SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-156.01 ARSENE MODE-S TRANSPONDER OPEN HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 156.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 5, 1993 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-156.01 ARSENE Mode-S Operations Began 01-JUN-93 F6BVP announces that the Radio Amateur Club de l'Espace (RACE) has officially released ARSENE for Mode-S traffic beginning Tuesday, 01-JUNE-93! F6BVP reports that the linear transponder uplink frequency is 435.100 MHz with a +/- 8 KHz passband. The downlink is centered on 2446.540 MHz. All modes are possible, CW, SSB, packet, etc. F6BVP suggests that in dealing with the doppler-shift on the downlink freqency, one should look for the ARSENE telemetry beacon on 2446.470 MHz and then make the corrections in your uplink frequency to find yourself. An uplink power of 500 watts to 1 KW EIRP will be quite sufficient due to the excellent AGC in the ARSENE UHF receiver. F6BVP says that radio amateurs can expect the Mode-S transponder operation to continue until further announcements. Also, the VHF telemetry beacon has been turned off while the ARSENE ground controllers study the thermal cooling and electrical power budget issues with the Mode-S transponder in operation. However, a serious investigation is underway by ground controllers to try to under- stand this failure of the VHF downlink packet radio transmitter is not functioning. Please watch for further updates to the ARSENE Mode-S transponder operat- ions in the AMSAT News Service (ANS) bulletins. [The AMSAT News Service (ANS) would like to thank F6BVP for the information which went into this bulletin item. If you would like to write to F6BVP, his INTERNET address is f6bvp@amsat.org and on packet he can be reached at f6bvp@f6bvp.frpa.fra.eu. Please send your signal reports and any other telemetry data to F6BVP at either of the above addresses.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-156.02 AMSAT BBS COORDINATOR NAMED HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 156.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 5, 1993 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-156.02 AMSAT-NA Names N6DBF As The AMSAT Bulletin Board System (BBS) Coordinator Andy McAllister (WA5ZIB), AMSAT's Vice-President for User Services has announced that John Wisniowski (N6DBF) has been appointed AMSAT BBS Information Coordinator. The appointment was made following consultation with AMSAT-NA President Bill Tynan (W3XO). Andy noted that, this represents more of a re-appointment rather than a new position. John had actually served in such a capacity several years ago, so this is somewhat a reaffirmation of a previous appointment. In addition to serving as BBS Information Coordinator, John provides AMSAT data on The Orange County Astronomy Bulletin Board in southern California. Including this one, the following BBSs are known to be regularly providing AMSAT information. QTH SysOp Number Max Data Rate Name NJ Mel Roman KA2UPD 201-261-2780 2400 AMSAT BBS CA John Wisniowski 714-738-4331 2400 Orange Co. Astronomy N65DBF CA WB6BDY 619-279-3921 2400 Radio Sport TX Jeff Wallach 214-394-7438 9600 DRIG N5ITU OH T.S. Kelso 513-427-0674 9600 Celestial MD Joe Kasser 301-593-9067 9600 G3ZCZ Anyone having additional infirmation on these, or any other bulletin boards providing AMSAT information, are asked to contact John Wisnoiwski via n6dbf@amsat.org. /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-156.03 AMSAT SPONSORS FD ACTIVITY HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 156.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 5, 1993 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-156.03 1993 AMSAT Field Day Competition Announcement Field Day is once again just around the corner on June 26th and 27th, and AMSAT is proud to announce the 1993 AMSAT Field Day competition. Last year's effort was very successful and we will be using the same special rules with only slight modifications. The AMSAT competition is to encourage the use of all amateur satellites, including the digital satellites. Here are the rules for the 1993 AMSAT Field Day competition: 1. ANALOG TRANSPONDERS Each satellite is considered a separate band. All phone QSO's and all CW QSO's on a given satellite are considered separate bands. All packet/RTTY/ ASCII/AMTOR QSO's are counted as CW QSO's. Phone QSO's count for one point and CW QSO's count for two points. Cross-mode contacts are not allowed. The use of more than one transmitter at the same time in a single band is prohibited. 2. DIGITAL TRANSPONDERS Each satellite is considered a separate band. The following uploads/downloads each count as a CW contact (two points): (a) Upload of a Satellite Field Day Greetings file (limit one). (b) Download of Satellite Field Day Greetings files posted by other stations. Satellite digipeat QSO's do not count for any score. The use of gateway stations to uplink/downlink is not allowed. SAMPLE SATELLITE FIELD DAY GREETINGS FILE: "Greetings from K5DX Field Day Satellite station in Brenham, Texas with 24 participating members. All the best and 73!" 