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[jamsat-news:1877] ANS-004 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins
- Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 20:11:39 -0500
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-004
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.
In this edition:
* AO-27 returns to operation
* AO-40 Status Update
* AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Meeting announced
* ARISS Status 30 December 2003
* K6DUE ISS Commemorative Event Certificates
* SKN OSCAR Best Fist nominations due
* This Week's News in Brief
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-004.01
AO-27 returns to operation
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 004.01 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. January 4, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-004.01
The AO-27 Command Team reports that as of 29 December 2003 UTC, a new
schedule has been uploaded to AO-27 after tracking down several bugs in the
on-board schedule state machine.
The schedule starts 3.5 minutes before the sub-satellite point crosses
Latitude 39.0N on an ascending (South to North) pass. At that point AO-27
will turn on for 1 minute of digital telemetry download followed by 6
minutes of analog repeater operation. In addition to the analog repeater
operations in the evening, there will also be 1 minute digital telemetry
transmitted in the morning starting when it crosses Latitude 39.0N on a
descending pass.
When there is a better understanding of the battery condition, the analog
time will be increased.
Your help is needed logging TLM from AO27. Please visit the Logging AO-27
Telemetry page, http://www.umbrasi.com/AO27/tlm.shtml for directions in
getting started.
[ANS thanks the AO-27 Command Team for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-004.02
AO-40 Status Update
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 004.02 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. January 4, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-004.02
AO-40's attitude drift proceeded at about 85% of the predicted rate, so we
moved a little slower moving then we would have liked. As of 3 January
2003, ALON/ALAT is approximately 337 / 3. The U,L1 -> S2 passbands are now
active from MA 20 to 140.
Please run low power and stay well clear of the beacon.
N QST AMSAT AO-40 SCHEDULE 2004-01-03
MA 002 020 140 002
---------7-----1-----5-----7
S2/K-Tx | S | S | S |
MB | * | * | * |
RUDAK | | | |
V/U-Rx | U | U | U |
Uplink | | UL1 | |
As we chase the sun back to 0/0 at about 1 deg/day, the passbands will be
lengthened and moved more into the second half of the orbit.
The AO-40 team would like your telemetry files!
Please "zip" compress your daily telemetry files and e-mail to:
ao40-archive@amsat.org
[ANS thanks Stacey, W4SM, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-004.03
AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Meeting announced
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 004.03 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. January 4, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-004.03
The next meeting of the Board of Directors of AMSAT-NA will take place at
the Airport Clarion Hotel Orlando on Saturday, February 21 and Sunday,
February 22, 2004. Commencing at 8.30 am on Saturday, the meeting will be
open to all AMSAT-NA members. As is our normal procedure, the first item of
business will be to receive presentations from the membership.
The second item will be to develop the AMSAT-NA Strategic plan considering
current circumstances.
AMSAT members wishing to attend and make a presentation to the BoD should
advise me in advance (by February 15) of their topic and the length of time
they wish to present.
73,
Robin Haighton, VE3FRH,
President, AMSAT-NA
[ANS thanks Robin, VE3FRH, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-004.04
ARISS Status 30 December 2003
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 004.04 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. January 4, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-004.04
ARISS Status 30 December 2003
1. Upcoming School Contacts
The next ARISS contact is scheduled for Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills,
Ohio. The contact will take place Friday, January 2, 2004.
2. ARRL Article on California School Contact
On December 23, ARRL ran an article on the Monroe Elementary School ARISS
contact entitled, "ISS Commander Tells West Coast Youngsters He Believes
Life Exists on Other Planets." See:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/12/23/1/?nc=1
3. ARRL Article Involving Astronaut Jim Voss
ARRL ran a Web story about the effort involved in setting up an Amateur
Radio station for the Gulf Coast Exploreum and Science Center's ISS exhibit
in Mobile, Alabama entitled, "An Out of this World Effort." See:
http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2003/12/22/1/?nc=1
4. ARRL Article on the International Space Station
ARRL ran an article entitled, "Santa Has Company in the Christmas Sky."
