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.
* GOLF-TEE $15,000 Matching Funds President’s Challenge
* New Year’s Weekend – AMSAT CW Activity Day 2018 In Memory Of G3IOR
* New Year’s Weekend – AO73 / FUNcube-1 Happy Holiday Mode
* New Year’s Weekend – AMSAT Office Closed For Holiday
* KB1LQC’s Faraday RF Blog Describes the Development of the AO-91 MPPT
* Fernando, NP4JV Completes Satellite Contact With All 488 CONUS Grids
* KA9Q AMSAT Archive Updated With Phase 3-B/Oscar-10 Documents
* Volunteer Opportunity – Openings for News Service Rotating Editor
* The ARRL International Grid Chase Includes Satellite Contacts
* NASA/JPL is Testing Combined Deployable Solar Cell & Antenna Panel
* Philippines’ Diwata-2 Microsat to Include Amateur Radio Transponder
* IARU Coordination Completed for DreamSat for ISS Deployment in 2019
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-365.01
ANS-365 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 344.01
From AMSAT HQ KENSINGTON, MD.
DATE December 31, 2017
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-365.01
In October 2017 AMSAT announced the GOLF (Greater Orbit, Larger Foot-
print) program. The first project of the GOLF program is a technology
demonstrator named GOLF-TEE (Technology Evaluation Environment). The
design is a 3U CubeSat with deployable solar panels, ADAC (attitude
determination and control), Software Defined Radio (SDR) Transponder,
and a Vanderbilt University Low Energy Proton (LEP) experiment. Now
is the time to begin work on the GOLF-TEE Project.
At the end of 2017, AMSAT has generous offers from two AMSAT Past
Presidents for matching funds up to $15,000 for those that contribute
to the GOLF-TEE campaign at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=STK27W4G9RMLC
(Shortened URL without linewrap: http://tinyurl.com/ANS-365-PayPal-GOLF-Donation ) between now and Feb-
ruary 15th. Make your donation twice as valuable by taking advantage
of this opportunity and contributing, and help AMSAT fund the launch
of the next series of satellites of the GOLF program. There are also
donate buttons for GOLF-TEE on the AMSAT website. Planning is for a
launch in 2019.
Donations of $100 and $1,000 or more will be eligible for a special
AMSAT GOLF premium. (Both premiums are currently being designed, so
please be patient awaiting delivery.)
AMSAT is a 501-(c)-(3) not-for-profit educational and scientific
organization of amateur radio operators whose purpose is to design,
construct, launch, and operate satellites in space and to provide
the support needed to encourage amateurs to utilize these resources.
Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to AMSAT to help under-
write the development and launch expenses of our GOLF satellite program.
Donors wishing to provide additional matching funds please contact
Joe Spier, K6WAO at k6wao@amsat.org.
(ANS thanks AMSAT-NA for the above information)
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New Year’s Weekend – AMSAT CW Activity Day 2018 In Memory Of G3IOR
You are cordially invited to participate in AMSAT’s second annual CW
Activity Day. It will be held from 0001 to 2400 UTC on January 1,
2018. This year’s event is dedicated to the memory of Pat Gowen,
G3IOR.
The rules are very simple: there aren’t any. Just operate CW
through any amateur radio satellite. Straight keys and “bugs” are
encouraged, but not required. The important thing is to get on the
air and have fun.
[ANS thanks Ray W2RS for the above information]
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New Year’s Weekend – AO73 / FUNcube-1 Happy Holiday Mode
AO73/FUNcube-1 is now operating in full time transponder mode and
will continue in this mode until the evening of Wednesday 3rd
January 2018.
Please enjoy the transponder during this happy holiday period!
Season’s greetings from the whole FUNcube team.
[ANS thanks Graham, G3VZV for the above information]
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New Year’s Weekend – AMSAT Office Closed For Holiday
The AMSAT Office is closed from Friday, Dec 22 – Friday, Jan 5th.
Please check the website (amsat.org) for information.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS and a VERY HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR.
