SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.01 KING HUSSEIN, JY1, A SILENT KEY HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-038.01 His Majesty Hussein bin Talal, King of Jordan, known to amateurs the world over as JY1, has died. CNN is reporting the Middle Eastern leader lost a long battle to cancer at the age of 63. King Hussein died in his homeland after returning from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He had spent six months in the United States undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the clinic, including a bone marrow transplant. The transplant failed, and the King returned home to die. The AMSAT bulletin board was full of comments from amateurs who warmly remembered King Hussein, including a wonderful story from past AMSAT-NA president Tom Clark, W3IWI. Tom remembered in 1980 when "we had lost the Phase-3A spacecraft and it was a black day for us. We were fighting to keep the amateur satellite program alive." Then President Clark received a phone call late one night from Blackie Blackburn, JY9BB, who served as the communications and technology advisor to the King. According to W3IWI, "Blackie told me that the King was concerned about amateur radio's loss and asked a lot of questions about our recovery plans and needs. Blackie ended the call with a comment that he would be in touch soon." The next week newspapers carried a small news note that King Hussein was in the United States and Tom reported a few days later the phone rang again. Blackie was calling from Los Angeles. W3IWI was asked to hold -- and moments later -- a wondrous voice came on the line saying "Tom, it is a pleasure to talk to you at last. This is JY1. I wanted to tell you how proud we are about AMSAT's efforts and how sad we are about the loss of Phase-3A. I would like to offer some help, so I'm sending you a contribution." Tom told ANS he and JY1 exchanged a few minutes more of chit-chat, and then Blackie came back on the line and said "Tom, the King's contribution to AMSAT is a check for $10,000. I have it in my hand. Where should I send it?" According to W3IWI, not only did JY1's generous contribution provide needed financial support, "it was very important in helping the AMSAT folks to rebuild their morale." AMSAT OSCAR 10 was the result of JY1's generous outreach. Tom's story ended with a personal note to King Hussein: "Sir, speaking for AMSAT, it's been a pleasure to know you as a friend and strong supporter. You will be missed here on earth and we wish you well in your trip to the cosmos." -- VY 73 JY1 de W3IWI. SK [ANS thanks CNN and Dr. Thomas Clark, W3IWI, for this information. AMSAT-NA sends our sympathy and condolences to the family of King Hussein and to the people of Jordan] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.02 17TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM AND AMSAT-NA ANNUAL MEETING HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-038.02 AMSAT News Service is pleased to announce that recent and future developments in amateur radio satellites will be presented in San Diego, California --October 8th through 11th-during the 17th AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and annual meeting. Duane Naugle, KO6BT, is spearheading the event. Duane tells ANS the location for the Symposium is the beautiful Hanalei Hotel in the heart of San Diego's Mission Valley, a short distance from several of San Diego's many attractions. At this point the tentative agenda includes the Space Symposium on Friday and Saturday, a satellite session for beginners Friday evening and the annual banquet on Saturday evening. An IARU Satellite meeting will be held Sunday morning, followed by the AMSAT-NA board meeting Sunday afternoon and Monday. The call for Symposium papers will be made later this month and registration forms will be available in July. For more information on San Diego's facilities and attractions, contact the San Diego Convention and Visitor's Bureau toll-free at (888) 969-9310. Hotel reservations for the Hanalei Hotel in San Diego can be made by calling (800) 882-0858. Be sure to mention AMSAT to receive the discounted group rate. Symposium chair, Duane Naugle, KO6BT, and can be reached at: ko6bt@amsat.org Stay tuned to ANS for further details on the 17th AMSAT-NA Space Symposium and annual meeting. [ANS thanks Duane Naugle, KO6BT, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.03 ARISS MEETINGS SUCCESSFUL HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-038.03 Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS-US Delegation member, tells ANS that a series of extremely successful International Space Station (ISS) Amateur Radio accommodation meetings were held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston recently. Sponsored by NASA and by Energia (the Russian space company that is building portions of the ISS), the primary objective of the meeting was to finalize the design development of 'initial station' amateur radio hardware for ISS -- and to develop a more effective understanding of the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program