Satellites Likely to Be Active on Field Day (2021)

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AMSAT and ARRL Field Day are this upcoming weekend (June 26-27). Satellites that should be available for communication, along with frequency information, are listed below.

FM Satellites

Please make only one QSO on an FM satellite. Additional QSOs on FM satellites do not count for points in ARRL or AMSAT Field Day.

AO-91 (RadFxSat / Fox-1B)
Uplink FM
(67 Hz CTCSS)		 Downlink FM Comments
AO-91 (RadFxSat / Fox-1B) 435.250 MHz 145.960 MHz Due to battery status, please do not attempt to access while in eclipse (nighttime passes). Satellite may cut out at times during daytime passes due to low battery voltages.
FROM AMSAT OPERATIONS – PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE ON NIGHTTIME PASSES
SO-50 (SaudiSat-1C)
Uplink FM
(67 Hz CTCSS)		 Downlink FM Comments
SO-50 (SaudiSat-1C) 145.850 MHz 436.795 MHz Operational
Likely to be available for all passes during Field Day. SO-50 also has a 10 minute timer that must be armed before use. Transmit a 2 second carrier with a CTCSS tone of 74.4 Hz to arm the timer.
PO-101 (Diwata-2)
Uplink FM
(141.3 Hz CTCSS)		 Downlink FM Comments
PO-101 (Diwata-2) 437.500 MHz 145.900 MHz Operational
Check https://twitter.com/Diwata2PH for schedule updates. Likely to be available at least for daytime passes during Field Day. PO-101 is very easy to hear but does need a decent amount of uplink power to reliably access.
CAS-3H (LilacSat-2)
Uplink FM Downlink FM Comments
CAS-3H (LilacSat-2) 144.350 MHz 437.200 MHz Operational, but rarely active
The FM transponder is on no set schedule and may or may not be on for Field Day. For real time updates about which mode the satellite is in, see the AMSAT Live OSCAR Satellite Status Page
IO-86 (LAPAN-A2)
Uplink FM
(88.5 Hz CTCSS)		 Downlink FM Comments
IO-86 (LAPAN-A2) 145.880 MHz 435.880 MHz Operational
Satellite is in a low-inclination low earth orbit and not visible north of about 30 degrees north or south of 30 degrees south. Should be usable if active from southern regions of Texas and Florida. FM transponder operations are by schedule only. See https://twitter.com/lapansat for the latest schedule.
AO-27 
Uplink FM Downlink FM Comments
AO-27 145.850 MHz 436.795 MHz Operational
AO-27 is only active for approximately four minutes on ascending and descending passes over mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere
ISS Crossband Repeater
Uplink FM
(67 Hz CTCSS)		 Downlink FM Comments
ISS Crossband Repeater 145.990 MHz 437.800 MHz Operational
The ARISS team intends for the crossband repeater to be active during Field Day. See ARISS Status for status information
© 2021 AMSAT

Linear Transponder Satellites

Make as many QSOs as possible. Note that for ARRL Field Day, you may only contact the same station once on any satellite for points. For AMSAT Field Day scoring, you may contact any station once per mode on each satellite, so you may work the same station up to two times on each satellite (once in voice and once in CW).

AO-7 Mode B – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 432.125 MHz through 432.175 MHz
Downlink USB 145.925 MHz through 145.975 MHz
Active only in sunlight. Beacon 145.975 MHz. May flip into Mode A or off due to high utilization.
AO-73 (FUNcube-1) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.130 MHz through 435.150 MHz
Downlink USB 145.950 MHz through 145.970 MHz
1k2 BPSK 145.935 MHz telemetry. Currently in full-time transponder mode and should be active for Field Day. See FUNcube Data Warehouse for current status. Note that the AO-73 transponder frequency is not stable and you may have to tune a significant amount away from the nominal frequency.
XW-2A (CAS-3A) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.030 MHz through 435.050 MHz
Downlink USB 145.665 MHz through 145.685 MHz
CW Beacon 145.660 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.640 MHz 9.6/19.2kbps, GMSK
XW-2B (CAS-3B) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.090 MHz through 435.110 MHz
Downlink USB 145.730 MHz through 145.750 MHz
CW Beacon 145.725 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.705 MHz 9.6/19.2kbps, GMSK
XW-2C (CAS-3C) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.150 MHz through 435.170 MHz
Downlink USB 145.795 MHz through 145.815 MHz
May be intermittent (2 seconds on, 5 seconds off) and difficult to use. CW Beacon 145.790 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.770 MHz 9.6/19.2kbps, GMSK
XW-2D (CAS-3D) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.210 MHz through 435.230 MHz
Downlink USB 145.860 MHz through 145.880 MHz
May be intermittent (2 seconds on, 5 seconds off) and difficult to use. CW Beacon 145.855 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.835 MHz 9.6/19.2kbps, GMSK
XW-2F (CAS-3F) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.330 MHz through 435.350 MHz
Downlink USB 145.980 MHz through 146.000 MHz
CW Beacon 145.975 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.955 MHz 9.6kbps, GMSK
EO-88 (Nayif-1 / FUNcube on Nayif-1) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.015 MHz through 435.045 MHz
Downlink USB 145.960 MHz through 145.990 MHz
FUNcube on Nayif-1 1.2kbps BPSK telemetry 145.940 MHz. Transponder only operational when satellite is in eclipse. Likely only usable in the southern parts of North America for Field Day.
CAS-4A – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.210 MHz through 435.230 MHz
Downlink USB 145.860 MHz through 145.880 MHz
CW Beacon 145.855 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.835 MHz 4.8kbps GMSK
CAS-4B – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.270 MHz through 435.290 MHz
Downlink USB 145.915 MHz through 145.935 MHz
CW Beacon 145.910 MHz. Digital Telemetry 145.890 MHz 4.8kbps GMSK
JO-97 (JY1Sat) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.100 MHz through 435.120 MHz
Downlink USB 145.855 MHz through 145.875 MHz
Transponder currently active full-time
TO-108 (CAS-6) – U/v Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 435.270 MHz through 435.290 MHz
Downlink USB 145.915 MHz through 145.935 MHz
Transponder currently intermittent, operating for a few minutes at a time. CW Beacon 145.910 MHz. 4.8k GMSK telemetry 145.890 MHz. Beacons currently carrier only.
RS-44 – V/u Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 145.935 MHz through 145.995 MHz
Downlink USB 435.610 MHz through 435.670 MHz
Significant fading is expected as the satellite is attached to the upper stage of the launch vehicle, but should be very reliable for Field Day use. CW Beacon 435.605 MHz
FO-99 (NEXUS) – V/u Inverting Analog SSB/CW
Uplink LSB 145.900 MHz through 145.930 MHz
Downlink USB 435.880 MHz through 435.910 MHz
Scheduled to be activated for 30-45 minutes at 22:55 UTC and 00:28 UTC on Saturday evening for Eastern North America. The activation at 22:55 UTC will primarily benefit the northeast United States and Maritime provinces. The 00:28 UTC activation should provide service for most of Eastern North America. The schedule can be found at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/nexus202106.jpg
© 2021 AMSAT

