ANS-271 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for September 27th

by

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-271

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: [email protected]

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

  • 2020 Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
  • Reminder: Current AMSAT Journal is available on Member Portal
  • AMSAT-DL Online Symposium
  • AMSAT-UK Convention
  • ARRL LOTW New User Guide
  • AMSAT Field Day Results for 2020 Have Been Posted
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-271.01
ANS-271 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 271.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE September 27, 2020
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-271.01

2020 Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium Announcement

The 2020 Virtual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday, October 17th from 9:00am CDT – 5:00pm CDT (UTC -5). Symposium presentations will be a combination of pre-recorded video segments along with a question and answer sessions held via a Zoom meeting.

The Symposium will be made available for free live on AMSAT’s YouTube channel.

Registered attendees will receive a digital copy of the AMSAT Symposium Proceedings and will be entitled to join the Zoom meeting. Only registered attendees will be able to participate in the question and answer sessions. Registered attendees will also be entered into prize drawings. Registration is free and available only for AMSAT members. Registration will close on Friday, October 16th at 5:00pm CDT.

Proposals for papers and Symposium presentations are invited on any topic of interest to the amateur satellite community. We request a tentative title of your presentation as soon as possible.

Final papers for the Symposium Proceedings must be submitted by October 5, 2020 to Dan Schultz, N8FGV, [email protected].

Symposium presentations should be limited to 15 minutes of pre-recorded video. Video presentations must be submitted by October 10, 2020 to Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, [email protected]. We ask that presenters be available to take questions via Zoom immediately following the airing of their pre-recorded video.

Tentative Schedule

9:00am CDT Opening Remarks
9:15am CDT – 12:45pm CDT General Presentations
1:00pm CDT – 2:00pm CDT AMSAT Education / CubeSat Simulator
2:00pm CDT – 3:00pm CDT ARISS / AREx update
3:00pm CDT – 4:00pm CDT AMSAT Engineering
4:00pm CDT – 5:00pm CDT 2020 AMSAT Annual General Meeting

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager for the above information]

Reminder: July/August AMSAT Journal Is Available on Member Portal

Due to COVID-19, the July/August 2020 issue of The AMSAT Journal will only be available to members on AMSAT’s Member Portal. Please visit launch.amsat.org to view/download your copy today.

The AMSAT Journal is a bi-monthly magazine for amateur radio in space enthusiasts, published by the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT). Each issue is your source for hardware and software projects, technical tips, STEM initiatives, operational activities, and news from around the world.

Inside the Current Issue:

  • Engineering Update, Jerry Buxton N0JY
  • User Services Update, Robert Bankston KE4AL
  • Treasurer’s Report, Robert Bankston KE4AL
  • Educational Relations Update, Alan Johnston KU2Y
  • AMSAT Field Day 2020, Bruce Paige KK5DO
  • For Beginners — Amateur Radio Satellite Primer VI, Keith Baker KB1SF/VA3KSF
  • Satellite Cyber Threats, Omar Álvarez-Cárdenas XE1AO; Miguel A. García-Ruiz VE3BKM; Margarita G. MayoralBaldivia XE1BMG; Raúl T. Aquino-Santos (SWL)
    Integration of a Distributed Ground Station Network, M.A.Mendoza-Bárcenas (SWL); Rafael Prieto-Meléndez (SWL); Alejandro Padrón-Godínez (SWL); Gerardo Calva-Olmos (SWL), Omar Álvarez-Cárdenas, XE1AO; Margarita G. Mayoral-Baldivia XE1BMG; Alfonso Tamez Rodríguez XE2O
  • Satellite Antenna Tracking Using Goto Telescope Mounts, Dwayne Sinclair NA6US

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office
is closed until further notice. For details, please visit
https://www.amsat.org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/

AMSAT-UK Convention Announcement

The Online AMSAT-UK Convention takes place on Sunday, October 11, from 11am BST (10:00 GMT) to approximately 5pm, with a break for lunch, and several short breaks during the day. You don’t have to be a member of AMSAT-UK to participate, and the event is free of charge but please register ASAP.