[ANS thanks Martha for the above information
———————————————————————
KB1LQC’s Faraday RF Blog Describes the Development of the AO-91 MPPT
Bryce Salmi, KB1LQC, writes about the development and successful
launch and deployment of the Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT)
designed by himself and Brent Salmi, KB1LQD. The design started
as a senior design project at the Rochester Institute of Techno-
logy.
Bryce wrote, “The story of the Fox-1 MPPT is a great example of
how amateur radio is what you want it to be. The MPPT symbolizes
the vast nature of amateur radio which spans far beyond just com-
municating over the airwaves.”
Continuing, “The Maximum Power Point Tracker has no radio inside
of it yet it is profoundly amateur radio. It’s sole purpose is to
enable scientific and ham radio payloads on-board the spacecraft.
Amateur radio is about learning, having fun, and applying techno-
logy to accomplish great things. Let’s explore this side of the
hobby!”
[ANS thanks Bryce Salmi, KB1LQC for the above information]
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Fernando, NP4JV Completes Satellite Contact With All 488 CONUS Grids
Congratulations are due to Fernando, NP4JV, for completing
satellite contacts with all 488 Maidenhead grids in the contin-
ental United States. His December 28, 2017 contact with Ken,
VE3HLS in grid FN65 on XW-2B completed Fernando’s quest. Ken
was mobile on his trip to to New Brunswick. The satellite was
at 2º elevation when the contact was completed.
Fernando wrote on amsat-bb, “I would like to publicly express
my gratitude to Ken for going out of his way to help bring down
the “white whale”, and last grid needed in the 488 CONUS.”
Continuing, “I want to also thank all the satellite operators
that made this possible. All credit goes to them! Extra thanks
to all those who travelled and helped with multiple grid squares.
This has been a fun and exciting 2 years and 3 months of opera-
ting Ham Radio Satellites.”
[ANS thanks and congratulates Fernando, NP4JV for the above information]
———————————————————————
KA9Q AMSAT Archive Updated With Phase 3-B/Oscar-10 Documents
Phil Karn, KA9Q, wrote on amsat-bb that he has been scanning and
categorizing his stacks of paper files. He’s been working on old
AMSAT documents from the early 1980s. Phil says, “I have a good
pile of stuff on Phase 3-B/Oscar-10 that might be of interest to
the old-timers among you (and maybe of archeological interest to
others)”.
He will be placing these documents in raw form on his personal
website. There’s no index or HTML framing at the moment, but
hopefully the file names are at least slightly descriptive.
[ANS thanks Phil Karn, KA9Q for the above information]
———————————————————————
Volunteer Opportunity – Openings for News Service Rotating Editor
If you’re open to volunteering to help AMSAT this is your chance!
We have openings for a few volunteers willing to help as an AMSAT
News Service editor.
Our editors work on a rotating schedule with each taking turns as
the current week’s news editor. Using input received from members,
the amateur radio community, officers, plus our other editors your
job is to assemble the AMSAT News Service bulletin for your week.
(Template is provided to help you format the message.)
If you can help contact our Senior News Service Editor, Lee McLamb,
KT4TZ via his e-mail: kt4tz@amsat.org
[ANS thanks the AMSAT News Service for the above information]
———————————————————————
The ARRL International Grid Chase Includes Satellite Contacts
Beginning at 0000 UTC on January 1, 2018, the ARRL International
Grid Chase kicks off. The objective is simple: Work stations in
as many grid squares as possible and upload your log data to
ARRL’s Logbook of The World. Visit the ARRL Grid Chase web page
at: http://www.arrl.org/international-grid-chase-2018
(If you are not currently registered with Logbook of The World,
this is a good reason to get started. Go to https://lotw.arrl.org/lotw-help/getting-started/. Registration
and uploading are free.)
Every new grid square contact confirmed through Logbook of The
World counts toward your monthly total, which begins when you
ring in the New Year.
Just turn on your radio and start calling “CQ Grid Chase,” or
listen for others doing the same. Make the contact, enter it
into your log, and you’re on to your next QSO.
