[jamsat-news:3144] ANS-034 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-034

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:

* January/February 2013 AMSAT Journal at the Print Shop Now
* Fox-1 Main Computer Engineering Prototype Comes Alive
* AMSAT Website Recovery Update
* Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2013
* ESA Call for Proposals: FLY YOUR SATELLITE!
* CQ Magazine Newsroom Space News
* Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference April 26-27-28
* Central States VHF Conference - July 25-28


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-034.01
ANS-034 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 034.01
 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
February 3, 2013
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-034.01


January/February 2013 AMSAT Journal at the Print Shop Now

The January/February 2013 issue of the AMSAT Journal was sent to the
print shop this week. Look for your issue in your mailbox soon.

In this issue you will find:

+ AMSAT Announcements with the SKN on OSCAR Results
+ Apogee View by Barry Baines, WD4ASW
+ Kline School "Out of This World Experience" Raises $6500
  for AMSAT Fox
+ Minimalist Antenna Performance Analysis Using the ISS Downlink
  by Mark Spencer, WA8SME
+ Simple Roof Rafter Template by John M. Franke, WA4WDL
+ Eyeball QSO With UT1FG/MM
+ October 2012 QST FT-817 SatCat Interface Available From ARRL
+ Be Aware of Your Surroundings by George Carr, WA5KBH
+ AMSAT Awards
+ OSCAR Zero News by Bob DeVarney, W1ICW
+ AMSAT-DC Workshop on Portable Satellite Ground Stations
  by Pat Kilroy, N8PK
+ Report From the 2012 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting
+ Special Symposium Visitor Hector Martinez, CO6CBF
+ AMSAT Thanks Our Prize Donors
+ 2012 AMSAT Awards Citations

Thanks for all the help from our Journal Editorial Team: Douglas
Quagliana, KA2UPW/5; Mike Sedlak, K4ERA; Bernhard Jatzeck, VA6BMJ;
Bill Hook, W3QBC, and Martha at the AMSAT Office.

The AMSAT Journal is pleased to publish your articles and photos of
satellite operations and all aspects of amateur radio in space.
Send your ideas and questions to journal@amsat.org.

[ANS thanks AMSAT Journal Editor JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM for the above
 information]


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Fox-1 Main Computer Engineering Prototype Comes Alive

The Fox-1 development team is pleased to report that the first
engineering model of the satellite's Integrated Housekeeping Unit
(IHU) has been built. Bdale Garbee, KB0G, performed the assembly
work, and he was able to load and run the operating system on
first power up on January 24, 2013.

Meanwhile, the software team is hard at work getting drivers and
features ready to fully test the hardware. They have committed to
a March delivery of software for IHU testing.

[ANS thanks the Fox-1 Engineering Team for the above information]


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AMSAT Website Recovery Update

As previously reported, the www.amsat.org web 
site was attacked and the contents
of the supporting database stolen.   The motivation of the attacker is not
clear, but the breach could have allowed posting arbitrary content on the site
or other mischief. Out of an abundance of caution, the database was shut
down, disabling the main page as well as some other site features.

In response to the incident, nascent plans for a web site replacement were
implemented. A Wordpress content management system was put in place with
links to the portions of the site that do not 
rely on the compromised database.
Wordpress was selected since its developers share AMSAT's open source ideals,
and it is well known for easy editing and content creation without the need for
programming skills.

Much work remains to be done to fully restore content, as well as properly
archive historical information.  Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, is coordinating the web
site rebuilding effort, and seeks volunteers to 
help create new content, salvage
old content and replace features such as satellite tracking, status.

Familiarity with word processing is all that is 
needed for a volunteer to become
immediately productive in this effort.  Please contact Joe at
jfitzgerald at alum dot wpi dot edu

[ANS thanks Joe, KM1P, for the above information]


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Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2013

Since 1971, ARRL has held an informal "Straight Key Night" (SKN) on
the HF bands every January 1st (UTC). In 1973, the weekly 75-meter
AMSAT net happened to fall on New Year's Eve (January 1, 1974 UTC),
and a few of us on the net said "Why don't we go on the satellite -
there was only one in those days, AO-6 - with our straight keys?"
SKN on OSCAR was born.

It became an annual AMSAT-sponsored event in 1992, and we began ask-
ing participants to nominate someone they worked for Best Fist. The
first winner was Vic Politi, W1NU, who also holds Satellite DXCC Num-
ber 3.