within NASA and Energia. In addition to representatives from NASA and Energia, hardware development teams from the United States, Russia, Germany and Italy were invited to participate in the meetings. The initial station design, solidified during the July 1998 ARISS meeting in Surrey, England, consists of the following: * 2-meter and 70-cm handheld radios, a packet radio system and power supplies, provided by the US team * a Digitalker, provided by the German team * antenna feed-through along with power and spacecraft accommodations, provided by the Russian team * the development of an antenna system, led by the Italian delegation NASA will be providing a Space Shuttle launch to transport initial station hardware to the ISS and has financially supported the flight qualification of the hardware. Some of the testing required by NASA and Energia to flight qualify this hardware includes the development of a safety analysis package, hardware performance testing, ISS interface testing, along with electromagnetic interference and toxic chemical off-gassing testing. During the meeting, Sergei Samburov, RV3DR, the President of AMSAT Russia in Moscow (and the Chief of the Cosmonaut Amateur Radio Department at Energia), confirmed that 4 dual-use antenna feed- throughs have been installed on the Russian Service Module. Sergei also confirmed his strong desire to work with the listed ARISS international partners to develop a single, coordinated amateur radio aboard the ISS. Key NASA officials stated that they, too, need a single, international focal point to coordinate amateur radio development and operations on ISS if amateur radio on the space station is to have a future. During the meeting, NASA officials were extremely pleased with the high level of flight hardware expertise and on-orbit operations knowledge that the ARISS international partners are providing to NASA and Energia. Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA's Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs, commented, "I was extremely impressed with the tremendous teamwork, camaraderie and cooperation that the ARISS international partners exhibited during these pivotal meetings with NASA and Energia. Together we share a common vision to develop and operate a multifaceted amateur radio station on ISS that will be a great recreational outlet for the on-orbit crews, an exciting DXpedition station for hams on the ground and an outstanding educational outreach tool for school students." [ANS congratulates the ARISS partners and thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, AMSAT-NA's Vice President for Human Spaceflight Programs for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.04 OSCAR SKN SUCCESS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-038.04 Ray Soifer, W2RS, tells ANS that AMSAT-NA's 27th annual Straight Key Night on OSCAR, held last January 1st -- was quite a success, "with lots of fun had by all." 'Best Fist' winners (amateurs who received one or more nominations) included G3RWL, KB1SF, K7RR, K9CIS, NM1K, N0IBT, OK2AQK and W3JIM. W2RS adds his thanks to all satellite operators who took part in SKN. According to Ray -- plans are now underway for the next SKN event (the 28th annual), which will celebrate the arrival of the year 2000. [ANS thanks Ray Soifer, W2RS, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.05 ANS IN BRIEF HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-038.05 ANS news in brief this week includes the following: ** Russian officials scrapped the Mir space station's space mirror experiment after the shiny metal object became stuck and failed to properly unfurl. The Mir crew sent the mirror, attached to a cargo ship filled with trash, into the earth's atmosphere --and, after mostly burning up during re-entry-it ended harmlessly in the Pacific Ocean. The mirror was supposed to work like an artificial moon reflecting a beam of sunlight across the earth. --ABC News reports ** SunSat launch delayed. A launch scrub was called for Sunday's launch attempt because of a range constraint with the predicted impact point for the solid rocket motor nozzle covers. Another launch attempt will be scheduled soon. The postponement is the eighth for this mission. --Florida Today ** Support youth in Amateur Radio by having fun participating in the 1999 School Club Roundup -- February 8th to 12th. See the January '99 QST (p. 92) for details --or-- see the rules located at http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/99/scr.html. Some schools are planning satellite operation and the Johnson Space Center ARC (W5RRR) will be active during SCR. --Rosalie, WA1STO ** Bill, KA7YAO, tells ANS that he is building two egg beater antennas for satellite use during the 350 mile 'Race to the Sky' sled dog race in Montana. Bill will use the local club call (W7TCK) during the race, to be held February 14th - 18th. Bill thanks K5OE for the antenna help. Amateur radio provides 24-hour communications each year for the race to ensure the mushers are tracked -- along with appropriate personnel if an emergency takes place. More information on