SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-159.S1 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 1 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 159.S1 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 08, 2003 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-159.S1 AO-40 AMSAT OSCAR 40 Launched: November 16, 2000 aboard an Ariane 5 launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Currently, the U/V/L-1/L-2 to S-2/K passband is active at various times. Uplink V-band 145.840 - 145.990 MHz CW/LSB U-band 435.550 - 435.800 MHz CW/LSB L1-band 1269.250 - 1269.500 MHz CW/LSB L2-band 1268.325 - 1268.575 MHz CW/LSB S1-band 2400.350 - 2400.600 MHz CW/LSB Downlink: S2-band 2401.225 - 2401.475 MHz CW/USB K-band 24,048.010 - 24,048.060 MHz CW/USB Beacon: 2401.323, 24,048.035 AO-40 experimental transponder operation started on May 05, 2001 at approximately 08:00 UTC when the U-band and L1-band uplinks were connected to the S-2 transmitter passband downlink via the Matrix switch. The AO-40 passbands are once again on. Please check the schedule for times. The AMSAT AO-40 beacon+20 net has resumed. Net announcement date and times are posted to the AMSAT-BB. Upcoming DX: June 8-15 6W (Senegal) from Toubab Dialo. F4IES, F6TKE, F4AES, F1UJH and TK5KJE will be 6W/F0PLL/P. July 18-25 Lesotho 7P8. Rolf, DK2ZF reports working Noel, 4S7AVR. Gene, W3PM has an Excel spreadsheet that will help evaluate your AO-40 groundstation. Download it at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/software/spreadsheet/w3pm-ao40-v2.1.zip Scott, NX7U has written a stand-alone version of Gene Marcus' link budget spreadsheet. Two advantages/features: 1. Doesn't require Excel to run. 2. Will calculate your uplink SNR based on a Nova for Windows listing file, plus the maximum transmit power to keep from triggering LEILA. Download it at: http://members.cox.net/nx7u/ao40/Software The "AO-40 FAQ", compiled by Steve, VK5ASF is now available at: http://www.amsat.org Ground stations capturing telemetry from AO-40 are asked to send a copy of the data to the AO-40 archive at: ao40-archive@amsat.org. For the current transponder-operating schedule visit: http://www.amsat-dl.org/journal/adlj-p3d.htm [ANS thanks AMSAT-NA and AMSAT-DL for this information] ===== ARISS - INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Worldwide packet uplink: 145.990 MHz FM Region 1 voice uplink: 145.200 MHz FM Region 2/3 voice uplink: 144.490 MHz FM Worldwide downlink: 145.800 MHz FM TNC callsign: RS0ISS-1 The ARISS initial station was launched September 2000 aboard shuttle Atlantis. ARISS is made up of delegates from several major national Amateur Radio organizations, including AMSAT. Status: Operational. The current Expedition 7 crew is: Commander Yuri Malenchenko, RK3DUP Flight Engineer Ed Lu, KC5WKJ The Packet system is currently non-operational. Alain, IZ6BYY and Claudio, IK1SLD wish to announce the opening of the ISS Fan Club. Visit: http://www.issfanclub.com The ISS Fan Club announces the introduction of the "ISS Achievement Award". Visit: http://www.issfanclub.com/iaa Information on how to access the Amateur Radio equipment aboard the ISS is available at: http://wf1f.home.attbi.com/fileshtml/unprotopage.html The ISS daily crew schedule can be found at: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/timelines/ When crew members have free time, they may be available for Amateur Radio operations. U.S. callsign: NA1SS Russian callsigns: RS0ISS, RZ3DZR The QSL routes for W/VE stations working the International Space Station (all callsigns): U.S. stations (a SASE is required to get a QSL in return): Margie Bourgoin, KB1DCO Attn: ARISS Expedition-1 (or 2, 3, etc.) QSL ARRL, 225 Main Street Newington, Connecticut 06111 Canadian stations: Radio Amateurs of Canada Attn: ARISS Expedition-1 (or 2, 3, etc.) QSL 720 Belfast Road, Suite 217 Ottawa, Ontario KEG 0Z5 European stations (a SASE and 2 IRC's are required to get a QSL in return). AMSAT-France 14 bis, rue des Gourlis 92500 Rueil Malmaison France More information is available at: http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/ [ANS thanks Will Marchant, KC6ROL, and Jean-Louis Rault, F6AGR, for this information] ===== AO-7 AMSAT OSCAR 7 Uplink: 145.850 to 145.950 MHz CW/USB Mode A 432.125 to 432.175 MHz CW/LSB Mode B Downlink: 29.400 to 29.500 MHz CW/USB Mode A 145.975 to 145.925 MHz CW/USB Mode B Beacon: 29.502 MHz, 145.972 MHz, 435.1 MHz, 2304.1 MHz Launched: November 15, 1974 by a Delta 2310 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc, California. Status: Semi-operational in sunlight. After being declared dead 21 years ago in mid 1981 due to battery failure, AO-7 has miraculously sprung back to life and was first detected by Pat Gowen, G3IOR on June 21, 2002 at 1728 UTC. Jan King, W3GEY reports AO-7 is running off the solar panels only. It will only be on when in sunlight