Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Apr 19 2012

ITAR in ARRL Executive Committee Minutes

ITARThe minutes of the ARRL Executive Committee, Number 496, March 24, make reference to the US Federal Government ITAR regulations. These regulations put US radio amateurs under threat of jail terms or six figure fines if they even talk about certain aspects of their hobby.

ITAR has prevented US amateurs from co-operating with other amateurs around the world on projects such as the P3E satellite and the New Zealand KiwiSat.

ITAR regulations made it almost impossible for AMSAT-NA to work with their international AMSAT partners on the Eagle project and forced the Eagle Wikipeadia to be shutdown.

The recent involvement of the ARRL in this matter is very welcome, the minutes say:

4.1.7. AMSAT has been in communication with the ARRL regarding problems it faces as a result of International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which inexplicably apply even to amateur satellites. The ARRL Board received a briefing as described at Minute 29 of its January 2012 meeting. Chief Technology Officer Brennan Price, N4QX, accompanied AMSAT representatives to a meeting on Capitol Hill. ARRL will continue to cooperate with AMSAT as it seeks a solution.

The minutes of the ARRL Executive Committee, Number 496, March 24, can be read at
http://www.arrl.org/files/file/About%20ARRL/Board%20Meetings/ecmin496.pdf

A 2009 IARU Region 3 report highlights that ITAR requirements made AMSAT-NA direct its members to cease cooperation with AMSAT-ZL in the development of KiwiSAT. http://www.iaru-r3.org/14r3c/docs/046.doc

ITAR impact on the Eagle project http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/eagle/

The 2005 amateur radio P3E IHU project killed by ITAR http://www.amsat-dl.org/p3e/bericht-ihu3-0205-e.pdf

ITAR impact on satellite launches http://www.spacequest.com/Articles/SSC03-II-1%20SpaceQuest.pdf

Apr 19 2012

AMSAT-UK on Satellites for World Amateur Radio Day

National Radio Centre - 1280Members of AMSAT-UK operated on the amateur radio satellites from the RSGB National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day (WARD) on Wednesday, April 18, 2012.

WiMo Satellite Antennas at the NRC

WiMo Satellite Antennas at the National Radio Centre

World Amateur Radio Day commemorates the founding of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) on April 18, 1925. This year’s theme was “Amateur Radio Satellites: Celebrating 50 Years in Space” in remembrance of the launching of OSCAR 1 on December 12, 1961 and the launch of OSCAR 2 on June 2, 1962.

Those taking part in the event included Jim G3WGM, Dave G4DPZ, Ciaran M0XTD, Matthew SWL, Clive G3CWV, Carlos G0AKI and Elaine G4LFM. The satellites worked during the day included FO-29 and AO-7 and contacts were made with stations across Europe using the 144 and 430 MHz bands.

The equipment used comprised a Kenwood TS-2000 with WiMo X quads for 144 and 430 MHz, with pre amps and polarisation switches.

Watch Dave G4DPZ using the amateur radio satellite FO-29

Read the article ‘Getting started on amateur radio satellites’ by John Heath G7HIA at https://amsat-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/satellites_radcom_mar07.pdf
Copyright 2007 Radio Society of Great Britain. For personal use only – no copying, reprinting or distribution without written permission from the RSGB.

Video – How to work the SSB amateur radio satellites https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-work-the-ssb-satellites/

Apr 18 2012

T40IARU Cuba on Satellites Saturday, April 21

Hector Martinez CO6CBF - 640

Hector Martinez CO6CBF

Cuba’s recently founded amateur radio satellite group “Grupo de Radioaficionados para Operaciones Satelitales” (GROS) held three successful activities last weekend commemorating the first human manned spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin, the inaugural launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle and the 87th Anniversary of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU)

This Saturday we will be activating for the very first time a special event station on satellites. We will continue celebrating the World Amateur Radio Day on the 87th Anniversary of the founding of the IARU.

As you know, this year’s theme for the World Amateur Radio Day is Amateur Radio Satellites: Celebrating 50 Years in Space in remembrance the launching of OSCAR 1 on December 12, 1961 and the launch of OSCAR 2 on June 2, 1962.

