Uncategorized – Page 14

AMSAT Member Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, Named Newsline Young Ham of the Year

August 6, 2019August 2, 2019 by JoAnne Maenpaa

Dhruv Rebba, KC9ZJX, of Normal, Illinois, has been selected as the 2019 Bill Pasternak WA6ITF Memorial Amateur Radio Newsline Young Ham of the Year. Dhruv, 15, is the son of Hari Rebba, VU2SPZ, and Shailaja Panyam. He is entering his sophomore year at the Normal Community High School this fall.

He is a member of the Central Illinois Radio Club. Dhruv earned his Technician Class license in 2013 when he was only 9 years old. He followed it up by passing the test for a General Class license a year later. Dhruv says his interest in amateur radio was sparked by a 2013 visit to the Dayton Hamvention(R) with his father, a long-time amateur radio operator from India who settled in the U.S.

“He was going to the Hamvention and so I wanted to tag along,” Dhruv recalls. “There I got to see all the cool stuff like the Morse-Code keyers and all the radios and everything and I decided to start studying for my Technician class.”

After getting his license, Dhruv became involved in Field Days and public service events with the Central Illinois Radio Club, including the “We Care Twin Cities Marathon” and the “Hop on for Hope Bike Ride/Walk.” Dhruv says he found a way to combine his interest in space and engineering with his new hobby. He joined AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and pursued his dream of a school contact with an astronaut aboard the International Space Station.

In October 2017, he served as the lead control operator for an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with students at his school – the Chiddix Junior High School in Normal, IL – with astronaut Joe Acaba, KE5DAR. In late July of this year, Dhruv helped to facilitate another ARISS contact with international Scouts attending the World Jamboree in West Virginia and monitored the contact from his home.

ARISS presentations at Dayton and Huntsville, his selection as an ARISS mentor and networking with those putting together the ARISS contact for the World Jamboree led to his role in the July 2019 contact. In 2018, Dhruv was selected for the Dave Kalter Memorial Youth DX Adventure. He traveled to Curacao Island in July 2018 where the PJ2Y team made a record 6,262 contacts with 135 countries over five days. Dhruv says he enjoyed operating his favorite mode, SSB. Dhruv has earned many accolades for his amateur radio pursuits including the “Young Ham Lends A Hand” award at the 2019 Dayton Hamvention Youth Forum; “Presidential Award” from AMSAT; and the “Young Achievers Award” from the Radio Club of America.

He also has traveled to India to promote amateur radio awareness and spoke at the ZPH School, NP Kunta, India in January 2018. He discussed the importance of wireless communications and their role during disasters. Dhruv started the “Universal Help Foundation” to help underprivileged students on a global scale. Among his first projects was a digital project at a girls’ high school in NP Kunta, India this past January. Dhruv also has an interest in robotics and has worked as a mentor helping elementary school students build robots. This past April, Dhruv’s “MetalCow Robotics” team finished fourth overall in the international competition sponsored by NASA in Detroit.

Dhruv says a visit to the AMSAT booth at the 2019 Dayton Hamvention prompted him to sign on for the “Amateur Radio Exploration on the Moon” project. “We’re designing an amateur radio system to be on the Gateway Space Station and the Moon,” he says. Dhruv will be recognized during the Huntsville Hamfest on Aug. 17 in the Von Braun Center, Huntsville AL.

The Young Ham of the Year was inaugurated by William Pasternak, WA6ITF, in 1986. Upon his passing in 2015, Bill’s name was added to the award as a memorial to his commitment to recognizing the accomplishments of young people to the amateur radio service. Amateur Radio Newsline, CQ Magazine and Yaesu USA are primary sponsors of the award, along with Heil Sound Ltd. and Radiowavz Antenna Company.

[Thanks to CQ Communications, Inc. for the above information]

ANS-209 AMSAT News Service Bulletins for July 28

July 28, 2019July 28, 2019 by JoAnne Maenpaa

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-209

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT North America, 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 https://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: ans-editor at amsat dot org. 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://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

In this edition:

CAS-7B Launched and Operational
Upcoming ARISS SSTV Events
AMSAT-Chile developing CESAR-1 FM / digital satellite
FO-99 Transponder Activated over North America, Other Activations Scheduled
LO-94 Lunar Impact Expected on July 31st
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 26, 2019
How to Support AMSAT
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Satellite Shorts from All Over

The 50th Anniversary AMSAT Space Symposium will be held
October 18-20 in Arlington, VA. For details, see:
https://www.amsat.org/amsat-symposium/

CAS-7B Launched and Operational

On July 25, 2019, CAMSAT’s CAS-7B satellite was successfully launched on the first orbital launch of iSpace’s Hyperbola-1 rocket.

CAS-7B is in a very low earth orbit with an apogee of 296 km and a perigee of 278 km. The inclination is 42.7 degrees. At this altitude, decay is expected by August 11th.

CAS-7B carries a 100 mW CW telemetry beacon at 435.715 MHz and an FM transponder with an uplink of 145.900 MHz (16 kHz bandwidth, no tone required) and a downlink of 435.690 MHz (100 mW).

Many QSOs around the world have been reported via the FM transponder. Reports indicate the transponder requires a considerable amount of EIRP to access and that the satellite is spinning fast causing rapid fading of signals.

More information about CAS-7B can be found at: https://www.amsat.org/camsat-cas-7b-is-ready-for-june-launch/

[ANS thanks CAMSAT and JA0CAW for the above information.]

Upcoming ARISS SSTV Events

ARISS Russia plans to activate the MAI-75 SSTV experiment on July 29 with images starting at 13:15 UTC ending at 21:25 UTC, then again starting July 30 at 13:50 UTC ending 19:30 UTC. Downlink frequency is 145.800 MHz FM using the PD-120 SSTV mode.

