AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-066

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:

* East Coast APRS Satellite Launch 11 March!
* A new interference threat to the Ham Bands
* SK: Dave Toth, VE3GYQ
* AO-51 Survives Close Encounter With FORMOSAT-3
* A Self adjusting Orbit Scheme
* ARISS Update


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-066.01
East Coast APRS Satellite Launch 11 March!

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-066.01

Likely visible over most of the mid-Atlantic; no specific launch
time information received at press time. I don't see a
launch time or any other info yet.

A sounding rocket with amateur satellite operating on 144.39 MHZ
APRS will rise to 100 miles or so for an 8 minute mission. The
rocket is the Hall 12.067.

The payload is called SOCEM/ADAMASat. There is a computer program
and GUI to interface to your PC so you can grab the telemetry live.
It is on: http://ssl.engr.uky.edu/adamasat_free_gui.exe

Bob, WB4APR said, "It's a one shot deal, so I'm gonna have a backup
TNC and HYPERTERM collecting everything. ADAMASat is the Antenna
Deployment and Mono-filament Actuator Satellite. It's a 2U CubeSat
designed by Kentucky Space as part of SOCEM, the Sub-Orbital CubeSat
Experimental Mission. ADAMASat, which is scheduled to launch on Hall
12.067 out of Wallops Flight Facility on 11 March, will fly in space
for roughly 8 minutes performing an engineering experiment and trans-
mitting data down to Earth via APRS packets.

More information on ADAMASat is available at
http://ssl.engr.uky.edu/suborbital/adamasat

Kentucky Space is hereby releasing to the AMSAT-NA community the ADAMA-
Sat FREE GUI, a free 32-bit Windows binary for amateur radio operators
in the Eastern United States who are interested in tracking ADAMASat on
its launch day. The GUI is a standalone application and upon opening it
on his/her computer, the HAM will be greeted with a popup window which
explains the steps required to track the payload.

All that is needed is a Windows machine, a radio and TNC which can
receive on 144.390 MHz, a serial or USB cable, and a suitable location.
The GUI parses the APRS packets as they are received, graphing tempera-
tures on-board the payload and reporting status of the mission in real-
time. It also includes instructions on e-mailing the packet log to Ken-
tucky Space to aid in post-processing, and a built-in aggregator for
the official ADAMASatTwitter RSS feed.

Disclaimer: Kentucky Space provides the GUI "as is" without warranties
of any kind, and shall not incur any liability for any damages connected
to the use of the GUI.

[ANS thanks Bob, WA4APR, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-066.02
A new interference threat to the Ham Bands

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-066.02

FCC to Permit Rescue Radio Robot in the 430 to 450 MHz Band

Reports initially carried in the February 26, 2010 edition of Amateur
Radio NewslineT Report 1698, and on the QRZ.com website say the FCC
has issued a waiver of the Part 90 rules to permit a company called
Reconrobotics Incorporated to sell a remote controlled security robot
that will operate in the 430 to 448 MHz band. This is spectrum that
is primary to the Federal Radiolocation Service but also encompasses
the Amateur Service weak signal, satellite and repeater subbands.

The waiver permits Reconrobitics to manufacture and sell a device
called the Recon Scout. This is described as a device designed for
state and local law enforcement and firefighting agencies, and secur-
ity personnel in critical infrastructure industries. The Recon Scout
can be thrown, dropped, or launched into potentially hazardous areas
and can provide real-time video to an operator located a safe dis-
tance away. Typical applications will include such things as checking
a building prior to forced entry, searching vehicle undercarriages
for explosives and searching for survivors in a burning structure.

The Recon Scout transmits the analog video signal to the operator on
one of three six megahertz channels. These are 430 to 436 MHz, 436
to 442 MHz, and 442 to 448 MHz. Reconrobotics says that multiple
channels are necessary in order to avoid interference during incidents
where multiple Recon Scouts are in use, but that such situations
should be rare.

The company's now approved proposal is that the first unit sold to a
responding organization would operate on 442 to 448 MHz. That happens
to be where thousands of ham radio repeaters operate. The 436 to
442 MHz version being sold only to entities that already own the 442
to 448 MHz version, and the 430 to 436 MHz version being sold only to
entities that already own both of the others.

In approving the waiver, the FCC told Reconrobotics the Recon Scout
will have to operate on a secondary basis where it cannot cause inter-
ference and is not protected from interference to all Federal users
and licensed non-Federal users including radio amateurs. The FCC
also warned prospective users that operation of the Recon Scout in
an unauthorized manner will subject licensees to Commission enforce-
ment action and license revocation. It also said that widespread
improper use of the device could lead the Commission to stop grant-
ing or renewing Recon Scout authorizations.

[ANS thanks Amateur Radio NewslineT Report 1698 for the above
information]


/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-066.03
SK: Dave Toth, VE3GYQ

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-066.03

SK: Dave Toth, VE3GYQ

AMSAT received the sad news of the passing of a friend this week
noting the passing of Dr David Toth, VE3GYQ. Dave was the President
Emeritus of Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) Group. He was an
early member of TAPR, a long time supporter of AMSAT and he gave
of his time and talents to promote technical endeavors in Amateur
Radio. Former AMSAT President Tom Clark, K3IO remembered Dave,
"He was always a friend of AMSAT, giving up personal vacations to
help with the integration of AO-40 in Orlando. For many years, he
was the glue that held TAPR together."

