SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-263.01 LEONID LABUTIN, UA3CR/AB4LZ, SK HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 263.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 20, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-263.01 AMSAT News Service is saddened to report the death of Leonid 'Leo' Labutin, UA3CR. A major player in the Russian Amateur Radio satellite scene, Labutin died September 10, 1998 at his summer residence near Moscow, reportedly suffering a heart attack. He was 70. Labutin was directly involved in various RS satellite projects and was a major influence in bringing Amateur Radio into the Russian Mir space station. In addition to his involvement in the RS satellite program, Leo was instrumental in getting AMSAT in contact with the Russian Industrial sources that supplied the fuel tanks now poised for launch inside P3D. AMSAT-DL's Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, says he worked with Leo on the first Russian/German AO-21/RS-14 project. Guelzow says UA3CR remained active in the amateur satellite field until his death. "I personally lost a good friend and will miss him," Guelzow said. AMSAT-NA Board member, Tom Clark, W3IWI, warmly remembers UA3CR. "I recall Leo's enthusiasm for taking Amateur Radio to obscure places all around the world. I worked him on an RS satellite from a location in the Arctic Ocean, giving me a very rare Low-Earth-Orbit satellite Worked All Continent award. Leo personally delivered the QSL card to me when we later met in Ottawa to plan cooperative activities for one of the trans-Polar ski treks." W3IWI visited Leo and his family in Moscow in 1991. "Leo made a special trip home from Siberia to see me. He and his son gave me the tour of the local club facility. After a tour of the club and some off-the-beaten-path places in the Arbat, we returned for a very Russian celebration between friends. Leo's wisdom and enthusiasm left me with many fond memories spanning years of friendship. I will cherish them forever." Well known satellite author, Martin Davidoff, K2UBC, recalls that in the late 70's Leo wrote a series of articles --in the Soviet magazine RADIO-- concerning experiments with a linear transponder on the roof of a Moscow apartment building. "Reading between the lines it was clear that a group in Russia was working on an amateur satellite project. Over the next decade I sent him copies of many of my articles and was pleased to watch the birth of the RS program," said Davidoff. In early November, 1988, K2UBC received a call saying that Leo had obtained permission to attend the AMSAT Annual Space Symposium and could Martin pick him up when his Aeroflot flight landed. "Needless to say," said Martin, "I responded yes! --and even though it was the first time I actually met Leo-- it was like seeing an old friend. We're going to miss you Leo." Georgia Section Manager, Sandy Donahue, W4RU, also recalls that Labutin was a guest at the 1988 AMSAT Conference, among the first Soviet hams to visit America. After the convention, Labutin was given a complete set of ARRL license manuals. The next day, he passed his Extra, very likely the first Soviet citizen to acquire a US Extra ticket, earning the callsign AB4LZ. Leonid 'Leo' Labutin, UA3CR / AB4LZ will be missed by the entire amateur satellite community. Services were September 12th in Moscow. [ANS thanks the ARRL, Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, Dr.Thomas Clark, W3IWI, and Martin Davidoff, K2UBC, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-263.02 AMSAT-NA BOD ELECTION RESULTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 263.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 20, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-263.02 Martha Saragovitz, AMSAT-NA secretary, tells ANS the results are now official regarding the 1998 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors election. AMSAT-NA members recently received ballots by mail, along with a detailed information sheet about all of the nominees. Members were asked to pick their top candidates from a field of four nominees. Ballots were then returned by regular mail with a total of 1,238 members casting ballots in this year's election. The results are as follows: Tom Clark, W3IWI, received 1,063 votes. Keith Baker, KB1SF, received 1,005 votes. Andy MacAllister, W5ACM, received 851 votes. Barry Baines, WD4ASW, received 657 votes. Tom Clark, W3IWI, Keith Baker, KB1SF and Andy MacAllister, W5ACM were elected to serve on the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors for a two-year term. Barry Baines, WD4ASW, will serve as the alternate until the next election. AMSAT News Service congratulates W3IWI, KB1SF, W5ACM and WD4ASW, and thanks all AMSAT-NA members who took the time to vote in the election. [ANS thanks Martha Saragovitz, AMSAT-NA secretary, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-263.03 JARC TO WELCOME SYMPOSIUM PARTICIPANTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 263.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 20, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-263.03 The Jackson Amateur Radio Club (JARC) will man a booth at the Jackson, Mississippi International Airport to welcome participants to the 16th AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting and Space Symposium. JARC member John Davis, N5ZJV, will be heading up the booth and says, "participants arriving at Jackson International only have to look for the AMSAT banner in the main lobby of the airport." The welcome booth will be manned Thursday, October 15th, and Friday morning, October 16, 1998. The JARC team will provide participants with any needed assistance, such as written directions to the Symposium hotel in Vicksburg or advising of shuttle bus arrival and departure status. The JARC welcome booth will monitor the KA5SBK/146.940 MHz repeater in Jackson. It will be linked to the K5IMT/146.805 MHz repeater in Vicksburg. The KA5SBK repeater can be easily used both in Jackson and Vicksburg, Mississippi. Both repeaters use a standard 600 Hz negative offset. The KA5SBK repeater does require a 100 Hz sub-audible tone. During the symposium, Lloyd Causey, K5IMT, located in Vicksburg, will also be monitoring the talk-in repeater on 147.270 MHz (positive offset with 100 Hz tone). Lloyd is looking forward to welcoming and providing assistance to participants who are driving into Vicksburg. AMSAT and the Vicksburg Amateur Radio Club thank the JARC and K5IMT for volunteering to provide such helpful assistance to Symposium participants. [ANS thanks the 16th AMSAT Annual Meeting and Space Symposium working group for all its hard work and especially Russ Tillman, K5NRK, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-263.04 ANS IN BRIEF HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 263.