I'm not absolutely sure what tomorrow is going to bring, except that I'm pretty certain there will be no park operating for me tomorrow. Weatherbug is calling for a 45% chance of showers tomorrow. If it's dry around Noon time, I just might set up the Jackite and EFRW in the backyard. If it's raining, I'll operate from the shack, and will swallow the better multiplier you get for operating portable. 

Today the bands weren't absolute crud. They weren't great either, but I did manage to put 10 POTA stations in the log. All but one were on 20 Meters. After I worked one activation on 40 Meters, I tuned around a bit and there was a guy, nice and loud, calling CQ. I was anticipating the possibility of a nice ragchew, but after I called him, he continued to CQ in my face. I guess another case of propagation not being reciprocal.

I also tried listening for N5J on and off all day. I finally heard them on 15 Meters for all of about 20 to 30 seconds. He then promptly disappeared and I never heard them again on any band.

I got my DC to DC converter wired up. I connected it to my new LiON battery which was holding at 13.4 Volts. The output was a steady 12.1 Volts. I think that should be acceptable to the QMX. I am also charging up some "AA" Lithium batteries that I used to use when I had my PFR3A. Three of them, fully charged, should come up to 11.1 Volts. That might even be the safer way to go. I'm glad I ordered a bunch of 2.1mm power plugs!

72 de Larry W2LJ 

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

AMSAT News Service

ANS-231
August 18, 2024

In this edition:

• Registration Now Open for the 42nd Annual AMSAT Space Symposium & Annual General Meeting
• Call for Papers
• AMSAT Board of Directors Election Underway
• AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 31, 2024
• Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for August 16, 2024
• ARISS News
• Upcoming Satellite Operations
• AMSAT Ambassador Activities
• Satellite Shorts From All Over

The AMSAT News Service bulletins are a free, weekly news and information service of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS publishes news related to Amateur Radio in Space including reports on the activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share an active interest in designing, building, launching and communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.

The news feed on https://www.amsat.org publishes news of Amateur Radio in Space as soon as our volunteers can post it.

Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: ans-editor [at] amsat.org

You can sign up for free e-mail delivery of the AMSAT News Service Bulletins via the ANS List; to join this list see: https://mailman.amsat.org/postorius/lists/ans.amsat.org/

AMSAT Board of Directors Election Underway

[ANS thanks Jeff Davis, KE9V, AMSAT Secretary for the above information]

AMSAT Mail Alias Service to End August 31, 2024

A long-standing member service, the AMSAT Mail Alias Service is scheduled to end on August 31, 2024. A mail alias on AMSAT.ORG permitted people to send an email to members without knowing their actual internet email address. They just needed to know their amateur radio callsign.

Unfortunately, the unchecked rise in domain name hacking and email account high-jacking has made it impossible to sustain this service at a cost-effective level. The number of callsign@amsat.org email accounts that had been hijacked and converted to zombie spam accounts over the years had led many internet service providers and gateway centers to ban all @amsat.org email addresses, including those business accounts of AMSAT officers and officials. The tireless efforts of AMSAT’s all volunteer IT staff has worked for years to repair much of the damage, but AMSAT still get complaints from members who are not getting their personal emails, ANS bulletins or AMSAT-BB posts because of persistent delivery problems.

It has come to the point where the AMSAT volunteer IT staff can no longer keep up with the maintenance requirements to keep the alias mail list clean and to work with email gateways to remove blocks. And, after considerable investigation into alternative paid email services, AMSAT leadership decided that the money required to keep an email alias system alive would be better spent on building and flying satellites for its members.

Persons using the Mail Alias Service should begin to migrate to different email accounts so they do not lose receipt of personal emails, AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins, AMSAT-BB posts, or official messages from AMSAT itself. Members are especially asked to make sure they are NOT using a callsign@amsat.org as their registered email address in the AMSAT membership portal. Members can easily change their registered member email address by logging into the portal and updating their profile.

[ANS thanks the AMSAT IT Team for the above information]

The 2024 Coins Are Here Now!
Help Support GOLF and Fox Plus.
Join the AMSAT President’s Club today!

