SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-019.01 AO-27 Operations AMSAT News Service Bulletin 019.01 From AMSAT HQ Silver Spring, MD. January 19, 2002 To All Radio Amateurs BID: $ANS-019.01 Several stations have recently reported hearing AO-27's transponder operating during unexpected periods of the orbit. Mike, N1JEZ, provided the following explanation, "AO-27's orbit has moved the satellite into a period of Full Orbit Solar Illumination. Due to this, the Timed Eclipse Power Regulator or 'TEPR' method of timing the Transmitter does not work. Therefore AO-27 cannot turn its transmitter on by itself and can only be turned on by ground station command." Mike continued, "We will try to turn it on for analogue work on the weekends when we are not downloading telemetry. We are working on new flight software that will let us upload a schedule for the transmitter. This will take us sometime to write, debug, and upload to AO-27." Mike requests that operators can best help by being patient during this process. E-mails to the AO-27 command stations asking about when the satellite will be on take time away from the software development. The command team members are working quickly but carefully to get AO-27 back in analogue mode. In conclusion Mike noted that, "As a bonus to this orbit, during the seasons of Full Orbit Solar Illumination, we will be able to have the transmitter on at night and for different parts of the world." [ANS thanks Mike, N1JEZ, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-019.02 AO-40 QSO Party Extended to 4 days AMSAT News Service Bulletin 019.02 From AMSAT HQ Silver Spring, MD. January 19, 2002 To All Radio Amateurs BID: $ANS-019.02 The operating period for the first AO-40 QSO Party has been extended to 4 days in order to give more operating windows to Amateur stations world wide. The QSO Party will begin at 0000 UTC on 24 Jan 2003 and conclude at 2400z on 27 Jan 2003. Currently stations from over 30 countries have indicated their intention to participate in the AO-40 QSO Party. 1. Objective: To encourage more and more Amateur Radio Station to have two way communication via AO-40, especially during the good condition of the satellite. 2. Rule Of Operation: * All Rules from Local / International Organization is take precedence of this rule. * Any station can participate, as long as, it has its own facility (both uplink and downlink). No relay / repeater use in any kind is permitted. * One station is only valid for one entry. * Station can be a single operator with his/her own call, or a group of operator with a club station call, providing only use ONE set of radio is used (multi op with single radio). * Use only electronic Log-Sheet (A Software called Logger is available as freeware and downloadable for free at: http://www.qsl.net/kc4elo). * Avoid LEILA, keep the power as low as possible, below threshold (if you hear slightly de-sensing when transmit, reduce the transmit power). * To lock-up the TX and RX frequency, it is suggested to fix the TX and find it by sweeping your RX and call with your call-sign like this "YB0KTQ on AO-40". Never use a continuous tone. And never sweep your TX. (A software for calculating the TX-RX frequency is available on: http://www.isibrno.cz/~kasal/AO-40Fqcalc.htm) * If you can not hear your return signal, do not call. 3. Suggested Frequency: Downlink: S-band, USB Uplink: U-band LSB OR L-band LSB (only one band per station is allowed during the event) Mode: SSB Only Keep +/- 10 kHz from MB always clear. 4. Venue: Event will be commenced in January 24, 25, 26 and 27 2003 UTC. Starting and ending MA is in accordance with the availability of pass-band. 5. Award * Special Certificate will be issued, for those who have minimum 20 QSO with different station, and sending their electronic log sheet via email, also sending SASE and US$ 5 via post office. * Special award will be given to the station with the biggest number of DXCC Countries and number of QSO (DXCC countries is take precedence), provided that they send their electronic log sheet via email. 6. email address: For receiving the above mentioned award, electronic worksheet in the following format: ASCII text, ADIF, Microsoft Excel, should be sent to: ReinhardSual@TheTempoGroup.Net The closing date for electronic log-sheet submission is 31 January 2003. 