AMSAT Vice President – User Services, Robert Bankston, KE4AL, at the 2019 AMSAT Academy.
Come join us the day before Hamvention, for AMSAT® Academy – a unique opportunity to learn all about amateur radio in space and working FM, linear transponder, and digital satellites currently in orbit.
AMSAT® Academy will be held Thursday, May 14, 2020, from 9:00am to 5:00pm, at the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) Clubhouse, located at 6619 Bellefontaine Rd, Dayton, Ohio.
The $85 registration fee includes:
• Full day of instruction, designed for both beginners and advanced amateur radio satellite operators, and taught by some of the most accomplished AMSAT operators.
• Digital copy of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites, 2020 Edition ($15 value)
• One-Year, AMSAT® Basic Membership ($44 value)
• Pizza Buffet Lunch
• Invitation to the Thursday night AMSAT® get together at Ticket Pub and Eatery in Fairborn.
Registration closes May 8, 2020. No sign ups at the door. No refunds,
no cancellations.
Registrations may be purchased on the AMSAT store.
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.
The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat.org.
Update from AMSAT President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG
Free Digital Copy of “Getting Started with Amateur Satellites” Available for New or Renewing Members
Apogee View – January/February 2020
5 Tips on Etiquette and Good Manners on the FM Ham Radio Satellites
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 13, 2020
Upcoming ARISS Contacts
Upcoming AMSAT Events
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT’s GOLF-TEE satellite recently reached a major milestone when prototype boards transmitted telemetry for the first time. Help support AMSAT’s path back to HEO by donating today!
After a long decline in the health of its batteries, AO-85 has gone silent. Having not been heard throughout the most recent period of full illumination, it is reasonable to believe the batteries have deteriorated to the point of no longer being able to power the transmitter. Should some future event cause a cell to open, it is possible the satellite may be heard again, but for now it is time to declare end-of-mission.
AO-85 was conceived as the first AMSAT cubesat, and was designed to be a successor to the popular AO-51 microsat. Accepted into the NASA CubeSat Launch Initative in February 2012, AO-85 was launched October 8, 2015. AO-85’s success led to further Fox satellites AO-91, AO-92, AO-95, and RadFxSat2 / Fox-1E which will be launched later this year. The Fox-1E transponder was also spun off into a radio system now in orbit onboard HuskySat-1, and soon to be in several other university cubesats.
Development continues on GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1, which will include a legacy V/u linear transponder and a SDR-based multiband uplink and 10 GHz downlink radio system. Your continued support of AMSAT by membership and donations will help us Keep Amateur Radio in Space.
[ANS thanks Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, AMSAT Vice President – Operations for the above information]
Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront. 25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
Students in the Husky Satellite Lab at the University of Washington have been celebrating successes since HuskySat-1, a student built satellite weighing about 9 lbs, deployed into space on Friday, January 31st:
• After being deployed, HuskySat turned on, deployed the antennas on the first attempt, and start transmitting in a designated “safe mode”.
• On the first active pass over Seattle, just 2 hours after deployment, students used the UW ground station to command the satellite to change operational modes.
• With help from AMSAT and the network of amateurs across the globe, the HuskySat team has been able to closely track the health of the satellite. Health data includes temperatures, battery charge state, and solar panel charging.
• Over the weekend, the camera payload took and transmitted the first pictures from space! The camera included collaboration with Raisbeck Aviation High School and nonprofit Quick2Space.
Picture of earth from the HuskySat-1 Camera
Commissioning of the satellite systems is still underway. The satellite has actually been in space inside a Nanoracks deployer since launch on Nov 2nd. The main research goal of satellite is to demonstrate the new propulsion and communication technologies on the satellite. At the completion of the research phase, the satellite will be utilized as an amateur transponder.
The mission of the UW program, housed in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, is to foster interdisciplinary student participation in space systems research, to inspire and train future space scientists and engineers, and to advance spacecraft capabilities at the University of Washington.