and off in eclipse. Therefore, AO-7 will reset each orbit and may not turn on each time. On July 11, 2002 AO-7 was successfully commanded for the first time since it was declared dead 21 years ago. Commands were sent and accepted to change the CW beacon code speed. Command investigation continues. So far, 11 different commands have been accepted by AO-7. Yoshi Imaishi, JF6BCC is compiling an excellent list of observations. Please send him whatever you have. jf6bcc@jarl.com You can view the list at: http://plaza16.mbn.or.jp/~palau/temp/AO7-mode-report.xls Tim, K3TZ has written a program to decode AO-07 telemetry. The program can be downloaded at: http://www.qsl.net/k3tz/files/K3TZ_AO-07_Telemetry_Decoder_0.5.zip For more AO-7 info: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/ao7.html [ANS thanks Pat Gowen, G3IOR and Jan King, W3GEY for this information] ===== AO-10 OSCAR 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) Launched: June 16, 1983 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational. AO-10 has been locked into a Mode-B, 70-cm uplink and 2-meter downlink for several years. 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] ===== UO-14 Uplink: 145.975 MHz FM Downlink: 435.070 MHz FM Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational, mode J. Tim, KG8OC, features UO-14 information on the Michigan AMSAT web site: http://www.qsl.net/kg8oc Ray, W2RS, has revised the AO-27 FAQ on < www.amsat.org > to include information on UO-14. [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-14 information] ===== RS-15 RADIO SPORT RS-15 Uplink: 145.858 to 145.898 MHz CW/USB Downlink: 29.354 to 29.394 MHz CW/USB Beacon: 29.352 MHz (intermittent) SSB meeting frequency: 29.380 MHz (unofficial) Launched: December 26, 1994 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Status: Semi-operational, mode-A, using a 2-meter uplink and a 10-meter downlink. Dave, WB6LLO, has antenna information for mode-A operation. The WB6LLO web site URL is: http://home.san.rr.com/doguimont/uploads [ANS thanks Dave Guimont, WB6LLO, for this information] ===== FO-20 JAS-1b Uplink: 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink: 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Beacon: 435.795 Launched: February 07, 1990 by an H1 launcher from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational. FO-20 is in mode JA continuously. FO-20 has been reported silent by numerous operators. Tak, JA2PKI, reported FO-20 control station operators believe that the UVC (Under Voltage Controller) is now regulating the transponder. The controller monitors battery voltage and tries to protect the batteries from over discharge. [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-20 status reports] ===== RS-20 Beacon: 145.828, 435.319 MHz Launched: November 28, 2002 aboard a Kosmos 3-M rocket from Plesetsk. Status: Telemetry heard on the 70 cm beacon. RS-20 is an experimental payload aboard the Russian satellite known as Mozhayets -- a navigational and scientific satellite. RS-20 transmits CW telemetry. Each frame begins and ends with the call sign RS-20. Table for decoding telemetry is as follows: Name Limits Decoding Assignment RS 20 The callsign UBS N=100:170 U=N / 10 Volts On board voltage IBS N=10:250 I=N / 100 Ampers On board current USUN N=0:180 U=N / 10 Volts Charge voltage from solar battery ISUN N=0:180 I=N / 100 Ampers Charge current from solar battery ITXA N=0:170 I=N / 100 Ampers D.C. current of the 435 MHz Tx PTXA N=0:70 P=N / 10 Watts UHF power of the 435 MHz Tx TTXA N=50:190 T=N - 100 deg C Temperature of the 435 MHz Tx ITXB N=0:150 I=N / 100 Ampers D.C. current of the 145MHz Tx PTXB N=0:70 P=N / 10 Watts VHF power of the 145MHz Tx TTXB N=50:190 T=N - 100 deg C Temperature of the 145MHz Tx TEXT N=30:250 T=N - 100 deg C Temperature of the outer case TINT N=30:190 T=N - 100 deg C Temperature of the inner case TOR N=10:250 T=N - 100 deg C Temperature of the Earth sensor UOR N=0:100 U=N / 10 Volts Temperature of the Sun sensor MTX N=0:255 Table of operational modes. The housekeeping info. MRX N=0:255 Table of operational modes. The housekeeping info. RS 20 The callsign Please send reception reports to: plis@kaluga.ru or zaitzev@izmiran.rssi.ru [ANS thanks Alexander N. Zaitzev, RW3DZ for this information] ===== AO-27 AMRAD Uplink: 145.850 MHz FM Downlink: 436.795 MHz FM Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, mode J. AO-27's orbit has moved the satellite into a period of Full Orbit Solar Illumination. Due to this, the 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. April 5th, 2003 We have turn on the Scheduler. Weekend morning passes will be on for 10 minutes every pass. During the week it will be on digital mode. The latest information on AO-27 from control operator Michael Wyrick, N3UC (former N4USI), can be found at: http://www.ao27.org An AO-27 question-and-answer page is available