Category: Ham Satellite news

Vi läser följande nyhet från ANS om en ny amatörradiosatellit från Sydafrika:

AMSAT News Service Bulletin 265.01
   From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
September 21, 2008
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-265.01

South African SumbandilaSat Launch Likely By Year-End 2008

ITAR-TASS published a news item stating that the first South African satellite Sumbandila “is likely to be launched into orbit along with a Russian spacecraft Meteor-M at the end of 2008, said the head of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos), Anatoly Perminov.

“We are currently working toward adapting this cluster of satellite launch with the spacecraft Meteor-M, which will be launched this year.”
Perminov added that “in the near future to meet with experts from South Africa, perhaps even with the head of the South African Space Agency, to discuss the matter.” According to Roscosmos, the South African side is ready to launch its first spacecraft to the new Russian launch vehicle Soyuz-2 “.

ITAR-TASS said that in return for launch services Russia will have the opportunity to place on the territory of South Africa a tracking station to receive f telemetry from upper stages of launch vehicles.

[Editor Note:] AMSAT South Africa has designed and built a control system to facilitate the following operations:

+ V/U voice transponder with an uplink in the 2 meter band and a
   downlink in the 70cm band.
+ A parrot repeater (voice digipeater)
+ A voice beacon

AMSAT-NA söker en ny ordförande:

AMSAT President Rick Hambly, W2GPS notified the AMSAT Board of
Directors on Thursday, September 11 that he is not a candidate for
President of AMSAT for the upcoming year.  "After careful consideration, I have
decided that I am not able to continue as AMSAT President beyond the next Board
meeting and so I will not offer my name for consideration, and if nominated by
others I will not accept the nomination for 
President.  While I will be focusing
most of my efforts on business activities, I will do my best to make the
transition seamless", stated Rick in an e-mail to the current members of the
AMSAT Board of Directors.  Rick has served as President of AMSAT since October
2004.

The current Board of Directors election concludes on Monday, September
15, when results of the balloting will be announced.  Members of the
new Board will then begin a formal search process to recruit and
select a new President.  This process is expected to take several
weeks with the goal of having a new President identified prior to the
AMSAT Board of Directors meeting on October 23, prior to the AMSAT
Symposium in Atlanta.  The search process starts immediately with an
invitation to current AMSAT members (including BOD members, Senior
Advisors, Officers, and the AMSAT general membership) to suggest
current AMSAT members that they would recommend for consideration.
Recommendations are requested by 1900 EDT Tuesday evening, September
16 to the AMSAT Corporate Secretary (Barry Baines, WD4ASW; e-mail:
wd4asw at amsat.org).  Names that are submitted will be initially reviewed by the
BOD and those candidates that the Board would like to follow up with will be
contacted concerning the interview/selection process.

Rick Hambly, W2GPS will continue to fulfill his duties as President
until the Board meeting in October.   His current term on the Board of
Directors expires in September 2009.

Klla: ANS

Se ven fljande:
http://ke9v.net/2008/09/amsat-unwind-continues/

AMSAT-SM is pleased to annonce our donation of 500 Euro to the ARISS atnenna projekt. For more information please see link to ARISS.

Från ANS fick vi följande information om COMPASS:

Mike, DK3WN said this week that a worldwide amateur radio effort saved the COMPASS cubesat.  Mike reports receiving reports of good COMPASS beacons from Japan. The COMPASS cubesat has not reset over several eclipse periods and remains operational.

The problem that depleted the batteries aboard COMPASS had its heater remain on constantly.  Amateur radio stations around the world successfully transmitted the command to turn off the heater and allowed the batteries to recover.

After the heater was turned off Mike wrote, “The only thing we can do is WAIT. Wait for longer sun periods and voltages over 3.47 Volts.
That’s the standard threshold value in emergency mode to switch into powersafe mode. Only in this mode we can change the threshold values.
As of September 8, COMPASS was back in its powersafe mode of oper- ation.

As of September 10 COMPASS was back in NORMAL mode. Mike had gained control of the satellite and could successfully command the satellite.

Mike summarized, “Thanks to all – this is truly a worldwide ham radio effort – thanks so much for your help. Also, PLEASE do NOT send any commands to COMPASS until further notice. If you send any commands you overwrite the current settings and COMPASS may fall back into emergency mode. We almost lost a cubesat, but we’ve definitely gained some new friends. Thank you all for your efforts!”

Meanwhile please listen to the beacon and keep your fingers crossed that COMPASS will remain in its normal mode.

[ANS thanks Mike, DK3WN, for the above information]

Nu finns möjlighet att se videopresentationer från den sammankomst som hölls hos AMSAT-UK under sommaren.

Det här kan vara lämplig höstunderhållning kommande mörka kvällar.

Från ANS kommer följande info:

COMPASS-1 CubeSat in Emergency Mode – Telemetry Reports Needed

Since Sunday, the COMPASS-1 CubeSat has been in emergency mode. The battery voltage is very low and the satellite is rebooting every pass. The CW beacon is on in sunlight – but it only transmits on
8 minute intervals.