AMSAT NEWS SERVICE
ANS-093

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:
* ARISSat-1 Operations on 12 April 2011
* Celebrate Yuri - ARISSat-1 Activation
* AMSAT Gets Ready for Dayton Hamvention 2011
* Satellite Shorts From All Over
* ARISS Recent School Contacts


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-093.01
ARISSat-1 Operations Possible 11-13 April UTC

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 093.01
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 3, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-093.01

The ARISSat-1 satellite, presently still inside the ISS, will be
turned on and use an external antenna from the afternoon of 11 April
UTC through the morning of 13 April to celebrate the 50th anniversary
of Yuri Gagarin's first manned space flight. More specific times will
be announced as they become available.

AMSAT will support this event and issue certificates to those stations
reporting reception of the ARISSat-1 signals. Roscosmos has announced
that the satellite will be deployed into orbit during the next EVA in
July of this year.

The release of a development version of the BPSK/CW decoding software
next week. Schedule specifics of the 12 April operation transmissions
are not available yet. These will be posted on the AMSAT and ARISSat1
web sites and in ANS when available.

The transmissions on the 12th will see ARISSat-1 in low power mode, this

means 40-60 secs on, 2 minutes off. It should be a challenge to find and

tune the CW signal then decode some BPSK data during the short on times.

This mode was developed to be used when the batteries are low or the
sat-
ellite is in eclipse. During this even data and information will be col-
lected to improve the BPSK demodulating, decoding and display software.
Those with the FUNcube Dongle and SDR-IQ and variants are encouraged to
record the wideband transmissions to help us better understand the
signals
and improve the ground station software. Information on where to send
the
recordings will be available on the AMSAT and ARISSat1 Web sites.

[ANS thanks Gould, WA4SXM, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-093.02
Celebrate Yuri - ARISSat-1 Activation

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 093.02
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 3, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-093.02

RSVP MANDATORY - April 12 is bringing us the 50th anniversary of Yuri
Gagarin's space flight - as well as (hopefully!) an activation of
ARISSat-1.

Clint Bradford, K6LCS, invites those in the Mira Loma, CA area to come
and have some fun that night!

The party Web site URL is
http://tinyurl.com/YURI-K6LCS

There will be exclusive videos to share (even one from Bill Nye, the
Science Guy!), history to relate, and - if all works well (grin) -
Clint will record celebratory transmissions from the International
Space Station and amateur radio satellite ARISSat-1 at 5AM that morn-
ing to show you all while you are here! (There's another great pass
of the ISS at 9:41PM - but that's technically April 13 GMT... )

Let's use this date to promote everything we've been working on for
years: the ham radio hobby, AMSAT, and the future of manned space
travel.

RSVP MANDATORY - So we'll know how many goodies to have on hand! Send
an email as soon as you can, please! FAMILY- AND CHILDREN-FRIENDLY! (No
pony rides, but they can pet noses of our horse and donkey!)

Appetizers, soft drinks, a little wine, and miscellaneous munchies will
be served. Prizes, handouts, and freebies to all. The rumor that an
offi-
cial "Yuri Gagarin Commemorative T-Shirt" being given away as a door
prize has been ... VERIFIED!

Bring a light jacket - in case we try to work the 9:41PM pass. S'mores
and fire pits outside? OF COURSE! Rain or shine ...

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 - 6PM to 10PM
Clint and Karen Bradford's house
5085 Trail Canyon Drive
Mira Loma CA 91752
909-241-7666 - Clint cell
Email -

[ANS thanks Clint, K6LCS, for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-093.03
AMSAT Gets Ready for Dayton Hamvention 2011

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 093.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 3, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-093.03

The 2011 Dayton Hamvention will be held this year May 20-22. This
year featured AMSAT attractions include:

+ Operational ARISSat-1 Prototype
+ Astronaut Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC, will be attending as a special
guest of the ARRL and AMSAT. Doug will visit the AMSAT booth on
both Friday and Saturday.
+ AMSAT theme for 2011 is "Providing Education Through Amateur
Satellites"

Check out AMSAT's Hamvention posted at ...
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamve...011/Dayton.php
for the latest events:

+ AMSAT theme for 2011 is "Providing Education Through Amateur
Satellites"

+ ARISSat-1

+ AMSAT Thursday Night Get-together

+ AMSAT Forum

+ AMSAT/TAPR Banquet

This is the 60th year of the Dayton Hamvention, sponsored by DARA
(Dayton Amateur Radio Association). As has been the case for the
many years the Hamvention will be at the Hara Arena Complex on the
north side of Dayton. Further information on Hamvention 2011,
including advance ticket sales and motel accommodations, can be
found at http://www.hamvention.org.

AMSAT will occupy the same booths (444-449) in Ball Arena, right
across from the ARRL area and just inside the door from the Satel-
lite Demonstration area. Plan to visit all of the AMSAT activities!

AMSAT/TAPR Banquet
------------------
The fifth annual AMSAT/TAPR Banquet will be Friday night May 20 at
the Kohler Presidental Banquet Center. The Banquet speaker will be
David Rowe, VK5DGR talking on The Village Telco. Additional informa-
tion about the talk can be found on the AMSAT Web site, 2011 Hamvention,

Banquet page.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. Go to the Dayton
Banquet 2011 link:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/hamve...11/Banquet.php to find
information about reservations and additional information.

