Hi folks:
As most of you know, SBARC is arranging a special contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station and a local Boy Scout troop (tentatively set for the week of August 18 to 22). We have every element necessary for the primary station plus a back up station, except we need to borrow a couple of two-meter amplifiers. The ARISS folks require that we have 80 watt transmit capability on two-meters, and our radios will fall just short of this.
So, we need your help! Please let me know if have an amplifier available that is capable of at least 80 watts. We will need to borrow it in the days leading up to the week of 8/18. This is your chance to help out on a very special SBARC event. Check out the "background" below and the attached draft application for more info.
Thanks in advance!
Ken Owen, N6KTH AMSAT Area Coordinator n6kth@n6kth.com (805) 448-5726
BACKGROUND: The history is as follows. Glenn Schiferl, a scout leader and head of the UCSB Physics computing services, approached co-worker Bob Pizzi (AC6PZ) and informed him that the astronaut on the next launch to the ISS wanted to do a contact from the ISS with a local BSA group. Bob said SBARC would back up the effort. Since an astronaut is requesting this contact, all of the normal approvals and application delays will be bypassed.
We have arranged to have the contact take place on the patio on the roof of the physics building. There are plans in the works to involve the astronomy department and to include an educational component with the scouts. This could be a huge media event, and it's a great opportunity to set up the SBARC rover and spend the day promoting the club and amateur radio. NASA will promote this event as well.
An ISS contact of this type involves kids submitting questions in advance, and a few get the opportunity to ask the questions of the astronaut.
THE RADIO EQUIPMENT: There will need to be two, two-meter FM ham stations capable of space communications (see the attached block diagram). The primary station will have full tracking capability (azimuth & elevation rotors, tracking software and interface) a circularly polarized beam, pre-amps and a power amplifier. The backup station will only need to have an omni-directional antenna, but it will also need pre-amps and amps. Ken, N6KTH has the critical equipment necessary for the tracking station, and he, plus two of the other principle organizers all have Yaesu ft-847s that will be used as the rigs for both stations.