AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-161

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 for Kid's Day and Field Day * Eagle 70cm Receiver Testing Resumes * Shuttle Launches Another Ham to Space Station * Satellite Shorts From All Over * ARISS Status - 04 June 2007

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-161.01 AO-51 for Kid's Day and Field Day

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 161.01

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 10, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-161.01

In support of ARRL Kid's Day on June 16 the uplink frequency on AO-51's FM repeater will be changed to 145.88 MHz with NO PL Tone. Kid's Day is intended to encourage young people (licensed or not) to enjoy Amateur Radio. It can give young people on-the-air experience so they might develop an interest in pursuing a license in the future. It is intended to give hams a chance to share their station with children. During Kid's Day operators are requested to minimize routine contacts and allow Kid's Day stations to have a successful satellite contact.

Following Kid's Day AO-51's mode will change on June 17 to dual L/U and V/U repeater mode for Field Day. This will give stations the week before Field Day to check out their stations.

June 1 - June 15

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM 9k6 Digital, V/U, Telemetry Only Downlink: 435.150 Mhz FM, 9k6 Telemetry

June 16 ARRL Kid's Day (QSOs by or with Kid's Day stations ONLY please)

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM

June 17 - June 25 AMSAT/ARRL Field Day (June 23-24)

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM

FM Repeater, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM

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

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-161.02 Eagle 70cm Receiver Testing Resumes

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 161.02

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 10, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-161.02

After a short break while the 70cm receiver travelled to Dayton, Juan, WA6HTP, has resumed testing of the first prototype of Eagle's 70cm receiver. Detailed information regarding the receiver design and testing can be found in Eaglepedia on the AMSAT web site.

http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/eagle/EaglePedia/index.php/U-Band_Receiver

[ANS thanks Juan, WA6HTP, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-161.03 Shuttle Launches Another Ham to Space Station

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 161.03

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 10, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-161.03

The space shuttle Atlantis launched Friday, June 8 at 2338 UTC. The STS-117 mission carries US astronaut Clay Anderson, KD5PLA, to the International Space Station to replace Suni Williams, KD5PLB. Anderson will join Expedition 15 Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin, RN3FI, and Flight Engineer Dr Oleg Kotov. Suni will be returning to Earth aboard the Atlantis after a six month stay on the ISS begining last December.

Atlantis Commander Rick Sturckow and his six crewmates will spend 11 days in space and take part in three spacewalks. During this mission the ISS's power capability will be increased in preparation for the arrival of new science modules from the European and Japanese space agencies.

[ANS thanks Lee, KU4OS, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-161.04 Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 161.04

From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.

June 10, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-161.04

+ Congratulations to Terry, G1WPR, for making his 2000th contact on AO7 Mode B on June 5, 2007. (via K3SZH)

+ The Techsat Ground Control Station, 4X6EM / 4Z7DFC, advises users of the GO-32 satellite that its BBS services went down on June 5, 2007 for software upgrade to version 9.87. The BBS content was lost. The Techsat team apologizes for the inconvenience. They hope it will take less than 10 days to complete this upgrade.

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-161.05 ARISS Status - 04 June 2007

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 161.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. June 10, 2007 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-161.05

1. Belgian School Contact, a Success

Students attending EFLS Sainte-Marie SUARLEE in Suarlee, Namur, Belgium participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Tuesday, May 29 via the telebridge station W6SRJ in California. Thirteen children were able to ask astronaut Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, one question each as an audience of 150 students, teachers and parents looked on. Students came from three area schools to take part in the event. Media coverage included newspapers and three television stations, both local and national. The audio of this contact was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers, and received 15 connections from 7 countries, including 3 repeater nodes. It was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010.

2. 300th Successful ARISS Contact with NASA Teachers Workshop

On Thursday, May 31, Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, answered 9 questions posed to her by instructors attending the NASA Johnson Space Center (Gilruth) Teacher to Teacher Workshop during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii assisted in the event as approximately 300 K-12 teachers witnessed the event.

Prior to the contact, an ARISS member gave a talk to the crowd and explained how an ARISS event gets students interested in math, science, history, geography, and language. Statistics were given on the number of students reached each year, contacts performed per year, and how many more students could participate via the internet and through general contacts. Bill McArthur, KC5ACR, and his activity while on board the ISS was mentioned as was the excitement created from the SuitSat-1 project. Teachers were also given information on the application process.

The audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers. It received 17 connections, including 4 repeaters, from the U.S., England, Canada and Australia. It was also fed into the IRLP Discovery Reflector 9010 which received five connections from the USA and England.

This event marked the 300th ARISS contact.

3. ARISS Presentation at Huntsville Hamfest

A NASA engineer and amateur radio operator plans to give a presentation on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program at the Huntsville Hamfest in Huntsville, Alabama, which is held annually during the third full weekend in August. This year the event, to be held on August 18 – 19, will also host the American Radio Relay League National Convention. For more information, see: http://www.hamfest.org/

[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, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org