AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-349

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: * Special ARISS Certificate * AMSAT donor operations loaners * AMSAT's Volunteer Reporting System Needs Your Input * SKN on OSCAR 2009 * ARISS Status - 08 December 2008

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-349.01 Special ARISS Certificate

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 349.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 14, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-349.01

All,

The ARISS team has had a number of queries on several topics. It is hoped that this e-mail will answer these for you.

1) 25th Anniversary of Ham in Space Special Event Certificate---Many have asked how to receive the special certificate and what qualifies you for the certificate.

Qualification: Those that have had 2 way communications with the ISS on Voice, Packet (APRS), or through the voice repeater. And those that have heard the ISS from space in any of the ARISS operations modes (Voice, SSTV, School Contact, Voice Repeater, Digital). Valid dates to qualify for certificate: November 30 to January 15.

Receiving the Certificate: A) Please note on your QSL the ARISS mode of operation (e.g. SSTV, voice, school, etc) and whether the contact with you was 1 way (receive only) or 2 way. B) Send your SASE to the normal ARISS QSL volunteer distributor in your area of the world. C) On the outside of the QSL envelope, please include the words "25th Anniversary Certificate" D) Make sure your envelope is big enough to accept an 8.5 by 11 inch certificate and includes the proper postage. E) Go to www.ariss.org if you do not know where to send your QSL and please use one of the standard international QSL distributors that are noted on the Web page.

Important note: We will be sending your certificate to the volunteer distributors in bulk AFTER the event is over. (This saves workload and money). So do not expect to see it until 1-2 months after the event closes on January 15.

2) Richard Garriott QSL Card---there are have several queries about the final results of Richard Garriott's flight and how the QSL cards will be handled.

QSO Results: Richard made over 500 voice QSOs during his flight, clearly more than any single ham has made on-orbit during a short duration mission. And he sent down about 1000 SSTV images during his flight.

QSL Card: Those that had a QSO with Richard can receive an ARISS QSL card using the normal ARISS process. (See www.ariss.org). Richard Garriott is also planning a personal card which is in development. Once it is developed, they will be shipped to the ARISS international QSL distribution volunteers for distribution. The current plan is that those that have already sent in for an ARISS QSL card will also get a Richard Garriott personal card once it is available. If you made a contact with Richard, have not sent in your QSL, and would like Richard's personal QSL card, please stand by for QSL distribution instructions until the QSL card is ready. The distribution of this special QSL will parallel how we are distributing the 25th Anniversary Certificate.

3) SSTV Operations Web Site---The ARISS team appreciated the special web page support from UC Berkeley. They allowed us to use their server to support SSTV operations during the Richard Garriott's flight. This was a temporary solution. The web site is currently down while we move the web pages from the Berkeley site to the AMSAT server. This should be completed in the next few days. You will see a follow-on e-mail with details on connecting up to the SSTV Operations server. We thank you for your patience.

On behalf of the ARISS International team of volunteers, I thank you all for your interest and participation in the ARISS Program.

73, Frank Bauer, KA3HDO AMSAT V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs ARISS International Chairman

[ANS thanks Frank, KA3HDO, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-349.02 AMSAT donor operations loaners

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 349.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 14, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-349.02

The AMSAT Operations team is in the process of acquiring a few sets of basic loaner gear that will be available to DXpeditions and other groups in order to promote activity on the satellites. Initially these will consist of simple FM portable stations including a full duplex dual band HT and an Arrow or other suitable antenna. Depending on the success of the program, we will likely expand it to include the transponder and digital satellites as well. We also expect to be able to integrate AO-51 operations into the program. In the recent past, similar efforts have been undertaken by individuals within AMSAT, including W9AE's AO-40 package, and KO4MA's gear loaned to the KG4SB Gitmo operation.

Thanks to the past generosity of AMSAT-OZ and a few individual donors to a prior personal effort to equip a Peruvian university station for AO-40, I have approximately 140 dollars to redirect to this project. To complete the first phase of this, I'd like to have on hand two split boom Arrow antennas with diplexers and two late model full duplex handhelds. The preferred rig is the Kenwood D-7 or Yaesu FT-530. These will be packaged together in two custom crush-proof PVC carrying tubes. We already have a major DXpedition to a location within LEO range of most of North America interested in participating in the early part of 2009.