Digital Satellites

NO-84 and NO-104’s HF-to-UHF PSK31 transponders should be available for Field Day use. Their digipeaters may also be available. For more information, visit http://aprs.org/psat.html for NO-84 information and http://aprs.org/psat2.html for NO-104 information.

FalconSAT-3 is currently offline.

GRBAlpha has a 9k6 unproto digipeater at 437.025 MHz simplex and could be used for Field Day QSOs. Digipeat via OM9GRB.

 

ANS-171 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for June 20

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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 http://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.

In this edition:

  • AMSAT Announces Candidates for 2021 Board of Directors Election
  • ARISS Slow Scan Television Event set for June 21-26, 2021
  • PSAT2 Improved Coverage Is Here (Updated)
  • MIR-SAT1 Schedule for Deployment from the ISS
  • The IARU Participating in the CEPT Working Groups
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • ARISS News
  • Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-171.01
ANS-171 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 171.01
From AMSAT HQ PO Box 27, Washington, DC 20044-0027
June 20, 2021
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-171.01

AMSAT Announces Candidates for 2021 Board of Directors Election

The nomination period for the 2021 Board of Directors Election ended on June 15, 2021. The following candidates have been duly nominated:

Joseph Armbruster, KJ4JIO
Robert Bankston, KE4AL
Jerry Buxton, N0JY
Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO

To comply with AMSAT’s Bylaws, an election will be held via AMSAT’s Wild Apricot membership system. Instructions for voting will be emailed by July 15, 2021 to all members who are in good standing as of July 1, 2021.

As four seats on the Board of Directors are up for election this year, all four candidates will be seated on the Board when the voting period concludes on September 15, 2021.

To ensure that they receive their voting instructions, members should make sure their current email address is up to date in AMSAT’s records. Members should log into the AMSAT Membership Portal at https://launch.amsat.org/ and check their account for their current email address. If a member has moved or changed their email address, they are encouraged to update their contact information at this time. (Note: If they have not already done so, members can instantly create their membership account at that same page so they can inspect their record. A membership account is not the same as an AMSAT Store account.)

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary for the above information]

ARISS Slow Scan Television Event set for June 21-26, 2021

ARISS reports there will be an “Amateur Radio on Shuttle, MIR and ISS” Slow Scan TV (SSTV) event from June 21-26, 2021. Transmissions from the International Space Station will be on 145.800 MHz FM using the PD120 format.

The ARISS team will be transmitting SSTV images continuously from June 21 until June 26. The images will be related to some of the Amateur Radio activities that have occurred on the Space Shuttle, MIR space station and the International Space Station.

The scheduled start and stop times are:

Monday, June 21 – Setup is scheduled to begin at 09:40 UTC (transmissions should start a little later).

Saturday, June 26 – Transmissions are scheduled to end by 18:30 UTC.

The signal should be receivable on a handheld with a 1/4 wave whip. If your rig has selectable FM filters try the wider filter for 25 kHz channel spacing.

Those that recently missed the opportunity during the limited period of MAI transmissions should have numerous chances over the six day period to capture many, if not all 12, of the images.

Check the ARISS SSTV blog for the latest information at http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/.

Pass predictions for the ISS pass times are available at https://www.amsat.org/track/.

Useful SSTV info and links https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

[ANS thanks AMSAT UK for the above information.]

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

PSAT2 Improved Coverage Is Here (Updated)

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR reports, WPSAT2 (NO-104) has been in a great operating period from June 10-22, 2021 in the northern hemisphere due to its highly elliptical orbit. Passes have been in the evening but moving earlier each day. Conversely, for the two weeks following, it will be low on the horizon for northern hemisphere mid-latitudes stations and favor the southern hemisphere.

“Normally its low inclination orbit (28 degrees) favors lower latitude locations. But the elliptical orbit assures that there are times, two weeks out of every month, when the elevation angle rises as much as 20 degrees to bring higher latitude stations into the footprint.

“PSAT2 has been enabled for APRS on 145.825 and it should be 4 times stronger (+6 dB) than PSAT. PSAT2 requires your radio to be in narrow band mode.

“Also it has the APRS-to-Voice enabled for your enjoyment. See http://aprs.org/psat2.html for how to use the A2V feature.

“Also enabled is the PSAT (NO84) digipeating. And its HF to UHF transponder is always on for PSK31. See http://aprs.org/psat.html for further information.

[ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR 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/

MIR-SAT1 Scheduled for Deployment from the ISS

Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU reports it now official that MIR-SAT1, the first Mauritius Amateur Radio 3B8 satellite, will be deployed from the ISS on June 22, 2021 at 10:55 UTC. The deployment will be made using the robotic arm on the Japanese Experiment Module nicknamed Kibo.

MIR-SAT1 is a 1U CubeSat mission with the following objectives:

1. Verify the performance of the on-board subsystems by receiving telemetry from the satellite and establish communication to and from the satellite (command and control).
2. Collect images of Mauritius and the Mauritian EEZ for capacity, building, experiment and research.
3. Experimental communication with other islands via the satellite (for scientific and/or emergency purposes), through a Radio Amateur digipeater payload.
4. V/U 9600bps GMSK digipeater may be open for Radio Amateur communication worldwide when the satellite not used for all above.

Further details can be found at https://spacemauritius.com.

