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REVISED Jun 15, 2006 13:25 ET

Field Day 2006: NASA Releases ISS North and South America Pass Times

NEWINGTON, CT, June 15, 2006--NASA ISS Ham Radio Project Engineer Kenneth Ransom, N5VHO, has released a list of International Space Station Field Day pass times for North and South America. The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program announced earlier this month that the Phase 2 ham station aboard the ISS would be on the air in crossband repeater mode over Field Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25. The chances of talking to one of the crew members appear to be minimal, however.

"Keep in mind that these are not scheduled times for the crew to be active," Ransom points out. The crossband repeater uplink is 437.800 MHz, while the downlink is 145.800 MHz. Ransom says the crossband repeater should be up and running sometime after 1900 UTC on Thursday, June 22. This gives stations a couple of days to practice working through it and learn how best to deal with the Doppler on the uplink, which can be considerable. The crossband repeater will be available only to low-power (QRP) stations following AMSAT criteria, Ransom said. A QRP station may run no more than 10 W to a vertical or handheld antenna.

Ransom says crew members Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ, and Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS, may work some stations personally, but they're already booked pretty heavily during FD weekend.

"They will try to participate as time permits, but the pass times for North America are not favorable," he said. The crew should be on its normal sleep schedule of 2130-0600 UTC during Field Day weekend. When they're awake, however, Williams and Vinogradov will have their hands full preparing for the arrival of the Progress 22 supply vehicle on Monday, June 26, when the crew will deactivate the crossband repeater.

US pass times are not especially ideal for contacts with the crew members. The only one on Saturday, June 24 (UTC) -- over Mexico and the Eastern US -- falls during the crew's sleep period. Passes on Sunday, June 24 -- from 0046 to 0105 UTC and from 0708 to 0728 UTC over the Central US -- may offer a better opportunity. Stations in the US Southwest might look for crew activity on Sunday from 0844 to 0900 UTC, while those in Hawaii should check Sunday from 1152 to 1200 UTC and again from 1327 to 1335 UTC.

Expedition 13 Commander Pavel Vinogradov, RV3BS (left), and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams, KD5TVQ. [NASA Photo]

If Williams or Vinogradov do find time to get on the air, Ransom says, they also will use the crossband repeater mode. Williams will give a report of "NA1SS, 1 Alpha ISS," while Vinogradov will give a report of "RS0ISS, 1 Alpha ISS."

Contacts through the ISS crossband repeater count as a satellite contact for Field Day bonus points, but contacts with the crew do not count for Field Day bonus points.

AO-51 and PCSat2 Also Available During Field Day

AMSAT is making its ECHO (AO-51) satellite available for Field Day, Ransom notes. One of AO-51's FM transponders (145.880 MHz up/435.150 MHz down, no CTCSS tone needed) will be QRP only during the Field Day period.

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, has indicated that PCSat2--which is mounted on the outside of the ISS--will be in packet mode and operating on 145.825 MHz simplex during Field Day weekend.

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