News Letter Help

Your Comments Will Make ATN News Work

Hello my name is Robert. This is the third news letter since I took over the job in January of 1995. I must admit that this is a first for me and it's no easy chore collecting, editing, and printing a news letter. I am not always around (on TV that is) to see what's going on out their, and without getting information from the user base I can only guess what you might want to read about. It cost about $100.00 every quarter to put out a news letter and if the information is not there to print the money could be put to better use. With the information super highway, fax machines, and mailing address, I would hope to have received more than two tech tips to put into the news letter. Maybe there's really not to much going on out their that interests you, with the upgrading of the repeater sites, linking to new sites, and wondering who the new user's are. All of that interests me as well, but like I said earlier I am not always around to see what is happening and I'm sure you are not always around to. So please help me by sending your input to:

Robert Taylor KC6GAG

4821 Torida Way

Yorba Linda, CA 92686

mctay@ix.netcom.com

Thanks.

PS: Mailing will be the best.

Summer

Summer is here at last in sunny Southern California. What does summer mean to me, well it's that time to clean out the garage, empty the gutters, and to clean out the ham shack. All the little notes with QSL information on them while I wait to get them in the mail and most of all, to get ready for Field day. That means getting up on the roof and pulling down the antenna structure and cleaning off the corrosion, bird ?????ing's and all that smog acid infested muck that collects on that used to be clean shiny aluminum. Cleaning out all the duplicate files in the computer, greasing all the copper contacts on the power supply's and batteries and that's just the beginning wait for fall. It starts over again....

Satellite info for the Beginner

This new section from issue to issue will be updated with Satellite information gathered from the internet services.

Modes:

The combination of uplink frequency, downlink frequency, and transmission mode are all lumped together into standardized satellite MODES. Here is a list of common satellite modes used by satellites covered by this article:

A - This mode requires a 2 meter SSB/CW transmitter and a 10 meter SSB/CW receiver and supports CW and voice.

B - This mode requires a 70 cm SSB/CW transmitter and a 2 meter SSB/CW receiver and supports CW and voice. Some satellites also support RTTY and SSTV in this mode.

K - This mode requires a 15 meter SSB/CW transmitter and a 10 meter SSB/CW receiver and supports CW and voice. This mode is unique in that it can be done with a simple HF rig.

JA - This mode stands for J Analog and requires a 2 meter SSB/CW transmitter and a 70 cm SSB/CW receiver and supports CW and voice.

JD - This mode stands for J Digital and requires a 2 meter FM transmitter and a 70 cm SSB/CW receiver and supports packet.

S - This mode requires a 70 cm SSB/CW transmitter and a 2.4 GHz SSB/CW receiver and supports CW and voice. Many people use a 2.4 GHz to 2 meter converter with a 2 meter SSB/CW receiver instead of buying a 2.4 GHz SSB/CW receiver.

T - This mode requires a 15 meter SSB/CW transmitter and a 2 meter SSB/CW receiver and supports CW and voice.

Some satellites have dual modes that operate simultaneously. For example, AO-13 can operate in mode BS which means that it can do both mode B and mode S simultaneously. Other common dual modes are KT and KA.

Also, satellites have 3 basic types of retransmissions: beacon, transponder, and repeater.

Beacon - Most satellites have a fixed Morse beacon at the lower end of the satellites band-pass transponder. This is useful to detect when the satellite has crossed the horizon and is in range for operation. It can also be used to determine Doppler shifts.

Transponder - A transponder is a band-pass repeater. It accepts a range of frequencies on the input and retransmits the entire range on the output. All offsets within that range are preserved. NOTE: since the satellite is transmitting many signals at the same time, it is dividing its output power amongst all of these signals. If someone transmits a very powerful signal into the satellite, it will spend most of its power retransmitting that signal and all of the other signals will drop in power. This is NOT a way to earn friends and people who overpower the satellites input are called "alligators" and are not very popular.

Repeater Information

Donations for Blueridge to Santiago link

Dick W6HFU, Ed AC6BO, Frank KA6PUV, Keven KD6IJA, Dave KA6DPS

Donations of equipment Blueridge to Santiago link

Mike KC6CCC, Al KF6YM, Mike WA6SVT

Blueridge Mt.

Mark WB7AJC has made a couple of trips to Blueridge on his motorcycle to work on the antenna and amplifier.

Oat Mt.

No work has been performed on Oat Mt. We need to send a work party to see what's going on up their. So send in your bids to John KC6YVS or Mike WA6SVT to go join in on the fun.

Santiago Peak

Mark WB7AJC went to remove the 10 GHz filter and check the 2 GHz antenna. We had a work party go to Santiago June 10th. Dave KA6DPS, Al KF6YM, Mike WA6SVT and his new wife all went. The lock has been changed on the site building so no work was performed in the shack. They did however get to move the 10 GHz antenna and it now works a little better. Mike KC6CCC is the only one able to make it in on 10 GHz. They also removed the 2 GHz receiver. Al KF6YM opened it up when he got home and found it was full of bugs. Now I know where my Vibroplex went over the winter. The receiver will be reinstalled in the next week or so.