Experimental decoders are already available:

+ AMSAT Pacsat Ground Station Software by Chris Thompson, G0KLA/AC2CZ is a decoder for the PacSat protocol, designed for FalconSat-3 now with support for Mir-Sat1. More information and the download is available at: https://www.g0kla.com/pacsat/index.php.

+ GR-Satellites by Daniel Estévez, EA4GPZ is a collection of GNU Radio decoders. More information and the download is available at:
https://github.com/daniestevez/gr-satellites/blob/master/python/telemetry/mirsat1.py.

These decoder will be used by local schools and Universities to capture the signals from the bird and hopefully create inspiration for our 3B8 youngsters to space science and STEM per AMSAT Ambassador program goals.

Jean Marc remarks, “It is so great to have the support of above experts. I wish to put on record my appreciation for the all the advice they provided to the 3B8 team and their fully unconditional support in the Ham spirit of brotherhood. ‘Grand merci Chris et Dani.’ Without you we ham’s will not have a clue about what is the status of the bird.”

In addition, the Mauritius Amateur Radio Society (MARS) is creating special awards open to all participating Hams/SWL’s worldwide. These awards will be issued to those decoding MIR-SAT1 telemetry and forwarding same to SatNOGS.

– A Platinum award will be issued to the first 10 ground station applying for MIR-SAT1 Award after having forwarded the telemetry to SatNOGS.
– A Gold award will be issued to the next 20 ground station applying for MIR-SAT1 Award after having forwarded the telemetry to SatNOGS.
– A Silver award will be issued to the next 30 ground station applying for MIR-SAT1 Award after having forwarded the telemetry to SatNOGS.
– A Bronze award will be issued to the next 50 ground station applying for MIR-SAT1 Award after having forwarded the telemetry to SatNOGS.

Complete information on the awards program can be found at https://mars3b8.wordpress.com/2021/06/19/mir-sat1-special-award/.

[ANS thanks Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU for the above information.]

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, now manifested for launch on
NASA’s ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be
worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

The IARU Participating in the CEPT Working Groups

IARU volunteers have been participating in the CEPT FM and SE Working Groups looking after the Amateur Radio and Amateur Satellite Service interests. CEPT WG-SE #88 took place during April and WG-FM #99 took place at the end of May.

The report from the IARU Region 1 site says:

WG-FM’s project teams tackle a wide range of civil spectrum applications and are developing important regulatory deliverables relating to wireless power transfer and the 23cm band RNSS coexistence topic amongst other things. Work on both these topics is ongoing.

The CEPT Radio Amateur Forum Group (RAFG) is hosted by WG-FM and is chaired by the IARU for the time being. Its main task is maintenance of the CEPT Recommendations TR61-01 and TR61-02. A proposal to merge the activities of the RAFG into project team FM58 (Maritime) has been made but the final decision has been held over until the next WG-FM meeting. The RAFG was tasked at this meeting with a new work item to consider the feasibility of developing an electronic database of CEPT wide amateur licensing documentation. This was supported by six administrations.
https://cept.org/ecc/groups/ecc/wg-fm/fm-radio-amateur-fg/client/introduction/

In WG-SE technical spectrum sharing studies are taking place covering;

• Wireless power transfer including consideration of electric vehicle charging (WPT- EV).
• UWB radiodetermination in 116 – 250 GHz.
• Vehicular radar systems in 77 – 81 GHz.
• Security Scanners in the range 60 – 90 GHz.
• 23cm band RNSS coexistence (related to the WRC item and reported in detail elsewhere)
https://www.iaru.org/spectrum/iaru-and-itu/wrc-23/agenda-item-9-1-topic-b/

Amateur service frequency bands are within the scope of all these studies and fall under the remit of the IARU R1 SRLC
https://www.iaru-r1.org/about-us/committees-and-working-groups/srlc/

A summary report of the WG-SE meeting is at
https://www.iaru-r1.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CEPT-WGSE88-April-2021-report.pdf

The WG-FM meeting is at
https://www.iaru-r1.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/WGFM-99-May2021-Report.pdf

Working Group FM Meeting 99 documents
https://cept.org/ecc/groups/ecc/wg-fm/client/meeting-documents/?flid=28918

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

Upcoming Satellite Operations

EM72, June 21-25, 2021
N4DCW be there all week. Operating vacation style, but DM him if you need a sked. He’ll have a decent Eastern horizon for those on the other side of the Atlantic.

IN73, Later June
EA4M will be in IN73 on holidays, probably for a week or so. He will try some birds. Check Twitter for schedules.

DL98, Last week in June
WA5RR is looking at doing a rove in DL98 with an overnight stay in Eagle Pass, TX. Details to follow.

CN98, Last week of June
N5LEX

DN63, July 2, 2021; DN64, July 3, 2021
ND0C and KE0WPA along with their resident photojournalist (Mom/Amy) will be taking a family excursion to the southwest and working some sats as time permits. Among the less commonly worked grids from which they plan to operate are DN63 7/2, DN64 7/2 & 7/3. Check @kylee_ke0wpa for info.

Tortola, BVI, July 4-17, 2021
VP2V/K3TRM will be operating from Tortola, BVI on 40-6M SSB & digital, and satellite.

DM62, ~July 9, 2021
K5TA is tentatively planning when there are several good passes mid-day, making it a doable day-trip for him.

[ANS thanks Paul Overn, KE0PBR for the above information.]

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

+ Completed Contacts

Gagarin From Space. Performing a radio amateur session with school children in the city of Great Ustyug, Velikiy Ustyug, Russia, direct via UB1QBM.
The ISS callsign was RSØISS.
The downlink frequency was 145.800 MHz.
The astronaut was Oleg Novitskiy
Contact was successful on Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 09:15 UTC.

Collège Albert Camus, La Norville, France and Université Paris-Saclay, Saint-Aubin, France multi-point telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign was FXØISS.
The downlink frequency was 145.800 MHz.
The astronaut was Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG.
Contact was successful on Thursday, June 17, 2021 at 11:40:45 UTC.

+ Upcoming Contacts

Ecole publique de Bellême, Bellême, France, Pôle scolaire Igé/Le Gué de la Chaine, Belforêt en Perche, France, and Ecole de Nocé, Perche en Nocé, France, multi-point telebridge via ON4ISS.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS.
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 437.525 MHz.
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG.
Contact is go for: Friday, June 25, 2021 at 08:34:42 UTC.

