Chelmsford Talk: Amateur Radio Satellites

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ sending Packet Radio to the ISS

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ sending Packet Radio to the ISS

On Tuesday, February 2, Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ will give a presentation to the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) on amateur radio satellites, the talk is open to all.

The main part of the presentation will be on simple satellite operation using an FT-817 and hand held antennas. Steve will also cover amateur radio activity on the International Space Station (ISS) including using the ISS APRS digipeater and reception of ISS Slow Scan Television (SSTV).

The talk coincides with the mission of UK astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS on the space station. Some of you may have already heard Tim using the amateur radio station in the Columbus module to link up with school students as part of the ARISS program.

The meeting takes place at the Oaklands Museum, Moulsham Street, CM2 9AQ. The doors open at 7pm for a 7:30pm start, car parking and admittance are free, visitors are most welcome.

Map http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/meeting-map.pdf

Web http://g0mwt.org.uk/

CARS run short amateur radio training courses, to find out about the next course speak to the training manager Peter Davies M0PSD, contact details are at http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/training/

What is Amateur Radio ? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Nepal students to speak to Tim Peake

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan students have been building a model of the ISS

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan students have been building a model of the ISS

UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI will be using amateur radio to talk to students at Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School (BVS) in Nepal on Wednesday, January 20 at 08:37:04 UT.

You can listen to the audio online at https://sites.google.com/site/arissaudio/

The Himalayan Times reports this is the first link up  between a school in Nepal and the International Space Station (ISS). It will be a Telebridge contact via Tony Hutchison VK5ZAI in Australia. The ISS should be in range of the Telebridge station for about 8 minutes.

BVS is organising an Exhibition during the week of the contact from January 19-23. Experts as well as knowledgeable students will be at hand to respond to queries of visiting students who will be able to get acquainted with amateur radio during the exhibition.

The Nepal Amateur Radio Operators’ Society is one of the organisations supporting the exhibition.

UPDATE Jan. 20: Read the Nagarik News story on the successful contact http://nagariknews.com/feature-article/story/52883.html

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School students speak to Tim Peake KG5BVI / NA1SS - Image Credit Nagarik News

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School students speak to Tim Peake KG5BVI / NA1SS – Image Credit Nagarik News

Brihaspati Vidyasadan is a 32 year old High school, located in Kathmandu, Nepal. Brihaspati runs classes from nursery to 100 at secondary level and the 10+2 program in Science and Management at the higher secondary Level. Besides these Brihaspati also runs Diploma in Hospitality Managemant and Tourism in affiliation with Confederation of Tourism and Hospitality (CTH), UK.

Brihaspati is known for its academic excellence. To date Brihaspati has produced over 2000 SLC graduates and over 600 +2 graduates who have achieved excellent academic achievements. Brihaspati has also been awarded the “Best School in Nepal” in 2055BS.

Brihaspati is also known for its co-curricular and extra-curricular activities including sports, debates and concerts. Over the years the school has achieved Inter-school successes in football (soccer), cricket and basketball at national levels. School has also successes in inter-school competitions like debate, elocution and concerts.

For its academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular achievements Brihaspati has been placed among the Class A schools of Nepal by the Ministry of Education, Government of Nepal.

Brihaspati staff and students have been known for their innovation in education. The school is reputed to be the first school in Nepal to introduce computer education. Brihaspati houses clubs like Lokopakar, which is a student club that looks into Humanitarian aid.  Brihaspati students recently started gThink Inkh, an activity designed using the principles of Extreme Design from Stanford for instilling critical thinking and problem solving skills in students. This program has gained attention of a lot of people in the academia at a very rapid pace.

Brihaspati is located in a 25 acre land space at the heart of Kathmandu within the Balmandir compound. It  has academic facility that is of very high standards. It houses the Free and Open Source Research Lab and Ham (amateur radio) facility that students and staff have access to.

Recently during the earthquake of Nepal, one of the buildings of Brihaspati was used by ham radio operators from Nepal and India to coordinate search and reconciliation of families where over 500 families were reunited with their loved ones.

