AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-103

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://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 dot org

In this edition:

• ARISS Responds to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• New TQSL Version Provides Better LoTW Rover Support
• AMSAT-EA Registering SanoSat-1 for AMSAT Nepal
• ESA and LibreSpace Report: SDR's for Small Satellites
• Brazil Holds 430 and 1240 MHz Hearing
• Upcoming Satellite Operations
• ARISS News
• Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events
• Satellite Shorts from All Over

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-103 01 ANS-103 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 103 01 From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD April 12, 2020 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-103 01

ARISS Responds to the COVID-19 Pandemic

In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the ARISS team is working to transform its activities for the health and safety of our students, host educational institutions and its team It has instituted an immediate response effort followed by a more strategic, longer term initiative to protect all ARISS leadership, working with a physician on the team, is carefully reviewing all of its procedures in light of the evolving COVID-19 recommendation ARISS will continue to monitor the local and global situations and will modify its local and global planning as these situations change

ARISS has two primary initiatives underway One is to develop “virtual school” contacts to link each student in their home through its telebridge stations The other is to plan SSTV (picture downlink) sessions during which pictures from ISS can be received by all in their homes

For further information on the ARISS plan, see: https://www ariss org/COVID-19 html

[ANS thanks Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, ARISS International Chair for the above information ]

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     Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMSAT office
is closed until further notice
 For details, please visit

https://www amsat org/amsat-office-closed-until-further-notice/

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New TQSL Version Provides Better LoTW Rover Support

The latest version of TrustedQSL (TQSL), version 2 5 2, offers improved Logbook of The World (LoTW) support for operations from several locations, as well as the ability to detect uploads that contain incorrect location data

The primary new feature in TQSL 2 5 2 allows logging programs, in conjunction with TQSL, to avoid incorrect contact uploads, while adding mechanisms to allow easy uploading of logs for roving stations LoTW had required rovers to identify each location used as a separate location in TQSL The new version of TQSL allows these operations to be handled much more smoothly by using information from the station’s logging program

When a log is signed by TQSL, the station details — call Sign, DXCC entity, grid square, and other location details provided by the selected station location (and call sign certificate) — are compared with the details in the log If the US state and station location in a log do not agree, TQSL 2 5 2 will reject the contact, detecting errors in instances when an incorrect station location has been chosen

This feature will necessitate changes in many logging programs, because it requires that the log provide station details previously not used by TQSL Once a logging program supplies these (MY_STATE, MY_DXCC, MY_CQ_ZONE, etc ), then TQSL will validate them against the log Currently, Cabrillo logs use the CALLSIGN field to verify that the contacts are for the correct call sign

Optionally, a station performing roaming operations (e g , from multiple grid squares) can choose to have TQSL assume that the log is correct When call sign or home station are provided with the log, TQSL will automatically update the details on the upload Select “Override Station Location with QTH Details from your Log” on the “Log Handling” preference page to enable this feature

This release also includes an update to the most recent TQSL configuration file

[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information ]

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       Purchase AMSAT Gear on our Zazzle storefront

      25% of the purchase price of each product goes
        towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space
          https://www
zazzle
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AMSAT-EA Registering SanoSat-1 for AMSAT Nepal

The Union of Spanish Amateur Radio Operators' satellite group, AMSAT-EA, is registering with IARU and the ITU the AMSAT Nepal satellite SanoSat-1 This is being done due to the difficulty of carrying out this procedure in the Asian country This is a one-off collaboration which will allow said satellite to fly under the Spanish flag It should be launched jointly with the AMSAT-EA EASAT-2 and Hades satellites possibly with SpaceX later this year

SanoSat-1 is a 5cm/side pocketQube 1P designed and developed affordably for the hobbyist community by using readily available commercial of-the-shelf components (COTS)

The SanoSat-1 satellite integrates a gamma radiation sensor as a payload Its main mission will be to measure space radiation while orbiting, and periodically transmit its level to Earth using RTTY-FSK modulation All radio amateurs will be able to receive and decode radiation measurement data

