Mark Johns

ANS-264 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for September 20th

by

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:

  • AMSAT Board of Directors Elections Results
  • July/August AMSAT Journal Is Now Available
  • RAC Canada 2020 Conference and AGM is this Sunday
  • AO-7 Approaching Return To Full Illumination
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution
  • Ham Radio Club Talk Collection On YouTube
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-264.01
ANS-264 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 264.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 September 20
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-264.01

AMSAT Board of Directors Elections Results

Balloting for the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation’s 2020 Board of Directors election concluded September 15. Of the 1,233 envelopes returned, 1,231 could be associated with a unique member.

Ballots were separated from the envelopes to maintain secrecy and counted by the Secretary over three sessions conducted on September 16, 17, and 18. Candidates, Directors, Officers, and tellers chosen by the Secretary were invited to observe the opening of returned envelopes and handling of ballots during the count.

Five envelopes contained reports of deceased members, resulting in a total of 1,226 ballots scrutinized.

The number of votes cast for each candidate is as follows:

  • Mark Hammond, N8MH 707
  • Paul Stoetzer, N8HM 703
  • Bruce Paige, KK5DO 667
  • Howie DeFelice, AB2S 550
  • Bob McGwier, N4HY 534
  • Jeff Johns, WE4B 429

Four ballots were spoiled.

Accordingly, pursuant to Article III, Section 4 of the Bylaws:

Mark Hammond, N8MH, Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, and Bruce Paige, KK5DO, have been elected as Directors of the Corporation for terms ending in 2022.

Howie DeFelice, AB2S, has been elected as First Alternate Director of the Corporation for a term ending in 2021.

Bob McGwier, N4HY, has been elected as Second Alternate Director of the Corporation for a term ending in 2021.

The Secretary thanks the candidates for their cooperation during the election process, those who observed the counting for their time and scrutiny, and the members of the Corporation for their interest and participation.

(ANS thanks Brennan Price, N4QX, AMSAT Secretary 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/

July/August AMSAT Journal Is Now Available

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 http://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/VE2KSF
  • Satellite Cyber Threats, Omar Álvarez-Cárdenas XE1AO; Miguel A. García-Ruiz VE3BKM; Margarita G. Mayoral Baldivia 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]

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/

RAC Canada 2020 Conference and AGM is this Sunday

Radio Amateurs of Canada is pleased to welcome all Amateurs to the RAC Canada 2020 Conference which will be held on Sunday, September 20 before the RAC Annual General Meeting.

Complete descriptions of all of the presentations can be found on the RAC website at:
https://www.rac.ca/rac-canada-2020-conference-and-agm-is-this-sunday/

There is no registration fee for this event and registration is now underway.

Canada 2020 Conference Overview:

The RAC Canada 2020 Conference is an interactive mini-conference that will feature interesting presentations on a wide range of topics as shown below. Whether you are a new Amateur or have been enjoying Amateur Radio for many years there will be something of interest for you to discover.

Given the great response we have received, we have now decided to extend the schedule to include a keynote presentation followed by three sessions.

Each session will have multiple presentations so that participants can choose those presentations that are of most interest to them. In addition, all sessions will be recorded for viewing later so you won’t miss out if two of your favourites take place at the same time.

  • Keynote presentation: 12 noon to 12:50 pm ET
  • First session (4 presentations): 1 pm to 1:50 ET
  • Second session (4 presentations): 2 pm to 2:50 ET
  • Third session (3 presentations): 3 pm to 3:50 ET

The Annual General Meeting will then begin after the Conference at 4 pm ET.

Conference Presentations and Schedule:

The following is a list of presentations and the schedule of events:

Keynote Presentation: 12 noon to 12:50 pm ET
“A Fireside Chat”: “Amateur Radio during the Global Pandemic and other topics”

An informal discussion featuring the following distinguished guests:

  • Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA: President, Radio Amateurs of Canada
  • Tim Ellam, VE6SH: President, International Amateur Radio Union
  • Rick Roderick, K5UR: President, American Radio Relay League
  • Steve Thomas, M1ACB: General Manager, Radio Soc’ty of Great Britain

In these unprecedented times, this is an excellent – and possibly historic opportunity – to engage in a discussion on the challenges we face today and the future of Amateur Radio.

First session: 1 pm to 1:50 pm ET

  • Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites – Tom Schuessler, N5HYP
  • Amateur Radio and Youth – Brian Jackson, VE6JBJ
  • Amateur Radio Challenges in Canada’s North – Ron Thompson, VE8RT and Angela Gerbrandt, VY0YL
  • CY9C St. Paul Island DXpedition – Phil McBride, VA3QR

Second session: 2 pm to 12:50 pm ET

  • 6m FT8 DXing – Ron Schwartz, VE3VN
  • Contesting: Remote Operating – Cary Rubenfeld, VE4EA, Tom Haavisto, VE3CX & Gerry Hull, VE1RM
  • VO2AC: Contest DXpedition to Labrador (CQ Zone 2) – Chris Allingham, VE3FU/VO2AC
  • Amateur Radio Hotspots: A Quick Overview – Allan Boyd, VE3AJB

Third session: 3 pm to 3:50 pm ET

  • La proposition d’une classe d’entrée pour les radioamateurs (en français) – Guy Richard, VE2QG/VE2XTD
  • Amateur Radio: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow – Allen Wootton, VY1KX
  • High Altitude Balloons: The Elevation Education – Kelly Shulman, VE3KLX

[ANS thanks Radio Amateurs of Canada and Southgate ARC for the above information]

AO-7 Approaching Return To Full Illumination

AO-7 is approaching a return to full illumination, sometime around September 25. This period will last until approximately December 26. During this time, it is likely AO-7 will switch between Modes A and B (2m/10m, and 70cm/2m) every 24 hours. Get those 10m antennas ready to enjoy mode A every other day.

On another note, here’s a reminder and request to remember to keep the power down. Recently, I’ve observed sometimes several different stations, usually in the middle of the passband, ditting away on CW in an attempt to find themselves. This often bounces the entire passband up and down, and sometimes causes the transponder to reset (“flip”) to Mode A. Try to find yourself with very low power, or on SSB, or best, with full Doppler control, and the other users will thank you. If you have to use high power to find yourself, your receive antenna and system probably needs improvement. SSB users should also watch their uplink power carefully.

