[jamsat-news:2768] Re: ANS-003 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-003

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. Speaking for the ANS team, I wish all of you a
Happy New Year.  Please keep us in mind for any articles and/or
announcements that include information for AMSAT members worlwide.  

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:

ans-editor@amsat.org


In this edition:
* AMSAT Treasurer Change
* HO-68 SSTV Report
* Remember to Nominate SKN Best Fist
* New Satellite RS38 satellite beacon heard
* ARISS Status - 28 December 2009

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-003.01
AMSAT Treasurer Change

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 003.01
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 3, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-003.01

LONG-SERVING AMSAT-NA TREASURER STEPS DOWN

In a mid-December, 2009 letter to the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors,
AMSAT-NA's long-serving Treasurer, Gunther Meisse, W8GSM, announced his
intent to step aside from that position effective December 31st, 2009.  In
his letter to the Board, Gunther cited personal business pressures and his
wish to spend more time with family as reasons for his decision.

"It is with regret that I find it appropriate to tender my resignation from
the position of Treasurer of AMSAT, effective December 31, 2009", Gunther
said.  "I have enjoyed the my involvement with the largest brain trust in
amateur radio. The people I have had the opportunity to work with have truly
given me much more than I have contributed.  Together, we have moved AMSAT
through some difficult and exciting times and I am sure the present
leadership team and Board of Directors will continue on a positive path over
the coming years," he concluded.

AMSAT President Barry Baines, WD4ASW, accepted Gunther's resignation with
deep regret.  In an official statement, Barry noted that, "Guenther's work
has been an invaluable asset to our organization.  His "unseen hand" has
left a very positive mark on all of our financial operations.  During his
time as an AMSAT board member (2003-2009), his strategic vision and focus on
bringing greater financial management to AMSAT and improving the
organization's fund raising were extremely valuable.  As Treasurer
(2004-2009), Gunther took the lead on having AMSAT recognized by the federal
government's Combined Federal Campaign, instituted the voluntary reporting
system to document the value of AMSAT volunteer hours, established a
published Annual Report to be shared with potential large donors, converted
AMSAT to QuickBooks for maintaining our accounts, and revised how AMSAT
values its in-orbit assets.  He will be sorely missed and we wish him all
the best in his future endeavors," Barry said.

The AMSAT by-laws state that, "In event of the resignation, death or
incapacity of any Officer, the President shall appoint a temporary Officer
to fill the vacancy until the next meeting of the Board, at which time the
Board shall elect a successor."

In keeping with that directive, Barry has asked former AMSAT President Keith
Baker, KB1SF, to fill the position of AMSAT Treasurer until the Board can
name a permanent replacement. Many may remember that Keith served AMSAT
throughout the 1990s and early 2000s both as a BOD member as well as
Executive Vice President before taking a turn as President from 1998 until
2000.  It is expected that the Board will meet in early January via
teleconference to formally elect Keith to fulfill the current term that
expires in October 2010.

Prior to his work with AMSAT, Keith was a USAF comptroller officer until his
retirement from the service in 1993. Among his many assignments during his
Air Force career included tours on the comptroller staff of the (then)
Strategic Air Command (SAC) as well as Base Comptroller for Aviano Air Base
in northern Italy.  Much of the rest of his Air Force career was spent at
the Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where he
successfully implemented a number of emerging automated project management
concepts into a wide variety of ongoing USAF aircraft development and
modification efforts worth several billion dollars.  Following his
retirement, Keith established a management consulting firm, working with
clients in both government and industry dealing with project and personnel
management.

"Needless to say, I'm honored to once again be asked to serve AMSAT in a
official capacity, and I will do my very best to carry on Gunther's
excellent work," Keith said.  "Gunther has very clearly left the fiscal
processes and records of AMSAT in fine shape and I look forward to building
on the firm fiscal foundation he has now created for our organization," he
concluded.

