SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.01 AMSAT "GO" For June 15 Launch HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.01 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT The word from AMSAT's international launch team in Kourou is that all indicators are green and pointing to the V-22 launch on Wednesday morning, June 15. Aboard the V-22 mission, the debut flight of the huge Ariane 4 launcher, will be AMSAT's Phase 3C, Meteosat and Panamsat's Simon Bolivar satellites. Phase 3C will become AMSAT OSCAR 13 after its successful injection into orbit. Phase 3C is a joint project of AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-NA with major contributions from several collaborating organizations. But not only affiliated AMSAT organizations and their members are poised. Much of Amateur Radio is leaning closer to its radios this weekend hoping to glean the latest word on prospects for a launch this week. After nearly a two year delay in reaching this point, the scene appears set in the steamy jungles of equatorial South America. And Amateur Radio itself seems ready for the birth of a new OSCAR which, coming at the rate of only a few per decade, is seen as a major "happening". The balky Ariane flight computer which last week had caused a five day launch delay has been replaced and no further problems have occurred. The launch will be covered by an unprecedented network of Amateur Radio and commercial telecommunications facilities interconnecting five continents. Meanwhile, millions will view the launch as images from Kourou, French Guiana are broadcast on cable and satellite networks. Current launch windows are listed as 11:13 to 12:09 and 13:32 to 14:46 UTC, June 15. A series of review meetings has occupied the launch team as they work with the Arianespace managers to assure all relevant issues have been addressed and "checked-off". Thursday's general communications check verified that communications links among team members around the launch facility function satisfactorily. The AMSAT Team reports they have been very pleased by the professionalism exhibited by all. Indeed, the international AMSAT team is itself held in high esteem by their colleagues in the space "business" from Arianespace, CNES and representatives of the other two satellite launch teams: Meteosat and Panamsat. AO-13 will be available for general communications operations on its four transponders beginning about a month after launch. For general planning purposes, August 1st would be a good date to keep in mind but it cannot be ruled out that the satellite will be available earlier. So there's still some time to get that new antenna up and checked out for AO-13's debut and you still have time to do some last minute shopping at that flea market. But then again, not that much time is left! Details concerning frequencies of operation and suitable ground station equipment may be found in an article in the June QST, page 22. Other interesting satellite articles may be found in the May, 1988 special satellite edition of "73" magazine. For more information on getting started in satellites and on AMSAT membership, call AMSAT at 301-589-6062 or write: AMSAT P.O. Box 27, Washington, DC 20044. AMSAT members receive regular newsletters, discounts on tracking software and, most of all, the satisfaction of knowing they're part of the team which built AO-13. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.02 Launch Coverage Details HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.02 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT The Ariane V-22 mission will be covered by a vast network of telecommunication systems. AMSAT's own Launch Information Network will link together transmitters on 5 continents (North and South America; Europe; Asia and Africa) in an audio network providing live coverage of the launch beginning about 30 minutes before the opening of the primary launch window. AMSAT OSCAR 10 will carry the Phase 3C launch countdown on 145.957 MHz on the eve of its fifth birthday. It will, in effect, relay word of its younger sibling's (AMSAT OSCAR 13) birth on the eve of its own birthday. Phase 3B was launched and became AO-10 on June 16, 1983. Meanwhile, this important launch will be covered by a host of TV and cable networks around the world. Arianespace, the marketing and management arm of the European Space Agency, will transmit video from Kourou on C-Band satellite GTE Spacenet 1, transponder 1. Owners of TVRO systems will be treated to live coverage of the launch as the 20-story tall Ariane 4 rocket leaps from the ELA-2 pad into the morning sky over the Atlantic. C-SPAN, the huge Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, will broadcast the launch to its nearly 3,000 cable TV systems which reach as many 30,000,000 