Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Apr 2 2013

Final IARU-R1 Vienna 2013 Papers Released

AMSAT-UK_Bevelled_LogoThe final set of VHF/UHF/uW papers for the IARU Region 1 Interim meeting in Vienna, April 20-21, have been released.

They include a number of papers related to Amateur-Satellite Service allocations:
• VIE13_C5_03 Increased Amateur‐Satellite Service 144MHz Usage
• VIE13_C5_05 Recommendations for DATV Transmission
• VIE13_C5_24 Region 1 Satellite Coordinator Report
• VIE13_C5_27 New Narrow‐Band working frequencies in the 2300–2450 MHz band
• VIE13_C5_32 2400MHz Amateur Satellites

Download the papers here.

Discussion on the papers can be found on the RSGB C5 Yahoo Group at
http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/ukc5discussion/

Apr 2 2013

Video – NextGen CubeSat Project – 2010 Dayton Hamvention

NextGen CubeSat Project, a presentation prepared by Alex Harvilchuck N3NP and presented by Dr. Charles Westgate WC2R during the AMSAT Forum at the 2010 Dayton Hamvention.

Watch NextGen CubeSat Project

See other AMSAT-NA videos at http://www.youtube.com/AMSATNA

Apr 1 2013

G100RSGB on Amateur Radio Satellites

FRARS_HQClive G7SVI reports that G100RSGB should be active on the amateur radio satellites on Thursday, April 4.

The Flight Refueling Amateur Radio Society will be hosting the RSGB Centenary Call G100RSGB from their club house at Merley, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3DA and should be active from 1.8 – 440 MHz including the amateur satellite frequencies.

These are the passes on Thursday high enough for them to attempt some contacts (times GMT):

VO-52 08:32 – 08:42
AO-7 08:58 – 09:13
FO-29 10:03 – 10:21
FO-29 11:48 – 12:05
AO-7 12:37 – 12:51
AO-7 14:25 – 14:44
AO-7 16:16 – 16:37
VO-52 17:54 – 18:06

They will post alerts at http://www.rsgb.org/aboutrsgb/rsgbcentenary2013/?id=alerts-and-spots

Flight Refueling Amateur Radio Society http://www.frars.org.uk/

Apr 1 2013

Amateur Radio Satellite at 15th European Interparliamentary Space Conference

FUNcube-1 flight model - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 – Image credit PA3WEG

The European Interparliamentary Space Conference (EISC) workshop on small, micro, nano and CubeSat missions took place on March 25 in Redu, Belgium.

AMSAT Belgium and the UBA took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate the engineering model of the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-1 satellite along with the FUNcube Dongle SDR for telemetry decoding.

Jan Poppeliers ON7UX has released this video of the event which also covers the European Student Earth Orbiter ESEO satellite, ALMASat-1, and the QB50 project:

Continue reading →

Apr 1 2013

Cuban radio ham looking for UK satellite contacts

Hector Martinez CO6CBF - 640

Hector Martinez CO6CBF

Hector, CO6CBF is looking for stations in the West of the UK on the amateur radio satellite FO-29.

Currently FO-29 is in apogee and has a big footprint which allow mutual visibility during a couple of minutes between Cuba and UK. I can work the satellite until LOS and sometimes below the horizon towards the UK.

Cubans cannot operate on AO-7 mode B due to a 432 MHz restriction in our country, so FO-29 is our only chance to try intercontinental contacts on satellites.

Please, I will appreciate any information about any station who is there and wants to try.

Thanks in advance!

Hector, CO6CBF EL92sd
Email: co6cbf at frcuba.co.cu

FO-29 information https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/fuji-oscar-29-jas-2/

Mar 31 2013

Thornton Middle School students contact the International Space Station

Thornton Middle School ISS Contact

One of the Thornton Middle School students

On March 25, using the Thornton Middle School Wireless Technology Club callsign KF5NZD, students from Thornton Middle School in Katy, Texas contacted the International Space Station (ISS). They used ham radio to speak to ISS Commander Chris Hadfield VA3OOG who was operating one of the amateur radio stations onboard the ISS, callsign NA1SS.

“NA1SS..NA1SS this is KF5NZD, KF5NZD, How do you copy, over?” called 13-year-old Chris Bobicchio.

The Cypress Creek Mirror reports a long sticky pause filled the room followed by a clear “This is NA1SS to KF5NZD, you are loud and clear, how do you copy me, over?”

Thornton math teacher and ham radio enthusiast Tom Maxwell AE5QB had been trying to get his school involved in the ARISS program for the past three years and was finally accepted last summer.

AMSAT News Service reports Thornton Middle School students, due to their economic backgrounds, have limited opportunities for enrichment activities beyond those that can be implemented in the classroom. Many of its students and families believe that opportunities in high paying STEM careers are beyond the reach of Thornton students, and that, “other kids have all the luck.” This ARISS contact helped dispel these perceptions and will demonstrate to the students and families that Thornton students are capable of complex problem solving, and that they are capable of learning “Rocket Science” material.

Read the Cypress Creek Mirror story by Crystal Simmons at
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/news/thornton-middle-school-students-make-contact/article_508321f1-dbe6-5994-b04d-edb8ae4dab69.html

To see a video of the complete question and answer session, visit
http://www.cfisd.net/movies/zmovies/ariss.htm

A list of the questions asked is at
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/march2013/ariss_event_2503.htm

Thornton Middle School Wireless Technology Club on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/PatriotsInSpace/

Thornton Middle School
http://www.greatschools.org/texas/katy/1727-Thornton-Middle-School/?tab=demographics

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) http://www.ariss.org/