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[jamsat-news:1589] ANS 266
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS 266
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.
ANS is first released worldwide via the AMSAT ANS e-mail reflector,
followed by a live radiocast on the AMSAT-NA 20-meter net held each
Sunday on 14.282 MHz. Pre-net operations start at 18:00 UTC, with
current ANS bulletins transmitted to the eastern U.S. at 19:00 UTC and
to the western U.S. at 19:30 UTC.
AMSAT-NA is pleased to announce that recent (and future) Amateur
Radio satellite technology developments will be discussed in
Atlanta, Georgia at the 19th Space Symposium and AMSAT-NA Annual
Meeting, October 5-6, 2001. The Symposium Chairman is Steve Diggs,
W4EPI. Contact W4EPI at: w4epi@amsat.org
Information on AMSAT-NA is available at the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org <http://www.amsat.org/> (or from)
AMSAT-NA
850 Sligo Avenue, Suite 600
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-4703
Voice: 301-589-6062
FAX: 301-608-3410
Currently, AMSAT-NA supports the following (free) mailing lists:
* AMSAT News Service (ANS)
* General satellite discussion (AMSAT-BB)
* Orbit data (KEPS)
* Manned space missions (SAREX)
* District of Columbia area (AMSAT-DC)
* New England area (AMSAT-NE)
* AMSAT Educational Liaison mailing list (AMSAT-EDU)
* AMSAT K-12 Educational Liaison mailing list (AMSAT-K12)
A daily digest version is available for each list.
To subscribe, or for more list information, visit the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/listserv/menu.html
In addition to regular membership, AMSAT-NA 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.
Initially, there will two levels for donations - Gold and Silver.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT-NA Office.
This edition of ANS is dedicated to the memory of Walter Marquart,
W0CKT, who died recently in Madison, Wisconsin, at age 91.
Marquart was issued the first Amateur Radio operator's license in
South Dakota in 1926. The then-17-year-old was granted a General
class license and the call sign 9CKT by the U.S. Commerce
Department. During World War II, Marquart was a consultant for radar
installations around the world. After his retirement from teaching, he
became a missionary and pastor. [ANS thanks the ARRL for this
information]
ANS is always dedicated to the memory of past ANS editor 'BJ'
Arts, WT0N, and to the memory of long-time AMSAT supporters
Werner Haas, DJ5KQ, and Dennis Kitchen, G0FCL.
ANS salutes Grote Reber, W9FGZ, who is also called the father of radio
Astronomy. W9FGZ is among the inaugural group of 50 inductees into
the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame. The Hall was established to
recognize those individuals (whether licensed radio amateurs or not),
who significantly affected the course of Amateur Radio; and radio
amateurs, who, in the course of their professional lives, had a significant
impact on their professions or on world affairs. AMSAT and OSCAR
supporters/notables on the CQ Hall of Fame list include K1JT, K1ZZ,
W6SAI, W2SKE, W8JK, K7UGA, W6ZH, W3ASK, W1HR, KA9Q and
W3IWI. [ANS thanks CQ Amateur Radio
magazine, published by CQ Communications, Inc. for this information]
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.01
AO-40 UPDATE
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 266.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 23, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-266.01
AO-40 command station Stacey Mills, W4SM, informed ANS that
because of current ALON/ALAT, RUDAK time slots during orbit
have been moved and also increased slightly. RUDAK is currently
active from MA-70 and MA-87.
AO-40 is currently in a long period during which the Earth eclipses
the Sun near perigee. These actually began about August 28th, and
will rapidly increase in length. The will continue well into June 2002.
During September, eclipses will peak at 85 minutes in duration.
For the current transponder operating schedule visit:
http://www.amsat-dl.org/journal/adlj-p3d.htm
Stay tuned to ANS, the official source of AO-40 information.
[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-DL and the ARRL for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.02
DENNIS KITCHEN, G0FCL, SILENT KEY
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 266.02 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 23, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-266.02
The worldwide Amateur Radio society and the satellite community
has lost a very good friend -- Dennis Kitchen, G0FCL. Dennis passed
away in late August, following a short illness.
G0FCL was an active member of AMSAT-UK for many years. He
was committee member in charge of the UK's Orbital Calendar since
1991, and coordinated AMSAT-UK's goods and services in recent
years. Dennis also wrote the satellite column in the RSGB publication
of Radio Communication. His passing will leave a void in our lives.
