SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.01 TMSAT-1 AND TECHSAT-1B STATUS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 221.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 9, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.01 Amateurs radio's two newest satellites, TMSAT-1 and TechSat-1B, are doing very well after reaching one full month in space following a successful (joint) launch from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome last July. Both satellites are still undergoing initial loading of flight software. Chris Jackson, G7UPN / ZL2TPO, tells ANS that TMSAT commissioning is proceeding rather slowly due to a number of reasons. Jackson says ground control stations have been operating the downlink transmitter only over certain parts of the globe, mainly Bangkok and Surrey. The satellite is also performing a number of new tasks that have not previously been used before, and this is taking some time to get fully operational in orbit. On Friday, August 7th the TMSAT gravity gradient boom was deployed following a command from HS0AM, the Bangkok control station. Telemetry data from the deployment showed that the 6.2-meter boom deployed perfectly with less than 1.5 degrees of oscillation from vertical. Currently, the attitude will continue to be improved and testing of the spacecraft payloads will commence. Shlomo Menuhin, 4X1AS reports TechSat-1B is also responding well to ground control commands. 4X1AS tells ANS the satellite recently took its first picture from space, centered over the French Riviera near San Tropez. The image is available for viewing on the worldwide web using the following URL: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/images/TechSat/Cam2.jpg Both satellites are expected to be available for general amateur use shortly. [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO and Shlomo Menuhin, 4X1AS for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.02 TMSAT and TECHSAT RECEIVE OSCAR NUMBERS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 221.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 9, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.02 Responding to a question from Keith Baker, KB1SF, Executive Vice President of AMSAT-NA, both the TMSAT and TECHSAT teams have answered they wished OSCAR numbers to help designate their new spacecraft. KB1SF also passed along congratulations from all AMSAT-NA members to both teams on their outstanding success. The assignment of consecutive OSCAR numbers to new Amateur Radio spacecraft is a tradition that dates from the launch of the very first Amateur Radio Satellite -- OSCAR 1. In order for an OSCAR number to be assigned, the satellite must successfully achieve orbit and one or more transmitters must be successfully activated in the Amateur Radio bands. Then, the builders/owners of the satellite must formally request that a consecutive OSCAR number be assigned to their satellite once the first two requirements are accomplished. Speaking for the TMSAT team, Chris Jackson G7UPN / ZL2TPO, said that "I have spoken with our Thai colleagues and they are happy for TMSAT to be named TMSAT-OSCAR-31." Likewise, Shlomo Menuhin, 4X1AS, speaking on behalf of the TECHSAT team said "we at the TECHSAT project agree to all the terms and would be glad if the TECHSAT-1A will have the OSCAR number GO-32. The letter G stands for GURWIN." KB1SF has informed ANS that, in the light of this information, it is now appropriate to refer to the two new amateur satellites as 'TMSAT-OSCAR-31' (or simply TO-31') and 'GURWIN-OSCAR-32' (or simply 'GO-32') respectively. [ANS thanks Keith Baker, KB1SF, AMSAT-NA Executive Vice President, for the information that went into this bulletin] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.03 16TH AMSAT-NA ANNUAL MEETING AND SPACE SYMPOSIUM HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 221.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 9, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.03 ANS is pleased to report the registration form and agenda for the upcoming AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium is now available on the worldwide web. Point your browser to the following URL: http://pages.prodigy.com/DXHF93A This site is also linked with the AMSAT-NA page. The symposium will be held October 16-18, 1998 at the Battlefield Inn in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Presentations will be given on a diverse range of amateur radio satellite topics including: * The History of the Amateur Radio Satellite Program by Martin Davidoff, K2UBC * Antarctica and Amateur Radio by Ron Ross, KE6JAB * Working Satellites From Over 100 Grid Squares by Chuck Duey, KI0AG * Intermediate Circular Orbits for Amateur Radio Satellites by Ken Ernandes, N2WWD * The Year 2000 Transition - Your PC and AMSAT Software by Roy Welch, W0SL * J-Station - An Update by John Melton, G0ORX * A Self-Phasing Turnstile for Mode J Satellite Reception by Tony Monteiro, AA2TX * TRACKNET: An AMSAT Mobile Satellite System by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR * Development of Yet Another Housekeeping Unit for Phase 3D by James Miller, G3RUH * SETI on the Cheap: Affording the Ultimate DX by Paul Shuch, N6TX * An