Date: March 9th 2008

AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-069

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@amsat org

In this edition: * AO-51 March Schedule * College Night Successful on AO-51 * AO-16 Status Update * AMSAT Events for 14/15 March 2008 * AMSAT Store Down for Upgrade * AMSAT Block of Rooms at Dayton * ARISS Status - 03 March 2008

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-069 01 AO-51 March Schedule

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 069 01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 9, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-069 01

Last month we concentrated on L uplinks and S downlinks This month we'd like to concentrate on U band downlinks In response to recent discussions on AMSAT-BB, we are going to try two separate weeks of dual repeaters Unlike the QRP restrictions we have had in the past, this time the only special restrictions are that regular users yield for university stations that will be active on 27th Please limit contacts those dates to QSOs involving at least one university station If the second repeater is not utilized, we may revert to digital operations

The 435 150 repeater and 2401 200 downlinks may be temporarily suspended for WOD telemetry download without notice Generally this will only be for one pass per day

Regarding the graphic schedule, the software that does the schedule will not allow for the proper display of some of the current modes or any detailed information on special purposes Please refer to the text page for mode change information http://www amsat org/amsat-new/echo/CTNews php

March 2008 AO-51 (AMSAT Echo) Schedule

March 1 until March 31, subject to modification

March 1 - March 2

FM Repeater, V/US Uplink: 145 920 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlinks: 435 300 and 2401 200 MHz FM

March 3 - March 9

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145 920 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435 300 MHz FM

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145 880 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435 150 MHz FM

March 10 - March 16

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145 920 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435 300 MHz FM

9k6 Digital L/U BBS and Telemetry Uplink: 1268 700 MHz FM Downlink: 435 150 MHz FM

March 17 - March 23

FM Repeater, V/US Uplink: 145 920 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlinks: 435 300 and 2401 200 MHz FM

March 24 - March 31

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145 920 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435 300 MHz FM

FM Repeater, V/U (March 27th please yield to university stations) Uplink: 145 880 MHz FM, NO PL Tone Downlink: 435 150 MHz FM

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

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-069 02 College Night Successful on AO-51

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 069 02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 9, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-069 02

Jay, AA4FL reports that College Night was a success on AO-51 College stations heard at the University Of Floriday (UF) during the two evening passes (March 5 UTC) were the University of Arkansas and a student from the University of Kentucky The SEC was well represented! Contacts were made at UF by two students, KI4LDJ (Dante) and N6WPV (Seth), and AA4FL (Jay), and included contacts with: N0YK, N3UNM (Frostburg, MD, home of Frostburg state U), KI4VNV (UK student), KB2HSH, KU4OS (mobile in Cocoa,FL), WD9EWK (portable in city park Phoenix), W5YM (U ARK), N5AFV

Thanks to all that participated Look for us again on the next college night on AO51, March 27th Make sure to spread the word to college hams/club stations you may know

[ANS thanks Jay, AA4FL, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-069 03 AO-16 Status Update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 069 03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 9, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-069 03

AO-16 is doing quite well in its current mode

AO-16 is currently operational as a Voice Repeater (Downlink is double sideband ): Uplink: 145 9200 MHz FM Downlink 437 0260 MHz DSB (LSB and USB)

The plan is to continue this mode of voice operations "until further notice "

AO-16 has been in full sunlight (no eclipse periods at all) for several months That is about to change later this month! Short eclipse periods will begin at the end of March and will increase steadily until early July--at which point the eclipse periods will increase to about 26 minutes each orbit We'll have to watch this old bird and its batteries as the eclipse periods increase

It is possible that the long eclipse periods may necessitate the reduction of the 70 cm transmitter output; this is a manual process for AO-16, since the spacecraft isn't running any housekeeping software to do it "automagically " AO-16 is pretty loud at its current power setting, so some reduction should have little if any user impact Observations and user reports will be especially helpful during April/May/June/July this year In order to collect telemetry, we'll need to change the satellite into its digital mode from time to time But this doesn't take long and therefore shouldn't interfere much with its operations as a voice satellite

The S-band beacon is not operational at this time The exact status of the S-band transmitter remains unknown; however, its last known status might be described as "suspect" or "semi-operational" at best Given the age of the satellite (over 18 years!), For now, this falls into the "maybe we should leave well enough alone" category

[ANS thanks Mark, N8MH, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-069 04 AMSAT Events for 14/15 March 2008

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 069 04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 9, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-069 04

Keith Pugh, W5IU, will be manning the AMSAT booth at the Green Country Hamfest in Claremore, OK on the 14th and 15th of March In addition to the booth there will be satellite demos and a forum

