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[jamsat-news:2013] ANS-072


ANS-072

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 Volunteer Needed
* AO-51 schedule page update
* OSCAR 11 Celebrates 21 Years
* AMSAT awards issued
* ARISS Status - 13 March 2005


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-072.01 AMSAT Volunteer Needed

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 072.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 13, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-072.01

As AMSAT upgrades our financial management systems, we are in need of an
AMSAT Volunteer with a professional background in "Asset Management".
While the assets we have are not overwhelming in quantity and do not
change frequently, we feel it is important to have all of our assets in
a managed system.

If you have such a background and are willing to donate a small amount
of time to create the AMSAT Asset Management System, supervise the
gathering of the inventories by the AMSAT staff and volunteers,
supervise the distribution of asset tags, and develop and maintain the
database, I would like to hear from you.

Regards,
Gunther Meisse
W8GSM
AMSAT Treasurer

[ANS thanks Gunther, W8GSM for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-072.02
AO-51 Schedule page update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 072.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 13, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-072.02

There is a new "easy to follow" AO-51 Schedule scheme at the following site:

http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/echo/ControlTeam.php

It can tell you at a glance what you need to know to become successful
using AO-51.  Don't forget the "51 on 51" award being offered by AMSAT.

[ANS thanks Emily,W0EEC for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-072.03
OSCAR 11 Celebrates 21 Years

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 072.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 10, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-072.03

OSCAR-11 21st BIRTHDAY REPORT

10 March 2005

OSCAR-11 achieved 21 years in orbit on 01 March 2005. It's still working
and sending reliable telemetry on it's VHF beacon.  Congratulations to
Professor Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO and his team for this fine achievement.

During the period 15 February to 09 March 2005 reliable signals have
been received from the 145.826 MHz. beacon, transmitting continuous ASCII
telemetry from 25 February to 06 March.  At times signals have been weaker
than usual, and subject to local interference (QRN), which has been
stronger than usual.

The beacon operates under control of the watchdog timer. Observations have
indicated that the cycle is approximately 10.3 days ON followed by 10.4
days OFF. Assuming that this cycle continues, the beacon should switch ON
around 17 March.

The internal temperatures have decreased by about five degrees C. They are
now 14C, 13C and 20C for the battery, telemetry electronics and command
decoder respectively.  At the present time the satellite is in full
sunlight, and therefore temperature changes are caused by changes in
attitude, and spin rate. The hot external surfaces will cause some nearby
internal parts to warm up faster than others. A Solar eclipse predictions
indicate that the continuous sunlight will continue until the end of April,
when eclipses will start.

The battery voltage has varied between 11.7 and 13.7 volts.  The average
voltage was 12.4 volts, unchanged since the last report.  Low battery
voltage have occurred when the internal temperatures were depressed.

The period of rotation about the Z axis had been determined from the solar
array currents.  Values of between 431 and 590 seconds have been observed.

Users of OSCAR-11 should note that the date in the telemetry is now
advanced by FOUR days.  The time is advanced by 20.6 minutes, and this
error is increasing by about one minute per year.

OSCAR-11 now operates in a default mode, controlled by the watch-dog timer.
The satellite transmits continuous ASCII telemetry for approximately 10.3
days on 145.826 MHz., followed by 10.4 days of silence. This regular
sequence might be interrupted by ground control, at any time.

At the present time the mode-S beacon 2401.5 MHz. and the UHF
beacon 453.025 MHz. are both OFF.

Listeners to OSCAR-11 may be interested in visiting my web site.

The web site contains details about using a soundcard for data
capture, and also details about using hardware demodulators. There is
software for capturing data, and decoding ASCII telemetry.
There is an archive of raw data for analysis, which is continually
being expanded, as new data is captured.  Originally this was for
WOD, but it is now being expanded to include ASCII telemetry. At the
present time the telemetry covers 1996 to December 2004.  I will add
other years as time permits.  In parallel there is a news archive
which provides an overview of the state of the satellite, at the
times when the telemetry was captured.

If anyone out there can provide any data, particularly for the 1984
to 1993 years, this would be most appreciated.  Please e-mail me
with details.  However please DO NOT SEND ANY FILES, before futher
discussion.

Also included are some audio files, examples of each type of data
transmitted by OSCAR-11, each one plays for about ten seconds.  There
are also examples of mode-S reception.  All the audio files are
zipped, so that they can be played off-line.  These should help
listeners identify the various types of data, and give an indication
of the signal quality required for successful decoding.

The URL is -

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/

[ANS thanks Clive, G3CWV for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-072.04 AMSAT Awards Issued

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 072.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 13, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-072.04


Congrats go out to those that have recently made their very first satellite QSO. May they have many more years of fun on the satellites.

Jim Wright, WA5IVM

Congrats go out to all of the following for earning their AMSAT 51 on 51
Award.

#16   VE4NSA  Stefan Wagener    2-Mar-2005
#17   K7RQN   Robert Fairfield  3-Mar-2005
#18   JH0PVF  Kunio Okada       9-Mar-2005


To see all the AMSAT awards and a list of those earning them, visit http://www.amsat.org and click on 'Awards and Contests'

73...bruce
Director of Contests and Awards

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-072.05 ARISS STATUS -12 March 2005

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 072.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 12, 2005
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-072.05

* Crew Unloads Progress Cargo, Prepares for Airlock Repair Work*
The Expedition 10 crew tackled a wide range of activities Thursday
aboard the International Space Station.

Expedition 10 Commander Leroy Chiao and Flight Engineer Salizhan
Sharipov continued to unload items that arrived last week aboard the ISS
Progress 17 spacecraft. The Progress delivered 4,631 pounds (2,100
kilograms) of cargo, including food, supplies, fuel, oxygen, air and
water. It also delivered cameras and lenses that will be used to
photograph the thermal protection tiles of Space Shuttle Discovery as
the Return to Flight mission approaches the Station in May or June.
Chiao and Sharipov are keeping track of the transferred items with the
Station Inventory Management System.

Chiao and Sharipov set up tools and cameras for next week's repair work
in the Quest Airlock. Their task next week is to install a new heat
exchanger in Quest, which should allow resumption of U.S. spacewalks
from the orbiting laboratory.

The duo also monitored the progress of science experiments, maintained
Station systems and exercised.

Meanwhile, U.S. flight controllers performed a thermal analysis of
Control Moment Gyro No. 1, which failed in 2002 and will be replaced
during a spacewalk by the STS-114 crew in May or June.

[ANS thanks Arthur, N1ORC 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 weeks ANS Editor,
Dee Interdonato, NB2F
nb2f at amsat dot org
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