ARISS plans to commemorate Owen Garriott’s outstanding accomplishments with ham radio in space during an ISS SSTV event starting 09:40 UTC on August 1 and ending 18:15 UTC on Aug 4. Downlink freq will be 145.800 MHz FM using the PD-120 SSTV mode.

However, there is a possible switch out in images for SSTV event scheduled for August 1-4. This may result in planning an additional SSTV event for the end of August that would feature the Owen Garriott commemorative images at that time. We expect an update on this after July 26th

[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information.]

AMSAT-Chile developing CESAR-1 FM / digital satellites

AMSAT-CE is designing and building five satellites, to be used by radio amateurs around the world, which will allow a series of scientific experiments in the field of digital communications, as well as gravimetric and orbitgraphic studies.

Of these five satellites, one will be the engineering prototype, three will be flight units, and the remaining one will be used to check or replicate on the ground the operation of the units that are in space.

AMSAT-CE has also promoted the installation of three earth stations, in Iquique, Temuco and Pto. Montt.

Technical characteristics

CESAR-1 is of microsat technology (cube shape, 23 cm per edge).
The satellite reception frequencies will be in the 145 MHz band (5 channels) and 1,575 MHz (GPS).
The satellite transmission frequencies will be in the 436 MHz band (2 channels).
The modulation will be FSK (AX.25 9.6 kbps) or narrowband FM.
The magnetic stabilization will be by permanent magnets.
It will have a magnetic brake (the rotation due to the photonic spin will be stopped by seven bars of hydrogen steel, which will cut lines of force from the earth’s magnetic field).
The estimated useful life is 10 years.
The mass will be approximately 12 kg
The period will be 100 minutes (that’s about 14 revolutions a day).
The satellite platform consists of 5 modules made of space aluminum AL6061-T6.
The electrical energy will be stored in a Saft NiCd battery, made up of 8 batteries of 7 Ah each.
The solar cells will be Spectrolab, triple junction (GalnP2-GaAs-Ge), or the like.

Contributions of the CESAR-1 Project to the Country

AMSAT-CE satellites will be added to the projects already undertaken by the Chilean Air Force (FASAT) and the University of Chile (SUCHAI), but they have as their main characteristic that they are the first ones that are being designed and built entirely in the country, which constitutes a huge challenge, and a scientific and technological contribution.

Among the benefits that the country and the amateur radio can obtain from AMSAT-CE satellites are:

Education (interest young people in space radiocommunications)
Support in emergency situations
Scientific experimentation (in the frame for experiments)
Boosting a national aerospace industry
Experimentation with the Internet
National Amateur Radio Unit, and
International recognition for the country.

Experiments

The CESAR-1 satellite will have five main (E) experiments:

E1 A digital transponder between two earth stations, to be used in real time, during the period in which both are being illuminated by the satellite (radio-packets in AX.25 at 9,600 kbps).

E2 A digital transponder between two earth stations, to be used in deferred time, as an electronic message box (Store & forward with radio-packets in AX.25 at 9.6 kbps).

E3 An analog repeater that will allow two earth stations that are being illuminated by the satellite to be linked, to broadcast audio (voice) in real time, in FM mode.

E4 Communication between two terrestrial repeaters, with link to the satellite, which will allow long distance, but temporary, calls to low-power portable stations (voice, FM, 147 MHz access), and

E5 An on-board GPS receiver, which will collect information for gravimetric and orbitgraphic research.

The orbit of CESAR-1 will be low, polar and heliosynchronous (about 800 km high). In any case, given the time elapsed, it is possible that both the experiments and the electronic part considered for them must be modernized.

Cost of the Project and its Financing

The cost of the project, in money, amounts to about USD 700,000 (necessary for the construction of five satellites, launch of one, implementation of two command and control stations, and three terrestrial repeaters). Of that amount, around USD 300,000 have already been contributed by external sponsors, and by members of the AMSAT-CE Foundation. However, we have not yet been able to obtain the financing of the remaining USD 400,000.

Additionally, and conservatively, we estimate that the project requires some 36,000 man-hours of managers and specialists. Much of those 36,000 hours have already been or are being voluntarily contributed by the AMSAT-CE partners.

Essentially, the monetary resources that are still missing are needed to finance the solar cells of CESAR-1, hire professional services to finish the construction of what is pending, and cover the costs of the tests and the first launch.

Project status

Although it is a radio amateur project, it does not cease to correspond to a professional and complex project. But the more than 20 years we have been working – without reaching the goal – have exhausted some of our partners, and this has generated a shortage of volunteers. It has not been easy to finish the first satellite – which should have flown in the late 1990s – because in Chile there is still not enough awareness about the possibilities offered by space activity to the country. Despite this, the construction of CESAR-1 is quite advanced (more than 70%):

5 mechanical satellite structures are built.
8 UHF transmitters are finished, and aligned in their working frequencies.
The sources of power are finished.
The receivers have an advance of 90%.
The GPS experiment has an advance of 70%.
In the OBC with its EDAC and RAM disk, the software needs to be refined.
The international coordination of frequencies in the ITU was concluded, but today it would have to be reactivated, for the time elapsed.
There are, yes, the photovoltaic cells, the assembly in Chile and the final tests (which will probably be done in Brazil).
It is also necessary to reactivate the obtaining of the pitcher.

Website: https://www.amsat-ce.org/proyecto-cesar

[ANS thanks AMSAT-CE for the above information.]

New 2019 AMSAT Apparel Now Available on the Web
Didn’t make it to Hamvention but you want the latest in AMSAT haberdashery?
The new 2019 tee-shirts, polo shirts and hats are now available in the AMSAT online store.
Browse the styles and sizes online and put your order in today at
https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-apparel/

FO-99 Transponder Activated over North America, Other Activations Scheduled

On July 25, 2019, the V/u linear transponder on FO-99 (NEXUS) was activated over North America for the first time. Stations heard include W5CBF, KB4PML, N4QX, AA5PK, KX9X, N8HM, K0FFY, and N2ACQ.

