Tag Archives: satellite

Apr 15 2016

RSGB amateur radio video – a world of possibilities

The Radio Society of Great Britain have released a new amateur radio promotional video which features amateur radio satellites.

Amateur radio is a hobby with so many aspects it can be hard to describe – and difficult to know what to try first! We’ve tried to give a taster of just some of the many exciting, challenging and fun things you can do with amateur radio. We’re planning to take a look at other parts of the hobby in the future – what’s your favourite?

Watch RSGB amateur radio video – a world of possibilities

Among those featured in the video is the RSGB VHF Manager John Regnault G4SWX. He will be giving a talk titled “Introducing Moon Bounce” at 7:30pm on Tuesday, May 3 to the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS). The meeting will take place at the Oaklands Museum, Moulsham Street, CM2 9AQ. Car parking and admittance are free, visitors are most welcome http://g0mwt.org.uk/future-meetings

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/

Apr 11 2016

New IARU Satellite Advisor Hans Blondeel Timmerman PB2T

Hans Blondeel Timmerman PB2T

Hans Blondeel Timmerman PB2T

The International Amateur Radio Union is pleased to announce that Hans Blondeel Timmerman, PB2T, is appointed to serve as IARU Satellite Advisor.

The appointment is effective immediately.  Blondeel Timmerman was first licensed in 1980 and has served as VERON HF Manager from 2000-2001 and as VERON Vice President from 2001-2008.  He was a member of the IARU Region 1 Executive Committee from 2002-2008 and served as IARU Region 1 President from 2008-2014.  Blondeel Timmerman has served as EUDXF President since 2004 and currently serves as a YASME Foundation Director.  He is retired from the Netherlands Army Signal Corps after a 38 year career working on satellite projects and spectrum management.  He lives in the Netherlands with his wife Margareet, K2XYL and has 2 adult sons.

The IARU Satellite Advisor represents the IARU to the satellite community and the various amateur satellite organizations and performs satellite frequency coordination according to the guidelines established by the IARU.  In addition, the position calls for maintaining a database of coordination requests and letters, report to the IARU Administrative Council on issues related to satellites and satellite frequency coordination and, if requested, to provide technical and operation advice to assist the representation of the amateur satellite service to the International Telecommunication Union.  The Satellite Advisor is assisted by a panel of volunteer satellite advisory members.

Blondeel Timmerman replaces Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, who has served as IARU Satellite Advisor since 1994.  Van de Groenendaal has established many of the procedures used for amateur satellite frequency coordination and has been a critical contributor to the process of satellite frequency coordination for IARU.  The IARU is grateful for Hans van de Groenendaal’s excellent work and thanks him for his years of service in this important position. He will remain as special advisor to the satellite committee.

Any additional information can be obtained from the International Amateur Radio Union, PO Box 310905, Newington, CT 06131-0905 USA Phone +1 860 594 0200, Fax +1 860 594 0259.

IARU Satellite Page http://www.iaru.org/satellite.html

IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination http://amsat.org.uk/iaru

Apr 7 2016

Geostationary / Geosynchronous ham radio satellite transponders

Possible coverage of Geosynchronous satellite 74 degrees West - Credit Bill Reed NX5R

Possible coverage of a Geosynchronous satellite at 74 degrees West – Credit NX5R

EngineerIT magazine reports on the quest by radio amateurs to get transponders on geostationary satellites.

Coverage area of Es'hail 2

Coverage area of Es’hail 2

The article quotes President of AMSAT DL, Peter Gülzow DB2OS, and describes the transponders planned for the Es’Hail-2 satellite, expected to be launched in the 3rd quarter of 2017 into a geostationary orbit at 26 degrees East.

Also mentioned is a project to build a transponder for a US satellite which could be in a geosynchronous orbit around 74 degrees West.

Read the EngineerIT article at
http://www.ee.co.za/article/radio-amateurs-quest-geostationary-satellites.html

What is a Geosynchronous orbit ? https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/geosynchronous/

Es’Hail-2 https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/geosynchronous/eshail-2/

AMSAT Phase 4 Update for Palomar Amateur Radio Club November 4, 2015
http://www.ntms.org/files/Feb2016/PARC_4on4.pdf
https://amsat-uk.org/2015/11/08/geosynchronous-ham-radio-project-video/

Mar 26 2016

OSCAR News Issue 213

OSCAR News Front Page 213 March 2016Issue 213 of the AMSAT-UK amateur radio satellite publication OSCAR News was released on March 12, 2016. E-members can download it here.

The paper edition is usually posted 2-3 weeks after publication of the electronic issue.

