AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-122

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on http://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: [email protected]

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

In this edition:

• PSAT2 (NO-104) VHF is alive!
• ND9M/mm daily postings to AMSAT-BB opens rare grid opportunities
•  ARISS-USA Volunteer Search Underway
• AMSAT Bylaws Amendment
• Space Oddity? WISA Woodsat to launch by end of year
• Launch Watch: Upcoming in May
• ARISS News
• Upcoming Satellite Operations
• Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
• Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 122.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE  Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2021 May 02

PSAT2 (NO-104) VHF is alive!

Bob Bruninga writes: PSAT2 VHF awoke from an 8 month slumber on 26 Apr 2021. We have no idea why. Its telemetry looks fine. Volts between 6.2 and 7.0 volts (5 NiCds). Exterior temps between -18 and +22 C. See http://aprs.org/psat2.html

PSAT2 will NOT be in APRS mode but a brand new experimental mode for DTMF uplink and VOICE downlink.  So you preload your grid and callsign into a 16 digit DTMF memory in your radio and when the satellite hears this it will assign a QSO number and QSL the grid by voice and then also generate an APRS packet for collection by APRS operators.  There is even a way to send back DTMF QSL so you can make it a 2-way DTMF contact. Successful DTMF grids and messages will appear on a special URL on the PSAT2 page (above).  To QSL, you key in that stations 2 digit QSL number and then dump your pre-loaded QSL DTMF message.

Since this is the first time this transponder is on the air and because a DTMF uplink takes maybe 4 seconds, we don’t want the uplink saturated by a bunch of newbees initially until we see if it actually works.  So read the docs and be sure you know what you are doing.

There is a user operating manual available on the PSAT2 web page: http://aprs.org/psat2.html

[ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR for the above information]

ND9M/mm daily postings to AMSAT-BB has opened rare grid opportunities

Jim Clary, ND9M, is operating maritime mobile during a supply cruise from Florida to the Western Pacific. He has been regularly posting the grids he may be able to activate to AMSAT-BB as he travels. Since he is traveling though some rarely activated grids on the way, he is activating as many as his shipboard duties will allow.

Jim has been active on SSB and CW through a number of satellites. He is currently in the Pacific and headed toward Saipan. Many of the mid-Pacific grids are only in the satellite footprints for KH6, so he most likely will not be QRV for the mainland. His daily narrative on the AMSAT-BB has been interesting to follow.

[ANS thanks Jim Clary, ND9M for the above information]

Join the 2021 President’s Club!
Score your 2″ 4-Color Accent Commemorative Coin.
This gold finished coin comes with
Full Color Certificate and Embroidered “Remove Before Flight” Key Tag
Donate today at
https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/
You won’t want to miss it!

ARISS-USA Volunteer Search Underway

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, Inc. (ARISS-USA) is seeking volunteers to support our mission:

To provide and operate Amateur Radio systems on International Space Station (ISS) and elsewhere to inspire, educate, and engage youth and communities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) and to support ISS backup communications.  ARISS-USA, is a 501 (c) (3) charitable, educational and scientific non-profit that was recently incorporated in the state of Maryland in the USA.

We are seeking volunteers with a can-do, collaborative attitude who can work effectively as part of a team to support a variety of functions and roles.  We have volunteer openings in several senior leadership roles, including:

• Associate Director
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Director of Business Development
• Director of Volunteer Resources
• Director of Public Engagement
• Director of Engineering

We also have openings for volunteers who would support functions within the above teams as well as openings within the ARISS-USA Operations, Engineering and Education teams.

Descriptions of each of these roles are given in Article 8.6 of the ARISS-USA bylaws that can be referenced at: https://ariss-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ARISS-USA-Bylaws-Web-Site.pdf

Candidates accepted into senior leadership positions will be required to first serve in a six-month probationary period.  All candidates for senior leadership positions must be U.S. citizens.

If you are interested in making a difference as an ARISS-USA team member, please send your resume or CV to [email protected].  Include a cover letter that explains what position you are interested in supporting.

We thank everyone for your interest and support to ARISS!

Ad Astra!  (To the Stars!)

