[jamsat-news:2784] Re: ANS-045 AMSAT Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-045

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.
This is your chance to join in the ranks of AMSAT.  There is still an
opening or two for someone to step in and assist with the ANS editing
process.  If you are interested, please drop a line to Joanne Maenpaa,
K9JKM@amsat.org.  There are many other volunteer slots and you can find them
in the advertisement in the AMSAT Journal.  It takes many helpful hands to
keep our group well oiled. (ed.)

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:

ans-editor@amsat.org


In this edition:
* 36th Annual Eastern VHF/UHF Conference
* LORAN C Shutdown
* HO-68 Schedule
* Arecibo Dish to be Activated on Amateur Radio EME
* W6ZH, Silent Key
* ARISS Status - 8 February 2010


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-045.01
36th Annual Eastern VHF/UHF Conference

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 045.01
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-045.01

36th Annual Eastern VHF/UHF Conference

The 36th Annual Eastern VHF/UHF Conference will be on April 16-18, 
2010 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Enfield, CT. The NorthEast Weak Signal 
Group (NEWS) is calling for the submission of papers and presentations.
Papers and presentations are solicited on both the technical and opera-
tional aspects of VHF, UHF and Microwave weak signal amateur radio.

We will have a Hospitality Suite for early arrivals on Friday Evening 
starting at 7:00PM to 11:00 PM. Conference registration will begin on 
Saturday at 7:30 AM and talks and band sessions will start at 8:30 AM. 
A banquet dinner, Triva quiz and prize raffles will begin at 7:00 PM.
On Sunday an outdoor flea market, weather permitting,  will begin at
8:00 to 11:00 AM. Starting this year flea market admission will be FREE 
for both buyers and sellers of VHF and above relate equipment items only.
Compliments of Greg WA1VUG and R&S we will have the following test capa-
bilities up to 50 GHz.

Registration is now open for this years conference. A block of Hotel Rooms 
is available at the Crowne Plaza, Enfield under the NEWS group for $99. 
The latest conference news can be found on-line at:
http://www.newsvhf.com/vhfconf.html

[ANS thanks Bruce, N2LIV Conference Chairman for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-045.02
LORAN C Shut Down

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 045.02
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-045.02

LORAN-C shut down
On February 8 the U.S Coast Guard shut down the Loran-C a navigation
 system that has been in use since World War II.

LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) made use of a network of Low Frequency 
(LF) radio transmitters and the receivers used these multiple signals 
to determine the location and speed of the vessel. It has served 
mariners and aviators well for over 60 years.

President Obama has called the system obsolete, saying it is no 
longer needed in an age in which Global Positioning System devices 
are nearly ubiquitous in cars, planes and boats. 

Running Loran-C is claimed to cost the Federal Government about 
$38 million a year but shutting it down means there is no longer 
a back-up system for GPS.


[ANS thanks Southgate news service for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-045.03
HO-68 Schedule

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 045.03
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-045.03

14 Feb. 2010, Linear Transponder
=======================================
01:37...Turn On FM/Digital Transponder
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
01:52...Turn Off

08:40...Turn On
Europe,Africa
09:20...Turn Off

19:15...Turn On
Africa,Europe,NA
20:00...Turn Off

15 Feb. 2010, FM/Digital Transponder
=======================================
00:25...Turn On
South America, NA
01:05...Turn Off

03:03...Turn On
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
03:18...Turn Off

06:10...Turn On

NA,North Asia,Middle East,Europe,Africa
06:55...Turn Off

15:25...Turn On

Middle Asia,India,Europe,NA
16:10...Turn Off

18:45...Turn On

Africa,Europe,NA
19:30...Turn Off

16 Feb. 2010, FM/Digital Transponder
=======================================
01:55...Turn On
South America,NA,North Asia
02:35...Turn Off

11:00...Turn On
Oceania,South Asia,
East Asia,North Asia,Europe
11:40...Turn Off

15:25...Turn On
NA,South America
15:55...Turn Off

16:50...Turn On
India,Middle East,Europe,NA
17:35...Turn Off

20:15...Turn On
Africa,Europe,NA
21:00...Turn Off

17 Feb. 2010, FM/Digital Transponder
=======================================
02:24...Turn On
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:39...Turn Off

10:45...Turn On
Oceania,East Asia,North Asia,Europe
11:30...Turn Off

15:10...Turn On
Europe,NA,South America
15:40...Turn Off

18:30...Turn On
India,Middle East,Africa,Europe,NA
19:15...Turn Off

20:10...Turn On
Africa,Europe,NA
20:55...Turn Off

18 Feb. 2010, FM/Digital Transponder
=======================================
02:17...Turn On
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:32...Turn Off

03:10...Turn On
South America,NA,North Asia
03:55...Turn Off

10:25...Turn On
Oceania, South Asia, East Asia,
North Asia,Europe
11:10...Turn Off

16:15...Turn On
India,Middle East Asia,Europe,NA,
17:00...Turn Off

19:40...Turn On
Africa,Europe,NA,
20:25...Turn Off

19 Feb. 2010, FM/Digital Transponder
=======================================
01:54...Turn On
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
02:10...Turn Off

