ANS-306 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for November 1st

by

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-306

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: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

  • Neutron-1 Scheduled for Deployment on November 5th
  • Upcoming Amateur Satellite Launches
  • EO-88 Distance Record Set
  • ARISS News
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-306.01
ANS-306 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 306.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE November 1, 2020
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-306.01

Neutron-1 Scheduled for Deployment on November 5th

The Neutron-1 3U CubeSat is currently scheduled to be deployed from the ISS on November 5, 2020 at 10:40 UTC. For the first month and during the spacecraft commissioning phase, the beacon will transmit 1200bps BPSK every 60 seconds on the IARU coordinated frequency of 435.300MHz. We welcome the worldwide Amateur community to collect the beacons and forward them to n1-info at hsfl.hawaii.edu. The beacon format is now public and published at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-306-Neutron.

After the initial commissioning phase, Amateurs will be able to use the V/U FM repeater during available times and according to the available power budget. Stay tuned for more mission updates on our Twitter account @HSFLNeutron1 and our website https://www.hsfl.hawaii.edu/missions/neutron-1/.

[ANS thanks the Hawaii Space Flight Lab at the University of Hawaii for the above information]

Upcoming Amateur Satellite Launches

A number of amateur satellites are expected to launch in the next few months. AMSAT’s RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E is expected to launch by the end of this year on the ELaNa XX mission on Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne vehicle. RadFxSat-2 carries a 30 kHz wide V/u linear transponder.

The Tevel Mission is a series of 8 Israeli 1U CubeSats carrying FM transponders expected to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in December.

Also from Herzliya Science Center is a 3U CubeSat called Tausat. This is scheduled to launch on a JAXA resupply mission to the ISS for deployment in February. Tausat carries an FM transponder.

Finally, AMSAT-EA reports that their PocketQubes EASAT-2 and HADES have been integrated for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in December, while GENESIS-L and GENESIS-N have been integrated into their dispenser for launch on Firefly’s Alpha rocket. More information can be found at https://www.amsat-ea.org/

[ANS thanks AMSAT, AMSAT-EA, AMSAT-UK, and the IARU for the above information]

Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront.
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

EO-88 Distance Record Set

Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, set yet another record this past week, this time via EO-88. On October 28, 2020 at 19:27 UTC, Jérôme worked R9LR at a distance of 4,560 km.

F4DXV is now one of the QSO partners for distance records on 10 LEO satellites: RS-44, AO-7(B), FO-29, AO-91, AO-27, SO-50, AO-92 (U/v), LilacSat-2 (FM), EO-88, TO-108.

R9LR is one of the QSO partners for records on 4 LEO satellites: PO-101, LilacSat-2 (FM), EO-88, and TO-108.

For a list of currently claimed distance records via amateur satellites, past and present, visit https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/.

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information]

AMSAT’s GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it
all begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable
solar panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the
ride. The journey will be worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

ARISS News

No ARISS contacts or events are currently scheduled.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

The deadline for United States organizations to submit an ARISS contact proposal is November 24, 2020. For more information, visit http://www.ariss.org/.

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, ARISS Operations, for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space?

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

Rick Tejera K7TEJ from the Thunderbird Amateur Radio Club (TBARC) will be giving a presentation and demonstration of Satellite operations to the Northwest Christian School in Glendale, AZ on Nov. 11th 2020. The demo will be on SO-50 at 2323UT. I will be using our Club call WB7TBC and the church is in Grid DM33wp. I may try to get a student on the air. Please keep an ear out for us and respond to our call, the kids will appreciate it. I’ll send out a reminder as the date gets closer.

Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for the clubs.

TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC

TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Pennsylvania

These will be Zoom presentations. Everyone is asked to update their copies of the Zoom application – by directly visiting Zoom.us.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, 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/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Upcoming Roves:
Quick Hits:
KH67, 7Q7RU, AO-7, RS-44, QO-100, 11/11 thru 11/21.

BRAZIL BAHIA. Sandro Ribeiro PY1SAN and Claudio MARCelo PY1CMT are QRV on the QO-100 satellite (some opportunities AO-07, FO-29 or RS-44) using CW and SSB as ZX6BA from Prado (HH02) 13 to 15 November 2020. The activity will be in several HF bands too, using CW and FT8, portable Alex Loop Antenna with 5 watts. QSL via LoTW.

BRAZIL, ESPIRITO SANTO. Sandro Ribeiro PY1SAN and Claudio MARCelo PY1CMT are QRV on Satellite QO-100 (maybe AO-07, FO-29, RS-44) using CW and SSB as PR1S from Nova Almeida (GG99) from 16 to 18 November 2020. A activity will be in several HF bands too, using CW and FT8, portable Alex Loop Antenna with 5 watts. QSL via LoTW.

Major Roves:
Maine!!!!!!

@KL7TN will be in FN53/54/55/56/57/64/65/66/67 Nov 13-18. Details to follow.

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke0pbr at gmail.com

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, 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/

Satellite Shorts From All Over

  • Hackaday featured an article on tracking amateur satellites using a Commodore PET at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-305-Hackaday
  • If the Hackaday article inspired you to try some retro computer satellite tracking, AMSAT has disk images of QUIKTRAK for both the Commodore 64 and Apple II available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-306-QUIKTRAK
  • Virgin Orbit has published an October update regarding Launch Demo 2 at https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/launch-demo-2-october-update/
  • Minutes of the AMSAT Board of Directors Meetings of March 17th and March 31st are now available at https://www.amsat.org/minutes-of-the-board-of-directors/
  • Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
  • AMSAT Remove Before Flight keychains are again available on the AMSAT store. Purchases help Keep Amateur Radio in Space! https://www.amsat.org/product/amsat-remove-before-flight-keychain/
  • All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to AMSAT members on AMSAT’s new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of
    AMSAT’s Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If you’re a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/
  • The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is now available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted. The print edition is $30 plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print

/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. President’s Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub.

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.

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org