ans-editor at amsat dot org.
You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service
Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see:
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/764329070582/list.admin/aus-city.com/In this edition:
* DMR Station QRM's AO-92 Uplink
* AMSAT Announces New Store on Zazzle
* AMSAT Rover Award Updates
* AO73/FUNcube-1 Entering a Further Period of Full Sunlight
* VUCC Awards-Endorsements for August 2018
* 2018 ARRL/TAPR DCC Preliminary Schedule Announced
* Interns Create Visualization of NASA Space-Ground Communications
* AMSAT Board of Director Elections Corrected Ballots Due
 September 15, 2018
* Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors
* Upcoming Satellite Operations
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts from All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-245.01
ANS-245 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 245.01
>From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
September 2, 2018
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-245.01
DMR Station QRM's AO-92 Uplink
On August 27th, AMSAT Vice President-Operations Drew Glasbrenner,
KO4MA, noted:
"Recently there has been a DMR signal QRM'ing the AO-92 uplink on
435.350 or close by. Hotspots, repeaters, terrestrial simplex
(anything not satellite) should not be in 145.8-146.0 or 435-438 by
international bandplan. Please QSY these radios ASAP. Please share to
DMR, D-star, Fusion, P25 groups and similar, thank you!"
For amateur operators in the U.S., FCC Part 97 has a bit to say
about the way we should operate in the 145.8-146.0 and 435-438 MHz
amateur satellite subbands. Regulations in many other countries are
not as detailed as those established by the FCC on how we should
operate on different frequencies and bands. This includes where
hotspots and similar systems used for digital voice modes (i.e., DMR,
D-Star,
C4FM/Fusion) and other technologies like EchoLink and IRLP, should
operate.
Auxiliary stations are defined at 97.3(a)(7):
"An amateur station, other than in a message forwarding system, that
is transmitting communications point-to-point within a system of
cooperating amateur stations."
This definition includes "remote bases;" the nodes for systems like
EchoLink and IRLP; and hotspots used for digital-voice modes like D-
Star, DMR, and Fusion/C4FM (among others); as well as stations using
these hotspots and nodes. Auxiliary stations are not allowed in the
145.8-146.0 and 435-438 MHz satellite subbands per 97.201(b) - among
other subbands in the 2m and 70cm amateur bands.
Repeaters are defined at 97.3(a)(40) as:
"Repeater. An amateur station that simultaneously retransmits the
transmission of another amateur station on a different channel or
channels."
Since most hotspots are operating on a single frequency, they would
not qualify as a repeater. Even if the hotspot operates like a
repeater as defined above, repeaters are not permitted to use
145.5-146.0 MHz and 435-438 MHz per 97.205(b).
Beyond these two sections, Part 97 also has 97.101(a): "In all
respects not specifically covered by FCC Rules each amateur station
must be operated in accordance with good engineering and good amateur
practice."
Whether the hotspot is interfering with a satellite downlink in a
particular area, or it is interfering with the satellite uplink
affecting a much larger area, this would not be good amateur practice.
In addition to subbands where hotspots are not permitted, 97.101(b)
is also relevant:
"Each station licensee and each control operator must cooperate in
selecting transmitting channels and in making the most effective use
of the amateur service frequencies. No frequency will be assigned for
the exclusive use of any station."
Frequencies used by satellites are usually incapable of being
changed, and have been registered with a regulator like the FCC and
the ITU.
Hotspots are usually frequency-agile, and the frequencies used by
those systems can be changed to avoid potential interference to
satellites and other stations.
And all of this is in addition to local bandplans, which may already
have provisions for hotspots or simplex nodes.
[ANS thanks Patrick Stoddard, WD9EWK, for the above information.]
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AMSAT Announces New Store on Zazzle
AMSAT is pleased to announce a new storefront on Zazzle. Currently,
we have several products available with the AMSAT logo, including t-
shirts, hooded sweatshirts, mugs, mousepads, and stickers. Colors and
styles for each product are fully customizable. Even kids sizes and
athletic wear are available through the customization options. Now
you can outfit the whole family in AMSAT logo gear!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping
Amateur Radio in Space. The storefront can be accessed at
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/270465548979/list.admin/aus-city.com/Stay tuned as we add more products to the storefront over the coming
days and weeks.
