[jamsat-news:2664] ANS-137 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-137

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:
* AMSAT Members Inducted into CQ Hall of Fame
* PharmaSat Launch and Beacon Alert
* AMSAT-UK 2009 Colloquium - Urgent Update
* AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2009, Guildford England - Final Call for Speakers
* News from AMSAT India's Workshop & AGM
* AMSAT-DC Workshop Successful Weekend
* Call for Papers--2009 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference
* ARISS Status - 11 May 2009


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.01
AMSAT Members Inducted into CQ Hall of Fame

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.01
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.01

CQ magazine today announced its 2009 Hall of Fame inductees, welcoming 15 new
members into the CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame, two new members of the CQ DX
Hall of Fame and one new member of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame.

The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honors those individuals, whether licensed
hams or not, who have made significant 
contributions to amateur radio; and those
amateurs who have made significant contributions either to amateur radio, to
their professional careers or to some
other aspect of life on our planet.

Bauer, Frank, KA3HDO - NASA Chief Engineer for
Exploration Systems; International Chairman,
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
(ARISS), 1996-2009; AMSAT VP Human Spaceflight, 1991-2009.

Morgan, Wilse, WX7P- Conducted first amateur
radio license exam session under the Volunteer
Examiner program in 1984; helped get VE program
approved; also designed innovative antennas.

Parise, Ron, WA4SIR (SK) - Astronaut and active
ham in space. First ham to operate packet radio
from space and pioneered "telebridge" concept for
making more frequent school-shuttle contacts
possible. Also helped develop Radio JOVE,
educational program for monitoring natural radio signals from Jupiter.

[ANS thanks CQ Magazine for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.02
PharmaSat Launch and Beacon Alert

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.02
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.02

Santa Clara University invites amateur radio 
operators to receive beacon signals
from the PharmaSat spacecraft, a pioneering cubesat mission that is currently
scheduled to launch from the Wallops Flight Facility on May 19, 2009 at about
7:35 pm EDT.  This spacecraft will go into Low Earth Orbit as a secondary
payload aboard an Air Force Minotaur I launch vehicle.  The vehicle will be
launched into a circular, 40.5 degree inclination orbit.

PharmaSat is a 10 x 10 x 30 cm. spacecraft that houses an advanced biological
laboratory as its payload.  This laboratory will measure the influence of
microgravity upon yeast resistance to an antifungal agent.  Of particular
interest to the amateur radio satellite community is the PharmaSat 70cm radio
beacon.  This beacon will operate at 437.465 MHz FM, sending an AX.25 packet
every 5 seconds.  This packet will include data about the spacecraft system's
operation.  The beacon will initiate transmission as soon as the spacecraft is
deployed from its carrier.  Amateur radio operators are encouraged to submit
received beacon packets through the mission websites in order to receive a
web-based QSL card.  Submitted data will be available to the public via a
web-accessible public database.

The PharmaSat mission website at www.pharmasat.org.  This site provides general
mission and spacecraft information, instructions on how to contact the Santa
Clara University PharmaSat Mission Operations teams, and other information
required to receive and decode the beacon 
signal.  PharmaSat orbit elements will be
available via the space-track.org (and other) distribution services.

[ANS thanks Mike, KE7EGC, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.03
AMSAT-UK 2009 Colloquium - Urgent Update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.03
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.03


Earlier this year AMSAT-UK announced its 
intention to hold its Annual Colloquium
in 2009 at the University of Manchester over the weekend of July 24-26th.

Unfortunately it has not proved possible to produce a programme including the
food and accommodation at rates that would match or be more economic than those
of previous years.

Therefore, to ensure the best possible event for the largest number of visitors
the venue has been changed to the Holiday Inn Hotel at Guildford - this is very
close to the Surrey University where the event has been held previously.

The 2009 AMSAT Colloquium will now commence at 10am on Saturday July 25th and
close at approximately 4pm on the Sunday.  Accommodation will be available, at
special rates, on the Saturday evening and also on the Friday and Sunday.

The new venue will enable visitors to attend at a significantly lower cost than
last year and experience greatly improved accommodation.

The two days will be filled with presentations covering all the latest amateur
satellite happenings and developments.

The new GB4FUN trailer will also be in attendance and available to demonstrate
satellite operations.

An informal social gathering is planned for those who are able to arrive on the
Friday evening.

Full details of the booking arrangements will be made available shortly on the
AMSAT-UK web site, www.uk.amsat.org.

73s
Jim
G3WGM
Hon Sec AMSAT UK

[ANS thanks Jim, G3WGM, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.04
AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2009, Guildford England - Final Call for Speakers

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.04
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.04

This year AMSAT-UK will be holding their Colloquium on Saturday July 25th and
Sunday 26th July at the Holiday Inn in Guildford, Surrey.