7. Post Office Address: To get Special Certificate as per point 5 above, SASE and US$ 5 should be sent to: Reinhard Sual - YB0KTQ Pulo Gebang Permai G1/9 Jakarta Timur 13950 Indonesia 8. Website: All information on this AO-40 QSO Party is available on Internet with this URL address: http://202.158.39.236/AO40QSOParty2003.asp 9. Acknowledgement: This event is coordinated by YB0KTQ, and by no means related to any organization, locally or internationally. However, I have discussed most of this matter with friends especially with AO-40 enthusiast from more than 15 countries, which support this event to happen. [ANS thanks Reinhard, YB0KTQ, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-019.03 AO-49 Uplink Test AMSAT News Service Bulletin 019.03 From AMSAT HQ Silver Spring, MD. January 19, 2002 To All Radio Amateurs BID: $ANS-019.03 The team of SAFIR-M (AATiS OSCAR-49) invites you to participate in a test of the uplink conditions for AO-49 SAFIR-M. To get more information about the behavior of AO-49 SAFIR-M stations are requested to attempt uplinking at various power levels. Uplink results can be viewed by monitoring the onboard implemented MH0 and MH1 reports of the SAFIR-M. At the moment, there is still one known problem in the down- linked data of the messages (bit0 is fixed to "0"). A SW upload for correction is planned but will still need some time of preparation. The SAFIR-M digipeating functionality is not affected by this fault and can be monitored with every 2m 9k6 equipment! Details about possibilities to receive and even decode the data are described at the following links: http://hft.fh-pforzheim.de/ao49/ http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/safir-m2.htm The onboard implemented MH0 and MH1 list (normally) looks as follows: [001: DP0AIS > MH0 UI^] MH/RSSI min max sec DG6BCE-00 -070 -070 0006 DG6BCE-04 -070 -070 0023 DG6BCE-03 -070 -070 0052 DG6BCE-03 -070 -070 0076 DG6BCE-02 -120 -117 0109 DG6BCE-01 -120 -117 0133 DG6BCE-01 -120 -117 0155 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 [001: DP0AIS > MH1 UI^] MH/RSSI min max sec xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 xxxxxx-00 -120 -120 1121 Description: The used Call and SSID of the last 2 x 8 received messages are displayed with the related min and max RX power within this message in dBm and the elapsed time in seconds. Note: Only messages with destination "DP0AIS" will be listed here. This feature was implemented to allow a simple check of the used ground station equipment and shall allow a couple of more experiments... The uplink equipment could be quite simple: even a transmitter for 435,275 MHz, up to 30 W of TX-power, antenna, 1k2 AFSK modem/TNC. To verify this functionality, we request the usage of SAFIR-M digipeating function * with different uplink power * with / without correction of the doppler shift And reports, containing * day / Time in UTC * station location * rig description (antennas, powers, gains/losses) * used uplink power * used Uplink-QRG It is helpful to include some of this information in the transmitted data packet as shown in the following example: DK2SM>DP0AIS: JO42rl 80W 430269 kHz DK2SM>DP0AIS: JO42rl 25W 430279 kHz The actual TLEs are available on the CELESTRAK database under TLE-NEW and "RUBIN 2" with the NORAD #27605. We kindly request to provide us with monitored SAFIR-M beacon messages and reports of uplink experiments so that we can analyze this feature. For any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Please address any reports to DG6BCE@aatis.de [ANS thanks Oliver, DG6BCE, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-019.04 WEEKLY OPERATING UPDATE AMSAT News Service Bulletin 019.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. JANUARY 19, 2003 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-019.04 ** 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. ** Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT VP-User Services & Awards Manager says that congratulations go out to Alan Lyday, Sr., WC9C, for earning his Oscar Satellite Communications Achievement Award. He is recipient #363. He also earned the AMSAT Oscar Sexagesimal Award #126, as well as the South Africa AMSAT Award #US71. ** Bruce says that congratulations also go out to David Bird, KC7USS, for earning his Oscar Satellite Communications Achievement Award. His is recipient #364. To see these awards and a list of other awards, visit http://www.amsatnet.com/awards.html. [ANS thanks KK5DO and congratulates WC9C and KC7USS for this week's operating update.