AMSAT Hotel
-----------
AMSAT has only a few rooms left in the reserved block at the Country
Inn & Suites in Fairborn, OH. Please contact Martha at the AMSAT
office for room price and availability during Hamvention. Priority
for rooms will be given to those volunteering to work in the AMSAT
booth for multiple 2 hour shifts during Hamvention. The phone
number for the AMSAT office is 301-589-6062. Other hotels in the
immediate area of the Country inn & Suites include the Fairfield
Inn, Ramada Inn, Hampton Inn, Fairborn Holiday Inn, Red Roof Inn
and the Homewood Suites if additional accommodations are needed.

[ANS thanks Gould Smith, WA4SXM for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-093.04
Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 093.04
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 3, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-093.04

+ Look for Bryan, KL7CN to be active in a holiday-style DXpedition
on the FM satellites from various Caribbean locations starting
Sunday, April 3. Bryan will start /KP4 from San Juan, and then
operate /MM from as many grids as we can, followed by J6/ from
St. Lucia, then as V25CN from Antigua, then as a very special
FS/PJ7 operation from the border monument on St. Martin, then
/KP2 from St. Croix, and finally again as /KP4.

+ A video of the March 26 launch of an Amateur Radio near-space
balloon by the Old Towne Middle School in Ridgeland, MS is now
available at: http://tinyurl.com/42ufohw (Southgate)

+ Two videos of the Amateur Radio satellite SwissCube are now
available at: http://tinyurl.com/3uqlhn4 (Southgate)

+ Russia's Elektro-L weather forecasting spacecraft captured a
stunning view of the Moon over the Red Sea region of the Earth.
It can be viewed at:http://tinyurl.com/4ajwqs5 (UniverseToday)

+ NASA is offering you a chance to vote for your favorite tunes
to be played as the wake up song during the STS-134 mission, which
is currently scheduled to launch on April 19, 2011. Voting will
be open until mission launch day. You can find the list and listen
to the songs and cast your vote at:
https://songcontest.nasa.gov/toporig.aspx

+ Austin, Texas Fox News coverage of the ARISS school contact with
the Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas is posted at:
http://tinyurl.com/iss-lehman

+ AMSAT's Keeper of the Keps, Ray Hoad, WA5QGD reported this week,
the following two changes have been made to the KEP distribution:
1. FAST1-2 has separated into FAST1 and FAST2. Each now has its
own set of KEPs as FAST1 (cat# 37227) and FAST2 (cat# 37380).
2. The Cat# of NANOSAIL-D (listed in the KEPs as NANOSALD) has been
corrected from Cat# 37225 to Cat# 37361 per Spacetrack website.
You can subscribe to the AMSAT Keps mailing list at:
http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/keps

+ Congratulations and welcome home to Jim, ND9M/VQ9JC on the completion
of a two month sea voyage where he provided dozens of wet-grids from
his maritime mobile operation. Jim says he is working on getting his
logs together and post a trip wrap up in a few days once he gets the
numbers compiled. Jim wrote, "Thanks for helping to make the
two-month
voyage a memorable one!"

+ Luis, LU6QI reported continued success in stretching AO-7's footprint
with a Mode B contact on March 26 with Sebastian, W4AS for a distance
of 6715 km.

+ Tetsu, JA0CAW has posted three videos showing the AMSAT-UK FUNcube
SDR Dongle being used to receive satellites:
1. Using FUNcube Dongle with DK3WN satcontrol_fcd software, SDRadio
software, and Delfi-C3 RASCAL software to decode telemetry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?vÿ-RphZikoA
2. FUNcube Dongle receiving AO-51 satellite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?vûjKwVlMqCc&NRÿ 3. FUNcube Dongle receiving UO-11 satellite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?vúrNvhRIqmo

+ Dave, KB1PVH is heading up the July 4th 13 Colonies Special Event.
He is in need of satellite operators from NH, CT, NJ, and most
likely RI. If you are from one of those states and want to be a part
of the event email Dave directly at: More infor-
mation of the 13 Colonies Special Event can be found on-line at:
http://www.13colonies.info/

[ANS thanks everyone for the above information]

/EX


SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-093.05
ARISS Recent School Contacts

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 093.05
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
April 3, 2011
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-093.05

On Wednesday, March 23, Paolo Nespoli, IZØJPA spoke with students
from Istituto Comprensivo di Verano Brianza - Scuola Media in Italy
via an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) con-
tact. Nespoli, an alumnus of the school, exchanged greetings with
the youth and answered 15 of their questions. Approximately 250 stu-
dents, teachers and guests were on hand for the event which received
regional and local media coverage. The contact supplemented course
studies emphasizing astronautics, astronomy, radio techniques and
English.

Students from two schools in Italy, Istituto Comprensivo "G. Manzi"
and Istituzione Scolalstica "Saint-Roch" jointly participated in an
Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) contact with
astronaut Paolo Nespoli, IZØJPA on Saturday, March 26. The activity
was part of a curriculum concentrating on space, technology and human
spaceflight. Nespoli fielded thestudents' 34 questions over 2 consec-
utive ISS passes as 400 students and visitors gathered for the event.
Regional and local media reported the event.

[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