homes. The broadcast will appear on the C-SPAN #1 channel beginning at 11:00 UTC (7:00 AM EDT). For those with TVRO systems, the C-SPAN feeds are made via Galaxy 3, transponder 24. GTE Spacenet 1 is at 120 degrees West and Galaxy 3 is at 93.5 degrees West. Eric Rosenberg, WA6YBT, says he's working with C-SPAN managers to investigate the feasibility of broadcasting some AMSAT-supplied videotapes on C-SPAN during its coverage of the launch. Eric says C-SPAN had been planning to cover the launch live since they will be a future user of Panamsat transponders. But when C-SPAN management learned their co-passenger was AMSAT Phase 3C, they were fascinated by the project and they saw an opportunity to illustrate a private-sector space project with many unique, public service aspects. Eric, together with Ed O'Grady, KC2ZF, and Jeff Kelly, KT2K, are assembling some AMSAT videotape taken during final Phase 3C preparations last month in Kourou. They plan to edit it to a content suitable for broadcast should final C-SPAN management approval be granted. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.03 AMSAT Launch Info Net Update HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.03 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT According to AMSAT VP of Operations Ralph Wallio, W0RPK, last minute updates to the AMSAT Launch Information Network Service (ALINS) include addition of more repeaters and the establishment of a link with AMSAT-LU in Buenos Aires. Arturo Carou, LU1AHC, says he will be interfacing the ALINS feed with major repeaters in Argentina for real-time coverage. AMSAT-LU thus joins a huge network spanning five continents in bringing real-time coverage of the launch to a vitally interested Amateur Radio community. Coverage of the launch will actually begin with the Pre-Launch nets on Monday, June 13. These nets will air at the times they normally do on Tuesday evenings when convening the regular weekly AMSAT-NA 75 meter nets. These times are: 21:00 EDT for the East Coast Net; 2100 CDT for the Mid-America Net and 20:00 PDT for the West Coast Net. All nets meet on about 3840 kHz. The special 75 meter nets will likely be relatively short providing only an update on progress towards the launch on Wednesday. The Tuesday 75 meter nets will be held as usual but emphasize the Phase 3C spacecraft and ground station operating requirements. Other stations participating in the pre-launch and post-launch campaign include: WA3NAN at Goddard Space Flight Center, W6VIO at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and W1AW at ARRL HQ. The bulletin transmission schedule, based on a June 15 launch, includes operations Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 17, on the following schedule: W1AW Published W1AW bulletin schedule and frequencies (all modes) WA3NAN 7,185 kHz - 14,295 kHz - 21,395 kHz 1600 UTC beaming Europe 1610 UTC beaming Africa W6VIO 14,282 kHz - 21,280 kHz 2015 UTC 20m beaming SW 2020 UTC 20m beaming NW 2030 UTC 15m beaming NW 2035 UTC 15m beaming SW Beginning one half hour before the opening of the primary launch window, at about 10:45 UTC, Wednesday morning, June 15, a teleconference network of launch information sources and transmit stations will be placed in operation. The net will provide real-time coverage of the launch from T-30 minutes to completion of the thrust phase of the launcher third stage at T+20 minutes. Deployment of AO-13 and its initial telemetry transmissions will take place later. Special post launch nets will be held the evening of the launch to provide updates on AO-13's status. The launch day coverage will include major HF stations around the world in addition to the continued involvement of the pre-launch participants W1AW, WA3NAN and W6VIO. The following stations will provide real-time coverage: W5RRR at the Johnson Space Center, Houston; G3RWL in UK; ZS6AKV for SA AMSAT throughout Southern Africa; JA1ANG feeding a network in Japan; LU1AHC in Buenos Aires. Repeaters signed on include: KA7GZH Salt Lake City N7RH Reno KD9QB Indianapolis N9GHZ North Central WI K9NO Chicago N4KHG Tampa/St. Pete AA0P Denver WB5PMR Orlando WD8CIK Detroit KB4KIN Central Georgia W4DOC Atlanta W1AW Newington W3ZM Greenbelt, MD W6VIO Pasadena } Feeding local repeaters W0RPK Des Moines } Feeding local repeaters W5RRR Houston } Feeding local repeaters North American HF transmit frequencies will be as follows: W1AW Published voice bulletin frequencies for North American coverage WA3NAN 3860 - 7185 - 14295 - 21395 - 147.45 Beaming east on 20m and 15m W6VIO 14282 - 21280 - 3840 or 7165 + repeater network uplink Beaming west on 20m and 15m W5RRR 3840 - 7165 + repeater network uplink WA2LQQ will uplink teleconference audio to AO-10 with a downlink frequency of 145.957 MHz USB beginning at approximately 1045 UTC. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.04 Phase 3C To Become AO-13 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.04 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT The big Ariane 4 launcher, the largest ever built by the European Space Agency, will carry three payload satellites. They are carried by an egg-shaped composite structure large enough to carry a couple of large Mercedes within together with a Volvo or two tucked in besides. Within that structure, called SPELDA, rides Panamsat's Simon Bolivar satellite. Outside of the SPELDA and sitting on top like a crown on the king's head is the large Meteosat. Supporting the "crown" as it were, is a cylindrical structure which interfaces the bottom of Meteosat with the top of the SPELDA. And within that cylindrical structure is placed AMSAT's Phase 3C. The overall array is depicted in Amateur Satellite Report (ASR) #169. The deployment sequence has Meteosat pop off the top of the stack first at about 20 minutes after launch. Next, the cylindrical carrying structure on which Meteosat had been mounted and within which Phase 3C is enclosed, is separated. This happens 5 seconds after Meteosat is separated or just over 20 minutes into the launch. Phase 3C will remain within the structure for a full hour more. At about 21 minutes after launch, the top of the egg-like SPELDA is separated revealing Panamsat within. Two minutes later, at 23 minutes into the mission, Panamsat is ejected from the lower SPELDA section. Finally, at 80 minutes after launch, Phase 3C, is popped from the cylindrical carrying structure when the pyrotechnic bolt-cutters on the Marmon clamp band shear the clamp bolt. The clamp band swings open and three springs, which had been compressed, restore to their normal length. In doing so, the springs impart a small initial separation velocity to the spacecraft which then becomes AMSAT OSCAR 13. At the moment of birth, AO-13 will be over the eastern Indian Ocean south of Sumatra at an altitude just over 14,000 km and in view of stations in Australia, Japan and India. According to the Launch Team in Kourou, AO-13 separation will occur at T+4800 seconds (80 minutes) after liftoff. This should approximately correspond to Mean Anomaly (MA) 25 of the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and occur at 12:33 UTC if the launch takes place at the opening of the first window at 11:13. At about MA 62 (about 90 minutes later; T+170 minutes; just after 14:03 UTC) the Mode B general beacon (GB) will be activated on 145.812 MHz. This is in contrast to earlier reports which had the GB coming on immediately upon ejection from the cylindrical carrying structure. Apparently the dormancy AFTER being ejected from the carrying structure is for further outgassing, establishing thermal equilibrium and for peaking the battery charge prior to activating the beacon. Stations in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and throughout Asia and eastern Africa will have AO-13 in view when the GB appears slightly less than 3 hours after launch. On command from the ground command station, the telemetry transmissions may be switched to the engineering beacon (EB) on either Mode B or Mode L (145.985 or 435.677 MHz) or the Mode L GB (435.651 MHz). According to the AMSAT Launch Team in Kourou, initial telemetry data will be transmitted at 400 baud BPSK in the standard AMSAT format. On the hour and half-hour, the telemetry will be briefly interrupted for five minutes by a general satellite CW status message. This will be sent at about 10 words per minute. RTTY transmissions will commence later at a date to be announced in the CW message. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.05 First AOS Timing of AO-13 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.05 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT First to hear AO-13 will be stations in regions ringing the Indian Ocean and along the western Pacific shores. It reaches its first apogee just south of India and then moves northwest. By its first apogee, 5.5 hours after launch, AO-13 will be heard as far west as Munich (at 1.1 degrees elevation) and Moscow (at 13 degrees elevation). London will hear AO-13 for the first time at T+6:48. In the course of its GTO, the sub-satellite point of AO-13 will make tight, S-shaped curves over the Equator where the extent of the "S" is plus and minus 10 degrees of latitude and girdles the circumference of the earth. First AOS (Acquisition Of Signal) in the Western Hemisphere will occur when coastal Mexico sees AO-13 for the first time at T+11:02. The U.S. will gain AOS simultaneously in southern Texas and California at T+11:06. AO-13's second apogee occurs at about T+16:13 at 74 degrees West over the Equator. Virtually the entire Western Hemisphere will have AO-13 in view then. Based on a launch time of 11:13 on June 15, the following Keplerian elements will provide accurate tracking of a nominal trajectory for AO-13. Reference Epoch: 88167.5229 Inclination: 9.996 RAAN: 243.6836 Eccentricity: 0.7309023 Argument of Perigee: 178.155 Mean Anomaly: 36.51014 Mean Motion: 2.259879 Decay: 0 Rev #: 0 Semi-Major Axis: 24528.91 Using these values, analysts can determine their own AOS. The period of the GTO will be 10:37 and the orbital increment will be 200.4 degrees eastward movement per orbit. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.06 First Few Days Of AO-13's Life HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.06 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Following ejection from the carrying structure at T+80 minutes, a series of carefully planned activities is implemented. After a period of outgassing, establishing thermal equilibrium and topping of the batteries, the Mode B beacon is activated at about T+170 minutes. When the first frames of telemetry are received by command stations, they will be carefully checked to establish that all electrical, thermal and pressure values are within tolerance. An important assessment to be made as soon as possible is the attitude and spin rate of the satellite. If all seems according to plan, a decision will be made to activate the higher power engineering beacons (EB) on either 2 meters or 70 cm. Then, careful monitoring of the telemetry will proceed thereafter in parallel with the first major task following launch: orbit determination. Working in league with various government tracking facilities around the world, AMSAT engineers will attempt get a good fix on AO-13 on the first few orbits. During this period, commands will be issued to the satellite which activate the magnetorquers during perigee passages. These devices, interacting with the geo-magnetic field, will change the orientation of the satellite to the desired one and spin it up like a top to a relatively high spin rate. The spinning, perhaps as fast as 60 rpm, will add stability when the kick motor is fired within about a week or two of launch depending on satisfactory orbital determinations, attitude maneuvers and system operating conditions. The next major task is to modify the GTO to a more usable one. The initial orbit as provided by the Ariane will have a 222 km perigee; 36,000 km apogee; 10 degree inclination. The desired final orbit has perigee at 1500 km; apogee at about 36,000 km and inclination at 57 degrees. The orbit modification will be accomplished using the on-board rocket engine called a kick motor. This small rocket produces a thrust of 400 Newtons or a little under 100 pounds. That's enough to keep a small car rolling against frictional and aerodynamic forces on level ground. But on the 140 kg spacecraft, the result is much more noticeable. In a series of not less than two and likely not more than four episodes, the kick motor will be ignited to modify the GTO. The resultant acceleration imparted to AO-13 is an amazing 0.9 miles per second or about Mach 5. AO-13 could, in a sense, out run an SR-71 based on the acceleration yielded by the little MBB kick motor it carries. The first kick motor burn will be accomplished as soon as possible; within a week of launch is likely. Plans call for a first burn yielding a delta V (change in velocity) of 454 m/sec, giving an intermediate orbit of 856 km x 36086 km with inclination of 26 degrees. Then, burn #2 would require a delta V of 904 m/sec giving a final orbit of 1500 km x 36086 km inclined 57 degrees. The first burn gives an opportunity to calibrate the motor performance by analyzing the actual intermediate orbit. Quick and accurate ranging during this period will be essential. If the burn is a little short, another one with the same orientation can be accomplished to make up the difference. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.07 Kourou Team Operating FY0EK HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.07 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT The Launch Team currently in Kourou, French Guiana consists of six individuals from three AMSAT organizations. From AMSAT-DL are Hanspeter, DK1YQ (Leader); Don DJ0HC/KE6MN; Hermann, DK8CI and Hans, DF4FE. From Brazil AMSAT is Junior, PY2BJO. Dave, WD0HHU, currently represents AMSAT-NA. The team has been operating HF on the Kourou station FY0EK and is interested in making contacts with as many others as practical. Their operating schedule, subject to launch preparations, is: Target Area UTC Frequency ----------- --- --------- Europe/S.Africa 17-20 21.280 or 14.282 MHz (+/-QRM) USA/S.America 00-03 14.282 or 7.080 MHz South Pacific 08-11 7.080 or 14.282 MHz Asia/Japan 12-15 21.280 or 14.282 MHz Bavaria 