On February 15th, AMSAT Vice President – Engineering Jerry Buxton, N0JY, hosted a Twitch stream to discuss the AMSAT Linear Transponder Module (LTM-1) and HuskySat-1. You can see a replay of the livestream at https://www.twitch.tv/videos/552209241
[ANS thanks Paige Northway of the HuskySat-1 team and Jerry Buxton, N0JY, AMSAT Vice President – Engineering, for the above information]
Update from AMSAT President Clayton Coleman, W5PFG
I am humbled by the greetings and congratulatory messages received over the past ten days since becoming the President of AMSAT. Please join me in expressing gratitude to our immediate past president Joe Spier, K6WAO, for his dedication to AMSAT’s mission of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
It was a pleasure to speak with many of our members at the Orlando Hamcation last weekend. Attending Hamcation afforded me the opportunity to meet with many of our volunteers and reach out to other organizations in amateur radio such as the ARRL and the Dayton Amateur Radio Association.
My priority, now underway, is to ensure all Directors have equal access to AMSAT resources to perform their duties. AMSAT complies with Section 29-413.05 of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act of 2010. Most of the information Directors use to perform their duties are already publicly available on the Internet on our website, published in the AMSAT News Service (ANS) and often in print as part of The AMSAT Journal. These resources are not password protected and can be viewed by members and non-members alike.
Once I’ve had an opportunity to speak individually with the Directors, I will convene a Board of Directors teleconference to address outstanding business. At any time, three Directors may call on the President to schedule a Board of Directors meeting, per our bylaws Article II, Section 5, Paragraph A.
73,
Clayton
W5PFG
AMSAT President
[ANS thanks Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, AMSAT President, for the above information]
Free Digital Copy of “Getting Started with Amateur Satellites” Available for New or Renewing Members
While HuskySat-1 completes it’s scientific mission, check out the best resource for learning how to work through linear transponder satellites (and other types of amateur satellites). For a limited time, AMSAT is making the “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites” book available as a download with any paid new or renewal membership purchased via the AMSAT Store. This offer is only available with purchases completed online, and for only a limited time. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite.
Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/shop/ and selecting any membership option. While there, check out AMSAT’s other items, including the M2 LEOpack antenna system, Arrow antennas, AMSAT shirts, and other swag. Be sure to view your cart before going to checkout. If you add a membership and then go directly to checkout, you’ll never see an option to add your free gift.
If you have trouble selecting your free gift, please see this YouTube video to see the steps necessary: https://youtu.be/oRqk5Am-UzE
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information]
Apogee View – January/February 2020
Happy New Year! 2020 promises to be an exciting year filled with new satellites to work and significant progress towards our next generation of satellites. By the time you read this, HuskySat-1 should be in orbit and completing its science mission before being turned over to AMSAT for amateur radio use. I want to congratulate all those involved with this project both at the University of Washington and on AMSAT’s Engineering and Operations teams who worked to make this mutually beneficial partnership happen. More details about HuskySat-1 and our partnership with the Husky Satellite Lab at the University of Washington can be found elsewhere in the January/February 2020 issue of The AMSAT Journal.
While we look forward to the completion of HuskySat-1’s primary mission, we also await the launch of the final Fox-1 satellite, RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E, which is currently scheduled to launch no earlier than the first quarter of this year on the ELaNa XX mission. The ELaNa XX mission will fly on the second flight of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne vehicle.
As the Fox project wraps up its series of five 1U CubeSats, progress continues on GOLF, the next generation of AMSAT satellites. A group of GOLF-TEE (Greater Orbit Larger Footprint – Technology Evaluation Environment) satellite prototype boards transmitted telemetry for the first time on Tuesday, January 14th. During the test, the boards were laid out on a bench as a “flat-sat” with interconnecting wires, bench power supplies, and a dummy load on the transmitter. The interconnected boards included:
• An early RT-IHU (Radiation Tolerant Internal Housekeeping Unit – i.e., computer) prototype,
• A CIU (Control Interface Unit) prototype, and
• A set of spare boards from HuskySat-1 that act as prototypes for the LIHU (Legacy IHU) and legacy VHF/UHF RF components.