AMSAT Executive Vice President Lee McLamb, KU4OS, will be at the Stuart Hamfest in Martin County, FL Activities at the Stuart Hamfest include an AMSAT Booth and FM satellite demonstrations

A full day of activities are planned for the 2008 AMSAT-DC Meeting and Space Seminar Talks, demos, tutorials and socializing about amateur satellites and high-altitude balloon experiments will get underway starting at 1100 A M local on 15 March The event will be held at the Historical Electronics Museum (HEM) at 1745 West Nursery Road, Linthicum, Maryland 21090 (near BWI airport) In Pioneer Hall For more information, contact Pat Kilroy, n8pk@amsat org

[ANS thanks Lee, KU4OS, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-069 05 AMSAT Store Down for Upgrade

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 069 05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 9, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-069 05

he AMSAT web store is currently off-line while being upgraded It is anticipated that the upgraded store should be online within a few weeks

Orders can still be placed and memberships renewed by contacting Martha in the AMSAT office You can send her an e-mail at Martha@amsat org and she will call you on the phone From the US the AMSAT office can be called toll free at (888) 322-6728, from all other locations call (301) 589-6062 Martha will be out of the office from Wednesday, March 12 - Monday, March 24th

Alternatively you can send a fax to (301) 608-3410 or send a letter to AMSAT, 850 Sligo Ave Suite 600, Silver Spring, MD 20910

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-069 06 AMSAT Block of Rooms at Dayton

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 069 06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 9, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-069 06

AMSAT will once again have a block of rooms available for members at The Dayton Hamvention The AMSAT rate will be available from May 14 Through May 18 To reserve a room you can e-mail Martha at the AMSAT Office (martha@amsat org) or call her at (301) 589-6062; fax at (301) 608-3410 She will need to know your name, yourdaytime phone number, dates room needed, credit card number and expiration date Remember, "if you snooze, you lose"!

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

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-069 07 ARISS Status - 03 March 2008

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 069 07 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD March 9, 2008 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-069 07

College Reydellet Contact Successful

On Monday, February 25, youth attending College Reydellet in Saint-Denis, Ile de La RÃƒÂ©union experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with ESA astronaut LÃƒÂ©opold Eyharts, FX0STD/KE5FNO Ten students were able to ask one question each of the astronaut as approximately 75 students, teachers and parents looked on Also in attendance were the Regional Director of Research and Technology (DRRT), the Colleges and Schools Supervisor and the Heads of educational institutions At least part of the audio from this event was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT (101 377) and JK1ZRW (277 208) servers successfully Fifteen connections were made from 10 countries Media coverage included RFO Radio, TV Antenne-Reunion (correspondent of TF1, France's national TV), private broadcaster Festival and the local newspapers Le Quotidien and Le Journal de l'ile Photos have been posted on the ARISS-Europe Web site See: http://www ariss-eu org/2008_02_26 htm Le Journal de l'ile article, in French, can be found here: http://archives clicanoo com/index php?page=article&id_article=175971&recherche= Reydellet+ARISS

France Soir Article on Robespierre Contact

Robespierre Elementary School in Rueil Malmaison, France participated in an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on February 21 France Soir covered news (in French) of the educational activity Go to: http://www francesoir fr/societe/2008/02/22/leopold-eyharts-en-direct-des- etoiles html#SÃƒÂƒÃ‚Â©quence_1

Crew Debrief Sessions to be Rescheduled

The February debrief sessions planned with astronaut Dan Tani, KD5DXE, and space visitor Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, 9W2MUS, were cancelled They will be rescheduled in the near future

ARISS Presentation at NARCON 2008

The National Association of RocketryÃ‚Â’s National Convention, NARCON 2008, will be held March 14 Ã‚Â– 16 in Rochester, Minnesota Will Marchant, KC6ROL, will give a presentation on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) educational outreach program during the seminar session For more information, see: http://www narcon2008 org/event_info/seminars htm

SuitSat-1 Article

On February 25, The Daily Galaxy ran an article on the amateur radio satellite SuitSat-1 which was deployed on February 3, 2006 To view the article, see: http://www dailygalaxy com/my_weblog/2008/02/suitsat-one--th html

Astronaut Training Status

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) training sessions are being planned for astronauts Nicole Stott, KE5GJN, Sandy Magnus, KE5FYE, and Bob Thirsk, VA3CSA Magnus is expected to be a crewmember of Expedition 17/18, flying to the ISS on STS-126 in September 2008 Stott, a member of the Expedition 19 crew, will fly on STS-128 in May 2009 and Thirsk, a CSA astronaut, will follow the same month on a Soyuz flight

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/EX

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the President's Club Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT Project Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits Application forms are available from the AMSAT Office

73, This week's ANS Editor, Lee McLamb, KU4OS ku4os at amsat dot org

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