SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-260.01 STS-64 ACTIVE ON PACKET HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 260.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD SEPTEMBER 17, 1994 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-260.01 STS-64 SAREX Is Active On Packet Radio After several days of being silent on packet, the STS-64 SAREX payload came alive today on packet. The general reason given for the silence was to conserve electrical power inorder to extend the mission of STS-64 for another day. KA3HDO reports that the SAREX packet payload was turned on today and will remain on until it has to be stowed for landing. Listen for on the packet downlink link frequency of 145.550 MHz and remember that the the uplink is on 144.490 MHz. However, before transmitting, listen to the downlink for voice operations as voice operations are always a possibility. [The AMSAT News Service (ANS) would like to thank Frank Bauer (KA3HDO) for the information which went into this bulletin item.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-260.02 AMSAT-NA BOD ELECTION RESULTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 253.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD SEPTEMBER 17, 1994 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-260.02 AMSAT-NA Board Election Results Announced Martha Saragovitz, AMSAT's Corporate Secretary, announces the results of the recent election to fill three seats on the organization's Board of Directors. A total of 1548 ballots were received at AMSAT Headquarters by the September 15th deadline. The vote was: Tom Clark W3IWI 1199 Andy Mac Allister WA5ZIB 837 Keith Baker KB1SF 781 Bob Myers W1XT 614 Lou McFadin W5DID 573 John Hansen WA0PTV 505 Therefore Tom Clark and Andy MacAllister are returned to the Board and Keith Baker replaces Joe Kasser (G3ZCZ). Bob Myers becomes the First Alternate and Lou McFadin the Second Alternate. The alternates serve until the next election, one year form now. Thus, for the next year, the AMSAT-NA Board will consist of: Keith Baker KB1SF Tom Clark W3IWI Dick Daniels W4PUJ Junior deCastro PY2BJO Rbt. Diersing N5AHD Andy MacAllister WA5ZIB Bill Tynan W3XO /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-260.03 AMSAT-NA SYMPOSIUM INFO HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 260.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD SEPTEMBER 17, 1994 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-260.01 AMSAT-NA Symposium Hotel Room Availability Information Martha at the AMSAT office informs ANS that all rooms at the Orlando Airport Holiday Inn in the AMSAT block for Oct. 7th and 8th have been filled. The hotel management says, however, that those coming the AMSAT Space Symposium will be accommodated at the AMSAT-NA group rate subject to availability of rooms. Martha urges those desiring to attend who have not yet made a room reservation, to do so as soon as possible. The Holiday Inn Orlando Airport can be reached at (407) 851-6400. /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-260.04 ANTARCTIC PACSAT STATION HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 260.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD SEPTEMBER 17, 1994 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-260.04 Argentine Antarctic Satellite Operation On 14-SEP-94 an Argentine team sailed on an icebreaker carrying a portable MICROSAT station and two AMSAT volunteers, LU2AOQ and LU9AFP. The objective is to demonstrate digital satellite communication including the transfer images and data files to those stationed in Antarctica with an aim of eventually placing permanent amateur satellite stations in Antarctica. Such a demonstration is made all the more relevant because normal HF communication between Antarctic bases and the South American continent are frequently interrupted, especially during this portion of the solar cycle. The ice breaker is working under callsign LU7AA, and will be underway for about one week. In addition to operating on the MICROSATs, the AMSAT volunteers will working the RS satellites. All the amateur community is invited to participate in this experiment. The portable station being used was assembled by LU5EO. [The AMSAT News Service (ANS) would like to thank Gustavo Carpignano (LW2DTZ) of AMSAT-LU for the information used in this bulletin.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-260.05 JARL SPECIAL EVENT STATION HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 260.