Read The Himalayan Times story at
https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nepali-students-to-talk-to-astronaut-in-intl-space-station/

Brihaspati Vidhyasadan School
http://www.bvs.edu.np/bvstalkstoiss/
https://www.facebook.com/bvsTalksToISS/

ARISS http://www.ariss.org/upcoming-contacts.html

Video of Tim Peake ham radio contact with Sandringham School

Sandringham School students at ITV News in London - Image Credit @SandringhamSch1

Sandringham School students at ITV News in London – Image Credit @SandringhamSch1

A 92 minute video containing the Sandringham School GB1SAN and Tim Peake GB1SS amateur radio contact is now available in the ARISS UK Team channel on YouTube.

The amateur radio contact with the International Space Station took place on Friday, January 8, 2016 and was led by Jessica Leigh M6LPJ. The video includes the presentations given to the students by ARISS UK’s Ciaran Morgan M0XTD, Head Teacher Alan Gray G4DJX, and the Chair of the RSGB Youth Committee Mike Jones 2E0MLJ.

Watch ARISS Schools contact between Sandringham School, GB1SAN, and Tim Peake GB1SS Friday, January 8, 2016

TV News: Sandringham school amateur radio ISS contact
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/08/bbc-tv-sandringham-school-amateur-radio-iss-contact/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started, see
http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/alex-discovers-amateur-radio-2/

TV News: Sandringham school amateur radio ISS contact

Sandringham students talk to Tim Peake GB1SS using amateur radio - BBC TV screenshot

Sandringham students talk to Tim Peake GB1SS using amateur radio – BBC TV screenshot

The BBC report Sandringham School in St Albans has made history by making the first amateur radio call from the UK to a British astronaut on the space station.

Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ, who has recently passed her amateur radio exam, led the contact which took place on Friday, January 8, 2016.

Headteacher Alan Gray G4DJX with Jessica Leigh M6LPJ - Image Credit Sandringham School

Headteacher Alan Gray G4DJX with Jessica Leigh M6LPJ – Image Credit Sandringham School

The BBC story says: It took a few minutes for the crackle and hiss to die down and allow the students to put some questions to the astronaut, before the ISS then went over the horizon and out of range.

Jessica called it an “amazing experience” to be talking to someone 400 km above them, but said the significance of the day’s event had yet to sink in: “When I get home, I’ll be completely in shock.”

Her head teacher, Alan Gray G4DJX, said it had been an extraordinary opportunity for the school.

“It’s a way of inspiring young people into science and technology – seeing the opportunities that may be available to them,” he told BBC School Report.

“What you’re seeing is that space has an awful lot to offer. It’s not just about talking to Tim Peake on the space station. There are many other things that are useful for young people and will help with their learning.”

Watch the BBC TV news report ‘Astronaut talks to pupils from space’ at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35261160

Watch the interview with Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ about the Tim Peake GB1SS contact https://twitter.com/BBCScienceNews/status/685396737842753536

Watch the BBC TV report on the preparations for the contact
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/35251991

Watch the BBC TV report on student’s reactions after the historic call to Tim Peake
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35253917

Watch CBBC Newsround: School kids speak to Tim Peake in space

BBC Pupils celebrate Tim Peake link-up http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/35280210

Watch SkyNews report with a shot of the Kenwood TS-2000X transceiver
http://news.sky.com/video/1619375/ringing-the-iss-from-school

Ofcom reports the Hertfordshire community radio station Radio Verulam 92.6 FM relayed the school ISS contact http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/news/space-broadcast/

Herts Advertiser newspaper report
http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/st_albans_school_talks_to_astronaut_tim_peake_on_the_international_space_station_1_4372999

Sandringham students speak to Tim Peake GB1SS
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/08/sandringham-students-speak-to-tim-peake-gb1ss/

The Chair of the RSGB Youth Committee Mike Jones 2E0MLJ and RSGB President John Gould G3WKL attended the contact and the RSGB video  ‘Amateur Radio: A Hobby for the 21st Century’ was shown to the students.

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

Sky News interview Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ

Sky News interview Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ

Sandringham students speak to Tim Peake GB1SS

Sandringham students talk to Tim Peake on the International Space Station

Sandringham students talk to Tim Peake on the International Space Station

On Friday, January 8, students at Sandringham School, St. Albans had an amateur radio contact with UK astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS who was on board the International Space Station.

