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Ärende: [ans]  ANS-027  AMSAT Weekly Bulletin
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[ans]  ANS-027  AMSAT Weekly Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 027.01

  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 27, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-027.01

On January 25th, AO-51 was switched to a new mode. Currently both
the S band downlink of 2401.200 and the 435.300 downlink are on and tied
together to the 145.920 receiver. This creates a single repeater that can be
heard on either downlink. In the past the satellite power budget would not
allow simultaneous S and U downlinks for more than a few moments, but the
current no eclipse season allows us try try this new combination. The L/U
BBS and U band telemetry will be off during this period, except for brief
periods when command stations will be collecting telemetry. During these
passes, the S band downlink may be shut off temporarily.

Give this new mode a try this weekend. If you like using S-band AND working
lots of stations, this mode is for you. Currently we plan to run this mode
through the end of the month.

73, Drew KO4MA
AMSAT-NA VP Ops

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-027.02
AO-16 Reconfigured for Voice Operations

[ans]  ANS-027  AMSAT Weekly Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 027.02

  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 27, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-027.02


Since AO-16 was recovered approximately 6 months ago, the command team has
attempted to reload the satellite software almost a dozen times without
success. Subsequently a series of memory tests were performed which points
towards a hardware failure which prevents restarting the spacecraft software
successfully. This team included Bruce Rahn WB9ANQ and Jim White WD0E
advising Mark Hammond N8MH as the primary groundstation. Mark put in many
early hours during the multiple reloads and test sessions, with Bruce, Jim,
and others advising. Thank you to all involved for your hard work.

After the conclusion that the spacecraft computer system was damaged and as
discussions about decommissioning were taking place, Jim recalled a series
of low level commands included in the spacecraft design by Tom Clark, K3IO
during construction. One of these commands allows an uplink receiver to be
directly tied to a downlink transmitter. The twist is that the uplink is
regular FM but the downlink via the BPSK transmitter is DSB (Double
Sideband). Mark placed the satellite in this mode early this week and some
testing was undertaken. The satellite hears VERY well, and the reduced
bandwidth by using either USB or LSB on the groundstation receiver allows
for a very robust downlink. Tuning the downlink is just like on a linear
transponder, meaning it is tight and with fast Doppler. Uplink tuning is not
required, just as with the FM mode V/U satellites. QSOs were made between
N8MH, WD4ASW, KO4MA, K5QXJ, and WA6FWF. My personal observations include
being able to access and hear the satellite within one degree of the
horizon, much lower than any other current bird for my QTH. This should be
an easy satellite with omni antennas and a 70cm preamp.

With that explanation, I'm happy to open the satellite to general use on
voice for a test period. Please submit reports either to the -bb or to
ao16@amsat.org . The uplink is 145.920 FM, and the downlink is 437.026 SSB
+/- Doppler shift. Please restrict your uplink power to a reasonable level,
and do not transmit without being able to hear the downlink. All the general
single-channel guidelines apply. Enjoy this bird's new life!

[ANS Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-027.03
AMSAT at Orlando Hamcation

[ans]  ANS-027  AMSAT Weekly Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 027.03

  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 27, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-027.03

AMSAT will have a large presence at the Orlando Hamcation.  It will
remind some people of Dayton.  The Orlando Hamcation has grown in size
and prominence in the U.S.  After all, it is in a horrible place for
Winter in the U.S.!

http://www.hamcation.com/

The following AMSAT board members and officers will be there:

AMSAT President Rick Hambly, W2GPS
AMSAT President Emeritus, Tom Clark, K3IO (ex-W3IWI)
AMSAT Executive V.P.  Lee McLamb, KU4OS
AMSAT V.P. Operations,  Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA
AMSAT V.P. Field Ops, Gould Smith, WA4SXM
AMSAT V.P. Engineering Bob McGwier, N4HY

and others.

Some of the above are board members.  Additionally, board members Lou
McFadid, W5DID and Barry Baines, WD4ASW will be in attendance.
Barry Baines is our new Eagle/Intelsat project manager.