Changes to AMSAT TLE Distribution for August 16, 2024

Two Line Elements or TLEs, often referred to as Keplerian elements or keps in the amateur community, are the inputs to the SGP4 standard mathematical model of spacecraft orbits used by most amateur tracking programs. Weekly updates are completely adequate for most amateur satellites. TLE bulletin files are updated Thursday evenings around 2300 UTC, or more frequently if new high interest satellites are launched. More information may be found at https://www.amsat.org/keplerian-elements-resources/

The following satellites have been removed from this week’s AMSAT TLE distribution:

KASHIWA NORAD Cat ID 59508 Decayed from orbit on or about 10 August 2024
SPROUT NORAD Cat ID 39770 Decayed from orbit on or about 11 August 2024

[ANS thanks Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, AMSAT Orbital Elements Manager, for the above information]

Need new satellite antennas?
Purchase an M2 LEO-Pack from the AMSAT Store!

When you purchase through AMSAT, a portion of the proceeds goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space.

ARISS News

Amateurs and others around the world may listen in on contacts between amateurs operating in schools and allowing students to interact with astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station. The downlink frequency on which to listen is 145.800 MHz worldwide.

Bayou Academy, Cleveland, MS, direct via W5YD

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be NA1SS
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB
The ARISS mentor is K4RGK

Contact is go for: Thu 2024-08-22 16:43:06 UTC 80 deg

Watch for Livestream at https://www.youtube.com/live/PzZuhb1bGiw  https://live.ariss.org/

Gymnasium der Stadt Meschede, Meschede, Germany, direct via DRØZ

The ISS callsign is presently scheduled to be OR4ISS
The scheduled crewmember is Sunita Williams KD5PLB
The ARISS mentor is IN3GHZ

Contact is go for: Fri 2024-08-23 08:05:04 UTC 45 deg

As always, if there is an EVA, a docking, or an undocking; the ARISS radios are turned off as part of the safety protocol.

The crossband repeater continues to be active (145.990 MHz up {PL 67} & 437.800 MHz down),  If any crewmember is so inclined, all they have to do is pick up the microphone, raise the volume up, and talk on the crossband repeater. So give a listen, you just never know.

Note, all times are approximate. It is recommended that you do your own orbital prediction or start listening about 10 minutes before the listed time.

The latest information on the operation mode can be found at https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html

The latest list of frequencies in use can be found at https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

[ANS thanks Charlie Sufana, AJ9N, one of the ARISS operation team mentors for the above information]

Upcoming Satellite Operations

A growing number of satellite rovers are currently engaged in sharing their grid square activations on https://hams.at. By visiting the website, you gain easy access to comprehensive information about the operators responsible for activating specific grid squares. Additionally, you have the ability to assess the match score between yourself and a particular rover for a given pass, while also being able to identify the upcoming satellite passes that are accessible from your location.

Philippe, EA4NF will be QRV (as KE4NF) from EL94 13-17 Aug, then EL95 25-27 Aug. Looks like this will be FM LEO only. Log as KE4NF.

In between these two activations, Philippe will activate Grenada (FK92) as J38NF on FM satellites, August 18-23. Log as J38NF.

[ANS thanks Ian Parsons, K5ZM, AMSAT Rover Page Manager,  for the above information]

 Want to fly the colors on your own grid expedition?
Get an AMSAT car flag and other neat stuff from our Zazzle store!
25% of the purchase price of each product goes towards Keeping Amateur Radio in Space

AMSAT Ambassador Activities

AMSAT Ambassadors provide presentations, demonstrate communicating through amateur satellites, and host information tables at club meetings, hamfests, conventions, maker faires, and other events.

AMSAT Ambassador Clint Bradford, K6LCS, says,

“Think a 75-minute presentation on “working the easy satellites” would be appropriate for your club or event? Let me know by emailing me at k6lcsclint (at) gmail (dot) com or calling me at 909-999-SATS (7287)!”

Clint has NEVER given the exact same show twice: EACH of the 150+ presentations so far has been customized/tailored to their audiences.

Scheduled Events

Northeast HamXpostion
August 22-25, 2024

Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center
181 Boston Post Road W
Marlborough, MA 01752

Greater Louisville Hamfest
September 7, 2024

Shepherdsville, KY
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
W4FCL

Central Kentucky Hamfest
October 5, 2024

Lexington, KY
AMSAT and Educational Satellites Forum and Information Table
AI4SR and W4FCL

North Star Radio Convention
October 5, 2024

Hennepin Technical College (North Campus)
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
AMSAT Forum and Information Table
KØJM and ADØHJ

Radio Society of Tucson
October 5, 2024

Calvary Tucson Church
7811 E. Speedway
Tucson, AZ
https://k7rst.club/2024/07/tucson-autumn-ham-fest-2024/
N1UW

Pacificon 2024, ARRL Pacific Division Conference
October 18-20, 2024

San Ramon, CA
WU0I

2024 AMSAT Space Symposium and Annual General Meeting
October 25-27, 2024

Doubletree by Hilton Tampa Rocky Point Waterfront
3050 N Rocky Point Dr W
Tampa, FL 33607

