMSAT-EA Offers AM1SAT Special Event Award * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-252.01 ANS-245 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 252.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. September 9, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-252.01 Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is seeking volunteers to serve as rotating editors for its weekly newsletter. Editors work on a rotating schedule, each taking a different turn editing a specific week's newsletter as scheduled by the ANS Editor in Chief. Editors support each other by seeking and reporting to the Editor of the week, information and resources of interest to the AMSAT community. The number of newsletters assigned will be dependent upon the number of available editors at any given time. The average editor can expect to spend, on average, 4-5 hours for each newsletter, dependent on available material. Prospective editors are required to be AMSAT members in good standing and have a genuine interest in satellite operation and an understanding of AMSAT's mission. Former editing experience is a plus but not required. If interested, please submit an inquiry, including your contact information to ans-editor at amsat.com. [ANS thanks the ANS editors for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-09-05 04:30 UTC Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Colegio Del Sol, San Miguel de Tucuman, Tucuman, Argentina, direct via LU5KHF The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT Contact is a go for: Mon 2018-09-10 15:20:04 UTC Walford Anglican School for Girls, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, telebridge via W6SRJ The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU Contact is a go for Option #3: Wed 2018-09-12 08:21:02 UTC Watch for live simulcast at: https://batc.org.uk/live/vk4khz AMSAT received the sad news from the Mt. Beacon Amateur Radio Club and Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, of the passing of Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Stu recalled, "Gary was a long time member of the club and a personal friend of many of ours outside of radio as well. He was a mainstay in the local satellite arena and a very active proponent of AMSAT. We remember his many QSOs on .97 as he worked late shifts driving his trucks at night and kept the local VHF bands warm." Gary's obituary is posted at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-252-WA2AQH Funeral services and interment will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Burnett & White Funeral Homes 7461 S. Broadway, Red Hook, NY. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.Burnett-White.com [ANS thanks Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, for the above information] AMSAT received the sad news from the Mt. Beacon Amateur Radio Club and Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, of the passing of Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Stu recalled, "Gary was a long time member of the club and a personal friend of many of ours outside of radio as well. He was a mainstay in the local satellite arena and a very active proponent of AMSAT. We remember his many QSOs on .97 as he worked late shifts driving his trucks at night and kept the local VHF bands warm." Gary's obituary is posted at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-252-WA2AQH Funeral services and interment will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Burnett & White Funeral Homes 7461 S. Broadway, Red Hook, NY. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.Burnett-White.com [ANS thanks Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, for the above information] AMSAT received the sad news from the Mt. Beacon Amateur Radio Club and Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, of the passing of Gary Killmer, WA2AQH, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Stu recalled, "Gary was a long time member of the club and a personal friend of many of ours outside of radio as well. He was a mainstay in the local satellite arena and a very active proponent of AMSAT. We remember his many QSOs on .97 as he worked late shifts driving his trucks at night and kept the local VHF bands warm." Gary's obituary is posted at: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-252-WA2AQH Funeral services and interment will be private. Arrangements are under the direction of Burnett & White Funeral Homes 7461 S. Broadway, Red Hook, NY. To sign the online guest book, please visit www.Burnett-White.com [ANS thanks Stuart "Stu" Ballinger, WA2BSS, for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT-EA Offers AM1SAT Special Event Award AMSAT-EA will be using its special call, AM1SAT, on all active satellites from September 10 - 17 as part of the IV RadioHam Fair IberRadio 2018 activities. IberRadio is the biggest event for the ham community in South West Europe, opening on September 14 - 15. Learn more about IberRadio at http://www.iberradio.es. The AM1SAT callsign will be active from a minimum of 14 different grids during that time to help satellite operators to collect as much EA locators as possible. As part of this activity and in order to promote the participation, AMSAT-EA is sponsoring the AM1SAT Special Award in two categories: SILVER and GOLD. AWARD RULES 1. This award can be requested and issued to any licensed amateur station and also SWLs 2. Will be valid for all contacts via AMSAT satellites from September 10 - 17, 2018 using all transmission modes. 