[ANS thanks Andrew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations, 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

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution

The following satellites have been and removed from this week’s AMSAT- NA TLE Distribution:

OBJECT D – Cat ID 46275.
OBJECT F – Cat ID 46277.

To understand why, first consider that at this time about 52 satellites have been placed in orbit, so far. Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, has determined that Object D and Object F cannot be either AmicalSat or TTU 110. This based on the fact that Object D and Object F are in the SAME group of satellites (and orbit) into which UPMSat 2 (Cat. ID 46276) was launched. AmicalSat and TTU 100 are in another (and later) group of satellites that were launched later into a higher orbit and are now about a half an orbit away from UPMSat 2 (and Object D and Object F). This is quite a bit of good detective work by Nico!

There’s more! Since TTU 100 is not transmitting, it is really not possible to identify TTU 100 by radio signal at this time. (The group that TTU 100 was launched still makes it sure that Objects D and F are not AmicalSat and TTU 100.) So TTU 100’s Catalog Number is still (at this time) unknown.

And so … the following satellite has been and added to this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE distribution:

AmicalSat – Cat ID 46287.

Again, a big thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO.

[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.

Avellaneda Ikastetxea, Sodupe, Spain, telebridge via ZS6JON
The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled astronaut was Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR.
The contact was scheduled for Friday, 9-18-2020 at 12:56:34 UTC.
The contact was successful.

[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:

EM26/27 “Late this week or This weekend” @KL7TN

JM08, 9/17 -9/21 @EA6/EA4NF. Formentera Island. DXCC EA6 – Grid JM08 – IOTA EU-004, LEO SAT FM & LINEARS, QSL via LoTW as EA6/EA4NF. For this new sat portable activation, Philippe will bring with him his Yaesu FT818ND and a FT817ND operating in full Duplex on all LEO satellites with an Alaskan Arrow Antenna.

CN86, 9/19 & 9/20, @N7AME : I hope to access the FM satellites AO-91, and AO-92 on most passes during September 19 and 20 during the WWDXC Salmon Run. If they count, I will be at Lewis and Clark SP WA (K-3221) and in Lewis County which will be Grid CN96.

K5TA will be on the air as W6H occasionally until this Sunday, 20-Sep, as New Mexico’s satellite representative in the “Route 66 On The Air” special event. For general info visit http://w6jbt.org/?page_id=19. QSL via K8TE. Our coordinator is working on getting a certificate for LoTW, but it’s not up yet. Besides, the paper cards are nice-looking. Christy, KB6LTY, is also on sats as W6D from San Bernardino County — you remember the old song “…Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino!” -Scott K5TA DM65 Albuquerque.

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

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!

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC
TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC
TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, Penn.

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

The 38th Annual AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting in- person event scheduled to be held in Bloomington, Minnesota has been canceled. The event will be shifted to a virtual, online platform. The in-person event was scheduled to occur Friday, October 16th – Sunday, October 18th. As the 2020 virtual event plans are developed, they will be announced via the usual AMSAT channels.

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ Last week Jupiter had 79 moons. This week it may have 600 more, including some that go backwards! A new study says that there may be as many as 600 small “irregular moons” orbiting Jupiter. An irregular moon is a minor object that used to orbit the Sun, but was captured by a giant planet early on in the Solar System’s history. Having swapped from being Sun-orbiting to planet-orbiting, they often have “eccentric” orbits; distant, inclined and retrograde—they orbit back wards. (ANS thanks Forbes.com for the above information)

+ Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, from Gujarat State in western India, and Lucky Bijanki, VU2LBW from Bangalore in southern India, successfully worked one another via six different FM Satellites in single day on September 9. It’s a record for such satellite activities in the region. Satellites worked were AO-91 (0650Z), PO-101 (0830Z), AO-27 (1305Z), SO-50 (1514Z), AO-92 (1712Z) & ARISS – ISS (1714Z). (ANS thanks Rajesh Vagadia, VU2EXP, for the above information)

+ A small leak of ammonia has been detected at the U.S. segment of the International Space Station (ISS). Ammonia is used in transferring heat from the US segment on the ISS to space. Moderate levels of ammonia are not so dangerous, but exposure to high concentrations of it can be a health hazard. The leak is at a rate of about 700 grams [1.5 pounds] per year. There is no threat to the ISS crew. A similar situation occurred in 2017 and was resolved. (ANS thanks Space Daily for the above information)

+ Earth observation satellites are playing a key role in analyzing and responding to the fires in the western U.S. NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System provides daily fire point-source detection, along with real time geofenced updates, world wide. NASA also provides a dashboard of world temperature. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ It was like the opening scene from a movie: cars pulled over on a busy freeway, with everyone gawking in disbelief at what they were seeing. Drivers in New Jersey on September 14 thought a flying saucer was hovering above them. But in reality, it was just another day in 2020 and the UFO was an aircraft from planet Earth: the Goodyear Blimp. With just the right lighting conditions, viewing angle and reflections, the blimp looked just like a classic flying saucer. (ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information)

+ Following requests from many amateurs outside South Africa, AMSAT-SA now offers its hand-held VHF/UHF yagi for export if ordered in a batch of 6, at R950 each (approx US $65), total for a batch of 6 R5700. (approx US $ 390). Available to countries in the European Union and the USA. For more information, see
http://www.amsatsa.org.za/DualbandYagi.htm

/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, Mark D. Johns, K0JM

k0jm at amsat dot org

 

ANS-257 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for September 13th

by

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, 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://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]

In this edition:

  • Virtual 2020 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting on October 17, 2020
  • AMSAT Virtual Symposium Call for Papers
  • Preparations Continue for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 10, 2020
  • AMSAT-DL Announces Virtual Satellite Symposium September 26, 2020
  • AMSAT-UK Announces Colloquium 2020 October 11, 2020
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • ARISS News
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-257.01
ANS-257 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 257.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
September 13, 2020
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-257.01

 

Virtual 2020 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting on October 17, 2020

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

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 (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station)/ AREx (Amateur Radio Exploration)

3:00pm CDT – 4:00pm CDT AMSAT Engineering

4:00pm CDT – 5:00pm CDT 2020 AMSAT Annual General Meeting

The Symposium will be streamed free of charge on AMSAT’s YouTube account. Registered attendees will receive a digital copy of the AMSAT Symposium Proceedings and will be entitled to join the Zoom meeting and 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 at https://launch.amsat.org/Events.

Registration will close on Friday, October 16 at 5:00pm CDT.

