SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.01 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE EDITORS WANTED AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.01 ANS is looking for additional Editors, if you are interested in joining the team please contact Robin Haighton VE3FRH@amsat.org. [ANS Thanks Robin Haighton, President AMSAT-NA, for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.02 RS-20 LAUNCHED INTO ORBIT AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.02 The following announcement was received from Alexander N. Zaitzev concerning the launch of a new amateur satellite. At November 28, 2002 at 09:41 Moscow time from Plesetsk were launched two satellites - Algirian AlSat-1 and Russian "Mozhaetz" sirca RS-20 ! Please listen RS-20 at 435.319 MHz and 145.828 MHz. The telemetry signal format almost the same as RS-21 (Kolibri-2000). Any reports are appreciated on addresses as plis@kaluga.ru and zaitzev@izmiran.rssi.ru. Regards and 73 ! UA3XBU and RW3DZ Early element sets for the two new satellites are shown below. ALSAT-1 1 27559U 02054A 02332.58945067 .00014902 00000-0 34957-2 0 35 2 27559 98.2387 217.3033 0044901 72.7303 287.8426 14.53954521 46 MOZHAYETS 1 27560U 02054B 02332.86497891 -.00019965 00000-0 -47472-2 0 37 2 27560 98.2411 217.5728 0044302 75.5447 285.0613 14.53325574 86 [ANS thanks Alexander for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.03 AMSAT AT THE TAMPA BAY HAMFEST AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.03 AMSAT will have a booth and demo station at the Tampa Bay hamfest December 7th and 8th. Volunteers are needed to help man the booth. Any time you can give us will be useful and appreciated. Don't worry if you've never "worked the booth" before; everyone is useful! Please reply directly to ko4ma@amsat.org . It would also help if you could give me an idea of when you might be able to be there. [ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.04 MODE-B ON AO-EAGLE AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.04 A great deal of discussion has taken place lately on the AMSAT-BB regarding the available operating modes of the upcoming AO-Eagle project. The latest word from AMSAT's VP of Engineering, Stan Wood, correctly pointed out that Mode B is a primary mode of "Eagle". "Which modes will be active and at what times/days etc have yet to be decided", added Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, President of AMSAT-NA. Robin continued, "Undoubtedly every AMSAT member will want his/her particular mode to be active at their most convenient time (Always?). As we get closer to operation a program committee will be established which will determine the actual mode of operation at any given MA. I expect that the MA of the priority modes will vary to give excellent operating opportunities to all over a period of time." Robin concluded his remarks with the reassurance that, "Mode B will be available as one of the priority modes." [ANS thanks Stan Wood and Robin Haighton for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.05 WEEKLY OPERATING UPDATE AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. December 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.05 ** ANS welcomes the opportunity to publish your good news of success in working a new satellite, new DX, new mode, etc. We also print reports about what space related activities your local satellite groups and ham clubs are doing. Send your operating reports to JoAnne (wb9jej@amsat.org) and they will be printed here. ** Jack N1BGG wrote about his first satellite contact this week. As he told it, "My first satellite contact was on UO-14 and it was a thrill. Although, it seems to me a little crazy to send my signal all the way up and back to make my first contact only 10 miles away! Hi hi!" After that first, memorable contact with K3KO he has made many more contacts via the satellite. ** Francisco CT1EAT scored his first AO-40 contact as his reward for an extensive troubleshooting session to get his satellite station working. He wrote, "After several hours spent looking for a solution of feeding 12 V to the converter, I remembered my Drake was supplied with a bias tee. Well, I plugged it in , tuned the radio, and I couldn't believe that I was listening to the AO40 Main Beacon, getting an S4 with the satellite out at 60000 km!" This was his first try. He continues, "Amazing. Not even in my best expectations I would have dreamed it. I aimed the dish in the rain, and angle pointing was just a wild guess. Lucky guess, I would say!" "I spent the next hour tuning around, and trying to find my downlink. It was tougher than expected, but around 2345 I had established a table with uplink and downlink frequencies." "Now all I needed was to call CQ. And a few minutes later W7UPF replied to my call. That was my first QSO on the 'big bird'! When I was about to QRT, K0BLT called me and we had a quick chat. Now, I'm tired, but happy. Thanks Don and Frank for my first night on AO40, and all you who helped me to accomplished it! See you soon on AO-40." [ANS thanks and congratulates N1BGG and CT1EAT for this week's operating news.