[amsat-bb] ANS-364 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

Sat Dec 29 18:21:18 PST 2007

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-364

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-editor at amsat.org

In this edition:

* 2008 Straight Key Night on OSCAR in Memory of ex-JA1ANG
* AMSAT Orbital Classroom Concept Study Announced
* KiwiSAT Status Update From New Zealand
* AMSAT Awards
* ARISS Status Report for the Week of December 24, 2007
* ANDE Satellite De-Orbits

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.01
2008 Straight Key Night on OSCAR in Memory of ex-JA1ANG

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.01
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 30, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-364.01

You are cordially invited to take part in Straight Key Night on 
OSCAR 2008, sponsored by AMSAT for all radio amateurs throughout 
the world. This year's event will be held in memory of Haruo (Harry) 
Yoneda, ex-JA1ANG, a past AMSAT Director and co-founder of JAMSAT. 
Harry was also a keen CW operator and a past member of the First 
Class CW Operators Club (FOC).

Participating in OSCAR SKN is fun and simple. No scoring and no 
need to send in a log. Just operate CW through any OSCAR, using 
a straight hand key, at any time between 0000 and 2400 UTC on 
January 1, 2008.

In keeping with the friendly nature of this event, all participants 
are encouraged to nominate someone they worked for Best Fist. Your 
nominee need not have the best fist you heard, just the best of those 
you worked. Please send your nomination to W2RS at w2rs at amsat.org. 
Those nominated will be recognized in an AMSAT News Service bulletin, 
and in The AMSAT Journal.

[ANS thanks Ray, W2RS for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.02
AMSAT Orbital Classroom Concept Study Announced

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.02
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 30, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-364.02

Stefan, VE4NSA has been asked to organize and coordinate an amateur 
radio space communications training concept called the "Orbital 
Classroom".  Stefan said, "Here is an opporturnity for AMSAT members 
to voice their needs for education.  We are listening and working 
on this." 

Stefan asks interested AMSAT members to send him your answers to
these questions via e-mail (ve4nsa at amsat.org).

1. Would you be interested in attending pre-conference courses and
   workshops as part of the annual meeting or at other venues? 

2. Would you be willing to pay a registration fee that would cover
   course material, instructor cost etc.?

3. Would you be interested in receiving a certificate for ongoing
   education as it relates to amateur radio and satellites?

4. What topics would you like to see taught at such courses? 

5. Would you be willing in helping to organize and facilitate courses
   (you don't have to teach for this one, just help the instructor and 
   take care of registration, etc)?

6. Would you be willing to teach a course and if yes, on which topics?

Stefan concludes, "That's a start and hopefully it sparks your interest 
as a participant, facilitator or instructor. As always, your opinion counts 
and even more your help is greatly appreciated."

[ANS thanks Stefan, VE4NSA for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.03
KiwiSAT Status Update From New Zealand

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.03
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 30, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-364.03

This week Terry, ZL3QL, President AMSAT-ZL, provided AMSAT members
with a summary of the New Zealand KiwiSAT project.

KiwiSAT is a Microsat scheduled for launch into a LEO, will carry FM 
and Linear transponders with inputs on 70 cm & 23 cm - outputting on 
2 meters. A unique feature will be the on-board Small Satellite Attitude 
Control scientific experiment. It will also carry a special environmental 
global warming scientific unit.

Over the years AMSAT-ZL has contributed some $10,000 to Phase 3 and
UoSAT programs.  Now they are getting on with completing KiwiSAT for 
your amateur radio enjoyment. ( See http://www.kiwisat.org )

Terry says, "We want this to be a truly radio amateur satellite and 
while we could get some extra sponsorship, which we will do for the 
launch, the satellite itself needs to be completed using amateur radio 
resources and amateur radio money. So far our investment is some 
US$15,000 cash and perhaps US$100,000 in time and effort. We have a 
further US$12,000 in the bank reserved towards the cost of the solar 
cells which are estimated to cost US$30,000."

