AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-318

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: * AMSAT Amateur Radio Satellite Awards * Video Tour Live November 16 * Earth Impact Simulator * E-book on propagation * K8OCL, Silent Key * ARISS Status - 8 November 2010

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.01 AMSAT Amateur Radio Satellite Awards

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 14, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.01

AMSAT offer a range of Amateur Radio Satellite awards, starting with the single contact Satellite Communicator's Club.

On the AMSAT bulletin board Clint Bradford, K6LCS, writes:

AMSAT has offered several awards over the years. And you do not need 100 contacts to get awarded for your accomplishments: a single documented satellite contact qualifies you for the AMSAT Satellite Communicator's Club award!

Current and past AMSAT awards include ...

-Satellite Communicator's Club -Satellite Communications Achievement -South African AMSAT Award -OSCAR Sexagesimal Award -OSCAR Century Award -WA4AMI 1000 Award -WA4AMI 5000 Award -51 on 51 Achievment Award

Details on the AMSAT awards available at ... http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/awards/

In addition, the ARRL recognizes satellite efforts, too, with their WAC, DXCC, WAS, and VUCC awards.

-Worked All Continents Award (WAC) - Make one satellite contact with any station on each of the six continents.

-DXCC Award with Satellite Endorsement - Make one satellite contact with any station in 100 different DXCC countries.

-Worked All States Award - Make one satellite contact with any station in each of the 50 states.

VHF/UHF Century Club Award - Make one satellite contact with any station in 100 different grid squares. Endorsements for each additional 25 grid squares.

ARRL Awards information - http://www.arrl.org/awards/

Congratulations to these hams who have recently earned their VUCC Award with a Satellite Endorsement:

VUCC Satellite #203 Bob Herrell, AJ5C VUCC Satellite #204 Zack Beougher, KD8KSN VUCC Satellite #205 Greg Butler, KI4OTG

[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.02 Video Tour Live November 16

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 14, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.02

Tom, W5KUB puts on an excellent show and I bet most AMSAT members would be happy to tune in even though this is news isn't specifically satellite related ... Tom is an AMSAT member.

Live Web Cast From MFJ on November 16

Tom, W5KUB will run a live web broadcast giving you a video guided tour of MFJ, Cushcraft, Hygain, Ameritron, Mirage, and Vectronics on Tuesday, November 16, starting at 0800 Central Standard Time, or 1400 UTC. Prizes will be given to lucky viewers. All you have to do is be logged in to be eligible for the drawings.

You can log into view the web video and join the on-line hamradio chat via Tom's web page at: http://w5kub.com. You can also join the live chat by pointing your IRC client to /server irc.liveharmony.org and then /join #hamradio.

Tom, W5KUB is well known for his live internet web casts from Dayton and from the Huntsville Hamfest every year.

[ANS thanks Tom, K5KUB for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.03 Earth Impact Simulator

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 14, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.03

Hams Like Science: Impact Earth Simulator For Your Shack

UniverseToday.com reported on Impact Earth, an interesting web page for scientifically oriented readers who may like to predict the effects of an asteroid impact before it happens.

All you have to do is input the parameters of the asteroid on the recently updated "Impact Earth" website: http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth

You'll find out everything about what an impactor will do to Earth, including an estimate of the size of the crater, how far away you'll need to be in order to avoid being affected by the impact (and if that is possible), tsunami wave height, and other details of the subsequent disaster. This version does not predict if your amateur radio antenna will remain standing.

The original Impact Earth website was created in 2002 for use by NASA and homeland security. The new version, built in a collabora- tion between Purdue University and Imperial College London, is more user-friendly for the general public, as well as providing more visual details of an impact. Besides being rather fun to play around with, the website is highly educational about what a various sized impacts would do Earth, depending on if it hit ground or water.

[ANS thanks UniverseToday.com for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.04 E-book on propagation

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 14, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.04

Hams Like Free Stuff: Download E-Book Understanding LF and HF Propagation

Steve G0KYA and Alan G3NYK, of the Radio Society of Great Britain's (RSGB) Propagation Studies Committee, have released a free ebook called 'Understanding LF and HF Propagation'

In 2008/2009 Steve and Alan wrote a series of features on LF and HF propagation for the RSGB's "RadCom" magazine.

The features consisted of a month-by-month look at each HF band in turn, showing the reader the propagation modes behind each band and explaining some of the technicalities of ionospheric propagation.

Steve says: "I looked at the D, E and F layers, Sporadic E, the MUF/LUF, using solar data, propagation programs, NVIS and much more.

"Alan then took over and wrote three detailed features on LF propagation. We are told that the features were well received and as a result I have managed to persuade the RSGB to allow me to put them together into a single document, which is now freely available for amateurs worldwide to download."

You can download your free copy of "Understanding LF and HF Propagation" at http://www.g0kya.blogspot.com

[ANS thanks the SouthGateARC News Site for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.05 K8OCL, Silent Key

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 14, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.05

It is with great sadness that I report Dr. John Champa, K8OCL, has become a silent key. I was friends with John since 1970 as we both served in the U.S. Army and were officers in The Ft. Gordon, Ga. Amateur radio club. His daughter, Rebecca, reported his passing after a formidable fight with an inoperable Tumor. I know he was on the BOD of AMSAT for several years and framed many important contributions and avenues for Projects undertaken. He will be missed by all and his important opinions (to me) will allow me to keep his ideas alive and in the hearts of all AMSAT members.

[ANS thanks Dee Interdonato, NB2F, for the above information]

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SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-318.06 (ARISS) Status Report November 8, 2010

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 318.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. November 14, 2010 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-318.06

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report November 8, 2010

1. Upcoming School Contact

St. Louis Charter School, St. Louis, Missouri contact on Thursday, November 11 at 18:07 UTC. was a success St. Louis is a public charter school with an enrollment of 930 students in grades K - 8. Additional students are enrolled in the school's Special Education Self Contained Classrooms. The school has integrated the ARISS contact into its science curriculum which covers the solar system, space exploration and space missions. Students have taken part in several hands on activities and research papers to prepare for the contact.

2. Malaysian Contact Successful

On Tuesday, November 2, students from S.K. Bukit Damansara visited the National Planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. The youth posed questions to astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC about what it is like to live in space. The contact was made in conjunction with the "Prime Minister's - National Space Challenge Trophy 2010" event.

3. Crew Debrief Held with Caldwell-Dyson

Expedition 23/24 astronaut Tracy Caldwell-Dyson, KF5DBF participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) debrief session on Wednesday, November 3. The feedback she provided on the ISS Ham radio equipment and school contacts will aid the ARISS team in updating its program procedures.

4. Astronaut Training Status

On Friday, November 5, Aki Hoshide, KE5DNI was given an ARISS overview training session and Suni Williams, KD5PLB was provided with a refresher course on the ARISS program. Both astronauts are slated to fly on Expedition 32.

5. Amateur Radio Newsline Covers ARISS

On November 5, the Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1734 ran three ARISS related news items under Ham Radio in Space. "The ISS Celebrates its 10th Anniversary" talks about the crew members who have flown on the Space Station, many of whom were ham radio operators. "Second Ham Station for the ISS" covers the Ericsson radio which will be installed in the Columbus module in early 2011 and "ARISSat-1 Passes Safety Test" is a status on the satellite which will soon ship to Russia for final integration and testing. All stories may be found at: ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt

[ANS thanks Yutaka Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]

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73, This week's ANS Editor, Dee Interdonato, NB2F nb2f at amsat dot org