CQ CQ CQ .. calling all amateur radio operators

[linuxgeek]

So the WXXX , KXX and NXX are expansion signs?

With US calls:
For N, it is usually N and then the number. Like N1PDQ.
For K,W,A can be K#, or KA# to KZ# and the same with W & A. The number of letters after the number varies from one to three. For an individual, the call will have at least 3 letters. A call which is letter-number-letter can be issued for a special event.

Generally, licensees with a Tech level license will have a call which follows the format:

letter-letter-number-letter-letter-letter

General level:

letter-letter-number-letter-letter
or
letter-number-letter-letter-letter

Extra level:

letter-letter-number-letter
or
letter-number-letter-letter


Then there are people like me who still has a LL#LLL call even though I am licensed at the general level. Each time you pass the next level test, you are given the option to receive a new, shorter call sign. I've had my call since '87, so I will likely keep it even when I pass the Extra exam. I think the only reason I would change would be to request my Dad's callsign.

 

[linuxgeek]

Ham-astronaut accepts WAC certificate (Jan 11, 2005) -- During his International Space Station Expedition 9 duty tour, astronaut Mike Fincke, KE5AIT, became the first ISS crew member to contact all seven of the world's continents via Amateur Radio. Now he has the International Amateur Radio Union's Worked All Continents (WAC) certificate for his wall. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Ham Radio Technical Coordinator Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO (right in photo) presented the award to Fincke recently at Johnson Space Center. Operating NA1SS Foale worked KC4AAC at Antarctica's Palmer Research Station for his last contact--actually a "bonus continent" not required to earn WAC. During that QSO, Fincke and ARRL Life Member Chuck Kimball, N0NHJ, compared and contrasted life in their respective outposts. After returning to Earth in October, Fincke said he's not sure everyone in the NASA community understands and appreciates what Amateur Radio means for the rest of the world. "It promotes the space program very well," he said. "It is in NASA's interest to continue Amateur Radio operations onboard ISS." Fincke said he'd also like to do make the first Amateur Radio contact from the moon. His WAC is not the first such award from a ham station in space. In 1992, shuttle astronauts David Leestma, N5WQC, and Kathryn Sullivan also worked Palmer Station to complete their WAC list.

 

[linuxgeek]

Echo satellite team reports no tsunami traffic (Jan 12, 2005) -- The AMSAT Echo (AO-51) team reports it has not yet seen any message traffic via the satellite's PacSat BroadCast Protocol packet system (PBBS) from the tsunami disaster area in South Asia. AMSAT-NA put AO-51 into 9k6 bps store-and-forward mode earlier this month make it available for emergency communication in the wake of the December 26 earthquake-tsunami disaster. Nonetheless, the AO-51 team has noted a substantial increase in recent days in the number of stations accessing the PBBS--about three times the normal level of traffic. "We are going to leave AO-51 in its current mode for another week to give any stations in the area a chance to set up and use the PBBS," Mike Kingery, KE4AZN, of the AO-51 team announced January 8. He said the team would decide in the next couple of days what to do next. "If we get information from the area that a different mode for AO-51 would better suit their needs, we will change immediately." In the meantime, the PBBS continues to be open for regular use. It is currently running continuous downlink transmissions on 435.150 MHz at 1.32 W. The uplink is 145.860 MHz. AO-51 ground controllers are requesting no unattended operations on the PBBS at this time. "We appreciate the interest that the satellite Amateur Radio community has shown in supporting our efforts," Kingery added. He encouraged anyone who might be able to let amateurs in the disaster area know about the satellite resource to do so.