Details of this and previous events can be found at:
http://www.uk.amsat.org/colloquium

AMSAT-UK invite speakers, about amateur radio space and associated activities,
for this event. They are also invited to submit papers for
the "Proceedings" document which will be published at the same time but printed
papers are not mandatory. We normally prefer 
authors to present talks themselves
rather than having someone else give them in the authors' absence. We also
welcome "unpresented" papers for the Proceedings document.

Offers of talks should be submitted as soon as 
possible; the final date for full
documents to be received is late-June 2009 in order that the "Proceedings"
document be available to participants.

Submissions should be sent *ONLY* to G4DPZ via the following routes:

e-mail: david dot johnson at blackpepper dot co dot uk

SnailMail: QTHR from http://www.qrz.com/
(enter G4DPZ is the callsign box)

AMSAT-UK also invite anyone with requests for Program Topics to submit them as
soon as possible to G4DPZ. Invitations for any papers on
specific subjects will be included in the future call. Likewise if anyone knows
of a good speaker, please send contact and other
information to G4DPZ.

[ANS thanks Dave, G4DPZ, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.05
News from AMSAT India's Workshop & AGM

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.05
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.05

AMSAT-INDIA workshop was conducted on 10th May at the Little Lillys English
Public school ,Vidhyaranyapura, Bangalore on the ocassion of fours years of
HAMSAT (VO-52) in orbit which was launched on May 5th 2005. The workshop was
attended by 130 delegates. This included students 
from academic institutions and
members of Upagrah Amateur Radio Club,VU2URC which is the club station of ISRO.

The event started with registration,distribution of delegate kit and breakfast
followed by the Invocation song by staff of Little Lilly's
school,welcome address by the President of AMSAT 
INDIA, Air Cmde Suby, VU2UV The
following dignitary's were invited to the Dias 
and the programme was inaugurated
by lighting of the lamp by the following:

Chief Guest Shri. M. Krishnaswamy, Programme Director-Small Satellite
Systems, ISRO
Guests of Honor Shri. D.V.A.Raghavamurthy , Project Director-Small Satellite
Systems, ISRO
Shri. R. Suresh, Mission Director-HAMSAT, ISRO
Shri.C.A Prabhakar Head IRS Project management Office
Shri. S.R.Nagaraj, Dy. Project DirectorCartosat- 2. ISRO

The Chief Guest and the guests of honor appreciated the efforts of AMSAT INDIA
in realizing their goals with the HAMSAT launched by ISRO on May 5th 2005.They
were highly impressed with the U/V Linear transponder designed and built by a
member of AMSAT-INDIA and also made valuable 
recommendations for the realization
of HAMSAT-II.

VO-52 operating award certificates were also released by the Chief Guest.

VU2GUR, Guru was presented the first certificate for his outstanding
contribution for the activity on HAMSAT (VO-52). Certificates were given to
VU2RM, VU2UV and VU2MKP by the Guest of Honor for their contributions for the
activity in VU. Net controllers VU2QNY, VU2ZUB, VU2PCP and VU3OJI in Bangalore
for announcements regarding the workshop.

The exhibition area was inaugurated by the Chief Guest and comprised of poster
session by VU3TYG, Nitin showcasing projects from 
AMSAT organizations worldwide,
ARISS and software applications and hardware developed by Radio Hams for
satellite tracking and pass predictions. VU2POP demonstrated Home brew projects
of up/down converters, preamps, VU2RVJ power amplifier module.

VURMS and students from VU3LLE showcased Egg 
beater, Arrow and quad antennas for
satellite communications. Ganeshan the designer of the UV linear transponder
also demonstrated a working U/V transponder.

The Chief Guest, Guest of honor and the delegates were impressed with the OSCAR
Locator, down converters, and receivers built by VU2UV during 1970's.

Technical presentations from Amal, VU2GDX, 
VU2WMY, Mani, VU2RVJ, Ravi,VU2GUR and
VU2RMS caught the rapt attention of the audience and were highly appreciated.
Exide batteries also participated and showcased various batteries which can be
used by Radio Hams for powering their Radio's.

VU2POP, POP and VU2WMY, Mani managed the flow of 
the programme from start to the
end.

The programme was concluded by vote of thanks was by VU3TYG, Nitin who
acknowledged the contributions of all those who helped in making this event a
big success.

AGM UPDATE:

The following were elected as office bearers of AMSAT INDIA for 2009 - 2011

President: Suby, VU2UV.
Vice President: R. Ramesh VU2RMS
Secretary: Nitin, VU3TYG
Treasurer: VU3SXE, Sandeep
Director- Technical: VU2POP

Core Committee: VU2WMY, Mani, VU3HCJ, Somu, VU2GDX, Amal, VU2RVJ, Ravi. VU2MGD,
Giri, SWL Ganeshan.

Note: Pictures and more details will be provided in the May 2009 newsletter and
on the AMSAT India website.