02:50...Turn On
South America,NA,North Asia
03:35...Turn Off

14:35...Turn On
South America,NA,North Asia,Europe
15:05...Turn Off

19:35...Turn On
Africa,Europe,NA
20:20...Turn Off

23:20...Turn On
South America,NA,North Asia,East Asia
24:05...Turn Off

20:00...Turn On
Africa,Europe,NA,North Asia
20:45...Turn Off

20 Feb. 2010, FM/Digital Transponder
=======================================
01:34...Turn On
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
01:49...Turn Off

02:35...Turn On
South America,NA,North Asia
03:20...Turn Off

08:45...Turn On
North Asia, Europe,Africa
09:25...Turn Off

19:05...Turn On
Africa,Europe,NA
19:50...Turn Off

21 Feb. 2010, FM/Digital Transponder
=======================================
01:27...Turn On
North Asia,East Asia,South Asia
01:41...Turn Off

02:20...Turn On
South America,NA,North Asia
03:00...Turn Off

08:30...Turn On
North Asia,Europe,Africa
09:10...Turn Off

11:25...Turn On
Oceania
11:40...Turn Off


73
Alan Kung, BA1DU
HO-68(XW-1) Project Manager
www.camsat.cn

[ANS thanks Alan Kung, BA1DU
HO-68(XW-1) Project Manager for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-045.04
Arecibo Dish to be Activated on Amateur Radio EME

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 045.04
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-045.04

Arecibo Dish to be Activated on Amateur Radio EME

While this item is not satellite related it may provide our ANS
readers with a unique opportunity to utilize modest UHF and 1296
stations to copy EME signals. A large OSCAR-class antenna array
equipped station may be able to participate.

Echoes of Apollo EME 2010 or World Moon Bounce Day, is scheduled
for the weekend of April 16, 17, and 18. This year, EOA has been 
graced with a special opportunity to use the Arecibo Dish as the
ultimate "big gun" station on 432 MHz SSB & CW. EME operation on
1296 MHz may also be possible. Arecibo has more than 50 dbi gain 
on 432 MHz so the team thinks it can be heard with modest equip-
ment.

[ANS thanks the Echoes of Apollo project for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-045.05
W6ZH, Silent Key


AMSAT News Service Bulletin 045.05
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-045.05


It is with much sadness that AMSAT notes the passing on Feb.4 of Herbert
"Pete" Hoover III, W6ZH at his home in San Marino, CA. Pete was the grandson
of former President Herbert Hoover. Pete's W6ZH call was inherited from his
father who served as ARRL President; Pete's original call was W6APW. He was
AMSAT Life Member #65.

In the 1970's, Pete and Bill Eitel (W6UF) saw that AMSAT and amateur
satellites were a significant wave of amateur radio's future. In addition to
making substantial contributions, they worked with the ARRL to form the ARRL
Foundation in 1976. Beginning in 1978 Pete served on the ARRL Long Range
Planning Committee.

I remember the hospitality Pete and his wife Meridith showed to Jan King
(W3GET) and me on several occasions when we dropped by his home in San
Marino to discuss AMSAT's future.

Pete was always very active in the American Red Cross. When the Pacsat
concept was being developed, Harold Price (NK6K) and I called on Pete at the
Hoover Foundation offices to discuss the concept of a store-and-forward
messaging satellite to provide medical communications to a remote area. At
Pete's instigation, we began working with VITA (Volunteers in Technical
Assistance) and our Pacsat concept bore fruit when UoSAT-3 was re-badged as
Healthsat-1 (see http://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/healthsat-2.htm).

I last saw Pete at Dayton two years ago. I was in the chow line when I heard
a "Hey Tom" from a nearby table. Pete was spending most of his time at his
retirement home on Maui and he looked very fit and had an incredible tan!
While I was munching on a hamburger we has a great face-to-face QSO. He told
me that he was still on the air, now using an Elecraft radio.

I'll miss Pete's enthusiasm and friendship. I could always count on his
thoughtful advice.

73 de Tom, K3IO (ex W3IWI)

[ANS thanks Tom, K3IO, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-045.06
ARISS Status - 8 February 2010

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 045.06
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 14, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-045.06


1.	Astronaut T. J. Creamer Enjoys ARISS Contact with Riley Ave.
Students

On Tuesday, February 2, astronaut Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI spoke with Riley
Avenue Elementary School students through an Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) contact.  The Calverton, New York youth
spent weeks preparing for the contact, studying space and the solar system
during Science and creating rockets and robots in Art class. The Peconic
Amateur Radio Club helped coordinate the contact and provided the equipment
used. A Riley fourth grader and newly licensed ham acted as the control
operator during the contact.

2.	Principal has Good Memories of First ARISS Contact

The first Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact
was held between Bill Shepherd on the ISS and students attending Burbank
School in Burbank, Illinois on December 21, 2000.  Recently Burbank's
principal made the comment, "I continue to feel that the contact and the
follow-up visit were by far my best experiences as an educator," which says
much about the program and its effect on those who participate. The school
continues to display a plaque commemorating the ARISS event in its lobby.

3.	ISS Ham Debrief Held with Frank De Winne 

Expedition 20/21 astronaut Frank DeWinne, ON1DWN participated in an Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) debrief session on
Thursday, February 4, 2010.  The feedback provided will help ARISS update
program operations.

4.	ARISSat-1 Status Report Posted

AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) posted an article on the status
of ARISSat-1.  To view "Building the First US ARISSAT-1 Flight Unit Begins,"
see:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/index.php


[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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