AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-101

ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North America, The
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS 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.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:

ans-edi...@amsat.org

********************************************************************
* The AMSAT team is preparing for the 2010 Dayton Hamvention AMSAT *
*     Booth and activities. For the latest information go to:      *
*    http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamvention/2010/Dayton.php     *
********************************************************************

In this edition:
* AO-51 New PL Operation Being Tested
* Deadline Approaching To Reserve Rooms in AMSAT Block At Dayton
* USSTRATCOM Approves Continued AMSAT TLE Distribution
* Ten Hams in Orbit Now
* Estonian University Plans Amateur Radio CubeSat
* Arecibo on 432 MHz Moon Bounce
* ARISS Status - 5 April 2010


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.01
AO-51 New PL Operation Being Tested

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.01
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 11, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.01

Drew Glasbrenner, KO4MA, reports that AO-51's 435.150 transmitter has 
been turned
off and the 435.300 transmitter raised to near 2 watts output. On Saturday, 10
April, the new PL routine was turned on. This improved routine will turn the
downlink on with an unsquelched uplink when it hears a 67 hz tone. The plan is
to leave a tail of several minutes, so the transmitter will stay on without
hearing a tone for an interval of several minutes.

What does this mean for the user? It would be helpful to program in a 67
hz PL tone again, but not absolutely required as long as someone else in
the footprint does. It also means if you are the first person in the
footprint (not very likely in North America, Europe, or Japan) you might
not hear the satellite until after it hears 67hz for a few seconds.

Reports from when the downlink turns on or off would be
appreciated.

73, Drew KO4MA
AMSAT-NA VP Operations

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

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.02
Deadline Approaching To Reserve Rooms in AMSAT Block At Dayton

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.02
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 11, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.02

Again a friendly reminder that the cutoff date for the AMSAT block of rooms
in Dayton is April 13th.  If you are planning to stay with us, please call
me at 301-589-6062 to make your reservation.  I will need a credit card
number to hold the room.

[ANS thanks Martha for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.03
USSTRATCOM Approves Continued AMSAT TLE Distribution

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.03
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 11, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.03

AMSAT-NA Orbital Data Manager Ray Hoad, WA5QGD said this week, "I am
pleased to announce that AMSAT NA has received approval to continue
re-distribution of Keplerian elements from the USSTRATCOM data source
(Space Track website) for the period April 1, 2010 to April 1, 2011.
Thanks to the USSTRATCOM team and especially to Mr. Mark Riddle for their
help in this process."

This means that the AMSAT Keplerian Elements in verbose format and the
2-line format can be freely distributed by those who recieve them from
AMSAT.  AMSAT's two formats are each considered an AMSAT product and
therefore can be freely distributed.  AMSAT asks that AMSAT-NA be given
credit as the source for your redistribution.

[ANS thanks Ray Hoad, WA5QGD for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.04
Ten Hams in Orbit Now

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.04
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 11, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.04

Six of the seven astronauts on the shuttle Discovery are licensed
radio amateurs and will join four radio hams already on the Inter-
national Space Station (ISS).

The shuttle Discovery (STS131) crew consists of:
Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, KE5DAT
Stephanie Wilson, KD5DZE
Naoko Yamazaki, KE5DAS
James P. Dutton, Jr., KE5HOE,
Rick Mastracchio, KC5ZTE,
Clayton Anderson, KD5PLA
Alan Poindexter

Already onboard the ISS are radio hams:
Tracy Caldwell Dyson, KF5DBF
Timothy J. Creamer, KC5WKI
Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP
Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF
along with Oleg Kotov and Alexander Skvortsov.

[ANS thanks SouthGate ARC and ISS Fan Club for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.05
Estonian University Plans Amateur Radio CubeSat

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.05
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 11, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.05

IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination reports the University
of Tartu, Estonia, has submitted a frequency coordination application
to the IARU for an Amateur Radio CubeSat called ESTCube-1.