[ANS thanks Paul Stoetzer the above information.]
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AMSAT Rover Award Updates
The AMSAT Rover award is granted to stations who achieve a combined
25 points using any combination of the roving achievements posted at:
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/411163159944/list.admin/aus-city.com/Since the last update in ANS-210, the following awards have been
announced:
Award      Call            Date Issued
------Â Â Â Â -------Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â -----------
028Â Â Â Â Â Â Â K4FTPÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 30 Jul 2018
029Â Â Â Â Â Â Â KB2YSIÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 15 Aug 2018
030Â Â Â Â Â Â Â N3CRTÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 17 Aug 2018
031Â Â Â Â Â Â Â N2WLSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19 Aug 2018
032Â Â Â Â Â Â Â K2MTSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 22 Aug 2018
[ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director Contests and Awards
for the above information]
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AO73/FUNcube-1 Entering a Further Period of Full Sunlight
AO73/FUNcube-1 has been in space for almost five years and the
original Sun Synchronous Orbit has now changed slightly such that the
spacecraft will no longer be in eclipse for 35 mins every orbit.
The eclipse period has already reduced and will again become zero on
September 8, 2018. This means that our usual autonomous switching
between transponder on in eclipse and high-power telemetry when in
sunlight will no longer be effective!
This schedule was originally planned to provide a very strong
telemetry signal for schools to use during daylight hours and for
amateur operation at night (and also at weekends and over holidays).
We have already experienced a short period of full sunlight but this
time it looks like the spacecraft will be in this situation for more
than eight months until sometime in April next year.
In addition to the additional thermal effect that will occur during
this period, we also expect that the spin rate will increase. The
reason for this effect is not yet fully understood but may be related
to the amount of current flowing from the solar panels to the
spacecraft bus being sufficient to cause a torque effect with the
earth's magnetic field.
We have therefore decided to have AO73/FUNcube-1 initially operate
for alternate periods of one week in either safe or educational
modes. This should enable us to evaluate whether the currents do
affect the spin rate. Safe mode provides low power telemetry and
education mode the usual high power telemetry. It will also enable an
analysis to see whether the satellite becomes hotter or cooler in
each mode.
This will be a new experience for the spacecraft so the capture of
the largest possible amount of telemetry remains an important tool
for the team to have. We are very grateful to everyone who continues
to upload the telemetry they have received to the Data Warehouse. It
is invaluable.
In addition to AO73/FUNcube-1, the FUNcube-2 transponder on UKube-1
remains operational and EO88/Nayif-1 continues to operate
autonomously with the transponder on when in eclipse and high- power
telemetry in sunlight.
LAST MINUTE UPDATE: AO73 is now in safe mode (low power beacon
only, no transponder). We have set this mode as the satellite is
about to enter a period of continuous sunlight (for about 9 months).
There is more information at
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/874836648772/list.admin/aus-city.com/The plan is to change to education mode (high power beacon) next
Friday.
[ANS thanks Jim, G3WGM and the FUNcube team for the above
information.]
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VUCC Awards-Endorsements for August 2018
CALL   01Aug  01Sep
N8ROÂ Â Â Â 1051Â Â 1060
WI7PÂ Â Â Â Â 829Â Â Â 835
WA5KBHÂ Â Â 728Â Â Â 738
W5RKNÂ Â Â Â 606Â Â Â 634
N6UKÂ Â Â Â Â 568Â Â Â 626
N9EATÂ Â Â Â 428Â Â Â 550
WD9EWKÂ Â Â 476Â Â Â 485
KE4ALÂ Â Â Â 429Â Â Â 467
AA8CHÂ Â Â Â 316Â Â Â 351
NS3LÂ Â Â Â Â 325Â Â Â 350
W7QLÂ Â Â Â Â 300Â Â Â 350
FG8OJÂ Â Â Â 200Â Â Â 253
N3GSÂ Â Â Â Â 198Â Â Â 226
KE8FZTÂ Â Â 200Â Â Â 225
N3CRT    New   200
AC9E     New   150
WW8WÂ Â Â Â Â 103Â Â Â 128
AD0HJ    New   100
N7NEV    New   100
W4AQT    New   100
If you find errors or omissions. please contact me off-list at
<mycall>@<mycall>.com and I'll revise the announcement.