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]

AMSAT Virtual Symposium Call for Papers

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 at [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 at [email protected]. We ask that presenters be available to take questions via Zoom following the airing of their pre-recorded video.

[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/

Preparations Continue for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023

Preparations for World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23) go forward, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) continues its efforts to protect amateur and amateur-satellite allocations. The international conference, which generally takes place every 4 years, is sponsored by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

IARU participated in the first online meeting of Project Team A (PTA) of the WRC-23 CEPT Conference Preparatory Group (CPG), reporting this week that “a good start was made on items of interest to the amateur and amateur-satellite services.”

Agenda Item 1.12 addresses studies stemming from WRC-19 that are now underway to consider a new secondary allocation to the Earth exploration-satellite (active) service (EESS active) for spaceborne radar sounders in the 40 – 50 MHz range, taking into account the protection of incumbent services (including in adjacent bands), which would include 6 meters. A handful of countries have also allocated secondary amateur bands in the vicinity of 40 MHz.

The WRC-19 Resolution (Res. 656), which ordered the studies, noted that spaceborne-active RF sensors can provide unique information on physical properties of the Earth, and that spaceborne-active remote sensing requires specific frequency ranges depending on the physical phenomena to be observed. Spaceborne radars are intended to operate only in uninhabited or sparsely populated areas with particular focus on deserts and polar ice fields, between the hours of 3 AM and 6 AM local time.

Agenda Item 1.14 addresses the Earth Exploration Satellite service (passive) (EESS passive) in the range 231.5 – 250 GHz. The Amateur and Amateur-satellite services have a primary allocation at 248?–?250 GHz, and a secondary allocation at 241?–?248 GHz.

Agenda Item 9.1 will consider and approve the Report of the Director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau on the activities of the Radiocommunication Sector since WRC-19. This includes a review of the amateur service and the amateur-satellite service allocations in the frequency band 1.240 – 1.300 GHz to determine if additional measures are required to ensure protection of the radionavigation- satellite (space-to-Earth) service (RNSS) operating in the same band.

The 1.240 – 1.300 GHz band is allocated worldwide to the amateur service on a secondary basis, and the amateur-satellite service (Earth-to-space) may operate in the band 1.260 – 1.270 GHz. The primary concern is the potential for interference to the Galileo Global Navigation Satellite System (GPS) in ITU Region 1 (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). Instances of interference to one of the RNSS channels from amateur operations have been reported. IARU has said it’s prepared to fully cooperate in any studies.

The IARU participated in the initial meeting of Project Team C of the WRC-23 CEPT CPG, where the preliminary CEPT position on international studies on coexistence between the amateur service and RNSS was discussed.

Agenda Item 9.1A concerns spaceweather sensors, which must be protected by regulation without placing constraints on incumbent services. “The scope of this topic is wide and could cover HF to EHF spectrum,” IARU said. “Until studies are progressed, it is not certain how the amateur and amateur-satellite services might be impacted.”

Agenda Item 9.1C was proposed by a few countries interested in the possible use of mobile technologies in frequency bands allocated to the fixed service. “In practice, amateur service allocations in the range 430 MHz to 250 GHz could be affected where there is a primary allocation to the fixed service and a secondary allocation to the amateur service,” IARU said, citing 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz as examples.

Last summer, France raised a proposal to consider 144 – 146 MHz as a primary allocation to the Aeronautical mobile service, as part of a broader consideration of spectrum allocated to that service.

IARU pledged to continue “to represent the amateur and Amateur satellite services throughout the electromagnetic spectrum at meetings of regulatory bodies during the coming months.”

[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information.]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 10, 2020

As noted last week, Arianespace launched of 53 new satellites on September 3, 2020. This also placed three new satellites carrying Amateur Radio transmitters into orbit. They are Amicalsat, TTU-100 and UPMSAT 2. So far, only UPMSAT 2 has been identified as Object 46276 (See below).

Based on observations this past week, Nico Janseen has refined his identification of UPMSat 2 to be Object 46276, not Object 46277 as it seemed last week. Also, OBJECT D (Cat ID 46275) and OBJECT F (Cat ID 46277) have been added this week in hope that they may be Amicalsat and TTU-100. Watch for further information.

Therefore, the following satellites have been and added to this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:

OBJECT D – Cat ID 46275
UPMSat 2 – Cat ID 46276
OBJECT F – Cat ID 46277

Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for verfying Cat ID 46276 is in fact UPMSat2.

The following satellite has decayed from orbit and has been removed from this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:

Tanusha-3 – NORAD Cat ID 43597 (Decayed on August 5, 2020 per Space-Track).

[ANS thanks the Ray Hoad 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/

AMSAT-DL Announces Virtual Satellite Symposium September 26, 2020

Unfortunately, the AMSAT-DL Symposium planned for September 26-27, 2020 cannot take place this year in the usual manner. Since the health of everyone is very close to our hearts and the legal framework currently leaves no other option, AMSAT-DL has decided not to hold a meeting on site in Bochum this year. A social meeting with dinner is not possible, nor is a flea market or other activities such as the QO-100 User Meeting which happened for the first time during the HAM Radio Fair in Friedrichshafen in 2019.

Instead, AMSAT-DL will broadcast the symposium as an online meeting in DATV via the broadband transponder of QO-100 and on the internet on the AMSAT-DL YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/amsatdl.

Due to the international audience, most of the lectures will be held in English. The current schedule can be found on the AMSAT-DL homepage at https://amsat-dl.org.

AMSAT-DL and its board invites everyone to this year’s AMSAT-DL online conference and the virtual QO-100 user meeting.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT-DL for the above information.]

AMSAT-UK Announces Colloquium 2020 October 11, 2020

There will not be an in-person AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium this year instead they will be holding an Online Event on Sunday, October 11, 2020. This is the day after the RSGB’s Radio Convention which is also an on-line event.

The AMSAT-UK Convention will run from 11:00am to approximately 5:00pm, with a break for lunch and several short breaks during the day. (Times are British Summer Time, or UTC/GMT + 1.) Membership in AMSAT-UK is not required to attend and the event is free of charge.

The event will be in the form of a Zoom Webinar. Register at http://tinyurl.com/amsatukreg2020 and follow the instructions which will arrive by email. No special software is installed since a browser plug in is used by Zoom.

