AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-175

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-51 in V/S Mode for Last Week of June * Delfi-C3 Satellite Integration for Planned Autumn Launch * 2007 AMSAT BoD Candidates List Announcement * New Items in the AMSAT On-Line Store * Satellite Shorts From All Over * ARISS Status Report for the week of June 18, 2007

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.01 AO-51 in V/S Mode for Last Week of June

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 24, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-175.01

Drew, KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations reminds users that the AO-51 Echo Satellite will be in its V/S mode for the last week of June 26 - June 30:

FM Repeater, V/S Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 2401.200 MHz FM

Full details are available on-line at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.02 Delfi-C3 Satellite Integration for Planned Autumn Launch

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.02

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 24, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-175.02

Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ, Delfi-C3's project manager of electronic systems and communications at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands reports that their satellite is being integrated and tested in preparation for launch in September or October, 2007.

The Delfi team has posted photos of the satellite integration work at: http://www.delfic3.nl/photoblog/.

Delfi-C3 is a 3-unit CubeSat carrying redundant radio transceivers, connected to the antenna system by a hybrid combiner. Both trans- ceivers consist of a UHF front end, a command receiver, linear IF, telemetry generator and the final stages capable of 400mW RF power.

Delfi-C3 contains no batteries because it's primary mission is to perform a solar cell and sun sensor experiment so the spacecraft will only be active when in sunlight.

The first three months of the mission will perform the science mission, in which the spacecraft will be transmitting 1200 bit/s AX.25 telemetry on the primary or backup VHF downlink. (See http://www.delfic3.nl for frequency information.) Telemetry will be transmitted once per second.

A Java application will be available for download from the website to display telemetry in real time, and upload it to Delfi's central server in Delft. A soundcard application in Java is planned to be available to decode the BPSK signal. The MixW software package will also be compatible with the telemetry signal.

After three months, the linear transponder will be activated, with a 40kHz bandwidth. In transponder mode, a CW beacon will be active instead of BPSK telemetry. It will transmit a message saying "hi hi de delfi-c3 delfi-c3". Since Delfi-C3 will transmit with only 400mW of downlink power, earth stations will need to prepare a good receive system.

TLE's will be anounced on the website (http://www.delfic3.nl) once they are available. Preliminary parameters of the orbit are: + altitude: 630km circular + inclination: 97.91 degrees + sun-synchronous

[ANS thanks Wouter Jan Ubbels, PE4WJ for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.03 2007 AMSAT BoD Candidates List Announcement

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 24, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-175.03

Nominations for the 2007 AMSAT Board of Directors have closed. The list of qualified candidates is:

Barry Baines WD4ASW Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA Rick Hambly W2GPS Lee McLamb KU4OS Gunther Meisse W8GSM

The terms of four directors are up this year. Directors serve a two year term. Ballots and biographical information submitted by each candidate will be in the mail to current AMSAT members by July 15th and completed ballots must be received at the AMSAT office in Silver Spring no later than the close of business on September 15th. Terms of the new directors start upon certification of the election.

Barry Baines, WD4ASW Corporate Secretary

[ANS thanks Barry Baines, WD4ASW for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.04 New Items in the AMSAT On-Line Store

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.04

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 24, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-175.04

Bruce, KK5DO, wearing his AMSAT Online Store Manager hat reports, "We have added four new items to the AMSAT Online Store:

1. A new dark blue long sleeve 100% cotton shirt with AMSAT logo 2. A new dark blue ball cap with AMSAT logo 3. The AMSAT Journal on CD-ROM for years 2001-2005 (searchable) 4. The 2007 "Getting Started in Satellites" book (now 110 pages).

Go online at http://www.amsat.org and click on the Online Store in the menu to the left. Order your goodies today.

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.05 Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.05

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 24, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-175.05

+ Clive G3CWV's OSCAR-11 report for the week of 16 June 2007 summarizes operations as, "No signals have been received from the satellite's 145.826 MHz beacon because it remains in eclipse. Listen for signals starting around August 20."

+ F.Costa, CT1EAT, has a QSL for auction from Owen K. Garriott (W5LFL), the first radio amateur who operated from space, during the STS-9 mission in 1983. Please see photos at http://ct1eatsale.no.sapo.pt/ He will acept bids, in EURO currency, until 00.00 UTC 25 June 2007. The highest bidder will donate the amount for an AMSAT/ARISS project of their choice. He will send the card to the winner for free via registered airmail. Please send your bids to ct1eat@amsat.org.

+ Peter Guelzow, DB2OS reported the AMSAT-DL/IUZ team received congrat- ulations from the Voyager Flight Team on their successful reception of the furthest manmade object in space. The message read, "Congratu- lations on your successful downlink acquisition of Voyager 1 at your 20 meter tracking station. Acquiring such a distant object is a remarkable achievement, especially for an amateur team. Thank you very much for your interest in Voyager." Peter summarizes, "It also demonstrates now officially that the 20m dish is good enough to support the AMSAT P5-A Mission to Mars."

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-175.06 ARISS Status Report for the week of June 18, 2007

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 175.06

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 24, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-175.06

1. Russian ARISS Contact Successful

On Thursday, June 14, an ARISS contact was made between the Inter- national Congress of Slavic States Conference in Sochi, Russia and the ISS. Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI participated in the event.

2. Upcoming School Contacts

The ARISS team continues to work on scheduling school contacts for Expedition 15.

3. Technical Interchange Meeting

The ARISS team is planning a Technical Interchange Meeting during the week of July 9 in Houston. The team plans to discuss radio system hardware, software and the SuitSat-2 project.

4. ARISS International Meeting

The ARISS teleconference will on Tuesday, June 19 discussed the next ARISS face to face meeting, SuitSat-2 and the Columbus Module.

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI 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, JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM K9JKM at amsat dot org