 

[linuxgeek]

Big Apple broadcaster amps up ARRL radio spot for Limbaugh network fill (Jan 13, 2005) -- ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says it's nice to have friends in high places. One of the friends of Amateur Radio public relations is Howard Price, KA2QPJ, of New York City's WABC-TV (Channel 7). Pitts says Price--acting president of the Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society (BEARS), the ham radio organization at ABC TV and Radio in New York City and an ARRL Special Service Club--heard the League's new radio public service announcement (PSA) and had an idea. "He passed it on to Johnny Donovan, production director at WABC Radio in New York City, who dressed it up in one night and made it available as 'network fill' on The Rush Limbaugh Show," heard on hundreds of radio stations across the US. While most larger stations cover program breaks with paid advertising, many smaller stations don't, "and their listeners will hear this wonderfully enhanced PSA for ham radio," Pitts says. Voicing the beefed-up PSA was Donovan himself, a WABC legend and also a radio amateur. "Folks all over America will recognize his voice from commercial radio," Pitts said. ARRL has obtained permission to make the 30-second version of the radio PSA featuring Donovan's voice available on the League's Web site for audition and distribution to radio stations. A 60-second version of the PSA, voiced by ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, and produced by Dave Marthouse, N2AAM, also is available.

 

[linuxgeek]

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ARES/RACES Aid in California Flood Response

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 13, 2005--Flooding and a devastating mudslide in Southern California kept Ventura County ARES/RACES members on the move this week. Among other activities, ARES/RACES has supported communication at shelters housing La Conchita residents displaced by a massive and deadly mudslide January 10 that killed at least 10 people. A town of some 250 inhabitants, La Conchita is approximately 65 miles north of Los Angeles.

"Several communities were cut off from access to the outside world during the flooding, including the Ojai area and the cities of Santa Paula, Fillmore, and Piru," reports David Gilmore, AA6VH, ARES District Emergency Coordinator and Ventura County RACES Radio Officer. He said five shelters were opened during the course of the flooding, providing refuge to more than 700 evacuees. Gilmore said the hospital in Ojai also experienced flooding, but the community's flood-initiated isolation would have made it extremely difficult to transfer patients to other facilities.

"An ARES/RACES member stood by at the radio communications room at the hospital during this crisis, while the flooding was dealt with," he said. "Fortunately, the effects of the flooding were able to be contained, and the hospital was able to continue operating."

In the midst of dealing with the La Conchita mudslide and the subsequent--and now suspended--rescue/recovery effort, Ventura County also faced a forecast of additional heavy rainfall plus a prediction that the Santa Felicia dam at Lake Piru might overflow January 11.

"The integrity of the dam itself was never in doubt," Gilmore explained. "However the amount of water flowing into the reservoir was of sufficient volume that if an overflow occurred, the community of Piru--located at the very eastern part of Ventura County and below the dam--was expected to experience considerable damage."

In light of the threat, authorities ordered residents to evacuate to higher ground, and requested Ventura County ARES/RACES to set up radio communications inside the community. Access to Piru was already difficult, Gilmore explained, and once flooding commenced the town was expected to become completely inaccessible.

"We realized that any personnel who went to Piru could become stranded for several days, along with the Piru residents," he said. Nonetheless, Ventura County ARES/RACES members did not hesitate to volunteer for the assignment.

"Steve King, KE6WEZ, immediately packed his vehicle with supplies and extra radio equipment, and headed out," Gilmore said. Although his trip was hampered by closed or flood-damaged roadways, the California Highway Patrol immediately let King through. "He drove the perilous journey along Highway 126 to Piru, navigating through flowing water and mudslides that already littered the road," Gilmore said.

Although two more operators--Dan Halpert, WA6JQB, and Karl Baird, KG6KRN, had also prepared to go, King's vehicle was the last allowed in before nightfall, when the highway became too dangerous to travel.

Once there King spent a busy--and uncomfortable--night supporting communication for the more than 500 flood refugees, who had little in the way of supplies. At one point, authorities ordered an emergency evacuation for one resident. The area lost electrical power around 3 AM, although a small generator was located and brought on line as dawn approached.

Fortunately, the anticipated heavy rain did not materialize, and the release of water over the dam was held back enough to avoid affecting residential housing. Piru residents were allowed to return home the next morning, and King was able to get back home for a well-deserved rest, Gilmore said.