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 20, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-263.04 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** Dennis, KD4ETA, reports that the launch of SEDSAT-1 may tentatively take place October 15th. KD4ETA says more information will be available September 30th. --AMSAT BB ** The National Space Development Agency of Japan has dropped initial plans to use the central Australian space port at Woomera to base its experimental space truck - Hope-Ex. NASDA says it will instead develop a new launch facility on Kiribati's Christmas Island. The almost 20-ton unmanned craft is designed to carry out scientific experiments and ferry payloads of up to 3-tons into space. Hope-Ex is modeled after the American space shuttle. --Japan Space News ** The SOHO solar spacecraft recently obeyed commands that turned its face fully towards the Sun. For the first time since late June, when SOHO spun out of control and communication was lost, it now points the right way. SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, is a joint project of ESA and NASA. The spacecraft was built in Europe but it carries some American as well as European instruments. NASA launched SOHO and has responsibility for operations. --ESA ** AMSAT Argentina, along with the Catholic University of Cordoba, is in the planning stages of a spacecraft called Globe 4, an Amateur Radio space probe. Besides communication experiments, the flight vehicle will carry GPS, an imaging device of some sort and a number of tomato seeds. The seeds will be carried into space and then returned to Earth and planted by various schools across Argentina. --Newsline ** Jack, W8ISH, reports the successful flight of Windtracks 21, recently launched into a fog shrouded sky with three Amateur Radio packages aboard. The 12-pound payload rose to nearly 100,000 feet before the balloon burst and it parachuted back to earth. Chase teams recovered the Amateur Radio packages from a soy bean field near Eden, Indiana. --Newsline ** John, KD6PAG, reports if anyone needs Hawaii or Alaska on satellite, now is a good time to try AO-27. In the past few weeks, stations from Hawaii and Alaska have been active, sometimes both on the same pass. AH6HH has been especially active and making special efforts to give folks a chance to work the Islands. --AMSAT BB ** The 1998 Pacific Northwest VHF Conference will be held this year in Bend, Oregon on September 25th and 26th. The program includes seminars on roving, 2 meter DSP, aurora communications and operation on 10 GHZ. --VHF Reflector, Newsline ** Bill, WB5SXK, recently posted a list of GPS coordinates for various locations around Vicksburg, Mississippi on the AMSAT BB. Locations included the Battlefield Inn, Welcome Center, The Old Courthouse Museum and the Post Office, among others. If you missed it, you will find a copy by visiting the AMSAT-NA Symposium web site at the following URL: http://pages.prodigy.com/DXHF93A/. --AMSAT BB, K5NRK ** John, KB8TJX, tells ANS that at a recent hamfest, complete with a special event station, he was asked to operate on a pass of AO-27. John worked 5 stations, giving them not only the special callsign, but rare grid-square FN00 in the process. N1H (number 1 hamfest) was activated on AO-27 using an Arrow antenna into a bare-bones ICOM W-31A handheld at 2 watts output using the internal 7.6-volt battery pack. --KB8TJX /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-263.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 1 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 263.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 20, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-263.05 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. 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. Scott, WA6LIE, reports some stations may have noticed that R0MIR-1 has not been on the air recently. This is because of the internal space walk that was done in the Mir Specter module, which houses the ham radio equipment. Operation will be returning to normal shortly. 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 Downlink 145.910 to 145.950 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.408 MHz Robot Uplink 21.129 MHz Downlink 29.454 MHz Operational, reported recently in mode K, using a 15-meter uplink and 10-meter downlink. RS-12 command is now in the hands of Alex Papkov, in Kaluga City, Russia. Several stations, including Peter, KD7MW, Ray, W2RS, and Rusty, NM1K, are reporting that RS-12 is now apparently operating in Mode K, using a 15-meter uplink and 10-meter downlink (only). ANS does not know the reason for the apparent mode change. RS-15 Uplink 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.352 MHz (intermittent) Semi-operational, mode A, using a 2-meter uplink and a 10-meter downlink. Dave, WB6LLO, reports he has prepared a "quick and dirty" set of operating instructions for RS-15 at the following URL: http://users.aol.com/dguimont OSCAR 10 AO-10 Uplink 435.030 to 435.180 MHz CW/LSB Downlink 145.975 to 145.825 MHz CW/USB Beacon 145.810 MHz (unmodulated carrier) Semi-operational, mode B, currently in 'sleep' mode. AO-10 is locked into a 70-cm uplink and a 2-meter downlink. Stacey Mills, W4SM, reports another sleep phase appears to be underway. "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." Several stations including N1JEZ and WL7BQM have confirmed that AO-10's beacon is very weak, even when the satellite is quite close. The beacon can currently be detected as a very weak cyclical signal using digital signal processing. Mike, WL7BQM, and Mike KB8YHV/KH2, recently copied the beacon in this manner using FFTDSP software and a sound card. W4SM has posted the WL7BQM data on the AO-10 web site. 