Those who are registered before the start of the Colloquium will be entered for a number of free raffles which will take place during the event. The event will be hosted by Graham Shirville, G3VZV and Jim Heck, G3WGM and formally opened by our Chairman, Martin Sweeting, G3YJO. For those registered it will be possible to pose questions to the speakers during Q and A sessions. Informal on-line discussions after the official close of the Colloquium, are also planned.

The Colloquium will be live streamed to the AMSAT-UK YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK.

Complete information is available at https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT-UK for the above information.]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

CN86; 9/19 & 9/20 John Van Dalen, @N7AME hopes to access the FM satellites AO-91, and AO-92 on most passes on September 19 and 20 during the WWDXC Salmon Run. If they count, John will be at Lewis and Clark State Park (K-3221) in Washington and in Lewis County which will be Grid CN96. Check Twitter @N7AME for updates.

JM08; 9/17 – 9/21 Philippe Chateau, EA4NF will be @EA6/EA4NF on Formentera Island. This counts as DXCC EA6, Grid JM08, and IOTA EU-004. Philippe will be on LEO FM & Linear birds. QSL via LoTW as EA6/EA4NF. For this new satellite portable activation, Philippe will bring with him his Yaesu FT818ND and a FT817ND operating in full duplex with an Alaskan Arrow Antenna.

DM06, DM07, DM08, DM16, DM17 and DM18; 9/11 and 9/13 David Bartholomew, AD7DB is heading out to activate DM06, DM07, DM08, DM16, DM17 and DM18 on Friday, 9/11/20 and Sunday 9/13. Taking FM gear only. Click @AD7DB for details.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR for the above information.]

ARISS News

+ Completed Contacts

College Raymond Sirot, Gueux, France, telebridge via VK5ZAI The ISS callsign was NA1SS. The astronaut was Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR. The contact was successful on Thursday, 9-10-2020 at 08:17:01 UTC.

+ Upcoming Contacts

Avellaneda Ikastetxea, Sodupe, Spain, telebridge via ZS6JON The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR. The contact is go for Friday, 9-18-2020 at 12:56:34 UTC.

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N 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/

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

09/14/2020 – North Agusta Belevedere Radio Club
10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC
TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC
TBD – A private presentation for a Boy Scout troop in Danville, PA

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

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL for the above information.]

Shorts from All Over

+ UPMSAT-2 Recordings Wanted

The UPMSAT-2 team would appreciate receiving recordings of their satellite. They are especially interested in recordings made from outside Spain. UPMSAT-2 transmits on 437.405 MHz using USB, not FM.

Recordings can be send to [email protected]

[ANS thanks Felix Paez EA4GQS for the above information.]

+ Route 66 On-the-Air from W6D

Christy Hunter, KB6LTY is happy to report that the COVID-19 pandemic is not keeping the 2020 Route 66 On-the Air event off the air. This year the event starts September 12 and goes through September 20. Christy will be representing W6D on the FM and SSB birds from her home not far from Route 66 in DM14. Only paper QSL cards will be issued for W6D contacts(no LoTW). Look for W6D on QRZ.com for her mailing address. Complete information on the event can be found at http://w6jbt.org/.

[ANS thanks Christy Hunter, KB6LTY for the above information.]

+ Reminder: Annual GNU Radio Conference Begins September 14, 2020

GRCon20 will be held starting September 14, 2020 online as a virtual event. Keynote speakers include: Becky Schoenfeld W1BXY, Managing Editor of QST magazine, Oona Räisänen [windytan] hacker of signals and computer programmer, and Jim St. Leger, Director Open Source, Intel. Full registrations are sold out but free registration for all virtual GRCon20 technical talks, keynotes, and lightning talks is still available at https://tickets.gnuradio.org/grcon20/.

[ANS thanks GNU Radio for the above information.]

+ NASA, NOAA to Discuss Solar Cycle Prediction

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will discuss predictions for the upcoming solar cycle during a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 15. Tracking the solar cycle is a key part of better understanding the Sun and mitigating its impacts on human technology and infrastructure.

During the teleconference, experts on the Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel will discuss recent updates in solar cycle progress, and the forecast for the upcoming cycle, Solar Cycle 25. Complete information and registration information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-257-NASA-Live.

[ANS thanks NASA Radio for the above information.]

+ AT&T Seeking Buyers For DirecTV

Well-heeled Amateurs wanting a geosynchronous ham radio satellite of their own now have their chance. AT&T purchased DirecTV in 2015 and paid some $67 billion overall. With declining viewership and increased competition, ATT&T wants to unload the company and decrease its debt load. Most observers suggest the price might be a flea-market bargain at about $20 billion. The catch? ATT&T would retain 50% ownership.

[ANS thanks Satnews for the above information.]

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 six post-secondary years in this status.

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

73, This week’s ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw at amsat dot org

 

ANS-250 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for September 6th

by

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:

  • ARISS First Element of the Interoperable Radio System is Operational
  • FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Proposal open for comment
  • Successful Vega Mission Launches the Amicalsat Project Satellite
  • TEVEL Mission Nears Projected Launch Date
  • Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 3, 2020
  • VUCC Satellite Awards and Endorsements
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-250.01
ANS-250 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 250.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 Sept 06
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-250.01

First Element of ARISSNext Generation (Next-Gen) Radio System Installed in ISS Columbus Module

September2, 2020—The ARISS team is pleased to announce that installation and set up of the first element of the InterOperable Radio System (IORS) has been completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway. This first element, was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.

Initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.99 MHz with an access tone of 67Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.

The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020 on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply and interconnecting cables. The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new and exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow scan television (SSTV) system.

A second IORS undergoes flight certification and will be launched later for installation in the Russian Service module. This second system enables dual, simultaneous operations, (e.g. voice repeater and APRS packet), providing diverse opportunities for radio amateurs. It also provides on-orbit redundancy to ensure continuous operations in the event of an IORS component failure.

Next-gen development efforts continue. For the IORS, parts are being procured and a total of ten systems are being fabricated to support flight, additional flight spares, ground testing and astronaut training. Follow-on next generation radio system elements include an L-band repeater uplink capability, currently in development, and a flight Raspberry-Pi, dubbed “ARISS-Pi, ”that is just beginning the design phase. The ARISS-Pi promises operations autonomy and enhanced SSTV operations.

ARISS is run almost entirely by volunteers, and with the help of generous contributions from ARISS sponsors and individuals. Donations to the ARISS program for next generation hardware developments, operations, education, and administration are welcome — please go to https://www.ariss.org/donate.html to contribute to these efforts.