A multi-point telebridge contact means that each student will be on the telebridge from their own home.

+ Current Status of ISS Stations

IORS (Kenwood TM-D710GA) – STATUS – ACTIVE. supporting cross band repeater operation (145.990 up [67 Hz tone] /437.800 down MHz). Next mode change to packet operations targeting after Field Day. Supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.

Service Module radios:
Kenwood TM-D710E – STATUS – Radio usually off.
Supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts and SSTV.

Watch for possible operation mode change sometime after ARRL Field Day. Exact date and time TBD.
The latest information on the operation mode can be found at:
https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N for the above information.]

Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ AMSAT Receives $403 from AmazonSmile

AMSAT has received its quarterly notification from AmazonSmile that it has made a charitable donation to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, in the amount of $403.32 as a result of qualifying purchases made by its members who have selected AMSAT.

Thanks to AMSAT shoppers at smile.amazon.com, their everyday purchases have generated $7,097.98 in donations to the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation so far.

[ANS thanks AmazonSmile for the above information.]

+ Where are the Women in STEM?

Do you have a young lady in the family who is looking for ways to get involved in the world of science? When it comes to science influencers, Emily Calandrelli is a household name for a new generation of space enthusiasts. If you have kids, you may know her from “Emily’s Wonder Lab” on Netflix, which brought DIY science experiments into viewers’ homes during the pandemic lockdown. She’s also the long-running host of “Xploration Outer Space,” and a speaker and the author of the Ada Lace children’s book series. While Emily’s communication style is fun and accessible, she has a rigorous science and engineering background underpinning her work, with two master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Check out Emily’s website, The Space Gal at http://www.thespacegal.com/women-in-stem for ideas on how to engage your youngster in the adventures of space.

[ANS thanks Via Satellite for the above information.]

+ Fly the SpaceX ISS Docking Simulator!

“Now arriving at docking port #1…” Think you have “all the right stuff”? The SpaceX ISS Docking Simulator lets you try your hand at safely docking your Dragon space capsule to the ISS. In fact, they say it is the exact same interface that astronauts use on the job. Be sure to check the instructions tab for a quick overview of how the controls work. It’s fun! Try your hand at it at https://iss-sim.spacex.com/.

[ANS thanks SPACEX for the above information.]

+ Chinese Astronauts Enter Tiangong Space Station for First Time

Three Chinese astronauts floated into the country’s new Tiangong space station Thursday, becoming the first people to board China’s outpost in orbit after a successful launch from a military base in the Gobi Desert to start a three-month mission. The three astronauts will spend the next three months testing systems on-board the station, three times longer than any previous Chinese human spaceflight mission. In total, China has now launched 12 astronauts into orbit on seven crewed Shenzhou missions since 2003.

Read the complete story at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-171-Tiangong.

[ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information.]

Not an AMSAT member? Join now at https://launch.amsat.org/

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. President’s Club donations may be made at https://tinyurl.com/ANS-PresClub.

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 info at the amsat dot org for additional student membership information.

73,
This week’s ANS Editor,
Frank Karnauskas, N1UW
n1uw at amsat dot org

ANS-164 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for June 13

by

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-164

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:

  • Call for Nominations – 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
  • CHESS CubeSats Will Not Carry Amateur Transponders
  • ARISS Offers More Fun to ARRL/AMSAT Field Day Operators
  • FUNcube Dongle Stock Update
  • Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for May 6, 2021
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 164.01
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2021 Jun 13

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

Call for Nominations – 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors election, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of the following four incumbent Directors expire in 2021 and will be filled by this year’s election:

Jerry Buxton N0JY
Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA
Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK
Michelle Thompson W5NYV

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms.

A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Jeff Davis, KE9V
1909 S. Batavia Avenue
Muncie, IN 47302-2044
ke9v at amsat.org

A copy should be sent to Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, at n8hm at amsat.org.

The AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary. The Secretary has elected to accept written nomination materials via mail or in electronic form, including e-mail or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

No matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are received, and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, for the above information]

CHESS CubeSats Will Not Carry Amateur Transponders

Two CHESS CubeSats had been planned to carry amateur radio linear transponders, however, it was announced on June 10, 2021, there will not be any amateur payload on the satellites.

A translation of the press release reads:

The CHESS project management, due to funding constraints, had to move the project towards a commercial cubesat platform. Space is scarce on this new platform to accommodate another payload. Subsequently, there is no longer an opportunity to carry a ham radio transponder on board.

The CHESS project management has correctly decided not to use frequencies in the amateur satellite service and to use earth exploration or experimental UHF- and X- band frequencies.

The ham community, who assured the funding of the transponder, is very disappointed by this decision, but must accept it.

Such projects always carry risks of one partner changing its mind. That is what happened here.

Many thanks to all who have actively supported the transponder project, especially the AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL team.

AMSAT-HB announcement
https://www.amsat-hb.org/2021/06/10/chess-fliegt-ohne-amateurfunknutzlast/

January 2021 project announcement
https://amsat-uk.org/2021/01/14/chess-cubesat-constellation-funcube/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK, AMSAT-HB, and AMSAT-NL for the above information]

ARISS Offers More Fun to ARRL/AMSAT Field Day Operators

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has decided to keep its ARISS InterOperable Radio System (IORS) in crossband repeater mode until after ARRL Field Day ends. The IORS ham station is located in the Columbus Module of the International Space Station.

ARRL Hq Contest Program Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, has confirmed that successful radio contacts made through the ARISS IORS, in crossband repeater mode, will count for an ARRL Field Day QSO point, but also for Field Day bonus points! Another fun opportunity for points. Don’t forget the rule limiting stations to 1 QSO per any single channel FM satellite. On-orbit astronauts always have very busy schedules, but if a voice contact were to be made with them, it would count for QSO credit but not for satellite bonus points. Only an ARISS crossband repeater QSO qualifies for the bonus. Crossband repeater contacts are also valid for AMSAT Field Day for satellite operations, held concurrently with the ARRL event.

