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Text File | 1993-05-28 | 14KB | 397 lines

SB SAT @ AMSAT   $ANS-142.01
ARSENE STATUS REPORT

HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 142.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 22, 1993
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-142.01

ARSENE's Rocket Motor Successfully Fired 17-MAY-1993

This week, the ARSENE apogee-kick-motor (AKM) was successful in
taking
ARSENE out of its geostationary-transfer-orbit (GTO) and raising it
from its
dangerously low perigee of 205 KM to 17,666 KM.  This AKM firing
occurred
on 17-MAY-93 at 11:45 UTC and has now put ARSENE into the desired
orbit.
Initially, the AKM firing was planned to occur on Orbit #6 but
because the
VHF downlink signal at 145.975 MHz was quite weak, the firing was
delayed
delayed until Orbit #13 so that ground controllers at FF1STA
located in
Toulouse, France could study this problem in detail.  Here are the
two
theories that ground controllers have come up with about what has
happened
to the VHF transmitter:

     1) Perhaps because of the high vibrations experienced during
launch by
        ARSENE, the Local Oscillator (LO) crystal was damaged.  If
this is
        the case, then look for the VHF signal from ARSENE some where
        between 140-150 MHz.

     2) The second theory is that during the launch, the coaxial
cable
        between the Power Amplifier (PA) and the VHF antenna was
damaged
        or perhaps even a connector has been broken.  From S-Band
telemetry
        gathered so far, it is clear that the PA is consuming the
expected
        amount of power when ground controllers send the commands to
        turn on the VHF transmitter.  Also, controllers know that
RF is
        flowing from the VHF exciter based on what they have seen
in the
        telemetry.

FF1STA is asking all radio amateurs to scan between 140-150 MHz
whenever
ARSENE is above the horizon at your QTH.  They suggest you starting
listening
at 145.975 MHz and then begin your scan.  If a downlink signal can
be heard
somewhere between 140-150 MHz, this will be a VERY IMPORTANT PIECE OF
INFORMATION for ground controllers in their trouble shooting
efforts on
ARSENE.  Those who have a S-band downconverter are very much
encouraged to
also help in this search of ARSENE's VHF signal.  Ground
controllers have
commanded ARSENE to send telemetry on both S-Band and 145.975 MHz.
If you
have a downconverter for 2446.470 MHz and a low noise preamp and,
you hear a
telemetry signal coming down between 140-150 MHz at the same time
matching the
S-band telemetry, the ground controllers at FF1STA would very much
like to hear
from you.  The telemetry being sent simultaneously on both 145.975
MHz and
S-Band is PSK at 128 baud.  Again, all radio amateurs are asked to
help in this
search for the VHF signal from ARSENE.

At the present time ARSENE is spinning about 70 RPM and is inclined
about
15 degrees away from what is referred to as the "orbital-plane."
In about
three weeks, ground controllers at FF1STA will reduce ARSENE's spin
rate to
about 50 RPM and adjust the spacecraft's attitude so that it is 45
degrees with
respect to the "orbital-plane."  This last move will be done to
optimize the
antenna patterns for the VHF and S-Band antennas for users on the
ground.
Also, this attitude re-adjustment is necessary to keep the solar
panels
fully illuminated.  Once this re-adjustment is completed in about
three weeks,
all radio amateurs will be invited to start using ARSENE's S-Band
linear
transponder for traffic.  The uplink will be 435.100 +/- 8 KHz and
the
downlink will be 2446.50 MHz.  Circular polarization is recommended
and a
2M diameter dish with a low-noise preamp should be sufficient to
receive
ARSENE's 0.8 watt S-Band output.  The recommended uplink power of 1
KW EIRP
will be plenty due to the excellent sensitivity of ARSENE's UHF
receiver.
At FF1STA ground controllers currently use 10 watts into a 21
element F9FT
UHF antenna to send commands to ARSENE without any problems.