This list was developed by comparing the ARRL .pdf listings for
August 1, 2018 and September 1, 2018. It's a visual comparison so
omissions are possible. Apologies if your call was not mentioned.
Thanks to all those who are roving to grids that are rarely on the
birds. They are doing most of the work!
[ANS thanks Ron, W5RKN for the above information.]
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2018 ARRL/TAPR DCC Preliminary Schedule Announced
Saturday Night Banquet
Towards A 21st Century Understanding of Earth's Upper Atmosphere:
The Value of Radio Based Amateur-Scientist Partnerships by
Dr. Philip J. Erickson, W1PJE, Assistant director & head of MIT's
Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences group at Haystack Observatory.
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/460596485874/list.admin/aus-city.com/Sunday Morning Seminar
The Citizen Weather Station Project
by Nathaniel A. Frissell, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor,
Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of
Technology, W2NAF.
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/298158147900/list.admin/aus-city.com/The complete Technical & Introductory Forum Tracks schedule can be
viewed at
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/959696157493/list.admin/aus-city.com/DCC Online Registration is at:
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/998510716553/list.admin/aus-city.com/[ANS thanks Mark, WB9QZB for the above information.]
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Interns Create Visualization of NASA Space-Ground Communications
For the first time ever, people worldwide can get an inside look
into what it takes to enable communications for nearly 40 NASA
missions, thanks to a small team of college students.
NASA's Near Earth Network (NEN) leverages more than 15 antennas
across the globe to provide a downlink for critical space and Earth
science data collected by the agency's satellites. A new web-based
app called NEN Now shows, in real time, simulations of the
complicated maneuvers these antennas undergo to link with passing
satellites, following them from horizon to horizon as the data
streams to the ground.
"NEN Now opens a window to the public, sharing live updates about
which of NASA's spacecraft are communicating with the Near Earth
Network," said Barbara Adde, director of policy and strategic
communications for the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)
program office at NASA Headquarters.
"Curious about what NASA is studying? You can click on a link and
find out what research that spacecraft is collecting data for and
sending down to Earth right at that moment."
Not only will NEN Now help the public understand space-to-ground
communications systems, but the tool will help technical and project
managers monitor the status of the network in detail, providing
information such as the actual position of the antennas' dishes.
At SCaN's request, Goddard modeled NEN Now after a similar app,
called DSN Now, built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, California, for the Deep Space Network (DSN). The DSN
provides communications services for missions in deep space and is
managed by JPL.
Ryan Turner, a ground system manager, had an idea to efficiently and
effectively develop the NEN app at Goddard by leveraging the skills
of college students and utilizing experienced engineers to provide
guidance.
"We started with three interns, who worked with the public
engagement team, NEN engineers and the GMSEC to lay out a prototype,"
Turner said.
GMSEC is the Goddard Mission Services Evolution Center, which
creates data system solutions across multiple projects and
disciplines. "It gave everyone a sense of what would be possible if
we created an operational version of the system."
Naje Fields was one of the first interns on the project in summer
2015. "Our biggest challenge for the prototype phase was to figure
out how to get the data from the real-time status server at [NASA's
Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia] to Goddard and into our app,"
she said. She and her partners, Kierra Harrison and Wallace
Phillips, used a number of networking and security techniques to make
it happen.
The prototype might have been ambitious for three college interns to
complete over the course of 10 weeks, but it was very well- received,
allowing Turner to establish a year-round program and to take on more
interns in the following summers.
Those groups have worked on multiple projects, including adding
commercial ground stations to NEN Now, implementing a NEN Now mobile
app, designing the Space Network (SN) Now for Goddard's other
communications network, and developing a 3D interface for NEN Now.