A number of interesting talks and demonstrations are planned including a talk on the Lunar Amateur Radio Transponder project (LUNART).

A draft schedule of the day’s events may be downloaded from: https://bit.ly/35ZsOCg

Please register online at http://tinyurl.com/amsatukreg2020

[ANS thanks Trevor Essex, M5AKA & AMSAT-UK for the above information]

AMSAT-DL Symposium Announcement

AMSAT-DL have announced this year’s Symposium on Saturday, September 26, will be streamed live on YouTube and most of the lectures will be in English to cater for an international audience.
Mattias, DD1US reports: “Instead, we will broadcast the symposium as an “online” meeting in DATV via the broadband transponder of QO-100 and on the Internet on the YouTube channel of AMSAT-DL at: https://www.youtube.com/user/amsatdl

Announced sessions will include presentations on Lunar Amateur Radio Transponder project (LUNART) and several sessions focused on QO-100 usage and modes of operation.

The current schedule can be found on the AMSAT-DL homepage at: https://amsat-dl.org/en/

[ANS thanks Matthias Bopp, DD1US & AMSAT-DL for the above information]

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/

New User guide for ARRL LOTW

A guide for beginner LOTW users has been released by Gary, ZL2IFB. Gary pulled together a team of contributors who assisted him on the project. The 33 page guide was written with the new user in mind, but contains many tips and explanations that veteran users will find useful as well. The guide may be downloaded from: https://www.g4ifb.com/LoTW_New_User_Guide.pdf

[ANS thanks Gary, ZL4IFB for the above information]

AMSAT Field Day Results for 2020 have been posted

Bruce Paige, KK5DO has posted the AMSAT Field Day 2020 results on the AMSAT web site. A direct link to the results page is: https://www.amsat.org/field-day-2020-results/

Alternatively, it is possible to navigate to the page by clicking on Events, Field Day and Field Day 2020 Results.

[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests & Awards and AMSAT Board Member for the above information]

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

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.

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2020-09-21 19:30 UTC

Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:

Turkish State Meteorological Service

Mehmet Zakir Ekni High School, Yenimahalle, Turkey
Kuyubaşi Şehit Oğuzhan Duyar Secondary School, Keçiören, Turkey
Ted Ankara College Foundation High School, Gölbaşı, Turkey
Maya Anatolian High School, Gölbaşı, Turkey
Direct via TC2TSC

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR
Contact is go for: Tue 2020-09-29 12:35:08 UTC 78 deg (***)

There is a new radio on board the ISS. The Kenwood D710GA is now in use. The crossband repeater is now available when the radio is not being used for ARISS school contacts.

The frequencies are 145.99 MHz up (67 tone) and 437.800 MHz down. Watch the Doppler on the downlink.

*************************************************

ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general. As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates.

Postponed:
No new schools have been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19:

The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/
Watch for future COVID-19 related announcements here also.

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

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/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Quick Hits:

DM35, DM36 and DM45: @K7TAB 9/23 – 10/1 ish: I will be camping in DM35 and will operate from there occasionally over the next 8-10 days. I will also activate DM36 at some point, probably early to middle of next week. I will also be very near DM45, so Sats & SOTA may happen again!

EN10, @K0JM, 9/25: K0JM possibly EN10 for one or two FM passes on Friday morning, strictly holiday style, as circumstances permit.