Stone Mountain Hamfest, ARRL State Convention
November 2-3, 2024

Stone Mountain, GA
K4RGK

Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club
November 9, 2024

Marana Middle School
11285 West Grier Rd.
Marana, AZ 85653
https://www.tucsonhamradio.org/copy-of-hamfest-2022
N1UW

Yuma HAMCON
February 20-22, 2025

Yuma, AZ
N1UW

[ANS thanks Bo Lowrey, W4FCL, Director – AMSAT Ambassador Program, for the above information]

Satellite Shorts from All Over

+ A Chinese Long March 6A rocket launched 18 Qianfan broadband Internet satellites into polar orbit last week. Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology (SSST)’s new constellation, translated as “Thousand Sails,” may grow to as many as 14,000 satellites. It joins potentially two other under-development broadband Chinese megaconstellations, each proposing over 10,000 satellites, in competition with OneWeb, Kupier, and Starlink. Unfortunately, the LM-6A’s upper stage appears to have malfunctioned and scattered over 700 pieces of space debris in a fairly high 800 km orbit (again). The debris at this altitude will likely take about a century for orbital decay. (ANS thanks The Orbital Index for the above information)

+ Orbital Space has announced its Lunar Program to send a student-built experiment to the Moon, marking the Arab world’s first privately funded lunar mission. The experiment by students from AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland focuses on analyzing interactions between lunar regolith and various materials that could be used in making cables and connectors for future lunar missions. Astrobotic will carry the payload on its third lunar mission aboard a Griffin-class lunar lander, targeting launch no earlier than Q4 2026. (ANS thanks Spacewatch Global for the above information)

+ The 2024 Olympic Games officially began in Paris, France on July 26, with athletes coming from around the world to compete. Meanwhile, above the world — on our orbiting laboratory, the International Space Station — NASA’s astronauts got into the Olympic spirit. Check out their training montage from space, followed by a message to Earth from astronaut Matt Dominick at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycDoaIn6wuk (ANS thanks The Orbital Index and NASA for the above information)

+ From Dave, G4DPZ, regarding the FUNcube Data Warehouse: “Our hosting provider has told us that they will be migrating our services to a new virtual machine on the 1st of September. Unfortunately the versions of the MySQL database server and Java runtime available on the new instance are not compatible with the current application implementation. Therefore I have to rebuild the development tool chain and migrate the application to suit the new instance. The work is underway but may take us into early September. We do know that database table migration works as we have already done a test of migrating the several GB of database between machines. If we do have any outage, the dashboards will upload when they detect the new instance is alive.” (ANS thanks Dave Johnson, G4DPZ, Hon. Sec., AMSAT-UK, for the above information)

+ The SpaceX Transporter-11 rideshare mission launched 116 payloads from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on August 16th. Four of these payloads carry transmitters on amateur bands. NIGHTJAR and TORO carry amateur UHF transmitters, but are not IARU coordinated. QUBE carries an amateur UHF transmitter, but its IARU coordination was declined. ORESAT0.5 is the sole IARU coordinated amateur mission on this launch with downlinks of 436.500 MHz and 2422.0 MHz. More information about ORESAT can be found at https://www.oresat.org/satellites/oresat0-5. Discussion regarding this launch can be found on the LibreSpace forum at https://community.libre.space/t/spacex-f9-transporter-11-rideshare-vsfb-slc-4e-2024-08-16-18-19-utc/11973/1 (ANS thanks LibreSpace and the ORESAT team for the above information)

+ Three AMSAT GridMaster Awards were awarded over the past week: #67 was awarded to Endaf, N6UTC, #68 was awarded to Raymond, KN2K, and #69 was awarded to Steven, KC1MMC. Congratulations to both. Additionally, two Reverse VUCC Awards were issued. #15 was awarded to Sean, KX9X, with 103 grids and #16 was issued to Randy, ND0C, with 109 grids. Congratulations to all the new award recipients! More information about AMSAT’s awards program can be found at https://www.amsat.org/awards-2/ (ANS thanks Bruce Paige, KK5DO, AMSAT Director of Contests and Awards for the above information)

+ IO-117’s digipeater has not been operational for the past week. No further information is available regarding its status or expected timeframe for a potential return to service.

