The Btown Monitoring Post

Welcome to the Btown Monitoring Post, the official blog site of the Teak Publishing Co. in western North Carolina. This where we post current news items, radio related bulletins, and reference material that will be of interest to a wide variety of radio monitors. Copyright © 2006-2021 by Teak Publishing, who is solely responsible for the content on this blog. All rights reserved and redistribution these pages in any format without prior permission is prohibited. Links to stories are permitted.

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Amsat News Service ANS-043

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://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:

* SSTV From The ISS February 13-14
* K5T Grid Expedition to DL88jx
* Great STEM Lesson Idea
* Donations for AMSAT SA Kletskous CubeSat
* 2017 Teachers Institute Schedule Announced
* University CubeSat Opportunity
* Nayif-1 CubeSat Launch Announced
* Nayif-1 UPDATE Pre-launch Keps and more details
* UT1FG/MM QSL Procedure for this season
* Live HAMTV Video Planned for ARISS Contact
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-043.01
ANS-043 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 043.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
February 12, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-043.01

SSTV From The ISS February 13-14

An MAI-75 Experiment SSTV event is planned to begin on Monday, Feb. 13 from 09:25-18:00 UTC and Tuesday, Feb. 14 from 11:25-16:30 UTC. The downlink frequency is expected to be 145.800 MHz and the transmission mode is expected to be PD180. This opportunity should cover most of the world during the operational period.

The MAI-75 experiment uses a notebook computer on the ISS Russian Segment, which stores images that are then transmitted to Earth using the ham radio, specifically the onboard Kenwood TM D710E transceiver. Images received can be posted and viewed at https://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/

Please note that the event, and any ARISS event, is dependent on other activities, schedules and crew responsibilities on the ISS and are subject to change at any time.

While preparations are being finalized please check for new and the most current information on the AMSAT.org and ARISS.org websites, the AMSAT-BB@amsat.org, the ARISS facebook at Amateur Radio On The International Space Station (ARISS) and ARISS twitter @ARISS_status for the latest information on this event.

[ANS thanks ARISS for the above information]

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K5T Grid Expedition to DL88jx

Several satellite operators will make their way down to the southernmost tip of Texas' "Big Bend" on Sunday, February 12, 2017. Operating from within Big Bend National Park's Talley Campground via
amateur satellites, grid chasers will have a shot at the elusive DL88jx for a period of roughly 18 hours.

Listen for K5T on FM and SSB satellites starting roughly at 21:00 UTC on February 12 through 15:00 UTC on February 13. ISS packet is possible but not planned. You may occasionally catch K5T in grid square DL89. Pass/schedule requests will not be honored on this trip. Some HF operation may occur.

Paper QSL with SASE via W5PFG or LoTW with the callsign "K5T."

[ANS thanks Clayton W5PFG for the above Information]

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Great STEM Lesson Idea

Dave Ryan, EI4HT/M0GIW, has posted an excellent video of a project he devised with his daught Erin. Dave and his daughter downloaded the list of questions for the ARISS QSO between Astronaut Shane Kimbrough and South Street School, Danbury, Connecticut USA. He and Erin researched the questions and made a list of projected answers for them. The contact was made with ON4ISS, an ARISS telebridge station in Belgium, and Erin and Dave were able to listen to the transmission live from from their QTH in South Yorkshire, UK. Dave videotaped the QSO and posted it online at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzQbyIH8Qwg

This is an excellent example of how to integrate Amateur Radio and the the ISS without being directly part of an ARISS contact. The examples can be used with any demo or within a planned classroom setting. This is a great example of how to introduce a STEM related activity and create an interest in the hobby at the same time.

[ANS thanks Dave EI4HT/M0GIW and Erin for the above information]

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Donations for AMSAT SA Kletskous CubeSat

Two companies, RS Components and Trax Interconnect, have made major contributions to AMSAT SA's Kletskous CubeSat. RS Components have supplied components for the next generation Electronic Power Supply system (EPS) and the controller board. Trax Interconnect supplied the PC Boards for the EPS, the controller board and the magnetic stabilization system. Their support for amateur radio and amateur radio satellites is much appreciated.

[ANS thanks the SARL weekly news in English 2017-2-4 for the above  information]

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2017 Teachers Institute Schedule Announced

ARRL has announced the 2017 schedule for our Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology. We want you to be among the first to receive this information. If you are an ARRL member you’ll see an article about the Teachers Institute in the March issue of QST. You will also see an announcement in our next issue Radio Waves.

If you are a past participant of the Teachers Institute we hope that you have found many ways to use the ideas, training and resources you received and are interested in spreading the word to other teachers. You may want to consider signing up for the advanced TI-2 on Remote Sensing and Data Gathering.

You are probably in the best position to know where to circulate information about this opportunity within your school district. A listing on your school or school district website? A newsletter?   A
web page for science and technology teachers? Word of mouth to teachers in your circle? We’d like to get the word out to reach teachers who can make use of this opportunity.

If you would like to receive copies of our printed brochures please send your request and your mailing address to etp@arrl.org.

Here’s some copy you can use to announce the opportunity in your school community:

Integrate STEM by Exploring Wireless Technology

ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, has just announced the schedule for two sessions of its Introductory Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology (TI-1) to be offered during the summer of 2017. The ARRL Teachers Institute is an expenses paid, intensive professional development opportunity for educators who want to receive training and resources to explore wireless technology in the classroom. Topics at the TI-1 Introduction to Wireless Technology, include basic electronics, radio science, microcontroller programming and basic robotics. ARRL will also offer an advanced Teachers Institute (TI-2) on Remote Sensing and Data Gathering. This linked article from the March issue of ARRL’s journal, QST, includes the schedule and description of offerings this summer.

Please visit the ARRL website at: www.arrl.org/ti for more details and to download an application. Watch this video for an inside look at the Teachers Institute! Application deadline is May 1.

[ANS thanks Debra K1DMJ and the ARRL for the above information]

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University CubeSat Opportunity

The UK Space Agency is encouraging university students to take advantage of a new opportunity to build and test their own CubeSats

The aim of the The Fly Your Satellite! program is to support university student teams with educational CubeSats throughout the assembly, integration, testing, and verification process. By
participating in the programme, students will implement standard practices for spacecraft development; receive support from experienced ESA specialists; attend tailored training courses; and
will be offered access to state-of-the-art test facilities.

