[jamsat-news:1947] ANS-221 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE

ANS-221

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 President's Letter August 2004
* New amateur satellite transponder project announced
* Echo  Experimenters Wednesday for 11 Aug 2004
* Echo telemetry software v1.0.5
* Echo Voice Ops Challenge
* EyasSAT Educational Satellite System
* ARISS Status - 02 August 2004
* This Week's News in Brief


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.01
AMSAT President's Letter August 2004

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.01 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.01

August and the vacation season are now upon us and I hope you are enjoying
yourselves at this wonderful time of year. Since I wrote to you last many
things have happened in AMSAT, Firstly the launching and successful
commissioning of AO-51 (ECHO). While the commissioning is not 100% complete,
many of us nave already made our first contacts through our new satellite. I
was fortunate to be at the University of Surrey, UK, representing you at the
AMSAT-UK Colloquium when AO-51 was first opened for general use. However the
up-link was so crowded that it took some effort to make a contact, but
finally at 1108 UTC I made my first contact on this fine satellite.

Shortly after the launch of AO-51 AMSAT held a meeting to review the
requirements for EAGLE, and a number of interesting changes were made to the
future satellite. Firstly it was agreed that the EAGLE structure and  shape
as presented by Dick Jansson (WD4FAB) would most likely be  maintained,
except that to enable a better shape for spin stabilization the  height (z
axis) would be reduced to 450 mm from 600 mm. The x and y axis would  remain
at 600 mm. About the Pay Loads I am delighted to report that there will be
mode B, available but it will be provided through Software Defined Radio
(SDR) techniques. SDR techniques allow the command station to change
Frequency,  Bandwidth, Mode (FM, AM, PSK, CW, etc) from the groundstation.
Thus allowing a  great amount of flexibility. The total amount of band
available at 2M will  probably be restricted to about 20 kHz. The 70 CMS
band (U) will have an allocation for
the Mode B operation but with more frequency available for operation with S
band. It is anticipated
that Mode U/S and L/S will be very popular bands to work. Perhaps the most
interesting for the "TECHIES" will be the new C band which is wide enough to
provide both up link and down link  using SDR and Tom
Clark's (W3IWI) CC Rider. (for CC rider see the AMSAT Journal or Last year's
proceedings). A new,
AMSAT introduced, wide band digital system will be introduced using  C band,
and while there will be some who decry the introduction of these new
techniques (remember AM Vs SSB ?) We feel that after a while there will be
wide acceptance of these techniques - and everyone will want to get on
board. To learn more about EAGLE and the things it promises, come to the
Annual  Meeting in Washington (8 through 10 October).

Another Change that has taken place recently is the introduction of our
new web site. Nearly everyone agrees that it is a move in the right
direction, and our thanks go to Emily Clarke W0EEC who re-designed the web
site and did  such a fantastic job. My thanks also go to Paul Williamson
(KB5MU) who co-operated with Emily in this effort, and for his devotion to
AMSAT in managing  the previous site.

Our ECHO launch campaign, has progressed well, and a few donations are still
trickling in, I was given a $100 Travelers Check from a member of  AMSAT-UK
"committee"  last weekend, but we still do need to make the  $110,000. The
outstanding amount  of $7K+ has been taken from our reserves, which are
there to start the development of EAGLE, so let's get behind ECHO,  it's up,
it works, and it needs your final help.

Talking of which ...... if you are a member of any AMSAT, please feel
completely free to use ECHO, If you are not a member, then please join  and
encourage all users to join. Unfortunately satellites do not "Grow on Trees"
they are not free to  launch, but there are quite a few  users who feel that
it is their  right to use, what we have provided. We really don't want to
introduce a "members only" policy to satellite  use. For more details of
ECHO and it's capability call the AMSAT-NA office for a copy of Gould
Smith's ECHO book, Also available through AMSAT-UK (call Jim Heck).

Have a good Summer,
73
Robin Haighton  VE3FRH
President AMSAT-NA

[ANS thanks Robin, VE3FRH for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.02
New amateur satellite transponder project announced

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.02 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.02

The Chairman of AMSAT-UK, Professor Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO
announced a new amateur transponder project to be launched as part of the
ESA SSETI Express satellite.

Speaking at the opening of the 2004 AMSAT-UK Colloquium at the University of
Surrey in Guildford, he expressed his delight that AMSAT-UK has been able to
work with the European Space Agency to provide, at very short notice, an S
band (2.4GHz) transmitter.

The SSETI Express project is believed to be the first ever pan-European
student satellite with over 100 students from more than nine different
countries working on it. The project is being coordinated and managed buy
the Education Office of ESA.

It is intended that this transmitter will be available for use as the
downlink of a single channel FM U/S transponder. The 437MHz receiver is also
being provided to ESA by another radio amateur - Holger Eckart DF2FQ.