The secondary mission of the SanoSat-1 satellite is also to demonstrate the storage and forwarding concept which will be useful in remote disaster-prone locations The satellite will collect data from ground sensors, store it on board and transmit it to Earth's main station The design and kit for the ground sensors will be made available to the general public

One of AMSAT Nepal's goals is to encourage more people to join the group of radio amateurs by receiving data from SanoSat-1 which will also transmit a CW beacon with its internal status

Another activity scheduled to promote radio amateurs and satellite technology to science and technology students around the world is the organization of hands-on workshops on the construction of pico-satellites and ground stations There will be an opportunity to build an affordable open source ground station (SatNOGS) and a dedicated GFSK receiver ground station to receive the data The design of the satellite itself will be open source as well

More information is available at: https://tinyurl com/ANS-103-SanoSat-1

[ANS thanks the Union of Spanish Amateur Radio Operators for the above information ]

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 Need new satellite antennas? Purchase Arrows, Alaskan Arrows,
and M2 LEO-Packs from the AMSAT Store
 When you purchase through
       AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards
              Keeping Amateur Radio in Space

    https://amsat
org/product-category/hardware/

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ESA and LibreSpace Report: SDR's for Small Satellites

The European Space Agency Libre Space Foundation has published a paper comparing many common software defined radios (SDR's) The devices they examined are:

• RTS-SDR v3
• Airspy Mini
• SDRPlay RSPduo
• LimeSDR Mini
• BladeRF 2 0 Micro
• Ettus USRP B210
• Pluto SDR

The report looked at several bands of interest, but not the HF bands — not surprising considering that some of the devices can’t even operate on HF They did examine VHF, UHF, L band, S band, and C band performance Some of the SDR's have transmit capabilities, and for those devices, they tested the transmit function as well as receive

The review isn’t just subjective It calculates noise figures and dynamic range, along with other technical parameters It also includes GNURadio flowgraphs for their test setups, which would be a place to start if one wanted to do these kinds of measurements oneself

Towards the end of the 134 page report is an assessment of SDR software and how the boards are supported There was no clear winner or loser although the report did mention how SDRPlay’s closed source limited software support in some applications

Read the complete report at: https://tinyurl com/ANS-103-SDR-Report

[ANS thanks Hackaday for the above information ]

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Brazil Holds 430 and 1240 MHz Hearing

A public hearing is being held in Brazil concerning both the 430 MHz and the 1240 MHz Amateur Radio bands

On March 23, 2020 the National Telecommunications Agency, ANATEL, published a Public Consultation proposal number 14/2020 on technical and operational requirements for the use of the frequency bands from 430 MHz to 440 MHz and from 1240 MHz to 1300 MHz by stations of the Private Limited Service (SLP) for radiolocation applications

The national amateur radio society LABRE says “The Radio Amateur community is concerned about the possible occurrence of interference, especially in the 70 cm band ”

Read the translated LABRE post at: https://tinyurl com/BrazilLABRE

[ANS thanks AMSAT-UK for the above information ]

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Upcoming Satellite Operations

• From the Mountains to the Bay(CM88,89,98,99 DM09,19,29 DN00,01,02, 10,11,20,21) April 12-21, 2020 RJ, WY7AA, is hitting the asphalt again, roving from Wyoming to Vacaville, CA He’s attending a class from April 15-19, so most of the roving will be outside of this time Grids to be covered include: CM88,89,98,99 DM09,19,29 DN00,01,02,10,11,20,21 Specific pass details will be posted on WY7AA QRZ page and Twitter (https://twitter com/WY7AA) as the trip approaches

[ANS thanks Robert Bankston, KE4AL for the above information ]

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AMSAT, along with our ARISS partners, is developing an amateur
radio package, including two-way communication capability, to
        be carried on-board Gateway in lunar orbit