ESA say only launch opportunities from the International Space Station (ISS) are envisioned, and CubeSat teams applying need to ensure that their mission complies with a deployment to orbit from
the ISS.

Further information at http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-UnivCubesats

UK Space Agency
https://twitter.com/spacegovuk

[ANS thanks ESA via Southgate ARN for the above information]

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Nayif-1 CubeSat Launch Announced

AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL are delighted to now be able to confirm that the Nayif-1 1U CubeSat, which has a full FUNcube payload, is now scheduled for launch on an Indian PSLV launch vehicle at 03:58 UT on February 15, 2017. The flight, C-37, will be carry a total of 104 satellites into orbit.

Nayif-1 has been developed by the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) and American University of Sharjah (AUS). The UAE’s first Nanosatellite was developed by Emirati engineering students from AUS under the supervision of a team of engineers and specialists from MBRSC within the framework of a partnership between the two entities, aiming to provide hands-on experience to engineering students on satellite manufacturing.

The spacecraft includes a U/V linear transponder and telemetry transmitter. It employs enhanced oscillator circuitry and includes an active attitude determination and control system.

As with previous missions carrying FUNcube payloads, AMSAT-UK would very much like to receive as many reports from stations around the world, especially during the first few minutes and hours after launch. We expect that the first signals may be heard in North America during the mid evening hours (local time) on Feb 14.

There is a mission specific Telemetry Dashboard for this project and this can be downloaded from:

http://download.funcube.org.uk/Nayif-1_Dashboard_1038_installer.msi

and, in a similar way to the FUNcube-1 Dashboard, this will be capable of uploading the telemetry received to a central Data Warehouse.

Guidance Notes for the installation of the Dashboard, integration with a FUNcube Dongle and the Data Warehouse have been prepared for the Nayif-1 mission. These can be downloaded from:

http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-Nayif-1-Dashboard

A file to test that the Dashboard and Warehouse configuration are working correctly can be downloaded from: http://download.funcube.org.uk/nayif1_testfile.funcubebin

The operating frequencies for the spacecraft will be:

Telemetry 145.940 MHz using 1k2 BPSK to the FUNcube standard.

SSB/CW Transponder Uplink on 435.045 – 435.015 MHz Downlink on 145.960 – 145.990 MHz

Initial operations of the spacecraft will be in a low power “safe” mode where only the telemetry transmitter is activated.

More details about the launch, exact deployment time and pre-launch TLE’s will be made available as soon as they become available; in the meantime we will really appreciate your support!

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

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Nayif-1 UPDATE Pre-launch Keps and more details

The launch time for the Nayif-1 CubeSat has been confirmed as 03:58UTC on February 15th 2017 on the PSLV C37 vehicle and a set of pre-launch TLEs have now been released:

NAYIF

1 17002U 17002A   17046.17824931 0.00000000 00000-0 00000-0 0 9993
2 17002 97.5521 107.5843 0004848 278.6481 296.8511 15.21991390    01

This file can also been downloaded from here http://download.funcube.org.uk/nayif_tle.txt

We expect that the FUNcube transmitter on Nayif-1 will activate at approximately 05:06UTC, but the exact timing is still to be confirmed! Initial transmissions will be in “safe” mode and will be
of the 1k2 BPSK telemetry only with approx 50mW of RF power. If the predictions are correct, the spacecraft will be heading north over Mexico and the western parts of the US and Canada.

During the Launch and Early Operation phase (LEOP) of the mission, the Nayif-1 command team will be headquartered at the American University of Sharjah Ground station in the United Arab Emirates. They will obviously be especially keen to have all possible reports of signal reception during this first orbit! To encourage everyone to take part, there will be a small prize for the station that submits the first data to the Nayif-1 Data Warehouse and perhaps an extra reward if they manage to receive the very first frame transmitted by the spacecraft! This should have the sequence number 5471 or 5472.

Details of the Nayif-1 frequencies, together with details of how to the download the Dashboard can be found here

https://funcube.org.uk/2017/02/08/nayif-1-launch-date-now-confirmed/

The Data Warehouse is still under final development but a preview can be seen here: http://data.amsat-uk.org/nayif1/index

Please note that if you are already a registered user of the FUNcube Dashboard then you do not need to re-register. Your existing details will transfer automatically to the new Dashboard when you run it for the first time.

If you run the test file with the Nayif-1 Dashboard please do not expect the Warehouse to show the data - it is from an earlier date than that is already displayed. However the “packets uploaded” tab at
the bottom right corner of your Dashboard will show that the files have uploaded OK, that all is well with your system and that it is ready for action.

We are hoping that the actual launch will be webstreamed and details of this will be made available as soon as possible. The AMSAT-UK and -NL team will also be using the #funcube IRC channel
on launch day and you will be very welcome to join them there. If you do not have the Dashboard available then please submit your heard reports here. A web client can be found at http://irc.lc/freenode/funcube if you do not have an IRC client installed.

[ANS thanks Graham G3VZV for the above information]

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UT1FG/MM QSL Procedure for this season

As you may know Yuri, UT1FG, prefers to do his own QSLs to the extent possible. He has asked me to help funnel QSL requests to him while he is at sea so that he can process them and mail them from
ports as he travels. Yuri does not process qsl requests when he is not on a ship.

The following procedure only applies to contacts made during this season from the M/V Chestnut. Previous seasons will be handled by his manager Eugene, UX0FY. Eugene has all the logs for previous seasons and can be contacted through his qrz.com email address. Please contact Eugene before sending anything in the mail to him and ask for instructions on how to proceed.

You may prepare a logsheet of QSO's that Yuri can print, verify, sign and mail from one of his destination ports. An example of a suitable logsheet can be found at papays.com/sat under the UT1FG/MM QSL Instructions link at the top of the page.

