SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC1223 * SpaceNews 23-Dec-96 * BID: $SPC1223 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY DECEMBER 23, 1996 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use. * PHASE 3D LAUNCH UPDATE * ========================== A published report released on Tuesday December 17th by the European Space Agency (ESA) has shed new light on the planned launch date for AMSAT's Phase 3-D International satellite aboard the next flight of the Ariane 5 booster, Ariane 502. Following a plan of action set in motion last September among ESA, the French Space Agency (CNES) and the firms concerned in building the rocket, a detailed timetable for operations leading up to Ariane flight 502 has now been established by these organizations. ESA reports that while each individual operation will require very close analysis, the Ariane 502 launch campaign is now scheduled to begin on Wednesday April 9th, 1997, with the launch itself now planned for early July. Given these dates, the last qualification launch of the Ariane 5, Ariane 503, managed by Arianespace, has now been scheduled for November 1997. AMSAT-NA President Bill Tynan W3XO welcomed the news saying that "It gives us a definite goal to shoot for in our preparations of the Phase 3-D spacecraft, however every month the launch is pushed back means more funds are needed". Bill noted that a letter is currently going out to all AMSAT-NA members asking for additional contributions to the Project. He emphasized that "it is particularly important to the successful completion and launch of Phase 3-D, that recipients of this letter respond as generously as they can". [Info via the AMSAT News Service] * FUJI-OSCAR-29 NEWS * ====================== Masa, JN1GKZ, reports the following operating schedule for FUJI-OSCAR-29: Present Time : 1200 bps Mode JD 24Dec - 26Dec : Digitalker 26Dec - 31Dec : 9600 bps Mode JD All these modes downlink on 435.910 MHz and are quite strong. The commands for the FO-29 mailbox as downloaded from the satellite are as follows: ------ JAS-2 Mailbox Availlable commands ------ B : List file headers addressed to ALL F : List file headers from latest F : List file headers since posted day H : Show help message K : Kill a file number M : List file headers addressed to current user Q : Disconnect(quit) JAS-2 mailbox R+ : Read a file number+ U : List current user(s) Y : More display W : Write a file The following beacon frames were copied on 20-Dec-96 at 0000 UTC during an evening pass over the Atlantic: 8J1JCS>BEACON : JAS-2 '96/12/20 00:00:19 9C 03 03 08 01 2B 00 01 02 07 00 00 E8 B0 C8 00 89 84 83 8E AA 52 A7 01 B2 AF B3 B3 B0 B2 8J1JCS>BEACON : 95 02 00 09 40 00 4E 40 00 00 8A 7B C1 80 47 02 01 7A 79 79 00 00 00 A8 79 B3 F7 20 95 FA * STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT ON OSCAR * =============================== Amateurs are most cordially invited to join in the 25th annual Straight Key Night on OSCAR, sponsored by AMSAT-NA for Amateur Radio satellite enthusiasts worldwide. Activity has been growing each year. It's entirely unofficial: no rules, no scoring and no need to send in a log. Just call CQ SKN in the CW passband segment of any OSCAR satellite, or answer a CQ SKN call from another station, from 0000 to 2359 UTC on January 1, 1997. OSCAR Zero (EME) contacts count too. Of course, all SKN operating must be done with a straight hand key. Please nominate someone you work for recognition as having the "best fist." To send in a nomination, address it via packet radio to W2RS @ WA2SNA.NJ.USA.NA or to W2RS @ GB7HSN.#32.GBR.EU (whichever is closest to you), via the Internet to , or via "snail-mail" to W2RS' callbook address. Those nominated will be featured in a bulletin sent to Amateur Radio publications and posted to packet radio and the Internet in early February. [Info via Ray Soifer, W2RS] * OSCAR-11 REPORT * =================== During the last month (18 November - 17 December) good, steady signals have been received from OSCAR-11 on 145.826 MHz. There have also been reports of the S-band beacon being heard on 2401.5 MHz from OK2AQK, AL7CR, and DL7MAJ between 7th and 12th December. Maximum signal strengths have varied from S4 to S6 above the noise. G3CWV thanks all how sent in those reports. Last week, the spin period, as reported in the status blocks, increased from the usual value of about 360 to 939 seconds. The -Y axis facet temperature rose to 41.6 degrees C, and +Y fell to -6.6 degrees C. Temperatures like these were frequently seen several years ago, but not recently. However, apart from this recent anomaly, the telemetry values during the month have been nominal and the internal temperatures appear to have stabilized. A new WOD survey was started on 24th November. This survey is of telemetry channels 17, 18, 27, 28. These correspond to the +X, +Y, -X, -Y facet temperatures. Three AMSAT bulletins by Richard G3RWL have been