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, mode J. 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] JAS-1b 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 status reports] JAS-2 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 and the satellite will remain in voice mode. FO-29 has entered a period of 'full illumination' by the Sun. This illumination period will extend through the end of December. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for this report] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-263.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 2 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 263.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 20, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-263.06 KITSAT KO-23 Uplink 145.900 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK Downlink 435.175 MHz FM Semi-operational. Jim, AA7KC, reports KO-23 is semi-operational with downlink efficiencies below 50%. Reports indicate the transmitter deviation characteristics are abnormal. This occurs when the satellite is not eclipsed, resulting in over heating. Normal operation should return in late September. W4SM concurs, adding that the satellite is fully in sunlight and will not experience periods of darkness on each orbit until September 26th. Sangat, 9M2SS, also reports that uploading to the satellite "was a little slow." [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for this report] KITSAT 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. Clive, G3CWV, reports it has been another uneventful month for OSCAR-11. During the period of 15-August to 15-September good signals have been received from the 145.826 MHz beacon. Telemetry is nominal. Battery voltage continues to improve, averaging 13.8 volts, with values ranging from 13.6 to 13.9 volts observed. Internal temperatures are slowly increasing and are now 6.6C and 4.8C for battery and telemetry electronics respectively, showing an increase of about 3C during the month. This is due to the decrease in solar eclipse times, which is improving the power budget without creating excessive internal temperatures. A single WOD survey of channels 1, 2, 3 and 61 (magnetometers) dated 01-July-1998, starting at 16:24:09 UTC has continued to be transmitted. A report of the OSCAR-11 Mode-S beacon has been received from Ted, WA2HKS, who heard the beacon many times during the last two months. Users of OSCAR-11 may be interested in two new WOD software packages have recently added to the Oscar 11 web site. The first package enables various WOD channels to be compared with the solar eclipse status of the satellite. The second package compares measured and calculated magnetic fields encountered by Oscar 11. Both packages are of an advanced nature, users will need experience using the other WOD packages on the web site and a spread sheet program. 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] PACSAT AO-16 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 Sun Sep 20 10:56:46 1998 uptime is 1463/05:22:33 +X (RX) Temp -4.842 D RX Temp -6.053 D Array V 21.499 V Bat 1 Temp 1.814 D Bat 2 Temp 1.209 D Baseplt Temp 3.024 D RC PSK TX Out 0.442 W RC PSK BP Temp 0.603 D RC PSK HPA Tmp 1.814 D +Y Array Temp 4.839 D PSK TX HPA Tmp -0.002 D +Z Array Temp -0.607 D Total Array C= 0.418 Bat Ch Cur=-0.003 Ifb= 0.020 I+10V= 0.331 TX:010B BCR:82 PWRC:59E BT: A WC:25 EDAC:E4 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] LUSAT LO-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 semi-operational. Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, reports LUSAT/Oscar-19 ground control station LU8DYF has succeeded in regaining control of the satellite. Downlink signals show good modulation with an ASCII message containing the following text: July 31 - 1998. No BBS service. On Board Computer reload in progress. Digipeater active. Thank you - Norberto - LU8DYF. EA1BCU reminds operators the digipeater mode is "a very interesting option to make contacts with other stations, or to be connected with your own station to evaluate the on-line the state of your installation." [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 received 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. Chris Jackson, G7UPN, says TMSAT-1 commissioning has largely been completed and the satellite is in very good shape. Jackson and his team are presently concentrating on testing and calibration of TMSAT-1's multispectral imaging system, reporting a number of very good image sets have been downloaded from the satellite. The satellite is expected to be available for general amateur use shortly. [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 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. Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, reports that he and Mineo, JE9PEL, recently captured raw data from GO-32. The raw frame was captured using the WISP program. They report some trouble deciphering the information. 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] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-263.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 3 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 263.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, SEPTEMBER 20, 1998 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-256.07 THE FOLLOWING SATELLITES ARE NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME: RS-16 Attempts to command the Mode A transponder have been unsuccessful. The 435 MHz beacon (only) is operational. The RS-16 transponder is non-operational. No additional information is available at this time. DOVE DO-17 Downlink 145.825 MHz FM 1200 Baud AFSK Beacon 2401.220 MHz 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 Non-operational. WO-18 is reported to be in MBL mode after a software crash. No additional information is available at this time. --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