AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-343

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.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor@amsat.org

In this edition:

* AO-16 PACSAT Update - Satellite Back On * Friendly Reminder: Please Update AMSAT Volunteer Reporting System * LVB Tracker Enclosures Are Available * Changes on the AO-7 Resource Page * FalconSat-3 Status * AMSAT Space Symposium Photo Album is Now On-Line * ARISS Status Report for the Week of December 3, 2007

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.01 AO-16 PACSAT Update - Satellite Back On

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

December 9, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-343.01

After several months of silence, Amsat Oscar 16 (PACSAT) was commanded back ON on November 8, 2007. The satellite is transmitting on TX A at 437.024 MHz (+/- Doppler). Please note this transmitter is LHCP (left hand circular polarity).

Recent attempts to reload the AO-16 satellite operating system and housekeeping tasks have thus far been unsuccessful. Harold Price, NK6K, Jim White, WD0E, Bruce Rahn, WB9ANQ, and Mark Hammond, N8MH are analyzing dumps of the spacecraft memory. This analysis and additional testing will continue for the next week or two before additional attempts to reload the spacecraft are attempted.

AO-16 is, however, very alive and sending MBL telemetry! Thanks to all who have submitted MBL telemetry data. Please continue to send your AO-16 MBL telemetry files in KISS format to: telemetry AT quagliana DOT com. Thanks to Douglas Quagliana, KA2UPW for serving as telemetry coordinator. The AO-16 Command Team is especially interested in telemetry collected while AO-16 transitions into and out of eclipse.

Mike Rupprecht, DK3WN, has just released the AO-16 PACSAT MBL telemetry decoder. This very fine decoder may be downloaded from: www.dk3wn.info/files/ao16mbl.zip

The program is intuitive, and the output of the KISS telemetry files in graphic format is excellent. Now, AO-16 "telemetry hunters" can view the MBL telemetry files. Thank you, Mike, DK3WN, for the speedy development and release of this useful telemetry tool.

Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ has also included decoding of the 7 short 2-byte MBL telemetry frames from AO-16 in the latest release of Warbler, an AO-16 soundcard demodulator program (v1.0.3 Beta). Telemetry frames are included in the .kss file which Warbler creates, and can be viewed with DK3WN's MBL telemetry decoder. The latest version of Warbler is available at: http://home.casema.nl/b.ubbels/Warbler.htm

Further announcements and updates from the AO-16 Command Team can be expected in the coming weeks.

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA; Mark, N8MH on behalf of the AO-16 Command Team and Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.02 Friendly Reminder: Please Update AMSAT Volunteer Reporting System

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.02

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

December 9, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-343.02

Gunther Meisse, W8GSM, AMSAT Treasurer says, "It is the time of the year again to be sure as many volunteer hours as possible have been reported to the AMSAT VRS (Volunteer Reporting System) on the AMSAT web site."

Over the last few years thousands of dollars of volunteer time have been reported and we are sure this year will be our largest given all the work that has done on Eagle, The new Lab, RideShare Conference, SDR, SDT, and the like.

If you are already registered on the VRS site please take a few minutes and report your 2006 hours. If you have not reported before, please visit http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/volunteers/ register, and help us keep track of this important aspect of the AMSAT mission. We'll keep the year open until the middle of January but hope you will take the time within the next couple weeks to update your report. You may combine your efforts for the entire year into one filing if that would make the process more convenient.

Gunther will be looking forward to your reports.

[ANS thanks Gunther, W8GSM for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.03 LVB Tracker Enclosures Are Available

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

December 9, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-343.03

The custom enclosures for the LVB Tracker are in. These silk screened, black, powder coated, 0.062" aluminum boxes are produced by Ten-Tec for AMSAT. The enclosures have PEMs (embedded standoffs) to support the front panel LCD and for the main circuit board. Simply use (8) 4x40 screws to attach the boards to the PEMs. There are cut outs for the LCD, the four pushbutton switches, USB connector, DB-9 connector and rotor cable. The box comes in two parts with feet and screws to hold the box together.