At the end of each month, your totals on the Grid Chase leader
board will reset to zero. Fear not, though. The online scoring
system will maintain your monthly totals for a grand total at
the end of the year, when an annual summary will be released
and awards given to top finishers in various categories.
The ARRL International Grid Chase is open to all amateurs, regard-
less of location or license class. Any operating mode is eligible
as well as every band, except 60 meters. You’ll find the complete
rules at www.arrl.org/aigc2018.
Any contact can count for your Chase score; it doesn’t have to
involve an exchange of grid squares. As long as other operators
participate with Logbook of The World, you’ll get the credit
automatically when they upload their logs. This means that contest
contacts will count, as will contacts with special-event stations,
or any other on-air activity. As long as stations upload their
logs to Logbook of The World, you’re good.
Satellite contacts count. Contacts made through earthbound repeaters
do not count for the Grid Chase, but repeaters in outer space are
the exception. This includes all low-orbiting satellites that
support CW, SSB, and even FM contacts.
[ANS thanks the ARRL for the above information]
———————————————————————
NASA/JPL is Testing Combined Deployable Solar Cell & Antenna Panel
After cargo ship Cygnus OA-8E (SS Gene Cernan) was unberthed from the
Unity module of the ISS on December 5 it continued in orbit to release
cubesats and perform additional testing. On December 6 Cygnus raised
its orbit from 402 x 407 km to 447 x 456 km. It then deployed 14 cube-
sats on December 6 and 7. Cygnus was deorbited on December 18, with
entry over the South Pacific.
One of the cubesats deployed from Cygnus was the NASA/JPL Integrated
Solar Array and Reflectarray Antenna (ISARA) mission to demonstrate a
reflectarray antenna that increases downlink data rates for CubeSats
from the existing baseline rate of 9.6 kilobits per second (kbps) to
more than 100 megabits per second (Mbps).
The reflectarray antenna consists of three panels, electrically tied
together through hinges, which have an array of printed circuit board
patches on them. The size of the patches are adjusted so that the phase
of the reflected feed illumination collimates the radiation in much
the same way a parabolic dish reflector would. Unlike a parabolic
dish, however, the reflectarray panels are flat, which enables them
to be folded down against the CubeSat. On the opposite side of the
printed reflectarray antenna, solar cells have been added.
Diwata-2 is the Philippines’ second microsatellite designed
and developed by Filipino scientists and engineers under
the PHL-Microsat Program. They describe their program at:
Diwata-2 is a 50x50x50 cm microsatellite with estimated mass
of 50kg. It features two deployable systems – solar array
panels and amateur radio antennas.
Diwata-2 will carry optical payloads that will support the
following objectives:
+ Determining the extent of damages from disasters
+ Monitoring natural and cultural heritage sites
+ Monitoring changes in vegetation
+ Observing cloud patterns and weather disturbances
These paylaods will use non-amateur S and X Band frequencies.
In addition to these optical payloads, Diwata-2 will also
carry an amateur radio unit. This payload is intended to pro-
mote awareness and interest in amateur radios and satellite
technology in the country. It is also intends to provide an
alternative means of communication at times of disasters and
emergencies.
Diwata-2 is proposing a U/V FM transponder with APRS and CW
beacon. Planning a launch from Tanegashima, Japan into a 613km
polar orbit in Q2 2018.
[ANS thanks the IARU and the PHL-Microsat Program for the above information]
———————————————————————
IARU Coordination Completed for DreamSat for ISS Deployment in 2019
The Dream Satellite Project plans to develop and deploy a 1U cube-
sat from the ISS in 2019. The structure and bus system of this sat-
ellite consists of the OPUSAT-Kit, which is developed based on Osaka
Prefecture University’s OPUSAT CubeSat, manufactured by NISSIN Co.,
Ltd.
The Dream Satellite Project will develop the mission system:
+ Provide amateur radio mailbox service
+ Provide QSL service
+ Store and forward message operations
A downlink at 145.860 MHz and UHF uplink have been coordinated.