Initial radio contact with Tim was made by Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ who, along with two other students, passed her Foundation exam just before Christmas after training with the Verulam Amateur Radio Club.

The school caters for 1300 students aged 11-19 with 100 teachers including specialist teachers of computing science and three female physics teachers all of whom have a specialist interest in space and astronomy. In addition, the head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX is a very active radio amateur who is extremely supportive of this contact.

ARISS UK (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) has provided and set up all necessary radio equipment such as low earth orbit satellite tracking antennas and radios, to establish a fully functional, direct radio link with the ISS from the school premises. In the few minutes when the ISS was over the UK, an amateur radio contact was established with Tim, and students were be able to ask him questions about his life and work on board the ISS.

The Sandringham School Space Festival started on January 5 and culminated with the live contact with astronaut Tim Peake on Friday January 8 at 08:47 GMT.  During the week there was a wide range of activities to engage the students in space, including a presentation from Spacecraft Engineer Sian Cleaver, mobile planetariums, an amateur radio buildathon, rocket workshops and talks on Mars and Cosmonauts.

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

Students prepare to speak to Tim Peake GB1SS

Sandringham School students preparing for Tim Peake contact - Image Credit Sandringham School

Sandringham School students preparing for Tim Peake contact – Image Credit Sandringham School

Students at Sandringham School, St. Albans have been running through final preparations for their amateur radio contact with UK astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS on board the International Space Station.

The school caters for 1300 students aged 11-19 with 100 teachers including specialist teachers of computing science and three female physics teachers all of whom have a specialist interest in space and astronomy. In addition, the head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX is a very active radio amateur who is extremely supportive of this contact.

ARISS UK (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) has provided and set up all necessary radio equipment such as low earth orbit satellite tracking antennas and radios, to establish a fully functional, direct radio link with the ISS from the school premises. In a ten-minute window when the ISS will be over the UK, an amateur radio contact will be established with Tim, and students will be able to ask him questions about his life and work on board the ISS.

Sandringham School pupils with Foundation certificates - Credit VARC Greg Beacher M0PPG

Sandringham School pupils with Foundation exam certificates – Credit Verulam Amateur Radio Club

Initial radio contact with Tim is expected to be made by Year 10 pupil Jessica Leigh M6LPJ who, along with two other students, passed her Foundation exam just before Christmas after training with the Verulam Amateur Radio Club.

The Sandringham School Space Festival started on January 5 and culminates with the live contact with astronaut Tim Peake on Friday January 8 at 08:47 GMT. The contact will be Web Streamed – Schedule

During the week there has been a wide range of activities to engage the students in space, including a presentation from Spacecraft Engineer Sian Cleaver, mobile planetariums, an amateur radio buildathon, rocket workshops and talks on Mars and Cosmonauts.

As part of the Space festival some of the young women at Sandringham School built a model of the ISS. Watch Women In Engineering #SANDspace

ARISS contact planned for school in St. Albans
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/05/ariss-contact-planned-for-school-in-st-albans/

Students in Amateur Radio Buildathon https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/06/students-in-ham-radio-buildathon/

Model of ISS build by young women at Sandringham School

Model of ISS build by young women at Sandringham School

The contact will be web streamed from the school, watch live at https://principia.ariss.org/live/

The Chair of the RSGB Youth Committee Mike Jones 2E0MLJ and the RSGB President John Gould G3WKL will be attending the contact. The RSGB video  ‘Amateur Radio: A Hobby for the 21st Century’ will be shown to the students.

You can listen to the Sandringham School contact with Tim Peake on the ISS at 0847 GMT on Friday, January 8, either online or by using a ham radio tuned to 145.800 MHz FM, further information at
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/05/iss-school-contact-how-to-get-involved/

Huffington Post report http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/01/05/this-schoolgirl-is-going-to-operate-a-radio-station-and-call-tim-peake-from-earth_n_8915462.html

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

Sandringham School Students - Image Credit Sandringham School

Sandringham School Students – Image Credit Sandringham School