[jamsat-news:2599] ANS-363 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-363

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:
* SKN on OSCAR 2009 This Week
* AO-51 Schedule to Support SKN and Kids Day
* Richard Garriott Interview Available Online
* ARISS 25th Commemorative Event to Feature L/V Repeater This Week
* ARISS Status - 22 December 2008

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-363.01
SKN on OSCAR 2009 This Week

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 363.01
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 28, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-363.01

Ray Soifer, W2RS extends the annual cordial invitation to all radio
amateurs worldwide to participate in AMSAT's Straight Key Night (SKN)
on OSCAR 2009.

Participating in SKN on OSCAR 2009 is easy. No rules, no scoring and
no need to send in a log. Just operate CW through any OSCAR between
0000 and 2400 UTC on 1 January 2009, using a straight hand key.

In keeping with the friendly nature of this event, all participants
are encouraged to nominate someone they worked for "Best Fist." Your
nominee need not have the best fist of those you heard, just of those
you worked. Please send your nomination to w2rs@amsat.org. A list of
those nominated will appear in ANS and The AMSAT Journal.
CU SKN!

[ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-363.02
AO-51 Schedule to Support SKN and Kids Day

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 363.02
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 28, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-363.02

AMSAT VP of Operations, Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, reminds everyone 
that AO-51 will
be configured to support two upcoming special events.  For the first time AO-51
will be configured to support CW operations during the annual SKN Event.
Following SKN the uplink will be reconfigured back to the more 
traditional FM/FM
up and downlinks to support the ARRL's Kids Day event.

December 29 - January 2

FM Repeater, V/U
Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM
Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM

SSB/FM Repeater, V/U (CW QSOs only on Straight Key Night)
Uplink: 145.880 MHz USB
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM

January 3

FM Repeater, V/U
Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM
Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM

FM Repeater, V/U (ARRL Kid's Day, QSOs between or with kids ONLY)
Uplink: 145.880 MHz FM
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-363.03
Richard Garriott Interview Available Online

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 363.03
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 28, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-363.03

Space traveler Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, ha been interviewed by science
fiction writer Tracy Hickman about Garriott's recent visit to the
International Space Station.  During the session, W5KWQ talked about his
experience of operating amateur radio on orbit and conversing with the ham
community worldwide.

The entire interview is 2 hours and 45 minutes in duration.  Its available
in 3 installments. You will find it at
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Dragonhearth

[ANS thanks Newsline for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-363.04
ARISS 25th Commemorative Event to Feature L/V Repeater This Week

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 363.04
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 28, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-363.04

To date, the ISS crew has configured the radio to support cross-band repeater
operations, they have supported some SSTV downlinks and we have had the
opportunity to participate in a special test of 9600 baud packet 
radio operations
on the simplex frequency of 145.825 MHz.

Specifically, December 28-January 3, we plan to reconfigure the Crossband
repeater for a special experiment. This will be a test of our L-Band uplink
capability, which, to date, has not been proven out. Plan for an uplink of
1269.65 MHz and and downlink on the standard frequency 145.80 MHz using low
power. Given the substantial cable losses of the L-band system, we 
hope some "big
guns" are able to penetrate through, keep up with doppler, and make the
connection.

We will provide more updates in the near future. We would like to remind
everyone that ISS flight requirements related to EVA and vehicle activity may
require the radio to be off for some portion of this schedule. And school
contacts and general QSO opportunities by the crew will also preempt this
schedule for short periods of time. (But remember that if you hear these, you
still qualify for a commemorative certificate).

Frank concluded, "In the meantime, enjoy the ARISS ops on ISS! And
congratulations to Owen Garriott, W5LFL, on the 25th anniversary of 
his historic
flight!!"

[ANS thanks Frank, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs
  and ARISS International Chairman for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-363.05
ARISS Status - 22 December 2008

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 363.05
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 28, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-363.05

1. Upcoming School Contacts

An Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact has been
scheduled with Technopolis in Mechelen, Belgium on Monday, December 29 at 11:43
UTC via telebridge station WH6PN in Hawaii. The mission of Technopolis is to
bring science and technology to the public. The center has permanent and
temporary exhibits and organizes workshops, school activities and 
other outreach
activities. The ARISS contact will be open to all school children 6 
-18 years of
age and will be supported through a workshop, lecture or science show.