Both NEN Now and DSN Now have been incorporated into a larger app
called SCaN Now. An additional application for SCaN's third network,
the Space Network, is also being created by this intern team,
rounding out the real-time status display capability for all three
of SCaN's communications networks.
NEN Now is now available to the public at:
SCaN Now
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/359088500454/list.admin/aus-city.com/NeN Now
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/846777032241/list.admin/aus-city.com/NeN Home
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/311585550828/list.admin/aus-city.com/DSN Now
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/275815761764/list.admin/aus-city.com/DSN Home
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/625089253393/list.admin/aus-city.com/[ANS thanks NASA for the above information]
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AMSAT Board of Director Elections Corrected Ballots Due
September 15, 2018
Corrected ballots were mailed and members should have received them.
The new ballots, labeled "CORRECTED BALLOT 7/20/2018" are printed
on yellow-colored cardstock.
Using the Yellow Ballots, please vote for no more than three of the
2018 candidates:
Tom Clark, K3IO
Mark Hammond, N8MH
Scott Harvey, KA7FVV
Bruce Paige, KK5DO
Peter Portanova, W2JV
Candidate biographies can be viewed at:
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/719709144511/list.admin/aus-city.com/The Directors positions will go to the three candidates receiving
the highest number of votes. In addition, there will be two alternate
members chosen, based on the next highest number of votes received.
Ballots must be received at the AMSAT office by September 15, 2018
in order to be counted. Those sent outside North America were sent
via air mail. If you have not received your ballot package in a
reasonable time for your location, please contact the AMSAT office.
Completed ballots should be returned as promptly as possible, and
those from outside North America preferably by air mail.
[ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information.]
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Call for Volunteers, ANS Seeks Rotating Editors
The AMSAT News Service (ANS) is seeking volunteers to serve as
rotating editors for its weekly newsletter.
Editors work on a rotating schedule, each taking a different turn
editing a specific week's newsletter as scheduled by the ANS Editor
in Chief. Editors support each other by seeking and reporting to the
Editor of the week, information and resources of interest to the
AMSAT community. The number of newsletters assigned will be dependent
upon the number of available editors at any given time. The average
editor can expect to spend, on average, 4-5 hours for each newsletter,
dependent on available material. Prospective editors are required to
be AMSAT members in good standing and have a genuine interest in
satellite operation and an understanding of AMSAT's mission. Former
editing experience is a plus but not required.
If interested, please submit an inquiry, including your contact
information to ans-editor at amsat.com.
[ANS thanks the ANS editors for the above information]
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Upcoming Satellite Operations as of 8/29/2018
+ DM56, DM57, DM58, DM59 - September 1-3, 2018
Ron, AD0DX, is heading out again. This time, he will be operating in
DM56, DM57, DM58, and DM59. Updates will be posted on Twitter,
publicly viewable at
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dad...T/198558211967/list.admin/aus-city.com/.+ Next weekend, (9/8 and 9/9) is the Boxboro (Mass) ham radio
convention, the biggest in New England. There will be an AMSAT booth
there, and in addition, the Nashua Area Radio Society will be holding
an exposition for young people, which will include a big satellite
station. Please listen for special event station N1T or club call
N1FD during both days, and possibly testing on Friday, and be nice if
there are newbies trying for their first contact! In addition, the
AMSAT forum will take place all Sunday morning and will include demos
of satellite contacts using a handheld and an HT. Please try for QSOs
with on FM satellites Sunday morning from Bob Hayes KB1SWZ (not known
if he will use a special event call sign). KE4AL, please post on the
the AMSAT web site if you can! Thanks all! 73, Burns Fisher, WB1FJ
AMSAT Fox-1 Flight Software Member, Nashua Area Radio Society
+ AMSAT-EA Special Event - AM1SAT - September 10-17, 2018
As part of the IV RadioHam Fair IberRadio 2018 activities, AMSAT-
EA members, using the special event call sign AM1SAT, will be
activating 14 grid squares across Spain from September 10th to
September 17th.