We are working on completing the orders on file and will be shipping them soon. If you would like to order an enclosure or a complete unit, contact Martha at the AMSAT office. If you have any questions about the enclosures contact Gould, wa4sxm@amsat.org.

Specific information about the LVB Tracker can be found at: http://www.LVBTracker.com.

The LVB Enclosure can also be ordered from the on-line AMSAT Store: http://www.amsat-na.com/category.php?c=Hardware

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM and Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.04 Changes on the AO-7 Resource Page

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.04

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

December 9, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-343.04

John, LA2QAA reported that due to administrative privileges that need to be updated he cannot edit mistakes or make changes to entries on The AO-7 Resource Page at http://www.planetemily.com/ao7/main.php

Each station can still edit their own entry (but nobody else's) by clicking on the magnifying glass at the left of your entry. A new screen will pop up and you can just correct any mistakes.

John reminds you, "PLEASE be careful to enter the correct data because if you don't notice your error it will soon throw the log statistics out of whack and defeat the entire object of the log ... which is an ACTIVITY log *NOT* a contest log."

In conclusion, John promises new software, "I have administered the log for three years but am now concentrating on a different long term activity regarding AO-7 which, hopefully, will benefit the entire amateur satellite community commencing in the spring of 2008."

[ANS thanks John, LA2QAA for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.05 FalconSat-3 Status

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.05

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

December 9, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-343.05

Occasionally a question arises in regards to when the US Air Force Academy's FalconSat-3 (FS3) might activate its Amateur Radio pay- load. Jim White, WD0E recently answered this question for ANS.

Jim replied, "When the science mission is completed the Amateur Radio payload will be activated. Once available to the amateur satellite service the mode of operation of FS3 will be determined by the ham club at the Air Force Academy. Like AO-51 it can be operated as an FM repeater or in digital store and forward up to 78k8."

Jim continued, "At present there is no target date for completion of the science mission. It depends on a number a factors and must balance the mission objectives of an on-orbit learning resource and a plasma data collection and mapping instrument."

In conclusion, "FS3 has been providing an excellent platform for students learning space operations, attitude determination and control, and power systems. The boom deployment sequence will probably be attempted in the next couple of weeks. While some science data has been collected, enough to show the instruments are working well, continuous collection won't start until three axis control has been established and practiced."

[ANS thanks Jim White, WD0E for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.06 AMSAT Space Symposium Photo Album is Now On-Line

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.06

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

December 9, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-343.06

Kevin, N3HKQ invites AMSAT members to check out the Wireless Association of South Hills website containing \pictures and video from the AMSAT Symposium in Pittsburgh. WASH was a host club of the 2007 AMSAT Space Symposium in October.

See: http://n3sh.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=5167

[ANS thanks Kevin, N3HKQ for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-343.07 ARISS Status Report for the Week of December 3, 2007

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 343.07

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

December 9, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-343.07

1. Status of ARISS School Contacts

Due to the very demanding schedules of the crew onboard the ISS, no ARISS contacts have been planned at this time. The ARISS team expects contacts to resume once STS-122 launches this month.

2. ARRL Article on ARISS School Contact Status

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story on the status of ARISS school contacts. Seventy-four contacts were performed during 2007, reducing the backlog of schools waiting for a contact and making this a good time to submit new applications. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/11/29/100/?nc=1

3. ARISS School Application Updated

The ARISS team has been working on an updated school application package. The new and updated forms have been submitted to the ARISS delegates for their review and comments. The application is expected to be finalized by the end of this month.

4. ARRL Story on ARISS Antennas

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted an article about the ARISS antennas on the Columbus Module which is expected to launch on Thursday, December 6. The story, "ARISS Antennas Set to Launch on NASA Mission in December," was posted in the ARRL Letter and on the ARRL Web site. To view the ARRL Letter, see: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/07/1130/ The Web site article may be found here: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2007/11/30/101/?nc=1

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI 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 additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office.

73, This week's ANS Editor, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org