Tag Archives: satellite

Jul 12 2012

Amateur Radio Satellites mentioned on Phoenix FM Drivetime show

Phoenix FM – Scott Ross and Pete Sipple M0PSX

Always keen to promote Amateur Radio in Essex, Pete M0PSX from Essex Ham was given the opportunity to join presenter Scott Ross on Phoenix FM in Brentwood to discuss the hobby. During the interview Pete took the opportunity to briefly plug the amateur radio satellites.

The interview was broadcast from studios based at The Brentwood Centre at 2:30pm on Thursday July 12, 2012, as part of the Drivetime show.

Watch Amateur Radio Interview – Phoenix FM July 2012

Read the report by Pete Sipple M0PSX at
http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/essex-ham-interviewed-on-phoenix-fm.html

Phoenix FM report on interview http://www.phoenixfm.com/2012/07/12/a-three-day-week-drive/

Essex Ham report on ARISSAT-1 http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/time-running-out-to-hear-arissat-1.html

The Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society, mentioned in the interview, run training courses for the Amateur Radio exams, to find out more speak to Clive G1EUC on
Tel: 01245-224577
Mob: 07860-418835
E-mail: training2012<at>g0mwt.org.uk
Web: http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/training/

Essex Ham http://www.EssexHam.co.uk/

Phoenix FM http://www.PhoenixFM.com/

Jul 12 2012

AMSAT-UK Membership.

AMSAT-UK Membership.


There has never been a more exciting time for you to join one of the UK’s largest group of people who have an interest in Amateur radio satellites/space activities from all around the world.
AMSAT-UK has an ever growing membership base from shortwave listeners to satellite  engineers, amateur radio in space is becoming more affordable with the
concept of Cubesats.

The AMSAT-UK FUNcube  projects aims to be at the forefront with a launch of it’s very own educational Cubesat in 2012  http://funcube.org.uk/

AMSAT-UK is a voluntary organisation that was formed in 1975 and has provided invaluable assistance to the Amateur satellite programme and continues to be at the forefront of satellite research and design, benefits of membership include a full colour Oscar News magazine (Sample here) that is packed with articles and information relating to our ever growing hobby.
AMSAT-UK has a great Website with all the latest news and articles that are updated on a almost daily basis,there you will find information for the newcomer to the more advance
user,an online shop stocks items from the LVB satellite antenna tracker to booking a room for the forthcoming AMSAT-UK Colloquium 2012 Fri 14 Sep to Sun 16 Sep
A regular net is also held on Sunday’s on 3.780 MHz +/- QRM, at 10 AM (local)  Membership is open to clubs, schools, companies, etc, and individuals from around the world.

Join AMSAT-UK today  HERE

AMSAT-UK Website- http://www.uk.amsat.org/

AMSAT-UK Membership-  http://tinyurl.com/3gg2tvc

FUNcube- http://funcube.org.uk/

Twitter   @AMSATUK

Jul 10 2012

UK to get Kickstarter crowd-sourced funding

A KickSat Sprite Satellite

The crowd-sourced funding website Kickstarter, which has been used for amateur radio projects in the USA, is to launch in the UK this autumn.

Radio ham Zac Manchester KD2BHC used Kickstarter to raise $74,586 in donations to fund the development and deployment of over a hundred amateur radio KickSat sprite satellites.

The amateur radio satellite project ArduSat managed to raise donations of $80,379 in just 26 days.

Kickstarter is not just about raising large sums of money, for example Sandy Antunes used Kickstarter to raise $2,780 to buy a ham radio transceiver and antennas to create an amateur radio satellite ground station Calliope

BBC News report http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18780184

Twitter http://twitter.com/kickstarter/

Kickstarter http://www.kickstarter.com/

Jul 9 2012

Summer OSCAR News in the Post

The 40 page Summer edition of the AMSAT-UK publication OSCAR News is being posted to members.

In this issue:

  • Development of High Voltage Technology Demonstration Satellite, HORYU-2
  • A Multi-purpose Portable Set-up: Working Low Earth Orbit Satellites from any place
  • AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Guildford Sept 15-16
  • Increase in ISS Debris Avoidance Manoeuvres
  • G3CVI column “Haven’t got a callsign?”
  • The FUNcube Dongle and the next generation
  • FUNcube Report June 2012
  • AMSAT-FOX
  • Listening to the ISS
  • ITAR – International Traffic in Arms Regulations
  • ESMO – European Student Moon Orbiter

You can get OSCAR News by joining AMSAT-UK online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK

AMSAT-UK is a voluntary organisation that supports the design and building of equipment for amateur radio satellites.

Jul 9 2012

Reform of the Outer Space Act 1986: Consultation

The UK Space Agency has issued a public consultation seeking views of stakeholders on proposed changes to the Outer Space Act 1986.

This is in response to the Government Growth Review published in March 2011, in which the Government set out its wish to reform the Outer Space Act 1986 by introducing an upper limit on liability for UK operators.

The Outer Space Act covers all UK satellites irrespective of size, from tiny low cost educational CubeSats up to large commercial £500 million satellites.

The key aspects of the consultation are the proposals to waive the capped liability and insurance requirement for in-orbit operation of any satellite that meets the criteria of a CubeSat and to remove the requirement for unlimited indemnity from satellite operators.

The existing Outer Space Act imposes heavy additional costs (>£50,000 per annum) on those wishing to launch small educational CubeSats. The additional costs act as a major deterrent and to-date no such UK CubeSat has been launched.

The public consultation closes August 31, 2012.

Further information at
http://www.bis.gov.uk/ukspaceagency/news-and-events/2012/May/
reform-of-the-outer-space-act-1986-consultation

Jul 9 2012

Satellite contact between Cuba and Alaska

Hector Martinez CO6CBF - 640

Hector Martinez CO6CBF

After many attempts, Hector Martinez CO6CBF in Cuba and Dale Pelzer KL7R in Alaska have achieved a contact between Grid Squares EL92sd and BP54xt using the amateur radio satellite FO-29.

Hector CO6CBF posted this report on the AMSAT Bulletin Board

Cubans cannot operate on AO-7 mode B, So FO-29 is our only opportunity for long contacts.

I cannot say how much time we tried but I am sure that it was more than 10 attempts. Dale did all the hard work, he drove around 4 miles from his home to a nearby hill. Majority of times he drove very late in the night.

All the SSB attempts failed. Today [Sunday, July 8] at 1920z was our first attempt on CW and it was successful!

Dale’s working conditions are a Yaesu FT-817 (only 5W semi-duplex) and ARROW antenna with  preamplifier. My working conditions are a majority homebrew setup, 10 elements Yagi on 2m and 18 elements Yagi for 70cm with a homebrew preamplifier.

Thanks very much to Dale for his constancy and effort!

PS: I continue looking for new grids and long contacts on satellite, if you are into any footprint with EL92sd and wan to try, please drop me an email [address at qrz.com]

73!
Hector, CO6CBF
EL92sd

New Cuban Amateur Radio Satellite Group formed http://www.uk.amsat.org/5454

FO-29 Information http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?satID=5

Download 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.