Please use the following conventions when preparing the logsheet:

1. List only one contact per grid.
2. Only request confirmations of NEW Grids.
3. Use Excel or a similar program to create the logsheet.
4. Save the Logsheet to a .pdf If your program cannot     save to a .pdf, download a free program like Bullzip that will install a .pdf printer that you can print to and create a .pdf file.
5. Each page should stand alone; there should be a place for Yuri's signature on each page.
6. Incude your COMPLETE Mailing Address on each page.
7. Name the logsheet file with this format: Yourcall_UT1FG_DateLastQSO for example: DJ8MS_UT1FG_10Feb2017.pdf
8. Email your file as an attachment to: k8yse at papays.com with the subject line the same as the .pdf file name: DJ8MS_UT1FG_10Feb2017
10. Please be sure to follow the example on the website papays.com/sat/ut1fgqsl.html Consistency   will help Yuri process requests more efficiently.
11. If there are qso's on your list that are not in the log, Yuri will draw a line through them and initial.

I will send an acknowledgement email when I receive a request. This way you will know that Yuri will have your logsheet.

If Yuri tells me that he has mailed your logsheet, I will post that information on the bulletin boards.

Yuri's time when nearing or in port is very limited. He has a lot of responsibilities to carry out and large amounts of paper to process along with requests from his Company. He has more time when he is sailing. Let that guide you when deciding when you email your requests. A good time to mail your request is when Yuri is about 5 days from making port. Follow him at marinetraffic.com (M/V Chestnut - bulk Cargo).

This new procedure may be changed or stopped depending on how it goes. Hopefully this will work well and Yuri will find it acceptable.

We are very fortunate that Yuri operates from so many water grids that otherwise would never be on the satellites. His passion for satellites is amazing. Have fun working him.

[ANS thanks John K8YSE for the above information]

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Live HAMTV Video Planned for ARISS Contact

The HAMTV experiment is planned transmit live video during the ARISS contact with Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France on Mon 2017-02-13 14:00:35 UTC.

The HAMTV video downlink is on 2395 MHz (DVB-S,SR2000,fec 1/2, PID video 256, PID audio 257, Mp eg2 codec). Audio will be on 70cm.

The video will be streamed on-line at: https://hamtv.batc.tv/live/

Additional streaming from other ground stations will be at: http://www.batc.tv/iss/

[ANS thanks Jean-Pierre, F6DZP and the HAMTV yahoogroups e-mail list for the above information]

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ARISS News

+ A Successful contact was made between Space Exploration Educators
Conference, Houston, Texas, and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG
using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Thu 2017-02-09 20:30:10 UTC
and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via
K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was Frank KA3HDO.

+ A Successful contact was made between Palmetto Scholars Academy,
North Charleston, SC, USA and Astronaut Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD using
Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Fri 2017-02-10 17:59:18 UTC and
lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was direct via K4PSA.
ARISS Mentor was John K4SQC.

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule

Collège André Malraux, Chatelaillon-Plage, France, direct via F4KJT
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be FXØISS
The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG
Contact is a go for: Mon 2017-02-13 14:00:35 UTC

3rd Junior High School, Komotini, Greece, direct via SV7APQ
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD
Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-02-17 08:58:11 UTC

[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above
information]

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ The Smallsat Launcher War

"Over the last decade or so the definition of what a ‘small
satellite’ is has ballooned beyond the original cubesat design
specification to satellites of 50 or 100 kg. Today a ‘smallsat’ is
defined far more around the cost, and sometimes the technologies
used, than the size and shape of the box that goes into orbit."

Read the full story at:
http://hackaday.com/2017/02/09/the-smallsat-launcher-war/

[ANS thanks Hackaday.com for the above information and Bernhard
   VA6BMJ for bringing it to our attention]

+ NASA seeks partnerships with US companies to advance commercial
space technologies

NASA is seeking partnerships with U.S. companies focused on
industry-developed space technologies that can advance the
commercial space sector and benefit future NASA missions through
the "Announcement of Collaborative Opportunity (ACO)" solicitation
released by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).

Read complete story at:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-NASAPartners

[ANS thanks spacedaily.com for the above information]

+ Smallsat Builders Admit a Little Bigger Might Be a Little Better

"What’s the perfect size for a small satellite? “The answer is 42
kilograms,” said Martin Sweeting, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
founder and executive chairman, at the Small Satellite
Symposium Feb. 7 and 8."

See more at:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS043-SmallSatBuilders

[ANS thanks SpaceNews for the above information]

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/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,
EMike McCardel, AA8EM
aa8em at amsat dot org

Saturday, February 04, 2017

AMSAT News Service ANS-036

Saturday, January 28, 2017

AMSAT News Service ANS-029

Sunday, January 22, 2017

AMSAT News Service ANS-022

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://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:

* Reno, Nevada to Host 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Oct 27-29
* Diwata 2's payload includes amateur radio
* AMSAT News From South Africa
* JAMSAT Symposium in Kyoto on 11-12 March, Presenters Requested.
* Kenwood features ARISS in February 2017 Two Page QST Ad
* AMSAT Phase 4 Weekly Engineering Report
* US Naval Academy HFsat Receives IARU Frequency Coordination
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-022.01
ANS-022 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 022.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
January 22, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-022.01

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Reno, Nevada to Host 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium Oct 27-29

AMSAT NA announces that the 2017 AMSAT Space Symposium will be held on Friday through Sunday, Oct 27, 28, 29, 2017 in Reno, Nevada.

Location will be at the Silver Legacy Resort , 407 N Virginia Street, in Downtown, Reno.

The Silver Legacy is a 4 star Resort/Hotel/Casino which is an iconic 42-story hotel with its massive round dome and spires centered in downtown. The Silver Legacy is typically lit green at night and is
referred to by many as the "Emerald City" of Reno. In support of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, the Silver Legacy will sometimes turn blue.

Some of the perks include
* Free parking for attendees.
* Free transportation to and from the airport (10 minutes shuttle ride).
* Complimentary WiFi.
* The Silver Legacy has 8 restaurants and 8 different retail shops.
* Large selection of additional restaurants and casinos (El Dorado, Circus Circus, and the rest of downtown Reno) are in close proximity and within walking distance.
* Multiple alternate activities and attractions are in the Reno area.
Nevada Museum Of Modern Art
National Automobile Museum
Fleischmann Planetarium (UNR Campus)
National Bowling Stadium
* If you are staying longer in the Reno area, there are several other points of interest close by, including Virginia City and Lake Tahoe.