+ AMSAT’s Operations team, in coordination with the University of Maine and AMSAT Engineering, continues to work to complete MESAT1’s science mission. More telemetry coverage is needed! If you have UHF receive capability, please download FoxTelem and help us capture more data. (ANS thanks AMSAT for the above information)

Join AMSAT today at https://launch.amsat.org/

In addition to regular membership, AMSAT offers membership to:

• Societies (a recognized group, clubs or organization).
• Primary and secondary school students are eligible for membership at one-half the standard yearly rate.
• Post-secondary school students enrolled in at least half time status shall be eligible for the student rate for a maximum of 6 post-secondary years in this status.
• Memberships are available for annual and lifetime terms.

Contact info [at] amsat.org for additional membership information.

73 and remember to help Keep Amateur Radio in Space!

This week’s ANS Editor,

Paul Stoetzer, N8HM
n8hm [at] arrl.net

ANS is a service of AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, 712 H Street NE, Suite 1653, Washington, DC 20002

The propagation, as I started my activation, was: SFI=225, SN=171, A Index=8, and the K Index=1. The QSB was hellish, stations were S9 one minute and completely gone in an instant. It was a 2fer I was after today, Lemoine Point and the Waterfront Trail together, and I managed to get 16 contacts in the log in a little over 40 minutes, which was slow for me, but given the state of the bands I was happy with it.

As usual I was using my KX3 set at 10w, into a hamstick on the roof of my truck. SSB only today, CW will have to wait until tomorrow.

Starting on 40m as I usually do, it didn't take too long to get 8 contacts in the log.  Then the band dried up, I called and called with no response, so I moved to 15m.  This band switch got me another 8 contacts, including a solid S8 contact with F4ILH in Ecuras, France....which made my day.

Sixteen was all I could pull out of the hat today, the band seemed to be getting worse, even though it was supposed to be improving.  Well, it turns out we had a surprise G3 solar storm that hit about 15 minutes before I switched everything off.....no wonder I couldn't get contacts.

Here's todays contact map:

You can clearly see the ring of 40m contacts vice the 15m contacts on this map.

Stay Safe Out There!!

1615 2045 Radio Delmare. SINPO 43433.
1621 2208 Radio Turftrekker. SINPO 54444.
1638 2148 Radio Nachtzwerver. SINPO 34433.
1656 2052 Radio Tarzan. SINPO 54444. 
1670 2155 Radio Vonkentrekker. SINPO 23432.
3940 2041 Music Wave Radio. SINPO 55444.
5846 2020 Radio Joey. SINPO 54444.
5880 1642 Radio Rock Revolution. SINPO 54444.
6170 1705 Radio Delta. SINPO 55444.
6210 1626 Radio King Shortwave. SINPO 34433.
6235 2013 Radio Batavia. SINPO 54444.
6240 2220 Radio Frieloo. SINPO 34433.
6275 1540 Radio Zomerzon. SINPO 33433.
6285 1522 Weekend Music Radio. SINPO 54444.
6285 2215 Cupid Radio. SINPO 44444.
6300 1549 Soul of England. SINPO 24432.
6300 2026 Radio Johnny Tobacco. SINPO 55444.
6325L 2031 Kobus Radio. SINPO 34433.
6393 1620 Radio Pandora. SINPO 44433.

Dass ältere VHF/UHF-Transceiver neben der angezeigten Frequenz sind, kommt oft vor. Viele haben nicht einmal einen TCXO als Referenzoszillator eingebaut. Oder der OM hat die Kosten für diese Option gescheut. Es ist auch nicht jedermanns Sache, das Gerät zu öffnen, den richtigen Trimmer zu finden und die Frequenz einzustellen. 

Doch bei neuen Geräten wie dem Icom IC-9700 bin ich oft erstaunt, dass diese neben der QRG funken. Im 2m Band und in FM kann man noch darüber hinweg sehen. Doch auf dem 70cm Band verdreifacht sich die Frequenzabweichung bereits und auf 23cm ist man dann schon um ein Neunfaches daneben. Eine einfache Abhilfe würde der Anschluss eines GPS-Referenz Oszillators bringen. Doch manch einer sagt sich wohl: "Wegen ein bisschen daneben, gebe ich kein Geld aus. Dafür hat die Gegenstation einen RIT an der Kiste."