AMSAT-NA and radio amateurs around the world congratulate the Radio
Amateur
Club of Space (RACE) for their success in bringing a new amateur
radio
satellite into service.  Please stay watch for further updates on the
status of ARSENE 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 [e-mail] and on packet he can be
reached at
[e-mail]. Please send your signal reports and any
other
telemetry data to F6BVP at either of the above mentioned addresses.]

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT   $ANS-142.02
AMSAT OPS NET SCHEDULE

HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 142.02 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 22, 1993
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-142.02

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 and
Mode J/L
on a downlink of 435.970 MHz.

 Date           UTC    Mode     Phs     NCS     Alt NCS

30-May-93       0000   B        62      N7NQM   W5IU

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 Saturdays and Sundays UTC:

         Mode J          Downlink 435.980 MHz
         Mode B after J  Downlink 145.960 MHz

OPS NETS will take priority, look for SSTV activity immediately
after the
net.  SSTVer's are invited to join the Net to make schedules at other
times if desired.

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT   $ANS-142.03
WEEKLY OSCAR STATUS REPORTS

HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 142.03 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 22, 1993
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-142.03

Weekly OSCAR Status Reports: 22-MAY-93

AO-13: TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE CHANGE! PLEASE TAKE NOTE!
L QST *** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 1993 May 21 - May 31
Mode-B  : MA   0 to MA 130 !        Blon/Blat 206/6
Mode-BS : MA 130 to MA 180 !<- S transponder; B trsp. is ON
Mode-S  : MA 180 to MA 190 !<- S transponder; B trsp. is OFF
Mode-S  : MA 190 to MA 195 !<- S beacon     ; L trsp. is OFF
Mode-B  : MA 195 to MA 256 !  Move to attitude 120/0, 31-May-93
Omnis   : MA 250 - MA 60   !

The transmitter section of the AO-13 Mode-L transponder appears to
have stopped
working. Therefore, while investigations proceed, the Mode-J/L
session has been
deleted from the schedule.  Mode-B now resumes at MA 195.  Please
see the above
AO-13 Transponder schedule.  Please don't uplink to Mode-B during
MA 180-190.
Doing so will interfere with Mode-S operations.  Mode-S will be ON
for nearly 3
hours, from MA 130 to MA 195.  New Mode-S stations appear daily.
During MA
130-180, Mode-S stations will have to endure the coupling from
Mode-B users
operating between the downlink passband between 145.880 - 145.920
MHz.  Either
work between them, use them as test signals or go to cross-band
operations.
>From  MA 180-190 is Mode-S transponder exclusive (plus Mode-B
beacon).
MA 190-195 is Mode S beacon.  [G3RUH/VK5AGR/DB2OS]

FO-20: The FO-20 Ground Control Station, JJ1ZUT, announced that
FO-20's
operational schedule during the month of May will be as follows:

    Analog Mode Operation(in UTC):
    May 26  10:50 <---> May 27 11:08

At all other times, expect the digital mode and BBS to be in
operation.
Listen for FO-20's CW beacon on a downlink frequency of 435.975 MHz.
[JJ1WTK/3]

AO-16: Operating normally. [WH6I]

LO-19: Operating normally. [WH6I]

UO-22: Operating normally.  [WH6I]

KO-23: WH6I reports that KO-23 isOperating normally.  G0SUL
(formerly G0/K8KA)
has uploaded a file called KAIW004C.GIF, which is a  KO-23 image of
the eastern
seaboard of North America.  Although it is not perfect because
there is a lot
of cloud cover inland and off shore but it certainly covers
everything from
about Nova Scotia to the Outer Banks where there are no clouds.
[G0SUL & WH6I]

MIR: 4Z5BS reported that he heard Alexander (R2MIR) making a voice
QSO with
with 4Z4KX and also, 4Z5BS was able to connect to R2MIR-1 on packet.
However, 4Z5BS reports that Alexander was using a downlink
frequency of
145.850 MHz FM rather than the published frequency of 145.550 MHz
[4Z5BS]