Now that the team has reached this point, AMSAT Engineering has RF to use as a basis for developing a GOLF-TEE decoder for FoxTelem, our ground telemetry receiver software. Thousands of hours of work by many AMSAT volunteers have gone into the hardware and software that got us this far, with much work yet to be done before the assembly of flight units. The GOLF-TEE satellite is designed as a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) testbed for technologies necessary for a successful CubeSat mission to a wide variety of orbits, including MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) and HEO (High Earth Orbit).
The work on GOLF is intended for our CubeSat missions to higher orbits. However, much as the Fox-1E linear transponder was adapted as a payload for HuskySat-1, components developed for GOLF, such as the RT-IHU and the microwave SDR transponder, can be adapted to serve as the basis for a hosted payload on a commercial or government satellite in geostationary orbit or perhaps an educational CubeSat destined for MEO or GTO. Should an opportunity arise, the work being done on GOLF means that we will be ready to build such a hosted payload.
While we continue our work on these satellites, we face the prospect of regulatory roadblocks. Last year, we submitted comments on the Federal Communication Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding the mitigation of orbital debris. The proposed rules as worded would severely limit the type of missions AMSAT could pursue. While the Commission has not yet issued final rules, we are hopeful that the near-unanimous opposition of commenters to the more harmful aspects of the rules, such as the requirement for satellite operators to indemnify the United States Government for any potential claims regarding their satellites, will limit the negative impact.
Another serious concern is our access to spectrum. While international threats that arose in the months before the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference to the 144 MHz – 146 MHz and 1260 MHz – 1270 MHz amateur satellite service bands have subsided for the time being, other threats appear on the horizon. This past December, the FCC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would delete the amateur allocation at 3.3 GHz – 3.5 GHz, including the amateur satellite service allocation at 3.4 GHz – 3.41 GHz. While that band has not yet been used for any amateur satellites as it is not available in ITU Region 3 (Asia & Oceania), it is still a potentially useful resource for a future amateur geostationary payload over the Americas.
Additionally, we know that many AMSAT members also use this band for other purposes, such as mesh networking, contesting, and EME communications. Access to microwave spectrum is crucial for many of our planned activities, including GOLF and amateur radio on the Lunar Gateway, and we must vigorously defend our spectrum allocations. AMSAT is currently drafting comments opposing this proposed rule, and, working alongside the ARRL, we continue to monitor potential legislative and regulatory actions that could limit or even preclude some of our current and planned activities.
On a final note, I wanted to let the membership know that AMSAT’s servers will be migrating to a new operating system and a new hosting service later this year. This is necessary as the operating system currently running AMSAT’s servers will reach its end of life in November. While AMSAT’s capable IT team led by Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, will do their best to minimize any disruptions to AMSAT services, this type of transition can often result in unforeseen problems. Continue to monitor the AMSAT-BB and AMSAT’s Twitter and Facebook accounts for any updates.
[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, AMSAT Executive Vice President, for the above information]
The digital download version of the 2019 edition of Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is now available as a DRM-free PDF from the AMSAT Store. Get yours today!
5 Tips on Etiquette and Good Manners on the FM Ham Radio Satellites
The DX Engineering blog On All Bands recently published an article en titled “5 Tips on Etiquette and Good Manners on the FM Ham Radio Satellites” by Sean Kutzko, KX9X.
[ANS thanks Sean Kutzko, KX9X, and DX Engineering for the above information]
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for February 13, 2020
The following Amateur Radio satellite’s name and NORAD CAT ID have been changed:
1. HuskySat 1 satellite name is now HuskySat-1.
2. Based on changes in Space-Track TLE data, HuskySat-1’s new NORAD CAT ID is now object 45119.
(Thanks to Nico Janssen, PA0DLO, for satellite identification.)