2017 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual Meeting

The annual AMSAT Space Symposium features:
* Space Symposium with Amateur Satellite Presentations
* Operating Techniques, News, & Plans from the Amateur Satellite World
* Board of Directors Meeting open to AMSAT members
* Opportunities to Meet Board Members and Officers
* AMSAT-NA Annual General Membership Meeting
* Auction, Annual Banquet, Keynote Speaker and Door Prizes !!

Several members from The Sierra Nevada Amateur Radio Society (SNARS) as well as many other local radio amateurs will be participating in helping with this event.

Additional information about the 2017 AMSAT Symposium will be posted on the AMSAT web site,
www.amsat.org as it becomes available.

[ANS thanks Joe Spier, K6WAO, Frank Kostelac, N7ZEV, Linda Kostelac, KC7IIT, and the AMSAT-NA Office for the above information]

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Diwata 2's payload includes amateur radio

THE whole world is again set to witness come 2018 a third-world country launching into space another microsatellite -- this time with an amateur or ham radio included in the payload.

An amateur radio is a communication technology that allows its operators to talk or send messages to other people, especially first responders, planners and government agencies whose own communications have been knocked out, in time of disasters and emergencies.

Diwata 2 -- the Philippines' second microsatellite that is currently being developed by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Hokkaido University, and Tohoku University in Japan -- has this technology, along with a telescope and cameras.

Its predecessor, the Diwata 1, was launched into orbit last April 2016 and has been sending pictures to DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (Asti); the latest photo posted on PHL-Microsat Program's website shows the swollen Pinacanauan River, as well as agricultural areas damaged by flood after Tropical Cyclone Lawin (Haima) made landfall in Peñablanca, Cagayan on October 19, 2016.

The PHL-Microsat said that as of January 13, the "Diwata 1 has circled the world approximately 4,083 times, taking images not just of the Philippines but also of other parts of the Earth."

"We will download the images every time the Diwata 1 passes by the Philippines," said Dr. Joel Joseph Marciano Jr., program leader of PHL-Microsat and acting director of DOST-Asti, in an interview with SunStar.

As to the amateur radio included in the payload of Diwata 2, Marciano said it is a very important feature of the second microsatellite, especially that the country is prone to natural disasters and calamities.

"So when the satellite passes over in time of disaster, you can get a ham radio and send messages to another person in other areas in the country, and even give updates on evacuation using ham radio," he told fellows of the 20th Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop held in UP Diliman last November 2016.

The Philippines has more than a thousand amateur radio operators nationwide. Most of them are members of the Philippine Amateur Radio Association.

Aside from the amateur radio, Diwata 2 has a Spaceborne Multispectral Imager (SMI) with liquid crystal tunable filter (LCTF) for environmental monitoring; high precision telescope (HPT) for
rapid post-disaster assessment; and enhanced resolution cameras (instead of wide and middle field cameras used in Diwata 1).

"Medium and wide cameras will be replaced by enhanced resolution cameras but there will still be the HPT and SMI with LCTF... Three cameras, plus an amateur radio as part of the payload," Marciano told SunStar.

He said 11 Filipino scholars are working on the Diwata 2.

"Mas dumami pa, because we now have 11 scholars. They are in Japan, working with the two universities (Hokkaido and Tohoku)," said Marciano.

There were only nine Filipino scholars who assembled the Diwata 1.

"They are considered as scholars because they are under the DOST scholarships, and building the microsatellites is part of their studies," added Marciano.

He said that at present, they are working on the engineering model. "We are now in the design phase. We are working on the blocks. They are being done here locally and they will be tested in Japan."

The DOST targets to launch the Diwata 2 in the first half of 2018, but Marciano said the launching will also depend on the availability of the launching facility.

"The target overall for the completion of the flight model is in December 2017," he said.

Except for the amateur radio and enhanced resolution cameras, Diwata 2 will hover 400 kilometers above the Earth's surface just like Diwata 1. It also weighs 50 kilograms, the size of a room air
conditioner.

"The characteristics are the same. There will be chances na mag-abot sila doon, which is an advantage to us since it will mean that we can generate more images from them... The idea is they should be operated on the same constellation. They have to communicate with other satellites to provide us better images," said Marciano.

He explained that the country's microsatellites are not geostationary satellites, which have an altitude of 39,000 kilometers and are more expensive.

"Diwata 2 only has 400 to 600 kilometers altitude," he said, adding that because it is a microsatellite, it is only considered a secondary payload.

"Parang nakikiangkas lang tayo sa paglaunch (We are just hitching a ride), because it is very expensive to launch big satellites. You have to pay for the rocket," he told the Lopez Jaena journalism workshop fellows.

He also said in November that the challenge of Diwata satellites' orbit is they can only take images of a certain location if they passes by it.

"Diwata 1 passes every day, but it passes in different places, so there's a challenge of being in the right place at the right time," said Marciano.

Asked about the possibility of a launching failure, Dr. Marc Caesar Talampas, project leader in-charge of the microsatellite BUS development, said in a follow-up interview: "They undergo rigorous
testing before they will be launched into space. There is vibration test, radiation testing, etc. We have to comply with all the specifications."

"The failure is more on not responding, not on the launching. But so far, based on our experience with Diwata 1, the communication has been positive," added Marciano.

The government has allotted P2 billion per year for DOST's space technology program. This is on top of the P840 million that was already invested for the PHL-Microsat program.

"There's an increase in the availability of funding for research in space technology... In 2018, we will come up with a new (budget) proposal,"Marciano said.

[ANS thanks LAUREEN MONDOÑEDO-YNOT and SunStar Philippines for the above information.]

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AMSAT News From South Africa

** Turn your laptop into a 24 MHz to 1,7 GHz receiver. AMSAT SA is holding a half-day SDR Workshop in association with the South African Radio League at the NARC on 18 February 2017. This is a hands-on workshop where participants will install a VHF/UHF RTL dongle and
programme it to become a VHF/UHF receiver covering 24 MHz to 1,7 GHz. Anton Janovsky, ZR6AIC, and Cor Rademeyer, ZS6CR, will present the Workshop. The Workshop fee includes the RTL dongle and a memory stick with all the required software as well as light refreshments. Register before 11 February 2017, all the details and registration form are available on www.amsatsa.org.za. Book early to avoid disappointment.

