The new version of the IARU Region 1 VHF Handbook 7.50 covering VHF, UHF and Microwaves is now available for download.
The handbook has chapters on Band Planning, Contests, Propagation Research, Operating Procedures and the key Amateur Satellite section on pages 123-131. Page 116 specifies a standard for the use of circular polarization defining which way helical beam antennas should be threaded.
Recommendations proposed in the Vienna meeting 2016 and approved by the Executive Committee meeting in Brussels as well as all relevant decisions of the IARU R1 Conference 2014 in Varna Bulgaria are included in this version.
Mineo Wakita JE9PEL reports on the Indian ISRO PSLV-C34 amateur radio satellite launch planned for June 22, 2016 at 0355 UT into a 500 km 98 degree inclination orbit.
Main Payload, Cartosat-2C, Earth Observing
PSLV-XL(C-34), Satish Dharwan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India
A reflection from the structure of the International Space Station enabled a 144.175 MHz signal from Tim GK4LOH in Cornwall to cross the Atlantic.
The YouTube description reads:
02:40 UTC May 24th 2016 ISS Flypast. Signal heard 2 minutes 45 into the recording and continues for over a minute. The transmitted message was “GK4LOH GK4LOH T T T T T T T T T T”
As soon as ISS set in GN37 I stepped outside the shack and watched as the ISS fly right over here 🙂 Recorded by Frank VO1HP using the remote receiver beacon VO1FN.
Watch GK4LOH IO70jc reception at VO1FN GN37jr 3467km 144.175MHz ISS flypast
Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat – Credit Tomsk Polytechnic University
The Russian space agency Roscosmos has released a video of the Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat commemorative transmission from the International Space Station.
The satellite was developed by students at the Tomsk Polytechnic University to test new space materials technology and is the world’s first space vehicle with a 3D-printed structure. It was launched from Baikonur to the ISS on March 31, 2016 in a Progress-MS-2 cargo vessel. It will be deployed by hand during a future Russian spacewalk (EVA), which is why unlike other CubeSats this one has a handle. The call sign of the satellite is RS4S.
In May 2016 the Tomsk Polytechnic University celebrated its 120th anniversary. As part of the celebrations on May 10/11 the Tomsk-TPU-120 was activated in the ISS and transmitted a greeting to Earth inhabitants, recorded by students of the university in 10 languages: Russian, English, German, French, Chinese, Arabic, Tatar, Indian, Kazakh and Portuguese.
The greeting message was transmitted once a minute on 437.025 MHz FM. One of the Kenwood transceivers on the ISS provided a cross-band relay, re-transmitting the signal on 145.800 MHz FM.
The video, recorded in the Russian ISS Service Module, shows the CubeSat and the amateur radio station.
The launch of the Es’Hail-2 satellite into a geostationary orbit at 25.5 degrees East is planned for the 3rd quarter of 2017. The coverage area of the amateur radio Narrowband (NB) and Wideband (WB) transponders should extend from Brazil to Thailand.
Es’hail-2 coverage area
Es’hail 2 will carry two “Phase 4” amateur radio non-inverting transponders operating in the 2400 MHz and 10450 MHz bands. A 250 kHz bandwidth linear transponder intended for conventional analogue operations and an 8 MHz bandwidth transponder for experimental digital modulation schemes and DVB amateur television.
X-Band 10 GHz Downlink:
– 89 cm dishes in rainy areas at EOC like Brazil or Thailand
– 60 cm around coverage peak
– 75 cm dishes at peak -2dB
– NB: linear vertical polarisation
– WB: linear horizontal polarisation
S-Band 2.4 GHz NB-Uplink:
– narrow band modes like SSB, CW
– 5W nominal Uplink power (22.5 dBi antenna gain, 75cm dish)
– RHCP polarisation
S-Band 2.4 GHz WB-Uplink (DATV):
– wide band modes, DVB-S2
– peak EIRP of 53 dBW (2.4m dish and 100W) required
– RHCP polarisation
After her return to Earth the first UK astronaut Helen Sharman visited the Harrogate Ladies’ College club station G0HCA From left to right are Anna-Karin G7IRR, Helen Sharman GB1MIR, Richard Horton G3XWH and Katy G7NST – Image Credit G3XWH
On May 20, 1991 Britain’s first astronaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR arrived on the Mir Space Station.
She launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on May 18, 1991 arriving at the space station 2 days later. During her 6 day stay on Mir she used amateur radio to linkup with students at 9 schools in the UK.
Using the callsign, GB0JUNO, six students who held Full amateur licences established the initial contact with Helen from the Harrogate Ladies’ College and then passed transmission to the other eight schools involved in the experiment. Katy G7NST asked Helen the first question: “If you had no clock on board Mir, what would give you sense of time in space?”.
In addition to the school linkups Helen also made some random contacts on 2m FM, one of those fortunate to speak to her was Chris Lorek G4HCL.
The new version of the IARU Region 1 VHF Handbook 7.50 covering VHF, UHF and Microwaves is now available for download.
AMSAT-UK 
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