[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information]
Upcoming ARISS Contacts
Maple Dale Elementary School, Cincinnati, OH, direct via K8SCH
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled astronaut is Drew Morgan KI5AAA
Contact is go for: Thu 2020-02-20 18:20:28 UTC 48 deg
The ARISS webpage is at https://www.ariss.org/.Note that there are links to other ARISS websites from this site.
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 and time format YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
[ANS thanks Charlie Sulfana, AJ9N, ARISS Operations, 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.
Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space?
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.
Current schedule:
+ March 6, 2020, Irving Hamfest, Irving, TX
+ March 14-15, 2020, Science City on University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ
+ March 21, 2020, Midwinter Madness Hamfest, Buffalo, MN
+ March 21, 2020, Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, Scottsdale, AZ
+ March 28, 2020, Tucson Spring Hamfest, Tucson, AZ
+ March 29, 2020, Vienna Wireless Winterfest, Annandale, VA
+ May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Association Hamfest, Sierra Vista, AZ
+ May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest, Prescott, AZ
+ May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, OH
+ June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Con, Plano, TX
This color brochure is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a tri-fold handout.
To include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or demonstration, please send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot) org.
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT Vice President – User Services, for the above information]
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Satellite Shorts
Feb 13-16 DM22 AD7DB and N7JY FM
Feb 15 CN78 ADODX FM and Linear (Twitter @ad0dx)
Mar 14-15 DN26/36 KC7JPC Linears (and possibly FM)
#SnowBirdRove (EL79) – February 1-29, 2020
Joe, KE9AJ, will cross the border into Florida, seeking climatical asylum in EL79 for the entire month of February. Since he will be there for an extended period, with both FM and linear gear, keep an eye on Joe’s Twitter feed for specific pass announcements: https://twitter.com/KE9AJ
St. Barthelemy Island (FK87) February 15-22, 2020
Operators Pat/N2IEN, Ray/W2RE, Rockwell/WW1X, and Lee/WW2DX will be signing FJ/homecalls from St. Barthelemy (NA-146) between Feb. 15 and 22. QRV holiday-style on 160 to 6m and via satellite on CW, SSB, and digital modes. QSL cards for all calls via NR6M.
Vidalia, LA (EM41) February 28 – March 1, 2020
Brian, KG5GJT, will will be operating from the bank of the Mississippi river in Vidalia, La. (EM41), where Jim Bowie was seriously wounded in the Sandbar Fight on September 19, 1827. This will
be vacation style, so keep an eye on Brian’s Twitter feed for updates: https://twitter.com/KG5GJT
Big Bend National Park (DL88) March 16-17, 2020
Ron AD0DX, Doug N6UA, and Josh W3ARD will operate from Big Bend National Park to put grid DL88 on the air. Details will be added here, as they come available, but you are more than welcome to keep an eye on their individual Twitter feeds: https://twitter.com/ad0dx, https://twitter.com/dtabor, and https://twitter.com/W3ARDstroke5
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT Vice President – User Services, for the above information]
Operators Alex/VE1RUS and Pierre/VE3TKB will once again be active as VY0ERC from the Eureka Weather station between now and March 28th. This station is operated by the Eureka Amateur Radio Club [probably the most northerly located amateur radio club in the world] from Eureka, Nunavut, Canada. The suggested bands are 40 and 20 meters possibly 80m), as well as FM satellites (from ER60, EQ79) using SSB, the Digital modes (FT8 and RTTY) and very slow CW. Activity will be limited to their spare time. QSL via M0OXO, OQRS or direct. For updates, see: https://twitter.com/vy0erc
[ANS thanks The Ohio/Penn Dx Bulletin 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.
The Nanoracks deployment of several CubeSats has been delayed until no earlier than February 17 due to delays with the launch of Cygnus NG-13. CubeSats scheduled to deploy are RadSat-u, Phoenix, QARMAN, CryoCube, AztechSat-1, SOCRATES, Argus-02, HARP, and SORTIE.
