Mark Johns

ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for Oct. 25th

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 Virtual Symposium Replay Available on YouTube
  • AMSAT Board of Directors Elects Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President
  • Satellite Acronyms Wiki Established
  • New Satellite Distance Records Claimed
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 22
  • FO-29 operation schedule for Nov. 2020
  • ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-299.01
ANS-299 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 299.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 October 25
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-299.01

 

AMSAT Virtual Symposium Replay Available on YouTube

The 2020 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting was held via a Zoom Webinar on October 17, 2020 with over 200 AMSAT members in attendance. If you were not able to attend, a complete replay is available on the AMSAT YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/EHDgrI_w8hY

The YouTube video is divided into chapters to make it easy to find the specific presentation you are looking for:

0:00:00 Welcome
0:02:07 AMSAT GOLF-TEE System Overview and Development Status
0:43:02 GOLF IHU Coordination
1:19:10 GOLF Downlink Coordination
1:50:15 FUNcube Next
2:13:50 LunART – Luna Amateur Radio Transponder
2:45:35 CatSat HF Experiment Overview
3:13:30 Neutron-1 CubeSat
3:39:58 Progress and Development of Open Source Electric Propulsion for Nanosats and Picosats
4:15:00 AMSAT Education
5:14:00 ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) / AREx (Amateur Radio Exploration)
6:14:00 AMSAT Engineering
7:21:16 AMSAT Annual General Meeting

AMSAT members may download the 2020 Symposium Proceedings at https://launch.amsat.org/Proceedings.

The 2021 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting is expected to be held in the Minneapolis area in October 2021.

[ANS thanks the 2020 AMSAT Symposium Team 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 Board of Directors Elects Robert Bankston, KE4AL, President

At its annual meeting, the AMSAT Board of Directors elected Robert Bankston, KE4AL, of Dothan, AL, President, succeeding Clayton Coleman, W5PFG. Bankston is a Life Member of AMSAT and has previously served as Treasurer and Vice-President User Services, as well as volunteering in several other capacities for AMSAT, including the development and launch of AMSAT’s online member portal and chairing the 2018 AMSAT Space Symposium held at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, in Huntsville, Alabama. He also is an ARRL Life Member and holds an Extra Class license.

Immediate Past President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, said “It has been both a joy and privilege to serve as President of AMSAT in 2020. In what has been a rather difficult year for many individuals in amateur radio, AMSAT, through its many supportive members, volunteers, and donors, has continued course on our vision of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. With our initiatives such as modernizing the AMSAT office with a self-service member portal and the Linear Transponder Module, the organization has moved forward. With the talented and capable individuals sitting on AMSAT’s new Board and its Officers, I am confident in a bright future ahead for AMSAT and the amateur radio satellite service.“

Other officers elected by the Board were:

• Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, of Washington, DC, as Executive Vice President
• Jerry Buxton, N0JY, of Granbury, TX, as Vice-President – Engineering
• Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, of Brooksville, FL, as Vice President Operations
• Jeff Davis, KE9V, of Muncie, IN, as Secretary
• Steve Belter, N9IP, of West Lafayette, IN, as Treasurer
• Martha Saragovitz, of Silver Spring, MD, as Manager
• Alan Johnston, KU2Y, of Philadelphia, PA, as Vice President Educational Relations
• Frank Karnauskas, N1UW, of Burnsville, MN, as Vice President Development

[ANS thanks the AMSAT Board of Directors 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/

Satellite Acronyms Wiki Established

As with any specialized or technical endeavor, the language of amateur satellites is filled with terms, abbreviations, shorthands, and acronyms that become second nature to those who use them daily, but can be obscure to newcomers — or even to old hands who begin to explore new aspects of satellite construction or operation. This became abundantly clear during the recent AMSAT Symposium, in which some of our hobby’s top experts presented projects to the general memebership.

