CAMSAT’s CAS-6 satellite is scheduled to launch at 03:21 UTC on December 20, 2019. CAS-6 is a payload on the technology test satellite Tianqin-1, which will launch on a CZ-4B launch vehicle from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. The primary payload on this launch is the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS-4A).
CAS-6 will be launched to a sun-synchronous orbit at 629 km with an inclination of 97.89 degrees. The satellite carries a 20 kHz wide U/v linear transponder with an uplink of 435.270 MHz – 435.290 MHz and a downlink of 145.915 MHz – 145.935 MHz. The satellite also carries a CW telemetry beacon at 145.910 MHz and a 4k8 GMSK telemetry downlink at 145.890 MHz.
Telemetry downlink specifications and further technical information can be found in the following documents:
On December 6, 2019, the Technical University of Budapest SMOG-P and ATL-1 PocketQubes were launched on an Electron launch vehicle from the Mahia Launch Complex in New Zealand. SMOG-P and ATL-1 were developed as part of the university curriculum and operated in cooperation with the HA5MRC Technical University amateur radio club. The satellites carry spectrum monitoring payloads and are currently active.
At the request of the Technical University of Budapest, AMSAT hereby designates SMOG-P as Magyar-OSCAR 105 (MO-105), and ATL-1 as Magyar-OSCAR 106 (MO-106). We congratulate the owners and operators, thank them for their contribution to the amateur satellite community, and wish them a long mission and continued success on this and future projects.
73,
Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT VP Operations / OSCAR Number Administrator
For Flashback Friday, AMSAT is releasing disk images of QUIKTRAK for both the Commodore 64 and Apple II. These disk images should work in any emulator for the platforms, such as VICE for the Commodore 64 and AppleWin or LinApple for the Apple II. They can also be imaged to floppy disk or used with a floppy emulator on real vintage hardware. These disk images have AMSAT’s club call, W3ZM, and Washington, DC set as the default callsign and QTH. Current Keplerian elements for AO-7 (as of September 13, 2019) are included. These programs provide a fun look back at the state of the art in satellite tracking in the mid-1980s.
QUIKTRAK was written by Bob McGwier, N4HY, utilizing tracking routines originally developed by Tom Clark, W3IWI (now K3IO). While the Commodore 64 version is in compiled BASIC (Blitz), the AppleSoft BASIC source code for the Apple II version is included on the disk image and can be LISTed.
Additionally, Paul Williamson, KB5MU, recently made the InstantTrack program for the IBM PCs and PC compatibles freely available on his website.
If anyone has any copies of additional historic tracking programs, please email n8hm at amsat.org to arrange preserving this portion of AMSAT’s history.
Tracking AO-7 with MAPTRAK for the Commodore 64 in VICE.
Showing the next AO-7 passes in Washington, DC using QUIKTRAK for the Apple II in LinApple.
Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) has awarded a very generous grant to ARISS for the Next Generation radio system. ARDC is the owner and manager of the Internet network known as the AMPRNet. In June of 2019, ARDC initiated a philanthropic endeavor to provide monetary grants to organizations, groups, projects, and scholarships which have significant potential to advance the state of the art of Amateur Radio, and digital communications in general.
The ARISS Next Generation radio system (or Inter Operable Radio System – IORS) will support easier radio mode transition, to enable new, exciting capabilities for hams, students and the general public including:
New amateur radio communication and experimentation capabilities, including an enhanced voice repeater and updated digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities.
Slow Scan TV (picture up and downlinks) in both the US and Russian segments of ISS.
New multi-voltage power supply will support present and future radio capabilities and allow wireless experiments to be conducted.
In July, the Inter Operable Radio System successfully completed a battery of stressful tests required as part of the final certification of the hardware for launch to and operation on the International Space Station. Final assembly of the flight safety certification in preparation for launch is now underway and ARISS is working towards launch ready status by the end of the year.