** The 2017 AMSAT SA Space Conference will be held on Saturday 20 May 2017 in Pretoria. This is the first call for paper proposals. The theme of the conference is "Conquering Space as an educational pastime." Proposals for papers should include a brief synopsis of the proposed paper. The closing date for proposals is 31 January 2017. Authors will be notified of acceptance of their paper by 15 February 2017. More details on www.amsatsa.org.za

[ANS thanks the SARL weekly news in English 2017-1-7 for the above information]

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JAMSAT Symposium in Kyoto on 11-12 March, Presenters Requested.

Mikio Mouri, JA3GEP, JAMSAT announces "We are going to held our AGM and JAMSAT Symposium in Kyoto next March.

"I hope to have some attendance from AMSAT-NA, even via Skype. We hope to hear some update of activities in US."

The meeting will be held at: http://hotel-binario.jp/en/ The Hotel Binario Saga Arashiyama is located in the beautiful Arashiyama district of Kyoto and is perfect for sightseeing.

Date and Time of Symposium:
14:30-17:30JST(05:30-08:30UTC) March 11(Sat)
09:00-13:00JST(00:00-04:00UTC) March 12(Sun)

If anyone has an opportunity to join and present, please let Mikio know the appropriate time of your availability. He will keep the time slot for your presentation.

Mikio can be contacted via JBH02173 (at) nifty.com]

[ANS thanks Mikio JA3GEP for the above information.]

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Kenwood features ARISS in February 2017 Two Page QST Ad

Kenwwood features ARISS donations in its two page ad in the February 2017 QST. Check out the ad on pages 27 and 28.

During February the ARRL is running a special slider in their rotating banner, on their website home page, with an appeal for ARISS donations.

Also, The QST Cover story for February teases "Texas Students Take Amateur Radio to the Edge of Space"

The article "To the Edge of Space and Back with Ham Radio" by Chase Mertz, KG5KKX is featured on page 76.

Mertz highlights "Student engineers in the Eldorado Space Program design, build, and program instrument packages, sending them as high as 120,000 feet using a high altitude weather balloon."

[ANS thanks ARRL for the above information]

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AMSAT Phase 4 Weekly Engineering Report

AMSAT Phase 4 Ground Radio prototype with Ettus Research B210 by John Petrich W7FU can be viewed at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oyAe21bWR4g&feature=youtu.be

[ANS thanks Michelle W5NYV for the above information.]

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US Naval Academy HFsat Receives IARU Frequency Coordination

The US Naval Academy has received IARU satellite frequency coordination for HFsat, a 1.5 U CubeSat with a 15 meter to 10 meter linear transponder with 30kHz bandwidth. The CubeSat will also carry an APRS digipeater on 145.825MHz.

HFsat is a project to demonstrate the viability of HF satellite communications as a backup communications system using existing ubiquitous HF radios that are usually a part of the communications suite on all small mobile platforms such has ham radio mobiles and portable operations frequently used by Amateurs in support of disaster and emergency response communications. The HFsat will be gravity gradient stabilized by its long full size 10 meter band
halfwave HF dipole antenna with tip masses.

A standardized CubSsat VHF communications card based on the popular Byonics MTT4B all-in-one APRS Tiny-Track4 module for telemetry, command and control is under development at the US Naval Academy. Standardizing the communications board makes it easy to add the HF Transponder mission into Naval Academy’s standard CubeSat bus without an all new start. HFsat will continue the long tradition of small amateur satellites designed by Aerospace students at the US Naval Academy. The students are working with Bill Ress, N6GHZ on the HF transponder card.

HF Uplink: 21.40 MHz, 30 kHz wide multi user bandwidth
HF downlink: 29.42 MHz, the 30 kHz wide downlink passband
VHF APRS DigiPeater: 145.825 MHz FM 1200 baud AFSK packet

Find additional information on-line at: http://aprs.org/HFsat.html (US Naval Academy)

http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/ (search for HFsat in the list of satellites that have been coordinated)

[ANS thanks the US Naval Academy and the IARU for the above information]

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ARISS News

+ A Successful contact was made between High School "Léon Blum", Le Creusot, France and Astronaut Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG using Callsign NA1SS. The contact began Mon 2017-01-16 11:53:17 and lasted about nine and a half minutes. Contact was Telebridge via K6DUE. ARISS Mentor was Joseph F6ICS.

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2017-01-19 06:30 UTC

Quick list of scheduled contacts and events:

South Street School, Danbury CT, telebridge via VK4KHZ. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD. Contact is a go for: Fri 2017-01-27 19:50:18 UTC

Swiss Space Center – EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland, telebridge via W6SRJ. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG. Contact is a go for: Thu 2017-01-26 11:06:29 UTC

ARISS is always glad to receive listener reports for the above contacts. ARISS thanks everyone in advance for their assistance. Feel free to send your reports to aj9n@amsat.org or aj9n@aol.com.

Listen for the ISS on the downlink of 145.800 MHz.

The following US states and entities have never had an ARISS contact: Arkansas, Delaware, South Dakota, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the Virgin Islands.

QSL information may be found at: http://www.ariss.org/qsl-cards.html

ISS callsigns: DPØISS, IRØISS, NA1SS, OR4ISS, RSØISS

Check out the Zoho reports of the ARISS contacts
https://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?DBID=412218000000020415

Exp. 49 on orbit: Shane Kimbrough KE5HOD, Andrei Borisenko, Sergey Ryzhikov
Exp. 50 on orbit: Peggy Whitson, Thomas Pesquet KG5FYG, Oleg Novitskiy

[ANS thanks ARISS, Charlie AJ9N and David AA4KN for the above information]

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

+ APRS Symbol Look Up Table

Kenneth Finnegan, W6KWF has created an easy to use lookup table for APRS symbol codes.

"I've made a lookup table which has the symbol code, the primary symbol, and the secondary symbol all on top of each other as opposed to the three adjacent tables on the aprs.org page:
http://tinyurl.com/ANS-022-APRS-Table

[ANS thanks Kenneth K6KWF for the above information.]

