SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-186.01 President's Message - Special Edition AMSAT News Service Bulletin 186.01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 4, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-186.01 ECHO It is with very great pleasure that I acknowledge the ANS news releases concerning the successful launch of ECHO and the other related satellites from Baikonur. This achievement is due to many individuals around the world, who have helped in the design, building, integration, testing and launching of this satellite. Also the members of AMSATs in many countries who have helped us by funding this "Electronic Adventure". Without your financial support the satellite could not have been completed, and would never have been launched. Give yourselves a "pat on the back" for a job well done. Lee McLamb, KU4OS, Senior Editor of the AMSAT News Service will be issuing up dated bulletins over the next few days to advise you on the progress being made during commissioning. At the proper time, when sufficient data has been confirmed, Past President Bill Tynan will issue a bulletin giving the AO-XX designation, updated Keplerian Elements will be issued as soon as they are received. MEANWHILE please DO NOT Transmit to the satellite - commissioning must take priority. A bulletin will be released when the satellite is open for general use. New Web site I am delighted to announce that our new web site will be officially opened to coincide with the launching of ECHO. Many of you have already seen the Beta trial and now is the big day. I must personally thank Emily Clarke for her excellent work in developing this new web site. Judging by your comments it already has your approval. My thanks also go to Paul Williamson for the work on the old web site and the effort put into helping Emily. About one year ago I asked Executive Vice President Rick Hambly to manage this project, and I am gratified by the result. On your behalf, I thank all who were involved. 73 Robin Haighton VE3FRH President AMSAT [ANS thanks Robin, VE3FRH for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-186.02 ECHO Commissioning Progress Update AMSAT News Service Bulletin 186.02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 4, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-186.02 Testing and checkout of ECHO is continuing. ECHO's TX0 transmitter can be heard transmitting 9600 baud FSK telemetry on a frequency of 435.150 MHz. Command Stations are varying the output power of the TX0 transmitter. During times when the satellite is in view of a command station the power is likely to be set to a higher level, somewhere between 1 and 2 watts, depending on power budget and received signal strength. During the remaining time the power will be about 0.6 watts. The command team continues to load software into Echo and as of Saturday, 03 July 2004 the file system and Whole Orbit Data software are operational. Packets received which contain "LDR" are replies by ECHO to command stations as they upload software to the satellite. The next step in the commissioning process is to collect Whole Orbit Data (WOD) from the satellite through Monday night. This will allow a good look at telemetry data for a complete orbit. WOD is needed to determine spacecraft attitude, configure the BCR, and get a better look at the overall health of the satellite. The Command Stations have confirmed that ECHO is international designator 04025K which corresponds to NORAD object number 28375 in the orbital element set database. The first AMSAT-NA packet satellite was PACSAT (AO-16) launched in 1990. It continues to use the call sign PACSAT. Since there is a limit of 6 characters for a number of software reasons, PACB, was chosen as the next in the series if callsigns for ECHO.. BBS callsigns: PACB-11 PACB-12 These follow the standard for all packet store and forward amateur satellites. Once the store and forward BBS is open for general use WiSP and other programs that implement the Pacsat Broadcast Protocol will work fine. WiSP can be downloaded from the AMSAT website's software page at http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/software.php With the file system now running, the downlink is going to show the BBS is open. Everyone is requested to please not transmit to ECHO until checkout and commissioning has been completed. Unexpected uplinks may cause delays in verifying the proper operation of ECHO and delay the opening of the transponders to general use. The Command Team would like to thank everyone that has sent in Echo Telemetry to date. Keep up the good work! It has been noted by several users that TlmEcho has difficulty configuring certain TNC's into KISS mode. Once ECHO is commissioned, work on the software modifications to correctly initialize those TNC's into KISS mode can begin. As a method to work around the situation until we can correct, please try the following. 1) Run Wisp, Terminal Program, or you usual method to configure your TNC for KISS mode. 2) Disconnect the serial cable to the TNC 3) Start TlmEcho 4) Reconnect your serial cable to the TNC If you select "n" for the KISSOFF and KISSON line in the CPBINI.TXT file you should not have to disconnect the serial cable. [ANS thanks Jim, WD0E and Mike, KE4AZN for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-186.03 AMSAT Files Reply Comments of FCC "BPL" Proposal AMSAT News Service Bulletin 186.03 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 4, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-186.03 AMSAT filed reply comments with the FCC on 22 June 2004 on the FCC Notice of Proposed Rule Making and Order, WT Docket 03-104, which addresses amending Part 15 rules for "Broadband over Powerline Systems". AMSAT notes that Access BPL is almost certain to have impact beyond the frequencies it actually utilizes. This is true because of two phenomena implicit in radio. One of these is the generation harmonics and another is mixing products. Mixing products are generated by combinations of two or more RF carriers being present in a nonlinear medium such as a corroded joint in a power line. The mixing products along with the harmonics, will appear at VHF and higher frequencies. Moreover, being higher in frequency (shorter in wavelength), they will radiate more readily from the power lines carrying them than will the fundamental frequencies actually being used by the Access BPL system. The full text of all of AMSAT's FCC filings can be found at http://www.amsat.org/amsat/amsat-na/filings/ Dr. Perry I. Klein, W3PK, AMSAT Vice President, Government Liaison, expressed his appreciation to Ray Soifer, W2RS, Bill Tynan, W3XO and AMSAT