FO-99 is active on a schedule. The power budget does not permit full-time transponder operations. Schedule updates can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GsNihonuniv

Upcoming North American FO-99 operations:

Location	Operation	Date	AOS	LOS
Victoria, Canada	Transponder	August 17	04:28:33 UTC	04:40:01 UTC
Denver, US	SSTV	August 24	03:30:20 UTC	03:41:50 UTC
Topeka, US	Transponder	August 31	02:34:47 UTC	02:45:45 UTC

Operations are performed from about 5 minutes before the listed AOS to 5 minutes after LOS.

Transponder frequencies are 145.900 MHz – 145.930 MHz up and 435.880 MHz – 435.910 MHz down, inverting. The SSTV / digitalker downlink is 437.075 MHz.

The Nihon University Ground Station asks that stations completing QSOs via FO-99 upload their audio to Twitter or the NEXUS website. http://sat.aero.cst.nihon-u.ac.jp/nexus/E0_Top.html

[ANS thanks the Nihon University Ground Station and Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, for the above information.]

2019 marks AMSAT’s 50th Anniversary of Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.
To help celebrate, we are sponsoring the AMSAT 50th Anniversary Awards Program.
Full details are available at https://www.amsat.org/amsat-50th-anniversary-awards-program/

LO-94 Lunar Impact Expected on July 31st

Here is the LO-94 (DSLWP-B) UHF plan for the following days:

29 Jul 00:15 to 02:15
29 Jul 04:30 to 06:30
29 Jul 20:00 to 22:00
30 Jul 05:30 to 07:30
30 Jul 16:20 to 18:20
31 Jul 06:30 to 08:30
31 Jul 13:24 to 15.24
1 Aug 05:30 to 07:30

All time in UTC. GMSK on both freq & JT4G on 435.4. JT4G repeater message on 436.4 TBD. Lunar impact expected to be at about 31 Jul 14:20. Later windows for backup.

SSDV album: http://lilacsat.hit.edu.cn/dashboard/pages_en/pics-b.html

Online JT4G telemetry forwarder: http://lilacsat.hit.edu.cn/dashboard/pages_en/jt4g_forwarder.html

JT4G telemetry display: http://lilacsat.hit.edu.cn/dashboard/pages_en/jt4g.html

GMSK telemetry: http://lilacsat.hit.edu.cn/dashboard/pages_en/telemetry-b.html

[ANS thanks Wei Mingchaun, BG2BHC, Harbin Institute of Technology, for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 25, 2019

The following Amateur Radio satellites have decayed from orbit and have been removed from this week’s TLE distribution.

NJUST-1 – NORAD CAT ID 42722 – Decayed 07/20/2019 (per Space-Track)
AOXIANG-1 – NORAD CAT ID 42735 – Decayed 06/26/2019 (per Space-Track)

The following Amateur Radio satellite has been added to this week’s TLE distribution.

CAS-7B – TEMPORARY CAT ID 99999 (This CAT ID will be changed to a permanent ID later.) The initial TLE supplied by Alan Kung, BA1DU on July 25, 2019 on AMSAT-BB.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information.]

Purchase AMSAT gear on our Zazzle storefront. 25% of the purchase
price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

How to Support AMSAT

AMSAT relies on the support of our members and the amateur radio community to Keep Amateur Radio in Space. How can you help?

Join AMSAT
Both you and AMSAT will benefit when you join. You get the AMSAT Journal bimonthly and support from AMSAT Ambassadors. Member dues and donations provide AMSAT’s primary support. Join today at https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
Become a Life Member
Becoming a Life Member has never been easier. Now you can become a Life Member with 12 monthly payments of $74 through our online store. See https://www.amsat.org/product/lifetime-membership/ for details.
Donate to AMSAT
Make a one time or recurring donation to AMSAT today. Even as little as one dollar a month can make a difference! Donate today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/
Purchase AMSAT gear on our Zazzle storefront.
AMSAT receives 25% of the price of each sale on AMSAT logo merchandise from our Zazzle storefront located at https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
Support AMSAT when you make purchases from Amazon!
So far, AMSAT has received $3,913.29 from AmazonSmile. Search for “Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation” https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_ext_twt_dshb_smi
Volunteer for AMSAT
AMSAT relies on volunteers for nearly all of our activities. If you have an idea for how to help, please let us know, Details on
volunteering can be found at https://www.amsat.org/volunteer-for-amsat/

[ANS thanks the AMSAT office for the above information.]

AMSAT and ARISS are currently supporting a FundRazr campaign to raise
$150,000 for critical radio infrastructure upgrades on ISS. The upgrades are
necessary to enable students to continue to talk to astronauts in space via
Amateur Radio. We have reached a great milestone with $33,250 raised or about
17% towards our goal. This would not have been possible without your
outstanding generosity!!
For more information and to DONATE TODAY visit:
https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen?ref=ab_e7Htwa_ab_47IcJ9

