Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Jun 16 2017

Join Virtual Buildathon and build satellite antenna

Chertsey Radio Club is running a virtual build-a-thon to construct a dual-band satellite antenna for 2m/70cm using low-cost parts and it’s open to all.

They will be using WebEx so access to a PC/Tablet, webcam and Internet will be needed to take advantage of the sessions.

They will be starting the virtual buildathon with the small diplexer kit by HA8LFK, kits will no more than £20 depending on shipping and import tax, as always you pay what we pay, no additional costs.

Please email chertseyradioclub <at> hotmail.com to register your interest.

Further information at
http://chertseyradioclub.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/virtual-buildathon-is-back.html

Jun 16 2017

Syllabus consultation for UK amateur radio exams

A syllabus consultation is being held for the new Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced RSGB amateur radio exams.

Surprisingly 7B1 Band Plans on page 56 of the consultation document proposes not teaching Foundation candidates that “transmissions on satellite frequencies should be avoided for terrestrial contacts.”

Instead it is suggested that teaching this Basic Information is delayed until Intermediate. Fewer that half of all Foundation licence holders ever do Intermediate and even those that do may take several years to get there.

The RSGB says:

A complete review of the syllabus for all three levels of the amateur radio examinations has been completed.

The draft of the new syllabus is now available for consultation together with a survey to capture any comments you may wish to make.

Please visit http://rsgb.org/syllabus_review to access the syllabus draft document and how to make your comments.

The section of syllabus relating to the Amateur Satellite Service can be seen on page 60 of the consultation document.

Jun 15 2017

CAS-4A and CAS-4B Satellites from CAMSAT Launched

CAS-4A and CAS-4B launch on CZ-4B

CAS-4A and CAS-4B launch on CZ-4B

Two of CAMSAT’s amateur radio payloads piggybacked on the optical remote sensing micro-satellites OVS-1A and OVS-1B were launched at 0300 GMT on Thursday, June 15, 2017 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, on the CZ-4B launch vehicle. The primary payload of this launch is a hard X-ray modulation telescope satellite (HXMT).

Satellite CAS-4A/OVS-1A:
● Architecture: Micro-satellite
● Dimensions: 494Lx499Wx630H mm
● Mass: 55 kg
● Stabilization: three-axis stabilization system with its +Y surface facing the earth
● Primary Payload: optical Camera with 1.98m resolution

CAS-4A Orbit:
● Orbit type : Sun synchronization orbit
● Apogee: 524 km
● Inclination: 43°
● Period: 95.1 minutes

CAS-4A Amateur Radio Payload:
● Call sign: BJ1SK
● VHF Antenna: one 1/4λ monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at +Z side
● UHF Antenna: one 1/4λ monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at -Z side
● CW Telemetry Beacon: 145.855 MHz 17 dBm
● AX.25 4.8k Baud GMSK Telemetry: 145.835 MHz 20 dBm
● U/V Linear Transponder Downlink: 145.870 MHz 20 dBm, 20 kHz bandwidth, Inverted
● U/V Linear Transponder Uplink: 435.220 MHz

CAS-4 Satellite

CAS-4 Satellite

Satellite Name: CAS-4B/OVS-1B:
● Architecture: Micro-satellite
● Dimensions: 494Lx499Wx630H mm
● Mass: 55 kg
● Stabilization: three-axis stabilization system with its +Y surface facing the earth
● Primary Payload: optical Camera with 1.98m resolution

CAS-4B Orbit:
● Orbit type : Sun synchronization orbit
● Apogee: 524 km
● Inclination: 43°
● Period: 95.1 minutes

CAS-4B Amateur Radio Payload:
● Call sign: BJ1SL
● VHF Antenna: one 1/4λ monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at +Z side
● UHF Antenna: one 1/4λ monopole antenna with max. 0 dBi gain located at -Z side
● CW Telemetry Beacon: 145.910 MHz 17 dBm
● AX.25 4.8k Baud GMSK Telemetry: 145.890 MHz 20 dBm
● U/V Linear Transponder Downlink: 145.925 MHz 20 dBm, 20 kHz bandwidth, Inverted
● U/V Linear Transponder Uplink: 435.280 MHz