Since then, OSCAR SKN activity has generally fluctuated with satel-
lite activity in general. It's been down a bit the last couple of
years since the loss of AO-51, but an enthusiastic group of CW oper-
ators, and friends, look forward to SKN every year and wouldn't miss
it. SKN on OSCAR 2013 was held in memory of one of those, John Thomp-
son, W1BIH/PJ9JT, who passed away in 2012.

The following participants each received at least one Best Fist nom-
ination: AA5PK, JM1LRA, JO3MQY, JR0EFE, K9QHO, N5AFV, WA6ARA, WA6KBH,
and WA7QXU.

If you haven't yet tried SKN on OSCAR, a fun experience awaits. See
you next year!

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


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ESA Call for Proposals: FLY YOUR SATELLITE!

’Fly Your Satellite!’ is an exciting new initiative from the European Space
Agency (ESA) Education and Knowledge Management 
Office. It is focused on CubeSat
projects run by university students and builds on the successful ‘CubeSats for
the Vega Maiden Flight’ pilot programme, which culminated in 2012 with the
launch of seven university student-built CubeSats on board the Vega Maiden
Flight.

In the future, this new initiative is intended to 
cover the complete development
process of a satellite from concept to launch. 
However, the 2013 edition will be
dedicated to teams whose satellite is already at an advanced stage of
development and able to complete the Flight Model assembly by June 2013. One,
two or three-unit CubeSats are eligible.

The opportunity will be open to European 
university teams from ESA Member States
or Cooperating States:

* ESA Member States – Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

* ESA cooperating States – Canada, Estonia, Hungary, and Slovenia.

* The deadline for submitting proposals is 01 March 2013

Further information on the ESA website at
http://www.esa.int/Education/Call_for_Proposals_Fly_Your_Satellite


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CQ Magazine Newsroom Space News

This week the CQ Magazine Newsroom (http://cqnewsroom.blogspot.com/)
published AMSAT and amateur radio in space news articles covering:

+ AMSAT Website Hacked, Taken Offline
+ AMSAT Receives Matching Fund Challenge for Fox Contributions
+ Visual CW Plans Thwarted by Moon
+ Morse Code from the Sky
+ Space Station Calling.
+ Huge Audience for ARISS Contact

[ANS thanks CQ Magazine for the above information]

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Eastern VHF-UHF-Microwave Conference April 26-27-28

Registration is now open for the 39th Annual Eastern VHF-UHF-Micro-
wave Conference April 26-27-28 at the Baymont Suites in Manchester,
CT (near Hartford, CT). To register and to find more information go
to: http://www.newsvhf.com/vhfconf.html

Some features of the Conference include:

+ Talks and presentations
+ Vendors
+ Flea markets and Auction
+ Test lab by Greg Bonaguide of Rohde & Schwarz
+ Banquet

Registration is $25 by April 10, $30 after April 10 and at the door.

"Newcomers" Special Registration for those who've NOT been to any
VHF+ Conference before and not ever been a member of NEWS or Pack-
rats or any Weak Signal Group may register by Email or Snail Mail
for $10 by April 10 and $15 after April 10 and at the door.
Mail to: Steve Simons, W1SMS, PO Box 8066, New Fairfield, CT, 06812

Saturday Night Dinner Banquet.........$28 --
must register for banquet before April 17.

Sponsored by: North East Weak Signal Group (NEWS)
Questions? Contact K1MAP, WZ1V, W1GHZ, or N1JFU
or Email Mark, K1MAP: map1@mapinternet.com

[ANS thanks the North East Weak Signal Group for the above
 information]


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Central States VHF Conference - July 25-28

The 2013 Central States VHF Conference will be held July 25-28 near
Chicago in Elk Grove Village, IL at the Elk Grove Holiday Inn, 1000
Busse Road.

Conference registration will open in February. The hotel has begun
accepting reservations under the group code "VHF" on their website.
To access the special rate please click on group code on the left
side of the page and enter "VHF" at:
http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/en/elk-grove-village/chieg/hotelde
tail

Conference features include:

+ Talks and Presentations
+ Antenna Test Range
+ Rover Row
+ Banquet keynote speaker is Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, CEO of the American
  Radio Relay League

[ANS thanks the Central States VHF Society 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 addi-
tional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT
Office.

Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership
at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students
enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.

73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org


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