Frank H. Bauer, KA3HDO
ARISS-USA Executive Director

ARISS-USA is an Equal Opportunity Organization and will not discriminate on the basis of gender identity, age, race, color, national origin, religion, physical handicap, disability or any other legally protected status

[ANS thanks David Jordan, AA4KN, ARISS PR for the above information]

AMSAT Bylaws Amendment

The AMSAT Board of Directors approved an amendment to our Bylaws on March 2, 2021.  As required by our Bylaws, a notice of the amendment was mailed to all members. AMSAT members may also view the documents by logging on to the Member Portal. Along with a copy of the Bylaws Committee Report to our Board of Directors, members will find a “red-line” version of the changes that will allow you to see exactly what has been added and what has been removed.

To view each document, please click the following links:

“Red-Line” version of our Bylaws, as approved by the AMSAT Board of Directors during a Special Meeting, held on March 2, 2021.
https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Bylaws_Amended_Draft_Redline.pdf

Report of the AMSAT Bylaws Committee:  Recommended Revisions to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation Bylaws
https://launch.amsat.org/resources/Documents/Report%20of%20the%20Bylaws%20Committee.pdf

In accordance with Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation Bylaws, as amended in 1989, Article IV requires AMSAT to provide written notice to all members of the approved amendments to our Bylaws.  This approved amendment will be effective thirty days from the mailing of this letter, unless written objection is received from at least ten percent of the Members, in which case a vote shall be conducted by the Secretary in the manner specified for election of Directors.

Written notice was mailed on April 9, 2021.  As such, any objection should be sent to AMSAT, PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044-0027 and must be received by May 9, 2021.  I apologize for requiring you to mail in your objections, but this is a requirement of our Bylaws (as amended in 1989) and exactly why we feel it is necessary to bring our Bylaws into the 21st Century.

As part of our modernization efforts, we felt a review and update of our Bylaws was essential to ensure AMSAT’s continued success.  A summary of those changes is listed below.

• The Bylaws have been amended to allow for electronic communications with our members, voting in our elections, and the conduct of meetings.
• The Bylaws have been amended to clarify the member application process, the grace period for lapses in membership, and the membership inclusion date for establishing election roles.
• The Bylaws have been amended to further define the duties and responsibilities of the Officers.
• The Bylaws have been amended to require three years of continuous membership for nominees for the position of Director and that Directors be required to remain in good standing throughout their elected term.

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, AMSAT President, for the above information]

Space Oddity? WISA Woodsat to launch by end of year

The WISA Woodsat project, which is being sponsored by a plywood supplier in an unconventional PR drive, could place a wooden satellite in orbit by the end of the year, testing the suitability of treated wood as a cheap space material.

The wooden satellite is based on a basic, versatile CubeSat format, Kitsat, which is designed with educational use in mind. It retails for just $1,500. The Woodsat project, based in Finland, began with students across the country contributing parts to a CubeSat launched by balloon. See https://bit.ly/3eEmV0h for more information in the press release from WISA on the E7T Engineering and Technology website.

The IARU posting for Woodsat indicates that there are several amateur radio experiments on board including photo downlinking. See https://bit.ly/3aPrp2X for additional information

[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa K9JKM, the staff of E&T, and the IARU for the above information]

 

Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store. When you purchase through
AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
https://amsat.org/product-category/hardware/

AMSAT’s GOLF Program is about getting back to higher orbits, and it all
begins with GOLF-TEE – a technology demonstrator for deployable solar
panels, propulsion, and attitude control. Come along for the ride. The
journey will be worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get your AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff
from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes
towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

 

ARISS NEWS: Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of April 29, 2021

Green Bank Elementary Middle School, Green Bank, WV, direct via N8RV.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html.
The scheduled astronaut is Mark Vande Hei KG5GNP
Contact is go for: Fri 2021-05-07 12:35:51 UTC 30 deg

ISS Status Update as of 28 April

Noting the change to cross-band repeater on May 7:
Current Status of ISS Stations as of 04/26/2021

Columbus Module radios:
IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – ACTIVE. supporting packet operation (145.825 MHz). Next mode change to cross band repeater targeting May 7. Supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.
OFF from May 5 – May 6  to support ISS communications testing.

Service Module radios:
Kenwood D710E – STATUS – Radio usually off. Supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts and SSTV.
OFF from May 5 – May 6  to support ISS communications testing.

https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit.