(ANS thanks Dave Jordan, AA4KN of ARISS PR for the above information)

ARLB021 FCC Application Fee Proposal Proceeding is Open for Comments

Comments are being accepted on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270, which proposes application fees for radio amateurs. Formal deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register. Comments may be filed now by using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), located at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings, and posting to MD Docket No. 20-270. The docket is already open for accepting comments, even though deadlines have not yet been set.

The NPRM can be found online in PDF format at: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-116A1.pdf.

A review current of information on this proposal follows: Amateur radio licensees would pay a $50 fee for each amateur radio license application if the FCC adopts rules it proposed this week. Included in the FCC’s fee proposal are applications for new licenses, renewal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign requests. Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees.

The FCC proposal is contained in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270, which was adopted to implement portions of the “Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act” of 2018 — the so-called “Ray Baum’s Act.”

The Act requires that the FCC switch from a Congressionally-mandated fee structure to a cost-based system of assessment. In its NPRM, the FCC proposed application fees for a broad range of services that use the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS), including the Amateur Radio Service that had been excluded by an earlier statute. The 2018 statute excludes the Amateur Service from annual regulatory fees, but not from application fees.

“Applications for personal licenses are mostly automated and do not have individualized staff costs for data input or review,” the FCC said in its NPRM. “For these automated processes — new/major modifications, renewal, and minor modifications — we propose a nominal application fee of $50 due to automating the processes, routine ULS maintenance, and limited instances where staff input is required.”

The same $50 fee would apply to all Amateur Service applications, including those for vanity call signs. “Although there is currently no fee for vanity call signs in the Amateur Radio Service, we find that such applications impose similar costs in aggregate on Commission re- sources as new applications and therefore propose a $50 fee,” the FCC said.

The FCC is not proposing to charge for administrative updates, such as mailing address changes for amateur applications, and amateur radio will remain exempt from annual regulatory fees. “For administrative up-dates [and] modifications, which also are highly automated, we find that it is in the public interest to encourage licensees to update their [own] information without a charge,” the FCC said.

The FCC also proposes to assess a $50 fee for individuals who want a printed copy of their license. “The Commission has proposed to eliminate these services — but to the extent the Commission does not do so, we propose a fee of $50 to cover the costs of these services,” the FCC said.

The Ray Baum’s Act does not exempt filing fees in the Amateur Radio Service. The FCC dropped assessment of fees for vanity call signs several years ago.

Deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register. Interested parties may file comments by using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), posting to MD Docket No. 20-270. This docket is already open to accept comments, even though deadlines have not yet been set.

[ANS thanks ARRL News 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/

Successful Vega Mission Launches the Amicalsat Project Satellite

Vega rocket (VV16) was successfully launched September 3, 2020. The rocket left Kourou on 3 September, 2020 at 01h51 UTC with 53 satellites on board.

One of the satellites launched is the Amicalsat satellite built by the CSUG (Centre Spatial Universitaire Grenoblois). Measurements made by the satellite will be available to all and will assist radio amateurs in making propagation predictions.

The project’s website (in English) has just been put online: https://bit.ly/2YWfs5B

AMSAT-F supported this project. Additional information may be found at: https://bit.ly/3lHxiCY

Linux & Windows Software is provided for decoding the Amicalsat telemetry and for sending it to the SatNogs database. An English version of the user manual is available at: https://bit.ly/2QILo8S

Beacon Frequency Modes Callsign
UHF 436.1 MHz AFSK 1200 RS17S
S band 2,415.3 MHz GFSK 1000 kb/s https://bit.ly/31LGgaq

Reports are welcome. Thank you for your help.

The first 5 people who receive a frame from AmicalSat will receive a gift. To submit your frame uses the satnogs SIDS or email [email protected].

2 other satellites are on this mission:

Satellites beacon frequency Modes Identifier
UPMSat-2 UHF 437.405 MHz AFSK 1200 UPMST2
TTU100 Primary UHF 435.450 MHz 1k2, 9k6, CW TTU100
TTU100 Secondary SHF 10465.000 MHz OPSK 62.5 Kbs and 20 Mbs

Links: UPMSat-2: https://bit.ly/2EL4VTO
TTU100: https://bit.ly/2QXRmmN

Projected TLE (Updated 03 September, 2020 after launch announcement):
1 74002U 14900A 20247.14839410 .00000000 00000-0 50000-4 0 04
2 74002 97.4424 320.0103 0002779 53.5911 328.5572 15.10021350 03

[ANS thanks Christophe Mercier, Amsat-F chairman 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/

TEVEL Mission Nears Projected Launch Date

TEVEL, a mission with eight identical CubeSats, has been coordinated and approved by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), and is scheduled for launch from India sometime this fall. The project, lead by the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, a private research college in Herzliya, Israel, consists of high-school students’ educational satellite experiments that involve telemetry beacons for educational research activities. But also on board are FM amateur radio transponders. Telemetry will 9k6 BPSK AX25 telemetry downlinks. But each satellite can be commanded to operate as U/V FM transponders. Planning a launch into a 580 km 98 degree orbit in September 2020. The eight spacecraft in the TEVEL mission, identified as T1OFK, T2YRC, T3TYB, T4ATA, T5SNG, T6NZR, T7ADM, T8GBS will all downlink for beacon, telemetry and transponder on 436.400 MHz and the transponder input on 145.970 MHz.

[ANS thanks IARU 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

Changes to the AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for September 3, 2020

The names of the following satellites have been changed as follows:

S-Net G (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net D
S-Net H (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net B
S-Net J (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net A
S-Net K (Cat ID 43186) is now S-Net C
Thanks to Sebastian Lange (DL7BST) for the above update.

Arianespace launched 53 new satellites on Thursday, September 3, 2020 at 01:51 UTC on a Vega POC (Proof of Concept) mission to test their new SSMS (Small Spacecraft Mission Service) satellite dispenser. At least two new satellites, TTU-100 and UPMSAT 2, carry amateur radio transmitters have been placed in orbit. So far only UPMSAT 2 has been identified as Cat ID 46277. More later.

The following satellite has been and added to this week’s AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution:

UPMSat 2 – Cat ID 46277.
Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for determining which object is UPMSat 2.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]

VUCC Awards-Endorsements for September 2020

Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period August 1, 2020 through September 1, 2020. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!