We will be on Satellites during Saturday, April 21. The special call sign is T40IARU and tentative operation is from EL92, EL83 and FL11.

Please, QSL via CO2FRC (via direct)

73 & see you on the birds!

Hector, CO6CBF
GROS`s vice-coordinator

Busy weekend for Cuba’s amateur radio satellite group http://www.uk.amsat.org/6389

Apr 15 2012

ISS Amateur Radio contact with Scouts

Dan Burbank KC5ZSX - 640

Dan Burbank KC5ZSX

An International Space Station school contact took place between astronaut Dan Burbank KC5ZSX and Japanese Scouts on April 14, 2012.

The Scouts were from Troop 2nd & 3rd Iruma Group, Saitama Scout Council Scout Association Of Japan, Iruma and used the callsign 8N1BSI.

Radio amateur Dan Burbank KC5ZSX was using the callsign NA1SS from one of the two amateur radio stations that have been installed on the ISS.

Watch ARISS RadioScouting

ARISS ham radio contact with Japanese Scouts
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2012/ariss_event_1404.htm

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) http://ariss.rac.ca/

Apr 14 2012

TechEdSat – Challenge for Space Hackers – April 21-22

The International Space Apps Challenge is a 2 day technology development event, taking place April 21-22, during which citizens from around the world will work together to solve current challenges relevant to both space exploration and social need.

TechEdSat

TechEdSat

TechEdSat is an Amateur Radio CubeSat that will be launched on July 21, 2012 from Tanegashima, Japan aboard the HTV-3 ISS resupply mission. TechEdSat will be among the first CubeSats to be deployed from the ISS, and is investigating the use of Plug and Play software/hardware and intersatellite communication via Iridium and Orbcomm networks.

For this challenge, space hackers must implement a command and control system, utilizing both the OrbComm and Iridium modems as uplink and downlink. The software should be modular to facilitate the easy implementation of future commands, and should be fault tolerant.

A ground segment of the software should include the ability for a laptop (or bonus points for an Apple or Android phone) to issue commands to the spacecraft over Iridium/Orbcomm. The spacecraft segment should be written for a Linux environment able to listen for commands, and have the ability to send arbitrary data packages back to the ground.

Bonus points for relaying data received from the spacecraft automatically to Twitter.

Space hackers will be issued interface documentation for Iridium and OrbComm modems, and engineering development hardware for testing. This software has the potential to fly on the TechEdSat mission if completed.

Source: A New Command and Control Protocol for CubeSats
http://spaceappschallenge.org/challenge/new-command-and-control-protocol-cubesats/

International Space Apps Challenge http://spaceappschallenge.org/

TechEdSat to use ‘SatPhone’ http://www.uk.amsat.org/5018

Apr 12 2012

Invader CubeSat – A Student Art Satellite

ARTSAT PROJECT-1: INVADER is an amateur radio “Art Satellite” currently being developed as a part of the “ARTSAT: Art and Satellite Project” which aims at a practical use of a satellite for art and design.

Invader is a 1U CubeSat being developed by students at Tama Art University. The students say:

We would like to contribute to the amateur radio community from the view point of the Art field using this satellite. Our satellite has 3 missions:

ARTSAT Project InvaderFirst, we install some sensors to our satellite and utilize these data for Art Work. For example, by creating the Lightning Equipment which changes color according to the satellite temperature data and distributing to people, we try to make more people get interested in satellite and amateur radio.

Second, we install a small camera (150*150pixels) for acquiring the Earth image for utilizing in Art Work.

Third, we install a Digi-Talker, which transmits voice data using FM. We plan to transmit sensor data using the Digi-Talker.

Three UHF downlinks are proposed including one CW beacon, one 1k2 AFSK data transmission and one FM Voice transmitter.

A launch is planned from Tanegashima into a 400km circular orbit with 65 deg inclination in 2014 on the same H-IIA launcher as STARS-II, TeikyouSat-3, KSAT2, OPUSAT, ITF-1.

ARTSAT Project in Google English http://tinyurl.com/ARTSAT

ARTSAT Press Release http://artsat.jp/wp-content/uploads/docs/press_release_en.pdf

Tama Art University in Google English http://tinyurl.com/TamaArtUniversity

IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination Status Pages http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/