Aug 12 2013

Join AMSAT-UK

AMSAT-UK_Bevelled_LogoFounded in 1975 AMSAT-UK is a voluntary organisation that supports the design and building of equipment for Amateur Radio Satellites.

AMSAT-UK initially produced a short bulletin called OSCAR News to give members advice on amateur satellite communications. Since those early days OSCAR News has grown in size and the print quality has improved beyond recognition. Today, OSCAR News is produced as a high-quality quarterly colour A4 magazine consisting of up to 40 pages of news, information and comment about amateur radio space communications.

The new lower-cost E-membership provides OSCAR News as a downloadable PDF file giving members the freedom to read it on their Tablets or Smartphones anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

An additional advantage is that the PDF should be available for download up to 2 weeks before the paper copy is posted.

The Membership year lasts for 12 months starting on January 1 each year.

If you join after July 31 of any particular year, then you will receive complimentary membership for the whole of the following year, i.e. join on August 12, 2013, and you have nothing more to pay until Dec 31, 2014.

Now is a very good time to join.

Join as a new E-member here http://shop.amsat.org.uk/shop/category_9/Join-Amsat-UK.html

E-members can download their copies of OSCAR News from http://www.amsatuk.me.uk/on

A sample issue of OSCAR News can be downloaded here.

Aug 12 2013

Astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP making ham radio contacts

Luca Parmitano KF5KDP on Expedition 36 EVA July 9, 2013- Image credit ESA

Luca Parmitano KF5KDP on Expedition 36 EVA July 9, 2013- Image credit ESA

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP has been making random voice contacts from the International Space Station (ISS) to other radio amateurs on Earth on 145.800 MHz.

When the astronauts put out a CQ call, in range of Europe and Africa, they transmit on 145.800 MHz FM but operate “split” listening for replies 600 kHz lower on 145.200 MHz. If you are lucky and hear them calling CQ just remember to activate your rigs repeater shift to ensure you reply on the correct frequency. You should never transmit on 145.800 MHz.

The International Space Station is traveling around the Earth at over 28,000 Km/h. This high speed makes radio signals appear to shift in frequency, a phenomenon called Doppler Shift.

This Doppler shift will cause the ISS transmit frequency of 145.800 MHz to look as if it is 3.5 kHz higher in frequency, 145.8035, when ISS is approaching your location. During the 10 minute pass the frequency will move lower shifting a total of 7 kHz down to 145.7965 as the ISS goes out of range. To get maximum signal you ideally need a radio that tunes in 1 kHz or smaller steps to follow the shift but in practice acceptable results are obtained with the radio left on 145.800 MHz.

In the UK we use narrow 2.5 kHz deviation FM but the ISS transmits using the wider 5 kHz deviation used in much of the world. Most rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation filters so select the wider filter. Hand-held rigs all seem to have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

You can receive the ISS outdoors using a 2 metre hand-held with its helical antenna but a 1/4 wave whip will give far better results.

For the current status of the amateur radio stations on the ISS see http://www.issfanclub.com/

Cor PD0RKC reports “On Monday, August 5, 2013 I had a short contact with Luca, anyone made an audio recording? Please send it to my e-mail address see QRZ.com. Thanks in advance!”

Aug 10 2013

Thailand’s first ham radio satellite

Tanan Rangseeprom HS1JAN describing JAISAT-1 - Image credit RAST

Tanan Rangseeprom HS1JAN describing JAISAT-1 – Image credit RAST

The Thailand Amateur Radio Satellite Group are developing their first satellite JAISAT-1.

The group hope to complete the satellite, a 1U CubeSat, by the end of 2015. Plans include a 145 to 435 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications, APRS, a packet bulletin board system (PBBS) and a HD camera for imaging.

The Radio Amateur Society of Thailand (RAST) carries an article about the satellite on their English language website at
http://www.qsl.net/rast/

The group are looking for a circuit diagram of a 145/435 MHz linear transponder. Anyone who can assist them with the transponder should contact the JAISAT-1 Project Manager Tanan Rangseeprom HS1JAN, email: hs1jan<at>tamsat.org

At the present time no arrangements have been made for a launch.

The RAST Thai language site in Google English is at http://tinyurl.com/ThailandRAST

Aug 9 2013

Ofcom Consultation covers 2.3, 2.4, 3.4 and 5 GHz bands

AMSAT-UK_Bevelled_LogoOfcom has published a consultation on the role that spectrum sharing could play in meeting the future capacity demands of mobile broadband and machine-to-machine communications.