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-019.05 ARISS Contact Schedule AMSAT News Service Bulletin 019.05 From AMSAT HQ Silver Spring, MD. January 19, 2002 To All Radio Amateurs BID: $ANS-019.05 Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2003-01-16 02:00 UTC The ARISS (a joint effort of AMSAT, the ARRL, NASA, the ARISS international partners including Canada, Russia, the European Partners, and Japan) operations team wishes to announce the following very tentative schedule for ARISS school contacts. This schedule is very fluid and may change at the last minute. Remember that amateur radio use on the ISS is considered secondary. Please check the various AMSAT and ARISS webpages for the latest announcements. Changes from the last announcement are noted with (***). Also, please check MSNBC.com for possible live retransmissions (http://www.msnbc.com/m/lv/default.asp). Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.80 MHz. For information about educational materials available from ISS partner space Agencies, please refer to links on the ARISS Frequently Asked Questions page. If you are interested in supporting an ARISS contact, then you must fill in an application. The ARISS operations mentor team will not accept a direct request to support an ARISS contact. You should also note that many schools think that they can request a specific date and time. It does not work that way. Once an application has been accepted, the ARISS mentors will work with the school to determine a mutually agreeable date. Websites that may be of interest include: http://www.arrl.org/sarex http://www.arrl.org/ariss http://www.amsat.org http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov http://spacelink.nasa.gov/index.html http://ehb2.gsfc.nasa.gov/edcats/educator_guide/ Your completely filled out application should be returned to the nearest coordinating ARISS region if your specific region is not listed. E-mail is the preferred method of submitting an application. Here are the email addresses: ARISS-Canada and all other countries not covered: ve2ka@rac.ca (Daniel Lamoureux VE2KA) ARISS-Europe: jh.hahn@gmx.net (J. Hahn, DL3LUM / PA1MUC) ARISS-Japan and all Region 3 countries: iaru-r3@jarl.or.jp (Keigo Komuro JA1KAB) ARISS-Russia: n2ww@attbi.com (Valerie Agabekov N2WW/UA6HZ) ARISS-USA: ARISS@arrl.org (The American Radio Relay League) ISS Expedition 6 crew: Kenneth Bowersox KD5JBP Nikolai Budarin RV3FB Donald Pettit KD5MDT Field School Park Ridge, Illinois Contact is 2003-01-23 14:37 UTC, telebridge via ZS6BTD The latest ARISS announcement and successful school list in now available on the ARISS web site. Several ways to get there. http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov click on English (sorry I don't know French) you are now at http://www.rac.ca/ariss/ click on News Currently the ARISS operations team has a list of over 60 schools that we hope will be able to have a contact during 2002-2003. As the schedule becomes more solidified, we will be letting everyone know. Current plans call for an average of one scheduled school contact per week. [ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N, for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-019.06 News In Brief For This Week AMSAT News Service Bulletin 019.06 From AMSAT HQ Silver Spring, MD. January 19, 2002 To All Radio Amateurs BID: $ANS-019.06 ** Federal Communications Commission has launched a simplified version of its Electronic Comment Filing System or ECFS. To access ECFS Express, users need only click on the "File Comments" logo found on the front page of the FCC's Web site at www.fcc.gov --Newsline ** A broadcast tower almost a half mile high to replace the structure lost when terrorists felled New York's World Trade Center could rise across the Hudson river in New Jersey. If constructed the new tower would not only become the world's tallest free-standing structure. It would also be the worlds tallest broadcast tower built at near sea level. --Newsline ** Another would-be tallest man-made structure could soon be towering over the Australian outback. By 2006, the Australian power company EnviroMission Ltd hopes to build a 3,300 foot high solar tower in southwest New South Wales state. The 200 megawatt solar generating station will cost nearly $563 million dollars to build and will be the width to a football field. --Newsline ** Currently, the world's tallest free-standing structure is the Canadian National Tower in Toronto. Its about 1650 feet high. -- Newsline ** China plans to launch its first manned space mission in October in the quest to become the third country to send a human into orbit. --SpaceDaily ** The Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off from Kennedy Space Center on Thursday in what the National Aeronautics and Space Administration called "a perfect launch" at 10:39am (1539 GMT). The shuttle and its seven person crew are on a 16-day mission dedicated to bio-science. Landing is currently schedule for 01 Feb, 08:53am (1353 GMT). --SpaceDaily /EX