Dennis will be warmly remembered for his passion for Amateur
Radio, especially satellites, and for his willingness to share his
knowledge and experience with all. AMSAT-UK Secretary, Jim Heck,
G3WGM, told ANS that "I find it very sad to record the passing of a great
friend, who gave so much to Amateur Radio and AMSAT-UK, in a very
quiet and unassuming way."
AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, upon hearing the sad
news, released the following statement:
I received this news with much regret. Dennis has been on this side of
the Atlantic several times and he will be warmly remembered by many
of us. It is always sad to loose a good friend. On behalf of the
AMSAT-NA Board of Directors, Officers and members, I pass our
condolences to his wife Barbara, his family and his many friends in
AMSAT.
73,
Robin Haighton, VE3FRH
President AMSAT-NA
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NA for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.03
W2RS HEADED TO REGION 2 CONFERENCE
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 266.03 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 23, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-266.03
AMSAT-NA Executive Vice President Ray Soifer, W2RS, will be
attending the IARU Region 2 Conference, which will be held
September 30-October 5, 2001, in Guatemala City. The Conference
agenda will include some very important issues including WRC-03
items on the proposed realignment of the 40-meter band. Possible
changes to the ITU regulations governing Amateur Radio will also
be discussed.
As many ANS readers remember, W2RS demonstrated AO-27 operation
at the 1998 IARU Region 2 Conference in Venezuela as YV7/W2RS.
At the upcoming Conference, Ray will again represent AMSAT, and will
try to operate as many UO-14 and AO-27 passes during the Conference
as his schedule permits.
Ray will be using the callsign TG9/W2RS. The grid square for Guatemala
City is EK-44.
As in Venezuela, the main purpose of this demonstration is to show the
Conference delegates (many of whom are representing relatively poor
countries with little or no satellite activity), how easy satellite operation
can be - using minimal equipment and antennas.
From Venezuela W2RS worked 17 stations on AO-27, as far away as
Canada, with just a handheld and extended length whip antenna. He will
be using the same equipment in Guatemala.
Look for TG9/W2RS!
W2RS also reports that recent IARU Region news included two problems
of Mexican origin, encrypted speech transmissions on 7008 kHz (and
several other 40-meter frequencies) and taxi cabs in San Luis and Sonora
using 2-meters for commercial communication. These issues have been
addressed by Ramon Santoyo, XE1KK, the IARU Liaison with Federacion
Mexicana de Radioexperimentadores.
After discussing these problems, as well as two problems of CB
interference, with officials at COFETEL, the Mexican communications
administration, formal complaints were sent. It is hoped that the Mexican
authorities will take appropriate action to eliminate these interference
problems. The taxicabs have been especially troublesome because
their signals have been picked up by the uplink receivers of several
OSCAR satellites and have been rebroadcast over wide areas of
North America.
Also, CRAG, the Guatemalan IARU member society, said in its report
to Region 2 that government authorities there have returned
430-440 MHz to Amateur Radio use, effective June 2001. Commercial
users (which had purchased the auctioned frequencies in this band) will
be relocated elsewhere. At WRC-03, Guatemala will request a footnote
making Amateur Radio the primary user at 430-440 MHz, CRAG
reported.
AMSAT-NA congratulates CRAG and IARU Region 2 on this outstanding
result!
W2RS invites satellite operators to visit our the IARU Monitoring System
Region 2 web site. Information on MS activities and reference
information is provided along with a number of interesting links. The
address is:
http://www.echelon.ca/iarumsr2
[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA Executive Vice President Ray Soifer, W2RS,
for this information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.04
ANS IN BRIEF
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 266.04 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 23, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-266.04
ANS news in brief this week includes the following:
** South African millionaire Mark Shuttleworth, who wants to become the
world's next space tourist, could make his flight onboard a Russian craft
as early as April 2002, according to the head of the Russian space
agency. -SpaceDaily
** At ANS release time, the launch of PCSat has been delayed due to
weather and radar problems at the Kodak launch site. The latest launch
information can be using PCSat's sister satellite - Sapphire. Check
out the following URL:
http://students.cec.wustl.edu/~sapphire/sapphire_overview.html
** Indian rocket scientists claim to have designed a reusable space
plane, dubbed Avatar, which they plan to use for launching small
satellites at very extremely low cost and also taking tourists on rides
into space, according to The Times of India. -SpaceDaily
** Alex, HB9DRI, reports a DX cluster dedicated to AO-40 is now active.
AO40 Report Logger is available at the following URL:
http://www.artieda.net/hb9dri/ao40logger. -Alex, HB9DRI
** The September/October issue of the AMSAT-NA Journal will include
the following articles; RUDAK Digital Signal Processing on AO-40;
2001 Field Day Results; AMSAT-OSCAR 40 Update; Results of the
AMSAT Project and Business Development Meetings; a Side-by-Side
Comparison of the FT-847 and IC-910H and an AMSAT Satellite
Awards update. The articles are in addition to the regular news and
columns. Membership in AMSAT-NA includes the AMSAT Journal.
-Russ, K5NRK
** Geologists poring over the latest images from Mars are turning up
new evidence that water once flowed freely on the planet's surface
and may still flow from time to time. If their interpretation is right,
underground aquifers or ice layers should be commonplace on the
planet. However, no spacecraft flown so far has been capable of
identifying them. -SpaceDaily
** ANS congratulates Frank, K0BLT, who worked HC2FG on
AO-10 for his 80th country via satellite!
** AMSAT-NA's Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, who is the ARISS Chairman,
told ANS that new flight antenna systems for ISS have been sent to
JSC for bench review. The antenna systems are expected to be loaded
into Multi-Purpose Logistics Module and flown on the STS-108/UF-1
flight, scheduled for late November. The new antennas will be located
around the periphery of the Service Module and will give HF, VHF, UHF
L-band and S-band capabilities. The HF antenna is a 2.5-meter long
flexible tape that will definitely work on 10-meters and possibly
15 and 20-meters. The antennas were developed by a joint U.S.,
Russian and Italian team. More details will be provided at the
upcoming AMSAT Symposium. -ANS
** A huge icy rock orbiting the Sun in deep space is the biggest
asteroid ever spotted, outstripping the previous record-holder.
The asteroid, designated 2001 KX76, has a diameter of at least
750 miles. -SpaceDaily
** The FCC has lowered the fee for a new or renewed Amateur Radio
vanity call sign. The FCC proposed the lower fee last March in a Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking for the Assessment and Collection of
Regulatory Fees for 2001. The FCC has estimated that 8,000 applicants
will apply for vanity call signs in the current fiscal year. -ARRL
--ANS BULLETIN END---
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.05
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 266.05 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 23, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-266.05
Phase 3D / AMSAT OSCAR 40 / AO-40
Launched: November 16, 2000 aboard an Ariane 5 launcher
from Kourou, French Guiana.
Status: Currently, the U/L-1 to S-2 passband is active.
Uplink U-band 435.550 - 435.800 MHz CW/SSB
L1-band 1269.250 - 1269.500 MHz CW/SSB
L2-band 1268.325 - 1268.575 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 2401.225 - 2401.475 MHz CW/SSB
For the current transponder operating schedule visit:
http://www.amsat-dl.org/journal/adlj-p3d.htm
AO-40 experimental transponder operation started on May 05, 2001 at
approximately 08:00 UTC when the U-band and L1-band uplinks were
connected to the S-2 transmitter passband downlink via the Matrix
switch.
Pieter Tjerk, PA3FWM, recently announced the availability of a new
program for decoding and viewing AO-40 telemetry under the Linux
operating platform, called ao40tlmview.
AO40tlmview can be downloaded from:
http://www.cs.utwente.nl/~ptdeboer/ham/ao40/
[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA, AMSAT-DL and the ARRL for this information]
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION/ARISS
Worldwide packet uplink: 145.990 MHz
Region 1 voice uplink: 145.200 MHz
Region 2/3 voice uplink: 144.490 MHz
Worldwide downlink: 145.800 MHz
TNC callsign NOCALL
ARISS initial station launched September 2000 aboard shuttle Atlantis.
ARISS is made up of delegates from major national Amateur Radio
organizations, including AMSAT.
Status: Operational.
The Western Albemarle High School contact with ISS Commander Frank
Culbertson was a great success.