3. There are two different requirements to get the awards, depending of the applicant location. If the applicant is in a European country: To qualify for the SILVER award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 5 different grids (We consider "grid" as a 4-digits main locator. For example IN71, IM68, JN00, etc). To qualify for the GOLD award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 10 different grids. If the applicant in a non-European country: To qualify for the SILVER award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 2 different grids (We consider "grid" as a 4-digits main locator. For example IN71, IM68, JN00, etc). To qualify for the GOLD award the applicant has to contact AM1SAT in 4 different grids. 4. There is no need for paper QSLs nor EQSLs to apply for the award. When the applicant gets the requirements, email a log with the QSOs, listing your callsign, name, and QSO data (Date, GMT time, frequency, mode, received grid and the satellite). Include your e-mail for AMSAT-EA to send the award. You will receive your award within 2 months in PDF format. There is no charge for this award. 5. Logs and any question about this activity must be sent to eb1ao at amsat-ea.org . 6. Logs must be received by October 1st 2018. We will consider the AM1SAT operators logs to check and cross the QSOs. Disputes or open issues will be solved by AMSAT-EA committee. [ANS thanks AMSAT-EA and Jose Elias Diaz, EB1FVQ for the above information] -------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + World Maker Faire in NYC to Include Satellite Activity https://tinyurl.com/y7j3pytn + Congratulations to John, AE5B on completing Worked All States - Satellite (Via Twitter) + FY, French Guiana: Manfred/DL5FAB will be in Kourou from the 5th to 18th to participate in the launch preparations for the satellite MetOp-C. QRV from the club station of the Radio Amateur Club de Kourou {FY5KE) as FY/DL5FAB on HF (CW, FT8). QSL via DL5FAB (d/B), eQSL. via DARC DX Newsletter 2109 September 5, 2018 + AMSAT-UK tweeted: September edition of Satmagazine has an article on the Goonhilly Earth Station by Matthew Cosby. Download the free magazine PDF from http://www.satmagazine.com/download.php + Congratulations @N7AGF for satellite WAS! I hear @n6rfm uses LOTW, so that should be a quick QSL... :-) via Twitter /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 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Christopher Bradley, AA0CB aa0cb at amsat dot org

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ANS-248 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin - 2018 AMSAT Board of Director Ballots Due September 15
by Joe Spier 05 Sep '18

05 Sep '18

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE SPECIAL BULLETIN ANS-248.01 In this Special Bulletin: * 2018 AMSAT Board of Director Ballots Due September 15 SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-248.01 ANS-248 AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin AMSAT News Service Special Bulletin 248.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. DATE September 5, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-248.01 2018 AMSAT Board of Director Ballots Due September 15 Voting for the 2018 AMSAT Board of Directors ends soon. Ballots must be received at the AMSAT office by September 15, 2018. The ballots, labeled “CORRECTED BALLOT 7/20/2018” and printed on yellow-colored cardstock, were mailed to all AMSAT members. Please vote for no more than three of the 2018 candidates using these corrected ballots. Candidate biographies may be viewed at: https://www.amsat.org/bios2018/ [ANS thanks AMSAT Secretary, Clayton Coleman, W5PFG for the above information] /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers life memberships, and 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 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space, This week's ANS Contributing Editor, Joe Spier, K6WAO k6wao at amsat dot org

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ANS-245 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletin
by Joe Spier 01 Sep '18

01 Sep '18

