The LituanicaSAT-1 team have announced the FM transponder should be active during the weekend of May 17-18, 2014.
Dear radio amateurs,
I would like to notify that a long term testing of LituanicaSAT-1 FM transponder is planned for this weekend starting from May 17, 04:30 UT. The transponder will remain active for the whole weekend provided that battery voltage does not reach unsafe levels. As always your reports are very welcome. Please send them and any questions you may have to ly5n@qrz.lt.
73, Laurynas Maciulis LY1LM, LY5N
Frequency are approximately 435.1755 MHz (+/- 10 kHz Doppler shift) for the downlink and 145.950 MHz for the uplink with 67 Hz CTCSS.
The tiny satellite is just 10x10x10 cm with a mass of 1.090 kg yet it has a VGA camera and a 145/435 MHz FM voice transponder, designed and built by Lithuanian radio amateurs.
The prototype of the FM repeater has been operating in the home of its designer Žilvinas Batisa LY3H in Elektrėnai, Lithuania. Further information at http://ly3h.epalete.com/?p=303
On Monday, May 19, Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ will be explaining how to track and work the growing number of amateur radio satellites at the Ham Radio Skills Night run by the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society. This free event is open to all, whether licensed or unlicensed.
These monthly sessions are a great opportunity to chat, swap ideas, and get hands-on with something new. As regular attendees know, what is covered on the evenings is decided by you.
Here is what’s planned for the May Skills Night:
• Working Satellites – How to track and work amateur radio satellites
• A live CW station – Operated by members of the Essex CW Club
• Soldering practical – Soldering plugs and connectors – Need help with a lead? Bring it along
• Hands-on with Storm Tracking kit
• The quiz will run again – just a bit of fun!
• Show-and-tell: All are welcome to bring along any items for show-and-tell
• Representatives from CARS, Essex CW Club, the Essex Repeater Group and Essex Ham will be on-hand, and happy to answer your questions
If you’re interested in coming along, the evening starts at 7pm, although you’re welcome to arrive any time between 7pm and 9pm. If you have anything you’d like to bring along to show to the others, that would be great.
The event is open to all and there’s no charge for attending the CARS Amateur Radio Skills workshops. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available throughout the evening and an optional small donation to the tea fund and hall hire would be appreciated.
The skills night takes place at the Danbury Village Hall, Main Road, Danbury, Chelmsford, CM3 4NQ
CARS run training courses for those wishing to get their amateur licence. To find out more speak to Clive G1EUC on
Tel: 01245-224577
Mob: 07860-418835
Email: training2014 at g0mwt.org.uk
Web: http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/training/
KickSat Sprite satellites deployed – Image by Ben Bishop VK2FBRB
The tiny Sprite satellites, measuring 3x3cm and just a few millimetres thick, contain a 437 MHz transmitter, solar cell, sensor and antenna. The CubeSat KickSat-1 carrying 104 Sprites was successfully launched on April 18, however, a suspected radiation glitch meant they could not be deployed before the CubeSat burnt up on re-entry on May 14.
UK radio amateur Michael Johnson M0MJJ has developed Pocket Spacecraft known as ‘Scouts’. A ‘Scout’ is a wafer thin disk with flexible electronics, smaller than a CD, containing a transceiver, antenna and solar cells. It is hoped to carry them in a CubeSat which would deploy them in Lunar orbit. It is understood that frequencies in the 435 MHz and 2400 MHz bands may be used.
Listen to the BBC Radio 4 clip ‘Pocket spacecrafts’ to become a reality in which BBC Click’s Spencer Kelly discusses the development of pocket spacecrafts http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01z4q22
It is expected that Pocket Spacecraft will feature in the BBC TV technology show ‘Click’ due to be released online on Saturday, May 17 at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006m9ry
The LituanicaSAT-1 team have provided a further update on their CubeSat which was deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) on February 28.
Dear radio amateurs,
As most of you have already noticed, since May 12 the satellite has been set up to nominal operational mode permanently with noticeable 9k6 baud packet telemetry on 437.544 MHz every 30s. However next day on May 13 a telemetry report from W7KKE has shown that a latchup has been detected on 3.3 V1 EPS channel.
This channel is providing power for CW FM beacon and photo camera. Furthermore following reports from W7KKE and LU4EOU have shown that an OBC reset had occurred on Tuesday, 13 May 2014, 16:27 UT and on 14 May 2014, 01:47 UT (9 h 20 min since first reset).
The reason for these resets and latchup are still unknown but currently all systems are working properly. Due to that we prefer to leave the satellite in safe mode during passes outside the range of our ground station in Vilnius.
The UK Department for Education (DfE) has selected the Horizon balloon project to feature in the department’s #yourlife campaign to promote Maths and Science.
Horizon Team Hard at Work
Pupils at Queen Mary’s Grammar School, Walsall built the Gagarin payload which transmitted FSK RTTY telemetry data on 434.075 MHz. The students launched it on a high altitude weather balloon which reached an altitude of 35,118 metres before bursting. The Gagarin payload returned safely to Earth by parachute and the students were able to retrieve the stunning still images and video taken in near-space.
The telemetry transmitter could be received over most of the British Isles and radio amateurs were able to track the balloon’s progress from the transmitted GPS data. The Horizon team used a Yaesu FT-817 transceiver to receive the signal from the balloon and dl-fldigi software to decode it. Among those supporting the project were Yaesu and Essex-based Rapid Electronics.
CASSiE and the proto-type flight computer
Adam Coghlan, a mathematics teacher at the school, says:
There have been two teams worth of pupils involved in this project and UKHAS members have helped track every launch.
The pupils get so much out of it: – many go on to start their own projects after a year in the Horizon Team – most of the team members have reported extremely positive university interviews following their involvement with the project (some have had personal letters from lecturers and letters from universities wishing them luck, hoping that they’ll choose xxxxx when results day comes etc) – team members who have visited us having left the school for university have got involved in projects at university and have been a lot more open to the opportunities at university beyond their academic studies
The project has a big impact on the pupils who take part and we’re so grateful to the UKHAS members who have supported us and who help with the tracking on launch days.
Watch Project Horizon’s Beat Felix mission – The launch of Gagarin
#yourlife“Science and maths makes you more prepared for life and for business”Dr Melanie Windridge, physicist and science communicator http://www.yourlife.org.uk/
David Bowman G0MRF giving one of his popular FUNcube satellite presentations
On Friday, July 4, the Whitton Amateur Radio Group (WARG) will be hosting a presentation by David Bowman G0MRF on the subject of the FUNcube satellite.
David is a member of the AMSAT-UK team behind the successful development and launch of the amateur radio FUNcube-1 CubeSat which transmits telemetry for Educational outreach (STEM) and carries a 435/145MHz SSB/CW transponder. The presentation will have a live reception of the satellite as it passes over Europe.
The meeting is open to all, the doors open at 7 pm and the talk commences at 8:15 pm. Whitton Community Centre has good car parking and disabled access as well as the use of the bar. A small charge of £1.50 per person will be asked to cover room hire.
The venue is the Whitton Community Centre, Percy Road, Whitton, Middx, TW2 6JL
Directions can be found on the Whitton Amateur Radio Group site http://www.warg.info/
Frequency are approximately 435.1755 MHz (+/- 10 kHz Doppler shift) for the downlink and 145.950 MHz for the uplink with 67 Hz CTCSS.
AMSAT-UK 
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