The ISS packet station (normally) available for UI packets. The mailbox
and keyboard are currently disabled. Please see the packet section of
the ARISS web page before attempting to first work ISS on packet.
The ARISS-US team delivered a new packet module to NASA. This new
packet module is expected to correct several of the problems that have
been observed on the current ARISS packet system. Expedition-3
astronaut Frank Culbertson, KD5OPQ, is planning to make the
packet module change-out.
The ISS daily crew schedule (which gives an idea when crew members
have free time and may be available for Amateur Radio operations) can
be found at:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/timelines/2001/may/index.html
U.S. callsign: NA1SS
Russian callsigns: RS0ISS, RZ3DZR
The QSL routes for W/VE stations working NA1SS aboard the
International Space Station:
U.S. stations: Margie Bourgoin KB1DCO
Attn: ARISS Expedition-1 (or 2) QSL
ARRL, 225 Main Street
Newington, Connecticut 06111
Canadian stations: Radio Amateurs of Canada
Attn: ARISS Expedition-1 (or 2) QSL
720 Belfast Road, Suite 217
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 0Z5
European stations: AMSAT-France
16, rue de la Vallee
91360 Epinay sur Orge, France
A self-addressed, stamped envelope is required to get a QSL in return.
The ARISS international group has not yet finalized a QSL card design.
It will be a few months before cards become available. More information
about the project can be found on the ARISS web site at:
http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov
[ANS thanks ARISS team member Will Marchant, KC6ROL, for this
information]
RADIO SPORT RS-12
Uplink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.410 to 29.450 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.408 MHz
Launched: February 5, 1991 aboard a Russian Cosmos C launcher
Status: RS-12 was re-activated in mode-A on January 1, 2001
The latest information on RS-12 and RS-13 can be found on the AC5DK
RS-12/13 Satellite Operators page at:
http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html
[ANS thanks Kevin Manzer, AC5DK, for RS-12 information]
RADIO SPORT RS-15
Uplink 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 29.352 MHz (intermittent)
SSB meeting frequency 29.380 MHz (unofficial)
Launched: December 26, 1994 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
Status: Semi-operational, mode-A, using a 2-meter uplink and a
10-meter downlink
Dave, WB6LLO, has operating information for both RS-15 on his
Web site. In addition to satellite data, antenna information for
mode-A operation is also featured. The WB6LLO web site URL is:
http://home.san.rr.com/doguimont/uploads
[ANS thanks Dave Guimont, WB6LLO, for this information]
OSCAR 10 AO-10
Uplink 435.030 to 435.180 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 145.975 to 145.825 MHz CW/USB
Beacon 145.810 MHz (unmodulated carrier)
Launched: June 16, 1983 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, mode-B. AO-10 has
been locked into a 70-cm uplink and a 2-meter downlink for several
years.
DX continues to be heard and worked on AO-10. Drew, KO4MA,
reports working LU4HE, DG2HSF and IK0WGF recently.
W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL:
http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html
[ANS thanks Stacey Mills, W4SM, for his AO-10 status information
and web site]
AMRAD AO-27
Uplink 145.850 MHz FM
Downlink 436.795 MHz FM
Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Operational, mode J.
Periodically, AO-27's analog repeater will be turned off for a few days at
a time to enable ground controllers to gather Whole Orbital Data (WOD),
to verify the health of the satellite.
An AO-27 question-and-answer page is available on the AMSAT-NA web
site. The URL is: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/intro/ao27faq.html
AO-27 uses a method called Timed Eclipse Power Regulation (TEPR) to
regulate the on-board batteries. In simple terms, TEPR times how long
the satellite has been in an eclipse (or in the sun) and decides what
subsystems to turn on or off. The AO-27 pages on the AMSAT-NA web
site include an explanation of TEPR AO-27 operations (at):
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/ao27.html
TEPR states on AO-27 were reset on March 24, 2001 as follows:
TEPR 4 is 38 / TEPR 5 is 78 (TEPR 5 is now 20 minutes long)
[ANS thanks AMRAD for AO-27 information]
UO-14
Uplink 145.975 MHz FM
Downlink 435.070 MHz FM
Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Operational, mode J
Tim, KG8OC, features UO-14 information on the Michigan AMSAT
web site - point your web browser to the following URL:
http://www.qsl.net/kg8oc
[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-14 information]
JAS-1b FO-20
Uplink 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB
Launched: February 07, 1990 by an H1 launcher from the Tanegashima
Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational. FO-20 is in mode JA
continuously
Tak, JA2PKI, reported FO-20 control station operators believe that the
UVC (Under Voltage Controller) now is regulating the transponder. The
controller monitors battery voltage and tries to protect the batteries from
over discharge.
[ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-20 status reports]
JAS-2 FO-29
Launched: August 17, 1996, by an H-2 launcher from the Tanegashima
Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational
Voice/CW Mode JA
Uplink 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB
Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB
Digital Mode JD
Uplink 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM
Downlink 435.910 MHz 1200-baud BPSK or 9600-baud FSK
Callsign 8J1JCS
Digitalker 435.910 MHz
Last reported, the JARL FO-29 command station announced the
operation schedule of FO-29 through October 2001 - is mode JA
Mineo, JE9PEL, has a FO-29 satellite telemetry analysis program that
will automatically analyze all digital telemetry from the satellite (such as
current, voltage and temperature). The JE9PEL FO-29/shareware is
available at the following URL:
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/
[ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.06
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 266.06 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 23, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-266.06
TIUNGSAT-1
Uplink 145.850 or 145.925 MHz 9600-baud FSK
Downlink 437.325 MHz
Broadcast callsign MYSAT3-11
BBS MYSAT3-12
Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic
missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational at
38k4-baud FSK
Bill, VK3JT, reports TiungSat-1 efficiency is 100% most of the time
with strong signals and (usually) 2 megabytes exchanged each pass.
Chris, G7UPN, tells ANS that TiungSat-1 has been operating at a data
rate of 38k4. Data recovery at 38k4 is reported to be extremely good with
efficiencies near 100%. The output power is at 8-watts "which should
provide a very good downlink," said Chris, adding "the downside is that
with the high power transmitter operating, the power budget is negative
so we can't support continuous operation."
According to G7UPN, TiungSat-1 now requires the Amateur Radio
station to switch the downlink 'on' when the satellite comes into range.
The way this works is for the ground station software to send a request
to the spacecraft to switch the downlink on. The spacecraft receives this
request and checks the battery voltage to see if it can support the
operation, and if it can it will activate the downlink.
TiungSat-1 is Malaysia's first micro-satellite and in addition to
commercial land and weather imaging payloads offers FM and FSK
Amateur Radio communication.
TiungSat-1, named after the mynah bird of Malaysia, was developed as
a collaborative effort between the Malaysian government and Surrey
Satellite Technology Ltd.
For more information on TiungSat-1, visit the following URL:
http://www.yellowpages.com.my/tiungsat/tiung_main.htm
[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for this information]
KITSAT KO-25
Uplink 145.980 MHz FM (9600-baud FSK)
Downlink 436.500 MHz FM
Broadcast Callsign HL02-11
BBS HL02-12
Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Operational
Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-25 is operational with low traffic and low
downlink efficiency.
[ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for this information]
UOSAT UO-22
Uplink 145.900 or 145.975 MHz FM 9600-baud FSK
Downlink 435.120 MHz FM
Broadcast Callsign UOSAT5-11
BBS UOSAT5-12
Launched: July 17, 1991 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Operational
Jim, AA7KC, reports UO-22 is operational with moderate traffic.
Downlink efficiency is in the 50% range.
UoSAT command station G7UPN reports to ANS that UO-22 had
been closed for amateur activity for a short duration while command
stations assess the state of the RAM disk. Over the past few weeks
there have been increasing difficulties downloading larger files from
the spacecraft. The store and forward communications system has
been reloaded.
More information on the satellite is available at the following URL:
http://www.sstl.co.uk/
[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-22 information
and Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for status information]
OSCAR-11
Downlink 145.825 MHz FM (1200-baud AFSK)
Mode-S Beacon 2401.500 MHz
Launched: March 1, 1984 by a Delta-Thor rocket from Vandenberg Air
Force Base in California. Status: Operational
Clive, G3CWV, reported to ANS that during the period of 14-August to
15-September, reliable signals have been received from the 145 MHz
beacon. The internal temperatures have continued to increase as the
solar eclipse times decrease. A rise of 2.5 degree C has been noted.