As the severe weather wound down, so did the Ventura County ARES/RACES activation. Gilmore said the team remains on standby if additional communication problems arise.

Heavy rainfall in California in recent days has resulted in mudslides that left at least two dozen people dead. California Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger, who toured La Conchita January 12, has declared a state of emergency in Ventura County. The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are cooperating in meeting the needs of those displaced by the flooding and mudslides.

 

[linuxgeek]

Amateur Radio volunteers needed for Boston Marathon (Jan 16, 2005) -- Amateur Radio operators are needed to help provide communication support during the 2005 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18. Volunteers must supply their own 2-meter portables and extra batteries; 70-cm portables, dualbanders, mobiles and remote bases are a plus. Some locations require extended-range antennas. Among 2004 volunteers for the annual event, John Ruggiero, N2YHK (photo), served as net control operator for the Boston Marathon finish line net. To find out more or to volunteer, visit the Boston Marathon Amateur Radio Communications Web site, or contact Paul Topolski, W1SEX, 978-632-9432, or Bob DeMattia, K1IW, 508-393-4148.

 

[linuxgeek]

http://www.hamcation.com/

2005 Orlando HamCation
February 11, 12, 13 2005

Central Florida Fairgrounds
4603 West Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32808


Friday 12 Noon to 7pm - Tailgate, Swap and Commercial 2

Saturday 9am to 6pm - All Areas

Sunday 9am to 2pm - All Areas

 

[linuxgeek]

Amateur Radio volunteers aid governor’s inauguration (Jan 18, 2005) -- Amateur Radio volunteers responded in force after North Carolina Gov Mike Easley’s inauguration committee asked for help in coordinating logistics for the January 15 inaugural festivities. Central Carolina Helping Hams’ Bill Cole, KG4CXY, turned to Wake County ARES Emergency Coordinator Tom Brown, N4TAB, to coordinate hams at the event, which included the swearing-in ceremony and a parade through downtown Raleigh--North Carolina’s capital. Brown, in turn, recruited 17 radio amateurs who shadowed event officials and parade marshals and tracked the parade’s progress. Handled via a local repeater, message traffic ranged from directing volunteers to cueing the 21-gun salute. Volunteer Chuck Yarbrough, KI4BZJ, of Durham (with handheld transceiver in photo) was among those helping to check in and line up the various units that marched in the inaugural parade.

 

[linuxgeek]

Echo satellite reopens for normal FM repeater, digital use (Jan 18, 2005) -- The Echo (AO-51) command team says that because no tsunami relief-related emergency message traffic has been seen on the AO-51 Packsat Broadcast Protocol BBS (PBBS), it’s configured the satellite to permit normal FM repeater and 9k6 digital operation. “The plan is to run in this mode until the end of January, unless word is received from the disaster area that a different setup would be useful,” said the AO-51 command team’s Mike Kingery, KE4AZN. “Anyone who can help contact those in the disaster area and inform them of the satellite resource is encouraged to do so.” Kingery says that if another AO-51 configuration can benefit the disaster relief effort, AMSAT will adjust the satellite's operating mode accordingly. Because the switch to solely digital store-and-forward operation pre-empted the satellite’s use in FM repeater mode for Kid’s Day January 2, AMSAT now plans to reschedule its Kid’s Day activity on the satellite for an as-yet-unannounced Saturday in February. The AO-51 FM voice uplink is 145.920 MHz (with 67 Hz CTCSS tone required); downlink is 435.300 MHz. The 9k6 digital PBBS uplink is 145.860 MHz FM; downlink is 435.150 MHz FM.--AMSAT News Service

 

[linuxgeek]

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ARES Supports National Weather Service, Red Cross in Flooding's Wake

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 19, 2005--The same weather system that caused flooding and mudslides in California--including a mudslide in La Conchita that took 10 lives--wreaked havoc elsewhere in the western US the week of January 10. Heavy rainfall in the southeastern Nevada region bordering Utah and Arizona combined with runoff from melting snow, causing rivers and streams to overrun their banks. The resulting flooding damaged or destroyed dozens of homes in the area northeast of Las Vegas. Early on in the emergency, the National Weather Service (NWS) contacted Clark County, Nevada, Emergency Coordinator Charlie Kunz, AA5QJ, to request help from his team.

