AMSAT-UK is pleased to announce that the 2024 Colloquium will take place alongside the RSGB Convention at Kents Hill Park Conference Centre, Milton Keynes, MK7 6BZ on the weekend of 12/13th October 2024. As in previous years, the AMSAT-UK Colloquium ..read more

E-members of AMSAT-UK can now download the July 2024 edition of OSCAR News, issue 244, here. The paper edition edition will be sent to postal members and should arrive in the next 2-3 weeks. In this issue: • From the Secretary’s Keyboard • Satellite News • ARISS International Face to Face Meeting 2024 and 40th Celebration of Amateur Radio on Human Spaceflight by Ciaran Morgan, M0XTD • QO-100 School contacts by John M5JFS • FUNcube+ AMSAT-UK’s Next Mission by David Bowman, G0MRF • Assessing Path Loss Due to Weather in Newfoundland by David Bowman, G0MRF • VO1/M0XUU Operation from Newfoundland b ..read more

Every few years the myth that Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was a radio amateur crops up again. This myth started in the early 1980’s and has been debunked numerous times since but it still appears on websites listing “Famous Hams”. Martin Davidoff, K2UBC, posted this on the AMSAT Bulletin Board in 2002: This note is in response to several related comments that appeared on the AMSAT-BB last week. Since not everyone reading this BB was radio active back in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s I’ve included some background information. The earliest known statement suggesting that Yuri Gagarin was a Radio Ama ..read more

On May 26, at 1300 GMT AMSAT-LU plans (weather permitting) to launch a balloon carrying a linear multimode transponder V➤U, CW, SSB, FM, APRS LU7AA-11 and VIDEO. It could last 9 hours if it reaches 82,000 feet height landing in Uruguay, or 6 hours landing at Gualeguaychú. The flight has been approved by ANAC/EANA. Flight forecast: http://lu7aa.org/pronostico.asp?callsign=LU7AA-12 An attempt will also be made to launch LU8YY PicoBalloon emitting WSPR at 20m, if the winds help it could go around the world. In Merlo, from May 24 to 26, presentations will be made to schools and universities. Depen ..read more

First Newfoundland contact via QO-100 between VO1/M0XUU and G0MRF On Saturday, May 11, 2024, Gopan VO1/M0XUU (VU3HPF) succeeded in making the first contact from North America through the amateur radio QO-100 geostationary satellite transponder located at 26° East. Gopan’s screenshot of first Newfoundland QO-100 contact Gopan was in Newfoundland which is just outside the coverage area of QO-100, the elevation at Signal Hill at St. Johns is below the horizon at -0.9°. He used FT-8 to have a trans-atlantic contact with David G0MRF in south-west London. David reported it was tough going with a ..read more

During May there are plans for two separate attempts to make contacts from Newfoundland using the QO-100 geostationary satellite amateur transponders. Newfoundland is just outside the coverage area of QO-100, the elevation at Signal Hill at St. Johns is -0.9°, however, contacts have been made from Indonesia at an elevation as low as -1.3° so there is a chance of success. Gopan VO1/M0XUU (VU3HPF) will be in Newfoundland from May 8-15 and will attempt to make QO-100 contacts. David VO1/G0MRF and Graham VO1/G3VZV will be in Newfoundland May 15-19 and plan to be active on QO-100 using SSB / CW / F ..read more

GreenCube IO-117 CubeSat Rome, April 30, 2024 – AMSAT Italia is proud to announce the acquisition of the quote of property of the IO-117 “GreenCube” satellite. The other part of the property remains on behalf of “Sapienza University”, Rome, Italy. A collaborative work of the parts will let the satellite continue the amateur radio operations after the completion of the primary scientific mission. This will definitively avert the satellite decommissioning process by transferring the legal responsibility of the satellite from the Italian Space Agency to AMSAT Italia. Even formally and legally ..read more

Matthew Dominick KC0TOR An ARISS contact is scheduled with students at Mrs Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy at Axminster Community Academy Trust, Lyme Regis, U.K. at 11:44 BST (10:44 GMT) on Wednesday April 17 on 145.800 MHz FM. Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has received schedule confirmation for an ARISS radio contact between an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and students at the Mrs. Ethelston’s CE Primary Academy located in Lyme Regis, UK. ARISS conducts 60-100 of these special amateur radio contacts each year between students around the glo ..read more

2024-03-27 Belgium 1240-1300 MHz proposed restrictions On March 27, 2024, Belgium’s regulator the BIPT published draft restrictions on amateur radio operation  in the 23cm (1240-1300 MHz) band. The new restrictions include: Class A (equiv UK Full, USA Extra) – size of band reduced from 60 MHz to 8.24 MHz. The satellite allocation is reduced to 1260-1262 MHz and the antenna elevation must always be more than 15° above the horizon and the transmission power is limited to 50 W EIRP. If the elevation is above 55° above the horizon, the power is increased to 500 watts EIRP Class B (equiv UK ..read more

Series 15 episode 4 of Michael Portillo’s TV show Great British Railway Journeys: Havant to Guildford, features Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and Professor Sir Martin Sweeting G3YJO. To see the segment fast-forward 20 mins 30 secs into the show. Watch in the UK on BBC iPlayer at https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001xj3j/great-british-railway-journeys-series-15-4-havant-to-guildford Over the years Michael has met several radio amateurs while making his show. In 2013 he was shown how to send Morse code by Peter Watkins M0BHY https://web.archive.org/web/20180107172841/http://www.southgatea ..read more