the 'Race to the Sky' is available at the following URL: http://www.race2sky.com. --Bill, KA7YAO ** Could the American Radio Relay League enter the new millennium with a new name? The ARRL Board of Directors has asked the League's Executive Committee to develop a proposal to change the League's name to one that more clearly reflects the focus and purpose of the organization to hams and non-hams alike. The now-obscure 'relay' part of the League's name often is the most troublesome to explain. The ARRL Board feels the year 2000 would be a natural point for change. --ARRL Letter ** Astronomers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan have received the first astronomical images from the new telescope atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii -- the 8.3-meter Subaru Telescope. The images Included Jupiter, Saturn, the Orion Nebula, a galaxy cluster, and a distant quasar. The 20-centimeter-thick piece of polished Corning Ultra Low Expansion (ULE) glass is the largest monolithic optical-infrared mirror in the world, surpassing the 8.2-meter mirrors of the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope. --S&T News ** SpaceDev's Integrated Space Systems subsidiary has been awarded a contract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to study the feasibility of and concepts for low-cost microspacecraft which could provide scientific, probe-carrying, telecommunications and navigation services for future NASA Mars missions. Integrated Space Systems is an aerospace engineering company specializing in launch vehicle and spacecraft design and analysis. --JSP-List ** Looking for a nice quadrifilar helix antenna design for weather satellite reception? If so, check out the following web site that features a considerable amount of theory, design and construction information on the QHA antenna: http://www.personal.u-net.com/~pilotltd/qha.htm. --WxSat Reflector ** Paul, W1GHZ, reports he has made some good progress on the W1GHZ Microwave 'online' antenna book. Paul invites you to go to http://www.qsl.net/n1bwt and click on the book icon for more information. --Paul W1GHZ /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.06 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 1 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-038.06 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 Semi-operational due to SSTV transmissions. The PBBS is running a Kantronics KPC-9612 + V.8.1 TNC. The commands are similar to most PBBS and BBS systems. Rick, KB0VBZ, reports Mir SSTV signals over Aurora, Colorado. Other reports were received from N3JLQ, W5HUQ, N2XZS and WB6FZH/KH6. Allen, N2YAC, reports an interesting Mir sequence showing much of North Dakota, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. 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. Scott, WA6LIE, has a set of instructions on how to work the Mir space station. Copies of the instructions are available from Scott by e-mail at wa6lie@juno.com, or by packet at wa6lie@wa6lie.#wcca.ca.usa.noam. [ANS thanks Scott Avery, WA6LIE, and the MIREX team for Mir status information] Radio Sport 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 Last reported to be semi-operational, beacon only. Radio Sport RS-13 Uplink 21.260 MHz to 21.300 MHz CW/SSB Uplink 145.960 MHz to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 29.460 MHz to 29.500 MHz CW/SSB Downlink 145.960 to 146.000 MHz CW/SSB Beacon 29.504 MHz Robot Uplink 21.140 MHz Downlink 29.458 MHz Last reported in mode KA with a 10-meter downlink and a 15-meter and 2-meter uplink. Kevin, AC5DK, tells ANS activity on RS-13 has been moderate. Kevin recently worked his 48th state on RS-12/13 (N1NFG/Rhode Island). Danny, KE4RAP, tells ANS he recently installed a horizontal loop for mode A operation and is very pleased with the results. Danny used 22 gauge wire cut using the 1005/frequency formula, feeding it with RG-59U. Total cost -- about $3.00 US. The results: the first ever reception of RS-13 with signals at S-5 to S-7. Robert, G8ATE, a regular on the Russian birds, reports very good reception --even down to near the horizon-- with a 1 wavelength loop of thin wire fixed in his roof space. Reception was as good if not slightly better than a wire dipole in the same location. Noise pickup was also less with the loop. The RS-12/13 satellite has seen many recent changes in operational status. Modes K, T, KT and now mode KA operation have all been reported by a number of stations. No official word from the Russian satellite controllers has been received. ANS recommends monitoring each satellite carefully to determine the transponder in operation and which mode it is operating in. RS-12/13 command is now in the hands of Alex Papkov, in Kaluga City, Russia. Radio Sport 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. Bob, W7LRD, reports good signals from KF4FDJ and K5VAS. Bob says 29.380 MHz is being used as the meeting frequency by most RS-15 operators. Nick, W0CA, reports hearing KK2L in CW QSO with W3AA. Mike, KF4FDJ, reports QSO's with VA3EJN, KC9GI, K5OE and VE3NPC. 