"They had lost a level detector on the Muddy River near Glendale and asked if someone could get them reports," said Vern Garman, K0EGA, the Clark County ARES Assistant EC for Operations and Training. Starting January 10, radio amateurs from the Logandale/Overton area provided information to the NWS for the next three days.

In addition, Garman reports, the Clark County Office of Emergency Management activated the emergency operations center (EOC) on January 11, and ARES deployed a volunteer to the EOC for about one day. After flooding displaced some area residents, the American Red Cross opened a shelter in Overton, and Logandale/Overton-area ARES volunteers provided communication support. At least five ARES members also aided the Red Cross in preliminary damage assessment activities.

On January 15, the Red Cross requested ARES support in Mesquite, and six amateurs from Las Vegas and one from Overton responded. "This group assisted in setting up the Red Cross communications van and provided communications for outreach teams searching for the people who needed Red Cross assistance," Garman explained. The outreach activity was centered in the northeastern corner of Arizona, near Littlefield and Beaver Dam, he said. A road washout cut off access to Beaver Dam, and some two dozen homes were damaged or destroyed.

Southern Nevada District Emergency Coordinator Glenn Hale, KB7REO, said communications support to the Red Cross consisted of installing an antenna on the mobile communications vehicle and programming the Icom IC-706MKIIG transceiver aboard for area repeaters. Hale noted that the Red Cross emergency response vehicles (ERVs) primarily use the 30-50 MHz Public Safety band to communicate to their command post. Garman said one of the responders, Jack Cook, N8RRL, had Red Cross communication support training and had operated one in Florida after last year's hurricanes.

Two vehicles owned by Red Cross personnel served as secondary ERVs, Hale said, and he and Dan Starr, AA7I, supported that effort in Littlefield by shadowing the group with HF/VHF communication. Most activity was within the Virgin River Gorge, and nearly all communication to the command post was via the Utah Hill 146.820 repeater.

"Bridges to the community were completely washed out making access to the community difficult," Hale reported. "The St George, Utah, American Red Cross kitchen was supplying food to the ERVs. At one location in Beaver Dam, 55 meals were served."

Hale said some homes in the region around Littlefield and just across the border in Mesquite were damaged or destroyed by floodwaters and mud. Conventional telephone and some cellular service in the area was out completely, and the Red Cross used a satellite uplink to communicate with its national headquarters from the communications van.

Garman says the support for the Red Cross continued through the weekend and ended when the organization completed its outreach program on the evening of January 16. In all, more than a dozen ARES volunteers responded to the weather emergency.

 

[linuxgeek]

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ampere Convention Eases International Emergency Telecommunications

NEWINGTON, CT, Jan 20, 2005--When an international disaster strikes, humanitarian organizations now will be able to provide telecommunications more quickly and effectively to help victims. The Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, which became effective January 8, largely eliminates roadblocks to moving telecommunications personnel and equipment into and within disaster-stricken areas--such as those affected by the December earthquake and tsunami. Delegates to the Intergovernmental Conference on Emergency Telecommunications (ICET-98) adopted the 17-article treaty in June of 1998 in Tampere, Finland. Among those attending ICET-98 on behalf of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) was ARRL Chief Technology Officer Paul Rinaldo, W4RI. He credits Hans Zimmermann, HB9AQS, with being one of the driving forces behind the Tampere Convention.

"The Tampere Convention has broader purposes but is an important building block in IARU's efforts to improve recognition of the Amateur Service in providing emergency communications for disaster relief," Rinaldo says. Zimmermann coordinated work on the Tampere disaster telecommunications treaty. Seppo Sisättö, OH1VR, chaired the organizing committee for the Tampere Convention. Amateur Radio's role in emergency communication received high praise in an opinion adopted by the Second Tampere Conference on Disaster Communication in May 2001, where several speakers lauded the work of amateurs in the wake of disasters.

