AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-012
The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and infor-
mation 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://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:
ans-editor at amsat.org.
In this edition:
* Ham radio CubeSats launched to ISS
* AMSAT SKN Best Fist Nominations Due
* KARTS Challenges Clubs to Contribute to the SA AMSAT Cubesat Project
* UK Amateur Radio Groups Respond to 2.4 and 5 GHz Sharing Proposal
* UNSA-SAT1 The first 3.4 GHz CubeSat
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-012.01
ANS-005 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 012.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
January 12, 2014
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-012.01
Ham radio CubeSats launched to ISS
On Thursday, January 9 at 1807 UT an Antares rocket launched the Cygnus
freighter carrying a cargo of CubeSats to the International Space Station.
There are four amateur radio CubeSats: LituanicaSat-1, LitSat-1, ArduSat-2 and
UAPSat-1. Also onboard is the 915 MHz CubeSat SkyCube and twenty eight 3U
CubeSats from Planet Labs.
LituanicaSat-1 carries a 145/435 MHz FM
transponder while LitSat-1 is thought to
carry a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications.
It is expected the CubeSats will be deployed from the ISS in the coming months.
The IARU coordinated frequencies are listed as:
LituanicaSAT-1
FM Transponder Uplink 145.950 MHz Downlink 435.180 MHz
AX25 Uplink 145.850 MHz AX25 Downlink 437.550 MHz
CW Beacon 437.275 MHz
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Lituanicasat1
LitSat-1
SSB Transponder Uplink 435.180 MHz Downlink 145.950 MHz
AX25 Uplink 437.550 MHz Downlink 145.850 MHz
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/palydovas
ArduSat
9k6 MSK CCSDS data format downlink 437.? MHz
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/575960623/ardusat-your-arduino-experiment-in
-space
UAPSAT
AX.25 Packet Radio uplink 145.980 MHz downlink 437.385 MHz
[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]
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AMSAT SKN Best Fist Nominations Due
Thanks to all who participated in AMSAT's Straight Key Night on OSCAR 2014. If
you have not already done so, please take a moment to nominate someone you
worked for Best Fist. Your nominee need not have the best fist of those you
heard, just of those you worked. Send your nomination to w...@amsat.org.
A list of those nominated will be published in early February.
[ANS thanks Ray, W2RS, for the above information]
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KARTS Challenges Clubs to Contribute to the SA AMSAT Cubesat Project
The Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society, KARTS, has taken up
the fund raising challenge for SA AMSAT's first CubeSat currently
named KLETSkous by making a R500 donation to the fund. Chairman, Nico
van Rensburg, ZS6QL, says although it may initially be a relatively
small amount in relation to the funds ultimately required it is a
start. "Our club challenges all other clubs to match or better our
donation. Collectively we can help raising enough funds to make it
happen".
SA AMSAT is appreciative of the KARTS donation and thanks the members
of the club for their support and initiative. A donor list has been
set up on the SA AMSAT website at www.amsatsa.org.za to acknowledge
supporters of the project. The bank account for contributions is SA
AMSAT, ABSA Bank, account number 560 153 171. The branch code is 632
005.
For contributions of R500 and over a certificate of appreciation is
sent to the donor, however, all contribution, irrespective of the
amount, will be listed on the www.amsatsa.org.za.
[ANS thanks SARL News in English 1/4/2014 for the above information]
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UK Amateur Radio Groups Respond to 2.4 and 5 GHz Sharing Proposal
The joint RSGB, UK Microwave Group, AMSAT-UK and BATC response says
The amateur and amateur satellite services have
secondary allocations in the 2.4
and 5GHz bands (which would be impacted by further Wi-Fi growth), and are host
to a variety of usage including amateur use including terrestrial,
Earth-Moon-Earth(EME) and satellite communications.
We are particularly concerned to keep at least some segments available for
noise-free weak-signal communications. Whilst recognising that Wi-Fi has an
important economic contribution, we also have
concerns regards recent moves in a
EU Mandate to CEPT that would make 5GHz Wi-Fi co-Primary rather than
License-exempt.
Read the joint response at
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/
spectrum-sharing/responses/RSGB.pdf
The other responses are at
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/spectrum-sharing/
?showResponses=true
Ofcom Spectrum Sharing Consultation
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/august2013/
ofcom_spectrum_sharing_consultation.htm
[ANS thanks Southgate ARC for the above information]
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UNSA-SAT1 The first 3.4 GHz CubeSat
UNSA-SAT1 hopes to be the first CubeSat to make use of the 3400 MHz ITU
Amateur-Satellite Service allocation.
Built by students at the Instituto Astronómico y Aeroespacial Pedro Paulet in
Peru, UNSA-SAT1 is a 2U spacecraft (20x10x10cm) which will be part of the QB50
constellation of 50 CubeSats.
The aims of this CubeSat include: upper atmosphere science; radio communication
experiments; technology demonstrator; education, training and outreach.
The team are proposing a 435 MHz transceiver using BPSK and additional
transmitters on 2.4 GHz,and 5.8 GHz. They also
also hope to have a 230 kbps BPSK
downlink on 3.4 GHz this will only operate in Region 2 when the spacecraft is
overhead the groundstation in Peru.
The ITU Amateur-Satellite allocation at 3400-3410 MHz is available in ITU
Regions 2 and 3 but not currently in Region 1 (Europe/Africa) although it is
believed Denmark and Norway have allocated the band to the Amateur-Satellite
Service.
QB50: Amateur Radio transponder payloads to launch 2014
http://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/20/qb50-amateur-radio-transponder-payloads-to-launch
-2014/
IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Pages
http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru1
[ANS thanks Trevor, M5AKA, 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 addi-
tional 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 stu-
dent rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
Contact Martha at the AMSAT Office for additional student membership
information.
73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS
ku4os at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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