AMSAT News

AMSAT-NA Elects Executive Vice President

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AMSAT-NA Vice President, Educational Relations, Joe Spier, K6WAO of Reno, NV, has been elected by the AMSAT-NA Board of Directors as Executive Vice President during a Board Meeting via a conference call that took place on August 8, 2017. Joe’s new duties will include implementation of AMSAT-NA’s Strategic Planning. He will continue in his other duties as 2017 Space Symposium Chairman, AMSAT News Service Co-Editor, ARISS-NA Education, and Educational Relations until new personnel can be appointed or the task assigned is completed.

Joe Spier, K6WAO (left) conducting the ARISS contact during Pacificon 2012

Under the AMSAT ByLaws, the position of Executive Vice President is one of seven senior officer positions that are approved by the AMSAT Board of Directors.

Included in the ByLaw stated duties, “the Executive Vice President shall act in the place of the President in the President’s absence, and shall have such other duties as the Board may determine.” [Bylaws, Article II, Section 5B].

In addition, the Executive VP is assigned the responsibility of AMSAT External Relations team leader and as acting director of any team leader position that is not filled.

Joe is a Life Member of AMSAT-NA and has served in Educational Relations during the past six years. He also has Life Memberships in the ARRL, SARA (Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers) and the AFA (Air Force Association). He holds an Extra Class license as well Commercial licenses.

AMSAT-NA President, Barry Baines, WD4ASW said, “I extend my congratulations to Joe on his new position of leadership in AMSAT-NA. As EVP, he will be working closely with me on a variety of matters involving various AMSAT departments as we move forward on our strategic planning process as well as day-to-day management of the organization. Joe’s dedication to the strategic planning process will enhance the future of AMSAT-NA.”

[ANS thanks the AMSAT-NA BOD for the above information]

Return of Experimenter’s Wednesday to AO-85

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With the recent popularity of Slow Scan Television (SSTV) from the ISS, AMSAT Operations is bringing back Experimenter’s Wednesday to AO-85.

On a trial basis, we invite users to exchange pictures using Robot36 SSTV mode via the FM repeater on AO-85 during UTC Wednesdays. Please identify prior to beginning transmissions, and only send when the uplink is clear.

SSTV image received via AO-85 by N8HM during an AMSAT test

Stations are requested to only uplink if they have a reasonable expectation of maintaining a full-quieting signal for the duration of the image transmission. Smaller stations are encouraged to focus on receiving the images.

Please don’t send questionable or provocative images. If in doubt, pick another one. Expect all ages to be participating.

Feedback is encouraged, and comments may be directed via email to me at [email protected].

[ANS thanks Drew KO4MA for the above information]

New AMSAT Website, Online Store Available

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AMSAT is pleased to announce that an updated website and online store are now available at www.amsat.org. In addition to cosmetic updates, this represents a significant upgrade of AMSAT’s online capabilities. The website and store are now fully integrated with the AMSAT membership database, allowing the eventual implementation of features such as members-only content and digital distribution of The AMSAT Journal. In addition, members may now change their mailing address for delivery of The AMSAT Journal and determine when their membership expires via their online accounts.

All current AMSAT members and former members whose membership expired within the past five years have accounts on the online website. These accounts are not linked to previous AMSAT store accounts, but are based on information in the AMSAT membership database. If you are a current member, or former member whose membership has expired within the past five years, please do not create a new account on the AMSAT website. Follow these steps to create a password:

1. Click the “My Account” button located on the upper right hand corner of any page on the website.
2. Click “Lost your password?” beneath the login button.
3. Enter your callsign and click reset password.
4. If your email address is correct in our database, you will receive an email with instructions to reset your password.

 
If your email address is not correct in our database, please email [email protected] with your callsign and preferred email address. An administrator will update your email address in the database and you will then be able to use the above procedure to reset your password.

Please note that we are still in the early stages of transitioning to this new system and there is still work to be done to reconcile the new and old membership databases. We appreciate your patience as we work through any “kinks” that may pop up. For example, many of you received emails on Thursday afternoon indicating that your passwords had been reset. Please ignore this message. No further action is necessary. Report any future problems to an administrator at [email protected].

Thanks to AMSAT’s IT Team Leader Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, and Milltown Web Design of Boston, MA for their efforts in developing the new AMSAT web presence and thanks to Bruce Paige, KK5DO, for working to update items in the online store. AMSAT is always looking for volunteers to develop and update content on the website and maintain the online store. Members interested in helping, especially those with WordPress and Woocommerce experience, are encouraged to email [email protected].

AMSAT Strategic Planning Member Poll

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A key part of the strategic planning process, as President Barry Baines explains in his article (https://www.amsat.org/amsat-strategic-planning-update/), is “member engagement.” The reason is that, in a non-profit membership organization like AMSAT, the members quite simply are the lifeblood, the key stakeholders, or what a commercial enterprise would call “customers.”

Member engagement can take many forms. In the strategic planning process, however, member engagement means helping AMSAT figure out how and where to find new and realistic opportunities to move the organization forward. To that end, AMSAT is asking for your help by “engaging” the AMSAT leadership with YOUR desires, needs and vision about the future direction of AMSAT by providing your best answers to the five questions below:

  1. What are 3-5 new products, services or activities that AMSAT should START offering or doing (in order of priority, 1 being highest)?
  2. What 3-5 current offerings or activities should AMSAT STOP offering or doing (in order of priority, 1 being highest)?
  3. What are the top 3 ways that you would prefer AMSAT to communicate with you as a member (in order of priority) [e.g., email, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, other), website, text, HF radio nets, etc.]?
  4. If you were going to recruit another amateur radio operator as an AMSAT member, what pitch do you think would be most successful in making that ham want to join?
  5. From your perspective, what would AMSAT ideally look like in 3 years? What would it be doing? What products and services would it offer?

We will share your answers with the AMSAT Board of Directors and members of the strategic planning team.

PLEASE EMAIL RESPONSES TO: [email protected]
SUBJECT: Reader Poll