ans-editor at amsat dot 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: * DMR Station QRM's AO-92 Uplink * AMSAT Announces New Store on Zazzle * AMSAT Rover Award Updates * AO73/FUNcube-1 Entering a Further Period of Full Sunlight * VUCC Awards-Endorsements for August 2018 * 2018 ARRL/TAPR DCC Preliminary Schedule Announced * Interns Create Visualization of NASA Space-Ground Communications * AMSAT Board of Director Elections Corrected Ballots Due September 15, 2018 * Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors * Upcoming Satellite Operations * ARISS News * Satellite Shorts from All Over SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-245.01 ANS-245 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins AMSAT News Service Bulletin 245.01 >From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD. September 2, 2018 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-245.01 DMR Station QRM's AO-92 Uplink On August 27th, AMSAT Vice President-Operations Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, noted: "Recently there has been a DMR signal QRM'ing the AO-92 uplink on 435.350 or close by. Hotspots, repeaters, terrestrial simplex (anything not satellite) should not be in 145.8-146.0 or 435-438 by international bandplan. Please QSY these radios ASAP. Please share to DMR, D-star, Fusion, P25 groups and similar, thank you!" For amateur operators in the U.S., FCC Part 97 has a bit to say about the way we should operate in the 145.8-146.0 and 435-438 MHz amateur satellite subbands. Regulations in many other countries are not as detailed as those established by the FCC on how we should operate on different frequencies and bands. This includes where hotspots and similar systems used for digital voice modes (i.e., DMR, D-Star, C4FM/Fusion) and other technologies like EchoLink and IRLP, should operate. Auxiliary stations are defined at 97.3(a)(7): "An amateur station, other than in a message forwarding system, that is transmitting communications point-to-point within a system of cooperating amateur stations." This definition includes "remote bases;" the nodes for systems like EchoLink and IRLP; and hotspots used for digital-voice modes like D- Star, DMR, and Fusion/C4FM (among others); as well as stations using these hotspots and nodes. Auxiliary stations are not allowed in the 145.8-146.0 and 435-438 MHz satellite subbands per 97.201(b) - among other subbands in the 2m and 70cm amateur bands. Repeaters are defined at 97.3(a)(40) as: "Repeater. An amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the transmission of another amateur station on a different channel or channels." Since most hotspots are operating on a single frequency, they would not qualify as a repeater. Even if the hotspot operates like a repeater as defined above, repeaters are not permitted to use 145.5-146.0 MHz and 435-438 MHz per 97.205(b). Beyond these two sections, Part 97 also has 97.101(a): "In all respects not specifically covered by FCC Rules each amateur station must be operated in accordance with good engineering and good amateur practice." Whether the hotspot is interfering with a satellite downlink in a particular area, or it is interfering with the satellite uplink affecting a much larger area, this would not be good amateur practice. In addition to subbands where hotspots are not permitted, 97.101(b) is also relevant: "Each station licensee and each control operator must cooperate in selecting transmitting channels and in making the most effective use of the amateur service frequencies. No frequency will be assigned for the exclusive use of any station." Frequencies used by satellites are usually incapable of being changed, and have been registered with a regulator like the FCC and the ITU. Hotspots are usually frequency-agile, and the frequencies used by those systems can be changed to avoid potential interference to satellites and other stations. And all of this is in addition to local bandplans, which may already have provisions for hotspots or simplex nodes. [ANS thanks Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Announces New Store on Zazzle AMSAT is pleased to announce a new storefront on Zazzle. Currently, we have several products available with the AMSAT logo, including t- shirts, hooded sweatshirts, mugs, mousepads, and stickers. Colors and styles for each product are fully customizable. Even kids sizes and athletic wear are available through the customization options. Now you can outfit the whole family in AMSAT logo gear! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. The storefront can be accessed at https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear Stay tuned as we add more products to the storefront over the coming days and weeks. [ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Rover Award Updates The AMSAT Rover award is granted to stations who achieve a combined 25 points using any combination of the roving achievements posted at: https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/ Since the last update in ANS-210, the following awards have been announced: Award Call Date Issued ------ ------- ----------- 028 K4FTP 30 Jul 2018 029 KB2YSI 15 Aug 2018 030 N3CRT 17 Aug 2018 031 N2WLS 19 Aug 2018 032 K2MTS 22 Aug 2018 [ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AO73/FUNcube-1 Entering a Further Period of Full Sunlight AO73/FUNcube-1 has been in space for almost five years and the original Sun Synchronous Orbit has now changed slightly such that the spacecraft will no longer be in eclipse for 35 mins every orbit. The eclipse period has already reduced and will again become zero on September 8, 2018. This means that our usual autonomous switching between transponder on in eclipse and high-power telemetry when