AMSAT-UK OSCAR News Editor Slade Stevens, 2E0SQL, is soliciting articles for the next issue. Send submissions to 2E0SQB at amsat.org
The AMSAT-UK shop is now stocking a 5 watt 2.4 GHz amplifier kit for use with the QO-100 geostationary satellite. For more details, see https://tinyurl.com/ANS-047-QO-100
Wouter Weggelaar, PA3WEG, recently released a composite video showing all currently orbiting FUNcube family satellites being launched: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdjXzPEsuxw
Spaceflight Industries recently signed a deal to sell its satellite rideshare launch business Spaceflight, Inc. to Mitsui & Co., in partnership with Yamasa Co., Ltd. AMSAT purchased the launches for AO-92 and AO-95 from Spaceflight, Inc. https://tinyurl.com/ANS-047-Spaceflight
[ANS thanks everyone 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 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,
At a special meeting held via teleconference, the AMSAT Board of Directors elected Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, President. Coleman previously served as a member of the Board of Directors from 2017-2019 and also served as AMSAT’s Secretary during this time. He has also volunteered in several other capacities for AMSAT, including chairing the 2016 AMSAT Space Symposium held aboard the cruise ship Carnival Liberty.
Coleman’s first introduction to amateur radio in space was with SAREX and Mir. An interest in setting up an AX.25 BBS and nodes led to him trying out the Mir Personal Message System (PMS) and digipeater to make contacts in the early 1990s. It wasn’t until a visit from a friend in 2011 that Coleman was bitten by the OSCAR bug and began his AMSAT journey chasing operating awards.
Having held other leadership roles in his community, nonprofits, and critical infrastructure, Coleman’s desire is working with constituents to improve organizational processes and align them with strategic goals. Professionally, Coleman works in the industrial process control sector as both a consultant and business development manager. He resides in the North Texas area with his spouse and two children.
AMSAT members will have the opportunity to meet Coleman at the Orlando HamCation on Saturday, February 8th. He will hold a meet and greet at the AMSAT booth from 9:30am-10:30am and 2:00pm-3:00pm. He will also make remarks at the AMSAT Forum, which will be held at 12:30pm Saturday in Room CS III at the Lakeside Pavilion.
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 https://amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in space as soon as our volunteers can post it. Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor at amsat dot org. You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans
In this edition:
HuskySat-1 Deployed, Telemetry Beacon Active
Free Digital Copy of “Getting Started with Amateur Satellites” Now Available for New or Renewing Members
Joe Spier, K6WAO, Resigns as AMSAT President
Melissa Pore To Be Honored at HamCation February 2020
W1ANT Pro Satellite Tracker Announced
AMSAT Argentina Drifting APRS Buoy on 145.825 MHz
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Upcoming AMSAT Events
ARISS News
Satellite Shorts from All Over
HuskySat-1 Deployed, Telemetry Beacon Active
The University of Washington’s HuskySat-1 CubeSat was deployed from the Cygnus NG-12 spacecraft on Friday, January 31 at approximately 2230 UTC. HuskySat-1’s 1,200 bps BPSK beacon is active on 435.800 MHz and is decodable with the latest release of AMSAT’s FoxTelem software.
HuskySat-1 will be made available for Amateur Radio use following its primary mission to test a pulsed plasma thruster and experimental K band (24 GHz) communications system. HuskySat-1 features a 30 kHz wide 145 to 435 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW:
HuskySat-1
– Uplink: 145.910 – 145.940 MHz LSB/CW
– Downlink: 435.840 – 435.810 MHz USB/CW (inverting)
– Telemetry: 435.800 MHz 1K2 bps BPSK
24049.00 MHz (U of Washington experimental downlink)
[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President – Engineering for the above information.]
