The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including 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.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/
In this edition:
- Thirteen Colonies Special Event Returns to Satellites
- JAMSAT Symposium Video Available for Viewing
- FO-29 and FO-99 Operating Schedules for July 2022
- VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for July 1, 2022
- AMSAT Discord Server Open to All
- AMSAT Field Day Logs Due July 15th
- Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 30, 2022
- ARISS News
- Upcoming Satellite Operations
- Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
- Satellite Shorts From All Over
ANS-184 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002
DATE 2022 July 03
Thirteen Colonies Special Event Returns to Satellites
The 13 Colonies special event returns to the satellites this year. All 13 colonies have at least 1 operator, so there is an opportunity for a clean sweep.
More information can be found here
http://www.13colonies.us/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/13colonies
The event starts July 1 and runs through July 7th. The object is to work and log all 13 K2X special event calls. K2A through K2M. There will also be a WM3PEN bonus station. If you send in your event sheet you will get a certificate.
Stations will be mostly working linear satellites throughout the week on SSB. A few stations will also be working CW and FT4. FM sat passes will be very limited as to not add to the congestion.
If you are an FM only satop, we will post the special event call to satop mapping for possible skeds closer to the event. The operators that do have twitter may also post FM passes, so be sure to follow them.
[ANS thanks Ant Lefebvre, NU1U, for the above information]
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The 2022 AMSAT President’s Club coins have arrived!
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of its launch on
October 15, 1972, this year’s coin features
an image of AMSAT-OSCAR 6.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today and help
Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
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JAMSAT Symposium Video Available for Viewing
Technical presentations given at the JAMSAT Symposium are now available for viewing on YouTube. JAMSAT, the Japanese amateur satellite organization, held their Symposium online via Zoom on June 24, 2022.
AMSAT Vice President – Engineering, Jerry Buxton, N0JY, presented a technical update of the AMSAT GOLF (Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint) development. This was followed immediately by a presentation on the FoxPlus satellite development by AMSAT Assistant Vice President – Engineering, Jon Brandenburg, KF5IDY.
Both presentations are included in a single video, in English, at https://youtu.be/qmGSpVjr4YkOr
[ANS thanks JAMSAT for the above information]
FO-29 and FO-99 Operating Schedules for July 2022
The NEXUS (FO-99) operation schedule for July 2022 can be found at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/?p=1909
The operation of DigiTalker will be closed. Please enjoy NEXUS / FO-99 !
NEXUS operations team. JH4DHX/3 Y. Ohtani
FO-29 is expected to emerge from eclipse sometime in late July. Availability will be dependent on battery condition.
[ANS thanks JAMSAT for the above information]
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Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/
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VUCC Satellite Award/Endorsement Change Summary for July 1, 2022
The following have been updated since June 1, 2022:
| Call | June 1 | July 1 |
|---|---|---|
| N8RO | 1128 | 1131 |
| G0ABI | 478 | 1000 |
| NS3L | 714 | 725 |
| WA4HFN | 505 | 611 |
| W8LR | 576 | 594 |
| EA2AA | 500 | 525 |
| KC1MMC | 454 | 470 |
| AK8CW | 456 | 459 |
| XE1GK | 300 | 413 |
| W7JSD | 375 | 410 |
| N8URE(FM19) | 355 | 364 |
| DL4ZAB | 201 | 300 |
| N8MR | 260 | 288 |
| KC9ELU | 249 | 251 |
| A65BR | 204 | 226 |
| VE7PTN | 104 | 202 |
| KB3IAI | 125 | 151 |
| LU4FTA | New | 137 |
| NK0S | 100 | 130 |
| YS2CBV | New | 130 |
| XE2AHN | New | 115 |
| XE1YHP | New | 102 |
| N9GO | New | 100 |
| WK4LR | New | 100 |
————————————————————
Congratulations to the new VUCC holders.
LU4FTA
YS2CBV
XE2AHN
XE1YHP
N9GO
WK4LR
YS2CBV is first Satellite VUCC holder from EK53
[ANS thanks Jon Goering, N7AZ, for the above information]
AMSAT Discord Server Open to All
A reminder that the AMSAT Discord server is available for the amateur satellite community. Discord is a text, voice, and video client that has become very popular in recent years. Discord will provide the amateur satellite community with an additional option to communicate amongst each other, in real-time.
Discord provides several neat features, including the following:
* Ability to create channels, to organize different conversation topics
* Hosting of events, that can include voice and or video chat
* For satellite launch parties!
* Use of bots to automate useful actions
-Try typing /tle AO-92
-More commands are in development!
* Notification of Twitter posts of interest
-Currently only following @AMSAT Twitter account
A special section of the server is reserved for AMSAT members. If you are a current member, please send a message in the #request-roles channel once you join the server, indicating whether you are a member or life member. Once the member role is granted, you will be able to post in the “Members Only” category. If you are not yet an AMSAT member, join today at https://launch.amsat.org/.