The temperatures are now 3.0 C and 1.6 C for battery and telemetry
electronics respectively. The battery voltage observed during daylight
passes has increased. The average value observed was 13.8 volts,
with a range of 13.4 to 14.2 volts. The improved battery voltage is also
a result of decreasing solar eclipse times, and this trend is expected to
continue for several months.
The operating schedule is unchanged.
ASCII status (210 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY SEU (30 seconds)
ASCII TLM (90 seconds)
ASCII WOD (120 seconds)
ASCII bulletin (60 seconds)
BINARY ENG (30 seconds)
The ASCII bulletin is currently a static message, detailing modes and
frequencies of all active Amateur Radio satellites.
More information on OSCAR-11 is available at the following URL:
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/
[ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for OSCAR-11 status information]
PACSAT AO-16
Uplink 145.90 145.92 145.94 145.96 MHz FM
(using 1200-baud Manchester FSK)
Downlink 437.025 MHz SSB (RC-BPSK 1200-baud PSK)
Mode-S Beacon 2401.1428 MHz
Broadcast Callsign: PACSAT-11
BBS PACSAT-12
Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater command is on.
Telemetry is as follows:
uptime is 579/16:59:06. Time is Fri Sep 14 20:36:10 2001
+10V Bus 10.100 V +X (RX) Temp -9.078 D
RX Temp 4.234 D Bat 1 V 1.191 V
Bat 2 V 1.163 V Bat 3 V 1.137 V
Bat 4 V 1.231 V Bat 5 V 1.174 V
Bat 6 V 1.226 V Bat 7 V 1.199 V
Bat 8 V 1.236 V +Z Array Temp -14.524 D
Bat 1 Temp 5.444 D Bat 2 Temp 4.839 D
Baseplt Temp 4.839 D PSK TX RF Out 1.512 W
RC PSK BP Temp -5.448 D RC PSK HPA Tmp -5.448 D
+Y Array Temp -22.390 D PSK TX HPA Tmp -0.002 D
Total Array C= 0.000 Bat Ch Cur=-0.415 Ifb= 0.200 I+10V= 0.235
TX:1009 BCR:1E PWRC:36D BT:1E WC:25 EDAC:27
A new WOD collection of current graphics along with general
Information and telemetry samples can be found at:
www.telecable.es/personales/ea1bcu
[ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for AO-16 status information]
UoSAT-12 UO-36
Uplink 145.960 MHz (9600-baud FSK)
Downlink 437.025 MHz 437.400 MHz
Broadcast Callsign UO121-11
BBS UO121-12
Launched: April 21, 1999 by a Russian launcher from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome. Status: Operational
UO-36 carries a number of imaging payloads, digital store-and-forward
communications and mode L/S transponders.
NASA has demonstrated on UO-36 the ability to use standard Internet
protocols to communicate with an orbiting spacecraft (just like any node
on the Internet). NASA has been developing this project by working with
the commercial payload aboard UoSAT-12.
The BBS is open, although uploading and downloading may be disabled
at times.
The VK5HI viewer shareware for UO-36 is available on the AMSAT-NA
web site at the following URL:
ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/display/ccddsp97-119.zip
Further information on UO-36 is available from: http://www.sstl.co.uk/
[ANS thanks Chris G7UPN/ZL2TPO, and the University of Surrey for this
information]
ITAMSAT IO-26
Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM (1200-baud)
Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB
Broadcast Callsign ITMSAT-11
BBS ITMSAT-12
Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater function is on
and open for APRS users.
[ANS thanks ITAMSAT Project Manager Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD, for
IO-26 information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-266.07
WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 3
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 266.06 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 23, 2001
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-266.07
THE FOLLOWING ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE NON-OPERATIONAL
AT THIS TIME:
TMSAT-1 TO-31
Uplink 145.925 MHz (9600-baud FSK)
Downlink 436.925 MHz (9600-baud FSK)
Broadcast Callsign: TMSAT1-11
BBS TMSAT1-12
Launched: July 10, 1998 by a Zenit rocket from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome. Status: Non-operational, no data downlinked
since December 18, 2000.
Chris G7UPN, (UoSAT operations manager) reports the
following to ANS:
The TO-31 downlink will be off over most areas, with the exception of
Europe and Thailand. This is required to allow control stations to
recondition the battery with minimum power drain.
