AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-132

ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North
America,
The
Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the activities of a
worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest
in
designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and
digital
Amateur Radio satellites.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to:




In this edition:
* AO-51 Scehdule for May 2009
* 2009 AMSAT Field Day Rules
* AMSAT DXpedition Loaner Gear Available
* Opening on AO-51 Operations Committee
* AMSAT Awards
* ARISS Status - 27 April 2009

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132.01
AO-51 Schedule for May 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 3, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-132.01

Due to rapidly increasing eclipse lengths throughout May, we need to
keep
the satellite in "normal" mode for Whole Orbit Data (WOD) collection via
the
BBS. Power output will steadily be decreased throughout the month.

April 27 - May 31

FM Repeater, V/U
Uplink: 145.920 MHz FM
Downlink: 435.300 MHz FM

9k6 BBS and Telemetry
Uplink: 1268.700 MHz FM
Downlink: 435.150 MHz FM


73, Drew KO4MA
AMSAT-NA VP Operations

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132.02
2009 AMSAT Field Day Rules

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 3, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-132.02

The AMSAT Field Day 2009 event is open to all Amateur Radio operators.
Amateurs
are to use the exchange as specified in ARRL rules for Field Day. The
AMSAT
competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, both
analog
and
digital. Note that no points will be credited for any contacts beyond
the
ONE
allowed via each single-channel FM satellite. Operators are encouraged
not
to
make any extra contacts via theses satellites (Ex: AO-27 & SO-50).

CW contacts and digital contacts are worth three points as outlined
below.

1. Analog Transponders
ARRL rules apply, except:
- Each phone, CW, and digital segment ON EACH SATELLITE TRANSPONDER is
considered to be a separate band.
- CW and digital (RTTY, PSK-31, etc.) contacts count THREE points
each.
- Stations are limited to one (1) completed QSO on any single channel
FM
satellite. If AO-51 has the V/U and L/S modes turned on, one contact
each
is allowed. If the PBBS is on - see Pacsats below, ISS (1 phone and
1
digital), Contacts with the ISS crew will
count for one contact if they are
active. PCSat (I, II, etc.) (1 digital),
- The use of more than one transmitter at the same time on a single
satellite transponder is prohibited.

2. Digital Transponders
For the Pacsats (GO-32, AO-51) or ‘Store and
Forward’ hamsats, each satellite is
considered a separate band. Do not post "CQ" messages. Simply upload ONE
greeting message to each satellite and download as many greeting
messages as
possible from each satellite. The subject of the uploaded file should be
posted
as Field Day Greetings, addressed to ALL. The purpose of this portion of
the
competition is to demonstrate digital satellite communications to other
Field
Day participants and observers. Do not reply to the Field Day Greetings
addressed to ALL.

The following uploads and downloads count as three-point digital
contacts.
(a) Upload of a satellite Field Day Greetings file (one per satellite).
(b) Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other
stations.
Downloads of non- Field Day files or messages not
addressed to ALL are not to be
counted for the event. Save DIR listings and message files for later
"proof
of
contact."

Please note AMSAT uploaded messages do not count for QSO points under
the
ARRL
rules.

Satellite digipeat QSO's and APRS short-message contacts are worth three
points
each, but must be complete verified two-way exchanges. Remember, only
one
digipeat contact is allowed for the ISS and other satellites in this
mode.
The use of terrestrial gateway stations or internet gateways (i.e.
EchoLink,
IRLP, etc.) to uplink/downlink is not allowed.

3. Operating Class
Stations operating portable and using emergency power (as per ARRL Field
Day
rules) are in a separate operating class from those at home connected to
commercial power. On the report form simply check off Emergency or
Commercial
for the Power Source and be sure to specify your ARRL operating class
(2A,
1C,
etc.).

AND FINALLY...
The Satellite Summary Sheet should be used for
submission of the AMSAT Field Day
competition and be received by KK5DO (email or postal mail) by 11:59
P.M.
CDT,
Monday, July 13, 2009. The preferred method for submitting your log is
via
e-mail to or .

You may also use the postal service but give plenty of time for your
results
to
arrive by the submission date. Add photographs or other interesting
information
so that can be used an article for the Journal.

You will receive an email back (within one or two days) from me when I
receive
your email submission. If you do not receive a
confirmation message, then I have
not received your submission. Try sending it again or send it to my
other
email
address.

If mailing your submission, the address is:
Bruce Paige, KK5DO
Director of Awards and Contests
PO Box 310
Alief, TX 77411-0310.

Certificates will be awarded to the first-place
emergency power/portable station
at the AMSAT General Meeting and Space Symposium in October, 2009.
Certificates
will also be awarded to the second and third place portable/emergency
operation
in addition to the first-place home station
running on emergency power. Stations
submitting high, award-winning scores will be requested to send in dupe
sheets
for analog contacts and message listings for digital downloads.