The link below can be used to join the server. See you in Discord!
https://discord.gg/xbTXcPJHyt
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]
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SAVE THE DATE
The 40th Anniversary AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
is scheduled to be held in Bloomington, Minn. on Oct 21 – 23, 2022.
More information will follow in future editions of ANS.
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AMSAT Field Day Logs Due July 15th
Hopefully everyone made a lot of QSOs during this weekend’s AMSAT Field Day. Please be sure to obtain your entry form from https://www.amsat.org/field-day/ and submit your log along with any photos of your operation.
A satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (e-mail) by 11:59 P.M. CDT, Friday, July 15, 2022. This is earlier than the due date for the ARRL submissions. The only method for submitting your log is via e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected].
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, for the above information]
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Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
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Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 30, 2022
Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/
The following satellites have decayed from orbit and has been removed from
this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:
SPOC NORAD Cat ID 46921 (decayed form orbit on 6/25/2022 per Space-Track).
Neutron-1 NORAD Cat ID 46923 (decayed form orbit on 6/25/2022 per Space-Track).
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]
ARISS NEWS
Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.
Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Artemyev. Contact is go for Sat 2022-07-09 21:20 UTC.
About Gagarin From Space. Performance of a session of radio amateur communication with the participants of the celebration of the frigate “Nadezhda”, Vladivostok, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS. The scheduled crewmember is Oleg Artemyev. Contact is go for Sat 2022-07-16 11:10 UTC.
Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS, continues to be making general contacts on the cross-band repeater. He is using NA1SS. If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
Current status of ISS ham radio stations as of June 30, 2022
Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Configured:
Default mode is for cross band repeater (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down).
Powered OFF to support COL experiment on July 8. OFF about 08:15 UTC and ON about 10:25 UTC.
Powered OFF for Russian EVA on July 21.
Service Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – Not Active.
The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]
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AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an Amateur
Radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.
Support AMSAT’s projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/
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Upcoming Satellite Operations
WL7T: I locked EL58 in for June 29, 30, and July 1. I plan to work 6 meters for the majority of the time with sat passes as requested. I am going to operate from a boat from around ~9 AM – 5 PM each day.
KB2YSI: July 7th and 8th I will be camping in FN14/K-2157. I will be operating holiday style. Updates if possible on twitter.
6Y/WB9VPG will be on a few FM sat passes July 10-15 from grid FK18. Check twitter for details.
KC7JPC: Looks like he will be in dn08 over the 4th weekend. Fm only, no cell service so will just do a pass here and there.
W3IPA: DM42 vacation planned for Jul 30- Aug 6th will be on FM passes vacation style. I will be close to DM41 so might be able to work a gridline. Will post more updates closer to that week!
N8MR: EN 57,67,56 8/6 through 8/13. More to come as date gets closer.
MI0ILE activation of Ilse of Man DXCC14, IOTA EU-116,. IO74
AO-07 and RS-44 passes for SA and NA ONLY:
06Jul — AO-07 19:24z; RS-44 23:31z**
07Jul — AO-07 09:12 18:29z; RS-44 11:06z 23:56z**
08Jul — AO-07 08:14z 19:16z RS-44 09:49z
09Jul — AO-07 09:04z 18:21z RS-44 09:59z 22:48z**
10Jul — AO-07 08:08z 19:08z RS-44 10:23z 23:13z**
**- With special request
Frequencies: AO-07 145.938 RX fixed; RS-44 435.665 RX fixed +- 3kHz for QRM
For the smooth operation please do not repeat QSO and make it as short as you can.
Bold passes marked is very good opportunity for far DX stations to work.
For EU– please call me on different passes if possible. I will be on XWs and FMs.
Follow https://twitter.com/mi6gty for changes or updates.
DM also welcomes for the SKEDS.
QO-100 activity holiday style. Frequencies .690
If busy, then 5-10kHz up BY NUMBERS. Be patient I will try to work every possible station.
FT4,FT8, and CW will be available.
Good Luck! 73 De MI0ILE (Email from MI6GTY)
KX9X & N9NCY Wild West Rove: Sean and Nancy’s Wild West Rove has been scaled back, but is still going forward. They will now be on the road from July 13-25 while hiking in National Parks. They will travel through seven states and 38 grids, planning activation on FM and linear satellites. Extensive operation in Montana and North Dakota in the Canadian border grids beginning July 20. There will also be 6 meter and occasional HF POTA activity as well.
Grids they will pass through, in order:
EN50 – 40 – 41 – 42 – 32 – 33 – 23 – 13 -03: July 13th
DN93 – 83 – 84 – 74 – 64 – 65 – 55: July 14th
DN 56 – 57 – 47 – 48 – 38: Part 1 July 15th
DN28 – 38: July 16th to the 20th.