in sunlight will no longer be effective! This schedule was originally planned to provide a very strong telemetry signal for schools to use during daylight hours and for amateur operation at night (and also at weekends and over holidays). We have already experienced a short period of full sunlight but this time it looks like the spacecraft will be in this situation for more than eight months until sometime in April next year. In addition to the additional thermal effect that will occur during this period, we also expect that the spin rate will increase. The reason for this effect is not yet fully understood but may be related to the amount of current flowing from the solar panels to the spacecraft bus being sufficient to cause a torque effect with the earth's magnetic field. We have therefore decided to have AO73/FUNcube-1 initially operate for alternate periods of one week in either safe or educational modes. This should enable us to evaluate whether the currents do affect the spin rate. Safe mode provides low power telemetry and education mode the usual high power telemetry. It will also enable an analysis to see whether the satellite becomes hotter or cooler in each mode. This will be a new experience for the spacecraft so the capture of the largest possible amount of telemetry remains an important tool for the team to have. We are very grateful to everyone who continues to upload the telemetry they have received to the Data Warehouse. It is invaluable. In addition to AO73/FUNcube-1, the FUNcube-2 transponder on UKube-1 remains operational and EO88/Nayif-1 continues to operate autonomously with the transponder on when in eclipse and high- power telemetry in sunlight. LAST MINUTE UPDATE: AO73 is now in safe mode (low power beacon only, no transponder). We have set this mode as the satellite is about to enter a period of continuous sunlight (for about 9 months). There is more information at https://funcube.org.uk/news/ The plan is to change to education mode (high power beacon) next Friday. [ANS thanks Jim, G3WGM and the FUNcube team for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- VUCC Awards-Endorsements for August 2018 CALL 01Aug 01Sep N8RO 1051 1060 WI7P 829 835 WA5KBH 728 738 W5RKN 606 634 N6UK 568 626 N9EAT 428 550 WD9EWK 476 485 KE4AL 429 467 AA8CH 316 351 NS3L 325 350 W7QL 300 350 FG8OJ 200 253 N3GS 198 226 KE8FZT 200 225 N3CRT New 200 AC9E New 150 WW8W 103 128 AD0HJ New 100 N7NEV New 100 W4AQT 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 August 1, 2018 and September 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.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- 2018 ARRL/TAPR DCC Preliminary Schedule Announced Saturday Night Banquet Towards A 21st Century Understanding of Earth's Upper Atmosphere: The Value of Radio Based Amateur-Scientist Partnerships by Dr. Philip J. Erickson, W1PJE, Assistant director & head of MIT's Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences group at Haystack Observatory. https://www.tapr.org/dcc#banquet Sunday Morning Seminar The Citizen Weather Station Project by Nathaniel A. Frissell, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology, W2NAF. https://www.tapr.org/dcc#seminar The complete Technical & Introductory Forum Tracks schedule can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/2018-DCC-Schedule DCC Online Registration is at: https://www.tapr.org/dccregistration.php [ANS thanks Mark, WB9QZB for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Interns Create Visualization of NASA Space-Ground Communications For the first time ever, people worldwide can get an inside look into what it takes to enable communications for nearly 40 NASA missions, thanks to a small team of college students. NASA's Near Earth Network (NEN) leverages more than 15 antennas across the globe to provide a downlink for critical space and Earth science data collected by the agency's satellites. A new web-based app called NEN Now shows, in real time, simulations of the complicated maneuvers these antennas undergo to link with passing satellites, following them from horizon to horizon as the data streams to the ground. "NEN Now opens a window to the public, sharing live updates about which of NASA's spacecraft are communicating with the Near Earth Network," said Barbara Adde, director of policy and strategic communications for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program office at NASA Headquarters. "Curious about what NASA is studying? You can click on a link and find out what research that spacecraft is collecting data for and sending down to Earth right at that moment." Not only will NEN Now help the public understand space-to-ground communications systems, but the tool will help technical and project managers monitor the status of the network in detail, providing information such as the actual position of the antennas' dishes. At SCaN's request, Goddard modeled NEN Now after a similar app, called DSN Now, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, for the Deep Space Network (DSN). The DSN provides communications services for missions in deep space and is managed by JPL. Ryan Turner, a