AMSAT NEWS SERVICE - 30 August, 2009 (UTC)

[David (N4DLT)]

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-242
ffice:office" />
ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service
of AMSAT North America, The Radio Amateur Satellite
Corporation. ANS 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.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:

[e-mail]

************************************************** ********************
* 2009 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting October 9-11 *
* Four Points Sheraton Hotel at the Baltimore Washington Airport *
* Guest Banquet Speaker Dr.Martin Collins *
* Details - www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/2009/index.php *
************************************************** ********************

In this edition:
* Satellite Notes
* AMSAT Space Symposium Registration
* News From the Tokyo Ham Fair
* ARISS Status - 24 August 2009

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-242.01
Satellite Notes

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 242.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
August 30, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-242.01

Help Needed For AMSAT Publications

AMSAT-NA currently has two positions that need a volunteer to jump
in and assist with our publishing efforts.

The AMSAT Journal needs a person who can provide translation from
German to English. AMSAT-DL has published several significant updates
about P3-E which can be shared with the english-speaking operators.
Conversely, translation from English to German would enable sharing
of articles both ways.

Next, the weekly AMSAT News Service ANS Bulletins has an opening (or 2)
for an editor to take on news gathering and reporting work. This is
a rotating position shared with 3 existing editors so your ANS duty
would occur approximately once every 4 weeks per the schedule.

If you can help please contact AMSAT VP User Services, Gould Smith
WA4SXM ([e-mail]) and let him know which position you are
interested in helping with.

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM for the above information]

--------------------------------------------------------------------

AO-51 Mode Change to V/U and L/U Repeaters This Week

AMSAT VP Operations, Drew KO4MA reported that AO-51 Control Station
has turned on the SQRX receiver and the 1268.700 uplink to allow
users to access the satellite according to the following schedule:

August 31 - September 5:

FM Repeater, V/U
Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM
Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM

FM Repeater, L/U
Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM

Ground controllers reported they lowered the power on the 435.300
transmitter to compensate for the extra power the receiver uses.
Currently 435.150 is at 400mw, and 435.300 is at 700mw. Together
the transmitters are drawing 1.06 amps continuously.

Please remember to send those your AO-51 operating mode suggestions
to the [e-mail] e-mail address. Keep an eye on the AO-51
webpage at www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews.php, ANS news
bulletins, posts to AMSAT-BB, and AMSAT on Twitter for updates and
information.

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA for the above information]

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Satellite Tracker For Your iPhone

OK folks, we could pretty much guess these applications would arrive
sooner or later. Well its sooner now. For who are interested to have
a free satellite tracker application in your iPhone here are two for
you to test out:

These can be downloaded from the AppStore via these links:

Space Station Lite (ISSLite) FREE
itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=305522724&
mt=8

Satellite Tracker - FREE
itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=306260378&
mt=8

[ANS thanks Fabiano Moser CR7/PY5RX for the above information]

--------------------------------------------------------------------

FO-29 Satellite Recovery Progress Report

Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL reported that FO-29's ground control stations
have been working on recovering this satellite after an outage re-
ported by users earlier this week. As of August 28 the control station
has succeeded in transmitting commands to the satellite and received
good response.

At present FO-29 is available only when it is over Japan so that the
control station can command the satellite, retrieve telemetry data,
and analyze the results. The receiver aboard FO-29 is used for both
command and transponder operations. When too many stations attempt to
uplink they interfere with ground controllers efforts to command the
satellite. FO-29 controllers will advise when the satellite becomes
available for general amateur radio use. After this please do not
attempt to uplink to FO-29 if you cannot copy its CW beacon.

The fo29cwts.exe telemetry decoding program was updated to Ver 2.4
this week. CW telemetry copy/pasted into the decoder is displayed
graphically. Refer to the following pages to download the software:

www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/90828f29.jpg
www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/fo29cwts.zip

[ANS thanks Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL for the above information]


[ANS thanks all for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-242.02
AMSAT Space Symposium Registration

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 242.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
August 30, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-242.02

You can now register online for the 2009 AMSAT Space
Symposium and Annual Meeting. This year we are celebrating
our 40th anniversary so please come and visit with old
friends, listen to interesting presentations and enjoy
our guest speaker, Dr. Martin Collins. Dr Collins who
works at the the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum will
talk on "Making the Space Age: The
First Fifty Years". Online registration will
disappear on October 5th so
do not wait too long!
Don't forget your BOD Ballots-Due by Sept 15th.!
--
[ANS thanks Martha for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-242.03
News From the Tokyo Ham Fair

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 242.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
August 30, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-242.03

Hello (J)AMSATs,

Today was the last day of Tokyo Ham Fair, which was
another great day like it was yesterday. I was at the
JAMSAT booth where I showed my small transponder design
to the HAM people, which gave a lot off interest from all
kinds of people. Possibilities for future satellite have
been created and people have been made interrested in
doing satellite communication.