Upcoming Satellite Operations

J6 St Lucia, (FK94) July 21 – August 3, 2019
Frank, K3TRM, will be operating as J6/K3TRM from Gros Islet, St. Lucia (FK94mb) between July 21 – August 3, 2019. Activity will be on 40-6M using SSB, CW, and Digital (RTTY & FT8) and satellite. More info available on Frank’s QRZ page: https://www.qrz.com/db/J6/K3TRM and Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/k3trm
CY9 St. Paul Island (FN97) – July 31 to August 8, 2019
CY9C will be on St. Paul Island July 31st through August 8th. This is an all bands/mode dxpedition, with EME and Sats as well. More info available at http://cy9c.com/index.html.
West Yellowstone (DN44) August 2-3, 2019
Dennis, N7EGY, will be attending a family reunion August 2-3, and should be able to sneak away for a few FM passes. Keep an eye on Dennis’ Twitter feed for further updates: https://twitter.com/n7egy1
AZ NV UT (DN25-DN28, DM37-DM38, DM46-DM47) August 3-10, 2019
Ian, K5ZM, will be wandering through the Southwest August 3rd – 10th, mostly operating as W3ZM/7:
Aug 03: NV DM25/DM26 line
Aug 04: AZ DM36
Aug 06: NV and UT DM27/DM28/DM37/DM38
Aug 07: AZ DM46 + UT DM47 Aug 10: NV DM25/DM26 line
Aug 05 & 08: non ham stuff = K5ZM
Aug 09: TBD!
Watch for updates on Ian’s Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/k5zm_
Florida Keys (EL95) August 4-11, 2019
Philippe, EA4NF will be operating from EL95 (Key Largo and Brickell Key) as KC3NSG, from August 4 to 11, 2019. FM and Linears. QSL via LoTW. Keep an eye on Philippe’s Twitter feed for further updates: https://twitter.com/EA4NF_SAT
Washington Invasion (CN96/96 & DN06/07/17/17) – August 9-10, 2019
Casey, KI7UNJ, will be heading North to invade the State of Washington, August 9th and 10th. Keep an eye on Casey’s Twitter feed for specific pass announcements: https://twitter.com/KI7UNJ
FP – St Pierre et Miquelon (GN16) – August 10-18, 2019
A DXpedition is planned to St Pierre et Miquelon, August 10th through the 18th. The team will operate as T05M will from Ile aux Marins on 6-160m, but there is a possibility of some FM Satellites. Keep an eye on their website for updates: http://fp2019.net/
Santa Rosa Island, CA (CM93) – August 12-14, 2019
Ron, AD0DX, is heading back to Santa Rosa Island, August 12th -14th. When not distracted by the feathered-birds, Ron will be on FM and linear satellites as W6R. Keep an eye on Ron’s Twitter feed for updates at the dates get closer. https://twitter.com/ad0dx
Goose Bay, Labrador (FO93) August 12-14, 2019
Chris, VE3FU, will be visiting family / friends and maintenance of his HF remote station in FO93, but he should be on the FM sats as VO2AC. Chris will try to post here before each pass, so keep an eye on his Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/ChrisVE3FU
6Y – Jamaica (FK18) August 12-19, 2019
Philippe, EA4NF will be operating from JAMAICA (IOTA NA-097 – Grid FK18) in Satellite with the special call 6Y4NF from August 12 to 19, QRV Satellite in FM and SSB. QSL via LoTW. Keep an eye on Philippe’s Twitter feed for further updates: https://twitter.com/EA4NF_SAT.

Remember to check out W3ZM On the Road for additional upcoming activations! https://www.amsat.org/events/was-w3zm/

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL, 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/

Satellite Shorts from All Over

Ballots for the 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors election have been mailed. Candidate statements may be found at
https://www.amsat.org/2019-board-statements/
AMSAT’s RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E satellite is now expected to launch this fall. RadFxSat-2 will fly on the ELaNa XX mission on the second flight of Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne.
With the newest FM satellite, CAS-7B, now in orbit, we take a look back at the first satellite configured as an FM relay, AO-21 / RS-14, for #ThrowbackThursday #AMSAT50th: https://twitter.com/AMSAT/status/1154373271023947777
Robert Bankston, KE4AL, tweeted about the first “walkie-talkie satellite terminal” used by KB4CRT to work stations through AO-10. See: https://twitter.com/KE4ALabama/status/1154240267706339331

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 office.

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 six post-secondary years in this status. Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student membership information.

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,

This week’s ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org

ANS-202 AMSAT News Service Bulletins for July 21

July 27, 2019 by JoAnne Maenpaa

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-202

In this edition:

AMSAT is proud to announce the relaunch of its AMSAT Ambassador Program
Watch for ISS, SSTV Activity
Nihon University Announces FO-99 US Operation Plan
FO-29 update from JARL
2019 Mid-Year Fundraising Letter
2019 37th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
Upcoming Satellite Operations
ARISS News
Shorts From All Over

AMSAT is proud to announce the relaunch of its AMSAT Ambassador Program

The AMSAT Ambassador Program is an opportunity for AMSAT members to share what they’ve learned about amateur radio in space with others, and, in the process, help inspire the next generation of AMSAT’ers.

AMSAT Ambassador Program Goals:

Educate other amateur radio operators and the general public on amateur radio in space related subjects.
Represent AMSAT by sharing enthusiasm for Amateur Radio in Space with others, whether at in-person events, practical demonstrations, online, or in written communications, and share AMSAT’s mission and vision.
Connect volunteers with potential members both in-person and online in a manner encouraging their affiliation by membership with AMSAT.
Offer personal mentoring and coaching to new enthusiasts either in-person or via online means such as email, chat, and social media.
Connect members and potential enthusiasts with proper resources at AMSAT when they seek more knowledge, volunteer to serve, or have concerns with the organization.

Become an AMSAT Ambassador and do your part towards making this happen by informing people about the value of amateur radio in space and encouraging their support and involvement. Please visit the AMSAT Ambassador Program webpage for more information: https://www.amsat.org/ambassador/

73,

Robert Bankston, KE4AL Vice-President, User Services, Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT, Director, AMSAT Ambassadors

Watch for ISS, SSTV Activity

ARISS SSTV activity is planned for various times during the week of July 29 through Aug 4. As more specific dates and times are determined, they will be made available at the ARISS website (www.ariss.org) and at the official ARISS facebook page at Amateur Radio On The International Space Station (ARISS).

[ANS thanks Dave, AA4KN for the above information]

Nihon University Announces FO-99 US Operation Plan

Place	Operation	Date	AOS	LOS	Max. Elevation
Washington, DC	Transponder	July 27	02:28:43	02:39:53	35.08
Topeka, KS	Transponder	Aug 10	03:46:43	03:57:57	31.35
Denver, CO	SSTV	Aug 24	03:30:20	03:41:50	50.01
All times UTC

Operation will be performed from 5 minutes before AOS to 5 minutes after LOS. Total operation time is about 20 min. The operation may be cancelled if uplink is not received.