Additional information and a copy of the submission form is available at
http://www.amsatnet.com/2009fd.pdf

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132.03
AMSAT DXpedition Loaner Gear Available

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 3, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-132.03

AMSAT DXpedition loaner gear is available to members for use activating
a
DXCC
entity or rare grids such as on a cruise. Currently AMSAT has two Arrow
antennas, and a D7 handheld available for loan. Please contact Drew at
for more information.

[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132.04
Opening on AO-51 Operations Committee

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 3, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-132.04

We currently have an opening on the AO-51 Operations Committee for an
enthusiastic individual interested in helping with scheduling, answering
questions about operations, and supporting AO-51 in general. Interested
parties are required to be an AMSAT member in good standing, have
regular
access to email, and be experienced in many of the modes in which AO-51
operates in order to be considered. This is an excellent opportunity to
get
involved with AMSAT for those new to volunteering for the organization.

I don't expect to announce the new member until after Dayton. Also,
please
be patient while waiting for a response. Email the Operations Committee
at
, directly to me at , or see me in
person
at Dayton.

73, Drew KO4MA
AMSAT-NA VP Operations


[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132.05
AMSAT Awards

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 3, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-132.05

There continues to be a very high interest in AMSAT Awards which means a
lot of new operators on the satellites.

We would like to welcome the following to the satellite community. They
have made their first satellite contact and are now members of the AMSAT
Satellite Communicators Club.

Benigno Gomez, XE2YBG
Chris Lemon, KB9CL
Evangelos Kafetzopoulos SV1EEK
James Cutter, W7OJS
Jim McCullough, KI4TWA
Steve Niles, N5EN


The following have earned the AMSAT Satellite Communications Achievement
Award.

L. Val Hanney, KN7D #486
Benigno Gomez, XE2YBM #487
Steve Niles, N5EN #488
(We are approaching number 500 on this award)

To see all the awards visit http://www.amsat.org or
http://www.amsatnet.com

Bruce Paige, KK5DO
AMSAT Director Contests and Awards

[ANS thanks Bruce, KK5DO, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-132.06
ARISS Status - 27 April 2009

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 132.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
May 3, 2009
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-132.06

1. Ashland Contact Successful

On Monday, April 20, St. Edward School in Ashland, Ohio experienced an
Amateur
Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Koichi Wakata,
KC5ZTA
answered 13 questions posed to him by 12 children as approximately 170
students
and teachers looked on. The audio was fed into the EchoLink AMSAT and
JK1ZRW
servers and received four connections from the U.S., England and Brazil.
Television channel 39 and the Times-Gazette both covered the event. The
newspaper article may be found he
http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/4570900


2. Astronaut Training Status

Astronaut Mike Fossum took and passed his amateur radio license exam on
Wednesday, April 15. His new callsign is KF5AQG.


3. CQ Magazine Article on ARISS Contact

Bob Hopkins, WB2UDC wrote an article on the Amateur Radio on the
International
Space Station (ARISS) contact between youth attending the Berkeley
Heights
Recreation Summer Playground in New Jersey and Expedition 17’s Greg
Chamitoff,
KD5PKZ. NPARC (New Providence Amateur Radio Club) assisted with the
contact
which took place on August 13, 2008. The story, “Believe in Your
Dreams -
Anatomy of an ARISS Contact,” was published in the April 2009 issue of
CQ
Magazine.


4. Marcelino Canino Canino Contact Video

Marcelino Canino Canino Middle School in Dorado, Puerto Rico, a 2005
NASA
Explorer School, experienced a successful Amateur Radio on the
International
Space Station (ARISS) contact on March 31. The video of students
speaking
with
Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK is now available on YouTube. See:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toOAAxEhKRA


5. Article on Simonyi Contacts

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) member
Maurice-André
Vigneault, VE3VIG wrote a short story for the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio
Club
(OVMRC) news bulletin, The Rambler and Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC)
magazine,
TCA. The article is about contacts made between the Canada Science and
Technology Museum's VE3JW Amateur Radio Exhibit and Spaceflight
Participant
Charles Simonyi, KE7KDP/HA5SIK during his recent ISS flight. “Space
Contact”
may be found on page 7 of the April 2009 issue of The Rambler. See:
http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/...%3A%2F%2Fwww.o
vmrc.
on.
ca%2FRambler%2FRam2009-04.pdf&images=yes

[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI, for the above information]

/EX


In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership in the
President's
Club. Members of the President's Club, as sustaining donors to AMSAT
Project
Funds, will be eligible to receive additional benefits. Application
forms
are
available from the AMSAT Office.

73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Lee McLamb, KU4OS