uploaded to OSCAR-11. Topics have included the AMSAT Colloquium, call for papers, OSCAR-13 status and finale. Bulletins always include the latest Keplerian element sets for OSCAR-11 in AMSAT format. The operating schedule remains unchanged: ASCII status (210 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY SEU (30 seconds) ASCII TLM (90 seconds) ASCII WOD (120 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY ENG (30 seconds) There are also additional status blocks after each bulletin is transmitted, and between ASCII TLM and WOD. The Mode-S beacon is ON, but telemetry indicates that it has partially failed and is delivering only half power. Any reports of reception on 2401 MHz would be appreciated, and should be directed to Clive Wallis at: g3cwv@amsat.org. The 435.035 MHz beacon is normally OFF, but it can sometimes be heard when the satellite is being commanded by ground control (within range of Guildford, UK). Likely times are between 1500 and 1800 UTC Fridays or on the weekends. When the 435 beacon is transmitting, the 145 MHz beacon is normally OFF. The data transmitted is mainly BINARY. Clive Wallis is setting up a web site for OSCAR-11. The aim is to include data files, especially WOD, decoding software, information files, and the current status report. Most of the content will be zipped up into convenient packages so that the text can be viewed off-line. Please note that the contents are based on what Clive has received from the satellite as well as other sources. Any opinions expressed are those of Clive Wallis, and are not necessarily those of the UOS ground controllers. The URL is http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/ [Info via Clive Wallis, G3CWV] * MORE OSCAR QRP NEWS * ======================= As a correction to last week's SpaceNews, Ray Soifer, W2RS, pointed out that he didn't use a scanner to receive RS-10's downlink as part of his QRP contact with G3IOR via RS-10. Instead, he used a Sony model ICF-SW100E shortwave portable receiver. This is a European version of the ICF-SW100S sold in the US. A photograph of Ray's station appears in the December issue of QST magazine on page 52. Intrigued by Ray and Pat's excellent adventure, I decided to give RS-10 a try myself during a recent pass using my newly purchased Grundig YB-400 portable shortwave receiver. The satellite was received surprisingly well despite the indoor telescoping whip antenna used, well before the maximum elevation of 67 degrees was reached during the pass. RS-10's ROBOT (CW autotransponder) hasn't been active lately, but can be pressed into duty as a single channel CW transponder. One of the unique aspects of the ROBOT is that it has a wide input passband of 2 to 3 kHz, so drifting or chirping CW signals can be copied easily by the satellite. The satellite repeats these signals with a clean CW note at a signal level equal to that of the beacon transmitter. Tuning to the ROBOT downlink of 29.402 MHz, I grabbed my HT and keyed it on the ROBOT uplink frequency of 145.825 MHz. At first, nothing was heard, but as the HT was tilted, the ROBOT broke out in a loud tone. "This shouldn't be happening", I thought. "Everyone knows it takes a stronger signal to make it into the ROBOT than it does to be heard through the linear Mode A transponder, and here I am with an HT being heard through the ROBOT!" I quickly tuned both rigs across the transponder passband in an attempt to copy my uplink signal directly, but was unsuccessful probably because the passband was filled with many other signals. Wasting little time, I returned to the ROBOT downlink frequency and heard WB8UWK calling CQ. I held the HT sideways and keyed the PTT button with CW, making it into the ROBOT. I answered the CQ and successfully worked WB8UWK using nothing more than 2.5-watts of power into a rubber duck antenna from my kitchen table. I'd be hard pressed to access an FM repeater 20 km away with the same station equipment, yet my CW contact with WB8UWK travelled more than 2000 km via RS-10. Who ever said amateur satellite communications had to be expensive and complicated? :-) In other news, Richard, G3RWL, reports copying the Mars Global Surveyor on 70-cm using an ICOM IC-471 (with a "souped up" front end), an MFJ DSP audio filter, a 12-element circularly polarized yagi, a preamp, and a pair of ears well trained in CW. Richard admits that the noise reduction functions of the DSP filter were probably responsible for his reception of the weak signal from the Mars probe. This reception report is a bit unique, however, in that the signal was actually copied by ear, and not by computer as were many other reports. * HAPPY HOLIDAYS! * =================== Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! 73, de John, KD2BD * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below: WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/ PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> /EX