[ANS thanks Nihon University for the above information.]

FO-29 update from JARL

“Analog transmitters of Fuji No. 3 (FO-29) have been suspended since July 9, 2019. Currently, we are doing situation grasp and information gathering, but we will inform you as soon as the situation is understood.

If you have telemetry data after July 8th (UTC), please send it to the following address. [Transmission destination of telemetry data] oper (at) jarl.org

Thank you for your cooperation in collecting information on “Fuji No. 3″ of many users.

JARL Secretariat Member Section Fuji 3 Telemetry Section”

Source: https://www.hamlife.jp/2019/07/17/fo29-jas2-silent/

[ANS thanks hamlife.jp for the above information]

2019 Mid-Year Fundraising Letter

The following funraising letter from AMSAT President Joe Spier, K6WAO, was recently mailed to all AMSAT members. Please consider a one-time or recurring donation today.

Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT)
10605 Concord St, #304
Kensington, MD 20895-2526 USA

July 10, 2019 AMSAT Member,

I am writing to provide an update to the membership on AMSAT’s activities and invite everyone to our 50th Anniversary AMSAT Space Symposium and General Meeting, to be held October 18-20, 2019. For more details, go to https://www.amsat.org/amsat-symposium/. I hope to see you there!

It takes considerable volunteer effort and real dollars to keep Amateur Radio in Space™. AMSAT needs some important assistance in the areas of User Services and Engineering. If you would like to volunteer, please contact me at [email protected]. You may also assist AMSAT by making a tax-deductible contribution. AMSAT has several fundraising needs. The daily operation of AMSAT is accomplished by donations to the General Fund. This fund is also used to fill other department needs. The other main department needs are the fund for GOLF (Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint) 3U CubeSats design/construction and ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station).

AMSAT has had success in the launch of AO-92 (Fox-1D) in January of 2018 and the launch of AO-95 (Fox-1Cliff) in December of 2018. AO-95 achieved orbit and the beacon functions properly, unfortunately the satellite’s receiver is not operational. AMSAT Engineering and Operations are trying to determine the cause of the issue. AMSAT partnered with Spaceflight Inc. by contracting and paying for these launches. Fundraising for Fox series satellites have not yet recouped this expenditure, so donations are still being accepted. AMSAT is expecting the launch of RadFxSat-2 (Fox-1E), our partnership with Vanderbilt University, by no earlier than the end of summer. RadFxSat-2 will launch on the ELaNa XX mission, on Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne, and carry an AMSAT V/u linear transponder and radiation experiments for Vanderbilt University. AMSAT is also partnering with several universities to fly this linear transponder on their CubeSats. The first of these will fly on HuskySat-1, from the Husky Satellite Lab at the University of Washington, later this year.

AMSAT has been selected for two CubeSat Launch Initiative (CSLI) opportunities for GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1. GOLF’s 3U spaceframe is being designed with versatility to add mission specific radios, power supplies, and experiments. A series of GOLF CubeSats will provide better coverage and a greater footprint will allow more coverage by fewer satellites. GOLF also allows AMSAT to continue and expand partnerships with universities, NASA and others. GOLF will also provide for additional experimental payloads such as GPS, satellite interlinking, and others. Your donations help AMSAT keep GOLF-TEE and GOLF-1 on schedule.

The first GOLF CubeSat, GOLF-TEE, will jump start the GOLF program with a launch to LEO as early as 2020. GOLF-TEE will use Attitude Determination and Control (ADAC) and an experimental 5 GHz /10 GHz software defined radio transponder.

AMSAT will benefit by gaining knowledge as well as hardware for future missions. GOLF-TEE also provides an opportunity to fly projects that have been developed by AMSAT’s Advanced Satellite Communications and Exploration of New Technology (ASCENT) “skunk works” program. GOLF-TEE will carry a Fox-1E design V/u linear transponder and new RadFx (Radiation Effects) experiment like that in AO-85 for Vanderbilt University, but testing FinFET technology.

GOLF-1 will aim for higher LEO orbit as the first official “Greater Orbit, Larger Footprint” AMSAT CubeSat. Launch is targeted for 2020-2021.

You may make a one time or recurring donation to AMSAT at https://www.amsat.org/donate/.

As of this writing, the ARISS FundRazr has raised $33,250 of the $150,000 for critical amateur radio infrastructure upgrades on ISS to enable students to talk to astronauts in space via amateur radio. ARISS is in critical need of this infrastructure update. Through your donations ARISS seeks the following upgrades:

Next Generation radio system will support easier radio mode transition, to enable new, exciting capabilities for hams, students and the general public including:
New amateur radio communication and experimentation capabilities, including an enhanced voice repeater and updated digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities
Slow Scan TV (picture up and downlinks) in both the US and Russian segments of ISS
New multi-voltage power supply (MVPS) will support present and future radio capabilities and allow wireless experiments to be conducted

ARISS is building 10 Next Generation Radio Systems to support our development, on-orbit operations, training and long-term maintenance. This includes units on-orbit (2 units–1 unit each in US and Russian segment), flight spares (2 units), training (3 units), testing (1 unit) and ground-based maintenance & troubleshooting (2 units). ARISS has kicked off a FundRazr campaign for this initiative. The project is scheduled for delivery by the end of this year.

AMSAT is also working with our ARISS partners to develop an amateur radio package, including two-way communication capability, to be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit. Stay tuned for more details on this exciting project.

You may make a one time or recurring donation to ARISS by clicking the ARISS Donations button at https://www.amsat.org/donate or directly to the FundRazr at https://fundrazr.com/arissnextgen.