Support AMSAT's projects today at https://www amsat org/donate/

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ARISS News

ARISS is very aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on schools and the public in general As such, we may have last minute cancellations or postponements of school contacts As always, ARISS will try to provide everyone with near-real-time updates

The following schools have now been postponed or canceled due to COVID-19:

Postponed:

• SPDW Voortrekker Movement, Oranjeville, South Africa, direct via ZS9SPD
• RO-SAT One, Piatra-Neam?, Romania, direct via YRØISS
• McConnell Middle School, Loganville, GA, prefer direct via KD4TGR
• Monroe Carrell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, direct via N4FR
• Oakwood School, Morgan Hill, CA, direct via AE6XM
• Ramona Lutheran School, Ramona, CA, direct via N6ROR

Canceled:

• Electromagnetic Field, Ledbury, United Kingdom, direct via GB4EMF

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, for the above information]

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Hamfests, Conventions, Maker Faires, and Other Events

Due to COVID-19, many hamfests and events around the United States have been cancelled or postponed While we make every effort to ensure the information contained below is correct, there may be some that we missed

Current schedule:

• May 2, 2020 Arrowhead Radio Amateurs Club Hamfest, Superior, WI
• June 12-13, 2020, Ham-Con, Plano, TX

The following events scheduled to have an AMSAT presence have been CANCELED:

• April 18, 2020 Brainerd Area Amateur Radio Club Hamfest, Brainerd, MN
• May 2, 2020, Cochise Amateur Radio Association Hamfest, Sierra Vista, AZ
• May 8-9, 2020 Prescott Hamfest, Prescott, AZ
• May 15-17, Hamvention, Xenia, OH

[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information ]

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Shorts from All Over

• Fresh ISS Crew Arrives

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy, KF5KDR, and two Russian cosmonauts arrived Thursday for their mission aboard the International Space Station, temporarily restoring the orbiting laboratory?s population to six people The Soyuz MS-16 spacecraft carrying Cassidy, along with Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, docked to the station's Poisk service module at 10:13 A M after a four-orbit, six-hour flight Their Soyuz spacecraft launched at 4:05 A M EDT (0805Z, or 1:05 P M Kazakhstan time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

[ANS thanks NASA for the above information ]

• Rocket Lab Rocket Recovery Test Video

Before New Zealand went into COVID-19 lockdown, the folks at Rocket Lab did a test to recover a first stage Electron rocket You can see the video at: https://www youtube com/watch?v=N3CWGDhkmbs

[ANS thanks Terry Osborne ZL2BAC for the above information ]

• Preparing for the Ultimate DXpedition? Read the Manual First!

For those of you who have been dreaming about operating from the moon or Mars, you can begin your preparations by reading SpaceX's Starship User Guide Version 1 0 No, it's not a detailed flight manual but it will help you plan your provisions It's light reading and can be seen at https://tinyurl com/ANS-103-Starship

[ANS thanks JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM for the above information ]

• First Transatlantic Contact on 70 Centimeters Reported

History appears to have been made on April 7, when AMSAT member Burt Demarcq, FG8OJ and an operator at D4VHF in Cape Verde off the African Coast and , on Guadeloupe in the Caribbean completed a contact on 70 centimeters using FT8 — a distance of 3,867 kilometers (2,398 miles) This would mark the first transatlantic contact on that band that did not involve satellites or moonbounce The most likely mode of propagation was marine ducting, with the signal being trapped close to the ocean surface

One day earlier, 9Y4D in Trinidad copied D4VHF over a distance of 4,006 kilometers (2,484 miles), but no contact was made D4VHF is the VHF-UHF contest call sign of the Monteverde Contest Team (D4C)

Perhaps not coincidentally, FG8OJ was the first to span the Atlantic on 2 meters over the same path, when he worked D41CV in Cape Verde on June 16, 2019

[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information ]

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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

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 student rate for a maximum of six post-secondary years in this status

Contact Martha at the AMSAT office for additional student membership information

73, This week's ANS Editor, Frank Karnauskas, N1UW n1uw 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

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