AMSAT NEWS SERVICE ANS-132

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 Scehdule for May 2009 * 2009 AMSAT Field Day Rules * AMSAT DXpedition Loaner Gear Available * Opening on AO-51 Operations Committee * AMSAT Awards * ARISS Status - 27 April 2009

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132 01 AO-51 Schedule for May 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132 01 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD May 3, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-132 01

Due to rapidly increasing eclipse lengths throughout May, we need to keep the satellite in "normal" mode for Whole Orbit Data (WOD) collection via the BBS Power output will steadily be decreased throughout the month

April 27 - May 31

FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145 920 MHz FM Downlink: 435 300 MHz FM

9k6 BBS and Telemetry Uplink: 1268 700 MHz FM Downlink: 435 150 MHz FM

73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations

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

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132 02 2009 AMSAT Field Day Rules

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132 02 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD May 3, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-132 02

The AMSAT Field Day 2009 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators Amateurs are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both analog and digital Note that no points will be credited for any contacts beyond the ONE allowed via each single-channel FM satellite Operators are encouraged not to make any extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: AO-27 & SO-50)

CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three points as outlined below

1. Analog Transponders ARRL rules apply, except:

   • Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is considered to be a separate band
   • CW and digital (RTTY, PSK-31, etc ) contacts count THREE points each
   • Stations are limited to one (1) completed QSO on any single channel FM satellite If AO-51 has the V/U and L/S modes turned on, one contact each is allowed If the PBBS is on - see Pacsats below, ISS (1 phone and 1 digital), Contacts with the ISS crew will count for one contact if they are active PCSat (I, II, etc ) (1 digital),
   • The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single satellite transponder is prohibited

2. Digital Transponders For the Pacsats (GO-32, AO-51) or ‘Store and Forward’ hamsats, each satellite is considered a separate band Do not post "CQ" messages Simply upload ONE greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting messages as possible from each satellite The subject of the uploaded file should be posted as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL The purpose of this portion of the competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to other Field Day participants and observers Do not reply to the Field Day Greetings addressed to ALL

The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital contacts (a) Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite) (b) Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other stations Downloads of non- Field Day files or messages not addressed to ALL are not to be counted for the event Save DIR listings and message files for later "proof of contact "

Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under the ARRL rules

Satellite digipeat QSO's and APRS short-message contacts are worth three points each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges Remember, only one digipeat contact is allowed for the ISS and other satellites in this mode The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i e EchoLink, IRLP, etc ) to uplink/downlink is not allowed

1. Operating Class Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field Day rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to commercial power On the report form simply check off Emergency or Commercial for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class (2A, 1C, etc )

AND FINALLY The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for submission of the AMSAT Field Day competition and be received by KK5DO (email or postal mail) by 11:59 P M CDT, Monday, July 13, 2009 The preferred method for submitting your log is via e-mail to kk5do@amsat org or kk5do@arrl net

You may also use the postal service but give plenty of time for your results to arrive by the submission date Add photographs or other interesting information so that can be used an article for the Journal

You will receive an email back (within one or two days) from me when I receive your email submission If you do not receive a confirmation message, then I have not received your submission Try sending it again or send it to my other email address

If mailing your submission, the address is: Bruce Paige, KK5DO Director of Awards and Contests PO Box 310 Alief, TX 77411-0310

Certificates will be awarded to the first-place emergency power/portable station at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in October, 2009 Certificates will also be awarded to the second and third place portable/emergency operation in addition to the first-place home station running on emergency power Stations submitting high, award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe sheets for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads

Additional information and a copy of the submission form is available at http://www amsatnet com/2009fd pdf

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132 03 AMSAT DXpedition Loaner Gear Available

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132 03 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD May 3, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-132 03

AMSAT DXpedition loaner gear is available to members for use activating a DXCC entity or rare grids such as on a cruise Currently AMSAT has two Arrow antennas, and a D7 handheld available for loan Please contact Drew at ko4ma@amsat org for more information

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

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132 04 Opening on AO-51 Operations Committee

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132 04 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD May 3, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-132 04

We currently have an opening on the AO-51 Operations Committee for an enthusiastic individual interested in helping with scheduling, answering questions about operations, and supporting AO-51 in general Interested parties are required to be an AMSAT member in good standing, have regular access to email, and be experienced in many of the modes in which AO-51 operates in order to be considered This is an excellent opportunity to get involved with AMSAT for those new to volunteering for the organization

I don't expect to announce the new member until after Dayton Also, please be patient while waiting for a response Email the Operations Committee at ao51-modes@amsat org, directly to me at ko4ma@amsat org, or see me in person at Dayton

73, Drew KO4MA AMSAT-NA VP Operations

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

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132 05 AMSAT Awards

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132 05 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD May 3, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-132 05

There continues to be a very high interest in AMSAT Awards which means a lot of new operators on the satellites

We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community They have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT Satellite Communicators Club

Benigno Gomez, XE2YBG Chris Lemon, KB9CL Evangelos Kafetzopoulos SV1EEK James Cutter, W7OJS Jim McCullough, KI4TWA Steve Niles, N5EN

The following have earned the AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement Award

L Val Hanney, KN7D #486 Benigno Gomez, XE2YBM #487 Steve Niles, N5EN #488 (We are approaching number 500 on this award)

To see all the awards visit http://www amsat org or http://www amsatnet com

Bruce Paige, KK5DO AMSAT Director Contests and Awards

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132 06 ARISS Status - 27 April 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132 06 From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD May 3, 2009 To All RADIO AMATEURS BID: $ANS-132 06

1. Ashland Contact Successful

On Monday, April 20, St Edward School in Ashland, Ohio experienced an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA answered 13 questions posed to him by 12 children as approximately 170 students and teachers looked on The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and JK1ZRW servers and received four connections from the U S , England and Brazil Television channel 39 and the Times-Gazette both covered the event The newspaper article may be found here: http://www times-gazette com/news/article/4570900

1. Astronaut Training Status

Astronaut Mike Fossum took and passed his amateur radio license exam on Wednesday, April 15 His new callsign is KF5AQG

1. CQ Magazine Article on ARISS Contact

Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC wrote an article on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact between youth attending the Berkeley Heights Recreation Summer Playground in New Jersey and Expedition 17’s Greg Chamitoff, KD5PKZ NPARC (New Providence Amateur Radio Club) assisted with the contact which took place on August 13, 2008 The story, “Believe in Your Dreams - Anatomy of an ARISS Contact,” was published in the April 2009 issue of CQ Magazine

1. Marcelino Canino Canino Contact Video

Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico, a 2005 NASA Explorer School, experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact on March 31 The video of students speaking with Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK is now available on YouTube See: http://www youtube com/watch?v=toOAAxEhKRA

1. Article on Simonyi Contacts

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member Maurice-André Vigneault, VE3VIG wrote a short story for the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club (OVMRC) news bulletin, The Rambler and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) magazine, TCA The article is about contacts made between the Canada Science and Technology Museum's VE3JW Amateur Radio Exhibit and Spaceflight Participant Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK during his recent ISS flight “Space Contact” may be found on page 7 of the April 2009 issue of The Rambler See: http://www pdfdownload org/pdf2html/pdf2html php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww ovmrc on ca%2FRambler%2FRam2009-04 pdf&images=yes

[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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