UO-11: 4Z5BS reports that signals are loud and clear and that
besides the
"regular" telemetry from UO-11, there appears to be a long lines of
letters
which he doesn't seem to be able to decode.  Look for UO-11's
downlink on
145.825 MHz.  [4Z5BS]

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 [e-mail], 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

SB SAT @ AMSAT   $ANS-142.04
AMSAT-NA SPACE SYMPOSIUM INFO

HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 142.04 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 22, 1993
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-142.04

W5IU Provides Advance Agenda Of AMSAT-NA's Space Symposium
Information

              ELEVENTH ANNUAL AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM
                        OCTOBER 7-10, 1993
                          LA QUINTA INN
                        ARLINGTON, TEXAS
                 State Hwy 360 and Interstate-30
             Hosted by the North Texas AMSAT Members
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 7TH:
     Meet at La Quinta Inn at 9:00 a.m. and visit various
     electronic surplus stores in the Fort Worth/Dallas area.
     Transportation and expert guide will be provided.
FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 8TH:
     Registration begins at the La Quinta Inn. An antenna test
     range will be set up near the hotel, so bring your new
     antenna design and test it out.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 8TH:
     Presentation of the first of many outstanding technical
     papers begins. Papers will be presented in the spacious La
     Quinta Conference Center.
FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 8TH:
     Rendezvous with your AMSAT friends and families at the La
     Quinta Inn and make dinner plans. This will be an excellent
     opportunity to sample the local Texas BBQ and Tex-Mex
     cuisine. Or just go to the stadium next door and watch the
     Texas Rangers in action.
SATURDAY MORNING & AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 9TH:
     Enjoy a full day learning about what's new in AMSAT and what
     is planned for tomorrow. Topics include Phase 3D, Pacsats,
     DSP modems, and much, much more.
SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 9TH:
     Start out the evening with the traditional "attitude
     adjustment" hour followed by an enjoyable banquet dinner. As
     usual, the keynote speaker planned for this year will
     impressively entertain you.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10TH:
     If you can spend another day with us, we've planned a series
     of technical sessions on various topics including the
     traditional Beginners Forum. And don't forget about the open
     Board of Directors meeting in the afternoon.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WE HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND PLANNED, AND WE'VE RESERVED THE LA QUINTA
INN, CENTRALLY LOCATED IN THE METROPLEX AREA. FLY INTO DFW
AIRPORT AND TAKE THE FREE HOTEL SHUTTLE TO THE LA QUINTA INN,
ARLINGTON.  CALL AMSAT AT 301-589-6062 FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS
OR WAIT FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE AMSAT JOURNAL.

/EX

SB SAT @ AMSAT   $ANS-142.05
CALL FOR PAPERS

HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 142.05 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 22, 1993
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-142.05

Call For Papers For The AMSAT-NA Space Symposium



              *****     CALL FOR PAPERS     *****
          1993 AMSAT ANNUAL MEETING AND SPACE SYMPOSIUM
                        October 7, 8, & 9


The 1993 AMSAT Annual Meeting and Space Symposium provides a unique
opportunity
for you to share the valuable experiences you've had over the past
year with th
rest of the amateur satellite community.  The AMSAT enthusiasts of
North Texas
are working hard to make the 1993 meeting a smashing success.  But
it can only
be successful with your help.  This is a call for papers to be
presented and
published in association with the Symposium this year.

If you would like to submit a paper, simply compose a short
abstract describing
the purpose and scope of the paper.  Abstracts are due by July 30,
1993.  The
final draft of the papers are then due by August 27, 1993.  Please
mail all
submissions to the address below.

Presentations and technical papers are the meat of the AMSAT-NA
Annual Meeting
and Space Symposium.  Even if you will not be able to attend,
please consider
writing a paper for publication in the proceedings.  Help us make
this year's
Symposium one to remember.

                                   Doug Howard - KG5OA
                                   2517 Coldstream Drive
                                   Fort Worth, TX  76123
                                   CServe Address 70233,3517

/EX