CallAugustSeptember
K8YSE19261935
WA5KBH759766
W5RKN708721
AA8CH641702
N6UK675687
N0JE652655
NS3L575600
KI7UNJ527551
AD0HJ450478
AF5CC425461
KE8FZT428450
N9FN403450
PS8ET434450
W7JSD355375
WA9JBQ326355
KC9UQR326351
KC9VGG310336
N3CRT200303
K0JMNew300
KS1G233285
WW8W228260
K5CIS150250
KX9X100219
WB7QXU140204
KF6JOQ101201
WD9EWK (DM41)164176
KX9X (EN50)New175
LW2DAF130166
W8LR100149
KB9STR104138
K1PADNew130
DF2ETNew129
WA8ZIDNew126
PP2RONNew106
KI4ASKNew105
KO4AQFNew104
K5TANew101
LU3FCA100101
NA1MENew100

If you find errors or omissions, please contact Ron Parsons W5RKN at <mycall>@<mycall>.com and he will revise the announcement. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for two months. It’s a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned. Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing most of the work!

[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN 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.

The KMO Kolska Wyspa, Koło, Poland, telebridge via VK6MJ The ISS callsign was scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut was Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact was go for: Wed 2020-09-02 12:58:11 UTC 75 deg. There has been no report about the success of this contact.

College Raymond Sirot, Gueux, France, telebridge via VK5ZAI The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR Contact is go for: Thu 2020-09-10 08:17:01 UTC 57 deg There is a new radio on board the ISS. The Kenwood D710GA is now in use. The crossband repeater is now avail- able 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 cancella- tions or postponements of school contacts. As always, I will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates.

The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19:

Postponed: Green Bank Elementary Middle School, Green Bank, WV

Cancelled: No new schools

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team men- tors 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

DM07, DM08: N6REK will be on vacation next week in the Eastern Sierra and plans to work AO-91, AO-92 and PO-101 from the DM07/08 gridline on a holiday schedule from Wednesday, Sept. 2 to Saturday, Sept. 5. Watch the AMSAT BB for details.

@WA9JBQ has been working through Idaho hitting DN24,DN25,DN26 DN34, DN16, DN15, and DN14. He started August 15th, then moved into Montana for DN35,DN36, DN37, DN38 DN49 DN47. He will be out a total of 5-6 weeks working mostly FM but also some linear birds. Details will be posted on twitter.com.

@AD7DB is heading out to hit a few grids: #Roving announcement! He hopes to activate on Fri 9/11/20 and Sun 9/13 include DM06, DM07, DM08, DM16, DM17 and DM18. He will operate all day Saturday 9/12 from DM19. He is taking just FM gear. More info as date gets closer at: https://twitter.com/ad7db/status/1300217001726500865

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Clint Bradford K6LCS has booked his “Work the FM Voice Satellites With Minimal Equipment” presentation for the following clubs:
09/02/2020 – Garden State ARA, New Jersey
09/14/2020 – North Agusta Belevedere Radio Club
10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC
TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC
TBD – A private presentation fo a Boy Scout troop in Danville, PA

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

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP-User Services for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ 4A50, MEXICO (Special Event). Look for special event station 4A50CRH to be active between September 1st and December 31st. Activity is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Club de Radioaficionados Hidro- calidos (XE2CRH). Operations will be on 160-6 meter, satellites, CW, SSB, FM, and the Digital modes. QSL via XE2AU, LoTW, eQSL or ClubLog. Every QSO will be confirmed. (ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin for the above information)

+ Flying for the first time since a failure in early July, Rocket Lab’s Electron launcher delivered Capella Space’s first commercial radar remote sensing satellite to orbit after lifting off from New Zealand on Sunday, August 30. The successful mission signaled a return to launch operations for Rocket Lab after suffering a failure on the last Electron flight July 4. Investigators traced the cause of the failure to a single faulty electrical connector on the second stage, which detached in flight and led to a premature engine shutdown. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ A Falcon 9 rocket dodged stormy weather and successfully placed an Argentine radar observation satellite into an orbit over Earth’s poles Sunday on SpaceX’s 100th launch. Instead of launching toward the northeast or east, the Falcon 9 darted through a cloudy sky and arced to the south-southeast from Florida’s Space Coast, then made a right turn to fly along the east coast of Florida over Fort Lauder- dale and Miami on the way to a polar orbit. The launch Sunday was the first from Cape Canaveral to fly on a southerly track since 1969. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ A long-retired NASA satellite burned up in Earth’s atmosphere last weekend, the agency has confirmed. NASA launched the satellite, c alled Orbiting Geophysics Observatory 1, or OGO-1, in September 1964, the first in a series of five missions to help scientists understand the magnetic environment around Earth. OGO-1 was the first to launch but the last to fall out of orbit; the satellite had circled Earth aimlessly since its retirement in 1971. (ANS thanks space.com for the above information)

+ Dave, AA4KN relays that Patrice, 3B8FA, and Jean Marc, 3B8DU, held a successful QSO using the new IORS, repeater function: Jean Marc wrote: “Just to let you know that Patrice (3B8FA) and myself did superb QSO via the ISS FM repeater just a few minutes ago (reported 2 September, 2020 @ 02:22:30). Working fine 59+ both ways on V/U (145.990/437.800 MHz), really nice to have the ISS repeater back on air.” (ANS thanks Dave AA4KN of ARISS PR for the report)

/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 frawg dot org

ANS-243 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for August 30th

by

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:

  • AMSAT Member David Minster, NA2AA, Elected ARRL CEO
  • Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, joins Starliner mission to ISS
  • ANS Editors Wanted
  • CubeSat Challenge Seeks To Inspire, Prepare Students
  • Amateur License Fee Proposal From FCC
  • AO-92 (FOX-1D) Reverting to Safe Mode
  • GRBAlpha Frequency Coordination Completed
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-243.01
ANS-243 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 243.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 August 30
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-243.01

AMSAT Member David Minster, NA2AA, Elected ARRL CEO

The ARRL Board of Directors has elected David Minster, NA2AA, of Wayne, New Jersey, as ARRL’s new Chief Executive Officer, starting on September 28. Minster is currently Managing Partner at Talentrian Partners, a management consulting firm serving the consumer goods and luxury goods industries.

Minster began his career as a software engineer, moving into management at Unilever, as a Chief Information Officer and moved on to several other companies in the course of his career, as CIO, COO, and CEO.