Frequencies for ARISS crossband repeater operation are as follows: 145.990 MHz up, 67 Hz tone and 437.800 MHz down. If you haven’t used the ISS repeater yet, be sure to practice with it before Field Day (June 26-27, 2021). These contacts can be tricky, but hams can practice right now…can you do it?

ARISS had planned a mode switch to APRS packet during the second week of June. Now, ARISS is targeting the switch by the astronauts to packet after the first ARISS school contact following ARRL Field Day. In more news for ARISS supporters: the astronauts will power down the ARISS radio station during USA spacewalks on June 16 and June 20, 2021.

[ANS thanks ARISS 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/

FUNcube Dongle Stock Update

Over the past month it’s proven difficult to keep stock, but we look forward to having stock ready within the next few days.

During the pandemic, we’ve seen a significant uptick in sales of the FUNcube Dongle, and this trend continues.

While we’ve managed to maintain stock for most of the past twelve months, it’s not been easy, and for the last month or so unfortunately we’ve been running on empty. The perfect storm combination of increased demand, logistics delays due to the pandemic, and more recently the global parts shortages, have all impacted our ability to maintain stock.

On June 10th, it was announced that a limited stock was available for purchase at https://funcubedongle.3dcartstores.com/checkout_one.asp

[ANS thanks the FUNcube Dongle Team for the above information]

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for June 10, 2021

Rather than continue to send a “No amateur satellite additions or deletions…” report each week, I have decided to send an update message only when an addition or deletion has actually occurred. It seems a waste of bulletin space to send a message when there is really no new news.

Please assume that if there is no change message, that means no additions or deletions have occurred.

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

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, now manifested for launch on
NASA’s ELaNa 46 mission. Come along for the ride. The journey will be
worth it!

https://tinyurl.com/ANS-GOLF

ARISS News

Collège Albert Camus, La Norville, France and Université Paris-Saclay, Saint-Aubin, France multi-point telebridge via ON4ISS

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 145.800 MHz
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG
Contact is go for: Thu 2021-06-17 11:40:45 UTC 84 deg

Current Status of ISS Stations

IORS (Kenwood D710GA) – STATUS – ACTIVE. supporting cross band repeater operation (145.990 up [67 Hz tone] /437.800 down MHz). Next mode change to packet operations targeting after Field Day.
Supporting USOS scheduled voice contacts, packet and voice repeater ops.

Service Module radios:
Kenwood D710E – STATUS – Radio usually off.
Supporting ROS scheduled voice contacts and SSTV.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

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

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

Upcoming Satellite Operations

WY7AA: FI will be in FN02 starting 6/6 for a few weeks. Operating Sats. holiday style. If you need FN01, FN02, FN03, FN12 please let me know and we can try to set something up. FN01,03, and 12 will likely each be one day roves. FM and SSB

EA4M: Hi guys later in June I’ll be in IN73 on holidays, probably for a week or so, I will try some birds stay tuned on tweeter for schedules.

VE6WK: DN49: – I’m planning a SOTA rove to DN49 on June 12 and may hit some other grids on the way there/back.

AD0DX: FN15/25 FM & SSB

ND0C and KE0WPA: In June @kylee_ke0wpa and I, along with our resident photojournalist (Mom/Amy), will be taking a family excursion to the southwest and working some sats as time permits. Here are the less commonly worked grids from which we plan to operate. We will hit other grids too. DM67 6/15 – 6/17, DM56 6/18, DM45 6/19, DN63 7/2, DN64 7/2 & 7/3

AD0DX (VA3IIR) :Long Range Rover plans: VA3IIR in FN15/25 June 18 FM and SSB

WA5RR: I’m looking at doing a rove in DL98 with an overnight stay in Eagle Pass, TX around the last week in June. Details to follow.

VP2V/K3TRM: I will be operating from Tortola, BVI as VP2V/K3TRM on July 4-17, 2021. Activity will be on 40-6M SSB & digital, and satellite.

N5LEX: CN98 last week of June.

DM62: K5TA, I’m tentatively planning for DM62 ~9-July, when there are are several good passes mid-day, making it a doable day-trip for me….

EN57/67: @SeanKutzko KX9X and @Nancy_N9NCY will celebrate Sean’s birthday in the Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula July 15-19. Look for them on FM and SSB satellites, with the possibility of some Parks On The Air activity as well.

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

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, reports these upcoming presentations scheduled for …

06/15 – East Massachusetts
10/21 – Conejo Valley CA

… and dates for Roseland NJ, Austin TX, Maine, and NH to be firmed up!

Think a lively, entertaining, AND educational 75-minute presentation to YOUR club or organization on “Working the Easy Sateliites” would be appropriate for your club? Send me a message or call!

Clint Bradford K6LCS
AMSAT Ambassador, ARRL instructor
http://www.work-sat.com
k6lcs AT work-sat DOT info
(909) 999-SATS (7287)

[ANS thanks Clint Bradford, K6LCS, AMSAT Ambassador, and Paul Overn, KE0PBR, AMSAT Events Page Manager, for the above information]

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ FO-99’s operating schedule for June can be found at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/nexus202106.jpg Note that times are listed in Japan Standard Time (UTC +9), so subtract nine hours to get the UTC time for the activations. The transponder is generally active for Friday evening passes over the Eastern United States according to this schedule.

+ Thanks to Gordon Scannell, KD8COJ, and the Livonia Amateur Radio Club, the AMSAT CubeSat Simulator Loaner ison display at the Livonia, MI Public Library for month of June. https://qrz.com/db/kd8coj

+ AMSAT Director Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, appeared on the June 3, 2021 episode of the ARRL’s Eclectic Tech podcast to discuss amateur satellites and provide advice for ARRL/AMSAT Field Day. The episode can be downloaded at http://www.arrl.org/eclectic

+ Minutes of the March 2, 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Teleconference are available at https://www.amsat.org/minutes-of-the-board-of-directors/

+ Several new products are available on the AMSAT Zazzle store, including a set of coasters, a watch, a t-shirt featuring the AMSAT round logo, and more. Check out the new items! 25% of the purchase price goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space. https://www.zazzle.com/amsat_gear

+ All issues of The AMSAT Journal dating back to 2014 are now available to AMSAT members on AMSAT’s new membership portal. The 1969-2013 archive will be added at a later date. All editions of AMSAT’s Symposium Proceedings are also available for members. If you’re a current AMSAT member, get logged on today. If you are not yet a member, consider joining today at https://launch.amsat.org/

+ The 2020 edition of AMSAT’s Getting Started with Amateur Satellites is available on the AMSAT store. A perennial favorite, Getting Started is updated every year with the latest amateur satellite information, and is the premier primer of satellite operation. The book is presented in DRM-free PDF format, in full color, and covers all aspects of making your first contacts on a ham radio satellite. The digital download is available for $15 at https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted. The print edition is $30 plus shipping and is available at https://tinyurl.com/GS2020Print

 

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. President’s Club donations may be made at https://www.amsat.org/join-the-amsat-presidents-club/

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.

