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]

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 w2rs@amsat org

A list of those nominated will be published in early February

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

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]

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]

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

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