Minster got his Novice license, WB2MAE, in 1977, when he was in his teens. He progressed from Advanced to Amateur Extra and, after a stint as NW2D, he settled on the vanity call sign NA2AA in the 1990s as a way to honor a mentor, N2AA, and the contest station that he used to frequent, K2GL, in Tuxedo Park, New York.

Minster’s ham radio pursuits have ranged far and wide over the years. His background includes National Traffic System training and participation in public service events, as well as contesting from home, club stations, and contest stations in the Caribbean — particularly on Bonaire, where he is a member of PJ4G. Primarily a CW operator, Minster collects unique and vintage bugs and keys.

Minster earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from The Ohio State University and has a special interest in satellites, digital communications, remote operation, and ham radio computing and software. He has written keyer software for the commercial market, and contest logging, packet, and satellite telemetry software for personal use.

In addition to being an ARRL member, Minster is a member of AMSAT, the Frankford Radio Club, the Straight Key Century Club, CWops, and the North American QRP CW Club.

“I spend every day of my life, one way or another, engaged in amateur radio. It is more than just a hobby for me; it is my community. It is where I live; where I have built lifelong friendships, and friendships that span the globe. Amateur radio allows me to dream and to experiment. I can’t wait to bring my energy and boundless enthusiasm in service to ARRL.”

ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, said, “We are excited to welcome David as our new CEO, and look forward to his progressive leadership. His experience in management and operations, plus his activities in amateur radio, will serve our organization and members well.”

Minster will succeed Barry J. Shelley, N1VXY, who was CEO in 2018, and who has been serving as ARRL’s Interim CEO since January 2020. Shelley had been ARRL’s Chief Financial Officer since January 1992.

[ANS thanks ARRL 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/

Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, Joins Starliner Mission to ISS

NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps, KF5QNU, NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission, the first operational crewed flight of Boeing?s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on a mission to the International Space Station. Epps will join NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, KD5PLB, and Josh Cassada, KI5CRH, for a six-month expedition planned for a launch in 2021 to the ISS. The spaceflight will be the first for Epps, who earned a doctorate in aerospace engineering in 2000 from the University of Maryland, College Park.

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]

ANS Editors Wanted

Are you the sort of ham who may not have the skills to put together a satellite, but who does a pretty good job of putting *WORDS* together?

The AMSAT News Service (ANS) prepares and distributes weekly news bulletins about the world of amateursatellites, and ANS is in need of additional rotating editors. Editors take turns putting together the weekly bulletins, one week each month, more or less. They also help one another out by seeking news items to pass along to the editor of the week, and proofreading.

Online training and mentoring is provided. Time commitment is usually 4-6 hours per month, once trained and up to speed.

This is a great way for wordsmiths to contribute to AMSAT and to serve your fellow amateurs. Contact k0jm [at] amsat.org with questions or to volunteer.

[ANS thanks Mark Johns, K0JM, ANS Senior Editor, 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/

CubeSat Challenge Seeks To Inspire, Prepare Students

The U.S. Department of Education has launched CTE Mission: CubeSat, a national challenge to inspire students to build technical skills for careers in space and beyond. High school students from across the country are invited to design and build CubeSat prototypes, or satellites that aid in space research, bringing space missions out of the clouds and into the classroom.

“This is such an exciting way to rethink education and get students engaged in hands-on learning in the growing aerospace and technology fields,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. “I look forward to seeing the innovative prototypes students develop and hope this challenge inspires our next generation of American space explorers.”

Investors predict that space will be the next trillion-dollar industry, and as missions in space continue to expand, so do the career opportunities. This multi-phase challenge offers high school students across the United States the chance to build CubeSat prototypes while learning creative, collaborative, and technical skills for 21st century careers.

Schools interested in entering CTE Mission: CubeSat should form a team and submit a mission proposal by 5:59 p.m. ET, on Oct. 16, 2020 — no in-person collaboration or prior experience with CubeSats is required. The online submission form asks for school information, a team profile, a project proposal, and anticipated learning outcomes. Curated educational resources are available to students and teachers online in the CTE Mission: CubeSat resource hub. To learn more, schools can join a virtual information session on Sept. 1.

Up to five finalists will be selected to receive prizes and participate in Phase 2, which runs from January to May 2021. Finalists will have access to expert mentorship and additional virtual resources as they build CubeSat prototypes and plan flight events to launch their prototypes. The Department understands that due to current conditions, schools will need flexibility to safely collaborate when designing and building prototypes during the challenge. The Department looks forward to the creative solutions in the mission proposals it receives as challenge entries.

Each finalist will receive an equal share of the $25,000 cash prize pool, as well as satellite development, hardware, and software kits. Challenge sponsors include Arduino, Blue Origin, Chevron, EnduroSat, LEGO Education, Magnitude.io, MIT Media Lab, and XinaBox.

“Developing a CubeSat prototype is an opportunity for students to learn competitive skills and explore a wide range of careers in space — or their own communities,” said Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education Scott Stump. “Through CTE Mission: CubeSat, we aim to bring students new learning opportunities to build valuable technical skills for in-demand and rewarding careers.”

For details, see https://www.ctemissioncubesat.com/

[ANS thanks the U.S. Department of Education for the above information]

Amateur License Fee Proposal From FCC

The FCC has published a proposal to reinstate a $50 fee for new licenses, renewal and upgrades to existing licenses, and vanity call sign requests. Excluded are applications for administrative updates, such as changes of address, and annual regulatory fees. The The FCC proposal is contained in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in MD Docket 20-270. The ARRL team in Newington and Washington D.C. are crafting a response to the NPRM. The ARRL is committed to opposing all fees for any aspect of the amateur radio service. Deadlines for comments and reply comments will be determined once the NPRM appears in the Federal Register. File comments by using the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS), posting to MD Docket No. 20-270. This docket is already open for accepting comments even though deadlines have not yet been set. For more information see https://bit.ly/3hyNQuB

[ANS thanks Matt Holden, K0BBC, for the above information]

AO-92 (FOX-1D) Reverting to Safe Mode

AO-92 has been experiencing low battery voltage during many night time passes over the last several weeks. While the satellite is in eclipse voltage has been dropping low enough (3.6v IIRC) to cause an automatic shift to safe mode. It emerges from eclipse toward the end of night passes over North America and the transponder will then switch on, usually with a minute or two remaining in the pass. As we move to winter in the northern hemisphere, the end of the eclipse should shift over the pole and to the beginning of the descending part of the orbit, and this issue should change for at least the northern hemisphere ops.