Free Digital Copy of “Getting Started with Amateur Satellites” Now Available for New or Renewing Members
While HuskySat-1 completes it’s scientific mission, check out the best resource for learning how to work through linear transponder satellites (and other types of amateur satellites). For a limited
time, AMSAT is making the “Getting Started With Amateur Satellites” book available as a download with any paid new or renewal membership purchased via the AMSAT Store. This offer is only available with purchases completed online, and for only a limited time. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite.
Please take advantage of this offer today by visiting the AMSAT store at https://www.amsat.org/shop/ and selecting any membership option. While there, check out AMSAT’s other items, including the M2 LEOpack antenna system, Arrow antennas, AMSAT shirts, and other swag. Be sure to view your cart before going to checkout. If you add a membership and then go directly to checkout, you’ll never see an option to add your free gift.
If you have trouble selecting your free gift, please see this YouTube video to see the steps necessary. https://youtu.be/oRqk5Am-UzE
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information]
Joe Spier, K6WAO, Resigns as AMSAT President
Joe Spier, K6WAO, has tendered his resignation as AMSAT President, citing personal reasons. Spier had served as AMSAT’s President since October 2017. Prior to his tenure as President, Spier served as AMSAT’s Executive Vice President and Vice President – Educational Relations. He also served as an AMSAT News Service Editor and as a member of the ARISS Education Team.
Under the AMSAT bylaws, Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, assumes the office of President until the next meeting of the Board of Directors.
Stoetzer said “I want to thank Joe for his many years of service to AMSAT in a variety of roles. I especially want to recognize his efforts to mark AMSAT’s 50th Anniversary with special events at the
Dayton Hamvention and AMSAT Symposium. His leadership in bringing together a variety of figures from the history of amateur radio in space in Arlington, VA this past fall helped to make the Symposium a very special event.”
[ANS thanks the AMSAT Office for the above information]
Melissa Pore To Be Honored at HamCation February 2020
Melissa Pore, an ARISS-US Education Committee member, recently earned Orlando HamCation’s 2020 Carole Perry Educator of the Year award. She will be feted at their February convention; the award recognizes teachers making outstanding educational contributions.
Melissa is an engineering and computer science teacher at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, VA. She led weeks of STEM and radio activities leading up to the school’s 2018 ARISS contact. She heads the school’s engineering and ham radio clubs. At her previous school, she worked with the STMSAT-1 CubeSat project, the first satellite built by elementary school students. She helped staff an ARISS exhibit at the 2019 Space Explorers Education Conference in Houston and will present a workshop there in 2020. At the 2019 Space Port Area Conference for Educators, she received a plaque from the ISS National Lab SSE program citing her “service, commitment, and desire to push the boundaries of STEM Education.”
She brings her students to staff some of ARISS’s outreach exhibits, such as a 2019 one at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information.]
W1ANT Pro Satellite Tracker Announced
Heimir, W1ANT announces that the Pro version has no ads and adds some features. Most notably the ability to group the satellites. The groups can then be enabled and only satellites from enabled groups will show up in the satellite overview.
Other features include:
Get a list of Amateur Radio satellites visible from your current location in the next 24 hours.
Get an overview over their paths from acquisition to loss of signal (AOS to LOS).
Only passes above the minimum elevation are shown on the list.
Select one of them and get information on their on-board radios.
Select one of their radios and be able to point your phone directly at it so you can easily operate it.
Extra information, i.e. the actual frequencies to use for uplink and downlink is also presented taken the Doppler effect into account.
Get full information on the app at the Google Play Store.
[ANS thanks Heimir Thor Sverrisson, W1ANT for the above information.]
AMSAT Argentina Drifting APRS Buoy on 145.825 MHz
On Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 1400 GMT AMSAT Argentina deployed a drifting buoy on South Atlantic Seas that aims to transmit APRS on the satellite packet frequency of 145.825 MHz. WSPR will also be transmitted. AMSAT Argentina reports the APRS beacon, callsign LU7AA-11, will initially be on Argentina’s APRS frequency of 144.930 MHz but will change frequency to 145.825 MHz so that it can be digipeated by the amateur packet radio satellites. The WSPR beacon will run 900 mW on 14095.6 kHz with the call sign LU7AA.