3. OPERATING CLASS Stations running only emergency power are in a separate operating class from those that utilize commercial power. A Satellite Summary Sheet may be found in the March/April 1992 issue of The AMSAT Journal on page 27. If you do not have access to this issue, send a S.A.S.E. to Andy MacAllister (WA5ZIB), Vice President User Services, 14714 Knights Way Drive, Houston, TX 77083-5640, to get a copy of the summary sheet. Please submit your AMSAT Field Day competition results to WA5ZIB at the address above by August 28, 1993. Competition was tough in 1992 and should be even tougher in 1993. We hope this competition provides satellite operators with the practice necessary to be able to set up a ground station and effectively operate the satellites in an emergency situation. Remember that Field Day also provides a good opportunity to give some newcomers a chance at operating the satellites. Most of all, it should be a lot of fun for all who participate. GOOD LUCK ON FD! /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-157.04 AMSAT OPS NET SCHEDULE HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 156.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD JUNE 5, 1993 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-156.04 AMSAT Operations Net Schedule AMSAT Operations Nets are planned for the following times. Mode B Nets are conducted on AO-13 on a downlink frequency of 145.950 MHz. Date UTC Mode Phs NCS Alt NCS 12-Jun-93 2300 B 132 WA5ZIB WJ9F 19-Jun-93 1600 B 149 W9ODI N7NQM 26-Jun-93 1800 B 111 W5IU WA5ZIB Any stations with information on current events would be most welcomed. Also, those interested in discussing technical issues or who have questions about any particular aspect of OSCAR statellite operations are encouraged to join the OPS Nets. In the unlikely event that either the Net Control Station (NCS) or the alternate do not call on frequency, any participant is invited to act as the NCS. ************************************** Slow Scan Television on AO-13 SSTV sessions will be held on immediately after the OPS Nets a downlink on a Mode-B downlink frequency 145.960 MHz. /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-156.05 WEEKLY OSCAR STATUS REPORTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 156.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 29, 1993 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-156.05 Weekly OSCAR Status Reports: 05-JUN-93 AO-13: ATTITUDE CHANGE L QST *** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 1993 May 31 -> Mode-B : MA 0 to MA 256 This is a temporary schedule Omnis : MA 250 to MA 60 while magnetorquing from BLON/BLAT of 210/0 to 120/0 is in progress. When the Sun angle degrades, the ON period will be shortened to about 160 MA counts centered around the best squint angle, and possibly to 55 MA counts during the poorest Sun angle. Please monitor the beacon for the latest information. Magnetorquing to BLON/BLAT 120/0 via 180/15, 160/15 has begun. This is a large and slow re-orientation, as perigee eclipses steal 50% of each torquing session, and so this will take about 10 days. Trans- ponder performance will sometimes be poor. Magnetorquing is not an exact science, and when the Sun angle reaches more than the target maximum of 40 degrees, the Mode-B transponder will have to be restricted to 55 MA counts for a few orbits. The transmitter section of AO-13's Mode-L transponder appears to have stopped working. No cause has been established for this. The AGC and Power Output telemetry both read #FF, and the TX temperature is as per an off condition. It has exciter power, but possibly not PA power. Fortunately the Mode-L receiver works fine; in conjunction with Mode-S telemetry provides a greatly superior command link than does Mode-B. Thinking continues. [G3RUH/DB2OS/VK5AGR] AO-10: KD4QIO reports that 03-JUN-93 that he heard 5 stations and worked two of them with signal reports of 52 and 55. This was also his first time on AO-10! Then on 04-JUN-93, he heard and worked 6 stations, again signal reports ranged from 44 to 55, with one South American station also heard. K84QIO works AO-10 with 19 watts into 22 element yagi (vertical polariza- tion) until AO-10 gets to about 20,000-25,000 KM in slant range from his QTH. After that, his signal is down in the noise. He uses for the downlink antenna a KLM-14C and a LANDWHER preamp. He says that there is generally alot of spin modulation on all signals but if you get into a good "rhythm," you can overcome it. KD4QIO comments that "with a little patience, AO-10 can still provide many good contacts." [KD4QIO] AO-16: Operating normally. [WH6I] UO-22: Operating normally. [WH6I] KO-23: Operating normally. The ground controllers will be uploading new software on 06-JUN-93 and 07-JUN-93 and advise that everyone download items they want before then in case something happens to the RAMDISK, which is not supposed to be wiped out with this operation. [WH6I] The AMSAT NEWS Service (ANS) is looking for volunteers to contribute weekly OSCAR status reports. If you have a favorite OSCAR which you work on a regular basis and would like to contribute to this bulletin, please send your observations to WD0HHU at his CompuServe address of 70524,2272, on INTERNET at wd0hhu@amsat.org, or to his local packet BBS in the Denver, CO area, WD0HHU @ W0LJF.#NECO.CO.USA.NOAM. Also, if you find that the current set of orbital elements are not generating the correct AOS/LOS times at your QTH, PLEASE INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. The information you provide will be of value to all OSCAR enthusiasts. /EX