+ Colloquium Videos for 2009-2012 Posted on YouTube

AMSAT-UK reports that thanks to Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG and @BATC online videos of talks given at AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2009-2012 are now posted at:
https://www.youtube.com/user/AMSATUK/videos

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information]

+ June Page of the 2017 ARRL Calendar Features NPOTA Satellite Ops

"Fernando Ramirez-Ferrer NP4JV, overlooks the vastness of Grand Canyon National Park (NP22) in Arizona as he makes contacts via the SO-50 Amateur Radio satellite. This was the sixth NPOTA unit he had activated via satellite." (Ruth V Ramirez, photo credit)

[ANS thanks ARRL for the above information.]

+ UT1FG/MM is departing Finland ~1900 UTC (21 January) heading to Mexico.

Clean your antennas, de-wax your ears and remember to give others a chance to get through..

[ANS thanks Jari OH2FQV, Via Twitter, for the above information.]

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/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,
EMike McCardel, AA8EM
aa8em at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

Monday, January 16, 2017

Six Cubesats Successfully Launched on ISS

From JAXA Web and @JAXA twitter feed:

Six CubeSats were successfully deployed under command of the JAXA FCT on January 16. 154 CubeSats in total have been deployed from "Kibo."

Awaiting SpaceTrack.org to release kep elements for these six. I will have the Airspy up and running looking for signals.

Sunday, January 15, 2017

CubeSats to Deploy from ISS 16 Jan 2017

ITF-2 CubeSat and Four Other Hamsats Set to Deploy from ISS

Toshihiro Kameda, JJ3GRX/W3GRX, of the University of Tsukuba's "Yui" satellite project in Japan, reports that the ITF-2 ("Imagine The Future") CubeSat is set for release from the International Space
Station (ISS) on Monday, January 16, at 0910 UTC.

The 1U ITF-2 was designed and built at the university. The Amateur Radio downlink is 437.525 MHz. Updated information will be announced on the AMSAT Bulletin Board at,
http://www.amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/ .

ITF-2 is the successor to the unsuccessful ITF-1, which launched in 2014 but was never heard.

Six CubeSats delivered to ISS by HTV-6 will deploy from ISS with new JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) at 16h Jan. New J-SSOD has four satellite install cases. One satellite install case has 3U space, so new J-SSOD can deploy twelve CubeSat at one time. Six CubeSats are installed as follows,

satellite
install     CubeSats
case

   #1        three 1U CubeSats ITF-2, WASEDA-SAT3, FREEDOM
   #2        one 3U CubeSat     EGG
   #3        one 2U CubeSat     AOBA-VELOX3
   #4        one 3U CubeSat     TuPOD (including Tancredo1 and OSNSAT)

ITF-2, WASEDA-SAT3, AOBA-VELOX3, TuPOD and Tancredo1 operate on the amateur radio bands.

#1 and #2 will be deployed at 0900-0930z 16th Jan, #3 and #4 will be 1030-1100z.

AOBA-Velox III (2U Cubesat)   437.375 1200bps AFSK CW

ITF-2 (Imagine The Future) (1U Cubesat) 437.525 1200bps FM CW

TuPOD (Tancredo 1 and OSNSAT) 437.425 1200bps GMSK CW
Tancredo-1 (3U Cubesat) 437.200 1200bps AFSK

WASEDA-SAT3 (1U Cubesat) 437.290 1200bps PCM-FSK CW

Live broadcast will start at 0850z on YouTube JAXA channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4xq_rj0QiQ

[ARRL and JAXA and N5FPW for the above information]

AMSAT News Service ANS-015

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://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:

* RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Date Moved to August 29, 2017
* AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2017
* ITF-2 CubeSat Set to Deploy from ISS
* Satellite Logging Updates Requested for ARRL LoTW
* College OSCAR Activity, Grow Future Membership
* 2017 Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference
* Frequency Plan of the PicSAT Project Validated by the IARU
* AMSAT Events
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-015.01
ANS-015 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 015.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE January 15, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-015.01

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RadFxSat (Fox-1B) Launch Date Moved to August 29, 2017

The launch date for RadFxSat (Fox-1B) has been moved to August 29, 2017. RadFxSat is one of four CubeSats making up the NASA ELaNa XIV mission, riding as secondary payloads aboard the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-1 mission. JPSS-1 will launch on a Delta II from Vandenberg Air
Force Base, California.

RadFxSat is a partnership with Vanderbilt University ISDE and hosts four payloads for the study of radiation effects on commercial off the shelf components. RadFxSat features the Fox-1 style FM U/v repeater with an uplink on 435.250 MHz (67.0 Hz CTCSS) and a downlink on 145.960 MHz.
Satellite and experiment telemetry will be downlinked via the "DUV" subaudible telemetry stream and can be decoded with the FoxTelem software. RadFxSat construction and testing was completed in the fourth quarter of 2016 and the CubeSat is currently in clean storage at Fox Labs, waiting for delivery and integration which is now scheduled for June, 2017.

[ANS thanks Jerry Buxton, NØJY, AMSAT Vice President for Engineering for the above information]

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AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2017

AMSAT-UK is very happy to announce that the dates of the next AMSAT-UK Colloquium will be 14-15 Oct 2017. This year it will be incorporated into the RSGB Convention at the Kents Hill Park Convention Centre in Milton Keynes. Exact details are currently being finalized with the RSGB and these will be notified when they are known.

If you have not been to Kents Hill before, it is very close to the M1 motorway and is near to Bletchley Park, where RSGB members have free entry. For overseas visitors it is convenient for planes to London Luton Airport (30-minute taxi ride) and also London Gatwick and Birmingham airports, both of which have direct train connections to Bletchley and/or Milton Keynes stations. These stations are approximately 10 minutes away by taxi.

[ANS thanks Jim Heck, G3WGM for the above information]

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ITF-2 CubeSat Set to Deploy from ISS

Toshihiro Kameda, JJ3GRX/W3GRX, of the University of Tsukuba's "Yui" satellite project in Japan, reports that the ITF-2 ("Imagine The Future") CubeSat is set for release from the International Space
Station (ISS) on Monday, January 16, at 0910 UTC.

The 1U ITF-2 was designed and built at the university. The Amateur Radio downlink is 437.525 MHz. Updated information will be announced on the AMSAT Bulletin Board at,
http://www.amsat.org/pipermail/amsat-bb/ .