Former AMSAT Board Member, Bob McGwier, N4HY recalled that, "Dave
was an important player in the earliest days of packet radio in that
he helped promote packet and supported it with on the air hardware.
As a board member and President of TAPR, he helped TAPR become the
principal support for Open HPSDR, a project to promote the development
of hardware and software for software defined radio use by Amateur
Radio. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him."

Dr. Toth graduated from the University of Western Ontario Medical
School in 1978. He practiced family medicine in London, Ontario but
moved to the U.S. in 1993 to began a career in emergency medicine.
He was a partner of Premier Health Care Services, in Dayton, Ohio,
and worked at Lima Memorial Health System and St. Rita's Medical
Center until the time of his illness.

[ANS thanks Tom Clark, K3IO; Bob Bob McGwier, N4HY; Steve Bible,
N7HPR; ARRL, TAPR, and Amateur Radio Newsline for the above
information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-066.05
AO-51 Survives Close Encounter With FORMOSAT-3

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-066.05

AO-51 Survives Close Encounter With FORMOSAT-3

AMSAT-NA VP Operations, Drew KO4MA, received notification from the
US Joint Space Operations Center, located at Vandenberg Air Force
Base, California on Sunday, February 28 warning that AO-51 would
have a close approach to another satellite, FORMOSAT 3-D, on Monday
at 1056 UTC. This occurred over the Eastern US, with many stations
on hand capable of receiving telemetry from AO-51 before and after
the near miss. Drew said, "The predicted miss distance was 953 meters,
which is over 3000 feet overall but the radial difference between the
two orbits was only 39 meters."

Steve, W3HF noted, "Given the orbital uncertanties of both satellites,
an orbit separated by only 39 meters could mean that distance may become
eaten up rather quickly!"

In preparation for the close encounter, Drew shut off the S band tran-
smitter and turned on the digital downlink at 2 watts, with telemetry
transmitted every 5 seconds. The next morning, on March 1, Drew was able
to post a message that AO-51 was alive and well, "It looks like we are
fine. A second warning email this morning from the Air Force called it
even closer, but everything was working at LOS this pass."

FORMOSAT-3 is a constellation of satellites launched on April 15, 2006.
It is a joint U.S.-Taiwanese project with major participants including
the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the National
Science Foundation, the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL) on the U.S. side and the National Space
Organization (NSPO) on the Taiwanese side.

[ANS thanks AMSAT-NA VP Operations, Drew KO4MA, and Steve, W3HF for the
above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-066.06
A Self adjusting Orbit Scheme

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066.06
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-066.06

From the IARU Amateur Satellite Frequency Coordination pages at
http://www.amsat.org.uk/iaru/formal_...asp?serial=168

POPACS-RR a 2U cubesat will use self-contained, warm gas, propulsion
system to adjust satellite's initial circular orbit of 450 km to
eccentric orbit with apogee of 1500 km and perigee of 450 km.

Demonstrate use of 3D printing (a.k.a. rapid prototyping) for manu-
facturing small satellites. Measure flux of energetic particles in
lower Van Allen Belt. Test radiation-hardened electronic components
and high performance solar cells in high radiation environment over
a period of five years. Test radiation hardened components for a Plug
and Play satellite. Proposing a UHF downlink of 9k6 GMSK AX25 packet
and also an S Band downlink of BPSK at 9k6 or 38k4. Planning a launch
on the first flight of SpaceX Falcon 1E not earlier than May 2011 with
a 45 deg inclination. Will apply for a FCC part 5 Experimental licence
for this project.

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

73 Trevor M5AKA

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-066.7
ARISS Update

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 066.07
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
March 7, 2010
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-066.07

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Status Report
March 1, 2010

1. School Contact

Expedition 22 astronaut Soichi Noguchi, KD5TVP Participated in an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact
with Hamasuka Junior High School in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan
on Thursday, March 4. This is a direct contact and was scheduled for
10:09 UTC. Noguchi is an alumnus of the school.

2. Timothy Creamer Chats with Doncaster Students via ARISS Contact

On Thursday, February 25, Timothy Creamer, KC5WKI spoke with Don-
caster Primary School students in Doncaster, Victoria, Australia
via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS)
contact. The connection was made through telebridge ground station
VK4KHZ in Queensland. Two hundred fifty guests attended the event
and watched as the students asked nineteen questions of the on-orbit
astronaut. The students were involved in many activities leading up
to the contact in their Physics, Space, Geography, and English classes.
During one such activity, the students researched a place in the solar
system and created a short television program for the intergalactic
travel show "Postcards."

3. ARISS Annual Report 2009 Posted

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Annual
Report 2009 has been posted to the AMSAT Web site. See:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/Pap..._Annual_Report
_2009_Final.pdf

4. ARISS News on Amateur Radio Newsline

The February 26, Amateur Radio Newsline Report 1698 includes one item
about the ARISS program. The "Ham Radio in Space" article summarizes
the ARISSat Design Review meeting held in Orlando, Florida. See:
ftp://ftp.arnewsline.org/quincy/News/news.txt

/EX


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73,
This week's ANS Editor,
Dee Interdonato, NB2F
nb2f at amsat dot org