Ofcom’s Ash Gohil and Paul Jarvis G8RMM at 2013 RSGB Convention
Ofcom staff will be among those giving presentations at the RSGB Convention which takes place October 10-12.
The Ofcom public consultation on Amateur Radio has been eagerly awaited for many months now and will hopefully have been released before the Convention.
The Society say there will be lots of space and a five lecture stream programme in the new Convention venue at the Kents Hill Conference Centre, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BZ.
Among the presentations are – UKHASNET, technology and methodology by James Coxon M6JCX – SDR Techniques by Simon Brown G4ELI – Digital modes start up by Mike Richards G4WNC – FUNcube CubeSat by AMSAT-UK – Amateur radio software developers forum by Michael Wells G7VJR – 146-147MHz: A New Frontier of Amateur Innovation? by John Regnault G4SWX – World War 1 Communications by Dr Elizabeth Bruton
B-64 transmitter payload weighs just 11 grams – Credit Leo Bodnar M0XER
Radio amateur Leo Bodnar M0XER launched his solar powered balloon B-64, carrying an 11 gram transmitter payload, from Silverstone in the UK at 06:51 UT on July 12, 2014 and it’s still flying.
It completed its first circumnavigation of the Northern Hemisphere at 16:30 UT on Friday, July 31 and is expected to complete the second circumnavigation in the next couple of days.
On the afternoon of Thursday, August 21 the balloon was just west of Reykjavik in Iceland heading south at an altitude of 12,500 metres. Radio amateurs in the British Isles are invited to listen out for the balloon which may come in range late Friday or on Saturday.
B-64 transmits 10 mW on 434.500 MHz using the amateur radio data modes Contestia 64/1000 and APRS (M0XER-4).
B-64 plastic foil envelope – Credit Leo Bodnar M0XER
Leo has utilised some clever techniques storing positions when the balloon is out of radio contact then later transmitting a log file of previous locations in the comments field of the APRS packet. This enables a fairly complete path to be built up. B-64 only stores 5 days worth of data, where you get a straight line on the track it has been out of radio contact.
James Coxon M6JCX opens UKHAS Conference – Image credit Steve Smith G0TDJ
The annual UK High Altitude Society (UKHAS) conference was held on Saturday, August 16, 2014 at the University of Greenwich in London. It attracted those interested in learning about building and flying High Altitude Balloons or in tracking their 434 MHz signals.
There was an impressive line-up of speakers in addition to which there were workshops, demonstrations along with amateur radio exams.
Videos of some of the presentations are now available on the British Amateur Television Club (BATC) site at http://batc.tv/
To watch the videos online or download them to your PC: • Go to http://www.batc.tv/ • Click on the ‘Film Archive’ icon • Select ‘UKHAS 2014′ from the Category drop down menu • Click on ‘Select Category’ • Select the video you wish to watch from the Stream drop down menu • Click on ‘Select Stream’ • Click the play icon ‘>’ on the player • Clicking on the icon to the left of the player volume control will give you full screen display. • To download the video file to your PC right-click on the ‘Click Here’ link under the player.
Morning Sessions
09:30 Assembly – Coffee / Tea + Biscuits 10.10 Introduction – James Coxon M6JCX and Anthony Stirk M0UPU 10.20 Predictor – Daniel Richman M0ZDR and Adam Greig M0RND 10.50 Advanced superpressure balloon technology – Dan Bowen K2VOL 11.30 SUWS WebSDR – Philip Crump M0DNY 11.45 Break 12.00 $50SAT Low cost satellite- Stuart Robinson GW7HPW 12.45 Batc.tv Introduction – Noel Matthews G8GTZ 13.00 Lunch / Show and Tell
Afternoon Sessions
Combination of workshop/lectures.
Main Lecture 14.30 STM32+DSP – Adam Greig M0RND, Jon Sowman M0JSN, Matt Brezja M6VXO 15.30 UKHASNET – James Coxon M6JCX
Side Room 14:30 Pi In The Sky – Anthony Stirk M0UPU and Dave Akerman M0RPI 15.30 Amateur Radio Exams
Paul Stoetzer N8HM has announced a new award for contacts made via the AO-73 (FUNcube-1) amateur radio satellite
I am pleased to announce that I will be sponsoring a new award to promote activity on AO-73 (FUNcube-1). The requirements for this award are simple:
1. Work 73 unique stations on AO-73. 2. Contacts must be made on or after September 1, 2014. 3. There are no geographic restrictions on your operating location.
There will be no cost for this award (donations to AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NA’s Fox program are encouraged though). No QSLs are required. When you complete the requirements, email your log extract including the callsign of each station worked, time GMT, and date to n8hm@arrl.net as well as the address where you’d like the award certificate sent.
On August 18, 2014 at 14:00 UT the Russia Cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS), Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev, opened the hatches of the Pirs docking module and to start Extra Vehicular Activities (EVA).
Engineer Ing. Margarita Mondragon and Chasqui-1
One of their tasks was the deployment of the Peruvian satellite Chasqui-1, a research satellite designed to standard CubeSat dimension by the Peruvian National University of Engineering (Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria (UNI)) in collaboration with the Southwestern State University (SWSU) in Kursk.
Chasqui-1’s batteries were charged by the Russian Cosmonuats inside the ISS during August 14/15.The satellite was successfully deployed by Oleg Artemyev near the start of the EVA at 14:23 UT.
Chasqui-1 was developed with the intention of improving their satellite technology through the design and testing of a small satellite. Its facilities include two cameras, one in visible and the other in infra-red. Other facilities include communication in the amateur radio band and control systems for its power, thermal and embedded management of its components.
Peruvian CubeSat Chasqui-1
Chasqui-1 will provide a number of functions that include taking pictures of the Earth. From an academic perspective it will facilitate collaborations among various faculties and research centres of the university to train students and teachers with real world experience in satellites. It will also generate opportunities to work with other universities in the world which in turn will lead to technological advances in the aerospace industry of Peru.
The 437.025 MHz beacon (+/- 10 kHz Doppler shift) can transmit either 1200 bps AFSK AX.25 or 9600 bps GMSK. As of August 23 no signal from the beacon had been heard.
Chasqui-1 as a small dot against the Earth, seconds after Oleg Artemyev sent it spinning – Screenshot Jonathan McDowell
On August 19-20 there may be a relay of the Chasqui-1 signal transmitted from the ISS on 145.800 MHz FM using the callsign RS02S. This relay should provide a strong signal with reduced Doppler receivable even on handheld radios.
The WebSDR also provides reception of High Altitude Balloons in the 434 MHz band and coverage of the microwave 10368-10370 MHz band.
144 MHz prototype helix antenna
Martin Ehrenfried G8JNJ has equipped the SUWS WebSDR with omni-direction helix antennas for both 144-146 MHz and 432-438 MHz which have proved effective for both high altitude balloon and satellite reception.
The SUWS WebSDR is located at Farnham not far from London, 51.3 N 1.15 W, listen to it at http://websdr.suws.org.uk/
Martin says this about the special satellite antennas “I had been experimenting with single turn ‘twisted halo’ design, and decided to try stacking them to see if I could achieve more gain. Modelling suggested that a stretched 3 turn helix with a helix circumference of approx 1/2 wave length and an overall length of 1/2 wave at 70cm, and fed with a gamma match at the centre would offer reasonable gain, an omni-directional pattern and mixed polarisation.”
AMSAT-UK 
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