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>From: kd2bd@ka2qhd.UUCP (John Magliacane)
>Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc,sci.space
>Subject: * SpaceNews  08-Apr-91 *
>Keywords: MicroSats, Radio Astronomy, Shuttle Frequencies
>Message-ID: <432@ka2qhd.UUCP>
>Date: 6 Apr 91 00:08:00 GMT
>Organization: KA2QHD - OCEAN NJ
>Lines: 141


SB SPACE @ AMSAT < KD2BD $SPC0408
* SpaceNews  08-Apr-91 *

Bulletin ID: $SPC0408


                              =========
                              SpaceNews
                              =========

                         MONDAY APRIL 8, 1991

SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It
is published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.


* MICROSAT NEWS *
=================
Numerous ground station operators around the world have reported difficulties
accessing LUSAT (LO-19) over the past several days.  Ordinarily, connection
can be established but little other traffic can be handled.  The LUSAT
command team in Argentina is examining various possibilities including
PACSAT software problems and satellite receiver problems in various hardware
configurations.  LUSAT is transmitting a short beacon message to users
alerting them of the degraded situation.

The DOVE (DO-17) operating system apparently crashed sometime on Thursday 28
March 91.  On Saturday, 30 March 91, the S band transmitter was succesfully
commanded on providing very limited telemetry data, power system balance,
and (most importantly) evidence that DOVE is still quite alive.  A
concentrated effort to place DOVE into full service is planned following
diagnostic memory dumps and an operating system reload during April.
Special thanks go out to PY2BJO and ON6UG for their critical S band
monitoring duty.

Eric Rosenburg, WD3Q, reported that updated operating software was
apparently uploaded to UO-14 on 01-Apr-91.  This change has the server
identify the station it is handshaking with when it acknowledges a
bulletin request.

[Info via ANS]


* RADIO ASTRONOMY *
===================
Radio astronomy can be done on any frequency you can find which is
free of terrestrial radio signals.  There are many types of celestial
radio emitters which generate (generally wide band) noise.  At the lower
frequencies the emissions are dominated by non-thermal (i.e synchrotron
etc.) mechanisms.  For example, the planet Jupiter is a *very* strong
emitter of synchrotron radiation in the 5-39 MHz range.  Indeed much of the
background noise you hear on HF is quite often dominated by these signals.

At higher frequencies you get continuous emission from interactions
between free electrons (free-free emission) again producing broad band
noise.  You also get spectral line emission from atomic recombination
and molecular transitions.  These emissions such as the neutral hydrogen
line at 1420.406 MHz appear at discrete frequencies instead of being
broad band in nature.  It is not generally reasonable to expect the
casual amateur astronomer to be able to "see" these signals since they
are comparatively weak and often localized.

If you have an OSCAR station and want to do a simple experiment try
this:  Point your 2m antenna straight south and up 30 or so degrees
(in the northern hemisphere).  Tune your 2m rig to an unused frequency
in your area and set the mode to SSB (or CW).  Turn on your GaAsFET
preamp and write down the S-meter reading of the background noise
every half hour or so for a day or as long as you want.  You will notice
the noise level going up and down from S-0 to S-6 or so with a 24 Hr
period.  CONGRATULATIONS - you have just made your first radio observation
of the galactic center!  You might also see another hump in your data
at about local noon corresponding to the sun.  The sun however is not
nearly as strong as the galactic center at 144 MHz.

[Story by US Astronaut Ron Parise, WA4SIR]


* SHUTTLE FREQUENCIES *
=======================
NASA Malabar (Palm Bay) HF Networks in MHz:

 2.405 Data Buoys                       2.622 SRB Recovery (Primary)
 2.664 Backup Mission Audio-Cape/Hou    2.678 ETR Range Control
 2.716 Navy Harbor Cntl-Port Canav.     2.764 SRB Recovery Channel
 3.024 Coast Guard SAR (Primary)        3.187 SRB Recovery Ships Channel
 4.376 Primary Recovery Zone SAR        4.510 SRB Recovery Ships Channel
 4.856 Cape Radio/Leader                4.992 Cape Radio/Coast Guard Ships
 5.180 NASA Tracking Ships              5.187 NASA Tracking Ships
 5.190 ETR Primary Night Channel        5.350 Launch Support Aircraft
 5.680 Launch Support Ships             5.810 ETR Secondary Night Channel
 6.720 SAR Primary Atlantic             6.896 Cape Radio
 6.837 Cape Radio                       7.412 SAR Communications With Bahamas
 7.461 Cape Radio/Launch Support A/C    7.525 NASA Ground Tracking Net
 7.676 Launch Support Aircraft          7.765 SRB Recovery Ships
 7.919 Data Channel                     7.985 Data Channel
 9.022 Launch Support Aircraft          9.043 Launch Support Aircraft
 9.132 Launch Support Aircraft         10.305 Space Missile Tactical Net
10.310 Malabar-to-Ascension Is-MUX     10.780 ETR Primary Day Channel
11.104 Launch Support Ships            11.252 Launch Support Ships
11.407 SRB Recovery Ships              11.414 Cape Radio
11.548 Cape Radio                      11.621 SRB Recovery Ships
13.227 Launch Support Aircraft         13.237 Data Channel
13.495 Data Channel                    13.600 Malabar-to-Ascension Is-MUX
13.878 Launch Support Aircraft         14.937 Ascension Is-to-Malabar-MUX
18.009 Launch Support Ships            19.303 Launch Support Ships
19.640 Cape Radio                      19.966 Ascension Is-to-Malabar-MUX
20.186 Tracking Net                    20.192 Malabar-to-Ascension Is-MUX
20.198 OCC Shuttle Mission Audio       20.390 ETR-Secondary Day Channel
22.755 Ascension-Is-to-Malabar-MUX     23.413 Cape Radio
27.065 NASA CB Radios

HF used at the Kennedy Space Center: 2.182 MHz, 3.023 MHz


* TNX QSL! *
============
A special thanks to all those who sent QSLs to SpaceNews:

N3CIP   : Bob Balogh, Jr, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA
N3EDN   : Karla Balogh, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, USA
W4NG    : Earl Tonjes, Gainesville, Florida, USA
N9KJJ/7 : Wayne Wagner, Bremerton, Washington, USA

...and e-mail messages:

GW0KYT, KA1JFP, K2TV, K2SK, KB2JPD, N2IKJ, WB2VVS, KC4QYG, KB8FIR


SpaceNews:  The FIRST electronically published newsletter to
=========   be read on a manned spacecraft in low-Earth orbit!


73 de John, KD2BD

/EX
-- 
John A. Magliacane                 FAX  : (908) 747-7107
Electronics Technology Department  AMPR : KD2BD @ NN2Z.NJ.USA.NA
Brookdale Community College        UUCP : ...!rutgers!ka2qhd!kd2bd
Lincroft, NJ  07738  USA           VOICE: (908) 842-1900 ext 607
-- 
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