2. Canadian School Contact Successful

Students from King George Elementary School in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada
took part in a question and answer session with Sandra Magnus, KE5FYE. The
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact took place on
Monday, December 15. Ten students were able to ask one question each of the
astronaut as an audience of 320 looked on. Ray Boughen, Minister of Education
Provincial Parliament, Dale McBain, City of Moose Jaw Mayor (both former
educators) and Brenda Edwards, Director of Education for Prairie South School
Division attended. Television stations taped the event and interviewed the
children.  Radio station CHAB interviewed the school 
coordinator.  The Moose Jaw
Times Herald printed an article covering the contact.  See:
http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?sid=201052&sc=3

The story includes links to the contact video:
http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/index.cfm?main=broadcast&bcid=10109

Principal Ward Milligan commented, "It was an awesome 'once in a lifetime
experience' that will become more important in the lives of these students as
they look back upon this event in years to come.  Having a personal 
contact with
someone in space increased the students' interest in space by three fold.
Sandra Magnus was very enthusiastic and answered the students' questions in a
manner they could relate to.  She was very encouraging of the students.  It was
an inspirational and moving experience."


3. Italian Students Radio ISS

On Thursday, December 18, students from Scuola Elementare Faleriense "Gianni
Rodari" in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy participated in an Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) contact with Mike Fincke, KE5AIT as over
three hundred students, teachers and parents gathered for the event. Twenty-one
students questioned the astronaut and Season's Greetings were exchanged. RAI3
Regional Television and some local media and newspapers covered the event. The
audio was fed into the EchoLink servers. For more information, including photos
and audio, go to: www.ariss-eu.org/2008_12_18.htm

The Corriere News ran an article (in Italian):
http://www.corrierenews.it/index.php/corrierenews3100/content/view/full/22025

ESA mentions the recent Marco Polo, Circolo Didattico San Giuseppe and Gianni
Rodari contacts in this story (also in Italian):
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMXK4TTGOF_Italy_2.html


4. ARISS International Meeting Held

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) team meeting was
held on Tuesday, December 16. Agenda items included the next face-to-face
meeting, SuitSat-2 development status and the ARISS special event. Minutes have
been posted to the ARISS Web site.  See:
http://www.rac.ca/ariss/arisstel2008-12-16.htm


5. Astronaut Training Status

Astronaut Michael Barratt, KD5MIJ, took a refresher course on the Amateur Radio
on the International Space Station (ARISS) equipment and operations on
Wednesday, December 17. Barratt is looking forward to supporting the program
during his time on board the ISS as an Expedition 19 crew member. Expedition 19
is the first half of the planned 6 person crew.


6. ARRL QST Covers ARISS News

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) printed 4 Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) news items in its January 2009 
issue of QST.

Under "Media Hits" (page 12) is a lengthy paragraph about how the 
media coverage
for Richard Garriott, W5KWQ, was very prolific.

A story on pages 59-60 is about Andrea Hartlage, KG4IUM, a student at Georgia
Tech who's a ham and was quite interested in ARISS. She was friends with a ham
teacher at a middle school near her middle school; the teacher had applied for
an ARISS contact.  The story is called "DXpedition to Planet Mars" and is about
Andrea's involvement in the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS).  It 
says at the
end that she wants to be an astronaut.

Two columns under "Happenings" (page 63) are titled "Richard Garriott; W5KWQ
Back on Terra Firma" which is about Richard and ARISS.  It carries two pictures
- one of the students in Austin who contacted him during his mission in space
and the other is a photo of Richard.

"Grants Focus on the Future of Amateur Radio" (page 95) covers three 
groups that
won ARRL Foundation grants. One grant was given to the Eagle Scouts of Indiana
who took part in an ARISS contact at the Space Jamboree 2008. The 
grant received
was used to fund equipment for electronic building projects at the Space
Jamboree which helped scouts complete the electronics merit badge. 
The equipment
also served other regional and national scout gatherings to introduce amateur
radio. Another group that received an award was the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum
which is scheduled for an ARISS contact on December 27. The money received
funded a ham station (and antenna) in the museum lobby.


7. ARRL and AMSAT Articles on ARISS Special Event

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) ran a Web story about the 25th
anniversary of ham radio in space. It includes the latest news covering the
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) special event. See:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2008/12/18/10509/?nc=1

The ARRL also issued a W1AW bulletin on the same subject and an article was
published in the ARRL Letter.  See: http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/08/1219/

[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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