EZ-Sat Update by Fred Winter, N2XOU and Ken Ernandes, N2WWD * The Citizen Explorer Mission by Jeff Baltrush * SAPPHIRE: Stanford's First Amateur Radio Satellite by Bob Twiggs, KE6QMD * The MOST Space Astronomy Mission by Kieran Carroll, Robert Zee, and Jaymie Matthews * JAWSAT Update by Randolph Kohlwey, N7SFI * International Space Station Status by Will Marchant, KC6RCL *The P3D Spacecraft Thermal Design by Dick Jansson, WD4FAB and Keith Baker, KB1SF Other (numerous) activities are planned during the symposium including sessions devoted to Phase 3D and an introduction to amateur radio satellites. This beginner's session on amateur radio satellites will be held on Friday evening and will be open to participation by the general public. Many diverse activities are planned for the Saturday evening banquet including the traditional prize drawing. The featured guest speaker for the banquet will be ARRL Vice President, Joel Harrison, W5ZN. An AMSAT Area Coordinator breakfast is scheduled for Sunday morning. Later that morning, all participants can take a field trip to the US Army Engineers Waterways Experiment Station. The following options are available for traveling between the Jackson International Airport (JAN) and the Battlefield Inn in Vicksburg: 1) The Battlefield Inn has established the following scheduled shuttle runs: Jackson International Airport to Battlefield Inn: * Thursday, 15 OCT 98: 1400, 1700, 2000 CDT * Friday, 16 OCT 98: 1000, 1400 CDT Battlefield Inn to Jackson International Airport: * Sunday, 18 OCT 98: 0700, 1130, 1500 CDT The fare is $9.00 per person each way and is payable during check-in to the Battlefield Inn. 2) The Gofer Girls (601-634-2574) provide airport transportation between Jackson and Vicksburg on an as-needed basis. The fare is $18.00 each way. 3) A variety of rental car agencies (Avis, Hertz, Budget, etc.) provide rental service from the Jackson International Airport. The rental cost will vary. The Jackson Amateur Radio Club will host an AMSAT Welcome Table at the Jackson International Airport on Thursday and Friday to help assist with transportation needs. The deadline for early-bird registration is September 15, 1998. For additional information about the annual meeting and symposium contact Eddie Pettis, N5JGK at: n5jgk@amsat.org The entire gang in Vicksburg says "see ya'all this October! " [ANS thanks Eddie Pettis, N5JGK and the entire Symposium Working Group for their hard work and dedication] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.04 ANS IN BRIEF HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 221.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 9, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-221.04 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** Retired NBC science reporter and SAREX Working Group Chairman, Roy Neal, K6DUE, got to know astronaut Alan Shepard very well in the early days of the space program. As reported by ANS, Shepard --the first US astronaut launched into space-- died recently at age 74. While Shepard never was interested in ham radio, Neal says he was very aware of radio and communication. "I was the Pool Producer for his Mercury flight," he said. "The combined networks built a special mobile unit to feed some 100 networks worldwide." Neal said NASA had the networks fire up its broadcast system to make sure it would not generate RFI that could affect Shepard's spacecraft. It was clean. "Later that day, Shepard accosted me. 'Are we compatible?' he asked. I retorted, 'If you mean RF, yes we are. Socially I'm not so sure!' Neal said network employees who were hams used that background to advantage. "The coverage from the [aircraft] carrier was provided by a pair of Collins KWM-2s, which the Navy let us install," Neal recalled. "When President Kennedy preempted all Navy circuits to talk to Shepard aboard the carrier, we had a great exclusive. The whole world, including NASA, had to turn to the radio-TV pool to find out what was going on!" --ARRL Letter ** Russian space officials said recently that they have indefinitely postponed plans to orbit a huge space-mirror that would illuminate Siberia and other areas of the Earth during long northern nights. The space agency doesn't have the funds a spokesman said. Long-range plans had called for multiple orbiting mirrors to provide permanent artificial moonlight. -- Morrock News Service ** The real time data flow from the primary space weather GOES-9 spacecraft has been terminated following the arrival of the new GOES-10 spacecraft to the GOES-9 location. This change was required in order to replace the ailing GOES-9 spacecraft, which was suffering from attitude control problems caused by wearing and excessively high bearing temperatures. -- NLRS Reflector and WB1HBU ** NASA's Jennifer McCarter tells ANS that the Johnson Space Center has modified its contract with United Space Alliance (USA) of Houston to include more than $900 million in work on the Space Shuttle's solid rocket booster and other shuttle elements. -- ANS ** Love it or hate it, the ARRL's recent license restructuring plan certainly has generated considerable debate and controversy within the Amateur Radio community and gotten licensees thinking about what's good and what's not so good about the current system. ARRL Directors report they're getting lots of e-mail on both sides. -- ARRL Letter ** Call for papers: The ARRL seeks articles for the next volume of the very popular 'The ARRL Antenna Compendium' series. An article should be previously unpublished and should deal with antennas, transmission lines and/or propagation. Submit articles (or solid ideas for possible articles) to Dean Straw, N6BV, ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, CT 06111 or via e-mail to n6bv@arrl.org. --ARRL Letter /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 1 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 221.