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) Operational, mode B. AO-10 is locked into a 70-cm uplink and a 2-meter downlink. W4SM reports AO-10 appears to be entering another sleep period due to poor solar angle, telling ANS the beacon is quite weak and FMing. If the past is any indication (and it may not be if AO-10 is attitudinally unstable), this sleep period will last about 4-6 weeks before gradually improving over another 4-6 weeks. W4SM also notes downlink signals are currently too weak for ranging data. NORAD appears to have re-acquired AO-10, although W4SM is a bit skeptical of NORAD reported Keps (particularly mean motion figures). Since NORAD's approach does not require an active transponder, they will hopefully refine their calculations over the next few weeks. 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. [ANS thanks Michael Wyrick, N4USI, for AO-27 information] 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 is 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, rotated with digital mode and digi-talker. See schedule below. Digital Mode JD Uplink 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM Downlink 435.910 MHz FM 9600 baud BPSK Operational, rotated with analog mode and digi-talker. See schedule below. Scott, VE6ITV, reports FO-29 in analog mode. The JARL has released the following FO-29 schedule: Feb. 8 to Feb. 15 JD1200 Feb. 15 to Feb. 18 JA Feb. 19 to Feb. 22 Digitalker The JARL will announce the next FO-29 schedule on February 10, 1999. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for this report] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 2 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-038.07 KITSAT KO-23 Uplink 145.900 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK Downlink 435.175 MHz FM Not operational. The downlink transmitter is off. ANS has learned (from the KO-23 ground command team) that the satellite downlink transmitter first tripped off on August 18, 1998. Since that time, KO-23 has been tripped frequently. The transmitter was again off the air on January 17th and (again) turned back on. However, the command team noted the absence of KO-23's downlink on the very next pass. Telemetry shows one of KO-23's battery cells to be very unstable. The command team is analyzing the relationship between the battery life cycle and the downlink transmitter problem. The team has announced operation of KO-23 will be stopped until the team understands the problem completely and has found a workable solution. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, and KyungHee Kim, HL0ENJ, for KO-23 status information] KITSAT KO-25 Uplink 145.980 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK Downlink 436.50 MHz FM Operational. KO-25 is absorbing the additional traffic (due to the loss of KO-23) and is performing very well. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for KO-25 status information] UO-22 Uplink 145.900 or 145.975 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK Downlink 435.120 MHz FM Semi-operational. More information on the satellite is available at the following URL: http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/EE/CSER/UOSAT/ [Chris Jackson, G7UPN /ZL2TPO, is the Operations Manager of UO-22] OSCAR-11 Downlink 145.825 MHz FM, 1200 Baud AFSK Beacon 2401.500 MHz Operational. Clive, G3CWV, tells ANS that apart from some ground control activity during the first week in January, it's been another uneventful month for OSCAR-11. The internal temperatures have fallen slightly, by about one degree C. They are now 7.6C and 5.8C for battery and telemetry electronics respectively. The current duration of solar eclipse times has continued to provide OSCAR-11 with near optimum conditions, maintaining an adequate power budget while not allowing the internal temperatures to rise to excessive levels. The mode-S beacon is ON, transmitting an unmodulated carrier, but telemetry indicates that it has partially failed, and delivering half power. This beacon is a useful source for those testing mode-S converters, prior to the launch of P3-D. The 435.025 MHz beacon is normally off. More information about OSCAR 11 can be found at the following URL: 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. Test periods will run each Tuesday from 0000 to 2359 UTC. Telemetry is nominal. Time is Fri Feb 05 21:39:43 1999 uptime is 1601/16:02:46 +10V Bus 10.400 V +X (RX) Temp -4.842 D RX Temp 8.470 D +Z Array Temp -12.709 D Bat 1 Temp 6.049 D Bat 2 Temp 6.654 D Baseplt Temp 6.049 D RC PSK TX Out 0.779 W RC PSK BP Temp -0.002 D RC PSK HPA Tmp 0.603 D +Y Array Temp -21.785 D PSK TX HPA Tmp -0.607 D Total Array C= 0.000 Bat Ch Cur=-0.488 Ifb= 0.190 I+10V= 0.323 TX:010C BCR:1E PWRC:59F BT: A WC:25 EDAC:F7 General information and telemetry WOD files can be found at: http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu A complete collection of WOD graphics corresponding to the year of 1998 can be found at: http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu/wod1998.zip [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. No BBS service. OBC (on board computer) reload in