73's
Nitin [VU3TYG]
Secretary - AMSAT INDIA


[ANS thanks Nitin, VU3TYG, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.06
AMSAT-DC Workshop Successful Weekend

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.06
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.06

The AMSAT-DC Workshop Co-Hosts, Pat Kilroy, N8PK and Bruce Semple,
WA3SWJ reported on the outcome of their new approach. The 2009
AMSAT-DC Workshop was held April 25 as planned. It was held in
place of the annual spring "AMSAT-DC Meeting and Space Seminar"
of previous years.

Pat wrote, "As voted by acclamation at last year's meeting our vision
was to try something 'new and different' And, ... What a great day ...
for education, for AMSAT and for NASA!"

The workshop was not without its scrapes, cuts and bruises. After all,
it was an experiment unto itself, in part to see how well such an
event might "take" in the mid-Atlantic USA region before attempting
to emerge beyond. In the all-day event, a total of five individuals
participated and three flight modules were built. We had humble begin-
nings, indeed.

A follow up session is in the planning stage. (We didn't have enough
time to complete some troubleshooting and to start the calibration
procedure on each module.) We will meet at NASA GSFC again in the next
month or two -- this time, instead of in a huge cushy conference room
serving as our"fab lab", it will be inside a real space flight hardware
laboratory -- to calibrate the PICetSat II flight sensors.

Would you like to participate in a calibration session? Even if you
missed the workshop, you are welcome to "finish the job" with us! The
session(s) are free, but slots are VERY limited. Current AMSAT membership
is required, and an advanced RSVP is required for security purposes.

Contact Pat by e-mail (n8pk@amsat.org) if you are interested in partici-
pating. After the next AMSAT-DC planning telecon (to be held within the
next two weeks) Pat will release the calibration date(s) and time.

Please share the excitement. Please pass the word. What a great day
for education and outreach. And fun!

[ANS thanks the AMSAT-DC guys - Pat Kilroy, N8PK, and Bruce Semple, WA3SWJ,
  for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.07
Call for Papers--2009 ARRL/TAPR Digital CommunicationsConference

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.07
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.07

Technical papers are solicited for presentation 
at the 28th Annual ARRL and TAPR
Digital Communications Conference to be held September 25-27, 2009 in Chicago,
Illinois. These papers will also be published in 
the Conference Proceedings (you
do NOT need to attend the conference to have your paper included in the
Proceedings). The submission deadline is July 31, 2009. Please send papers to:

Maty Weinberg
ARRL
225 Main St
Newington, CT 06111

or you can make your submission via e-mail to: maty@arrl.org

Papers will be published exactly as submitted and authors will retain all
rights.

[ANS thanks Steve, WB8IMY, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-137.08
ARISS Status - 11 May 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 137.08
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 17, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-137.08

1. Upcoming School Contacts

Kawanishi Seiwadai Community Center in Hyogo, Japan has been scheduled for an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on Wednesday,
May 20 at 06:57 UTC.  The community center was established in 1987 and serves
the area’s 5000 households. To prepare for the contact, children researched the
ISS and studied space and the global environment.  This question and answer
session concerning life in space will be conducted in Japanese.


2. ARISS Contact Held During Flemish Space Days Event

Flemish Space Days, an event organized by the Flemish Space Industry (VRI), was
held in the Brabanthal in Leuven, Belgium on May 8 – 10.  Interactive booths,
educational workshops and movies on space, avionics and astronomy were some of
the activities available to the youth and public. An audience of approximately
110 parents, teachers, students and others attended the event on Sunday, May 10
and watched as twenty students participated in an Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ.
Telebridge station W6SRJ in California established the radio link with the ISS.
Voice communications were then patched over regular telephone lines, allowing
the students to question the astronaut. The 
contact received newspaper coverage,
reaching nearly twenty-five thousand.


3. Astronaut Training Status

Astronaut Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, will receive training on the Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station (ARISS) radio equipment on Monday, May 18.  She
is scheduled to fly as part of the ISS Expeditions 20 and 21 crews.


4. ARISS Annual Report Posted

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Annual Report 2008
has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Papers/Annual%20Reports/
ARISS_Annual_Report_2008_Final.pdf


5. ARISS Member Receives Chris Jones Memorial Award

On May 2, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Tony
Hutchison, VK5ZAI, was presented with the Chris Jones Memorial Award during the
Wireless Institute of Australia’s (WIA) Annual General Meeting at Monash
University, Churchill. Hutchison received the award in recognition of his work
with the ARISS program. The award is the highest honor the WIA can confer on a
person.   See: http://www.wia.org.au/newsevents/news/2009/20090505-4/index.php


6. Amateur Radio Newsline Report on ARISS at 25 Certificate

On May 8, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1656 included a short item on the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station 
(ARISS) 25th Anniversary Event.
“Ham Radio in Space: ARISS at 25 Certificate” may be found here:
ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt

Certificate development is expected to be completed by June 1 and certificates
should be distributed by the end of June.

[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,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org


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