In response to inquiries from Symposium participants, John Brier, KG4AKV, and Brad Brooks, WF7T, have initiated a wiki page for listing, and briefly explaining, the technical jargon of our field. When confused by an unfamiliar batch of “alphabet soup,” consult the wiki at: http://sats.wikidot.com/acronyms

[ANS thanks John Brier, KG4AKV, for the above information]

New Satellite Distance Records Claimed

Casey Tucker, KI7UNJ, and Jérôme LeCuyer, F4DXV, have set a new record via RS-44. They completed an 8,402 km QSO between DN32 in Idaho and JN15 in France on October 19th at 07:15 UTC. This exceeds the prior record of 8,357 km set by W5CBF and DL4EA in late May.

F4DXV also set another record during his trip to JN15. Shortly after setting the record on RS-44, Jérôme worked Michael Styne, K2MTS, in FN22 via AO-27. This QSO covered a distance of 5,904 km, eclipsing the prior record of 5,682 km set by E21EJC and R9LR on June 9th.

In addition to these two new records, McKinley Henson, KE4AZZ, claimed the record for the NO-84 digipeater for a 3,439 km QSO with Christy Hunter, KB6LTY, on April 22, 2019.

For more distance records, see the AMSAT Satellite Distance Records page at https://www.amsat.org/satellite-distance-records/

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, 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 for October 22

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

EnduroSat One – Cat ID 43551 – decay epoch is 2020-10-15 per SpaceTrack.

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

FO-29 operation schedule for Nov. 2020

Time in UTC
Nov. 1 03:15-
Nov. 3 01:30- 03:10-
Nov. 7 01:15- 03:00-
Nov. 8 03:50-
Nov.14 01:50- 03:35-
Nov.15 02:40- 04:28-
Nov.21 02:25- 04:10-
Nov.22 03:15- 05:05-
Nov.23 02:20- 04:05-
Nov.28 01:15- 03:00-
Nov.29 02:05- 03:50-

https://www.jarl.org/Japanese/3_Fuji/fuji3-201907.htm

[ANS thanks Hideo Kambayashi, JH3XCU, for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

ARISS is seeking alumni from Luther Burbank School, Burbank, IL. Students, families or staff who participated in the hamradio contact with Bill Shepherd on Dec. 21 2000, are asked to contact Charlie Sufana, AJ9N (aj9n at aol.com). This was ARISS school contact #1, and this is the 20th year since that event. ARISS would like to celebrate!

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.

No school contacts are scheduled in the coming week.

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

[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

Upcoming Roves: DL88: The K5Z DL88 expeditions is heading out!!!! @Ad0dx and @N6ua are heading out on 10/25. Weather looks great, and there is even a chance at some passes on the 26th. This is a daytime activation only because the Talley campground is closed currently. Head on over to QRZ.com and check out the K5Z page for all the details. Or, visit: https://www.amsat.org/satellite-info/upcoming-satellite-operations/

Quick Hits:

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

FN01: @K8BL will run over to PA tomorrow and I’ll have a chance to activate the EN91/FN01 Line. Not sure of the timing, but I’ll pop up on a few FM & Linear SATs. All Qs will be on LoTW a day or so afterward.

KP44: OH8FKS is in KP44 until Sunday 10/25.

Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

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

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 outa reminder as the date gets closer.

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.

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ After 196 days living and working in Earth’s orbit aboard the Inter national Space Station, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, re turned from his third space mission Wednesday, Oct. 21, with cosmonauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Cassidy formally turned the station over to cosmonaut Sergey Ryzhikov on Tuesday, handing him a ceremonial “key” to the lab complex. Ryzhikov, Sergei Kud-Sverchkov and Kate Rubins, KG5FYJ, ar rived at the station last Wednesday aboard their own Soyuz ship. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft unfurled its robotic arm Tuesday, Oct. 20, and in a first for the agency, briefly touched an asteroid to collect dust and pebbles from the surface for delivery to Earth in 2023. This well-preserved, ancient asteroid, known as Bennu, is currently more than 200 million miles from Earth. Bennu offers scientists a window into the early solar system as it was first taking shape billions of years ago and flinging ingredients that could have helped seed life on Earth. If Tuesday’s sample col lection event, known as “Touch-And-Go” (TAG), provided enough of a sample, mission teams will command the spacecraft to begin stowing the precious primordial cargo to begin its journey back to Earth in March 2021. Otherwise, they will prepare for another attempt in January. (ANS thanks www.asteroidmission.org for the above information)