progress. The Digipeater is active. Telemetry is as follows: Time is Fri Feb 05 21:27:29 1999 uptime is 189/07:52:51 +10V Bus 10.719 V RC PSK TX Out 0.659 W RC PSK BP Temp 1.252 D RC PSK HPA Tmp 0.131 D +Y Array Temp -16.696 D PSK TX HPA Tmp 1.252 D +Z Array Temp -11.648 D Total Array C= 0.008 Bat Ch Cur=-0.296 Ifb= 0.136 I+10V= 0.166 TX:017 BCR:1E PWRC:62D BT:3C WC: 0 General information and telemetry samples can be found at: http://www.ctv.es/USERS/ea1bcu/lo19.htm [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report] ITAMSAT IO-26 Uplink 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM 1200 Baud Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB Semi-operational. ANS has not received any recent updates concerning the status of IO-26. No additional information is available at this time. TMSAT-1 TO-31 Uplink 145.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK Downlink 436.925 MHz 9600 baud FSK TMSAT-1 is now open for general access by Amateur Radio operators worldwide. Normal access will allow operators to use the store and forward communications on the spacecraft and also download the high-resolution multispectral images. Chris, G7UPN, tells ANS that during software loading (and other command activities) ground control stations may close the satellite BBS to general users. This ensures that command activity is not obstructed or slowed by user traffic. This also allows ground control stations to complete these activities much quicker. G7UPN reports that recently TMSAT was observed as "no longer transmitting telemetry on the downlink." Chris says the reason for this was quickly apparent -- a software problem. G7UPN says "repair" is now complete and the BBS is now open again for general use. ProcMail V2.00G has been released by G7UPN. This software permits the processing of image files from TO-31. ProcMail V2.00G is available for downloading on KO-23 and KO-25. It also has been posted to the AMSAT-NA FTP site at the following URL: www.amsat.org/amsat/software/win32/wisp [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. ANS has not received any recent updates concerning the current status of GO-32 and no additional information is available at this time. The satellite does not have a continuos beacon, but does transmit a 9600-baud burst every 30 seconds (for a continuous 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] SedSat SO-33 Downlink 437.910 MHz FM 9600 Baud FSK The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions. SedSat-1, signifying Students for the Exploration and Development of Space Satellite number one, was successfully launched and placed in orbit on Saturday, October 24, 1998. SedSat is continuing to perform as it has since launch, transmitting telemetry until the batteries are depleted and then going into safe mode (for about ten hours) and then repeating the process. "The orbital geometry is such that we have had as much as 120 hours of continuous operation from the bird before the batteries die," said Dennis, KD4ETA. Recovery efforts continue. For more information on SedSat-1, including Version 1.2 of the SedSat ground station software -- visit the satellite web site at the following URL: http://www.seds.org/sedsat [ANS thanks Dr. Mark Maier, KF4YGR, for this information] PanSat PO-34 Downlink frequency not established. The satellite is not currently available for uplink transmissions. PanSat, developed by the Naval Postgraduate School, was launched from the shuttle Discovery. PanSat spread-spectrum digital transponders will be available to amateur radio operators in the near future along with software to utilize this technology. The PO-34 command station is located in Monterey, California. Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, PANSAT Project Manager recommends 'The ARRL Spread Spectrum Sourcebook' as a good place to start in understanding the spread-spectrum scheme. The PANSAT Team does not expect the satellite to be available to the Amateur Radio community for another few months. For more information, visit the official PANSAT web site at: http://www.sp.nps.navy.mil/pansat/ [ANS thanks Dan Sakoda, KD6DRA, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-038.08 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 3 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 038.08 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, FEBRUARY 07, 1999 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-038.08 THE FOLLOWING SATELLITES ARE IN ORBIT BUT ARE NON-OPERATIONAL AT THIS TIME: RS-16 Attempts to command the mode A transponder 'on' have been unsuccessful to date. At this time the RS-16 transponder is non-operational. The 435 MHz beacon (only) is 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. DOVE stopped transmitting in March 1998. The 145.825 MHz and 2401.220 MHz downlinks are off the air and the satellite has not responded to ground station control. QSL cards for receiving DOVE (when the satellite is operating) may be obtained from: Dianne White, N0IZO 45777 Rampart Road Parker, Colorado 80138-4316 USA 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 /EX