CN76/77 10/3 and 10/4 @AD0DX Just booked tickets for beautiful Ocean Shores, WA… CN76/CN77 grid line Sat Oct 3 approx 0000z to Sun Oct 4th approx 1700z, pass details closer to the trip

EL Grids, @N1PEB 10/10 -10-14: 10/10 EL95 Key Largo, 10/11 EL94 Key West, 10/12 EL84 Dry Tortuga, 10/13 EL94 Key West, 10/14 TBD

Major Roves:
Beginning this Saturday, 19 Sept thru Friday, 25 Sept, @kylee_ke0wpa and @ND0C will be doing some holiday roving in several Iowa grids: EN11, EN12, EN20, EN21, EN22 and EN30 – some lines. None of them are particularly rare, but we’ll be there nevertheless. Operation will be limited by work commitments and family activities, but we will focus on AO-91 and SO-50 and maybe some linears. Hope to turn a few grids green for some folks. Please play nice, i.e. no blind calls, no stomping and allow the QSOs to be completed!

**** Postponed ******* DL88: Ron (@AD0DX) and Doug (@N6UA) are making another run at the elusive DL88 in Big Bend National Park, TX. As we know they tried this grid back in March, and due to the mud couldn’t get to the grid, so never ones to quit, off they go again. Today the tentative date is Monday July 6th, 2020. They will be using the K5Z call sign. More information is available at the K5Z QRZ Page.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Clint Bradford, K6LCS will give his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” Zoom presentation on the following dates for:

10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC
Additional presentations are in the planning stage:

TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC and a private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Pennsylvania

Club Groups are asked to update their copies of the Zoom application prior to the scheduled session by directly downloading it from https://zoom.us/

[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6CLS for the above information]

RSGB 2020 Convention – antenna modelling and ionoscatter

During the online RSGB 2020 Convention, you will be able to enjoy some excellent lectures. On Saturday, 10 October 2020, the RSGB will be presenting two online streams for everyone to enjoy.

Highlights will be “Antenna Modelling With MMANA-GAL with Steve Nichols, G0KYA and Palle, OZ1RH will look at Ionoscatter on 50 and 144MHz.

Information is available at https://rsgb.org.uk/convention.

[ANS thanks the RSGB GB2RS News for the above information]

AMSAT-DL has been live streaming this year’s AMSAT-DL Symposium. Details on the Internet on the YouTube channel of AMSAT-DL at: https://www.youtube.com/user/amsatdl

Editor’s Note: we are not aware if the YouTube presentations will be available after the Symposium.

[ANS thanks Matthias Bopp, DD1US & AMSAT-DL for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA officials released a nearly five-year, $28 billion plan Monday to return astronauts to the surface of the moon before the end of 2024, but the agency’s administrator said the “aggressive” timeline set by the Trump administration last year hinges on Congress approving $3.2 billion in the next few months to kick-start development of new human-rated lunar landers. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ Astronauts on the International Space Station carried out an “avoidance maneuver” on September 22 to ensure they would not be hit by a piece of debris, said NASA, urging better management of objects in Earth’s orbit. Russian and US flight controllers worked together during a two-and-a-half-minute operation to adjust the station’s orbit and move further away, avoiding collision. [Such maneuvers usually mean that Keps for ISS must be updated — Ed.] (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information)

+ A solid-fueled Long March 11 launcher delivered nine small Chinese Earth observation satellites to orbit on September 15 after firing off a ship positioned in the Yellow Sea. Unfortunately, the payload did NOT include the CAS-7 satellites amateurs have been anticipating. That launch is still pending. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ Sept. 22 Spaceflight Now published an updated general launch schedule: Updating time for Delta 4-Heavy/NROL-44; Adding date and time for Falcon 9/Starlink 12; Electron/STP-27RM delayed; Falcon 9/GPS 3 SV04 moved forward; Adding date for Falcon 9/SpaceX CRS 21; Adding date for Falcon 9/Turksat 5A; Adding date for Falcon 9/Transporter 1; Atlas 5/CST-100 Starliner Orbital Flight Test 2 delayed. Details at: https://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/ (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ Sept. 24 Blue Origin scrubbed a test of NASA landing system hardware on the latest New Shepard flight Additional Additional information may be found at: https://bit.ly/3hYWSQX (ANS thanks NASAspaceflight.com 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.

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. Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,

This week’s ANS Editor,

Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ

kd4iz at amsat dot org