Rinaldo notes too that the IARU led the way for a revision of Article 25 of the international Radio Regulations at World Radiocommunication Conference 2003 (WRC-03) to include an item enabling radio amateurs to handle third-party communications during emergency and disaster relief situations. While FCC Part 97 has not yet been revised to reflect this change, ARRL understands from FCC staff that if the government agencies responsible for the Amateur Service in disaster-affected countries do not object to their amateur stations receiving messages from our amateur stations on behalf of third parties, the US has no objection to its amateur stations transmitting international communications in support of disaster relief.

A government may determine the applicability of this provision to amateur stations under its jurisdiction. This could include either permitting a broader range of international third-party communications, or prohibiting even emergency and disaster relief communications.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says that until the Tampere Convention, regulatory barriers often impeded the ability of humanitarian organizations to deploy telecommunications equipment across borders in an emergency, and delays have cost lives.

"In emergency situations, telecommunication saves lives," ITU Secretary-General Yoshio Utsumi said in a statement. "With this convention, relief workers can make full use of today's telecommunication tools, which are essential for the coordination of rescue operations."

The first treaty of its kind, the Tampere Convention calls on signatory countries to facilitate prompt telecommunication aid to mitigate a disaster's impact. It covers both installation and operation of telecommunication services and waives regulatory barriers such as licensing requirements and import restrictions as well as limitations on the movement of humanitarian teams. The pact also grants immunity from arrest and detention to those providing disaster assistance, and exempts them from taxes and duties.

At the time of ICET-98, Zimmerman was serving in the United Nations Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva. When Zimmerman retired, IARU President Larry Price, W4RA, appointed Zimmerman as IARU International Coordinator for Emergency Communications.

In his new role, and working with IARU regional coordinators, Zimmermann is focusing on assisting IARU member-societies to fulfill "the expectations of the international community, of all those who rely on telecommunications when responding to emergencies, and of those affected by disasters." As a first step in this task, he's facilitating an exchange of information on training and cooperation on all levels. Addressing that in a broader forum will be the first Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Conference (GAREC-2005). An initiative of the Finnish Amateur Radio Society (SRAL), GAREC 2005 will take place June 13-14 in Tampere, in recognition of the city's "long tradition in emergency telecommunications," Zimmerman says.

Rinaldo also points to ITU Radiocommunication Sector Recommendation M.1042, "Disaster Communications in the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services" as another vehicle to formalize Amateur Radio's role in international emergency and disaster mitigation. It encourages the development of "robust, flexible and independent" Amateur Radio networks that can operate from emergency power and provide communication in natural disasters. The recommendation also urges amateur organizations to "encourage and promote the design of robust systems capable of providing communication during disasters and relief operations," and advocates allowing such organizations to test these networks periodically during non-emergency periods.

Rinaldo further points to the IARU's leading role in developing the ITU-D Emergency Telecommunications Handbook, recently edited under Zimmermann's leadership.

"Together," Rinaldo observed, "the Tampere Convention, the Handbook, Article 25 and Recommendation M.1042 represent an improved environment in which Amateur Radio operators can conduct international emergency communications."

 

[linuxgeek]

*bounce* *bounce* I have hamsticks for 40 meters. I really hope I can complete the set at Hamcation.