Release will be 100 km offshore Mar del Plata coast, seeking east aiming currents/winds. The objective is to track sea currents tracking and HF/VHF/SAT QRPp propagation tests. AMSAT Argentina, LU7AA, will appreciate WSPR stations receiving/reporting 20M. Further information and pictures at http://amsat.org.ar?f=buoy
[ANS thanks AMSAT Argentina 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/
VUCC Awards-Endorsements for February 2020
Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period January 1, 2020 through February 1, 2020.
Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!
KO4MA
1701
1750
WA5KBH
744
759
KE4AL
602
625
WD9EWK (DM43)
597
600
K0FFY
260
576
N1AIA
257
494
G0ABI
320
453
AB5SS
306
411
AD0HJ
375
405
AC9E
353
401
W5TD
392
396
K5IX
350
375
MI6GTY
354
360
W7JSD
336
355
PS8ET
326
350
ND0C
250
301
KJ4EU
206
261
KC9UQR
196
240
W4DTA
180
217
N9FN
194
207
N0RSR
154
200
VE1VOX
155
157
PU4JOE
101
150
WA9JBQ
125
150
K5ZM
101
135
S57NML
100
126
KN6DBC
New
125
AB4GE
100
122
XQ3SA
New
114
KE0WPA
New
108
RA3S
New
107
EA2AA
New
101
W4ZXT
New
100
WR0H
New
100
If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at <mycall>@<mycall>.com and I’ll revise the announcement. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the 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.]
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Satellite Shorts Feb 15 CN78 AD0DX FM and Linear (Twitter @ad0dx)
Mar 14-15 DN26/36 KC7JPC Linears (and possibly FM)
#SnowBirdRove (EL79) – February 1-29, 2020
Joe, KE9AJ, will cross the border into Florida, seeking climatical asylum in EL79 for the entire month of February. Since he will be there for an extended period, with both FM and linear gear, keep an eye on Joe’s Twitter feed for specific pass announcements: https://twitter.com/KE9AJ
There is a possibility that Joe may have to make a pit stop in EM54 and EM53 on his way down South on February 1st. Monitor Twitter for updates.
Antigua (FK97) February 2 – 9, 2020
Mel, W8MV, will be in Antigua 2-9 February. Mel is waiting for his operating license. Will update as soon as it arrives. FM only. QSL via LOTW
Key West and Boca Grande Key (EL94, EL84+) February 9-11,2020
Clayton, W5PFG, will be in Key West, Florida (EL94) February 9 through the 11, 2020. Monday, February 10, 13:15-17:30 UTC, Clayton will operate FM & SSB satellites from EL84xm, Boca Grande Key. Listen for W5PFG near these dates for additional Florida grids such as EL79, EL89, EL99, EL86, EL96, & EL95. Keep an eye on Clayton’s Twitter feed for further announcements https://twitter.com/w5pfg
Isla Perez, Mexico (EL52, EL50, EL51) February 11 – 17, 2020
Members of Radio Club Puebla DX will be active as 6F3A from Isla Perez, Mexico, between February 11-17. The operators mentioned are Patricia/XE1SPM (Team Leader), Ismael/XE1AY, Rey/XE1SRD and Ricardo/XE1SY. Activity will be on 80/40/20/17/15/12/10/6 meters, and include the ARRL DX CW Contest (February 15-16). QSL via XE1SY. Ismael, XE1AY, reports that he is doing CW and the satellites, and will also TX from EL50 and XE1AY/mm from EL51.