+ China is building a new rocket to fly its astronauts to the moon. Announced at the 2020 China Space Conference last month, the vehicle could deliver 25 metric tons into a trans-lunar injection. The rocket consists of three, 5-meter (16.4′) boosters and is 87 meters (285′) tall. Liftoff mass will be ~2,200 metric tons, which is about three times that of the Long March 5 (the current heavy lifter in China’s rocket lineup). (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ Most of the aerospace world watched the skies over Antarctica and New Zealand for portions of Thursday night/Friday morning. Earlier this week, LeoLabs Inc, a company that tracks objects in Low Earth Orbit, issued a statement regarding two large objects which posed a “high risk” of collision at 00:56:40 UTC on 16 October 2020. Roughly one hour after the time of possible collision, LeoLabs confirmed “No indication of collision” via a statement on Twitter. The two objects held a greater than 10% chance of colliding 991 km above Antarctica. (ANS thanks nasaspaceflight.com for the above information)

+ The website, Hackaday recently featured an article about David Prutchi, Ph.D., N2QG, and his home station that is capable of copying telemetry from deep-space satellites. Read the article at: https://bit.ly/2HqZMSb or read David’s paper directly at: https://bit.ly/2FRSXs9 (ANS thanks hackaday.com for the above information)

+ The University of Western Australia (UWA) is set to install an optical communications station capable of receiving high-speed data transmissions from space. The communications station will be able to receive data from spacecraft from anywhere between low-Earth orbit to as far away as the surface of the moon — about 384,000km away. Dr. Sascha Schediwy, Astrophotonics Group leader at UWA and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy (ICRAR), said optical communications are an emerging alternative to radio waves and are expected to drastically improve data transfer capabilities from space. (ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and IT News of Australia for the above information)

+ Nokia says it has been tapped by NASA to build the first cellular communications network on the moon. The Finnish telecommunications equipment maker said Monday, Oct. 19, that its Nokia Bell Labs division will build a 4G communications system to be deployed on a lunar lander to the moon’s surface in late 2022. Nokia’s network will provide critical communications capabilities for tasks astronauts will need to carry out, like remote control of lunar rovers, real-time navigation and high-definition video streaming, the company said. (ANS thanks apnews.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, Mark D. Johns, K0JM

k0jm at amsat dot org

ANS-292 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for October 18th

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:

  • ARRL Comments in Orbital Debris Mitigation Proceeding
  • Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 15, 2020
  • PREDICT-2.2.7 for Linux, Unix, Android, and Raspberry Pi Platforms
  • ARISS News * Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over
  • Tips for the New Operator

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-292.01
ANS-292 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 292.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE 2020 October 18
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-292.01

 

ARRL Comments in Orbital Debris Mitigation Proceeding 10/13/2020

In comments to the FCC, ARRL targeted two specific areas of concern regarding a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) in IB Docket 18-313 — mitigation of orbital debris in the new space age. In an earlier phase of the proceeding, ARRL filed comments and met with FCC staff to discuss the proposed rules. In comments filed on October 9, ARRL focused on the areas of indemnification and maneuverability/propulsion. Indemnification places the liability for any possible damage from a satellite on an individual or entity. ARRL reiterated its assertion that, as a practical matter, an indemnification requirement “would seriously impair the ability of amateur and university experimenters to launch and operate satellites under US auspices” due to the potential liability and high insurance cost.

