TRANSPOLAR SKITREK PROGRESS REPORT #4: February 19, 1988

     Prepared by Rich Ensign, N8IWJ, AMSAT Science Education Advisor
                 For Use With The AMSAT Teachers Guide
            "Exploring The High Arctic From Your Classroom"

Preparations for the Transpolar Skitrek Expedition are moving into high gear
both in Russia and in Canada. The Canadian skiers have traveled north to
Dixon and Severnaya Zemlya for final training. Dr. Matthew Buxton and
Christopher Holloway, the last two Canadian skiers chosen, have not trained
with the Russian skiers before so this period is critical for them. Dr.
Dimitri Shparo, expedition leader, will be taking a close look at all skiers
readiness and physical condition before announcing the final eleven to
fourteen person group to make the trek.

In Canada, Tom Atkins, VE3CDM/VE8CDM, Barry Garrat, VE3CDX/VE8CDX and Bill
Hardie, VE3EFX are preparing to make the long plane trip on February 23rd
from Montreal to Resolute Bay, N.W.T., the Canadian Communications Support
Base. The donated ICOM HF tranceivers are now being checked out prior to
their installation at Resolute.  Tom and Barry will be returning south as
soon as the station is in operation to prepare for Barry's and Rick Burke's
trip to Russia, again carrying along ICOM HF gear for the Russian Support
Bases at Severnaya Zemlya and the Ice Island North Pole 28.

Andy McLellan, VE1ASJ, who will be operating the Support Base from March 4th
through March 19th, reports that he will be be working through the Amateur
Radio Satellite RS 10/11 while at Resolute. Watch for more on this in the
next Progress Report.

Resolute Support Base operators will be keeping a weather log for us which
will periodically appear in future progress reports. Barry and Rick will keep
similar logs for us as well. Since information will be scant from the skiers
we can infer their weather by interpolating information we receive from
Resolute, North Pole 28 and Severnaya Zemla. Rick will be traveling to
Severnaya Zemla the first week in March and Barry will be leaving the second
week in April for North Pole 28.

This week, the digitalker on UoSAT OSCAR 11 is again being tested as per the
schedule in Progress Report #1 with the message:

             "Hi! Hi! 73 from UoSAT 2. See you again. 32NL."

32NL is, of course, a possible way of saying 32 degrees north latitude.
Perhaps the easiest and most effective way of receiving the digitalker is
with an HT and whip antenna that can be freely oriented for best reception.
Lengthy periods of nearly full-quieting signal can be obtained when the
satellite is only 25 degrees above your horizon.

You can receive a UoSAT QSL card by sending your detailed report of
digitalker reception to: UoSAT Spacecraft Engineering Research Unit, 
University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 5XH, England.
The CRRL is only QSL'ing contacts with Resolute as per Progress Report #3.

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A continuing series of Progress Reports like this one may be accessed via
packet BBS, AMSAT Nets and the main educator source, the W0RPK AMSAT Bulletin
Board (1-515-961-3325). Comments and questions about the reports should be
addressed to Rich Ensign, 421 N. Military, Dearborn, MI 48124, U.S.A.

Progress Report #5 will be issued on February 26, 1988.