AMSAT-EA is offering an AM1SAT Special Award in two categories:
SILVER and GOLD. More information, to include rules and log
submission instructions, is available on QRZ:
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/543937677634/list.admin/aus-city.com/Northern Michigan (EN76, EN85, EN86) - September 15-18, 2018
Chris, AA8CH is heading back to northern Michigan and Drummond
Island as follows:
September 15:Â EN76, EN85
September 16:Â EN85, EN86
September 17:Â EN85, EN86
September 18:Â EN76, EN85
Anyone who missed Chris from N8R in July and/or needs any of
these grids can send me an email (see QRZ) and he'll keep you in the
loop for expected passes.
[ANS thanks Robert, KE4AL for the above information.]
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ARISS News
+ Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2018-08-07 18:00 UTC
Integrierte Gesamtschule Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Osterholz - Scharmbeck,
Germany and Gymnasium Soltau, Soltau, Germany, direct via DN3HB and
DN5ABG. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be DPØISS. The
scheduled astronaut is Alexander Gerst KF5ONO.
Watch for new contact time.
Study Hall, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, telebridge via K6DUE.
The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS. The scheduled
astronaut is Serena Aunon-Chancellor KG5TMT.
Contact is a go for: Wed 2018-09-05 08:05:53 UTC 33 deg.
Mendez Fundamental Intermediate School, Santa Ana, CA, direct
via AA6TB. The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS.
The scheduled astronaut is Ricky Arnold KE5DAU.
Contact is a go for: Thu 2018-09-06 16:49:52 UTC 81 deg.
+ Completed ARISS Contacts
About Gagarin from Space conducted A Session of Radio-Love
Communication with students and aspirants in G. Kursk.
Russia, direct via RV3DR. The ISS callsign was RSØISS and the
scheduled astronaut was Oleg Artemyev. The contact was successful at
2018-08-25 08:19 UTC. Congratulations to the students and Oleg!
[ANS thanks Charles, AJ9N for the above information.]
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Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ The AMSAT Office will be closed through September 4th. It will
reopen on Wednesday, September 5th.
[ANS thanks Martha Saragovitz for the above information.]
+ The Symposium Schedule for the 2018 AMSAT-NA 36th Annual Space
Symposium and General meeting has been published and can be
viewed at:
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/031387298045/list.admin/aus-city.com/[ANS thanks Robert, KE4AL for the above information.]
+ ARRL Youth Satellite Operators get News Coverage
Three youthful members of the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club were
recognized by the Montgomery Advertiser as avid amateur
radio satellite operators. Bryant Rascoll, 14, recently received the
2018 Bill Pasternak Memorial Radio Newsline "Young Ham of the Year.
Warren Whitby, 16, received this year's ARRL "Alabama Outstanding
Youth Ham Award" in Huntsville. Marissa Robledo, 11, was been named
first runner up for the Alabama Outstanding Youth Ham Award. The
complete news story can be read at
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dad...T/535183422915/list.admin/aus-city.com/.[ANS thanks JoAnne, K9JKM for the above information.]
+ New Distance Record FalconSat-3 Claimed
A new @AMSAT distance record is claimed via the FalconSat-3
digipeater: 2,955 km. W8LR in EM79tm <> KB6LTY in DM14jl on
26-Aug-2018 at 00:47 UTC.
[ANS thanks W8LR for the above information.]
+ Petition to save WWV/WWVH
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has
eliminated funding for the continued operation of time/frequency
standard stations WWV and WWVH in its Fiscal Year 2019 budget.
WWVB, on 60 kHz, which provides time data for so-called
"atomic clocks," would continue to be funded.
One petition started on the White House's "We the People"
petition site calls for restoration of funding for these two
radio stations. It needs at least 100,000 electronic
signatures by mid-September to generate a response from the White
House. The petition can be found at:
<
http://www.aus-city.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/r/RADIOCOMM_LIST/272693477675/list.admin/aus-city.com/stations-wwv-wwvh>
(As of now, needs just over 90,000 more signatures by September 15)
[ANS thanks CQ Magazine for the above information.]
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/EX