If businesses, organizations or individuals would like to assist in this program, please email me at ko4ma@amsat.org. All sponsors will receive full recognition from AMSAT for their participation. As indicated above, our major needs at this point are two split boom Arrow antennas with diplexers and two full duplex dual band HTs.

73 and thanks for your support of AMSAT, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-349.03 AMSAT's Volunteer Reporting System Needs Your Input

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 349.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 14, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-349.03

AMSAT's Volunteer Reporting System Needs Your Input

AMSAT Treasurer, Gunther W8GSM requests AMSAT volunteers update their Time spent on AMSAT Projects in the Volunteer Reporting System. See: http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/volunteers/login.php - and - http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/volunteers/about.php

Gunther said, "AMSAT's audit firm is going to start the 2008 Audit On January 15, 2009 in an attempt to get it out in a more timely manner. To that end, I need to ask all of you to submit your VRS volunteer time reports to the web site prior to December 31 of this year. I have work to do on that data and need the first couple weeks in 2009 to get that done. SO, PLEASE SUBMIT ANY UNREPORTED VOLUNTEER TIME SPENT FOR AMSAT ASAP!"

[ANS thanks Gunther, W8GSM for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-349.04 SKN on OSCAR 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 349.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 14, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-349.04

SKN on OSCAR 2009

Ray Soifer, W2RS extends the annual cordial invitation to all radio amateurs worldwide to participate in AMSAT's Straight Key Night (SKN) on OSCAR 2009.

Participating in SKN on OSCAR 2009 is easy. No rules, no scoring and no need to send in a log. Just operate CW through any OSCAR between 0000 and 2400 UTC on 1 January 2009, using a straight hand key.

In keeping with the friendly nature of this event, all participants are encouraged to nominate someone they worked for "Best Fist." Your nominee need not have the best fist of those you heard, just of those you worked. Please send your nomination to w2rs@amsat.org. A list of those nominated will appear in ANS and The AMSAT Journal. CU SKN!

[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-349.05 ARISS Status - 08 December 2008

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 349.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 14, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-349.05

1. India College Experiences Successful Contact

Students attending St. Anthony’s College in Shillong, India participated in a question and answer session with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on Monday, December 1 via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. Over 700 students, staff and guests witnessed the contact as 11 students asked one question each of the astronaut. Television stations covering the news included DD National, Peitngor Cable News (PCN) Channel and Ri Khasi Channel. The Shillong Times, Meghalaya Guardian, Sentinel and other Khasi local newspapers were also present. St. Anthony's college is the alma mater of Mr. Rupesh Saikia, father-in-law of astronaut Mike Fincke.

2. Canadian Contact Successful

Quispamsis Elementary and Middle Schools in New Brunswick, Canada experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Thursday, December 4. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, answered 20 questions posed to him by twenty students. Representatives from the School District and the Municipal, Provincial and Federal Government were invited. Audio was fed into the EchoLink server and received four connections. Media coverage included television, radio and newspapers. The Telegraph Journal ran an article on the contact. See: http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/article/502323

CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) News also covered the event. Go to: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/12/05/nb-space-talk.html

Radio station Country 94 CHSJ posted a short summary: http://www.country94.ca/country94/post/13-1658386395336820565/Thursday/

3. ARRL Article on ARISS - IEW Events

Students from Poolesville, Maryland, Raleigh, North Carolina and Quito, Ecuador experienced a joint Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Friday, November 14 as part of International Education Week (IEW). They connected again for another informative session with amateur radio operators from around the world and an expert panel which included astronaut Don Thomas. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran an article on these events. See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/02/10489/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter printed the story in its December 5 issue. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1205/

5. ARRL Covers ARISS Special Event

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) posted a story on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) special event to celebrate 25 years of ham radio in space. To view the article, go to: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/01/10481/?nc=1 The ARRL Letter included the news in its December 5 issue. See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1205/

[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, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org