Additional information is available at the ARRL Web Site: https://bit.ly/3iZiGwj

[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/

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for October 15, 2020

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

MO-106 Cat ID 44830 (decay epoch = 2020-10-09 per Space-Track).
TRSI-Sat Cat ID 44831 (decay epoch = 2020-10-11 per Space-Track).

The following satellite has an estimated decay epoch determined by SpaceTrack as follows:

EnduroSat One Cat ID 43551 estimated decay epoch = 2020-10-15 per Space-Track). (Still in orbit as of 2020-10-15 at 04:53 UTC.)

An updated set of Orbital Elements for October 15, 2020 have been distributed via the AMSAT /keps list and are available at the AMSAT website: https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, 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/

PREDICT-2.2.7 for Linux, Unix, Android, and Raspberry Pi Platforms

John Maglicane, KD2BD, has announced the release of PREDICT version 2.2.7, an Open Source satellite tracking / orbital prediction application for Linux and Unix computing environments, including PCs, laptops, and Raspberry PIs.

New in this release is a version of PREDICT that operates on Android platforms under a Termux environment. Now you can carry your smartphone in your shirt pocket while voice announcements made by PREDICT’s “vocalizer” tell you where to locate the ISS, Hubble, or other visible satellites in the night sky! There’s even an alarm to alert the observer when the spacecraft enters into eclipse or into sunlight.

Android screenshots are available here:
https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/SingleTrack-Android.jpg
https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/MultiTracking-Android.jpg

The Linux/Unix version of PREDICT-2.2.7 is available here: https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/predict-2.2.7.tar.gz

And the Android/Termux release is available here: https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/predict-2.2.7-termux.tar.gz

Both versions are source code releases. An included “configure” script will configure and compile PREDICT and its associated utilities for your specific platform while you wait.

Termux is an Android terminal emulator and Linux environment application that is available at no cost through Google Play. Further details are available at: https://termux.com/

Further details on PREDICT are available at: https://www.qsl.net/kd2bd/predict.html
Stay safe, stay well, and Happy Tracking! 73 de John, KD2BD

[ANS thanks John Magliacane, KD2BD 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 (awaiting update from AJ9N)

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 2020-10-14 18:00 UTC

Quick list of scheduled contacts and events: Ramona Lutheran School, Ramona, CA, direct via N6ROR The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz The scheduled astronaut is Chris Cassidy KF5KDR

Contact was successful: Wed 2020-10-14 16:26:13 UTC

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.

The following schools have now been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19: Postponed: No new schools Cancelled: No new schools

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

Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site. The main page for Applying to Host a Scheduled Contact may be found at https://www.ariss.org/apply-to-host-an-ariss-contact.html

ARISS Contact Applications (United States) Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

All dates and times listed follow International Standard ISO 8601 date and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

[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:
Jerome, F4DXV, is plans to operate from a 1500 meter summit in JN15jo on Monday, 19 October. He will be on RS-44 beginning at 2000utc specifically for North America. The footprint covers much of eastern NA. This is a difficult operation after dark and Jerome hopes that many will take advantage of the opportunity to work this very rare grid. RS-44 will be around 1430km.

DN13/23 and DN22: @KI7UNJ, 10/16 – 10/19: No pass list, just follow Twitter, BEACON APRS KI7UNJ-9 KI7UNJ-IOS
16th DN13/23 Line
17th DN22
18th DN22
19th DN13/23 Line

KQ2RP is heading to FN44/54 again. Will be on FM birds from FN54 with occasional FN44/54 line. FN53 possible. Oct 11-16th. Logging as KQ2RP/1.

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

From TI2BSH: October 16, 2020 I will be working in EK71 and will go out on the satellites:
AO-91 at 04: 22z,05:57z, 16:38z
SO-50 at 04: 48z, 15:16z
If you hear me and want that grid call in international phonetic code. 73s

Major Roves: 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 Sunday, October 25, 2020. They will be using the K5Z call sign. More information is available at the K5Z QRZ Page.

Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com

[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]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ NASA will provide live coverage of the return to Earth for agency astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, and two Russian cosmonauts Wednesday, Oct. 21, after six months aboard the International Space Station. Cassidy, the Expedition 63 commander, and cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of Roscosmos, will close the hatch to their Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft at 20:10 UTC Wednesday. Their Soyuz will undock at 23:32z. A parachute-assisted landing is set for 02:55z on Oct. 22 on the steppe of Kazakhstan. Complete coverage of the return will be available on NASA TV and the agency’s website, https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive (ANS thanks NASA for the above information)

+ Joe Werth, KE9AJ Tweets about a new distance record set for AO-7 Mode A: “Amazing QSO with Olivier, @F5RRO on AO-7 MODE A. Breaking a 40 year old AMSAT distance record at 6,879 km. Olivier used a MA5B Yagi and I used my Moxon….. Thanks Olivier!” The path map may be seen at: https://bit.ly/2SUSeJM (ANS thanks Joe Werth, KE9AJ for passing along the above information)

+ GNU Radio Project (@gnuradio) tweeted at 3:52 PM on Tue, Oct 13, 2020: Wylie Standage-Beier’s @thewyliestcoyot workshop on Writing GNU Radio Blocks is up on YouTube! A hands on intro to blocks, flowgraphs, and systems from simple Python simulation of a phase shift keyed signal in white noise to a functioning communications system. Link to Twitter Feed and Youtube link: https://t.co/XldgMCJeLy (ANS thanks JoAnn Maenpaa, K9JKM for relaying the above information from Twitter)

+ OSIRIS-REx, which launched in 2016 and has been orbiting the asteroid Bennu in microgravity since 2018, is going to try its first Touch And Go (TAG) maneuver next week. This maneuver involves autonomously descending toward the asteroid with the craft’s sample arm extended, briefly making contact, using nitrogen gas to blow loose material in to a sample collection head, and returning to orbit. The pristine sample should arrive back on Earth in September 2023. Visualization at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjlGYHJ2560&feature=youtu.be (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ Blue Origin’s reusable suborbital New Shepard flew on October 13 for the first time since December 2019, completing its 13th flight, and seventh reuse for this booster. The mission successfully carried several NASA experiments, including a “microgravity LilyPond”—-a hydroponic chamber for growing edible aquatic plants in space—-and a system for precise planetary landing that uses both terrain relative navigation (for high altitude use, soon to be used for landing by Mars 2020) and LiDAR (for final propulsive landing), with a planned application to upcoming lunar landing missions. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ Tweeted on October 13: Premier signers of Virgin Orbit’s payload wall, @AMSAT RadFxSat-2/Fox-1E is out of our hands and in the hands of @Virgin_Orbit to fly as part of Launcher One’s first payload. Great fun sharing in their new experience and first integration. And tours of their facilities to boot! https://twitter.com/n0jy/status/1315878009371422720?s=27 (ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT VP Engineering, for the above information)

+ Soyuz crew docks with International Space Station: In a mission marking the end of an era, NASA astronaut and former virus hunter Kate Rubins, using NASA’s last currently contracted seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft, rocketed into orbit Wednesday with two cosmonaut crewmates on a record-setting flight to the International Space Station. Celebrating her 42nd birthday, Rubins’ launch came just two weeks before 20th anniversary of the arrival of the station’s first crew on Nov. 2, 2000. Since then, the lab complex has been continuously staffed by rotating crews, or expeditions, of American, Russian, Japanese, European and Canadian fliers along with a handful of space tourists. Additional information is available at: https://bit.ly/31brNUw (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now and CBS News for the above information)

