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[jamsat-news:1938] ANS-193 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins


AMSAT NEWS SERVICE

ANS-193

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:
ans-editor@amsat.org

In this edition:
* ECHO becomes AMSAT OSCAR-51
* ECHO Progress Update - 11 July 2004
* ECHO telemetry software update
* AMSAT Treasurer
* Space Symposium travel tips
* ARISS Status - 05 July 2004


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-193.01
ECHO becomes AMSAT OSCAR-51

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 193.01 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  July 11, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-193.01

AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH has asked me to handle issuance of
OSCAR numbers, and has written me requesting an OSCAR number for the ECHO
satellite.  Therefore, in response to his communication, I hereby issue ECHO
the number AMSAT-OSCAR-51 (AO-51) to this exciting new amateur radio
spacecraft.  Thus, AO-51 joins a long line of amateur radio satellites
beginning with OSCAR-1 launched in December, 1961.

I wish to congratulate everyone involved in the design, construction,
testing, preparing for launch, launching and commissioning of this latest
Amateur Radio spacecraft.

I trust that amateurs all over the world will have an opportunity to avail
themselves of the many features offered by AO-51.

May AO-51 have a long and productive life.

Best wishes and 73,
William (Bill) Tynan, W3XO

[ANS thanks Bill, W3XO for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-193.02
ECHO Progress Update - 11 July 2004

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 193.02 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  July 11, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-193.02

On the 06 July 2004, during the 0310 UTC pass, the SQRX was set to a VHF
frequency and the antenna relay switched to the VHF whip.  Once the various
modulator/switch functions where set to the right configuration the SQRX
audio path proved to work fine.  In an additional test of the SQRX the
receiver was retuned to an L-band frequency and connected to the L-band
antenna on the bottom of AO-51.

Testing has also been done on S-band using a frequency of 2401.200
MHz.  The second 70cm transmitter has also been tested as well as the
ability to command frequency changes to the transmitters should that be
needed in the future.  All transmitters have been confirmed to be
operational.

Friday, 09 July 2004 the 38k4 digital downlink was enabled for the first
time on the UHF A transmitter.  Mike was able to copy packets at 38k4.
Further testing will be done, and some WOD data will be downloaded at 38k4.
The modulator settings for that mode will need to be tweaked as testing
continues.

Mike, KE4AZN has taken some WOD data at 3 second intervals during daylight
passes over his station to get a better look at the satellite's attitude.
That data is being analyzed.  When AO-51 is not in view of the command
stations, WOD at 30 second intervals is gathered continuously during the
period from the time last time they see the satellite after a group of
passes until their next AOS.

The EDAC count in Echo is not counting the actual number of physical memory
errors, but the number of times the software detects a memory error while it
is running.  If the software loops through that section of memory a number
of times before the error is cleared, the EDAC count will increase by a
large value.  There is a routine that runs on a specific time interval to
"wash" memory and clear any errors.  Until that routine runs, if the program
loops through that memory area, it will count an EDAC error.

With the file system now running, the downlink is going to show the BBS is
open even though the BBS has NOT been made available for general use.
Everyone is requested to please not transmit to ECHO until checkout and
commissioning has been completed. Unexpected uplinks may cause delays in
verifying the proper operation of ECHO and delay the opening of the
transponders to general use.

The commissioning and checkout activities are going very well.  During this
checkout period activities and plans are very dynamic and frequent mode and
transmitter changes should be expected.

[ANS thanks Jim, WD0E and Mike, KE4AZN for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-193.03
ECHO telemetry software update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 193.03 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  July 11, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-193.03

Some users are having difficulty uploading their telemetry data to the
website.  They receive an error message when trying to send in the data. The
problem has been identified and a program change to handle it will be
available soon.  In the meantime, here is a description of the problem, and
a method to edit your data.

The problem involves the beginning of a pass.  TlmEcho appends the I/O data
from the TLMS-1 record with each received analog TLMI-1 data record.  If at
the start of a pass, a station receives a TLMI-1 record, and has yet to
receive a TLMS-1 record, there is no I/O data available for the last field
of the CSV file, the "Last Good I/O Telemetry" field.  TlmEcho leaves this
field blank, and the database entry system does not like this.

To manually edit the data and correct the is problem, delete all records in
both CSV files that do not have the I/O telemetry data.  This will happen at
the beginning of a pass as mentioned above.  Also note, that multiple passes
during the day are stored in the same CSV file.  So check throughout
your CSV files for missing I/O data.  Backup your files before editing in
case you make a mistake.  You can go back to the original files again.

