SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.01 Echo Telemetry Data Online AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.01 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. March 27, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-086.01 The Echo telemetry data web site is back online. There have been some improvements and modifications to the site. Please continue to upload you received telemetry data to the site. http://echo.coloradosatellite.net/echo/index.php Thank you to those stations that continue to support Echo by uploading their telemetry data. [ANS thanks Mike, KE4AZN for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.02 Echo Operating Schedule for April AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.02 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. March 27, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-086.02 April Echo Schedule 1 Apr FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 mhz FM, 67 hz PL Tone Downlink 435.300 mhz FM 9k6 Digital, V/U, PBP BBS (Pacsat Broadcast Protocol BBS) Uplink: 145.860 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital Downlink: 435.150 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital 6 Apr There will be no Experimenters Wednesday Session No Mode Change 13 Apr Exp Wed - Mode L/U as requested via ao51-modes, postponed from March FM Repeater, L/U Uplink: 1268.700 mhz FM, 67 hz PL Tone will be used Downlink 435.300 mhz FM 14 Apr FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 mhz FM, 67 hz PL Tone Downlink 435.300 mhz FM 9k6 Digital, V/U, PBP BBS (Pacsat Broadcast Protocol BBS) Uplink: 145.860 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital Downlink: 435.150 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital 18 Apr Extended 38k4 Digital Testing Session as requested 38k4 Digital Downlink, V/U, PBP BBS (Pacsat Broadcast Protocol BBS) Uplink: 145.860 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital Downlink: 435.150 mhz FM, 38k4 PBP Digital, Power 1.3 watts 21 Apr FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 mhz FM, 67 hz PL Tone Downlink 435.300 mhz FM 9k6 Digital, V/U, PBP BBS (Pacsat Broadcast Protocol BBS) Uplink: 145.860 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital Downlink: 435.150 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital 27 Apr Exp Wed - Dual FM repeaters, 2nd repeater is in QRP mode FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 mhz FM, 67 hz PL Tone Downlink 435.300 mhz FM The first FM repeater is open for all stations FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.880 mhz FM, NO PL Tone required, QRP requirements Downlink 435.150 mhz FM Please follow the QRP requirements listed below for this repeater, and note the downlink frequency 28 Apr FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 mhz FM, 67 hz PL Tone Downlink 435.300 mhz FM 9k6 Digital, V/U, PBP BBS (Pacsat Broadcast Protocol BBS) Uplink: 145.860 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital Downlink: 435.150 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital [ANS thanks Mike, KE4AZN for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.03 Spring, Satellites and Spaghetti AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.03 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. March 27, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-086.03 The Indian River Amateur Radio Club is pleased to announce that their annual satellite operating event, Spring, Satellites and Spaghetti will be held this year on Saturday, 02 April 2005. The event will be held again this year at Kiwanas Park on Merritt Island, FL operating under the Club callsign W4NLX. With ARISS, AO-7, FO-29, SO-50 and AO-51 all available a total of 12 passes will be availble during the 1330-1900 UTC event. The satellite pass schedule even has a natural break so that everyone can enjoy some of the Club's fine spaghetti without missing a pass. Anyone active or interested in amateur satellites is welcome to attend. [ANS thanks Lee, KU4OS for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.04 FCC Report & Order on 'Smart Radios' AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.04 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. March 27, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-086.04 The FCC has released a Report and Order (R&O) on cognitive or 'smart radios'. In ET Docket 03-108, "Facilitating Opportunities for Flexible, Efficient, and Reliable Spectrum Use Employing Cognitive Radio Technologies", the Commission declined to adopt any new regulations for Amateur Radio transceivers or for digital-to-analog converters (DACs) "at this time." The Commission was concerned about potential misuse of high speed DACs and software defined radios (SDRs). The proposed rule-change would have directly affected all radio amateurs, including those who would be using Amateur Radio satellites in the future. One problem noted by AMSAT was that limiting the transmission ability to amateur bands, prevents HF software defined radios from being used as wideband IFs in conjunction with transverters to access the microwave bands. Such transverters are frequently used in connection with both terrestrial and satellite applications for reception and transmission on various microwave bands. AMSAT is very pleased to see the Commission continue to allow the development and introduction of devices which have such high potential to prove beneficial to radio amateurs and the general public. The full text of AMSAT's comments can be found at http://www.amsat.org/amsat/amsat-na/filings/et-03-108-comments.pdf Dr. Perry Klein, W3PK, AMSAT Vice President, Government Liaison noted that a lot of research and hard work went into getting these comments filed with the FCC in a timely manner. Ray Soifer, W2RS and Bill Tynan, W3XO were instrumental in helping pull these comments together along with contributions from other AMSAT Board Members and Officers. [ANS thanks Perry, W3PK for the above information] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-086.05 ARISS Status - 21 March 2005 AMSAT News Service Bulletin 086.05 >From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD. March 27, 2005 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-086.05 1. Successful Contact with Mt. Gambier, Australia School On March 17, students from St. Martins Lutheran College in Mt Gambier, Australia, experienced a successful contact with Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW, via the telebridge station, WH6PN, in Hawaii. Ten students were able to ask twenty questions as an audience of two hundred parents, students and the South East Radio Group packed into the school's music room. The audio was streamed over the internet, courtesy of MCI, and also over EchoLink, and IRLP. The event was covered by WIN TV, Bush Vision, a new community TV station, the ABC radio network, The Border Watch newspaper, and the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA). The ABC South East SA story on the contact, "Students link up with the International Space Station," can be found at: http://www.abc.net.au/southeastsa/stories/s1326932.htm A write up by Tony Hutchison, VK5ZAI, ARISS mentor for the contact, can be found on the WIA website. See: http://www.wia.org.au/news/2005/20050318-01.php 2. Upcoming School Contact The Science Discovery Center in Denton, Texas has been approved for an ARISS contact. It has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 29 at 16:38 UTC. 3. ARRL Article on Rains High School Contact On March 8, students from Rains High School in Emory, Texas spoke with the ISS via amateur radio. Approximately 60 students, teachers and administrators attended the contact. A television station covered the event, and the teacher who coordinated the contact was interviewed by a local radio station. The ARRL ran an article on the event. To view "Students' Space Questions via Ham Radio Show Strong Science Slant," see: http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/03/15/3/?nc=1 4. ARISS International Meeting Held The monthly ARISS International Teleconference was held on Tuesday, 15 March 2005. Agenda items covered included an update on the ARISS U.S. school backlog and how to handle it, and the status of the Columbus Module. SuitSat was also discussed. The next ARISS International Teleconference will be held on April 19, 2005. 5. Energia News Energia ran articles covering the training of the Expedition 11 crew, Roberto Vittori's taxi flight, and the SuitSat project. Some photos of the SuitSat mockup are included in the layout. See: http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/iss/iss11/photo_03-15.html and http://www.energia.ru/english/energia/iss/iss11/photo_03-16.html [ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information] /EX