on the AMSAT-NA web site, with updates by Ray, W2RS. The URL is: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/intro/ao27faq.html [ANS thanks AMRAD for AO-27 information] ===== FO-29 JAS-2 Launched: August 17, 1996, by an H-2 launcher from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan. Status: Operational. Voice/CW Mode JA Uplink: 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink: 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Beacon: 435.795 MHz Digital Mode JD Uplink: 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM Downlink: 435.910 MHz 1200-baud BPSK or 9600-baud FSK Callsign: 8J1JCS Digitalker: 435.910 MHz FO-29 has been reported silent by numerous operators. The command team would like any reception reports. Please send them to either the AMSAT-BB or to Masa, JN1GKZ - jn1gkz@qsl.net Mineo, JE9PEL, has an FO-29 satellite telemetry analysis program that will automatically analyze all digital telemetry from the satellite (such as current, voltage and temperature). FO29CWTE is available at: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/ [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for the FO-29 status reports] ===== SO-41 SAUDISAT-1A Uplink: 145.850 MHz Downlink: 436.775 MHz Broadcast Callsign: SASAT1-11 BBS: SASAT1-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational but intermittent. The spacecraft is operating in Mode-J, currently configured as an analog FM voice repeater, as power and spacecraft experiments permit. Further information is available at: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/so41.html [ANS thanks Turki Al-Saud for this information] ===== SO-50 SAUDISAT-1C Uplink: 145.850 MHz (67.0 Hz PL tone) Downlink: 436.800 MHz Launched: December 20, 2002 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational. SO-50 carries several experiments, including a mode J FM amateur repeater experiment operating on 145.850 MHz uplink and 436.800 MHz downlink. The repeater is available to amateurs worldwide as power permits, using a 67.0 Hertz tone on the uplink, for on-demand activation. [ANS thanks Turki Al-Saud for this information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-159.S2 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PART 2 AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 159.S2 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, JUNE 08, 2003 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-159.S2 UO-11 OSCAR-11 Downlink: 145.826 MHz FM (1200-baud AFSK) Mode-S Beacon: 2401.500 MHz Launched: March 1, 1984 by a Delta-Thor rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Status: Semi-operational. OSCAR-11 has continued to operate in a default mode, controlled by the watch-dog timer. The satellite transmits continuous ASCII telemetry for about seven days on 145.826 MHz, followed by about 14 days of silence. These times appear to be somewhat variable, and on the last occasion the sequence was ten days off and nine days ON. The mode-S beacon on 2401.5 MHz transmits continuously. At the present time, ground control are unable to command the satellite, due to low temperatures affecting the command decoder. They will attempt to command the satellite when the command decoder temperature has risen to 15C. A Windows program for displaying and capturing OSCAR-11 data is now available. This is MIXW2, a general purpose Amateur Radio data communication program written by Nick Fedoseev UT2UZ. You can download the program from www.mixw.net You need the latest version 2.07. The following operating schedule is currently suspended. ASCII status (210 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY SEU (30 seconds) ASCII TLM (90 seconds) ASCII WOD (120 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY ENG (30 seconds) The ASCII bulletin is currently a static message, detailing modes and frequencies of all active Amateur Radio satellites. More information on OSCAR-11 is available at the following URL: http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/clivew/ [ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for OSCAR-11 status information] ===== AO-16 PACSAT Uplink: 145.90 145.92 145.94 145.96 MHz FM (using 1200-baud Manchester FSK) Downlink: 437.026 MHz SSB (1200-baud PSK) Mode-S Beacon: 2401.1428 MHz Broadcast Callsign: PACSAT-11 BBS: PACSAT-12 Launched: January 22, 1990 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater command is on. A WOD collection of current graphics along with general information and telemetry samples can be found at: www.telecable.es/personales/ea1bcu [ANS thanks Miguel Menendez, EA1BCU, for AO-16 status information] ===== UO-22 UOSAT Uplink: 145.900 FM 9600-baud FSK Downlink: 435.120 MHz FM Broadcast Callsign: UOSAT5-11 BBS: UOSAT5-12 Launched: July 17, 1991 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Operational. UO-22 has been reported as silent. On April 26, 2003 