Remaining Grids from July 20 to 24.
DN48 – 58 – 68 – 78 – 88 – 87 – 97 – 96 – 95
EN05 – 06 – 16 – 15 – 25 – 26 – 25 – 35
EN34 – 33 – 32 – 42 – 41 – 40 – 50
Complete info on their trip can be found on their website https://www.wildwestrove.com/
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]
Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.
Upcoming “How to Work the “Easy” Satellites” talks are scheduled …
Orange County ARA CA – May 20
Cal Poly Pomona – TBD
WARA – Orange County CA – June 11
And it “feels” like lives are improving here in So California, as that meeting for WARA in June will be (hopefully) an IN-PERSON show! (Have to tune up the projector and dust off the DaLite projection screen!)
Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always included are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS. And pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome.
Send an email or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS
+ + + + + + + + +
Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ, AMSAT Ambassador will make a presentation on SDR Applications to the Frederick Amateur Radio Club – Frederick, MD. See Dr. Alan Johnston’s comments and slides from a previous session at https://bit.ly/3OZcjcC
Jack will be featuring the Fox-In-A-Box Raspberry Pi image, the AMSAT Cubesat Simulator, and a live satellite contact demonstration if the opportunity presents itself.
Please contact Jack if you are interested in having him give this presentation to your group in person or via Zoom: kd4iz [at] frawg [dot] org.
+ + + + + + + + +
HamXposition
August 27-28, 2022
Marlborough, MA
https://hamxposition.org/
2022 Rocky Mountain ARRL Division Convention
Friday, October 7th, 2022 to Sunday, October 9th, 2022
Event Center at Archer
3921 Archer Pkwy
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82007
https://wyhamcon.org/site
[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, for the above information]
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ CONGRATULATIONS to the latest recipients of the AMSAT GridMaster Award, earned by confirming contacts in each of the 488 grid squares in the 48 states of the Continental U.S. (see https://www.amsat.org/gridmaster/). Michael Whitman, N4DCW, has earned GridMaster certificate #45, GridMaster #46 goes to Jerry Rogers, W8LR, and #47 goes to Humberto Gonzalez, XE1HG. ALSO, John, AF5CC, has earned certificate #65 of the AMSAT Rover Award (see https://www.amsat.org/amsat-rover-award/). GridMasters would not be possible without our wonderful rovers! (ANS thanks AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards, Bruce Paige, KK5DO, for the above information)
+ A Cygnus cargo spacecraft departed the International Space Station June 28, three days after it demonstrated its ability to raise the station’s orbit. The station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm unberthed the NG-17 Cygnus spacecraft and released it at 7:07 a.m. EDT (11:07 UTC), after which it maneuvered away from the station. The spacecraft, loaded with garbage for disposal, reentered after a June 29 deorbit burn by the spacecraft. The Cygnus left the station three days after the spacecraft used its main thruster to raise the station’s orbit. The spacecraft fired its engine for 301 seconds, raising the station’s perigee by about 0.8 kilometers and its apogee by nearly 0.2 kilometers. The test demonstrated the ability of Cygnus to raise the station’s orbit, a task usually handled by thrusters on the Russian segment of the station or Progress spacecraft docked to it. (ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information)
+ CAPSTONE, NASA’s CubeSat designed to test a unique lunar orbit, is safely in space and on the first leg of its journey to the Moon. The spacecraft is heading toward an orbit intended in the future for Gateway, a lunar space station built by the agency and its commercial and international partners that will support NASA’s Artemis program, including astronaut missions. The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, or CAPSTONE, mission launched at 5:55 a.m. EDT (09:55 UTC) on June 28 aboard Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket from the Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 on the Mahia Peninsula of New Zealand. (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)
+ ESA’s Gaia mission recently released its third data dump containing details on almost two billion Milky Way stars: chemical composition, mass, temperature, and radial velocity. Additionally, Gaia DR3 included the orbital determination of 154,741 solar system asteroids and the most extensive catalog of binary stars to date, as well as measurements of millions of galaxies and quasars beyond the Milky Way. See https://bit.ly/3AizfzE for details. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and ESA for the above information)
+ Asteroid Day is the United Nations-sanctioned day of public awareness of the risks of asteroid impacts, held annually on 30 June. Just in time for this year’s worldwide Asteroid Day, a threatening space rock that lingered at the top of risk lists around the globe for months — with a real chance of impacting Earth in 2052 — has been deemed not to be a threat. ESA’s asteroid team, working with experts at the European Southern Observatory, have officially removed ‘2021 QM1’ from their asteroid risk list. After skilled observations and analysis of the faintest asteroid ever observed, the asteroid, which was discovered in August of 2021, was calculated to be a near miss. (ANS thanks Spaice Daily for the above information)
Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:
* Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
* Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
* Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
* Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.
Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.
73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!
This week’s ANS Editor, Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org