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 9, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-221.05 MIR/SAFEX SAFEX II 70 cm Repeater Uplink 435.750 MHz FM w/subaudible tone 141.3 Hz Downlink 437.950 MHz FM Semi-operational. Mike, N1JEZ reports the MIR/SAFEX repeater has been active recently. SAFEX II 70 cm QSO Mode Uplink 435.725 MHz FM w/subaudible tone 151.4 Hz Downlink 437.925 MHz FM Semi-operational. PMS Uplink/Downlink 145.985 MHz FM 1200 Baud AFSK Operational. The current crew onboard Mir are Talgat Musabayev and Nikolai Budarin. They speak and read Russian only. Any messages addressed as personal to R0MIR will not be understood unless it is in Russian. MIREX is again allowing R0MIR-1 for store-and-forward message traffic. WA6LIE reminds all stations that in order to send Personal Mail to other stations you must address it to a valid callsign. Any personal mail addressed to a non-amateur callsign can not be read by anyone and is a waste of TNC memory. WA6LIE asks all stations to please read your TNC manual on how to address messages. The PBBS is running a Kantronics KPC-9612 + V.8.1 TNC. The commands are similar to most PBBS and BBS systems. MIREX has announced an on going APRS School Days Test. MIREX is allowing schools to use APRS for position and status reports via R0MIR. Non-school stations are asked to refrain from using APRS type transmissions or beacons via R0MIR. [ANS thanks Scott Avery, WA6LIE, and the MIREX team for Mir status information] RS-12 Uplink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB Uplink 21.210 to 21.250 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.410 to 29.450 MHz CW/SSB Operational, mode KA. RS-12 continues to be the most popular of the current RS 'easy sat' series. RS-15 Uplink 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/SSB Semi-operational. The RS-15 TLM beacon has apparently started working again, although intermittently. RS-16 The 435 MHz beacon (only) is operational. Attempts to command the Mode A transponder on have been unsuccessful. AO-10 Uplink 435.030 to 435.180 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 145.975 to 145.825 MHz CW/USB Operational. Stacey Mills, W4SM reports another sleep phase appears to be beginning. "I suspect that the rotational speed is so slow as to be incapable of holding a stable attitude heading. Hence, we may be entering a time of chaotic useful periods and sleep periods which cannot be predicted. W4SM has more information about the satellite at the following URL: http://www.cstone.net/~w4sm/AO-10.html [ANS thanks Stacey Mills, W4SM for his AO-10 status information and web site] AO-27 Uplink 145.850 MHz FM Downlink 436.792 MHz FM Operational. AO-27 TEPR States are currently: 4 = 36 = 18 Minutes 5 = 72 = 36 Minutes This means AO-27's transmitter turns on 18 minutes after entering the Sun and stays on for 18 minutes. AO-27's transmitter is turned off at all other times during the orbit. N4USI reminds stations that this happens on every orbit, approximately 14.2 times a day. The current TEPR settings will cause the satellite to be on during the daytime at northern latitudes. [ANS thanks Michael Wyrick, N4USI, AO-27 Control-op for this update] FO-20 Uplink 145.900 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Operational. FO-20 in mode JA continuously. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK for the FO-20 reports] FO-29 Voice/CW Mode JA Uplink 145.900 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Operational. Digital Mode JD Uplink 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM Downlink 435.910 MHz FM 9600 baud BPSK Not operational, the satellite is in JA (voice) mode. Kazu, JJ1WTK, tells ANS that OBC bit error investigation continues. The JARL command recently issued two statements: 1) FO-29 will be stay still in mode JA because the frequency investigation of the OBC bit errors. The command team would like reports from radio amateurs who can receive the value of TLM channel 5. The information is the fifth item after HI HI on CW. The normal value of channel 5 is '00'. Reports should be sent to lab@jarl.or.jp 2) FO-29 will be in 'full illumination' (always illuminated from the Sun) starting in mid-August. The operation mode may be changed in part due to anticipated temperature rise of the satellite. A new statement will be released from the JARL on August 17th. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for this report] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-221.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 2 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 221.