ITF-2 is the successor to the unsuccessful ITF-1, which launched in 2014 but was never heard.

Six CubeSats delivered to ISS by HTV-6 will deploy from ISS with new JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) at 16h Jan. New J-SSOD has four satellite install cases. One satellite install case has 3U space, so new J-SSOD can delploy twelve CubeSat at one time. Six CubeSats are installed as follows,

satellite
install     CubeSats
case

   #1        three 1U CubeSats ITF-2, WASEDA-SAT3, FREEDOM
   #2        one 3U CubeSat     EGG
   #3        one 2U CubeSat     AOBA-VELOX3
   #4        one 3U CubeSat     TuPOD (including Tancredo1 and OSNSAT)

ITF-2, WASEDA-SAT3, AOBA-VELOX3, TuPOD and Tancredo1 operate on the amateur radio bands.

#1 and #2 will be deployed at 0900-0930z 16th Jan, #3 and #4 will be 1030-1100z.

Live broadcast will start at 0850z on YouTube JAXA channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4xq_rj0QiQ

[ANS thanks the ARRL and JAXA for the above information]

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Satellite Logging Updates Requested for ARRL LoTW

AMSAT has requested that BY70-1 be added as "BY70-1" in the next configuration file for the ARRL Logbook of the World (LoTW). AMSAT has also requested that this update be made no later than January 31st due to NPOTA QSOs that were made via the satellite.

AMSAT has also requested the addition of IO-86 as well as SAREX and MIREX for previous QSOs that occurred via the digipeater carried on various Space Shuttle missions and the Mir space station.

If anyone notices a satellite that was available for amateur operation that is not included in the LoTW configuration file, please let me know: Paul Stoetzer n8hm@arrl.net

Please also keep in mind that there may be a delay in requests being made for the addition of satellites to the LoTW configuration file while AMSAT awaits word of any potential OSCAR number request.

[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer, N8HM, for the above information]

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College OSCAR Activity, Grow Future Membership

In 2008-2009 we used to have regular College Satellite Nights, where clubs active in our area of interest would get on the birds at the same time and give out contacts. Please let me know if there is an interest again in doing this once per month and if the group minds allowing SO-50 to be the
venue.

It is important to our future that we grow our ranks through attracting younger hams. OSCAR operating at the college level can also be a huge advantage for attractive college students to the hobby. Many of our technician course attendees at UF are there for that reason (we give two licensing courses a year).

Please help spread the word to those at your local universities, and to other college clubs. There will be a College Student Amateur Radio Forum at HamCation HamFest in Orlando, Saturday Feb. 11. Please let college student hams know of the event info.

The event is ARRL sponsored, part of CARI, the Collegiate Amateur Radio Initiative. The forum will take place at 3pm, and there is room for 50 college student attendees. There are more events planned for the day, including an evening social event for college students. We should also have
table space for the day for college clubs to distribute club info and to meet, greet, and network with alumni. The table would be a good place for high school student hams to network in preparation for a life of amateur radio during the upcoming college years.

Questions can be directed to the moderator of the forum, UF Doctoral student Andy Milluzzi, KK4KWR - andy@gatorradio.org

For the latest of information see the CARI Facebook group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ARRLCARI/

[ANS thanks Dr. Jay H. Garlitz, AA4FL, FCC Trustee, W4DFU at Univ. of Florida, since 2005, www.gatorradio.org. The Club Station of the Gator Amateur Radio Club, at UF since 1934, for the above information]

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2017 Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference

The Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference (ISSC) will be held at San Jose State University on May 1-2, 2017 in San Jose, California. The conference addresses interplanetary small satellites, including mission design, enabling technologies, science applications, and all other technical aspects of these missions. You can find out more details about the conference at ttp://www.intersmallsatconference.com/

This year we are expecting over 200 people to attend the conference. This year’s keynote speakers will be announced soon. The conference will feature a suite of talks and attendees from JPL, NASA and other space agencies, universities, and companies from around the world to work on developing
this important new direction for small spacecraft missions.

The Interplanetary Small Satellite Conference also gives an exciting chance for organizations to sponsor an exhibitor table or a booth. A table is $270 (includes one registration) and a booth is $540 (includes two registrations). Prices are guaranteed until January 31, when they may increase.

Registration will be available soon on our website, but please email us at exhibitors@intercubesat.org
for information and to reserve your spot. Tables and booths will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis when registration payments are received.

Please also consider submitting an abstract to represent your organization.Abstracts are due on February 15, 2017. I hope you'll be able to join us in beautiful San Jose. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions.

[ANS thanks the ISSC Committee (via the cubesat.org mailing list) for the above information]

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Frequency Plan of the PicSAT Project Validated by the IARU

AMSAT-F (AMSAT Francophone) announced on January 8 the IARU validated the proposed frequency plan for the PICSAT satellite project of the Paris Observatory.

The satellite will offer capabilities for telemetry data transmission:
AX25 - 9k6 BPSK, and an FM transponder.

Uplink   : 145.910 MHz FM
Downlink : 435.925 MHz FM

AMSAT-F and Réseau des Émetteurs Français (REF), the national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in France, will provide active technical support for this project.

For more information :
IARU Coordination: http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/iaru/formal_detail.php?serialnum=536

Link budget estimated: https://perso.lesia.obspm.fr/picsat/files/2016/12/PicSat_IARU_Coordination.pdf

Project page: http://lesia.obspm.fr/PICSAT.html

REF-Info: http://ref-info.ref.org/projet-picsat-de-lobservatoire-de-paris/

[ANS thanks AMSAT-Francophone for the above information]

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AMSAT Events

Information about AMSAT activities at other important events around the country. Examples of these events are radio club meetings where AMSAT Area Coordinators give presentations, demonstrations of working amateur satellites, and hamfests with an AMSAT presence (a table with
AMSAT literature and merchandise, sometimes also with presentations, forums, and/or demonstrations).