Chris Jackson, G7UPN reported: We're still assessing the situation, but as I posted late last year, when UO-22 entered eclipses again (last week) it was unlikely that the battery would supply sufficient power to operate the spacecraft. This is indeed the case, and the spacecraft is therefore now unusable at this time. On May 10, 2003 Chris reports: Possibly it is permanent. It is currently experiencing eclipses and can not support operations. I haven't run the analyses yet to see when this season ends, and for how long it will be in permanent sunlight again next time around, but it may be possible to revive it for a while at least. More information on the satellite is available at the following URL: http://www.sstl.co.uk/ [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for UO-22 information and Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for status information] ===== IO-26 ITAMSAT Uplink: 145.875 145.900 145.925 145.950 MHz FM (1200-baud) Downlink: 435.812 MHz SSB Broadcast Callsign: ITMSAT-11 BBS: ITMSAT-12 Launched: September 26, 1993 by an Ariane launcher from Kourou, French Guiana. Status: Semi-operational, the digipeater function is on and open for APRS users. On November 18, 2002 Alberto, IK2BD reported: The current configuration of IO-26 allows only limited telemetry in MBL (safe) mode. To enable full telemetry and digipeating, we must re-load the full IHT high level software suite. This was delayed several times, but we plan to do that in the near future. When the IHT code is running, the bulletin will announce that. [ANS thanks ITAMSAT Project Manager Alberto E. Zagni, I2KBD, for IO-26 information] ===== NO-44 PCSAT Uplink/downlink: 145.827 MHz 1200 baud AX.25 AFSK via W3ADO-1 Aux/Uplink: 435.250 MHz 9600 baud via PCSAT-2 (off) APRS Downlink: 144.390 MHz (Region 2) Launched: September 30, 2001 aboard an Athena-1 rocket from the Kodiak, Alaska launch complex. Status: Operational. PCSat is a 1200-baud APRS digipeater designed for use by stations using hand-held or mobile transceivers. Downlinks feed a central web site < http://pcsat.aprs.org >. The APRS-equipped PCSat was built by midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy under the guidance of Bob Bruninga, WB4APR. PCsat is back to Eclipses. On the 2148z pass over the USA 04/27/03, the callsign was set to NODIGI and the PCsat digi was turned off. She was in negative power budget. PCsat continues to be usable for short packets during afternoon sun passes. The next full sun period will be the last 2 weeks of July. A new version of PCSAT.EXE has been posted at: ftp://tapr.org/dosstuff/APRSdos/pcsat017.zip For more information, visit the PCSat web site at: http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/pcsat.html [ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, for PCSat information] ===== MO-46 TIUNGSAT-1 Uplink: 145.850 or 145.925 MHz 9600-baud FSK Downlink: 437.325 MHz Broadcast callsign: MYSAT3-11 BBS: MYSAT3-12 Launched: September 26, 2000 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational at 38k4-baud FSK. TiungSat-1 is Malaysia's first micro-satellite and in addition to commercial land and weather imaging payloads offers FM and FSK Amateur Radio communication. TiungSat-1, named after the mynah bird of Malaysia, was developed as a collaborative effort between the Malaysian government and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. [ANS thanks Chris Jackson, G7UPN/ZL2TPO, for this information] ===== AO-49 AATiS OSCAR-49 (SAFIR-M) Uplink 435.275 1200-baud AFSK Downlink 145.825 9600-baud FSK (optional voice message) Broadcast callsign: DP0AIS Launched: December 20, 2002 aboard a converted Soviet ballistic missile from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Status: Operational. AO-49 (SAFIR-M) is a German amateur radio payload onboard the small German scientific satellite "RUBIN-2". AO-49 was built by the German amateur radio association "AATiS e.V." (German acronym for "Arbeitskreis Amateurfunk und Telekommunikation in der Schule", which means: 'working group for amateur radio and telecommunications in schools'). AO-49 is designed as a "store and broadcast" system for APRS based messages, dedicated for the use of schools in combination with the existing WX-Net and planned buoy experiments in Germany. No transmissions detected since the 1st of February 2003! It appears AO-49 is not properly aligned to illuminate the solar panels. This should end soon. Due to its orbit, AO-49 will be in a phase without eclipses until 13Feb03. Martin DG8UAU has written a small software program "SAFIR-M Decoder" to allow decoding of the received DATA0 frames. It is available at: http://amend.gmxhome.de in the section Aktuelles. Details on AO-49 (SAFIR-M) can be found at: http://amend.gmxhome.de Information about AATiS e.V. is available at: http://www.aatis.de [ANS thanks Oliver Amend, DG6BCE for this information] /EX