These frequencies will enable the many amateurs who already have Oscar 40
equipment to use it in an exciting new way.

After integration of the spacecraft, which is due to start at the ESTEC
laboratories in the Netherlands next month (August), SSETI Express is
intended to be launched into a sun synchronous 680km orbit from Plestek in
Russia in April 2005.

The satellite is in the 80kg class and is being designed and constructed by
a number of European University teams which include students and teachers.
The onboard experiments include attitude control, a camera and a cold gas
propulsion unit.

It is intended that the 2.4GHz downlink transmitter will transmit satellite
telemetry and data at 38k4 data rate before being switched over to voice
transponder operation after the onboard experiments have been completed.

ESA will shortly be announcing a worldwide competition for radio amateurs
who download the data from the satellite and forward it to a website which
is under construction. There will be a valuable award for the amateur who
provides the largest amount of verified data over the first few weeks/months
of operation.

The 2.4GHz downlink exciter, the switched mode power supply and control
interfaces are being developed by an AMSAT-UK team comprising of Sam Jewell
G4DDK, David Bowman G0MRFand Jason Flynn G7OLD with Graham Shirville G3VZV
assisting.

The 3 watt 2.4GHz power amplifier is completed and has been provided by
Charles Suckling G3WDG and this unit is already space qualified as it is
identical to the one flying in the recently launched Oscar 51 spacecraft.

The S band antennas are three flat plate patches that have been developed
and produced by the Wroclaw University of Technology in Poland.

Professor Sir Martin Sweeting emphasized that AMSAT-UK is delighted to have
been entrusted with such an important task and that development team will
have the organization's full support.

Those interested in finding out more about Amateur Satellites may like to
know that AMSAT-UK produce an excellent newsletter called Oscar News which
is sent to all members. For further information contact the AMSAT-UK
secretary Jim Heck, G3WGM

Tel: +44 (0)1258 453959
E-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org
Website: www.uk.amsat.org

[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.03
Echo  Experimenters Wednesday for 11 Aug 2004

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.03 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.03

The next Exp Wed will test the 9k6 Pacsat Broadcast Protocol, Store and
Forward, BBS system on Echo.

Uplink:  145.860 MHz FM 9k6 digital
Downlink:  435.150 MHz FM 9k6 digital

Start:  11 Aug 2004 @ 0240 UTC
End:  12 Aug 2004 @ 0340 UTC

The FM repeat mode transmitter on 435.300 will be turned off during this
time, and power to the 435.150 transmitter will be increased.  Please check
the digital downlink for any last minute changes.

This will be the first user access of the BBS system.  Please understand
that new software will be uploaded to the satellite when we close this first
window of user access.  At that time, all messages in the BBS system will be
lost.  Please keep your uploads to messages only.  Let's give everyone a
chance to upload and download messages from Echo during this one day test.

The large files that are stored in the BBS that begin with "we" are Whole
Orbit Data (WOD) files.  They are binary data that require a decoding
program to extract the information.  There is no need to download one of
those files.  And the "Upload Test" picture files are all the same picture.
These were used to test the uploading speed as well as uploading with a
CTCSS tone enabled.  There is no need to download those either.

Just keep it to messages and give everyone a chance to use the BBS system.
And please avoid using ALL in the TO field of your message.  Send your hello
or introductory message to "ECHO USERS" or just "ECHO" instead.

Enjoy Echo!

[ANS thanks Mike, KE4AZN for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.04
ECHO telemetry software v1.0.5

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.04 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.04

Version 1.0.5 of TlmEcho is now available. Mike, KE4AZN reports that a
telemetry time calculation bug that was fixed and some minor updates to the
telemetry Screens are included.

The latest Echo software is available from the Echo Project Page
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/

[ANS thanks Mike, KE4AZN for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.05
Echo Voice Ops Challenge

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.05 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.05

In an attempt to reduce the congestion and allow more contacts to be made on
Echo, Mike, KE4AZN challenges every user to make only one contact per pass
that you initiate with a call.  After that point, sit back and enjoy the
others making contacts.  If someone calls you, then by all means reply and
complete that contact.  Then go back to listening.  Maybe if more of us take
up that philosophy everyone will join in and more contacts can be made.

[ANS thanks Mike, KE4AZN for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.06
EyasSAT Educational Satellite System

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.06 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.06

Colorado Satellite Services is pleased to announce the availability of the
EyasSAT Educational Satellite System.

Through our work with universities and especially the Air Force Academy we
saw the need for an inexpensive satellite 'kit' for lab use. This little box
contains all the systems of a satellite in modules that just plug together
to make up a complete satellite on the bench. It's designed to be handled
and worked with by students from high school through grad school. One of the
main ideas is to teach using the EyasSAT and avoid risking expensive space
qualified hardware. Lab exercises are provided. Another great feature is
that you can build your own module to the interface spec, plug it in, and it
just work. The code for 3 attached experiments is already in the main
computer.
Further information is available at
www.eyassat.com
Contact information is there as well.