*Saturday, 14 January 2017 – Thunderbird Hamfest 2017 in Phoenix AZ
*Friday and Saturday, 20-21 January 2017 – Cowtown Hamfest in Forest Hill, TX
*Thursday, 26 January 2017 – presentation for Arizona Repeater Association in Tempe AZ
*Saturday, 4 February 2017 – Palm Springs Hamfest in Palm Springs CA
*Friday-Sunday, 10-12 February 2017   Orlando HamCation in Orlando, FL
*Friday and Saturday, 17-18 February 2017 – Yuma Hamfest in Yuma AZ
*Friday-Sunday, March 31, April 1 & 2, 2017, NVCON in Las Vegas, NV

[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information]

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ARISS News

Successful Contacts

* A combined telebridge via K6DUE with students at Collège Saint-Guibert, Gembloux, Belgium and Euro Space Center, Transinne, Belgium was successful Thu 2017-01-12.

* A direct contact via W6FOG with students at the World Genesis Foundation (WGF), Goodyear, AZ. & Quartzsite in Motion, Quartzsite, AZ. was successful Wed 2017-01-11.

* A direct contact via K4JMC with students at Rainbow Middle School in Rainbow City, AL. was successful Wed 2017-01-04.

* A direct contact via F1IMF with students at Collège Mathilde Marthe Faucher, Allassac, France was successful Wed 2017-01-04.

* A direct contact via F4KJV with students at Primary School Georges Wallers, Saint-Amand-les-Eaux (59), France was successful Sat 2016-12-31.

* A direct contact via IK1SLD with students at Ecole Communale de Saint Sylvestre, Saint Sylvestre, France was successful Wed 2016-12-21.

Upcoming Contacts

* A telebridge via K6DUE students at the Léon Blum High School, Le Creusot, France, is presently scheduled for Mon 2017-01-16 11:53:17 UTC 60 deg. The scheduled astronaut is Thomas Pesquet, KG5FYG.

Le Creusot is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France. Formerly a mining town, its economy is now dominated by large metallurgical companies such as ArcelorMittal, Schneider Electric, and Alstom. In the 19th century, iron ore mines and forges around Le Creusot generated a business in steel, railways, armaments, and shipbuilding.

The lycée Léon Blum (Le Creusot-71) together with the lycée international Charles de Gaulle (Dijon-21) and lycée Pierre Paul Riquet (Saint-Orens-31) were selected after a call for projects in March 2015 by the CNES Youth Education department for the PROXIMA mission. The project is named CERES (after the name of ancient roman goddess of agriculture). Thomas will grow some seeds in space as part of the CERES educational experiment. A special cargo of mustard, lentil and radish seeds was sent to him on the Space Station. He should water them and take pictures at regular intervals to study how the seeds grow in space. Students of the two partner high schools and a local elementary school are also participating to the list of questions.

Watch http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html for information about upcoming contacts as they are scheduled.

[ANS thanks ARISS and Charlie, AJ9N for the above information]

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Satellite Shorts From All Over

South East VHF Society Conference Charlotte NC April 28-29

The SVHF Society will hold their convention in Charlotte, NC this year on April 28 and 29 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Charlotte Airport, 2600 Yorkmont Road, Charlotte, NC 28201.

We have arranged rooms at $95; you can call 800-222-TREE and ask for this rate under the name "South East VHF Society". Early registration guest room rate of $89 is offered for reservations made by January 31, 2017. If you plan to attend, please call now to reserve your room at this lower rate
before the end of January.

Registration information will be posted soon on the web site (http://svhfs.org) so watch for the sign up details. The conference fee for pre-registration is $30, Friday's Luncheon is $15, and Saturday's banquet is $40.

[ANS thanks Gary Greene, W2ZV, SVHF Society conference committee member for
the above information]

AMSAT CW Activity Day reports

As of 8 January, only two of the participants in AMSAT CW Activity Day have posted reports to amsat-bb. While there is no requirement to do so, if you participated, please consider posting one while it's still fresh in your mind. You can post a list of stations worked, satellites used, "Soapbox" comments, suggestions for next year's event, or what have you.

[ANS thanks Ray, W2RS, for the above information]

DXpedition Teams Make Satellite Plans

FP, ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON. Eric, KV1J, will once again be operating from the Island of Miquelon (NA-032, DIFO FP-002 WLOTA 1417, Grid GN17) as FP/KV1J between July 4-18th. Activity will be on 160-10 meters using CW, SSB and RTTY (but primarily SSB and RTTY). He will generally be on the highest frequency band that is open (favoring 12/10m). He will be active in the IARU HF Contest (July 8-9th), NA QSO Party-RTTY (July 15-16th) and the CQ VHF Contest [6M only] (July 15-16th). QSL via KV1J, direct or by the Bureau. Also eQSL and LoTW. For more details and updates, check out his Web page at: http://www.kv1j.com/fp/July17.html

PLEASE NOTE: Eric mentions, "I will also be on the analog Satellites when the WX is good enough to operate from outside."

YN, NICARAGUA. A team of four operators, sponsored by Texas DX Society, will be operating near Granada beginning March 20th and ending March 27th. Operators mentioned are Keith/NM5G (YN2MG), Ken/KD2KW (YN2KW), Bill/K5WL (YN2WL) and Marty/W5MF (YN2MF). The group plans to participate in the CQWW WPX SSB Contest (March 25-26th) as YN2KW and station, as a Multi-Op/Single-Transmitter/All-Bands/Low-Power entry. Outside of the contest, operators will use their own callsigns on CW, SSB, RTTY and other Digital modes. They will also have equipment to make some satellite contacts as time and weather permit. QSL YN2KW via N5ET, all others call signs listen for instructions, but probably the same route.

[ANS thanks the Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin No. 1299 for the above information]

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/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,
Joe Spier, K6WAO
k6wao at amsat dot org
_______________________________________________
Via the ANS mailing list courtesy of AMSAT-NA
http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/ans

Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Monitoring the 2017 Presidential Inauguration

The Capitol Hill Monitor (CHM) scanner group has posted their 8th CHM inaugural scanning guide and our most detailed ever by Ron Perron, David Schoenberger, Mike Peyton and edited by Alan Henney with contributions from Chris Parris, Larry Van Horn, anonymous and as noted. You can share your discoveries on the Scan-DC email list or on the DC Zello incident notification channel. The 12 page pdf document is available at http://henney.com/chm/0117/chm0117.pdf.