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.06 UO-22 AVAILABLE TO USERS AGAIN AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.06 UO-22 is once again available for users. More details are provided by Chris, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, "UO-22 is operating OK at the moment. Some new software has been loaded to try and keep the downlink operating most of the time." Chris also noted that this veteran satellite is starting to show some signs of age. "It seems that after around 60000 charge/discharge cycles the Nicad batteries are starting to show their age (!!)", Chris commented. He added "It's probable that the power system will no longer be able to support operations when UO-22 enters a period of eclipse in a few months time although we'll do all we can to try and keep it operational." Chris also provided some insight into the plans for managing the power budget on UO-22. "The downlink will also be switched off from time to time over certain parts of the globe. Generally these quiet periods should be out of range of most stations. Currently, they are in the middle of the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and central China." Chris explains, "This is required to allow the attitude control system to operate correctly since the power system can not supply enough power to support both the transmitter and the magnetorquers." Chris's closing suggestion is, "Enjoy the bird while you can! At 11 1/2 years it's doing well, but it may not be available for a lot longer." [ANS thanks Chris, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.07 P5/4L4FN ORDERED TO CEASE OPERATION AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.07 P5/4L4FN QRT effective 2002 November 22 Bruce Paige, KK5DO, provides the following details. I just received word from Ed, P5/4L4FN that the unfortunate and worst possible thing has just happened. Friday evening, 2002 November 22, Ed was called into a meeting with the "Radio Regulation Board" without any explanation, he was politely asked to quit all transmissions and pack all his radio equipment. Saturday, he spent all day on the roof disassembling his antennas and packing boxes. At 2:30pm on of the government officials came by, sealed all the boxes and when he leaves on December 10 for his two weeks R&R he is to take everything with him out of the country. This really hits the ham community hard. I for one was looking forward to a satellite contact on AO-40. I know that many of you were still awaiting your first QSO. Ed will keep all the equipment for his next duty station which will be another really good spot. Any money received from now on will be donated to help ZL1AMO's emergency air ambulance trip from Figi back home. [ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, and Ed, 4L4FN for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.08 STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT ON OSCAR 2003 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.08 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.08 You are cordially invited to participate in the 30th annual Straight Key Night on OSCAR, conducted by AMSAT-NA for Radio Amateurs throughout the world. There are no rules, no scoring and no logs required. Just operate CW on any OSCAR satellite, using a straight hand key, from 0000 UTC to 2400 UTC on 1 January 2003, working as many SKN stations as you can. The moon (OSCAR Zero) counts too. In keeping with the friendly nature of this event, each participant is asked to nominate one of the operators worked for "Best Fist." It is not necessary that your nominee have the best fist of anyone you heard, just of those you worked. Please send your nomination to W2RS via e-mail at w2rs@amsat.org, via packet radio at W2RS @ WA2SNA.NJ.USA.NA, or by mail. Those nominated will be recognized in an ANS Bulletin to be published in early February, and in The AMSAT Journal. [ANS thanks Ray, W2RS, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-335.09 NEWS IN BRIEF FOR THIS WEEK AMSAT News Service Bulletin 335.09 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. DECEMBER 1, 2002 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-335.09 ** A Proton K rocket, built by Khrunichev, lifted off on time at 2304 GMT, Monday, November 25, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. All three stages of the Proton vehicle performed normally. The Block DM upper stage, built by RSC Energia, performed its first burn as planned and reached a circular parking orbit of 175. 5 km (109 miles). Preliminary flight information indicates that the second burn of the Block DM upper stage did not occur as planned, and the ASTRA 1K satellite was separated into the parking bit. --SpaceDaily ** Space Shuttle Endeavour blasted off from Kennedy Space Center launch pad 39A on Nov. 23. The STS-113 mission is to exchange crews, deliver supplies and the P1 Truss to the ISS. Undocking is currently scheduled for Dec 2 with a landing at KSC on Dec. 4 at 349 p.m. EST. --NASA ** The international Space Station has a new crew which plans to start operating the ARISS Amateur Radio station in about three weeks. They boarded the staton on Monday the 25th of November. They plan to be there for about 6 months. All three are licensed hams. --Newsline /EX