+ Oxygen supply fails on Russian segment of ISS, crew not in danger (Oct 15, 2020) The oxygen supply system has failed in a module on the Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) but the crew is in no danger, Russian space agency Roscosmos said Thursday. The oxygen supply system on the Zvezda module on the orbital lab failed late on Wednesday but a second system on the American segment is operating normally, a Roscosmos spokesperson told AFP. “Nothing threatens the security of the crew and the ISS,” said the spokesperson, adding this repair work to fix the issue would be carried out on Thursday. The issue arose after three new crew -two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut -reached the ISS on Wednesday to bring the number of current crew on board to six. Additional information at: https://bit.ly/31aO596 (ANS thanks Spacetravel and AFP for the above information)

Tips for the New Satellite Operator

This is the first of a what I hope to be a monthly New Satellite Operators Corner. I will offer AMSAT New Operator tips and links to AMSAT resources for new operators and posts from various interest groups where useful info is published. This weeks tip comes from Rick, WA6NDR via [email protected]. I hope you find this as useful as I have. Jack, KD4IZ, Editor, AMSAT News Service.

Tip of the month: TH-D74mailto:[email protected] A ISS APRS settings From: Rick WA6NDR “I was able to make an ISS APRS contact today with just the TH-D74A and an Arrow antenna (details at the end). I started with a video from Don W6GPS and documented what I ended up doing including minor changes. Change the call sign and email address to yours. “Personal preference” settings are optional. The reasoning behind most of the settings is given in Don’s video. I am using TH-D74A firmware v1.10 (with v1.11 released 8/26/2020 but not seeming worth the installation time).”
Tip of the month: TH-D74A ISS APRS settings
From: Rick – WA6NDR
“I was able to make an ISS APRS contact today with just the TH-D74A and an Arrow antenna (details at the end). I started with a video from Don W6GPS and documented what I ended up doing including minor changes. Change the call sign and email address to yours. “Personal preference” settings are optional. The reasoning behind most of the settings is given in Don’s video. I am using TH-D74A firmware v1.10 (with v1.11 released 8/26/2020 but not seeming worth the installation time).”
• Menu 800 = SD Card, Export, Config Data (FOR LATER IMPORT AND NORMAL OPERATION).
• Menu 999 = Config, System, Full Reset
• [F]DUAL to set A band only.
• Menu 900 = Config, Display, Backlight Control = On
• Menu 404 = GPS, Basic Settings, Battery Saver = Off
• Menu 500 = APRS, Basic Settings, My Callsign = WA6NDR-7
• Menu 503 = APRS, Basic Settings, Status Text = 1/1, “VIA ISS [email protected]”
• Menu 504 = APRS, Basic Settings, Packet Path = Others1, “ARISS”
• Menu 507 = APRS, Basic Settings, DCD Sense = Detect Data
• Menu 511 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Initial Interval = 30 min.
• Menu 512 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Decay Algorithm = Off
• Menu 513 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Prop. Pathing = Off
• Menu 514 = APRS, Beacon TX Control, Speed = Off
• Menu 903 = Config, Display, Power-on Message = “WA6NDR ISS”
• Menu 904 = Config, Display, Single Band Display = GPS(GS)
• Menu 920 = Config, Battery, Battery Saver = Off
• Menu 921 = Config, Battery, Auto Power Off = Off
• Menu 950 = Config, Date & Time, Setting = <local>, UTC -7:00
• VFO, set frequency to 145.825 MHz
• [F]APRS (see “APRS 12” on the top display, GPS info on bottom).
• Personal preference, for SD Card recording and save to PC.
o Menu 941 = Config, Auxiliary, PF2 = Recording (on/off)
o Menu 944 = Config, Auxiliary, PF3 (Mic) = Screen Capture
o Menu 980 = Config, Interface, USB Function = Mass Storage
• Menu 800 = SD Card, Export, Config Data (FOR ISS OPERATION).
• Operation
o Arrow 146/437-10WBP antenna: Use only the 2m 3-element part.
o Open squelch: [F]MONI, KNOB CCW, ENT. Listen, watch…
o BCON to send a beacon. BCON again (off). Repeat.

(ANS thanks Rick Nungester, WA6NDR for this 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

 

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