DreamSat has not yet announced their UHF uplink frequency. Data
formats include CW, AFSK 1k2 packet and GMSK 9k6 packet.
The DreamSat webpage: http://faspia.or.jp/
Planned for deployment from the ISS during Q1 2019.
[ANS thanks the IARU and Katsuya Shibata, JJ1GPJ for the above information]
———————————————————————
Satellite Shorts From All Over
+ Bryce, KB1LQC, at faradayrf.com and AMSAT volunteer designer has
a new entry in his blog https://faradayrf.com/antenna-every-pot/
Bryce discusses the effects of ITAR over the years and shows a
really neat segment from a 1996 show which aired on the Discovery
network about the construction of antennas for AO-40. This is quite
a find … you’re going to like this one folks …
+ The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
has published a document on Agenda Items of Interest to the Science
Services at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019. The docu-
ment addresses potential threats to the Radio Astronomy Service and
Earth Exploration-Satellite Service. (A word search of the document
does not reveal specific menition of amateur radio or amateur satel-
lite.) Among the many frequency ranges mentioned are 45 MHz, 24 GHz,
47 GHz. Download document as “Guest” at: https://www.nap.edu/download/24899 (via W4ART and Southgate)
+ Pierros Papadeas, SV1QVE gave this presentation on December 29
about the LibreSpace_Fnd UPSat Open Source satellite to the Chaos
Communication Congress in Leipzig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boZRB4Qpg9s
Nikos Roussos gives an overview of the LibreSpace_Fnd SatNOGS project,
a network of satellite ground station around the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiMXW6URg0U
+ An ARISS School Contact with the Higher National School of Computer
Science and Systems Analysis (ENSIAS), Rabat, Morocco, Wed 2018-01-03
13:52:42 is planned to be streamed on-line at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVrHxxZ5pCvF-6I2O1-wgqQ/live
+ Peter Parker, VK3YE, has published two excellent introductions
to amateur satellites videos. Peter describes his two-part video
demonstration as, “A new amateur satellite has just gone up and
it’s super easy to work. You just need a pair of handhelds on
2m & 70cm FM. Watch these videos to find out how to make contacts
through AO91 with equipment you probably already have.”
Part 1 – https://youtu.be/astteV2umOg
Part 2 – https://youtu.be/XNB7Nc4HFYs
+ 6O6O from Somalia – Operators Ken, LA7GIA and Adrian, KO8SCA will
be active as 6O6O from Somalia between January 3-16th, 2018. This
will be an HF DXpedition but they invite amateur radio operators
worldwide to participate in a humanitarian portion of their trip.
Both Ken and Adrian will pay for all the DXpedition expenses. All
money raised during the DXpedition will go to the not-for-profit
Doctors Without Borders. They have also set up a dedicated PayPal
address for these donations 6o6o@la7gia.com. Closing date for
donations is February 1st, 2018, when donations will be wire
transferred to Doctors Without Borders.
+ Visit https://www.smallsat.org/ to find information on the 2018
SmallSat Conference August 4-9, 2018 at Utah State University.
The theme this year is “Delivering Mission Success”.
+ Terry, ZL2BAC, posted plans and photos of his 3 element 2M yagi
antenna he made from old TV antenna parts in his junk box. Terry
wrote, “It seems to work well on AO-91. If anyone is interested,
see the details at:” http://tinyurl.com/ANS-365-ZL2BAC-Antenna
+ The AMSAT Station and Operating Hints page has been updated.
1) The Fox Operating Guide has been updated for 2018. This is
in color, designed to print two-sided. A low-resolution
PDF for e-mailing or screen viewing; and, a high-resolution
PDF is available for high quality printing.
2) A copy of the I8CVS Antenna Polarization Switching article
from the AMSAT Journal was added after many expressed interest
in obtaining a copy.
See: https://www.amsat.org/station-and-operating-hints/
———————————————————————
/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 and Happy New Year,
This week’s ANS Editor,
JoAnne Maenpaa, K9JKM
k9jkm at amsat dot org