Big Bend National Park (DL88) March 16-17, 2020
Ron AD0DX, Doug N6UA, and Josh W3ARD will operate from Big Bend National Park to put grid DL88 on the air. Details will be added here, as they come available, but you are more than welcome to keep an eye on their individual Twitter feeds: https://twitter.com/ad0dx, https://twitter.com/dtabor, and https://twitter.com/W3ARDstroke5
Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP – User Services, for the above information]
DX Satellite Operations on QO-100
Matteo, IZ4YGS will be QRV as 9G5GS from Sanzule, Ghana from February 1 – 26. He plans some activity on Satellite QO-100. QSL direct to home call.
Special event station II3BIA will be QRV from February 1 – 29 during the Biathlon World Championships 2020 being held in Antholz. Activity includes possible activity on Satellite QO-100.
QSL via IN3ZWF.
[ANS thanks ARRL DX News for the above information.]
FJ, ST. BARTHEMELY. Operators Pat/N2IEN, Lee/WW2DX, Rock/WW1X and Ray/W2RE will be active as FJ/N2IEN, FJ/WW2DX, FJ/WW1X and FJ/W2RE respectively from St. Barthemely (NA-146) between February 15-22. Activity will be holiday style on various HF (160-6m)/VHF/UHF bands using CW, SSB, RTTY and satellites. QSL via their home call signs.
[ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin for the above information.]
ZS95SARL celebrates the 95th anniversary of the South African Radio League, founded in May 1925 as South African Radio Relay League (renamed after WW II). QRV during the whole year on HF, VHF, UHF and via satellites. QSL via bureau.
[ANS thanks the DARC DX Newsletter for the above information.]
Upcoming AMSAT Events
Want to see AMSAT in action or learn more about amateur radio in space?
AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.
Current schedule:
February 7-9, 2020, HamCation, Orlando, FL
February 14-15, 2020, Yuma Hamfest and ARRL Southwest Division Convention, Yuma, AZ
February 15, 2020, Cabin Fever Reliever Hamfest, Saint Cloud, MN
March 6, 2020, Irving Hamfest, Irving, TX
March 14-15, 2020, Science City on University of Arizona, Tuscon, AZ
March 21, 2020, Midwinter Madness Hamfest, Buffalo, MN
March 21, 2020, Scottsdale Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, Scottsdale, AZ
March 28, 2020, Tucson Spring Hamfest, Tucson, AZ
March 29, 2020, Vienna Wireless Winterfest, Annandale, VA
May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Association Hamfest, Sierra Vista, AZ
This color brochure is designed to be printed double-sided and folded into a tri-fold handout.
To include your upcoming AMSAT presentation and/or demonstration, please send an email to ambassadors (at) amsat (dot) org.
[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT VP – User Services, for the above information]
AMSAT’s GOLF-TEE satellite recently reached a major milestone when prototype boards transmitted telemetry for the first time. Help support AMSAT’s path back to HEO by donating today!
Possible Russian supported contact with Ecuador, via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Skripochka
Contact possibly is go for Friday, February 7, 2020 UTC.
ARISS congratulations Satoshi 7M3TJZ who has now mentored 138 schools.
The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.]
Satellite Shorts From All Over
AMSAT-Spain Readies Two SatellitesThe Hades and EASAT-2 PocketQubes from AMSAT-Spain will carry VHF/UHF linear transponders and analog and digital two-way communications capability, including store-and-forward. Launch is planned for late 2020. More information is available at https://amsat-ea.org
[ANS thanks AMSAT-EA for the above information.]
Training course: Product Assurance in ESA projects for SMEsOn March, 31 to April 1, 2020 the European Space Agency invites participants interested in either Hardware or Software Product Assurance (PA) to join its specialists for a two-day training
session at ESA/ESTEC (Noordwijk, The Netherlands). The course aims at providing SME participants with an overview of the PA tasks to be performed throughout a project. While a generic overview of Product Assurance tasks is provided to all participants on day 1, day 2 treats Hardware and Software PA aspects in more detail. Participants choose either the Hardware PA or Software PA module, depending on their needs and interests. More information and registration is available at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-033-ESA-PA
[ANS thanks the ESA 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 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,