Spectrum sharing is the principle of allowing multiple users to exploit the same band of spectrum – rather than it being allocated to a dedicated single user. While not suitable in all circumstances, a key benefit of this approach is that spectrum, the vital but finite resource that underpins wireless communications services, can be used more efficiently.

Ofcom is seeking to understand how enabling more spectrum shared on licensed, licence-exempt and a dynamic-access basis could increase spectrum availability in the future and encourage innovation. As part of this, Ofcom is considering how to best sustain the important role Wi-Fi is already playing in providing wireless connectivity.

These amateur radio bands are mentioned in the consultation – 2.3 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 5 GHz.

Read the consultation PDF at
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/spectrum-sharing/summary/Spectrum_Sharing.pdf

The consultation closes November 9, 2013 information on how to respond is at
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/spectrum-sharing/howtorespond/

Consultation page http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/spectrum-sharing/

Aug 9 2013

ArduSat Open Source Ham Radio CubeSats

ArduSat

Australian Foundation radio amateur Jonathan Oxer VK3FADO is one of the designers of the two CubeSats ArduSat-1 and ArduSat-X which arrived at the ISS on Friday, August 9 UT.

The Arduino-powered satellites were transported to the International Space Station by the Japanese HTV-4 cargo vessel along with the PicoDragon and TechEdSat-3 CubeSats and the HamTV transmitter.

The ArduSat’s will be deployed from the ISS by the Kibo robot arm sometime between October 2013 and March 2014. They are expected to have a lifetime of 7 months before burning up in Earth’s atmosphere.

An article in The Register by Simon Sharwood says

Jonathan Oxer, one of the satellites’ designers, says serious science is one aim of the project, its main goal is “ is to inspire hobbyists and school students to learn about space technology, beginning with simple experiments using cheap Arduino boards in their classroom and then seamlessly transitioning to running those same experiments in space on a real satellite.”

That experience, he hopes, will see them take pursue studies in technical fields and over time address skills shortages.

Oxer hopes to release designs for the ASPPM.

“The design of the payload will also be released under the TAPR Open Hardware License, as soon as I have a clear path to do it without falling afoul of the laws restricting international arms trade [ITAR],” he told The Reg. “That’s actually quite a problem because satellite technology is classified as a weapon, no matter what its purpose is.”

Read the full Register article Open source ‘Cubesat’ set to soar at
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/08/09/arduino_powered_cubesats_arrive_at_iss_on_saturday/

Watch a video of Jon Oxer VK3FADO talking about the ArduSat CubeSats at
http://science.slashdot.org/story/13/08/08/179222/jon-oxer-talks-about-the-ardusats-that-are-on-the-way-to-iss-video

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) were introduced by the US Federal Government. ITAR threatens US radio amateurs with up to six figure fines or jail if they talk to non-US citizens about certain aspects of their amateur satellite hobby. These draconian regulations have stopped cooperation on amateur satellite projects between US hams and the rest of the world.

Read AMSAT Wants Amateur Radio Satellites Off US Munitions List
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/31/amsat-wants-amateur-radio-satellites-off-us-munitions-list/

The amateur radio group TAPR developed the TAPR Open Hardware License (“OHL”) to provide a framework for hardware projects that is similar to the one used for Open Source software  http://www.tapr.org/OHL

Among the other radio amateurs who’ve been working on ArduSat are Jeroen Cappaert KK6BLQ and Joel Spark KK6ANB, both hold the USA equivalent of UK and Australian Foundation licences.

ArduSat Arduino CubeSat Technical Details https://amsat-uk.org/2012/06/20/ardusat-arduino-cubesat-technical-details/

HamTV transmitter launched to ISS https://amsat-uk.org/2013/08/03/hamtv-transmitter-launched-to-iss/

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Kibo Robot Arm CubeSat Deployment

Aug 8 2013

Euroluna ROMIT1 mission in pictures

Romit1 - Image Credit GomSpace ApS

Romit1 – Image Credit GomSpace ApS

In this video radio amateur Palle Haastrup OZ1HIA, President of Euroluna (OZ9LUNA), describes the Romit1 mission to space in pictures.

Euroluna are a Danish amateur team participating in the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE contest to be the first privately funded team to land and drive a rover on the Moon.

Their first amateur radio satellite Romit1 is a 2U CubeSat that will transmit on 437.505 MHz using 1200 bps AX.25 packet radio. It will be fitted with an Ion Motor and if everything goes well it should, after a year, be able to raise the orbit from 310 km to 700 km. It is planned to launch on an Interorbital Systems Neptune 30 rocket.

Watch Euroluna ROMIT1 mission in pictures

Twitter http://twitter.com/Euroluna

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Euroluna/337261739568

Web http://www.euroluna.dk/

Google Lunar X PRIZE http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/