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 9, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-221.06 KO-23 Uplink 145.900 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK Downlink 435.175 MHz FM Operational. The telemetry is nominal. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC for this report] KO-25 Uplink 145.980 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK Downlink 436.50 MHz FM Operational. The telemetry is nominal. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC for this report] UO-22 Uplink 145.900 or 145.975 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK Downlink 435.120 MHz FM Operational. More information on the satellite is available at the following URL: http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/EE/CSER/UOSAT/ [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, Operations Manager of UO-22 for this report] OSCAR-11 Downlink 145.825 MHz FM, 1200 Baud AFSK Beacon 2401.500 MHz Operational. In response to many requests for information about methods of decoding OSCAR-11 signals, a package of hardware information has been added to the satellite web site. The site also contains some software for capturing data, decoding ASCII telemetry and WOD information. The URL is http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/ Beacon reception reports should be sent to: g3cwv@amsat.org. [ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for this information] AMSAT-OSCAR-16 (PACSAT) Uplink 145.90 145.92 145.94 145.86 MHz FM 1200 bps Manchester FSK Downlink 437.0513 MHz SSB, 1200 bps RC-BPSK 1200 Baud PSK Beacon 2401.1428 MHz Operating normally. The AO-16 command team has authorized an APRS experiment on AO-16 to explore the use of the 1200-baud PACSAT for APRS position/status reporting. The test periods will run each Tuesday from 0000 to 2359 UTC. The telemetry is nominal. Time is Sat Aug 01 12:00:48 1998 uptime is 1413/06:28:01 BCR Set Point 130.254 C BCR Load Cur 0.328 A BCR Input Cur 0.403 A BCR Output Cur 0.345 A Bat 2 Temp 1.209 D Baseplt Temp 0.603 D RC PSK TX Out 0.457 W RC PSK BP Temp 3.629 D RC PSK HPA Tmp 3.629 D +Y Array Temp 0.603 D PSK TX HPA Tmp 1.814 D +Z Array Temp 10.285 D Total Array C= 0.358 Bat Ch Cur= 0.017 Ifb= 0.045 I+10V= 0.283 TX:010B BCR:86 PWRC:59E BT: A WC:25 EDAC:49 General information and telemetry WOD files can be found at: http://www.arrakis.es/~ea1bcu/wod.htm [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report] DO-17 (DOVE) Downlink 145.825 MHz FM 1200 Baud AFSK Beacon 2401.220 MHz Currently non-operational. The 145.825 MHz and 2401.220 MHz downlinks are off the air. No additional information is available at this time. WEBERSAT (WO-18) Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB 1200 Baud PSK AX.25 Currently non-operational. WO-18 is in MBL mode after a software crash. No additional information is available at this time. LUSAT-OSCAR-19 Uplink 145.84 145.86 145.88 145.90 MHz FM 1200 bps Manchester FSK Downlink 437.125 MHz SSB 1200 bps RC-BPSK Currently non-operational, unknown status. Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU reports LUSAT/Oscar 19 apparently has stopped transmitting. Ground control station LU8DYF is attempting to regain control. No additional information is available at this time. [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report] ITAMSAT IO-26 Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM 1200 Baud PSK Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB Semi-operational. Telemetry is reported as being downloaded on 435.822 MHz at 1200 baud PSK. No additional information is available at this time. TMSAT-1 TO-31 Downlink 436.923 MHz The TMSAT-1 micro-satellite was successfully launched from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 10, 1998. The satellite is still undergoing initial loading of flight software. The satellite is expected to be available for general amateur use shortly. Stations that can capture telemetry from the satellite are asked to send a report to; C.Jackson@ee.surrey.ac.uk A brief overview of the TMSAT satellite and commissioning plan is available at the following URL: http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/EE/CSER/UOSAT/amateur/tmsat/tmsat_commissioni ng_plan.html. [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN / ZL2TPO, for this report] TechSat-1B GO-32 Downlink 435.325 435.225 MHz HDLC telemetry framed so a TNC in KISS mode will decode it The TechSat-1B micro-satellite was successfully launched from the Russian Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 10, 1998 The satellite is still undergoing initial loading of flight software. The satellite is expected to be available for general amateur use shortly. The satellite does not have a continuos beacon, but does transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30 seconds (for about 3 seconds in length), currently on 435.225 MHz. The TechSat team has also constructed a home page about TechSat. To view the site, point your web browser to: http://techsat.internet-zahav.net/ [ANS thanks Shlomo Menuhin, 4X1AS for this information] --ANS END--- Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to ans-editor@amsat.org, (or to) ANS Editor, Dan James, NN0DJ, at nn0dj@amsat.org. /EX