Help Keep Amateur Radio in Space™
Thanks! Joe Spier, K6WAO
President, AMSAT

[ANS thanks Joe K6WAO for the above information]

2019 37th AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting

Please join us for the 2019 AMSAT 50th Anniversary Symposium, to be held in the Washington, DC Metro Area on October 18, 19, and 20, 2019.

The Symposium venue will be the Hilton Arlington, located in the heart of the Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, VA. The Hilton Arlington is located at 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, Virginia, 22203, USA TEL: +1-703-528-6000 and the reservation code is AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation). Connected to the Ballston Metro Station, the hotel offers easy and effortless access to Washington DC’s top tourist destinations like the National Mall, Smithsonian Museums and historic monuments. The hotel is six miles from Reagan National Airport and the National Mall. There are plenty of restaurants nearby.

The Symposium will feature OSCAR Park – a display of satellites from throughout the history of amateur radio in space – paper presentations, and a banquet with speakers celebrating AMSAT’s long history, and other events. The AMSAT Board of Directors Meeting will be held on October 16th and 17th at the same hotel. Two guided tours are available. On Sunday, October 20th a bus tour to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum is available for $30 (max 35 people) and on Monday, October 21st, AMSAT President Joe Spier will lead a day tour to the National Mall via the Metro.

So please plan on attending the 50th Anniversary Symposium – you will be glad you did and keep checking the AMSAT website for further updates and information. https://www.amsat.org/amsat-symposium/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations – As of July 19, 2019

Remember to check out W3ZM On the Road for additional upcoming activations! https://www.amsat.org/events/was-w3zm/
Wyoming and Montana (DN62, DN63, DN64, DN65, DN54) July 20-27, 2019
RJ, WY7AA, will be roving in DN62 and DN63 for the 16:00-20:00 UTC. FM passes, Sat. July 20th. On Sun. July 21st, he will work one pass only from DN65, SO-50 at 16:58 UTC. For the remainder of the week, RJ will be camping in DN64, working holiday style FM and linears, with one side trip during the week for a few FM passes from DN54. RJ will try to get word to Twitter when he plans to do so, but expects to be without Twitter for the trip, and likely out of cell phone range, as well. #unplugged
St Lucia, (FK94) July 21 – August 3, 2019
Frank, K3TRM, will be operating as J6/K3TRM from Gros Islet, St. Lucia (FK94mb) between July 21 – August 3, 2019. Activity will be on 40-6M using SSB, CW, and Digital (RTTY & FT8) and satellite. More info available on Frank’s QRZ page: https://www.qrz.com/db/J6/K3TRM and Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/k3trm
CY9 St. Paul Island (FN97) – July 31 to August 8, 2019
CY9C will be on St. Paul Island July 31st through August 8th. This is an all bands/mode dxpedition, with EME and Sats as well. More info available at http://cy9c.com/index.html.
Florida Keys (EL95) August 4-11, 2019
Philippe, EA4NF will be operating from EL95 (Key Largo and Brickell Key) as KC3NSG, from August 4 to 11, 2019. FM and Linears. QSL via LoTW. Keep an eye on Philippe’s Twitter feed for further updates: https://twitter.com/EA4NF_SAT
Washington Invasion (CN96/96 & DN06/07/17/17) – August 9-10, 2019
Casey, KI7UNJ, will be heading North to invade the State of Washington, August 9th and 10th. Keep an eye on Casey’s Twitter feed for specific pass announcements: https://twitter.com/KI7UNJ
St Pierre et Miquelon (GN16) – August 10-18, 2019
A DXpedition is planned to St Pierre et Miquelon, August 10th through the 18th. The team will operate as T05M will from Ile aux Marins on 6-160m, but there is a possibility of some FM Satellites. Keep an eye on their website for updates: http://fp2019.net/
Santa Rosa Island, CA (CM93) – August 12-14, 2019
Ron, AD0DX, is heading back to Santa Rosa Island, August 12th -14th. When not distracted by the feathered-birds, Ron will be on FM and linear satellites as W6R. Keep an eye on Ron’s Twitter feed for updates at the dates get closer. https://twitter.com/ad0dx
6Y Jamaica (FK18) AUGUST 12-19, 2019
Philippe, EA4NF will be operating from JAMAICA (IOTA NA-097 – Grid FK18) in Satellite with the special call 6Y4NF from August 12 to 19, QRV Satellite in FM and SSB. QSL via LoTW. Keep an eye on Philippe’s Twitter feed for further updates: https://twitter.com/EA4NF_SAT.

Please submit any additions or corrections to ke4al (at) amsat.org

[ANS thanks Robert KE4AL for the above information]

ARISS News

2019-07-16 19:35 UTC between Cosmonaut Aleksey Ovchinin using ISS callsign RSØISS and About Gagarin From Space. Performing amateur radio communication session with the 8th International Aerospace School. U.N. Sultanova rep. Bashkortostan Aerospace School of. U.N. Sultanova summer camp, Kalinovka, Davlekanovsky, Russia Contact was direct via RZ9WWB. ARISS Mentor was Sergey RV3DR
Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule 24th World Scout Jamboree, Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve, West Virginia, telebridge via ON4ISS The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS The scheduled astronaut is Drew Morgan KI5AAA Contact is go for: Sat 2019-07-27 18:27:56 UTC

[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information]

Shorts From All Over

CAS-7B Launch July 25, 2019 Planned to launch CAS-7B at 05:00:00UTC on July 25, 2019, the launch vehicle Hyperbola-1 will run for 862.0206 seconds and then CAS-7B satellite will be deployed at 05:14:22.0206
CAS-7B(BP-1B)
1 99999U 19206.21831019 -.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 00001
2 99999 042.7339 008.2068 0013606 285.8754 218.2911 15.94575754000011
[ANS thanks Alan, BA1DU for the above information]
Tweet from AMSAT-UK AMSAT-UK (@AmsatUK) tweeted at 2:28 PM on Fri, Jul 19, 2019: #Peru: Holders of the 100 watt Novice (Class C) #AmateurRadio license have been granted access to 144-146 MHz (previously just 146-148) and the entire 70cm band. They are now permitted to use the Satellites. https://t.co/lHMwcq0two#hamradio #hamr (https://twitter.com/AmsatUK/status/1152314187344990210?s=03)
[ANS thanks @Amsat-UK for the above information]