17-20 21.280 or 14.282 MHz They plan to provide general information about the satellite, operating procedures and frequencies during these periods, as well as to try to make as many contacts as possible for those stations interested in acquiring a QSL card from the special operation French Guiana. With the multi-national team on hand, they are capable of communicating in English, German, Spanish and Portuguese, depending on which operator is at the station. If some times and frequencies are inappropriate for a target area, particularly Asia/Japan, they will adjust the schedule as necessary. Suggestions from OM in those areas will be appreciated. On launch day, during the hours around lift-off, they expect to be operating FY0EK most likely on 21.280 MHz with the antenna directed towards Europe. During the actual launch, they will relay the latest information from the launch control center. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.08 Skitrek Wrapup Report: June 11 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.08 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT The thirteen members of the Transpolar Skitrek Expedition have spent the past week in medical testing and debriefings after their 3 months on the arctic ice. One unexpected outcome of the expedition may be a medical confirmation of the recently discovered thinning of the ozone layer over the arctic. Increased solar radiation at ultraviolet wavelengths may be responsible for the very deep sunburns received by all skiers despite their use of sunblocking creams that only let in some 4 percent of the sun's harmful rays. This is the speculation of Canadian skier/doctor Matthew Buxton who cautioned reporters to remember that the thirteen never experienced night during most of the trek and therefore received long sun exposure albeit at a low sun angle. Fifty or sixty Amateur Radio operators were behind the communications effort involved in the Transpolar Skitrek Expedition. We are indebted to a number of these for their support and involvement in our Skitrek education program. In Canada we are especially grateful to Tom Atkins, VE3CDM, CRRL President who provided basic information appearing in the guide and additional support throughout the expedition. John Henry, VE2VQ, a member of AMSAT's Board of Directors, provided the SARSAT-OSCAR 11 connection. Garth Hamilton, VE3HO, provided us directly with information from the trekkers following his stint at Resolute Bay. At the University of Surrey's UoSAT Control Center, Michael Meerman, G0/PA3BHF, programmed the Digitalker during the trek, put our progress reports on the UO-11 weekly 1200 baud bulletins, and represented us on his trip to the skiers at the North Pole. We are especially indebted to Ralph Wallio, W0RPK, AMSAT's VP for Operations who taped and transcribed the daily HF Nets from the far north and provided us with much of the information appearing in the progress reports. Ralph's bulletin board was the access route to information for many North American schools following the trek. The Skitrek was followed by at least 100,000 students worldwide of all age levels. From New Zealand 5 year olds to University students in Sri Lanka, the trek was followed in a variety of modes and levels. All discovered satellites through the Digitalker and expanded their understanding of the far North. The questionnaires which are now being returned as well as letters from educators show a tremendous enthusiasm for this project and a hunger for more links between ham radio satellites and the classroom. Looking back as an educator/ham over the last three months, it has been very gratifying to see growing connections being made between the Amateur Radio and education community. Educators are always looking for new and innovative approaches to their craft, especially when hands-on experiences related to concepts they teach are offered to students. AMSAT leadership believes that there is much more we can offer to the education community. To that end an international task force of education minded amateurs will shortly be formed to devise a plan leading to a wide ranging set of space education materials/activities to be used in future AMSAT classroom endeavors. If you are interested in being a member of that task force or just having input to it, please contact: Richard C. Ensign, N8IWJ AMSAT Science Education Advisor 421 N. Military, Dearborn, MI 48124, U.S.A. Finally, thanks to the hundreds of hams around the world who took their hobby to the schools and shared this marvelous adventure with students. You can look for more sharing opportunities in the near future as AMSAT uses its resources to develop classroom space education materials. (By Rich Ensign, N8IWJ; AMSAT Science Education Advisor) /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.09 