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space,

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm at amsat dot org

ANS-157 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins for June 6

by

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:

  • Call for Nominations – 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election
  • EASAT-2 and Hades Launch Delayed Again
  • Satellite Controllers Announce Schedule Changes
  • VUCC Awards-Endorsements for June 1, 2021
  • The AMSAT SA Dual Band 70cm/2M Yagi Mark II Now Available
  • No Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 3
  • Amicalsat 6 June S-band Transmission
  • ARISS News
  • Upcoming Satellite Operations
  • Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
  • Satellite Shorts From All Over

ANS-157 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 157
To: All RADIO AMATEURS
From: Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
712 H Street NE, Suite 1653
Washington, DC 20002

DATE 2021 June 6

Call for Nominations – 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors Election

AMSAT solicits nominations for the 2021 AMSAT Board of Directors election, to be held in the third quarter of the year. The seats of the following four incumbent Directors expire in 2021 and will be filled by this year’s election:

Jerry Buxton N0JY
Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA
Patrick Stoddard WD9EWK
Michelle Thompson W5NYV

Further, up to two Alternate Directors may be elected for one-year terms.

A valid nomination for Director must be written and requires either one Member Society or five current individual members in good standing to nominate an AMSAT member. Written nominations, with the nominee’s name, call sign, and contact information, as well as the nominators’ names, call signs, and contact information, should be sent to the AMSAT Secretary:

Jeff Davis, KE9V
1909 S. Batavia Avenue
Muncie, IN 47302-2044
ke9v at amsat.org

A copy should be sent to Executive Vice President Paul Stoetzer, at n8hm at amsat.org.

The AMSAT bylaws require that the nomination be written and in the form specified by the Secretary. The Secretary has elected to accept written nomination materials via mail or in electronic form, including e-mail or electronic image of a paper document. Fax transmissions cannot be accepted.

No matter what means are used, petitions MUST be received by the Secretary no later than June 15th. The Secretary will verify the qualifications of candidates and nominating members or Member Societies as petitions are received, and will notify candidates whether their nominations are in order by the end of June.

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary, 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!

EASAT-2 and Hades Launch Delayed Again

Spain’s URE reports the launch of EASAT-2 and Hades satellites have suffered another delay

A translation of the URE post reads:

EASAT-2 and Hades, the communications satellites for radio amateurs built by AMSAT-EA, will not be able to be launched in June with SpaceX as planned, as the FAA (the American Aviation Administration) has rejected the license to the integrator Momentus Space, on whose orbital transfer vehicle Vigoride was to be mounted the AlbaPOD ejector from Alba Orbital, within which are the satellites of AMSAT EA, as well as other organizations and universities.

The reasons for the FAA’s rejection stem from the company’s capital structure, which, according to the American agency, could endanger the national security of the United States. The next launch opportunity could come in December.

EASAT-2 and Hades were to have been launched in January this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket, but the Momentus license was also rejected by the FAA at the time.

Both satellites are FM and FSK voice repeaters, also having digitized voice recordings. Hades also incorporates an SSTV camera developed by the University of Brno in the Czech Republic and EASAT-2 incorporates as an experimental load a basaltic material from Lanzarote, similar to lunar basalts, provided by the research group on meteorites and planetary geosciences of the CSIC in the Institute of Geosciences, IGEO (CSIC-UCM) and that it could be used as a construction material on the Moon. This project was promoted and has the collaboration of the ETSICCP (UPM).

The frequencies coordinated with the IARU for both satellites are the following:

EASAT-2
• 145.875 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (without sub-tone) and FSK 50 bps
• 436.666 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW, FSK 50 bps, FM voice beacon with AM5SAT callsign

HADES
• 145.925 MHz uplink, Modes: FM voice (without sub-tone) and FSK 50 bps
• 436.888 MHz downlink, Modes: FM voice, CW FSK 50 bps, SSTV Robot 36, FM voice beacon with callsign AM6SAT

Source URE https://tinyurl.com/IARU-Spain

Read the May 2021 AMSAT-EA newsletter in English at
https://www.amsat-ea.org/app/download/12773993/AMSAT-EA-Boletin_05-2021.pdf

[ANS thanks Southgate ARC 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/

Satellite Controllers Announce Schedule Changes

AO-73
After several months of being in full Sunlight, AO-73 has now entered a period of eclipses. The transponder was commanded “on” on May 30, and the team will evaluate performance over the coming days. An initial check of telemetry suggests the Lithium Ion cells are functioning well and satellite power budget is nominal.

[ANS thanks David Bowman, G0MRF for the above information]

IO-86
Effective immediately the activation of FM voice repeater on IO-86 (the amateur payload on LAPAN-A2/ORARI satellite) will be reduced, to preserve the life of the repeater (already more than 5 years old) while waiting for the successor , the LAPAN-A5. If required for emergency communication, we will activate the repeater full as usual.

[ANS thanks Yono Adisoemarta, YD0NXX of the AMSAT Indonesia Technical Team for the above information]

NO-104 and NO-84
PSAT2(NO-104) will enter about 2 weeks of good USA coverage between about 10 to 22 June. Normally its low inclination orbit favors the southern USA. But the orbit is also elliptical and so there are times when the elevation angle to more northern stations rises as much as 20 degrees, bringing higher latitude stations into the footprint.

Currently it’s VHF Xponder has been in DTMF & APRS-to-Voice (A2V) mode but with the ISS digipeater being inactive, we will enable PSAT2 for normal APRS operations plus the A2V feature. Its HF/UHF transponder will remain in linear operation for PSK31 SSTV and Voice. See http://aprs.org/psat2.html for how to use the A2V feature.