Doch die eigene "Kiste" wandert und mit der Zeit liegt man immer mehr neben der Sollfrequenz. Auch wenn man keinen GPS-Oszi vermag, ein einfacher Trick hilft, den IC-9700 wieder auf Linie zu bringen:

Dazu sucht man sich einen guten Bakensender. Die, die etwas auf sich halten, sind heutzutage GPS gesteuert und die Frequenz ist aufs Hertz genau. Hier in der Region ist es zum Beispiel die Bake in Bern auf 144.426 MHz. Die Wasserfallanzeige des IC-9700 wird dann auf "Center" gestellt und der "Span" aufs Minimum. Damit hat man ein Wasserfall-Fenster von +/- 2.5kHz. Die Skala zeigt zwar nur 500Hz Schritte, aber wenn man mit dem RIT die Bake auf Null stellt, kann man auf der RIT-Anzeige im Display immerhin auf 10Hz genau ablesen, wie weit man neben der richtigen Frequenz liegt.

Korrigieren kann man den internen Referenzoszillator des IC-9700 über das Menu "Set" > "Function" und "Ref Adjust". Dort gibt es einen Grob- und einen Feinregler für die interne Referenz. Da muss man dann halt etwas hin und her probieren, bis man die Bake auf Null hat, da man den Wasserfall nicht gleichzeitig beobachten kann. Doch kaputt machen kann man an dem teuren Gerät nichts.

So, jetzt seid auch ihr wieder auf der richtigen Frequenz, sofern die Bake in eurer Nähe genau ist. 

Sonst gibt es zurzeit wenig zu berichten - es herrscht Sommerflaute. Doch einige interessante Meldungen habe ich noch:

- Die legendären Schurr Morsetasten werden wieder fabriziert. Von Bergsiek

- Kenwood will einen neuen Mobil-Transceiver auf den Markt bringen

- Wisst ihr, dass auch der Mars eine Ionosphäre besitzt? Die NASA hat ein Propagation Handbook geschrieben für die Kommunikation auf der Marsoberfläche.

- Habt ihr euch schon gefragt, wieviel Power euer HF-Stecker verträgt? Hier kann man nachschauen!

- Und zum Schluss noch ein wunderbares Bild von "Roten Kobolden" (Red Sprites) die aus dem Himalaya Gebirge bis 100km in die Höhe schiessen!

• N1EA relays news that Schurr Morse Keys is now Bergsiek Morse Keys. Stefan Bergsiek has taken over Schurr Morse keys from Gerhard Schurr and continues to produce the keys in small series.

• Tomorrow (Sunday) is the NJQRP Skeeter Hunt. Here are all the details. Skeeter numbers will be handed out right up until Midnight Saturday/Sunday EDT. After that, the roster is closed.

• The Summer 2024 issue of the INDEXA Newsletter (Issue #142) is available for download.

• Everything still looks good for the August 26 - September 5, 2024 St Paul Island CY9C DXpedition.

• A new version of MacLoggerDX (v6.52) is now available. See the notes for additional details.

• Interested in a little doomscrolling this weekend? Well then don't miss The superstorms from space that could end modern life. It doesn't get much gloomier than that!

• No one enjoys reading the manual, but many would do well to read the WSJT-X User Guide available online. This document should always be the first source for help. Use your browser's search facility to find a keyword or topic.

• According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of Japanese radio amateurs currently stands at 353,411.

Despite the glowing reports (perhaps misleading) from the ARRL our hobby is in decline. So how would you fix that?

YLs in Bikini's Riding Bulls ~ An Absurdity!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/10ft8r-rx

At the moment my wife and I are lucky. As far as we know (!) , we have nothing much wrong with us. I still have a few things that are longer term after effects from my 2013 stroke, but compared with many I have been lucky I know. Most of me still works!

As we age, several of our friends have died or now have serious illnesses. My interest in sex has dropped off and the death of others no longer seems so odd. I recall a doctor once asking me (probably 10 years ago) "if it was all too much" and I retorted "no". If he asked me now I am less sure.

Although I find so much to be interested in, I get exhausted more easily and I am tired of being giddy most of the time. Life is harder than it was.

My wife puts a tick on the kitchen calendar when we have had a decent day. So far we have had 9 ticks, which is pretty good. Our grass is just starting to turn brown and will look bad in about a week unless we have a good downpour.

The photo shows our garden yesterday.

 In a few moments I shall (hopefully!) turn on my 2.5W 10m  FT8.

UPDATE 1054z:  Turned on about 1000z. 22 stations have spotted my QRP and I have spotted 65 stations here.

Stations spotting me

UPDATE 1822z:  101 stations have spotted my 10m QRP and 478 stations have been spotted here. See maps.

UPDATE 2057z:   129 stations have spotted me today. 595 stations spotted here. Now QRT. I noticed DL stations working ZLs as I closed down.

Stations I have spotted

 Solar flux is 225 and the SSN 169. A=8 and K=1.