ground system manager, had an idea to efficiently and effectively develop the NEN app at Goddard by leveraging the skills of college students and utilizing experienced engineers to provide guidance. "We started with three interns, who worked with the public engagement team, NEN engineers and the GMSEC to lay out a prototype," Turner said. GMSEC is the Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center, which creates data system solutions across multiple projects and disciplines. "It gave everyone a sense of what would be possible if we created an operational version of the system." Naje Fields was one of the first interns on the project in summer 2015. "Our biggest challenge for the prototype phase was to figure out how to get the data from the real-time status server at [NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia] to Goddard and into our app," she said. She and her partners, Kierra Harrison and Wallace Phillips, used a number of networking and security techniques to make it happen. The prototype might have been ambitious for three college interns to complete over the course of 10 weeks, but it was very well- received, allowing Turner to establish a year-round program and to take on more interns in the following summers. Those groups have worked on multiple projects, including adding commercial ground stations to NEN Now, implementing a NEN Now mobile app, designing the Space Network (SN) Now for Goddard's other communications network, and developing a 3D interface for NEN Now. Both NEN Now and DSN Now have been incorporated into a larger app called SCaN Now. An additional application for SCaN's third network, the Space Network, is also being created by this intern team, rounding out the real-time status display capability for all three of SCaN's communications networks. NEN Now is now available to the public at: SCaN Now https://scan-now.gsfc.nasa.gov NeN Now https://scan-now.gsfc.nasa.gov/nen NeN Home https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/services/networks/nen DSN Now https://eyes.nasa.gov/dsn/dsn.html DSN Home https://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/ [ANS thanks NASA for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMSAT Board of Director Elections Corrected Ballots Due September 15, 2018 Corrected ballots were mailed and members should have received them. The new ballots, labeled "CORRECTED BALLOT 7/20/2018" are printed on yellow-colored cardstock. Using the Yellow Ballots, please vote for no more than three of the 2018 candidates: Tom Clark, K3IO Mark Hammond, N8MH Scott Harvey, KA7FVV Bruce Paige, KK5DO Peter Portanova, W2JV Candidate biographies can be viewed at: https://www.amsat.org/bios2018/ The Directors positions will go to the three candidates receiving the highest number of votes. In addition, there will be two alternate members chosen, based on the next highest number of votes received. Ballots must be received at the AMSAT office by September 15, 2018 in order to be counted. Those sent outside North America were sent via air mail. If you have not received your ballot package in a reasonable time for your location, please contact the AMSAT office. Completed ballots should be returned as promptly as possible, and those from outside North America preferably by air mail. [ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is seeking volunteers to serve as rotating editors for its weekly newsletter. Editors work on a rotating schedule, each taking a different turn editing a specific week's newsletter as scheduled by the ANS Editor in Chief. Editors support each other by seeking and reporting to the Editor of the week, information and resources of interest to the AMSAT community. The number of newsletters assigned will be dependent upon the number of available editors at any given time. The average editor can expect to spend, on average, 4-5 hours for each newsletter, dependent on available material. Prospective editors are required to be AMSAT members in good standing and have a genuine interest in satellite operation and an understanding of AMSAT's mission. Former editing experience is a plus but not required. If interested, please submit an inquiry, including your contact information to ans-editor at amsat.com. [ANS thanks the ANS editors for the above information] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Satellite Operations as of 8/29/2018 + DM56, DM57, DM58, DM59 - September 1-3, 2018 Ron, AD0DX, is heading out again. This time, he will be operating in DM56, DM57, DM58, and DM59. Updates will be posted on Twitter, publicly viewable at https://twitter.com/ad0dx. + Next weekend, (9/8 and 9/9) is the Boxboro (Mass) ham radio convention, the biggest in New England. There will be an AMSAT booth there, and in addition, the Nashua Area Radio Society will be holding an exposition for young people, which will include a big satellite station. Please listen for special event station N1T or club call N1FD during both days, and possibly testing on Friday, and be nice if there are newbies trying for their first contact! In addition, the AMSAT forum will take place all Sunday morning and