We also note that PSAT(NO-84) has awakened from poor sun angles and we will try to activate its digipeater.

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

FO-99
JAMSAT has published an updated operating schedule for NEXUS, FO-99, at https://www.jamsat.or.jp/

[ANS thanks JAMSAT for the above information]

VUCC Awards-Endorsements for June 1, 2021

Here are the endorsements and new VUCC Satellite Awards issued by the ARRL for the period May 1, 2021 through June 1, 2021. Congratulations to all those who made the list this month!

CALLMayJune
WC7V12321250
AA5PK10741115
N8RO10801096
N3GS687705
NS3L681695
K7TAB627656
WD9EWK(DM43)640650
N5BO525580
AC9O475549
AF5CC477525
K5IX450489
KS1G413427
W8LR400425
KJ4M171357
IK0WGF258324
DF2ET250300
N7ZO250275
N8URE(FM19)243263
KN2K200253
EA2AA153251
N3CAL181204
RA3DNC110142
AC9DX100141
N2ZN120135
VE3KY103128
DG9MANew125
KP4RV105125
SQ5NRYNew105
NR1ZNew104
KC1MEBNew102
W4IPANew101
NU1UNew100
XE1MYONew100

If you find errors or omissions. Please contact me off-list at <mycall>@<mycall>.com and I’ll revise the announcement. This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for the two months. It’s a visual comparison so omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned.
Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the birds. They are doing a lot of the work!

[ANS thanks Ron Parsons, W5RKN for the above information]

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

The AMSAT SA Dual Band 70cm/2M Yagi Mark II Now Available

AMSAT SA has launched Mark II of its dual band 70 cm/2 m handheld beam antenna with a new, easier to hold handle and improved coaxial terminations. The Yagi has been retuned for maximum performance in the amateur radio 2 m and 70 cm satellite bands. The coax cable is terminated crimped brass lugs instead of being soldered making it environmentally more robust. The driven element has been adjusted to accommodate the change in the connection. More about the Yagi. The antenna has a 50-ohm designed driver. The Yagi has a unique element called an ‘Open Sleeve’ which is a director very close to the driven element. The driven element is sized for 2 m. When operating on 70 cm the ‘Open Sleeve’ acts as part of the driven element on 70 cm (the third harmonic of 2 m).

The original concept was developed in 1946 by Dr J T Bolljahn of the Stanford Research institute but was not introduced into amateur radio until the 1950s. The AMSAT SA version is based on a design by DK7ZB with modifications by WB5CXC. The first South African version was a collaboration between Guy Eales, ZS6GUY and Gary Immelman, ZS6YI. It was developed for YOTA 2018 where young people successfully used the antenna operating satellites using hand-held transceivers.

The mechanical structure was redesigned by Gary Immelmann ZS6YI. A choke around the boom was added to isolate the antenna from the coax and reduce the effect human contact has on the antenna. A handle was added on the boom end which makes it more comfortable to hold and further isolates the antenna from the handler. The AMSAT SA Yagi is manufactured in one of Gary Immelmann’s factories in Vereeniging. It has two elements on 145 MHz and 3 elements on 435 MHz.

For its size, the antenna has excellent gain: 145 MHZ: 4.12 dBd or 6.3 dBi and 435 MHz: 6.23 dBd or 8.4 dBi. The Yagi is broadband with measured SWR being almost flat over the entire bands. The antenna is plug and play, no tools are needed except for soldering on a connector to suit the application. It comes complete in a carry bag with full instructions. This antenna can be assembled and dissembled in minutes. The price of the MKII Yagi is R400 for AMSAT SA and SARL members. Non-members pay R500 (approximately $36.75 US). The courier charge is R120 (approximately $9 US, Postnet to Postnet). Ask for a quote for other courier options. Find more details and order forms on http://www.amsatsa.org.za/

[ANS thanks AMSAT SA for the above information]

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

No Changes to AMSAT-NA TLE Distribution for June 3

No amateur satellite additions or deletions have occurred in this week’s distribution.

However, TLE (KEPS) have been updated and are available on the AMSAT-NA website
at: https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/

or to receive a weekly TLE (KEPS) email, subscribe to the Keplerian Elements Mailing list (page 2) by clicking on “Keps” at: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/?page=2

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

Amicalsat 6 June S-band Transmission

The 6 June amicalsat will transmit a picture above Europe, US and Asia.

Here is when a transmission will start :
09:35 UTC
05:58 UTC
3:18 UTC

First CW is transmitted during one second, and then the frames follow. The RTC onboard is not very accurate due to high temperature change, allow up to two minutes drift on the time given. (because this is a planned task in the satellite)

The transmission will occur on the S-band coordinated frequency: 2415.300 MHz. Due to temperature and hardware limitation the frequency might be a little lower. The modulation of the S-band downlink is GFSK 1Mbps. The downlink signal is RHCP.

A picture transmission is about 3-5 minutes long.

[ANS thanks Christophe Mercier and Julien Nicolas, F4HVX, for the above information]

ARISS NEWS

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide, unless otherwise noted.

The Father’s House Christian School (Home Education Provider: Roots), Morinville, Alberta, Canada, multi-point telebridge via VK4KHZ. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled astronaut is Akihiko Hoshide KE5DNI
Contact was successful: Wed 2021-06-02 14:28:53 UTC 44 deg
Congratulations to the he Father’s House Christian School students and Akihiko
Watch livestream at https://youtu.be/S0_-QFkXdi4

About Gagarin From Space. Conducting an amateur radio session with school children of Mordovia, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Novitskiy
Contact is go for: Sun 2021-06-06 12:25 UTC

College Maurice Genevoix, Couzeix, France, multi-point telebridge via ON4ISS. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG
Contact is go for: Mon 2021-06-07 13:07:41 UTC 70 deg

MAI-75 SSTV Events:
MAI-75 will be conducting their experiment of transmitting SSTV images over specific orbits that overfly Moscow on June 9 and 10. Amateurs along the ground track of these orbits should have the opportunity to receive these images as well. Modes and targeted transmission periods are listed below.
SSTV images will be transmitted at 145.800 MHz using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver. They are expected to use the PD-120 SSTV format.
Wed 2021-06-09: 09:35 to 13:50 UTC
Thu 2021-06-10: 08:55 to 15:50 UTC