 

[linuxgeek]

Pennsylvania town drops BPL plans (Jan 28, 2005) -- The Borough of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has decided against plans to offer broadband Internet service via broadband over power line (BPL) technology, according to a January 18 report in Public Opinion. The Cumberland Valley Amateur Radio Club (CVARC) spearheaded ham radio opposition to the plan in the eastern Pennsylvania community of some 17,000 residents through an informational campaign. "We were lucky, but only because many members of the local amateur community put time in to fight BPL right up front, before the municipality had thrown so much money at it that it had a stake in it succeeding," CVARC President David Yoder, KB3HUC, told ARRL. "I can't emphasize that enough--putting people in front of the decision-makers, working with the press and so forth paid off, because we jumped in as soon as we heard BPL was being considered." The Public Opinion article by Cathy Mentzer, quoted Chambersburg officials as saying there wasn't enough money in the municipality's Electric Department budget to go forward with a BPL deployment this year. Borough officials also cited state legislation effective last year that encourages telecommunication companies to provide broadband to consumers. While the BPL initiative is off the borough's 2005 projects agenda, Public Opinion quoted Borough Council President Bill McLaughlin as saying, "As far as I'm concerned, it's dead." Public Opinion also noted that CVARC members were pleased by the outcome. "That is good news," the article quoted Yoder as saying. "All Amateur Radio operators in the area are relieved to learn that apparently our concerns were taken into account, along with the recent legislation." Among other things, CVARC members had told the Borough Council last year that BPL would interfere with Amateur Radio and its ability to provide emergency communication. Chambersburg officials had been looking into leasing the borough's power lines to an Internet service provider as a way to generate revenue, and a consultant had recommended Chambersburg look into BPL.

 

[linuxgeek]

Amateur Radio volunteer among train wreck victims (Jan 28, 2005) -- Amateur Radio volunteer Scott McKeown, KE6EMI, of Moorpark, California, was among the 11 people who died after two Los Angeles Metrolink commuter trains collided January 26 in Glendale. More than 200 people were injured in the mishap, which occurred after one of the trains derailed after striking a motor vehicle left on the tracks. McKeown, 42, served as Ventura County ARES/RACES Area 8 Moorpark Assistant Emergency Coordinator. He also regularly volunteered to support communications for the Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Run and had assisted during past runnings of the Baker to Vegas Relay Annual Challenge Run. A former City of Glendale employee, McKeown--a married father of two--was acting telecommunications manager for the City of Pasadena.

 

[linuxgeek]

Damn... I think I've been appointed/volunteered to be Field Day organizer for this year for the ARES group. I'll know for sure come Monday evening.

 

[linuxgeek]

Echo (AO-51) satellite Kid’s Day reset for Saturday, February 5 (Feb 1, 2005) -- AMSAT has announced that it has rescheduled its Echo satellite (AO-51) Kid’s Day activity for Saturday, February 5 (US time zones). The activity will begin Saturday, February 5, at approximately 1415 UTC and continue until Sunday, February 6, at 0300 UTC. “We ask that all Amateur Radio stations give this short time window to promote satellite operations with kids,” said Mike Kingery, KE4AZN, of the AO-51 control team. He says regular satellite operators can help by demonstrating to youngsters how to make contacts via AO-51, by providing a station to contact or by refraining from using Echo so other stations can make contacts with the kids. “During the event, please limit contacts to stations that are operating with kids at the microphone,” he requests. “This should allow the kids to have a nice QSO and pass some information.” For the exchange, youngsters can give their name, age and location and tell who’s helping them operate on Echo. AO-51 will be configured with a different uplink frequency for the Kid’s Day event--145.880 MHz FM voice with a 67-Hz CTCSS tone. The downlink is 435.300 MHz FM voice. Kingery believes the AMSAT Kid’s Day activity on Echo not only offers AMSAT an educational opportunity but might inspire youngsters to become the Amateur Radio satellite operators of the future.--AMSAT News Service

 

[rjohns86us]

Congratulations! Nothing like volunteering for a position like that...bet you attend that next meeting

hard to believe it is once again time to start planning seriously for another fun time in the field..

Damn... I think I've been appointed/volunteered to be Field Day organizer for this year for the ARES group. I'll know for sure come Monday evening.

 

[linuxgeek]

Congratulations! Nothing like volunteering for a position like that...bet you attend that next meeting

hard to believe it is once again time to start planning seriously for another fun time in the field..

lol ... I think I know what got me asked to do it. Just being too active with the organization and one too many emails asking, 'why don't we do _____ this way?'