The Command Team appreciates all of the  ECHO telemetry being gathered and
submitted.  Due to the volume of incoming data, operators are strongly
encouraged to use the ECHO telemetry archive web page for submitting data.
The URL is
http://www.coloradosatellite.com/echo

[ANS thanks Mike, KE4AZN for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-193.04
AMSAT Treasurer

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 193.04 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  July 11, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-193.04

It is with very deep regret that I, on behalf of the Board of Directors,
have received the resignation of Arthur Feller, W4ART as Treasurer of AMSAT.
Art's service to AMSAT, over the many years, has been excellent and the
Board and Senior Officers thank Art for all the work has done as Treasurer,
on AMSAT's behalf.

In accordance with the AMSAT By-laws Article II, Section 7, Item C.  I
appoint Gunther Meisse to be the Treasurer of AMSAT until the meeting of the
Board of Directors on October 7th 2004. On that occasion there will be a
vote by  the members of the Board of Directors for new senior officers in
accordance with  the bylaws

Robin Haighton, VE3FRH
President, AMSAT


[ANS thanks Robin, VE3FRH for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-193.05
Space Symposium travel tips

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 193.05 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  July 11, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-193.05

The airlines are having a new round of fare wars for travel through mid
October. If you were thinking of coming to this year's Space Symposium in
Arlington, VA, it might be a good time to book your ticket before the
desirable flights are sold out.

When booking your flight, please keep in mind:

The AMSAT Board of Directors meeting will be on Thursday October 7 beginning
at 8am. All AMSAT members are welcome to attend.

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) meeting will be
held October 11-13, after the conclusion of the Symposium, all AMSAT members
are invited to sit in on the meeting sessions.

Washington DC has many new cultural attractions that have opened in the past
few years, if you have not been here lately you might want to schedule some
time to get out and see the city. Some items of interest to "nerds" can be
found at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/N8FGVNerdsTour.php

For a guide to Washington's three airports, please see
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/symposium/airports.php

Remember to check fares to all three Washington area airports, DCA, IAD
and BWI, prices can vary significantly between the three airports.

If you are going on the Sunday afternoon bus trip to the new Air and Space
Museum at Dulles airport, the bus will return to the hotel at 5pm. If you
are booking a Sunday evening flight please allow time to get to the airport
after that time. The bus WILL NOT be stopping at Dulles airport on the way
back from the museum.

[ANS thanks Dan, N8FGV for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-193.06
ARISS Status - 05 July 2004

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 193.06 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  July 11, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-193.06

1. Tulsa Contact Postponed, Radios Cycled off For EVA

The scheduling of the second EVA attempt to repair the CMG conflicted with
the ARISS contact with Tulsa Air and Space Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which
was slated for Friday, July 2, 2004. The Tulsa contact will be rescheduled
at a future time. ARISS radio systems were cycled off on June 29 in
preparation for the EVA, and were turned on again July 1. ARRL covered the
event in the web story,

"Repair Spacewalk Trumps ARISS School Group QSO." See:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/07/01/3/?nc=1


2. Space Camp Turkey Contact Successful

Space Camp Turkey, located in Izmir, Turkey, is holding a Partner School
Project Week from July 4-10, 2004. The purpose of this week is to promote
friendship and cooperation, through space education activities, among the
students who come from several different countries including Turkey, Greece,
Israel, and the U.S. One hundred thirty students, ages 12-16, are attending
this week and several had the opportunity to talk to the ISS crew on Monday,
July 5 at 0825 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT,
answered 15 questions put to him by the campers. A recording of the contact
can be found at
http://www.ariss-eu.org/Izmir_05JUL2004.mp3


3. Upcoming School Contact

Meizen High School in Kurume-City, Fukuoka, Japan, has been scheduled for an
ARISS contact on Tuesday, July 13, at 1031 UTC. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, who is
fluent in Japanese, may delight the students by answering their questions in
Japanese.


4. Engineering Tests

Engineering tests are being scheduled for the Kenwood D700. Kenneth Ransom
has submitted procedures for the repeater check out, and has also submitted
pass time options for the voice tests.


5. Girl Scout Ham to Introduce Amateur Radio and ARISS to Other Scouts

ARRL's Rosalie White provided lithographs and information to be used at a
multi-state Girl Scout camporee in rural Minnesota. A high school Girl
Scout, who is also an Amateur Radio operator, is setting up several ham
radio stations there with the support of local female ham radio operators.
She plans to introduce 2,000 Girl Scouts to Amateur Radio and to tell
interested viewers about ARISS.

[ANS thanks Carol 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.

AMSAT has developed an on-line volunteer survey, designed to
identify the interests and skills of those who may be available to directly
help in efforts to develop the amateur satellite program. The survey is
online and will be sent to the appropriate party.

You will find the volunteer survey at:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/information/volunteer.php


73,
This weeks ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS, ku4os at AMSAT.org

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