Soviets Launch Three Man Crew HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.09 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT The dusty desert haze of Soviet Central Asia was set ablaze last Tuesday when an SL-4 booster blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. On top of the huge liquid fueled rocket was the Soyuz TM-5 payload and within it, three Cosmonauts: two Russians and a Bulgarian. Leaving the 95-degree desert scorch behind, mission commander Anatoly Solovyov, 40, and flight engineer Viktor Savinykh, 48, both Soviets, and Bulgarian researcher Alexander Alexandrov, 36, soon were headed to the Mir space station to rendezvous with Russian colleagues there. Solovyov and Alexandrov are both rookies while Savinykh is a veteran of two previous missions. The launch occurred at 6:03 PM Moscow time (14:03 UTC) and was carried live throughout the Eastern Bloc. Cable News Network showed the final moments prior to launch as well as the liftoff itself. The mission, code named "SHIPKA", docked with the orbital station Mir on Thursday shortly before 8 PM Moscow time (16:00 UTC) while the station was over the Soviet Union. The 10-day mission will be engaged in vision experiments in zero-G, activation of a Bulgarian device to study the stars and other distant objects, mixing of metals, and searching for natural resources in Bulgaria. The crew was greeted on board Mir by resident Cosmonauts Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov who have been aboard the station since December 23 and will remain into 1989. The normal voice and telemetry channels were in use for the Soyuz mission, according to John Biro, K1KSY. The Soyuz was monitored on 121.750 MHz (FM) and, of course, Mir continues to use 143.625 (FM). In addition, on 18.035 MHz, John also monitored transmissions that had the appearance of AMTOR with a 130 Hz shift. Max White, of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, observed the Soyuz with it's final stage preceding it in the night sky over England. The crew is expected to return to the steppes of Kazakstahn on the 17th of June. Soviet television will likely broadcast the recovery live. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.10 Indiana Balloon Launch P.S. HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.10 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Last Saturday's balloon launch reached an altitude of 115,000 ft +/- 5000 ft when it burst at 12:28 EDT. It continued to transmit all the way down and for 5 hours thereafter until it was located and recovered in the thickest part of the Hoosier National Forest. The balloon was found after a very difficult search hanging 60 ft up in a tree with the package some 20 ft off the ground. If it had not still been transmitting it never would have been found. At recovery, its 13.3 volt lithium batteries were still at full power reading 12.8 volts. WB8ELK indicates that it will be launched again this summer with camera on board. The AMSAT Nets will keep you posted as to this activity. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-163.11 Short Bursts HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 163.11 FROM WA2LQQ WARWICK, NY June 11, 1988 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Frequencies of Phase 3C operation have been published in ASR 173 and the ASR Special Edition #177. The frequencies also appear in June QST, page 22. The operating bandplan and schedule will be announced after launch. With the launch of Phase 3C just days away, it's time to include the new Phase 3C poster proudly in your shack. This handsome full color poster is now available from AMSAT HQ and at conventions where AMSAT booths are established. Obtain your poster and help support the development and operation of satellites like Phase 3C. We need your support now. Call or write AMSAT HQ today. 301-589-6062 or P.O. Box 27, Washington, DC, 20044. Here is the AO-10 operating schedule: From June 1 thru June 14 MA 25 through MA 225 From June 15 thru June 30: MA 30 through MA 230 Please use minimum power required for communications. Here is the FO-12 operating schedule. Mode From (UTC) ---------------- DI Jun 12 0654 D = All systems off JD 14 0505 DI = Systems off except CPU and memory DI 15 0613 JA = Analog mode JD 18 0533 JD = Digital mode D 19 0439 JA 22 0156 D 23 0304 JA 25 0318 D 27 0131 JA 29 0143 D Jun 30 0049 JA Jul 02 0103 D 04 0116 JD* 07 1530 JD 07 1935 DI 08 0143 JD 09 0049 DI 09 2355 JA 13 1409 D Jul 14 1315 *From 1530 to 1732 UTC, July 7, acquisition of telemetry will be every 2 seconds. The mailbox will be disabled during this interval. The transponders will be off at other times. The actual operating schedule may change due to unexpected situations such as variations in available power. /EX