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 Previous: Inside Your League--Educational Services |  Next: In Brief |
 A portable AO-40-capable station was set up for a while in the parking lot outside the Symposium. Looking on (L-R) are Phil Caldwell, N2ARB; Antonio Fernandez, KC2HAX, Pieter Ibelings, N4IP; Howard Long, G6LVB, and Bill Sinbine, N4XEO. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 10, 2001--Amateur Radio satellite enthusiasts from around the US--and a few from abroad--converged in Atlanta October 5-8 for the 19th AMSAT-NA Symposium and Annual Meeting. The event attracted approximately 150 amateurs, who heard presentations on a wide range of amateur satellite-related topics.
At the AMSAT-NA Board meeting, AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, was re-elected without opposition to another term. Haighton said he also would assume some of the responsibilities of the executive vice president's position, formerly held by Ray Soifer, W2RS, but now vacant. Haighton told the annual business meeting that AMSAT-NA now has more than 5000 members "and continues to grow."
 Special event station W4O (Whiskey Four OSCAR) was set up in the AMSAT hospitality suite in the top floor of the convention hotel. Here, Joe Fitzgerald, KM1P, works stations on AO-40 while Les Scofield, W4SCO, looks on from the second operating position. |
The problem of interference from non-amateur intruders on VHF and UHF satellite bands was a topic raised in more than one forum during the weekend. The majority of the interference--particularly on 2 meters--has been blamed on taxicab operations in Mexico. "This particular source is Mexico," Soifer said. "It's been pretty well documented." Some conference participants--most notably AMSAT-NA Board Chairman Bill Tynan, W3XO--said individuals using amateur gear as a personal communication service also are to blame.
 AMSAT VP for Human Spaceflight Programs Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, updates the Symposium on the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program. Bauer reported that new ARISS antennas will be installed early next year. |
Soifer, who chaired a VHF-UHF Committee during the just-completed International Amateur Radio Union Region 2 Conference in Guatemala, said the issue got "quite a bit of attention" during conference. He advised a "use it or lose it" approach to combating interference. All agreed that reporting any intruders promptly to the IARU Monitoring System would be beneficial.
 APRS guru Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, demonstrated his automated "station-in-a-suitcase." Bruninga also reported on the progress of the just-launched PSsat during the Symposium and outlined some "cubesat" proposals for tiny amateur satellite payloads. |
During the Symposium's IARU forum, Soifer reported that Region 2 IARU member societies were urged to report such interference to their national administrations. In Mexico, complaints already have been registered with COFETEL--the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Commission--and AMSAT has been prompting the amateur community to report such interference when they monitor it. "The idea is to keep the pressure up on Mexico," Soifer said.
AMSAT Treasurer Art Feller, W4ART, agreed. "The more noise that gets made . . . the more likely it is to get attention," he said. "So, report, report, report!"
 Jerry Brown, K5OE, discussed some low-cost methods to design and construct a 2.4 GHz helix antenna system from surplus parts. "It works real well," he told his audience, "and I've had a blast with it." |
Soifer also said the new Region 2 IARU President, Pedro Seidemann, YV5BPG, wants to encourage activity on AO-40 from the Southern Hemisphere.
IARU Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, said keeping the bands active and reporting and documenting intruders help to keep interference away and lessen demands on amateur spectrum. "It adds to the ammunition that the IARU can use at the various conferences," he said.
 Steve Bible, N7HPR, discussed the virtues of software defined radios, which can be designed to automatically adapt to different modes and functions simply by changing software. "The fun in this hobby for us is the operating," Bible said. "It's going to be interesting to see how SDR redefines the hobby." SDRs are, for hams, "an opportunity to play." |
van de Groenendaal also recommended posting all amateur satellite frequencies now in use on a Web site and forming a satellite frequency advisory board to assist him in coordinating frequencies for amateur satellites in the planning stages or now under construction.
Attendees also packed presentations on the progress of the AO-40 satellite, the planned "Project JJ" satellite AMSAT-NA announced earlier this year, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station effort, and various technical topics relating to amateur satellite work.
 AO-40 ground controller Stacy Mills, W4SM (left), was among those who updated the Symposium on AO-40. He said efforts continue to resurrect the VHF and S1 transmitters aboard AO-40. "We haven't given up on any of these transmitters," he said. To his left is Bdale Garbee, KB0G. Listening in the background is AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH. Mills also filled in for the scheduled banquet speaker, Kenwood's Paul Middleton, K4NUH, who was ailing. |
Those attending the AO-40 forum were updated on progress toward getting the satellite's momentum wheel three-axis stabilization system fully operational. The momentum wheels have been tested and appear to be working properly, but issues remain. "We're obviously a long way from making all this work," said AO-40 US ground control team member Stacy Mills, W4SM. But Mills added that he saw no reason why the various hurdles could not eventually be overcome. "I see nothing so far that's going to prevent us from doing it," he said.
 AMSAT Vice President for Engineering Stan Wood, WA4NFY, displayed the AO-40 2.4 GHz helix. An identical antenna is being used for the S2 transmitter now in space. |
Putting the momentum wheels into operation is necessary before deploying AO-40's solar panels--an irreversible next step--so the AO-40 team is treading carefully, Mills explained. Enabling the momentum wheels would give controllers unprecedented control over the spacecraft in terms of being able to aim its antennas for optimum results.
Mills also said he doesn't think the so-called "mystery effect" that has been affecting the spacecraft's trajectory at perigee--when it's closest to Earth--is a mystery at all. He explained that it's related to the fact that the very strong magnets in the three momentum wheels are lined up. "At perigee, there's a magnetic dipole that's trying to align with Earth's magnetic field," he said.
 IARU Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV. |
Results of recent GPS receiving tests aboard AO-40 also came in for discussion. The experiment was done for NASA. "There's a lot of enthusiasm in NASA for the data we're receiving," said AMSAT Vice President for Engineering Stan Wood, WA4NFY. Bdale Garbee, KB0G, said just the fact that AO-40 was able to hear one of the GPS constellation satellites was noteworthy. He said it's hoped that GPS data someday could be used for orbit and attitude control.
 AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, was re-elected to another term at the AMSAT-NA Board meeting. |
The 2002 AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting will take place November 8-11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Proceedings of the AMSAT-NA 19th Space Symposium and AMSAT-NA Annual Meeting are available from ARRL for $20. Visit the ARRL Products Catalog. Audio of the 2001 AMSAT Symposium and Annual Meeting sessions will available in RealAudio format via the Houston AMSAT Net Web site operated by Bruce Paige, KK5DO.
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