Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Jul 25 2016

Satellite Beginners Session in Guildford

Drew Glasbrenner M-KO4MA AUK Colloquium 2015

Drew Glasbrenner M/KO4MA working FO-29 at the AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2015

The AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium at the Holiday Inn,  Guildford starts at 2pm on Friday, July 29 with a special session for newcomers to the amateur satellite world.

Newcomers will be helped through the complexities by three amateurs, Dave G4DPZ, Carlos G3VHF and Drew KO4MA, who, between them, have thousands of hours of experience.

They will explain the theories and talk about the practice of listening to and having satellite contacts through the ever increasing number of satellites in orbit.

This year, there will be copies available of the very recently updated AMSAT-NA publication Getting started with Amateur Satellites 2016.

After the Beginners Session there will be a tour of the SSTL satellite facilities in the Kepler Building. Places on the tour are limited and pre-registration is required, see
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/07/03/registration-sstl-kepler-visit/

Pass for the Friday afternoon session can be purchased from the AMSAT-UK shop.

The colloquium is Open to All. Programme schedule at https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

Jul 21 2016

New Geostationary Transponders

Es'hail-2 coverage from 26 degrees EastThe AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium at the Holiday Inn, Guildford will hear presentations from Peter Gülzow DB2OS and Achim Vollhardt DH2VA on the new geostationary amateur radio satellite transponders currently planned to launch in the 3rd quarter of 2017.

The two transponders will provide SSB, Digimode, CW and Digital Amateur TV communications between five continents.

On Saturday, July 30 Peter Gülzow DB2OS will talk about the Phase 4A flight segment while Achim Vollhardt DH2VA will describe the ground station requirements.

The event over the weekend of July 30-31 is open to all, admittance is £10 per day, car parking is free. Those wishing to find out about amateur space communications are most welcome to attend.

Phase-4A Geostationary Transponders https://amsat-uk.org/2016/06/24/phase-4a-geostationary-transponders/

Further information on the event at https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

Jul 18 2016

Radio amateurs invited to 10 Downing Street

Jessica Leigh M6LPJ with Tim Peake GB1SS - Credit Richard Found

Jessica Leigh M6LPJ with Tim Peake GB1SS – Credit Richard Found

Radio amateurs were invited to a reception at the UK Prime Minister’s residence to celebrate the successful mission of UK astronaut Tim Peake KG5BVI / GB1SS.

Sandringham school student Jessica Leigh M6LPJ and her head teacher Alan Gray G4DJX attended the event with Tim Peake GB1SS. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF and the UK’s first astronaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR also attended.

Jessica was the first UK school student to establish amateur radio communications with Tim Peake during his six month mission on the International Space Station. The contact took place on January 8, 2016 and was featured on national TV and in the press.

Year 10 pupil Jessica M6LPJ, along with two other students Polly M6POG and Emma M6GJQ, passed her amateur radio Foundation exam just before Christmas 2015 after training with the Verulam Amateur Radio Club.

Jessica Leigh M6LPJ with Alan Gray G4DJX - Credit Richard Found

Jessica Leigh M6LPJ with Alan Gray G4DJX – Credit Richard Found

Sandringham 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 was extremely supportive of the ISS contact.

Sandringham School presentation by ML&S
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/28/sandringham-school-presentation/

Video of Tim Peake amateur radio contact with Sandringham School
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/09/video-tim-peake-sandringham/

Jessica M6LPJ and Polly M6POG will give a talk about their experience of talking to Tim Peake GB1SS to the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium at the Holiday Inn Guildford, on Saturday, July 30 https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

The UK Space Agency’s Libby Jackson will speak at the AMSAT-UK Gala Dinner – Book Now
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/06/30/amsat-uk-international-space-colloquium-2016/

Jul 13 2016

RSGB Board Chair to address AMSAT-UK Colloquium

RSGB Chair Steve Hartley G0FUWThe RSGB Board Chair Steve Hartley G0FUW will address the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium at the Holiday Inn, Guildford on Sunday, July 31.

He will give an insight into the RSGB support given to the schools involved in the Principia ARISS contacts and how the Society plan to build on those successes. He will also outline the Schools Link project which aims to show schools how they can use amateur radio to deliver ‘core’ science in a practical way to enrich the learning experience, and hopefully generate some new radio amateurs (and maybe radio communication engineers) in the process.

The Colloquium takes place July 30-31 and is open to all, admittance is £10 per day.

Libby Jackson, Astronaut Flight Education Programme Manager at the UK Space Agency will be speaking during the Gala Dinner on the Saturday evening, book your place via http://shop.amsat-uk.org/

Further information can be found at https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

Jul 11 2016

LilacSat-2 Linear Transponder Tested

Members of the Harbin Institute Of Technology Amateur Radio Club BY2HIT receiving LilacSat-2

Members of the Harbin Institute Of Technology Amateur Radio Club BY2HIT receiving LilacSat-2

On July 10, 2016 the amateur radio SSB/CW linear transponder on the student built satellite LilacSat-2 was successfully tested.

LilacSat-2, call sign BJ1SI, was built by students at the Harbin Institute of Technology and launched on September 19, 2015.

The 40 kHz wide SSB/CW transponder is Non-Inverting which means the Doppler shift of a signal going through the transponder will be twice that usually seen on Low Earth Orbit inverting linear transponder satellites.

Clayton Coleman W5PFG reported that he and Glenn Miller AA5PK had a contact through the transponder, a recording can be heard at
https://soundcloud.com/w5pfg/lilacsat-2-2016-07-11-1315z-ssb-transponder

The transponder frequencies are:
• 144.3425-144.3825 MHz Uplink
• 437.180-437.220 MHz Downlink
It is not yet known when the transponder will be activated again.

LilacSat-2 https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/communications/lilacsat-2/

Jul 3 2016

Registration Needed for SSTL Kepler Visit

SSTL-Kepler-Building

SSTL Kepler Building

As part of the AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium there will be tours of the satellite facilities at the Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) Kepler building on Friday, July 29.

Update July 28 – The tours are now full to capacity. SSTL can only accept a limited number of visitors. We are very sorry if you have been disappointed!

As previously noted, any one wishing to go needed to contact us by 5pm 28 July.

Those who are registered for the tour have been notified of the details by email.

AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium July 29-31 https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/