See: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/12/22/2/?nc=1
5. ARRL Story on Ham Radio Payloads and High-Altitude Balloons
ARRL ran an article about a program NASA-TV will air about Amateur Radio
payloads and high altitude ballooning. Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR),
whose goal is to promote science and education, noted that their program
will air December 29 and 30. For more information, see: http://www.arrl.org/
6. Packet Radio System
Amateur Radio operators have been very active on the Packet Radio system
(RS0ISS) on the International Space Station. Those that have communicated
through the ISS using packet also qualify to receive a special certificate
from the Roy Neal Commemorative event.
[ANS thanks Frank, KA3HDO, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-004.05
K6DUE ISS Commemorative Event Certificates
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 004.05 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. January 4, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-004.05
Astronaut Mike Foale was active during a North America and Europe passes
during several weekends in December. Numerous ham radio operators in these
parts of the world made contact with Mike Foale or heard the ISS downlink.
Those who heard or worked the ISS qualify for a special ISS Commemorative
Certificate.
Instructions on receiving an ISS special event certificate follows:
1) Please send an 9 inch by 12 inch (minimum) envelope for your certificate
with adequate postage or IRCs included. Smaller envelopes will result in
your certificate getting folded (not a pretty sight).
2) Include your name, callsign and whether you worked ISS or heard ISS.
3) Send your QSL/SWL information with the envelope to your ARISS QSL
distributor in your area (Americas, Europe, Japan, or Russia). See the ARISS
Web Page for more details: www.rac.ca/ariss
Please note that this process will take several weeks. The plan is to get a
bulk listing of QSLs/SWLs so that the calls can be added to the certificate
prior to printing. We will then bulk mail these certificates to the QSL
distributors. The distributors will then mail the certificates to you.
[ANS thanks Frank, KA3HDO, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-004.06
SKN OSCAR Best Fist nominations due
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 004.06 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. January 4, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-004.06
Thanks to all who participated in Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2004.
Some Best Fist nominations have already been received, but if you have not
already done so, please take a moment to nominate someone you worked.
Remember, the person you nominate does not have to have the best fist of
anyone you heard, just of those you worked. Please address nominations by
e-mail to w2rs@amsat.org or by postal mail to W2RS's Callbook address.
A list of Best Fist nominees will be published in an AMSAT News Service
bulletin in early February, and in The AMSAT Journal.
[ANS thanks Ray, W2RS, for the above information]
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-004.07
This Week's News in Brief
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 004.07 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. January 4, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-004.07
** A team of scientists has discovered bacteria in a hole drilled more than
4,000 feet deep in volcanic rock on the island of Hawaii near Hilo, in an
environment they say could be analogous to conditions on Mars and other
planets. --SpaceDaily
** NASA's Stardust mission is reached its primary target January 2 when the
low-cost Discovery-class deep space explorer passed within 150 kilometers
(93 miles) of Comet Wild-2. As it passed close to the comet Stardust will
sample pristine cometary dust particles for collection and return to Earth
in January 2006. . --SpaceDaily
** Kid's Day will run from 1800 to 2400 UTC on 04 January 2004, and there's
no limit on operating time. The suggested exchange is a youngsters name,
age, location and favorite color. Most operation will be found on 14.270 to
14.300, 21.380 to 21.400 and 28.350 to 28.400 MHz and local 2 meter
repeaters.Guidelines for Kids Day are available at
www.arrl.org/FandES/ead/kd-rules.htm. --ARRL
** GB2RS reports that Sweden is likely to permit former CEPT Class 2
amateurs access to the High Frequency bands from the 1st of January.
SM0SMK, the President of Swedish national amateur radio society has said
that they hope the Morse code test requirement will be removed at the turn
of the year. --Newsline
/EX
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.
Application forms are available from the AMSAT-NA Office.
AMSAT-NA 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
designed to be completed and returned on-line, and takes only a few minutes
to fill out. To request the survey, simply send an e-mail request
to:volunteer at amsat.org
73,
This weeks ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS, ku4os at amsat.org
----
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