will include demos of satellite contacts using a handheld and an HT. Please try for QSOs with on FM satellites Sunday morning from Bob Hayes KB1SWZ (not known if he will use a special event call sign). KE4AL, please post on the the AMSAT web site if you can! Thanks all! 73, Burns Fisher, WB1FJ AMSAT Fox-1 Flight Software Member, Nashua Area Radio Society + AMSAT-EA Special Event - AM1SAT - September 10-17, 2018 As part of the IV RadioHam Fair IberRadio 2018 activities, AMSAT- EA members, using the special event call sign AM1SAT, will be activating 14 grid squares across Spain from September 10th to September 17th. AMSAT-EA is offering an AM1SAT Special Award in two categories: SILVER and GOLD. More information, to include rules and log submission instructions, is available on QRZ: https://www.qrz.com/db/am1sat Northern Michigan (EN76, EN85, EN86) - September 15-18, 2018 Chris, AA8CH is heading back to northern Michigan and Drummond Island as follows: September 15: EN76, EN85 September 16: EN85, EN86 September 17: EN85, EN86 September 18: EN76, EN85 Anyone who missed Chris from N8R in July and/or needs any of these grids can send me an email (see QRZ) and he'll keep you in the loop for expected passes. [ANS thanks Robert, KE4AL for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARISS News + Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-08-07 18:00 UTC Integrierte Gesamtschule Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Osterholz - Scharmbeck, Germany and Gymnasium Soltau, Soltau, Germany, direct via DN3HB and DN5ABG. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be DPØISS. The scheduled astronaut is Alexander Gerst KF5ONO. Watch for new contact time. Study Hall, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, telebridge via K6DUE. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT. Contact is a go for: Wed 2018-09-05 08:05:53 UTC 33 deg. Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, Santa Ana, CA, direct via AA6TB. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU. Contact is a go for: Thu 2018-09-06 16:49:52 UTC 81 deg. + Completed ARISS Contacts About Gagarin from Space conducted A Session of Radio-Love Communication with students and aspirants in G. Kursk. Russia, direct via RV3DR. The ISS callsign was RSØISS and the scheduled astronaut was Oleg Artemyev. The contact was successful at 2018-08-25 08:19 UTC. Congratulations to the students and Oleg! [ANS thanks Charles, AJ9N for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellite Shorts From All Over + The AMSAT Office will be closed through September 4th. It will reopen on Wednesday, September 5th. [ANS thanks Martha Saragovitz for the above information.] + The Symposium Schedule for the 2018 AMSAT-NA 36th Annual Space Symposium and General meeting has been published and can be viewed at: https://www.amsat.org/symposium-schedule/ [ANS thanks Robert, KE4AL for the above information.] + ARRL Youth Satellite Operators get News Coverage Three youthful members of the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club were recognized by the Montgomery Advertiser as avid amateur radio satellite operators. Bryant Rascoll, 14, recently received the 2018 Bill Pasternak Memorial Radio Newsline "Young Ham of the Year. Warren Whitby, 16, received this year's ARRL "Alabama Outstanding Youth Ham Award" in Huntsville. Marissa Robledo, 11, was been named first runner up for the Alabama Outstanding Youth Ham Award. The complete news story can be read at https://tinyurl.com/three-youth. [ANS thanks JoAnne, K9JKM for the above information.] + New Distance Record FalconSat-3 Claimed A new @AMSAT distance record is claimed via the FalconSat-3 digipeater: 2,955 km. W8LR in EM79tm <> KB6LTY in DM14jl on 26-Aug-2018 at 00:47 UTC. [ANS thanks W8LR for the above information.] + Petition to save WWV/WWVH The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has eliminated funding for the continued operation of time/frequency standard stations WWV and WWVH in its Fiscal Year 2019 budget. WWVB, on 60 kHz, which provides time data for so-called "atomic clocks," would continue to be funded. One petition started on the White House's "We the People" petition site calls for restoration of funding for these two radio stations. It needs at least 100,000 electronic signatures by mid-September to generate a response from the White House. The petition can be found at: <https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/maintain-funding-nist- stations-wwv-wwvh> (As of now, needs just over 90,000 more signatures by September 15) [ANS thanks CQ Magazine for the above information.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- /EX In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive addi- tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office. Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu- dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information. 73 and Remember to help keep Amateur Radio in space, This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw at amsat dot org -- -73, Joe Spier, K6WAO President, AMSAT

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