President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, for their effort in preparing these reply comments. [ANS thanks Perry, W3PK for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-186.04 ARISS Field Day Summary AMSAT News Service Bulletin 186.04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 4, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-186.04 The ISS amateur radio packet system was operational for ARRL Field Day activities on 26 June 2004 plus Mike Fincke and Gennady Padalka both participated on June 27 by making voice contacts with stations in the United States (including Alaska), Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. This was Mike's first time to make general contacts and he did really well. Mike was active on 5 passes over the US and 2 passes over Central and South America. He logged 60 contacts on 2 meter voice as NA1SS using the Ericsson radio in the FGB and Gennady was active on 70 cm as RS0ISS using the Kenwood in the Service Module but only managed 4 contacts. This 70 cm operation caught many amateurs by surprise and others commented that they were so exited at hearing Mike on 2 meters that they forgot to check the 70 cm frequency. This is the first time that both callsigns, NA1SS and RS0ISS, have been used simultaneously during voice operations and the first time that 2 bands have been used simultaneously. By all accounts it was a very successful operation both on the ground and from space. Mike even commented "First off-- what a great experience! Both Gennady and I were very happy to have "met" so many different people in North, Central and South America. I know I will be using the Ham radio more often now that I could feel the warmth of the community". The radios will again be shut off prior to the EVA scheduled for June 30 and returned to service July 1 unless the schedule changes. [ANS thanks Ken, N5VHO for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-186.05 ARISS Status - 28 June 2004 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 186.05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 4, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-186.05 1. Upcoming Schools An ARISS contact has been scheduled for Tulsa Air and Space Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday, July 2, 2004 at 13:41 UTC. The museum has set up their Amateur Radio station with the Space Colonization Exhibit, and on the day of the contact, the children, from grades 1 - 9, will be able to speak with one of the first space colonists. Space Camp Turkey, located in Izmir, Turkey, will also experience a contact with the ISS on Monday, July 5 at 0821 UTC via the telebridge station WH6PN. This is the second contact for this camp whose students come from several different countries including Turkey, Greece, Israel, and the U.S. To join this event, go to: https://e-meetings.mci.com CONFERENCE NUMBER: 5249702 PASSCODE: SPACE STATIO 2. Mike Fincke Announces Birth of Daughter via ARISS Radio System Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, and his wife Renita became parents again on Friday, June 18. On Saturday, Mike announced the birth of his new daughter via the ISS Packet radio system's beacon which read, "It's a girl! Tarali Fincke," and was being sent approximately once per minute as the ISS traveled around the world. For more information, see ARRL's article, "Astronaut Radios Birth Announcement, Celebrates Special Father's Day in Space," at http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2004/06/22/2/?nc=1 Congratulations Mike and Renita! 3. Amateur Radios Cycled for EVA The ARISS radio systems were turned off on June 23, in preparation for the EVA to repair the CMG. They were turned on again, on June 25, after the EVA attempt, and will be cycled off prior to the next CMG EVA attempt, scheduled for June 30 and returned to service July 1. 4. Amateur Radio License Training Dr. Gregory Olsen will arrive at JSC on July 26 for one week of U.S. training. Kenneth Ransom and Nick Lance have requested 5 hours to spend with Dr. Olsen - 4 hours to prepare him for his Amateur Radio license exam, and 1 hour for the exam. Dr. Olsen is tentatively scheduled for a taxi flight with the Expedition 10 crew to fly in October, 2004. Swedish ESA astronaut, Christer Fugelsang, will receive Amateur Radio license training at JSC the same week as Dr. Olsen. Fugelsang is expected to fly with the crew of STS-116, an assembly and crew-rotation mission to the ISS. 5. Roy Neal, K6DUE, Commemorative Event Certificates Mailed Another batch of Roy Neal, K6DUE, Commemorative Event Certificates has been distributed to ham radio operators who participated in the Roy Neal Commemorative Event. The event was held from November 29 through the end of December 2003, honoring Roy Neal for his hard work and dedication in getting Amateur Radio in space. Anyone who contacted the ISS through either voice (NA1SS) or packet (RS0ISS) during that time is eligible to receive a certificate. 6. FCC Regulations Discussed ARISS delegate, Rosalie White, networked with the ARRL General Counsel. They discussed the possibility of upcoming changes to the FCC regulations concerning ham radio communications from spacecraft, and how these changes might affect the ARISS program. [ANS thanks Carol for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-186.06 AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium Programme Update AMSAT News Service Bulletin 186.06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. July 4, 2004 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-186.06 There will be a presentation on the new Echo satellite given by the AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, at the 2004 AMSAT-UK Space Colloquium which is being held from July 30th to August 1st at the University of Surrey, Guildford, England. This International Annual Event attracts Radio Amateurs and Satellite Builders from around the globe. Guildford is within easy reach of both London-Heathrow and London-Gatwick airports. The full programme of activities which includes tours of the Surrey Satellite Centre has been posted on the AMSAT-UK website : http://www.uk.amsat.org/ This years event has an Interplanetary flavor. Professor Colin Pillinger will be giving a talk on the recent Beagle 2 mission to Mars and other talks are on Mars Express and a Venus Microsat. One talk sure to be popular is on the proposed Amateur Television Repeater to be installed on the ISS. This event is open to all Radio Amateurs and SWLs. For further information please contact the AMSAT-UK secretary, Jim Heck, G3WGM, on +44 125 845 3959 or e-mail: g3wgm@amsat.org [ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA for the above information] /EX