[ANS thanks Andrew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT VP Operations, and Nate White, N5LEX, 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

GRBAlpha Frequency Coordination Completed

The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has approved frequency coordination for GRBAlpha, a 1U CubeSat built by students at the Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia, with contribution by students in Hungary and Japan. In addition to a gamma ray sensor, the satellite will have a digipeater functionality with 4k8 or 9k6 GFSK AX25 downlinks. A downlink on 437.025 MHz and an uplink on 145.905 MHz have been coordinated. Launch should take place in the third quarter of 2020 from Baikonur into a 600 kmm Sun-Synchronous Orbit. For more information see https://om3ksi.sk

[ANS thanks IARU 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.

Information and Technologies Branch, Department of Education-Queensland Government, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, telebridge via AB1OC The contact was successful: Mon 2020-08-24 09:32:57 UTC. The ISS callsign was NA1SS, and the astronaut was Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR

The KMO Kolska Wyspa, Koło, Poland, telebridge via VK6MJ. Is scheduled for Wednesday, 2020-09-02 12:58:11 UTC. The 75 degee maximum elevation pass will be heard across Australia. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS, and the scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR.

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.

[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:

Ron is heading out for the Kansas QSO Party, catch him on HF or DM96, 8/27 From 00:00 to 02:00, @AD0DX DM97,98, EM07,08, 8/29 from 15:00 to 20:00 @AD0DX

RJ is also heading out for the party… DN80 & DN90, 8/28 FM passes, @WY7AA DM99/EM09 AO92 8/29 03:55, @WY7AA

EL97, 8/29, @KK4YEL, details and passes to come.

FM15, FM25, FM14, FM04, 8/29 and 8/30 Holiday Style, @N4LAZ.

Bob Keating, N6REK, will be on vacation next week in the Eastern Sierra and plans to work AO-91, AO-92 and PO-101 from the DM07/08 gridline on a holiday schedule from Wednesday, Sept. 2 to Saturday, Sept. 5.

Major Roves:

@WA9JBQ is heading out to Idaho DN24,DN25,DN26 DN34, DN16, DN15, DN14 starting August 15th. Then moving into Montana for DN35,DN36, DN37, DN38 DN49 DN47. He will be out a total of 5-6 weeks Mostly FM some linear. Will post to twitter details.

[ANS thanks Paul Overnfor, 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.

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

09/02/2020 – Garden State ARA, New Jersey

09/14/2020 – North Agusta Belevedere Radio Club

10/27/2020 – Cherryland ARC / Traverse Bay ARC

TBD – Antelope Valley (CA) ARC

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

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

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA will broadcast a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket full-scale booster test at 2:40 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Sept. 2, on NASA Television and the agency’s website, followed by a media teleconference. The Flight Support Booster-1 test builds on three full-scale development test firings and two qualification test firings NASA and Northrop Grumman successfully completed with the five-segment solid rocket motor in preparation for the first three Artemis missions. (ANS thanks NASA JPL and Joanne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above information)

+ NASA JPL provides a web application, “Eyes on the Solar System”, to track the Mars 2020 mission. Fully interactive, Eyes on the Solar System. doesn’t just let you track Perseverance in real time as it travels to the Red Planet. Dozens of controls on pop-up menus allow you to customize not just what you see – from faraway to right “on board.” Give the Mars 2020 Perseverance spacecraft a spin at: https://go.nasa.gov/32uc3Mo (ANS thanks NASA JPL and Joanne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above information)

+ OSIRIS-REx just performed its last dress rehearsal before gathering a sample from asteroid Bennu in October. This dress rehearsal maneuver took the craft down to 40 m and resulted in high resolution images of the site. October’s sampling maneuver will use optical navigation to slowly bring the craft down, with minimal thruster firings to avoid contaminating the surface with hydrazine propellant. The craft will briefly touch down, dissipating momentum in the spring loaded Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) arm, and fire a burst of nitrogen to blow particles into its sample collection head. These samples will eventually make it back to Earth in fall of 2023. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ Masten Space Systems announced on August 26 that it has selected SpaceX to launch Masten Mission One (MM1). As part of MM1, Masten’s lunar lander will deliver nine NASA-sponsored science and technology demonstration experiments and several commercial payloads to the lunar south pole. Masten’s first mission to the Moon, MM1 is a collaboration with NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) Project Office. The Masten XL-1 lunar lander is scheduled to touch down on the lunar south pole in 2022, carrying a suite of NASA-sponsored scientific instruments and various payloads from commercial space customers. (ANS thanks spaceref.com for the above information)

+ In early August a cable snapped at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, causing substantial damage to one of the largest single dish radio telescopes in the world. In an episode of the National Public Radio podcast, Short Wave,” planetary scientist Edgard Rivera-Valentín explains what’s at stake until the damage can be repaired, and he unique role the telescope plays in both scientific research and popular culture. Listen to the 12-minute program at: https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=906366009:906835109 (ANS thanks npr.org for the above information)

+ Malcolm “Mal” Preston, NP2L, an AMSAT life member and longtime sup porter, died last month at the age of 85. Mal retired in 1991 and moved to St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, where he practiced accounting through 1997. An active volunteer, Mal served on the church vestry, was treasurer of St. John’s yacht and hiking clubs. He assumed many leadership roles in ham clubs and won many international champion ships as a member of the Contesting Consortium PJ2T. He was the Assistant Section Manager for the American Relay League in the USVI. (ANS thanks John Shew, N4QQ, and Joanne Maenpaa, K9JKM, for the above information)

+ NASA’s associate administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, Kathy Lueders, has named Robyn Gatens as acting director of the In ternational Space Station at NASA Headquarters. The appointment was effective Aug. 25. Sam Scimemi, the former director, has assumed new responsibilities as a special assistant for the agency’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. In this role, Gatens will lead strategy, policy, integration, and stakeholder engagement for the space station program at the agency level, working closely with International Space Station Program Manager Joel Montalbano at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Gatens will provide technical advice for the program, as well as overseeing program execution and managing risks. Gatens has 35 years of experience at NASA in both the space station program and in development and management of the life support systems for human spaceflight missions.

/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,

Mark D. Johns, K0JM

k0jm at amsat dot org