eHam.net News

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Students Collaborate in NASA-Sponsored Program:

Posted: 27 Mar 2017 05:19 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/38909


CubeSat allows students to track satellite with ground station: Engineering
students at the University have been working on a project, CubeSat, which
will track a small satellite using a ground station. The satellite will
communicate with the ground station to gather data, which will be shared
with information from other universities, such as Virginia Tech and Old
Dominion. CubeSat is sponsored by NASA and collaborates with other
universities through the Virginia Space Grant Consortium. CubeSat will be
collecting data on atmospheric drag in low earth orbit. Currently, the
students are finishing the design phase of the ground stations, which
involves selecting proper equipment and securing funding for necessary
purchases from the University. After the design phase of the project,
students will start prototyping the stations. This project is conducted
with Amateur Radio Club W4UVA. W4UVA is responsible for designing,
constructing and operating two ground stations. The radio club has helped
with a large portion of the ground station design and will operate the
ground station and help students gather data. "In addition, a number of
students -- including myself -- have obtained amateur radio licenses in
order to legally operate and test our radio setups," Mitchell said.


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Planet-Sized 'Waves' Spotted in the Sun's Atmosphe

Posted: 27 Mar 2017 05:18 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/38908


Long-sought features may help researchers to improve models of solar
activity and predict space weather. Huge ripples in Earth's atmosphere
called Rossby waves help to steer the planet's jet streams and weather
patterns. Now, a study in Nature Astronomy offers the best evidence yet
that similar large-scale features also exist on the Sun1. Rossby waves
were discovered in Earth's atmosphere in the late 1930s. Driven by a
planet's rotation, they've been seen in the atmospheres of other planets,
as well as in Earth's oceans. In theory, these waves can form in any
rotating fluid, says Scott McIntosh, a solar physicist at the National
Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado and lead study author.
Researchers have long sought evidence of Rossby waves on the Sun, he says.
And an enhanced understanding of these features and their movements could
help scientists to better predict the formation of sunspots and the
eruption of solar flares.


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Amateur Radio Volunteers Needed for Severe Weather Season:

Posted: 27 Mar 2017 05:17 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/38907


Joplin -- Even though severe weather season is already here, it's not too
late for you to play an important role in helping to keep the community
safe. Volunteers with the Joplin Amateur Radio Club say amateur radio can
offer you a way to help warn those around you about impending severe
weather. They say all you need to get started is your license, which costs
about $15, and requires a test. During severe weather, amateur radio
operators assist the National Weather Service by reporting on storms from
home or the field. After a storm has passed through, they can help by
reporting damage, coordinating communications and assisting in search and
rescue efforts. Volunteers say it is a rewarding way to help keep your
loved ones safe.


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Tom Gallagher, ARRL CEO Joins Ham Nation:

Posted: 27 Mar 2017 02:05 PM PDT
http://www.eham.net/articles/38906


Clark, N1BCG will be joined by Tom Gallagher ARRL CEO in
talking about the Ham nation Pine Board Project and the AM
Rally that will be held this weekend. Tom will be talking about
some of the exciting things happening in Newington.