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,
This week’s ANS Editor, EMike McCardel, AA8EM
aa8em at amsat dot org

ANS-195 AMSAT News Service Bulletins for July 14

July 26, 2019 by JoAnne Maenpaa

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-195

In this edition:

2019 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Ballots Sent
New Orbitrack iOS app free for Apollo 11 Anniversary
Help Needed – JAISAT-1 Telemetry
Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 11, 2019
How to Support AMSAT
Upcoming Satellite Operations
Satellite Shorts from All Over

The 50th Anniversary AMSAT Space Symposium will be held
October 18-20 in Arlington, VA. For details, see:
https://www.amsat.org/amsat-symposium/

2019 AMSAT Board of Directors Election Ballots Sent

AMSAT members should expect to see ballots for the 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors election arriving in their mailboxes. The ballots have been
sent for printing and will be mailed on or before July 15.

The 2019 AMSAT Board of Directors election will be conducted differently than in past elections. In previous years, the balloting process was handled by multiple vendors. This year, AMSAT has contracted with a single, independent party, ElectionBuddy, to conduct and fully manage the election process.

You may cast your ballot by visiting a unique URL or utilizing the QR code printed on the mailing. You also have the option of returning your paper ballot in the supplied envelope to the AMSAT office. Please do not include any other correspondence in this envelope. It will be opened only by ElectionBuddy. If you do not receive your ballot, you will need to contact ElectionBuddy via email: amsat at electionbuddy.com.

Individual candidates’ statement of qualification (biographies) are displayed on the ElectionBuddy website available to voters and are available on AMSAT’s website: https://www.amsat.org/2019-board-statements/

Because AMSAT has contracted ElectionBuddy for a fully managed election, they will be voters’ single point of contact regarding any ballot issues. The AMSAT Secretary or Office Manager may direct you to contact ElectionBuddy in situations deemed part of this fully managed election. Questions will not be answered on the AMSAT-BB or organizational Social Media accounts.

In the previous election announcement, it was mentioned that voters would have the option to request a special paper ballot. The election process has been modified to eliminate this need. A single mailing has been designed to better accommodate traditional and online voting.

Sincerely,
Clayton L. Coleman, W5PFG
AMSAT Secretary

[ANS thanks AMSAT Secretary Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, for the above information.]

New Orbitrack iOS app free for Apollo 11 Anniversary

On the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s first manned moon landing, a new iOS app – Orbitrack – lets you explore the universe of spacecraft in orbit around our home planet today, using cutting-edge augmented and virtual reality technology.

Better yet: for just one day, July 20th, 2019, Orbitrack (normally $4.99) will be offered for free on the iTunes Store.

>From the original developer of the award winning SkySafari™ apps, Orbitrack is the first new release from Southern Stars since 2014. It includes spectacular new graphics, incredibly detailed 3D spacecraft models, fascinating illustrated mission descriptions, and a new database of more than 8,000 satellites updated daily from n2yo.com and celestrak.com.

Orbitrack includes many classified military satellites, and SpaceX’s new Starlink mega-communications-satellite constellation. Both visual and radio observers will appreciate Orbitrack’s up-to-date catalog, which includes frequencies and call signs for amateur radio satellites, and predicts satellite passes and Iridium flares.

Orbitrack’s brand new voice-controlled virtual reality mode works with any iPhone-compatible VR headset. And its rewritten augmented reality (AR) capability lets you identify satellites passing across the sky in real time, using you phone’s GPS, camera, and motion-sensing hardware.

Orbitrack supports the latest Apple hardware and showcases the latest iOS technologies. Southern Stars founder Tim DeBenedictis writes, “When Neil Armstrong walked on the Moon, there were only 159 satellites in orbit. Today, there are well over 40,000. The computing power of the entire lunar module would be dwarfed by today’s smallest cell phones. Offering our latest satellite tracking app for free seemed a good way to celebrate the past, while also looking forward to the future of spaceflight, both manned and unmanned.”

To download Orbitrack for iOS devices from the iTunes Store, follow this link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/orbitrack/id1092984911?mt=8

Available today for iOS devices, Orbitrack will be available for Android in the 2nd half of 2019.

[ANS thanks Southern Stars for the above information]

Help Needed – JAISAT-1 Telemetry

JAISAT-1, a 3U CubeSat developed by the Radio Amateur Society of Thailand was launched on July 5, 2019. The satellite carries a VHF/UHF linear transponder for amateur radio use.

The Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) and the JAISAT-1 Project Teamare urgently seeking raw data that can be received from all packets worldwide. Please send raw data and KSS files to RAST by email at jaisatonetele at gmail.com.

The JAISAT-1 beacon signal is transmitted on 435.700 MHz in GMSK Mobitex 4800 bps mode. Two other satellites on this launch also use
this engineering frequency.

The code for JAISAT-1 frames 1 in row 11 is:
41 (0x29) – JAISAT UHF1
42 (0x2A) – JAISAT UHF2

Example of signals in this format can be found with the the reception of signals from the satellite.

JAISAT-1 has been identified as 2019-038F. TLEs are below:

2019-038F
1 44419U 19038F 19190.66730395 .00001667 00000-0 10000-3 0 9996
2 44419 97.4914 152.5407 0020014 233.1737 126.7422 15.12176922 634

[ANS thanks Tanan Rangseeprom, HS1JAN, JAISAT Project Manager for the above information.]

Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for July 11, 2019

The following Amateur Radio satellites have been removed from this week’s TLE distribution. They are part of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy STP-2 launch of June 25,2019 at 06:30 GMT from launch pad LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center. They have been identified by Space-Track.

OBJECT B – NORAD CAT ID 44340 – NPSAT1 (Non-Radio Amateur)
OBJECT C – NORAD CAT ID 44341 – OTB (Non-Radio Amateur)
OBJECT E – NORAD CAT ID 44343 – FORMOSAT7-3/COSMIC2-3 (Non-Radio Amateur)

The following Amateur Radio satellite has been added to this week’s TLE distribution.

LightSail-2 – NORAD CAT ID 44420 – Separated from PROX-1, CAT ID 44330

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager for the above information.]

Purchase AMSAT gear on our Zazzle storefront. 25% of the purchase
price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

How to Support AMSAT

AMSAT relies on the support of our members and the amateur radio community to Keep Amateur Radio in Space. How can you help?

Join AMSAT
Both you and AMSAT will benefit when you join. You get the AMSAT Journal bimonthly and support from AMSAT Ambassadors. Member dues and donations provide AMSAT’s primary support. Join today at https://www.amsat.org/product-category/amsat-membership/
Become a Life Member
Becoming a Life Member has never been easier. Now you can become a Life Member with 12 monthly payments of $74 through our online store. See https://www.amsat.org/product/lifetime-membership/ for details.
Donate to AMSAT
Make a one time or recurring donation to AMSAT today. Even as little as one dollar a month can make a difference! Donate today at https://www.amsat.org/donate/
Purchase AMSAT gear on our Zazzle storefront.
AMSAT receives 25% of the price of each sale on AMSAT logo merchandise from our Zazzle storefront located at https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear
Support AMSAT when you make purchases from Amazon!
So far, AMSAT has received $3,913.29 from AmazonSmile. Search for “Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation” https://smile.amazon.com/ref=smi_ext_twt_dshb_smi
Volunteer for AMSAT
AMSAT relies on volunteers for nearly all of our activities. If you have an idea for how to help, please let us know, Details on
volunteering can be found at https://www.amsat.org/volunteer-for-amsat/

[ANS thanks the AMSAT office for the above information.]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

Iceland (HP93, HP94, HP95, IP03, IP05, IP13, IP14, IP15, IP24, IP25, IP35) – July 13-19, 2019
Adam, K0FFY, is taking his family (and his radios) to Iceland. He’ll be staying in HP95 on July 13, IP15 on July 14-15, IP25 on July 16, IP03 on July 17-18, and HP94 on July 19. In total, he’ll be passing through HP93, HP94, HP95, IP03, IP05, IP13, IP14, IP15, IP24, IP25, IP35. There’s a lot to see, so passes will be best effort & announced on Twitter shortly prior. https://twitter.com/K0FFY_Radio
CY9 St. Paul Island (FN97) – July 31 to August 8, 2019
CY9C will be on St. Paul Island July 31st through August 8th. This is an all bands/mode dxpedition, with EME and Sats as well. More info available at http://cy9c.com/index.html
Washington Invasion (CN96/96 & DN06/07/17/17) – August 9-10, 2019
Casey, KI7UNJ, will be heading North to invade the State of Washington, August 9th and 10th. Keep an eye on Casey’s Twitter feed for specific pass announcements: https://twitter.com/KI7UNJ
St Pierre et Miquelon (GN16) – August 10-18, 2019
A DXpedition is planned to St Pierre et Miquelon, August 10th through the 18th. The team will operate as T05M will from Ile aux Marins on 6-160m, but there is a possibility of some FM Satellites. Keep an eye on their website for updates: http://fp2019.net/
Santa Rosa Island, CA (CM93) – August 12-14, 2019
Ron, AD0DX, is heading back to Santa Rosa Island, August 12th -14th. When not distracted by the feathered-birds, Ron will be on FM and linear satellites as W6R. Keep an eye on Ron’s Twitter feed for updates at the dates get closer. https://twitter.com/ad0dx

Remember to check out W3ZM On the Road for additional upcoming activations! https://www.amsat.org/events/was-w3zm/

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

Satellite Shorts from All Over

FO-29 has been offline since approximately 22:00 UTC on July 9th. The amateur satellite community awaits word from the satellite’s operator, JARL, on the situation.
AMSAT Operations activated the Virginia Tech Camera on AO-92 on July 10th and July 11th in support of the ARRL Teachers Institute. Images
captured can be found at http://www.amsat.org/tlm/showImages.php?id=4
AMSAT Operations reports that AO-85 is shutting down each eclipse. The satellite turns on several minutes after entering sunlight, when voltages reach adequate levels to operate the satellite hardware.
Virgin Orbit conducted a successful drop test of LauncherOne on July 10th. This was the final test prior to the first test flight of the new air launch system. AMSAT’s RadFxSat-2 / Fox-1E is scheduled to fly on the second launch of the LauncherOne, as early as late this summer. Details on the test can be found at: https://tinyurl.com/ANS-195-VO
The AMSAT Board of Directors meeting minutes page was updated with recent minutes.
https://www.amsat.org/minutes-of-the-board-of-directors/
AMSAT financial audit/review reports and IRS Form 990 filings can be found at
https://www.amsat.org/audit-and-other-financial-reports/
EA4GPZ’s blog contains several updates on images captured by LO-94. See https://destevez.net/ for details.
This week’s Flashback Friday Tweet from @AMSAT: https://twitter.com/AMSAT/status/1149667412779786240 In the late 1970s, the AMSAT-GOLEM-80 Microcomputer Project was designed as a low-cost and expandable Z80 or 8080 based microcomputer for amateur radio applications. Details can be found in the Sept 1979 issue of Byte Magazine. https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1979-09/page/n183

73 and Remember to help keep amateur radio in space,

This week’s ANS Editor,
Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org