73!
Alan Kung, BA1DU

CAMSAT Press Release PDF

Keplerian Two Line Elements (TLEs) ‘Keps’ for new satellites launched in past 30 days
http://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/tle-new.txt

CAS-4A and CAS-4B

May 25 2017

2017 CubeSat Workshop presentations available

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

The 2017 CubeSat Developers Workshop, held in San Luis Obispo CA April 26-28, was the biggest event yet, with almost 550 attendees from 19 different countries!

All 2017 presentation slides are now available online at
http://mstl.atl.calpoly.edu/%7Eworkshop/archive/

You can also find all video footage from the workshop at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCENz0fNHsDR8Kz3jM6C_VWw

Stay tuned for the announcement of the dates for the 15th Annual Developers Workshop next year
http://www.cubesat.org/

May 24 2017

February launch for Jordanian CubeSat

Aya Jaafari at IEEE Day 2016 event in Amman, Jordan

Aya Jaafari at IEEE Day 2016 event in Amman, Jordan

Fourth year electrical engineering student Aya Jaafari is a member of the JY1-SAT team. She says working on the CubeSat has allowed her to practically implement a lot of what she learns theoretically at university.

The Jordan Times reports on the country’s first CubeSat JY1-SAT which was built under the Masar initiative of the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF), by 16 young Jordanian men and women. The satellite is scheduled to be launched on a mission in February 2018, a date on which the team pins great hopes and ambitions.

These young Jordanians were supervised by a group of experts and academics through their weekly meetings held at the Royal Jordanian Radio Amateurs Society (RJRAS).

JY1-SAT was chosen as a tribute to His Majesty the Late King Hussein of Jordan whose amateur radio call sign was JY1.

JY1SAT LogoThe CubeSat will carry an Amateur Radio FUNcube 435/145 MHz SSB/CW transponder and a Slow Scan Digital Video (SSDV) system to transmit stored images reflecting the Jordanian culture and its historical heritage.

Read the full story at http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/nasa-trained-young-jordanian-develops-team-nanosatellite-cubesat%E2%80%99

Royal Jordanian Radio Amateurs Society https://www.facebook.com/jy6zz/

JY6JY is a dedicated ground station to be used for communication with JY1-SAT. The call sign JY6JY is registered to the Office of Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II of Jordan
https://www.qrz.com/db/JY6JY

JY1SAT applies for frequency coordination
https://amsat-uk.org/2017/05/16/jy1sat-frequency-coordination/

May 22 2017

Ham Radio Awareness Program at Science City Ahmedabad

Ham Radio Awareness Program at Science City Ahmedabad May 20, 2017

Ham Radio Awareness Program at Science City Ahmedabad May 20, 2017

AMSAT-India Regional Coordinator Rajesh Vagadia VU2EXP conducted a Ham Radio Awareness program for summer camp students at Science City Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India on May 20, 2017.

The event was knowledge gaining and full of fun for small group of young students.

Participants learnt basic concept of Radio, their setup, propagation, types of conversation allowed and some limitation, communication modes, features used by hams to send voice, text, images and data, Licencing procedure in India etc.

Students were surprised to realize potential of Amateur Radio to do Satellite Communications or to have contact with Astronauts aboard ISS ! Many queries were satisfied in Question and Answer Session.

Also small VHF Demo (Modulation test) was given by young radio amateur Priyesh Vagadia VU3GLY.

We are delighted to observe young students taking interest in Amateur Radio hobby in crowded network of 3G & 4G !

We thank Shri S. D. Vora (Executive Director) and Shri Pulkesh Prajapati from Science City Ahmedabad for coordinating and supporting this event..

Tnx & 73’s
VU2EXP
Rajesh P. Vagadia
Regional Coordinator (West India Zone) AMSAT-India http://amsatindia.org/