In this issue:
• The Tim Peake QSOs
• Sandringham School — the sequel
• The first Soyuz rocket to launch from a new cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East
• Updates on the FUNcube Project Graham, G3VZV
• News from Malta
• QB50 Launch Switches from Alcantara Cyclone Space to NanoRacks and Kosmotras
• FUNcube-1 demo at the Space Studio G0MRF
• Soap Box – Ideas for DATV operations via Es’hail-2 Daniel Cussen EI9FHB
• Some history concerning the HAMTV set up and the Antennas on the Columbus module. Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
• FUNcube-1 (AO-73) & the International Space Station at Talbot Heath School, Bournemouth Bill Coombes G4ERV

AMSAT-UK FUNcube Mission Patch

AMSAT-UK FUNcube Mission Patch

Membership of AMSAT-UK is open to anyone who has an interest in amateur radio satellites or space activities, including the International Space Station (ISS).

E-members of AMSAT-UK are able to download OSCAR News as a convenient PDF that can be read on laptops, tablets or smartphones anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Join as an E-member at Electronic (PDF) E-membership

There are two rates for the paper edition to cover the extra postage costs:
UK
Rest of the World (Overseas)

PDF sample copy of “Oscar News” here.

Join AMSAT-UK using PayPal, Debit or Credit card at
http://shop.amsat.org.uk/

E-members can download their copies of OSCAR News here.

Mar 13 2016

AMSAT/TAPR Banquet at Dayton Hamvention

Michelle Thompson W5NYV

2016 Dayton Hamvention Banquet Speaker Michelle Thompson W5NYV

The tenth annual joint AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be held on Friday evening, May 20.  This dinner is one of the main AMSAT activities during the Hamvention. Tickets ($35 each) may be purchased from the AMSAT store at www.amsat.org. The banquet ticket purchase deadline is Tuesday, May 17.

The Banquet will take place at the Kohler Presidential Banquet Center, 4572 Presidential Way, Kettering, OH 45429 (just south of Dayton). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a cash bar with the buffet dinner served at 7:00 p.m.

AMSAT and TAPR alternate the task of providing a speaker for the banquet. It is AMSAT’s responsibility this year.

Michelle Thompson, W5NYV, will present “It¹s just software, right?” She will survey the AMSAT Ground Terminal:  Who, what, when, where, why, and how we¹re designing open source radio solutions for the next generation of AMSAT payloads.

Michelle is AMSAT’s Team Leader for the design and execution of the AMSAT Ground Terminal.  The goal is to create a ‘Five and Dime‘ (5 and 10 GHz) digital SDR transceiver that will support both voice and data modes, for both general QSOs and emergency communication, for the Phase 4B satellite and for future AMSAT projects.  This is an effort to design an inexpensive ground terminal for amateurs that would cost tens of thousands of dollars commercially, for as much under $1,000 as we can get it.

A true renaissance woman, in addition to being an engineer and a licensed amateur radio operator, Michelle has worked for Qualcomm, attends Burning Man, and is a longtime DEFCON participant.  She is also the lead for Organ Donor (an AI pipe organ). Her Phase 4B Weekly Ground Engineering Reports are fascinating reading.

Seating is limited to the number of meals we reserve with the Kohler caterers based on the number of tickets sold by the deadline. Tickets purchased online may be collected at the Books, Shirts & Memberships corner of the AMSAT booth (445-446).

[ANS thanks Steve N9IP and the AMSAT Office for the above information]

Michelle W5NYV
https://twitter.com/abraxas3d
https://www.youtube.com/user/abraxas3d

Feb 23 2016

UK and Malta University Satellite Collaboration

Mock-up showing typical size of a PocketQube satellite

Mock-up showing typical size of a PocketQube satellite

The UK’s University of Birmingham, the University of Malta, the Malta Amateur Radio League (MARL) and the Italian Astrodynamics company, GAUSS Srl are collaborating on a project to send a PocketQube satellite with an amateur radio payload into space.

The Times of Malta newspaper reports:

The 5x5x5 cm device, referred to as a PocketQube pico-satellite, will be launched in 2018 into a sun-synchronous low earth orbit (LEO) and will be used to validate on-board equipment that will study the properties the Earth’s ionosphere.

This project will pave the way for a swarm of eight such satellites that will spread over a large geographical area and hence gain better coverage of changeable ionospheric conditions which affect radio communications.

The collaboration has brought together two Maltese post graduate engineering students – Darren Cachia in Malta and Jonathan Osairiis Camilleri (Ozzy), a Ph.D. student at the University of Birmingham – who have joined efforts and are developing the satellite platform and the scientific payload respectively.

The mission is expected to last about 18 months and will relay information back to Earth that will be accessible to anyone owning a simple ham radio set. Information will be made available in due course to allow schools and interested individuals to participate using inexpensive equipment.

Read the Time of Malta story at
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160221/local/university-project-to-launch-device-in-space.602663

Read the Independent newspaper story at
http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2016-02-21/local-news/Watch-University-of-Malta-unveils-the-nation-s-first-space-mission-6736153637

Martin Sweeting G3YJO gave a presentation to the University of Birmingham titled: Keeping Satellites in Space – Where Science and Engineering Meet
http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/eps/events/distinguished-lecture/lectures-archive/Prof-Martin-Sweeting.aspx

Malta Amateur Radio League (MARL) http://www.9h1mrl.org/