AMSAT has been granted prominent times and rooms for presentations.
AMSAT is bringing the operational SDX and will soon thereafter put an
SDX based linear transponder on the air covering much of the state of
Florida and in a prominent place in Maryland.  Additionally, one of the
SDX will be in use in Europe thanks to a generous offer and help from
Viktor Kudielka.  AMSAT will hold engineering planning meetings here for
engineering management.  This was decided because so many of these
people were going to be in attendance anyway. Please come hear about
Eagle and Phase 3 E in Orlando.  I hope to see you there Feb. 8-10!

[ANS thanks Bob, N4HY, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-027.04
AMSAT-DC Meeting Announcement

[ans]  ANS-027  AMSAT Weekly Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 027.04

  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 27, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-027.04

We will meet in Pioneer Hall at the Historical Electronics Museum.
Same place as last year, same time as last year, for one more time.

WHO:   YOU are invited!  Amateur radio operators, students,
         educators and the public are all invited.

WHAT:  Talks, demos, tutorials and socializing about amateur
         satellites and balloon experiments in the greater mid-
         Atlantic USA area.  A full day of activities.

WHEN:  Saturday, March 15, 2008, starting at 11:00 A.M. local.

WHERE: Historical Electronics Museum (HEM) at 1745 West Nursery
         Road, Linthicum, Maryland 21090 (near BWI airport).  In
         Pioneer Hall.  HEM directions at http://www.hem-usa.org/

WHY:   Fun, education, public service, cool stuff, and more fun.

HOW:   Talk-in on 146.760 MHz (107.2 Hz PL on some receiver sites)

HOST:  Pat Kilroy, n8pk@amsat.org or Patrick.L.Kilroy@nasa.gov

WEB:   See http://patkilroy.com/amsat-dc/ for late breaking news.
Download the AMSAT-DC-2008 flier PDF from the N8PK web page to
share as widely as you can.  Thank you!

[ANS thanks Pat, N8PK, for the above information]

/EX



SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-027.05
AMSAT President Testifies Regarding Antenna Restrictions

[ans]  ANS-027  AMSAT Weekly Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 027.05

  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 27, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-027.05

On January 24, 2008 AMSAT President Rick Hambly W2GPS testified before the
Maryland State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in support of Senate
Bill 80 that would prohibit "homeowners associations from restricting or
prohibiting the design, placement, screening, height, or use of specified
amateur radio equipment." It is hoped that we will also get a hearing before
a House committee in a few weeks. There was no opposition to this bill
during the hearing, unlike previous years. For more information see
http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/billfile/sb0080.htm and
http://n3ij.home.comcast.net/.

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-027.06
ARISS Status - 21 January 2008

[ans]  ANS-027  AMSAT Weekly Bulletin
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 027.06

  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 27, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-027.06

1. ARISS School Contacts Status

Due crew schedules onboard the ISS, no Amateur Radio on the International Space
Station (ARISS) contacts are planned at this time.  The ARISS team expects
contacts to resume once STS-122 launches in early February.


2. Astronaut Training Status

On Wednesday, January 16, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, RN3FU, 
participated
in a simulation of an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
school contact. The Kenwood D700 radio in the JSC Service Module 
mockup was used
for the contact. Skripochka spoke with the training support team who
participated as students, asking Oleg questions about space and his visit on
ISS. He is currently scheduled as an Expedition 17 backup crew member.


3. ARISS Annual Report Posted

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) FY2007 Annual
Report has been posted to the ARISS section of the AMSAT Web site.  See:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Papers/Annual%20Reports/
ARISS_Annual_Report_2007_Final.pdf


4. Gail Borden Library Wins Award

The Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin, Illinois was one of five libraries to
win the 2008 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award. The library won
the award for its "Space: Dare to Dream" exhibit. A highlight of the exhibit,
which ran for four months during 2007, was an Amateur Radio on the 
International
Space Station (ARISS) contact. The Summer Reading program resulted in an
increase in program participants, library card registrations and material
circulation.

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/EX


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

73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org

_______________________________________________
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA
http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

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