ProcMail V2.00G has been released by G7UPN. This software permits
the processing of image files from TO-31. It has been posted to the
AMSAT-NA FTP site at the following URL:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/wisp
Many of the high-resolution color images transmitted by TMSAT are
Compressed using a UoSAT compression format. This format is
supported by the VK5HI CCD display program.
[ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for TO-31 status
information]
LUSAT LO-19
Uplink 145.84 145.86 145.88 145.90 MHz FM
(using 1200-baud Manchester FSK)
CW downlink 437.125 MHz
Digital downlink 437.150 MHz SSB (RC-BPSK 1200-baud PSK)
Broadcast Callsign LUSAT-11
BBS LUSAT-12
Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French
Guiana. Status: Beacon only. The CW beacon is sending eight telemetry
channels and one status channel on 437.126 MHz. No BBS service is
available. The digipeater is not active.
Telemetry is as follows:
Time is Fri Jul 13 21:53:51 2001
CW-Code: avt aba av6 abn au6 a6v ttu aee
5V-reg.: 4.89 V 8.5V-reg: 8.68 V
10V-Bat: 10.94 V 10V-Curr: 114.1 mA
TX-Pwr : 0.899 W TX-Temp.: -0.46 ?C
+Z-Sol.: 0.30 V Box-Temp: 3.56 ?C
CW-Code: avt aba av6 abn aub a6u ttu aee
5V-reg.: 4.89 V 8.5V-reg: 8.68 V
10V-Bat: 10.94 V 10V-Curr: 113.4 mA
TX-Pwr : 0.899 W TX-Temp.: -0.46 ?C
+Z-Sol.: 0.30 V Box-Temp: 3.20 ?C
General information and telemetry samples can be found at:
www.telecable.es/personales/ea1bcu
[ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for LO-19 status information]
SO-41 SAUDISAT-1A
Uplink to be released
Downlink 437.075 MHz
Broadcast Callsign SASAT1-11
BBS SASAT1-12
Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic
missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Unknown, this satellite
has been in orbit for almost 8 months. ANS has received no additional
information.
When/if operational, SaudiSat-1A will operate as 9600-baud digital
store-and-forward systems as well analog FM repeater mode capability.
One of two new ham satellites from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia built by
the Space Research Institute at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and
Technology.
SO-42 SAUDISAT-1B
Uplink to be released
Downlink 436.775 MHz
Broadcast Callsign SASAT2-11
BBS SASAT2-12
Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic
missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Unknown, this satellite
has been in orbit for almost 8 months. ANS has received no additional
information.
When/if operational, SaudiSat-1B will operate as 9600-baud digital
store-and-forward systems as well analog FM repeater mode capability.
One of two new ham satellites from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia built by
the Space Research Institute at the King Abdulaziz City for Science and
Technology.
SUNSAT SO-35
Mode J Uplink: 145.825 MHz FM
Mode J Downlink: 436.250 MHz FM
Mode B Uplink: 436.291 MHz FM
Mode B Downlink: 145.825 MHz FM
Launched: February 23, 1999 by a Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air
Force Base in California. Status: Non-operational
The SunSat team released the following statement, dated
February 1, 2001:
We regret to announce that the last communication with SunSat from our
ground station at the Electronic Systems Laboratory at Stellenbosch
University took place recently. We are certain, after having performed
several tests since the last contact, that an irreversible, physical failure
has occurred on the satellite. It is therefore unlikely that we will have
any further contact with SunSat, apart from the occasional visual sighting
by telescope!
When it was operational the SunSat package included 1200 and 9600
baud digital store-and-forward capability and a voice 'parrot' repeater
system in addition to Mode B/J operation with two VHF and two UHF
transmit-receive systems.
For more information on SunSat visit the following URL:
http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za
[ANS thanks Garth Milne, ZR1AFH, for this information]
RADIO SPORT RS-13
Uplink 21.260 to 21.300 MHz CW/SSB
Downlink 145.860 to 145.900 MHz CW/SSB
Beacon 145.860 MHz
Launched: February 5, 1991 aboard a Russian Cosmos C launcher
Status: non-operational (last operational in mode-T)
RS-12 was re-activated in January 2001. Prior to this switch RS-13 was
operational (mode T), but was apparently turned off following the recent
RS-12 switch.