It will be fun. Worked fairly closely with the two people who ran it last year, so I have a clue. A lot of it does seem to take care of itself once you get people participating. Probably going to use the Florida QSO party in April to test antenna designs. We finally got the B&W up on the comm center last weekend, so we have one antenna that we can count on.

 

[linuxgeek]

ISS, PC-Sat set up for joint packet tests (Feb 2, 2005) -- ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, says the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Kenwood TM700 transceiver has been switched to the PCsat frequency of 145.825 MHz for a few days to conduct some joint packet operational tests. "ISS will have several extended periods when the satellites will be in view of each other," he said, noting one such pass February 2 at about 2206 UTC over North America. "This will be a temporary move to take advantage of PCsat being operational due to full sun and the favorable alignment of orbits between the two spacecraft." Ransom says the challenge for Earth stations is to try to relay a signal through both spacecraft--a double hop. "Trying to do this via two space-based satellites is a bit trickier, since they are only in view of each other for a short time," he said. "The fact that these satellites also have to deal with Doppler relative to each other increases the difficulty." PCsat controller Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, says both spacecraft will operate as conventional APRS digipeaters using the alias of WIDE. "This should double the opportunities for QSOs for the next eight days and also allow some potential double hops," Bruninga said. "Watch packets on pcsat.aprs.org to look for any successful two-hop digipeats." He and Ransom emphasized that Earth stations should only undertake attended operations and not transmit any beacon any more often that once a minute. In addition, stations should avoid jamming the uplink, not conduct any operations after dark and not digipeat via W3ADO-1. "If that call sign appears, it means PCsat has reset, and we only have one orbit to recover or we may lose her." Now three years old, PCsat only recently made a full recovery as it entered full sun during January and Bruninga was able to switch PCsat into low-power mode to help keep the satellite operational. The User Service Agreement spells out PCsat operational guidelines. The ISS should remain on 145.825 MHz until February 10, Ransom said.

 

[linuxgeek]

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New Mexico Youngsters Finally Get Chance to Talk to ISS

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 2, 2005--A dozen pupils who attend Piñon Elementary School in Los Alamos, New Mexico, are all smiles this week after getting the chance to speak via Amateur Radio with International Space Station Commander Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW. The February 27 contact was arranged by the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Los Alamos Amateur Radio Club Communications Officer Bill Boedecker, NM5BB, handled Earth station duties for the direct VHF contact with NA1SS. Piñon's application had been in the queue for an ARISS school contact for more than four years.

"Luckily we had a good nine-minute window, and all the students were able to ask at least one question," he commented. Before the contact actually got under way, Boedecker spent some time with the school's sixth graders describing how the ham radio gear on the ground works to communicate with the ISS. The kids also did some practice runs. In all, the 12 youngsters asked 14 questions, and Chiao responded to some of them at length.

On hand for the event were some 60 fellow students, who observed along with a few parents and teachers. Principal James Telles called the ARISS contact "an incredible experience" for his students, one they'd remember it for the rest of their lives.

Among other topics, the youngsters' questioned Chiao about how the ISS is powered. He explained that solar power was the only type of power aboard the ISS. Another wanted to know about how Chiao and his crewmate, Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, keep physically fit. The ISS Commander explained that the crew needs to exercise for at least two hours daily, using a variety of exercise equipment especially designed for the zero-gravity environment.

Youngsters also wanted to know what kinds of experiments the crew was conducting, and if the ISS residents were able to view space phenomena such as meteors heading into Earth's atmosphere. Chiao said the crew actually looks down, not up, to see meteors from the ISS.

Boedecker, an ARRL Life Member and a retiree of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, had help from Los Alamos ARC members Dave Haworth, N9KYP, and Anne Browning, KD5NLN. Boedeker said all the gear worked flawlessly, despite bad weather at the time.