I had also the opertunity to meet a lot of people using
the VO-52 satellite, on which is my transponder. It is a
great joy to see the satellite activities here on the
other side of the globe (seen from my home in
The Netherlands). I noticed that a lot of CW is used
here. Some people are doing city junting, which means
they have their car build like a satellite station
(incl. rotor and elevation) and hop between satellite
passes from one city to another, and try to make QSOs
from as many cities as possible. The car stations are
real nice contructions, and of great ham spirit.
Very nice to see...

There was also a list with number of contacts made for
each satellite pass by one ham. The highest number was
on VO-52 with 42 QSO's for one pass (over Japan), 36 in
CW and 6 in SSB. Its really amazing, and it must have
been done with very high time efficiency, and a very
fast CW wrist hihi...

It was a great time at the JAMSAT booth, and we had a
nice after party with lot of JAMSAT members, and with
delicious Japanese food. My thanks for the great
hospitality from the JAMSAT people, and thanks for
the nice talks we had about satellites.

73 de JA/PE1RAH
William Leijenaar in Tokyo (till 28 August)

[ANS thanks William Leijenaar, JA/PE1RAH, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-242.04
ARISS Status - 24 August 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 242.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
August 30, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-242.04

1. Upcoming School Contacts

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact
has been made with Tenison Woods College in Mount Gambier,
South Australia. The contact was scheduled for Monday, August
24 at 07:19 UTC via telebridge station W6DUE in Maryland. The
contact has been integrated into the curriculum’s astronomy
and physics units through participation in hands-on activities.

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact has been accomplished with Volkssterrenwacht Urania in
Hove, Antwerp, Belgium on Monday, August 24 at 11:30 UTC via t
elebridge station VK4KHZ in Australia. Urania is a public
observatory that raises public awareness of astronomy,
meteorology and astronautics. A range of activities and
services are available: lessons for beginners and the
experienced, guided tours of the observatory, an extended d
ocumentation center, various publications, stargazing
evenings, conferences, Urania Mobile (Flanders' first mobile
observatory) and the astroshop. This "Space Talk" will boost
activities at the start of the new season.

2.Timothy Kopra Participates in ARISS Contact with KIPP:3D Academy

On Thursday, August 20, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP:3D)
Academy in Houston, Texas participated in an Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Timothy
Kopra, KE5UDN via telebridge station W6SRJ in California.
All 18 prepared questions were answered with time for an
additional two. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT
and JK1ZRW conference room servers.

3. ARISS Contact Held with Peruvian University

On Thursday, August 20, an Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) contact was held between Gennady Padalka,
RN3DT on the ISS and participants in the international forum
to discuss small satellite development and launch projects,
held at the Peruvian National University of Lima in Lima,
Peru. Participants were delegates from different South
American countries and technical university representatives
from foreign countries. Among the participants was the Kursk
State Technical University delegate, Valery Pikkiev, who
developed a space experiment for SuitSat-2 (ARISSat-1).

4. Successful ARISS Contact with Scouts of Maur

The international year of astronomy inspired a few scout
guides from Maur near Zürich, Switzerland, to create a special
scout event, the Astrocamp 2009, where participants learn
about astronomy and space technology, communication technologies,
journalism and public relations. One of the activities
scheduled for the event was an Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) contact between the Girl
and Boy Scouts of Maur “Pfadimuur,” and Frank De Winne,
ON1DWN on the ISS. The contact took place on Saturday,
August 22. Twelve questions were answered as an audience of
approximately 100 listened. Scouts, mass-media representatives,
parents and interested parties were present.
Television channel TELETOP, radio stations DRS-3, DRS-1
Regional, Radio Energy, Radio 24, Radio Zürichsee and the
newspaper Sonntagsblick covered the event. The audio was
fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW conference room servers.

5.Thirsk Participates in ARISS Contact with Nova East Star Party

On Saturday, August 22, an Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station (ARISS) contact took place between the Nova
East Star Party, sponsored by the Royal Astronomical Society
of Canada, Halifax Center in Nova Scotia, Canada and Robert
Thirsk, VA3CSA, on the ISS. Four hundred people witnessed the
contact as Thirsk answered the 18 questions posed to him.
Bell Aliant was present to record the event. The Nova East
Star Party is Atlantic Canada’s oldest and largest Star Party
which draws both professional as well as amateur astronomers
from the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, Eastern Ontario and the
New England States. The focus of the event is public outreach
and education. Through daytime seminars and workshops and
evening observing sessions, the public is introduced to
the wonders of the night sky.

6. ARISS International Team Meeting Held

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
teleconference was held on Wednesday, August 19. SuitSat-2 (
now ARISSat-1) was among the topics discussed. The minutes
have been posted to the ARISS Web site.
See: www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2009-08-19.htm

7. Make Magazine Posts SuitSat Article

Make Magazine published an article on Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) project,
SuitSat-2 (now ARISSat-1). To view the story, go to:
blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/08/suitsat_hacking_for_outer_space.htm
l



[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, 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.

73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Dee Interdonato, NB2F
nb2f at amsat dot org