The KiwiSAT team spends a lot of time looking for economy without 
engineering compromise thus this is a real cost effective satellite. 
They have abandoned purchasing ready made modules and opted for self 
design and construction. In some areas we have had to use professional 
services such as SMD handing which is limited by our standard ham-
shack tools and techniques. However we have made much of the test 
equipment ourselves - including the thermal vacuum chamber.

To finish the satellite to flight-ready status, (less solar cells) KiwiSAT
needs to raise about $10,000, which is about what we have given to other 
projects. So if you agree that its pay-back time, and you like what they 
are doing, perhaps you might like to contribute to this venture into space.

You can contribute large or small, direct or via PayPal, just visit our 
informative website at http://www.kiwisat.org, all help is greatly 
appreciated. Be assured your contribution will be thankfully received 
and faithfully applied.

Terry concludes,"Our grateful thanks to those who have already made a 
commitment to supporting this project. What a great time to help and what 
a great Yuletide gift to a worthy cause."

[ANS thanks Terry, ZL3QL for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.04
AMSAT Awards

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.04
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 30, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-364.04

Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards has issued the 
last awards for 2007.

We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community.
They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the
AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club:
 Jeremy Ramirez     KB9QIC
 Charles Doolittle  N1SPX
 Jose Vitor Toste   CU3EQ

AMSAT Communication Achievement Award
 John Henderson     N4NAB, #456
 Charles Doolittle  N1SPX, #457

South Africa AMSAT Communication Achievement Award
 John Henderson     N4NAB, US115
 Charles Doolittle  N1SPX, US116

To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org.

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.05
ARISS Status Report for the Week of December 24, 2007

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.05
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 30, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-364.05

1. ARISS Contact with Russian School

The ARISS contact was not successful with the 15 Korolev City School in 
Korolev, Russia on Thursday, December 27 and will be rescheduled.  Fifth 
graders will speak with flight engineer Yuri Makenchenko, RK3DUP.

2. ARISS International Team Meeting Held

The monthly ARISS teleconference was held on Tuesday, December 18.  The 
topics discussed included the 2008 Face to Face Meeting to be held in 
Moscow, Russia, the progress being made on SuitSat-2 and the Kenwood 
radio software reload status. Minutes will be posted to the ARISS Web 
site in the near future.

3. Astronaut Gives Talk on ARISS at AMRASE Conference

The first AMRASE International Aerospace Research Conference was held on 
December 8 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes was one 
of the speakers at the meeting. Pontes gave a presentation on his training 
and his participation in the Centenario Mission onboard the ISS. He also 
talked about the importance the ARISS program plays in the education of 
youth.  See: http://www.amrase.org/english.html

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-364.06
ANDE Satellite De-Orbits

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 364.06
>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
December 30, 2007
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-364.06

Henk, PA3GUO reminds everyone of the special ANDE de-Orbit AWARD 
available for everyone who makes a QSO via ANDE or receives telemetry 
during its final days in space.  Bob, WB4APR, will set the official 
date/time of de-orbit.  E-mail a copy of your final ANDE packets to
Henk at pa3guo at amsat.org.

ANDE was no longer copied on December 25, 2007. Mike, DK3WN reported 
the last packet from ANDE was received by by JA0CAW on December 24, 2007 
at 22:27 UTC:

Fm ANDE-1 To APRS1 Via SGATE &lt;UI pid=F0 Len=72 &gt;[22:27:08] 
:BLN1ANDE :ANDE-1 only wakes up 1 of evry 15s for users. Pse conserve.
Fm ANDE-1 To BEACON &lt;UI pid=F0 Len=39 &gt;[22:27:43]
T#001,145,132,135,135,137,10101111,000

[ANS thanks Henk, PA3GUO and Mike, DK3WN 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,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
K9JKM at amsat dot org