A local newspaper sent a reporter and photographer to cover the event, and University of California TV recorded the contact for future use in a program to air in several weeks as part of the Behind the White Coat series, produced at Los Alamos National Labs and distributed by UCTV.

ARISS is an international outreach, with US participation by ARRL, AMSAT and NASA.--some information provided by Gene Chapline, K5YFL

 

[linuxgeek]

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New Audio (and Now Video) PSAs Available

NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 04, 2005--Following up on the introduction last month of two new audio public service announcements promoting Amateur Radio to the general public, the ARRL is now offering video PSAs. The new videos underscore how, in the wake of recent disasters, ham radio operators once again were able to pass emergency messages when other communications systems failed.

These "mini-commercials" for ham radio are already being played on dozens of stations across the country, and the numbers keep growing.

CLICK HERE to see a 30 second mpeg of the video (2,695,958 byte mpg file).

MPEG files may be good enough for your computer, but the files do not have high enough resolution for broadcast television. If you know of a TV or cable station that wants one, just let us know.

Special thanks go to Jerry Martin, KC9BDA, for his efforts in turning the great audio into an impressive video!

The audio files are available here:

30 second PSA HAMWORKS30.mp3 (528,300 bytes)

60 second PSA 60HamRadioWorks0105.mp3 (962,040 bytes)

 

[linuxgeek]

ARRL member heads to Jeopardy "Teen Tournament" final round (Feb 7, 2005) -- Having won in the semi-final round, 16-year-old Michael Braun, K3LNT, of Silver Spring, Maryland, is now among the finalists in the Jeopardy! Sony Pictures television quiz show's "Teen Tournament." The final round will be aired tonight and tomorrow night. The program typically airs at 7 or 7:30 PM in most TV markets. A high school junior, Braun holds a General ticket, enjoys HF operating and is a member of the Montgomery Amateur Radio Club (MARC). The Teen Tournament offers a $75,000 grand prize.

 

[linuxgeek]

“Big Project” schools get Best Buy Te@ch grants (Feb 10, 2005) -- Two ARRL Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program (ETP) participating schools were the Liberal Arts and Science Academy of Austin at Lyndon Baines Johnson High School (LBJ) in Austin, Texas, and Orono Middle School in Orono, Maine. Lead teachers Ronny Risinger, KC5EES, at LBJ, and Richard Glueck, N1MDZ, at Orono say they'll use the grant funds to purchase laptop computers suitable for field work and other applications. ARRL ETP Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, says he hopes more Big Project schools will consider taking advantage of the Te@ch awards and other grant programs. The list of all schools receiving Te@ch grants is available on the Best Buy Web site. The ETP reaches more than 3600 students, exposing them to a collective total of some 184,000 hours of involvement in "wireless technology literacy." The League invites contributions to the ARRL Education and Technology Program via its secure donation Web site.

 

[linuxgeek]

Expedition 11 will put two hams aboard the ISS (Feb 10, 2005) -- The recent licensing of US Astronaut John Phillips, KE5DRY, will put two radio amateurs aboard the International Space Station (ISS) this spring. Heading the Expedition 11 crew will be space veteran and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, who will be doing his second tour of duty aboard the ISS. Phillips' licensing eliminates complications for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) school group contacts. The FCC granted Phillips' new Technician ticket February 2. Phillips (shown with his CSCE, after he passed his test) and Krikalev begin their six-month stay aboard the ISS in April. Krikalev served as flight engineer on the Expedition 1 ISS crew. Phillips, also a seasoned space traveler, will serve as flight engineer and as NASA ISS science officer during Expedition 11. Phillips flew to the ISS on the STS-100 shuttle mission in 2001, when the crew installed the Canadarm2 robotic arm. Krikalev, who also served duty tours aboard the Russian Mir space station in the late 1980s and early 1990s, has accumulated 625 days in space. By the time his Expedition 11 stay is over, he'll have spent more time in space than any other human.

 

[BlueEyesInLevis]

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