Eyassat will be displayed next week at the Cubesat Conference that precedes
the USU/AIAA Small Sat Conference in Logan Utah and there will be a short
talk on it as well.

[ANS thanks Jim, WD0E for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.07
ARISS Status - 02 August 2004

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.07 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.07

1. Habikino School Contact Successful

The Council on Sound Development for School Children in Habikino in
Habikino, Japan experienced a successful contact with the ISS on Thursday,
July 29 at 11:55 UTC. Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, speaking in English and Japanese,
answered 16 questions put to him by fifth and sixth graders from Habikigaoka
Elementary School, as an audience of 70 children and 300 adults looked on.
One TV station and 2 newspapers covered the event.


2. Russian Contact Successful

The aerospace festival "Let's Give the Planet to the Kids" is being held
from July 15 through August 4, at ARTEK International Children's' Center.
The President of Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, UNESCO's Deputy Director General,
Mr. Barboza, members of diplomatic corps from over 20 countries, and other
high-ranking dignitaries were invited to the gala concert, which was
scheduled for July 30. During this event, a HAM radio contact was scheduled
with Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, and cosmonaut Anatoly Artsebarsky, callsign -
Ulyana-7-MIR [?7???]) at 16:50 UTC.


3. Upcoming School Contact

Two Tennessee schools, Good Shepherd School in Decherd and St Paul's in
Tullahoma, will share an ARISS contact. The contact has been scheduled for
Tuesday, August 10 at 1340 UTC, and will take place from St. Paul's.


4. Mike Fincke Makes Random Contacts

Astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, has been enjoying himself on the ARISS radio
systems. In addition to his participation in Field Day, he has made many
general contacts. He has been most active on the weekends, including this
past weekend, July 31 - August 1, when he made over 30 contacts to 5
continents. ARRL ran an article on the Expedition 9 crew members and their
time on the air. See "ISS crew schedule tight for casual hamming," at:
http://www.arrl.org/?news_list_off=15


5. ARISS Team sends Photos to Japan for Exhibit

The Japan Amateur Radio League (JARL) will sponsor a Ham Fair 2004 on
Saturday and Sunday, August 21 - 22 at Tokyo Big Site, Japan. The ARISS U.S.
team provided photographs of the ARISS radio equipment in the Service Module
to Hiroto Watarikawa, JJ1LYU. Hiroto will display a modified Kenwood D700E,
which looks like the flight radio, and will use the photos for a slide show
on a personal computer as part of an exhibit in the Kenwood Booth. An
attendance of 28,000 people is expected at the event.


6. ARISS Radio Systems to be Cycled for EVA

In preparation of the EVA, scheduled for Tuesday, August 3, the amateur
radios on board the ISS are scheduled to be cycled off at 0850 UTC on Aug 2.
They will be turned on again on Aug 4 at 0850 UTC.


7. ARISS Acquires Amateur Radios for Training

A Yaesu FT-100D amateur radio is currently being qualified for flight as
part of the ARISS Phase 2 Hardware. The ARISS U.S. team has recently
acquired six of these transceivers and associated tuners. These will be used
for training, crew procedure development and testing.


8. Coordinating Teacher of First ARISS Contact Receives Second License

Rita Wright, KC9CDL, recently earned her General Class license. Rita is an
8th grade science and math teacher from Burbank School in Burbank, Illinois,
whose school experienced the first ARISS radio contact with Bill Shepherd,
KD5GSL, on December 21, 2000. She still uses radio and NASA material in her
classroom and pursued her second license in order to help her students
progress even further in science.

[ANS thanks Carol for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.08
This Week's News in Brief

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 221.08 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD.  August 8, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-221.08

** A group of teenage hams from the Cincinnati area got an ovation at the
recent Las Vegas DefCon hacker conference.  This, after organizers announced
that the winners of this year's Wi-Fi shootout might have broken
a world D-X record for ground distance in establishing a 55.1-mile Wi-Fi
connection.  --Newsline

**  Sanswire Networks, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GlobeTel Communications
announced Wednesday that it has scheduled the launch date of its first
Stratellite.The Stratellite will be positioned at an altitude of just under
twelve miles above the earth's surface. The Company will complete the
remaining tests of its Stratellite program in preparation for the launch of
its first permanent Stratellite scheduled for later in 2005.  --SpaceDaily

**   US spacecraft Messenger lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, early
Tuesday, 03 August 2004, on a six-year exploratory journey toward Mercury,
the closet planet to the Sun. With Messenger safely nestled in its payload
bay, a massive Delta II rocket roared off from its launching pad at about
0616 UTC, turning in a matter of seconds from a fire-breathing giant into a
tiny speck of light in the sky. --Newsline

/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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