Yearly Archives: 2013

Nov 5 2013

Optical marking for UK ham radio exams

UK Amateur Radio Exams - Optical MarkingUK amateur radio exams have now moved over to optical marking, this video describes the new system.

Paul Whatton G4DCV has re-edited an earlier video to produce this presentation about the Optical Marking System by Alan Betts G0HIQ Chief Examiner for the Radio Communications Foundation (RCF).

The presentation was given during the Training Forum held at the RSGB Convention in October, 2013.

Watch The Optical Marking System

The July and October issues of the free RCF Instructors’ Newsletter have articles on Optical Marking, see http://rsgb.org/main/clubs-training/tutor-resources-2/newsletters/

The RSGB Training & Education Chair manages a Yahoo Group to allow for regular updates, news and sharing of ideas between trainers, see
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RSGBtutors/

G4DCV Vimeo page http://vimeo.com/user8087493

Nov 5 2013

March launch for UKube-1 and TechDemoSat-1

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow

UKube-1 on display at UK Space Conference in Glasgow

Dmitry Pashkov UB4UAD reports that the Soyuz-2-1B/Fregat-M is now expected to launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on March 27, 2014.

The launcher will carry the satellites Meteor-M number 2, MCA-PN2 (Relek), M3MSat, UKube-1, SkySat-2, TechDemoSat-1, AISSat-2 and DX -1.

TechDemoSat-1 was built by SSTL in Guildford, UK and UKube-1 is the UK Space Agency’s first CubeSat built by Clyde Space which carries a set of AMSAT-UK FUNcube boards to provide a linear transponder and educational beacon.

UKube-1 communications subsystem:
• Telemetry downlink 145.840 MHz
• FUNcube subsystem beacon 145.915 MHz
• 400 mW inverting linear transponder for SSB and CW
– 435.080 -435.060 MHz Uplink
– 145.930 -145.950 MHz Downlink
• 2401.0 MHz S Band Downlink
• 437.425-437.525 MHz UKSEDS myPocketQub Downlink

UB4UAD report in Google English

Nov 5 2013

KN-SAT Prototype-2

University of Khartoum KN-SAT Prototype-2

University of Khartoum KN-SAT Prototype-2

The KN-SAT Cubesat team at the University of Khartoum (UofK), Sudan, have successfully completed the design and development of the Prototype-2. This has been a result of hard work and dedication throughout the last year.

KN-SAT-1 Picture 2Dr. Sharief F Babikir writes: “I must convey my deep respect and admiration to the Technical Manager of the team, Dr. Nader Omer ST2NH whose leadership, unparalleled knowledge and professionalism has been behind the success of Prototype-2 as it has undeniably been behind Prototype-1.”

KN-Sat1 http://cubesat.uofk.edu/

Khartoum Amateur Radio Satellite Ground Station
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/02/03/khartoum-amateur-radio-satellite-ground-station/

Khartoum Students Receive CubeSats
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/02/17/khartoum-students-receive-cubesats/

TEDxKhartoum Presentation on KN-SAT1 CubeSat
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/05/24/tedxkhartoum-presentation-on-kn-sat1-cubesat/

KN-SAT1 Prototype Subsystems Design and Testing
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/11/20/kn-sat1-prototype-subsystems-design-and-testing/

KN-SAT-1 Picture 1

Nov 5 2013

Lunar Mission Looking for Payloads

Barcelona Moon Team LogoThe Barcelona Moon Google X-Price team is looking for secondary payloads to take on their trip to the Moon planned for June 2015. These documents provide some details on this opportunity (1.35m Euros/kg).

You can contact the Barcelona Moon team directly if you are interested in this opportunity or require additional information.

Read the Barcelona Moon Team Letter

Read the leaflet Barcelona Moon Team Leaflet

Note: This is an ITAR Free project.

Barcelona Moon Team http://www.barcelonamoonteam.com/

Nov 3 2013

Diwali Return for APRS Balloon Payload

Dhruva Space Balloon Payload

Dhruva Space Balloon Payload

The payload of the Indian amateur radio APRS balloon launched on October 13, 2013 has been successfully retrieved.

The balloon payload was returned to Dhruva Space on November 3 during Diwali (Festival of Lights).

The balloon had been launched from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore and drifted into the Arabian sea, off the coast of Udupi. Ham radio operators in Karnataka and Goa in India, and the Middle East and Africa were able to track the APRS signal, containing real time location, altitude and other operating conditions of the flight, for over 600 km into the Arabian sea.

The payload was found about 42.6 km off the coast of Gangoli, Karnataka on October 15 at 11 AM by the sailors of the fishing boat “Suvarna Lakshmi”.

It was only possible to trace the payload because one of the sailors used the sim card that was in one of the pieces of equipment in the payload.

Indian Record for Tracking Ham Radio Balloon
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/10/20/indian-record-for-tracking-ham-radio-balloon/

High Altitude Balloon to Study Comet ISON
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/09/28/high-altitude-balloon-to-study-comet-ison/

Nov 3 2013

Art and Ham Radio in Deep Space

ARTSAT2 DESPATCH Deep Space Sculpture

ARTSAT2 DESPATCH Deep Space Sculpture

Students at the Tama Art University are planning to send a sculpture ARTSAT2 DESPATCH along with an amateur radio payload into deep space.

ARTSAT students at the Tama Art University

ARTSAT students at the Tama Art University

The ARTSAT2 Deep Space sculpture “DESPATCH” is planned to launch in mid 2014 on a H-IIA rocket with the asteroid explorer Hayabusa 2 as the main payload. Hayabusa 2 will be making a round-trip to the C-type asteroid 1999 JU3 arriving at the asteroid in mid 2018.

The sculpture, which is 50 by 50 by 45 cm with a mass of 30 kg, was developed at the Tama Art University using a 3D Printer. The containment vessel will carry a CW beacon in the 435 MHz band using an omni-directional antenna. The satellite should provide the ultimate in ham radio DX reception when at its maximum operational distance of 3 million km from Earth about a week after launch. Being battery powered without solar panels it will have a low transmit cycle to maximize the lifespan.

ARSAT2: DESPATCH in Google English http://tinyurl.com/ARTSAT-DESPATCH

ARTSAT on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/artsat

The students have already developed the INVADER CubeSat which is planned to launch in 2014, see
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/04/12/invader-cubesat-a-student-art-satellite/