Support AMSAT’s projects today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Quick Hits:

N6AJ: FROM DM05 TO EM04, I will be headed to OK from CA around May 17 , DM74 AND DM75 is on the list for sure. I will be on FM and SSB. As it closer I hope to have a schedule.

KX9X & N9NCY: Happy to announce @Nancy_N9NCY and I will be celebrating my birthday in style in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula, grids EN57 & EN67. Look for us on the birds from July 15-19. Maybe some POTA, too.

W7LT: EN36/37/38/46/47/48/57/58 for late May is on my radar.

Major Roves:

See the article on ND9M/mm Pacific operations in this newsletter above.

CM93 Possibility:  N6DNM Very long shot, but might want to put it on your calendar for May 15th, if you can figure out where it is and for #SOTA folks, that would be W6/SC-336, Santa Rosa Island, activated only once before.

Please submit any additions or corrections to Ke0pbr (at) gmail.com

Updated 04/25/2021

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT rover page manager for the above information]

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

On the Air event: AMSAT Italia:
Members of AMSAT Italia commemorate Gagarin’s flight into space until the
end of the year with the callsign II0SAT on HF and via satellite.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford K6CLS is planning the following presentations:
Austin ARC – May 4
University of Arizona – June 1
Conejo Valley (CA) – October 21
Saratoga ARC – May 5
MICROHams – May 18
Wellesley ARC – June 15
White Mountain ARC – June 2
West Valley (CA) ARC – June 9

Think a 90-minute lively, informative, and fun “How to Work the Easy Satellites” Zoom presentation would be appropriate for your convention or club? Always includes are overviews of the ARRL, AMSAT, and ARISS and pre-presentation questions are solicited and welcome. Send Clint an email or call!
Clint Bradford K6LCS, http://www.work-sat.com. Tel:909-999-SATS (7287)

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events page manager, Larry Manaev, RN3AG, and Clint Bradford, K6CLS AMSAT Ambassador for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

CubeSat for under $1,000?

A post on Hackaday looks at building a low cost satellite – a CubeSat Want to build your own CubeSat but have been put off by the price? There may be a solution in the works – [RG Sat] has challenged himself to design and build one for less than $1,000. His idea isn’t just a pipe dream, either. In the the fifteen months since he began the project, [RG Sat] has designed and built the avionics and electrical power system circuit boards, and is currently testing his sun tracker design. For additional information see: https://bit.ly/2Rc5lbW

[ANS thanks Southgate Amateur Radio News for the above information]

Recent activity on the 23cm band RNSS Coexistence Studies

The Chair of IARU Region 1 Spectrum Affairs, Barry Lewis G4SJH, reports on the work being done in defending the interests of the Amateur Services in the 1240-1300 MHz band. For details, see https://bit.ly/3eFI4XJ

[ANS thanks AMSAT UK for the above information]

100 Million Dataframes for the SatNOGS DB

SatNOGS is the largest network of open-source satellite ground stations and works to identify and track satellites worldwide. SatNOGS is developed and maintained by the Libre Space Foundation, which supports the creation of open-source space technologies based on the Libre Space Manifesto principles. Recently, the project reached a significant milestone with the SatNOGS DB storing its 100 millionth dataframe. The frame was captured from FALCONSAT-3 (a previously DARPA-, now amateur-, controlled picosatellite for testing ambient plasma and micro propulsion attitude control systems). More at: https://bit.ly/3xyXOEx

[ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information]

China launches Tianhe space station core module into orbit

HELSINKI – China successfully launched a 22-metric-ton module April 28, beginning an intense period of missions for constructing the nation’s own space station. A Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket lifted off from the coastal Wenchang spaceport at 11:23 p.m. Eastern. The Tianhe space station core module separated from the first stage after 490 seconds of flight. Solar array deployment occurred just over an hour after launch. Li Shangfu, chief commander of the China Manned Spaceflight Program, announced launch success shortly after. More at: https://bit.ly/32XRQir

[ANS thanks Andrew Jones of Spacenews.com for the above information]

/EX

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President’s Club. Members of the President’s Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application forms are available from the AMSAT Store.

Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate. Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status. Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,

This week’s ANS Editor,
Jack Spitznagel, KD4IZ
kd4iz at frawg dot org