Press Release

AMSAT SpaceNews 08-Jan-01 *

By SpaceRef Editor

January 8, 2001

Filed under AMSAT, US

* AMSAT-OSCAR-40 NEWS *

=======================

Peter Guelzow, DB2OS, has confirmed that the VHF and UHF receivers on
AMSAT-OSCAR-40 are okay and seem to work nominally on the HiGain antennas.
So far, no results with the Omni antennas.

Since controllers know that the HiGain antennas are working, they will
try the VHF-TX in the near future. The magnetorquing system will also
be initiated, so there should be additional FM wobbling once the
magnetorquers are are in action.

Depending on the outcome of this test, controllers can devise a new
schedule that best exploits the currently known communications
capability of the spacecraft.

[Info via Peter, DB2OS]

* AMSAT-UK COLLOQUIUM NEWS *

============================

The 16th AMSAT-UK Colloquium will be held at Surrey University, Guildford,
Surrey, U.K., from Friday 27 July to Sunday 29 July 2001.

AMSAT-UK invites speakers to submit papers, about amateur radio space and
associated activities, for this event and for the “Proceedings” document
which will be published at the same time. Organizers normally prefer
authors to present the papers themselves rather than having someone else
read them in the authors’ absence, but they also welcome “unpresented”
papers for the Proceedings document. There may be an award of some sort
for the best presentation.

Offers of Papers should be submitted as soon as possible; the final date
for full documents to be received is mid-June 2001 in order that the
“Proceedings” document be available to participants.

An added attraction this year will be “Show and Tell” presentations. In
these, the presenter will be given ten minutes to tell the assembled multitude
about a useful project they have done so everyone can gain from their work.
For these presentations a paper to be printed in the proceedings is not
mandatory (but any submissions would be gratefully accepted). Possible
speakers for these are asked to let G3RWL know of their intention so that
he can allocate enough time in the program. There may be an award of
some sort for one of these too.

Submissions should be sent *ONLY* to G3RWL, via the following routes:

Internet e-mail: g3rwl@amsat.org

Terrestrial mail: R W L Limebear G3RWL

60 Willow Road

Enfield EN1 3NQ

United Kingdom.

(no fax available)

AMSAT-UK also invites anyone with requests for Program Topics to submit them
as soon as possible to G3RWL. Invitations for any papers on specific subjects
will be included in the future call.

Additionally, AMSAT-UK will be running sessions specifically for beginners
to amateur satellite operating on the Saturday; volunteers are requested to
speak to these sessions.

Colloquium web pages are at http://www.uk.amsat.org/colloquium.htm or
follow the link from the home page.

[Info via Richard, G3RWL, Colloquium Program Organizer]

* NEW VERSIONS OF PREDICT RELEASED *

====================================

New versions of KD2BD’s satellite tracking and orbital prediction program
PREDICT have been released via the Internet. Versions for both the DOS
and Linux operating systems have been released. The new DOS version,
version 2.0.4d, does not add any new features, but simply corrects some
minor bugs in the program. The new Linux version, version 2.1.3, also
corrects some minor bugs, but also introduces much more in terms of the
program’s ability to act as a server by supplying real-time tracking
information to client applications. Communication between the PREDICT
server and client applications takes place using the UDP protocol, and
allows the server and clients to be separated by a distance, provided
a network connections is available between the client and server. Also
included in the Linux version are three graphical tracking client
applications written by three separate authors.

Further information on PREDICT software, including download links and
screen captures of the new graphical client applications, is available
via the world wide web at the following URL:

http://www.linuxfan.com/~predict

* ARISS NEWS *

==============

Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, reports that the ISS crew is expected to turn on
the packet system fairly soon (originally scheduled for this past weekend).

When it is turned on, expect to hear a periodic beacon every 2 minutes. You
are also permitted to send unformatted informational (UI) packets to the
ISS. In other words, it should be operational for APRS beacons. Please do
not use the Packet Mailbox System at this time. The crew will not have the
computer hooked up to read your messages at this juncture.

Some information regarding the ARISS packet radio system follows:

1) ISS Packet Callsign: RZ3DZR

2) Uplink: 145.990 MHz

Downlink: 145.800 MHz

3) Please be courteous and do not transmit on the packet uplink until for
have heard the packet beacon.

4) If you copy the packet system, please let the ARISS group know and
save your information for a future QSL card.

5) For more information on ARISS, see: http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/

[Info via Frank Bauer, KA3HDO]

* THANKS! *

===========

Thanks to all who recently sent messages of appreciation to SpaceNews,
especially:

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