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD SEPTEMBER 17, 1994 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-260.05 JARL Sponsors A Special Event Station In connection with the International Telecommunications Union 14th Plenipotentiary Conference to be held in Kyoto Japan from 17 September to 14 of October, the Japan Amateur Radio League, has set up a special amateur radio station using the call 8N3ITU. The station is available to all Conference attendees who are licensed amateurs in their particular countries. Many Post and Telecommunication Ministers and their assistants from all over the world are to attend this meeting. The station will be capable of operating all modes from 1.9MHz to 1200 MHz, including AO-13 and other satellites. Amateurs are reminded that 8N3 is not a new country, just JA, and that this is not a DXpedition. Japanese operators will be present but only to assist operators from foreign countries. They are instructed not to handle "pile- ups." Amateurs are asked to please not disturb the operation of 8N3ITU and please not engage in DXpedition style pile-ups. QSLs for contacts with 8N3ITU will be sent via the JARL bureau. For those who cannot use the bureau, they may send cards and an SASE to 8N3ITU,JARL-KANSAI 3-8-31 DAIDOU,TENNOUJI,OSAKA 543, JAPAN. JAMSAT played a very important roll in achieving satellite capability for 8N3ITU. It is hoped that this will demonstrate, to the delegates, the possibilities and importance of Amateur Radio Satellites. Hopefully it may influence some governments, of countries where satellite operation is inhibited, to open the VHF and UHF Bands for Amateur Satellites Usage. Although this operation is coming at a time when AO-13 is not in its best orientation and the station may be hampered by a long coax run, the JAMSAT volunteers are doing their best to put on a successful satellite demonstration for some influential people. AMSAT wishes them luck in this worthwhile project. JAMSAT expresses special thanks to the Japan Ministry of Postal and Telecommunication and JARL-HQ for this opportunity. [The AMSAT News Service (ANS) would like to thank Mikio Mouri (JA3GEP) for the information used in this bulletin.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-260.06 WEEKLY OSCAR STATUS REPORTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 260.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD SEPTEMBER 17, 1994 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-260.06 Weekly OSCAR Status Reports: 17-SEP-94 AO-13: Current Transponder Operating Schedule: N QST *** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 1994 Sep 12 - Dec 19 Mode-B : MA 30 to MA 150 |<- OFF Oct 22 - Nov 07 for eclipses Mode-B : MA 150 to MA 190 | max duration 2h 12m Mode-BS : MA 190 to MA 218 | Mode-S : MA 218 to MA 220 |<- S beacon only Mode-S : MA 220 to MA 230 |<- S transponder; B trsp. is OFF Mode-B : MA 230 to MA 30 | Alon/Alat 230/0 Omnis : MA 250 to MA 140 | Move to attitude 180/0, Dec 19 The battery charge state is of paramount importance during the eclipse seasons. As always the command team may have to have to make temporary changes to the published schedule. In that case we will try to minimize the inconvenience, setting Mode-B OFF from MA 230-256 in the first instance. ========================================================================== [G3RUH/DB2OS/VK5AGR] FO-20: The FO-20 command team has mentioned before that digital mode oper- ation of the bird will be continued for a while because mode switching between digital mode (Mode-JD) and analog mode may cause some problem of onboard command system. [Kazu Sakamoto (JJ1WTK)] AO-16: WD0E reports that as of 18-SEP-94 the team of WJ9F, WD0E and VK7ZBX is continuing the software relaod of AO-16. Last night the first stage was completed and PACSAT is under full software control and sending normal tel- emetry. Loading of the remainder of the software, including the BBS, will probably take a few more days. [wd0e@amsat.org] LO-19: After of being out of service since May, LUSAT-OSCAR-19's BBS is now working again! Last May, for some yet determined reason, the BBS crashed during a pass over South America near a region know for its high-energy particle activity called the South Atlantic Anomaly. Last Sunday, 11-SEP-94, AMSAT-LU ground controllers were able to bring LO-19's BBS back on-line. [LW2DTZ] The AMSAT NEWS Service (ANS) is looking for volunteers to contribute weekly OSCAR status reports. If you have a favorite OSCAR which you work on a regular basis and would like to contribute to this bulletin, please send your observations to WD0HHU at his CompuServe address of 70524,2272, on INTERNET at wd0hhu@amsat.org, or to his local packet BBS in the Denver, CO area, WD0HHU @ N0QCU. Also, if you find that the current set of orbital elements are not generating the correct AOS/LOS times at your QTH, PLEASE INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. The information you provide will be of value to all OSCAR enthusiasts. /EX