The latest information on RS-12 and RS-13 can be found on the AC5DK
RS-12/13 Satellite Operators page at:
http://www.qsl.net/ac5dk/rs1213/rs1213.html
[ANS thanks Kevin Manzer, AC5DK, for this information]
KITSAT KO-23
Uplink 145.900 MHz FM (9600-baud FSK)
Downlink 435.170 MHz FM
Broadcast Callsign HLO1-11
BBS HLO1-12
Launched: August 10, 1992 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Intermittent operation with the downlink
transmitter operating at unpredictable intervals.
Jim, AA7KC, reported that KO-23's downlink transmitter continues in
non-operational status. Jim says that KO-23 shows some signs of trying
to recover, but no useful data has been downlinked. The duration of this
status is unpredictable. No data has been received since
October 28, 2000.
KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, reports (from the KO-23 control team) that part
of the problem with non-operation has been the power budget aboard the
satellite. "We are not sure when the bird might turn off again due to
insufficient power. The capability of the onboard power system has been
less and less," said Kim. HL0ENJ also noted that as of October 30, 2000
the onboard computer was reset and a reboot of operational software
is/was underway.
[ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ,
for KO-23 status information]
TECHSAT-1B GO-32
Downlink 435.225 MHz using HDLC telemetry
Launched: July 10, 1998 by a Russian Zenit rocket from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome. Status: Semi-operational.
Efforts were reported to be underway to bring GO-32 on line, however,
no information has been received by ANS (the last report was dated
November 1999).
Last reported, the satellite does transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30
seconds (the GO-32 beacon sends one short telemetry status
transmission of 44 bytes) and upon request the complete telemetry
buffer.
[ANS has no further information]
PANSAT PO-34
Uplink/downlink frequency (listed on the PanSat web site) 436.500 MHz
Launched: October 30, 1998 by the Shuttle Discovery. Status: Unknown
The satellite is not available for general uplink transmissions.
The Naval Postgraduate School developed PanSat. At the time of
launch, PanSat spread-spectrum digital transponders were to
be available to Amateur Radio operators along with software to utilize
this technology.
For more information, visit the official PanSat web site at:
http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/
PanSat was the featured cover article on the July/August 1999 issue of
the AMSAT-NA Journal (the story written by KD6DRA and N7HPR).
[ANS has no further information]
DOVE DO-17
Downlink 145.825 MHz FM (1200-baud AFSK)
2401.220 MHz
Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Non-operational.
DOVE stopped transmitting in March 1998. The 145.825 MHz and
2401.220 MHz downlinks are off the air and the satellite has not
responded to ground station control.
[ANS has no further information]
WEBERSAT WO-18
Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB (1200 baud PSK AX.25)
Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou,
French Guiana. Status: Non-operational.
WO-18 was last reported to be in MBL mode after a software crash.
[ANS has no further information]
SEDSAT-1 SO-33
Downlink 437.910 MHz FM (9600-baud FSK)
Launched: October 24, 1998 by a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral,
Florida. Status: Semi-operational.
The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions and the
image and transponder recovery efforts have been unsuccessful.
SedSat-1 signifies Students for the Exploration and Development of
Space (satellite number one).
SedSat-1 has downlinked months worth of telemetry data on the
performance of its electrical power system parameters. The Nickel
Metal Hydride batteries on the spacecraft were experimental and
experienced some abuse due to a power negative situation. This
information has provided NASA with useful information. With the
exception of the imaging system and the use of the transponders,
SedSat-1 has been judged a success.
For more information on SedSat-1 visit the satellite web site at the
following URL:
http://seds.uah.edu/projects/sedsat/sedsat.htm
[ANS has no further information]
/EX
--ANS END---
ANS would like to thank Mike Seguin, N1JEZ, ANS principal satellite
investigator, for helping provide current satellite information.
Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:
ans-editor@amsat.org
Daniel (Dan) James
AMSAT News Service Bulletin Editor
AMSAT-NA Vice President/Public Affairs
Amateur callsign: NN0DJ
Grid Square EN28iv
Warroad, Minnesota U.S.A.
E-mail: nn0dj@amsat.org
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