The proposal is for a 1U CubeSat in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with UHF
downlinks and a VHF telecommand uplink. It is hoped to launch in 2012
although no launch opportunity has yet been confirmed.

ESTCube-1 will carry a camera to acquire images of Estonia for out
reach purposes and will deploy a 10 meter conductive Hoytether as a
part of the development work of an electric solar wind sail.

ESTCube
http://tinyurl.com/yk66s2o

[ANS thanks IARU for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.06
Arecibo on 432 MHz Moon Bounce

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.06
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 11, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.06

The Arecibo Observatory Amateur Radio Club will be putting the
1000-foot radio telescope on the air for 432 MHz EME from April 16-18.

It can be heard with a small hand-held yagi pointed at the moon

The scheduled times of operation are:

April 16: 1645 - 1930 UTC

April 17: 1740 - 2020 UTC

April 18: 1840 - 2125 UTC

Callsign: KP4AO

Tx Frequency: 432.045 MHz

Rx Frequency: 432.050 to 432.060+

Tx power: 400 W

Antenna gain: 60 dBi

System noise temp: 120 K (cold sky)

System noise temp: 330 K (when pointed at moon)

KP4AO can be heard with a small hand-held yagi pointed at the moon and a
good receiver. A 15 dBi antenna and 100 W will be enough to work us on
CW.

Operators at KP4AO will do their best to work as many stations as
possible. Each session will start with a brief announcement and CQ in
SSB. SSB QSOs may continue for 30 minutes to an hour, if the QSO rate
remains high.

The mode will be shifted to CW as soon as it is judged that higher QSO
rates would result.

We will listen for calls at frequencies 5-15 kHz higher than our own,
and even higher if QRM warrants. Callers who s-p-r-e-a-d o-u-t are more
likely to be copied.

If you've already worked us in any mode, please do not call again --
give others a chance.

If we call "CQ QRP", we will listen for stations running 100 W or less
to a single yagi. Please do not answer such a CQ if you are running more
power or have a larger antenna.

On April 18, if we reach a condition where most calling stations have
been worked, and we judge that operating in the digital mode JT65B would
produce a higher QSO rate, we will switch to JT65B.

Note that any of these planned operating strategies may be changed as
circumstances dictate.

We are extremely fortunate to have been granted access to the world's
largest radio telescope for this amateur radio good-will event. We look
forward to working as many stations as possible in the alloted time!

[ANS thanks John, KB1MGI, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-101.07
ARISS Status - 5 April 2010

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 101.07
  From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 11, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-101.07

1. Astronaut Soichi Noguchi Chats with Texas Students via ARISS Contact

On Monday, March 29, Walnut Creek Elementary School students in Azle, 
Texas took
part in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) 
contact with
JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP. All 23 questions were answered with time
for a two way "Goodbye."  ARISS was integrated into the science curriculum as
students researched space objects and gave presentations to their class. The
youth also attended satellite communications demonstrations given by retired
Lockheed employees and members of local radio clubs.  On the day of 
the contact,
a proclamation was read by an Azle City representative declaring it to be Space
Day in Azle.  Four television stations and one local newspaper 
covered the event
and the audio was available on EchoLink.


2. HAMEX 2010 ARISS Exhibit

HAMEX 2010, the largest RadioFest in Canada, was held on Saturday, March 27 in
Toronto. AMSAT (Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation) and ARISS 
(Amateur Radio on
the International Space Station) members attended the event and manned an
exhibition booth which displayed two mini satellite communications stations as
well as information boards with pictures of astronauts involved in the ARISS
program. A large AMSAT banner was posted, along with two 7 foot posters on loan
from the Canada Space Agency (CSA).  CSA also provided handouts, stickers and
various magnetic logos, which along with pamphlets describing AMSAT and the
ARISS program, were distributed to the many visitors the exhibit attracted. The
event was a success in generating interest in the ARISS program and 
the team was
invited back next year.

[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

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