AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-294
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.
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******************* AMSAT 2007 Space Symposium *************************
The Wireless Association of South Hills Amateur Radio Club announces the 2007 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott Hotel on Friday, October 26 through Sunday, October 28, 2007. The AMSAT web team has posted informational pages on the AMSAT web site. You can find the announcement with many links at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2007/index.php
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In this edition: * AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Begins This Week * Talk-in for the Symposium * Echolink to be activated during AMSAT Symposium * AMSAT Awards * Donate to AMSAT via MissionFish * AO-51 Software Crash - Reload/Reboot in Progress * AMSAT Symposium Proclamations
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.01 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Begins This Week
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 294.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 21, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-294.01
The AMSAT-NA 2007 Space Symposium will begin this week! The AMSAT Board of Director's meeting on Thursday, October 25 kicks off the event. Symposium activities begin on Friday, October, 26. Amateur Radio Satellite Operators will find the AMSAT Space Symposium to be an exciting and rewarding event-filled weekend. Here are some of the features and events to look forward to:
+ AMSAT-NA Annual General Meeting + AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Meeting + AMSAT Directors and Officers will be available to answer your questions + AMSAT Annual Banquet with Keynote Speaker + Technical forums focusing on the latest planning and technology of Amateur Radio in Space + All Papers and Presentations will be published in the Symposium Proceedings for all registered attendees + Technical demonstrations of prototype flight hardware and software for AMSAT Eagle - the next generation in space + Discussions and demonstrations of SuitSat-2, ARISS, solid state RF power amp, antennas, AO-51 + Update on AMSAT's new Maryland Lab + AMSAT Area Coordinators' Breakfast and Meeting on Sunday Morning + IARU Satellite Forum + President's Club Reception + Satellite Beginner's Session: Introduction to Satellites + An operating satellite station capable of working AO-7, FO-29, AO-27, SO-50, AO-51 and VO-52 + N2SPI satellite antenna demonstrations and antenna construction with students + Meet and greet old friends and make new friends + Enjoy eyeball QSOs with satellite designers, builders, and operators from around the world + Sunday afternoon tour to the WPXI-DT Digital Studio
The AMSAT Software Defined Transponder Team is working toward having an operational VHF - UHF transponder available for the entire weekend. Eagle Project Team members will be available to answer your questions and provide demonstrations.
AMSAT-DL Vice-President and Board member Hartmut Päsler, DL1YDD will give a presentation about the current status of the P3-E project and P5-A.
The full Symposium schedule has been posted on the web pages.
New to the Symposium this year is a selection of apparel that may be ordered. We have Symposium themed golf shirts, tee shirts, key rings ball caps. A percentage of these sales will go to Eagle.
For those people who would rather not register for the Meeting through the AMSAT store, you can register via phone by calling 301-589-6062.
[ANS thanks 2007 AMSAT Space Symposium Co-chairs Kevin N3HKQ, and Pat KC4WTT for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.02 Talk-in for the Symposium
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 294.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 21, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-294.02
All: Bottom line:
Talk-in for Symposium will be on 146.955/146.355 or 443.65/448.65 repeaters. (out/in) BOTH repeaters REQUIRE 131.8Hz CTCSS.
The 443.65 has very good coverage (3 remote receivers and 250 W tx) in areas where the 2m is "marginal". If not making UHF, user should try VHF.
73, Jim [email protected]
[ANS thanks Jim, WB4GCS, for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.03 EchoLink to be activated during the AMSAT Symposium
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 294.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 21, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-294.03
During the AMSAT open meeting portion of the Symposium, Echo-Link will be activated so people from around the globe can check in and join the meeting's discussion. What follows is an instruction set to enable you to use this feature. See the echolink website for further clarification.
Here's the instructions as best I can write based on just doing it. Feel free to contact someone more familiar with echolink -- I'm a rare user.
- Download and install the echolink client from echolink.org
- Launch it.
- First time users must provide some info and allow a few days for
authentication as a valid ham. 4. Select explorer view 5. select Node Types 6. Select Conferences 7. View AMSAT and double click. 8. You will either connect or time out. 9. If you time out, accept the "learn more" option to learn how to connect either through a proxy or configure your router to allow the ports needed by echolink.
73, Jim [email protected]
[ANS thanks Jim, WB4GCS, for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.04 AMSAT Awards
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 294.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 21, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-294.04
Awards this week are: We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community. They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club. John Marranca, Jr., KB2HSH
South Africa AMSAT Communication Achievement Award Fernando Martins, CT2ISG, #US114
To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or http://www.amsatnet.com
-- Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards ARRL Awards Manager (WAS, 5BWAS, VUCC), VE Houston AMSAT Net - Wed 0100z on W0KIE Intelsat Americas, T1, 6.2/6.8Mhz Also streaming MP3 at http://www.amsatnet.com Latest satellite news on the ARRL Audio News http://www.arrl.org
[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.05 Donate to AMSAT via MissionFish
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 294.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 21, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-294.05
For all of you that sell your goodies on eBay, wether it is ham radio related or not, you can donate a portion of your sale automatically to AMSAT through MissionFish.
To do this, when you list your item for sale, there is a tab that pops up on the “How you’re selling” screen for Online Auction or Fixed Price. Within those tabs, there is a blue and yellow ribbon with “Donate a percentage of sale.” After selecting AMSAT as your nonprofit organization, pick a per- centage of the selling price to go to the AMSAT. That’s all you have to do.
When the auction is over, you give your donation to MissionFish or do nothing and MissionFish will deduct it from your credit card. In turn, MissionFish, will deposit the funds into AMSAT’s bank account.
This is an ideal way to donate a little bit or a big bit to AMSAT every time you auction something. You do not need to be a member of AMSAT to donate money through eBay’s online auctions. So, ask your non-ham friends if they would donate a little to AMSAT every time they auction something on eBay.
To see how MissionFish works, go to http://www.missionfish.org.
[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.06 AO-51 Software Crash - Reload/Reboot in Progress
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 294.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 21, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-294.06 AO-51 Software Crash - Reload/Reboot in Progress
Drew, KO4MA AMSAT-NA Vice President of Operations reported that at 1848Z on OCtober 11 the software on AO-51 crashed and shut down both transmitters. The repeater and BBS have been down for several days while the command stations reload and restart the software.
On October 17, Drew reported on progress by the AO-51 Operations Team, "We are making good progress in reloading the software nec- essary to run AO-51, although it was a bit of a rocky start. The control stations hope to have AO-51 reloaded by the weekend of October 20-21. As we reload and restart operations on the satellite we will be able to better predict its return to service."
Interested stations can use their TlmEcho software to watch progress on the 435.150 MHz downlink. This downlink may only be on over the Southeastern US depending on how far along the reloading has proceeded.
[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA for the above information]
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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-294.07 AMSAT-NA Space Symposium Begins This Week
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 294.07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. October 21, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-294.07
Proclamations from the Allegheny County Executive and Pennsylvania Governor recognizing that AMSAT is holding the Symposium in Pittsburgh can be found at the Website (www.amsat.org) since space is limited here.
[ANS thanks Kevin Smith for the above information]
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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.
73, This week's ANS Editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org