AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-064
In this edition:
* New Satellite Distance Records * VUCC Satellite Standings as of March 1, 2023 * Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 3, 2023 * ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations * Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events * Satellite Shorts From All Over
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, 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.
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ANS-064 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
To: All RADIO AMATEURS From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653 Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2023 Mar 05
New Satellite Distance Records
IO-117 continues to provide a lot of DX fun for amateur satellite operators. Numerous satellite operators have reported receiving the ARRL's Worked All States and DX Century Club Satellite awards lately as well as CQ Magazine's Worked All Zones Satellite award (25 of 40 zones are required for the satellite award). For an example about the distances that can be worked via this satellite in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), two QSOs got very near the 13,000 km mark recently.
On February 11, 2023, Dave Fisher, KG0D, worked Lucky Bijanki, VU2LBW. The distance between KG0D in CN88kd and VU2LBW in MK82tv is 12,939 km.
Unfortunately for this claim, Hector Martinez Sis, W5CBF, worked Oleg Vakochine, A65BR, on January 29, 2023 at 21:00 UTC. The distance between W5CBF and A65BR is 12,996 km.
Note that only real-time QSOs will be considered for distance records. Under the ARRL's current interpretation of their award rules, satellite QSOs involving delayed messaging or store-and-forward systems are not valid for WAS, DXCC, or VUCC. Thus, QSOs made over multiple orbits using this method will not be considered for inclusion in the AMSAT Satellite Distance Records archive.
Also please note that the distance calculator at k7fry.com/grid is used to calculate all distances for AMSAT records purposes. This may not provide the most accurate distance under the most recent geodetic datum standards, but it is a consistent reference.
Anyone who wants to claim a distance record via an amateur satellite should check the current list at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/ and email n8hm at arrl.net if they complete a new record distance. Audio and/or video of the QSO is encouraged but not required.
[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information]
+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ The 2023 AMSAT President's Club coins are here now! To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its launch on June 16, 1983, this year's coin features an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 10. Join the AMSAT President's Club today and help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/ +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
VUCC Satellite Standings as of March 1, 2023
VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for February 01, 2023 to March 01, 2023.
Callsign Feb 1 Mar 1 ------------------------------------------------------------ N8RO 1151 1173 AA5PK 1149 1162 N0JE 775 879 DL2GRC 628 725 W8LR 687 703 DF2ET 601 700 KB9STR 508 681 EA2AA 653 665 KS1G 579 628 KQ4DO 579 600 N0GVK 401 543 N8MR 425 452 JK2XXK 310 429 OZ9AAR 207 400 IK7FMQ 254 304 DL8GAM 220 250 PA7RA 242 245 JN1BPM 102 178 K7TEJ 126 155 AD2DD 125 150 DL1COM New 133 N6UTC (MOJAVE DE 101 126 N9BX 100 125 N6PAZ 110 121 HL2WP New 115 XE2YWH 108 114 XE2YWH (DL82 - D 108 114 XE2YWH (DL82) 113 114 JS1LQI New 101 ------------------------------------------------------------
Congratulations to the new VUCC holders. HL2WP is first VUCC Satellite holder from South Korea and PM47
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information]
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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows, and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
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Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition? Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store! 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for March 2, 2023
Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/
This week there are no additions or deletions to the weekly AMSAT TLE distribution.
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]
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ARISS News
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.
Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:
Jumeirah College Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, telebridge via VK4KHZ (***)
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled crewmember is Sultan Al Neyadi KI5VTV
Contact is go for: Tue 2023-03-07 08:45:03 UTC 27 deg (***)
The crossband repeater continues to be active. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.
Comments on making general contacts
I have been seeing a lot of traffic on Facebook and I suspect on other social media sites with people asking why they are not hearing the crew make general contacts. First off the crew is very busy on the ISS and they simply may not have the time to just pick up the microphone and talk. Also, one needs to be aware of their normal daily schedule. I have listed below the constraints that we at ARISS have to follow in order to schedule the school contacts. Hopefully this will help you better schedule your opportunities.
Typical daily schedule
Wakeup to Workday start= 1.5 hours Workday start to Workday end=12 hours Workday end to Sleep= 2 hours Sleep to wakeup= 8.5 hours
The crew's usual waking period is 0730 - 1930 UTC. The most common times to find a crew member making casual periods are about one hour after waking and before sleeping, when they have personal time. They're usually free most of the weekend, as well.
SSTV events are not that often. So please check out https://www.ariss.org/ for the latest information or watch for the ARISS announcements.
And don’t forget that the packet system is active.
As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.
ARISS Radio Status
Columbus Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down). * Powering off for Soyuz 68 undocking on March 28. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA targeting April 19. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA targeting April 26. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA targeting May 04. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Progress 84 docking on May 24. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.
Service Module radios: IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS - Configured. Default mode is fo packet operations (145.825 MHz up & down) * Powering off for Soyuz 68 undocking on March 28. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA targeting April 19. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA targeting April 26. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Russian EVA targeting May 04. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Powering off for Progress 84 docking on May 24. OFF TBD . ON TBD. * Capable of supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts, packet, SSTV and voice repeater ops.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
From AD7DB: AD7DB will activate FM satellites from DM31 on Sat March 18. I may also pop up in DM23 and or DM22 on March 17 and March 19. Follow me on Twitter for updates.
Please submit any additions or corrections to k5zm (at) comcast (dot) net.
[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]
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Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.
Hamvention 2023 May 19-21, 2023 Stay tuned for announcements about AMSAT Hamvention activites, including the TAPR/AMSAT Dinner.
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ The FO-99 operation schedule for March is available at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/?p=2100 (Thanks to JAMSAT for this information)
+ The SpaceX Crew-6 mission launched to the ISS on Thursday March 2nd with the crew arriving on Friday. Sultan Al Neyadi, KI5VTV, is scheduled to make the first ARISS QSO from the new crew on Tuesday. (Thanks to NASA and ARISS for this information)
+ USA ARISS contact proposals for January 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024 are due March 31, 2023. For details see https://ariss-usa.org/message-to-us-educators-amateur-radio-on-the-internati... (Thanks to ARISS for this information)
+ FO-118's camera has been active with a new protocol to more easily reconstruct image data. For details, see version 2.1 of the user manual at https://mega.nz/file/4rIywT5L#WoZsMxzIkUKhqHTrYh__nvv_N9CGwVV-dLsJ2k4_2OA (Thanks to CAMSAT for the inforamtion)
+ Happy 54th Birthday to AMSAT! AMSAT was officially incorporated in the District of Columbia on March 3, 1969.
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73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This week's ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM n8hm [at] amsat.org