St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Bombala, NSW, Australia, telebridge via IK1SLD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The downlink frequency is presently scheduled to be 437.525 MHz
The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD
Contact is go for: Thu 2021-06-10 10:45:26 UTC 80 deg

Lipetsk, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Pyotr Dubrov
Contact is go for: Fri 2021-06-11 11:40 UTC

Velikiy Ustyug, Russia, direct via TBD. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Oleg Novitskiy
Contact is go for: Sat 2021-06-12 09:15 UTC

Lipetsk, Russia, direct via TBD
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be RSØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Pyotr Dubrov
Contact is go for Sat 2021-06-12 10:55 UTC

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.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

Upcoming Roves:
Quick Hits:

WY7AA: FI will be in FN02 starting 6/6 for a few weeks. Operating Sats. holiday style. If you need FN01, FN02, FN03, FN12 please let me know and we can try to set something up. FN01,03, and 12 will likely each be one day roves. FM and SSB

EA4M: : Hi guys later in June I’ll be in IN73 on holidays, probably for a week or so, I will try some birds stay tuned on tweeter for schedules.

VE6WK: DN49: – I’m planning a SOTA rove to DN49 on June 12 and may hit some other grids on the way there/back.

ND0C and KE0WPA: In June @kylee_ke0wpa and I, along with our resident photojournalist (Mom/Amy), will be taking a family excursion to the southwest and working some sats as time permits. Here are the less commonly worked grids from which we plan to operate. We will hit other grids too. DM67 6/15 – 6/17, DM56 6/18, DM45 6/19, DN63 7/2, DN64 7/2 & 7/3

AD0DX (VA3IIR) :Long Range Rover plans: VA3IIR in FN15/25 June 18 FM and SSB

WA5RR: I’m looking at doing a rove in DL98 with an overnight stay in Eagle Pass, TX around the last week in June. Details to follow.

VP2V/K3TRM: I will be operating from Tortola, BVI as VP2V/K3TRM on July 4-17, 2021. Activity will be on 40-6M SSB & digital, and satellite.

N5LEX: CN98 last week of June.

DM62: K5TA, I’m tentatively planning for DM62 ~9-July, when there are are several good passes mid-day, making it a doable day-trip for me….

EN57/67: @SeanKutzko KX9X and @Nancy_N9NCY will celebrate Sean’s birthday in the Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula July 15-19. Look for them on FM and SSB satellites, with the possibility of some Parks On The Air activity as well.

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

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

Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

AMSAT Ambassador and ARRL registered instructor Clint Bradford, K6LCS, has a presentation scheduled for 06/15 in East Massachusetts. See http://www.work-sat.com for details.

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

Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The International Space Station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, was struck by a piece of space debris. But luckily, it appears to be only a flesh wound, and the arm has been cleared for nominal operations while analysis on the strike continues. NASA and Canadian Space Agency officials don’t know exactly when the arm was hit – or what hit it — but the damage was noticed on May 12 during a routine inspection. The hole is quite small, approximately 5 mm (.2 inches) in diameter. (ANS thanks Universe Today for the above information)

+ An absolutely mesmerizing and very instructional video graphic on the problem of orbital debris (ie. space junk), created by the European Space Agency, may be viewed at:
https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Videos/2019/02/Distribution_of_space_debris_in_orbit_around_Earth
(ANS thanks Zach Metzinger, N0ZGO for the above information)

+ A Cargo Dragon capsule took off at 1729z Thursday, June 3, on top of a Falcon 9 rocket to begin a two-day trip to the space station. This was the:
• 120th Falcon 9 flight
• 17th SpaceX launch of 2021
• 22nd SpaceX cargo flight to ISS
• 130th launch from pad 39A
This mission is set to deliver experiments, food, spare parts, a NASA-sponsored CubeSat built by middle school students in Tennessee, and other equipment to the space station’s seven-person crew. The Dragon’s entire cargo load, including pressurized and unpressurized sections, weighs in at 7,337 pounds (3,328 kilograms). That makes it the heaviest supply shipment SpaceX has ever sent to the space station. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ Among the equipment sent to ISS on the Cargo Dragon launch, above, was the first satellite to be built by the island nation of Mauritius. It will be deployed in June by the KIBO robotic arm. The callsign is 3B8MIR (MIR-1 meaning Mauritius Imagery & Radio-communication Satellite 1). Payloads are a camera and a digipeater (bent tube) which will be made available to the HAM community worldwide when satellite is not downloading images or used for experimental purposes, the uplink will be on 145.9875 MHz and the downlink on 436.925 MHz, 9K2 GMSK, as coordinated with IARU. More information will be available on (https://spacemauritius.com) soon. (ANS thanks Jean Marc Momple, 3B8DU, for the above information)

+ China’s robotic Tianzhou 2 cargo ship launched Saturday on top of a Long March 7 rocket and docked with the core module of the country’s space station eight hours later, delivering fuel, crew supplies, extravehicular spacesuits, and other gear in preparation for the arrival of three astronauts in June. (ANS thanks Spaceflight Now for the above information)

+ American intelligence officials have found no evidence that aerial phenomena witnessed by Navy pilots in recent years are alien spacecraft, but they still cannot explain the unusual movements that have mystified scientists and the military, according to senior administration officials briefed on the findings of a highly anticipated government report. While a forthcoming unclassified version, expected to be released to Congress by June 25, will present few other firm conclusions, senior officials briefed on the intelligence conceded that the very ambiguity of the findings meant the government could not definitively rule out theories that the phenomena observed by military pilots might be alien spacecraft. (ANS thanks The New York Times for the above information)

+ The team behind NASA’s InSight Mars lander has come up with an innovative way to boost the spacecraft’s energy at a time when its power levels have been falling. The lander’s robotic arm trickled sand near one solar panel, helping the wind to carry off some of the panel’s dust. The result was a gain of about 30 watt-hours of energy per sol, or Martian day. (ANS thanks Mars Daily for the above information)

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, Mark Johns, K0JM
k0jm at amsat dot org