Barry offered his personal thanks to Keith for accepting the position until
the Board of Directors confirms a permanent successor.  "I am very pleased
Keith is both willing and able to once again donate his time and many unique
talents to AMSAT.  Keith's ability to provide solid financial oversight and
counsel to the Board on financial matters based upon both his professional
experience and knowledge of AMSAT are welcome, and I am looking forward
working with him as a senior member of our management team", Barry said.


[ANS thanks Barry, WD4ASW, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-003.02
HO-68 SSTV Report

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 003.02
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 3, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-003.02

HO-68 SSTV Report
=================
Dec 30th, 17:53 UTC 20 deg pass

During a low elevation pass, Mike DK3WN and Henk PA3GUO made the very first
SSTV contact via the HO-68 - linear transponder.

A few images were transmitted between the two radio stations in Germany and
The Netherlands. Signals were transmitted via HO-68, which was 1200km above
earth and about 8000km distant from both radio amateur stations.

See the images here: http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=10478

73, Mike & Henk

Video of HO-68 operational modes

Henk PA3GUO has produced a video showing all the modes available on the
Amateur Radio satellite Xi Wang 1 (HO-68). This 2 minute video features the
launch of the satellite and shows its various modes of operation - Beacon,
FM, AX.25 Packet and SSB/CW linear transponder. Callsigns heard during the
video include M3PQQ, N1AIA, KC9ELU, VA3FM, WA3CZY and I6IBE. You can find
the video at http://tinyurl.com/ycjp4dg

NZ3M has put a video on YouTube of SSB contacts via the new Amateur Radio
satellite HO-68. This video can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/ya2uyzs

Piraja, PS8RF reported that a contact between Dean, ZD8DC on Ascension
Island and Michel, F6HTJ in France was completed via HO-68.

[ANS thanks Mike and Henk, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-003.03
Remember to Nominate SKN Best Fist

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 003.03
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 3, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-003.03


Remember to Nominate SKN Best Fist

Many thanks to all who participated in Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2010. If
you have not already done so, please take a moment to nominate someone you
worked for Best Fist. Your nominee need not have the best fist of those you
heard, but only of those you worked.

Please send your nomination to Ray at w2rs@amsat.org. A list of those
nominated will be published in an ANS bulletin in early February, and in The
AMSAT Journal.

[ANS thanks Ray, W2RS for the above information]

/EX



SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-003.04
New Satellite RS38 satellite beacon heard

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 003.04
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 3, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-003.04


New Satellite RS38 satellite beacon heard

Mike Rupprecht DK3WN reports on the hearing a new CW satellite beacon RS38
on 435.490 MHz. In an email on the AMSAT Bulletin Board he indicates that it
is coming from the Russian UGATUSat. He writes:

UGATUSat is RS-38

09:48 UTC strong CW beacon on 435.490 MHz

rs38 ubs189 uab176 [DATA]
rs38 ubs188 uab177 ibs17 iab110 isp0 tab156 tsep146 tuf0 tbi167 tspa134
tspb255 mcon69 sma115 smb111 mra11 mrb14
rs38 ubs189 uab177 ibs17 iab130 isp22 tab156 tsep146

An audio file of a complete beacon record (4 min) can be heard at
http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=10401

UGATUSat Real Time Tracking
http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=35869

[ANS thanks Mike, DK3WN and SouthGate Amateur Radio News for the above
information]

/EX



SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-003.05
ARISS Status - 28 December 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 003.05
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 3, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-003.05

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report
December 28, 2009


1. Upcoming School Contact Status

There are no Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contacts planned at this time.  The ARISS team expects scheduling to resume
the first week of the New Year. 

2. Canadian Web Site Promotes ARISS

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Canadian
delegate has been working to promote the ARISS program. In doing so, a new
Web page has been developed by the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club which
provides information on amateur radio and the ARISS program. To view the
site, go to: http://www.ovmrc.on.ca and select "ARISS" at the bottom of the
left hand side menu.

3. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) published an ARISS (Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station) news item in its January 2010 issue of QST.
The column "This Just In" contains a small item about the Columbus antennas
having been delivered to, and installed on, the ISS.  The ARRL monthly
journal has a circulation of 150,000.

[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



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