I would like to thank all donations and help with repairs to the repeater and antenna.

ATN

Coming Events

Space Shuttle

Russian Docking Module, Solar Arrays Arrive in Florida

Ray Castillo

Headquarters, Washington, DC June 8, 1995

Phone 202/358-4555

Kari Fluegel

Johnson Space Center, Houston

Phone: 713/483-8649

George Diller

Kennedy Space Center, FL.

Phone: 407/867-2468

RELEASE: 95-86

A Russian cargo plane has delivered equipment for the second Shuttle/Mir docking mission -- a major exchange of space flight components between the United States and Russia. During assembly of the international Space Station, this type of cooperative exchange will take place frequently.

An Antonov AN-124 cargo plane, the equivalent of a US C-5 cargo plane, landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, FL at 10:40 a.m. EDT yesterday. The delivered cargo included a Shuttle-to-Mir docking module , the module's ground support equipment, a portion of the docking module training mockup for use in crew contingency spacewalk training, and two solar arrays for the Russian Mir space station.

"This is a major operational hardware exchange between the United States and Russia," said Tommy Holloway, manager of NASA's international Space Station Phase One Program Office. "As we move into the Space Station era, these equipment exchanges will become almost commonplace. This particular hardware also is very important to the reconfiguration of Mir for future joint operations.

The docking module, which will be carried to space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the STS-74 mission later this year, is designed to improve the clearances for the Shuttle during future docking operations with the Russian space station Mir.

During STS-74, Atlantis astronauts will use the Orbiter's robotics arm to place the docking module onto the Orbiter Docking System. On the third day of that flight, Mission Commander Ken Cameron will ease the Orbiter up to Mir so that a link-up occurs with the docking module serving as a bridge between the two space vehicles. When Atlantis leaves Mir after three days of joint operations, the undocking procedures will disconnect the Orbiter Docking System from the docking module, leaving it attached to the station for use on future missions.

Before the docking module is loaded onto Atlantis, it will be prepared for flight in the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) at the Kennedy Space Center, it is the first piece of hardware to be processed in the SSPF. The docking module will undergo a complete systems checkout and the two solar arrays and a trunnion assembly will be attached to the module. The activity will be monitored by a team from the Russian organization RSC Energia.

The two solar arrays will be used to extend Mir's lifetime and support U.S. science and technology research. One of the arrays was built as a cooperative project between the U.S. and Russia, combining proven Russian structures and mechanisms with advanced U.S. solar array modules. The second array is composed of all Russian components. The solar arrays will be stowed on the side of the docking module for transport to Mir and will be installed some time after the completion of STS-74.

After SSPF processing, the docking module and solar arrays will be transferred to the Operations and Checkout Building. The module will then undergo a series of tests to verify electrical and mechanical compatibility with the Orbiter.

The docking module training will be shipped to the Johnson Space Center. Astronauts will use it for extravehicular activity training in the Neutral Buoyancy Tank. No spacewalk is planned for the STS-74 mission, but crew members will practice several backup procedures that will be employed if problems occur with the module during the flight. The remaining sections of the training mockup will be shipped from Russia later this year to support spacewalk training for STS-76, the third docking mission.

NASA Managers Set Launch Dates for Discovery & Endeavour

NASA managers have set new target launch dates for two Shuttle missions scheduled to fly this summer. Space Shuttle Discovery on Mission STS-70 is now targeted for launch on July 13 and Space Shuttle Endeavour is set to be launched on Mission STS-69 on July 30.

The new flight dates for Discovery and Endeavour have no impact to the processing work on Space Shuttle Atlantis being prepared for the STS-71 launch on the first Shuttle-Mir docking mission. The Atlantis launch remains planned for no earlier than June 22 and a firm launch date may be announced early next week.

The new target launch dates for Discovery and Endeavour were established after the launch team finished assessing the impact of last week's decision to roll Discovery off Launch Pad 39-B. The rollback was required in order to make repairs to the foam insulation on the external tank.

Press Release

WHO: Kevin Montgomery KD6IJA

WHAT: Transmitting "NEWSLINE"

WHEN: Tuesday Morning & Evening Nets

WHERE: From The Costa Mesa ATV Station

HOW: Via The WA6SVT ATV Repeater

WHY:

As most everyone knows by now I have been running 'NEWSLINE' for the morning and evening nets. Newsline is a production of Bill Pasternak WA6ITF and associates. The program has been a voice only program. Being that we are ATV'ers, it was very dull looking at a blank screen and listening to the reports.

Now with the assistance of a new 486 at home, Newsline {with the permission of WA6ITF} is being produced by me with associated topical graphics. The graphics are being created with the program "Microsoft Office Powerpoint". This program as you have seen will allow me to make any graphic I need and display them with embedded "DVE".

THE PROCESS:

I now call the Newsline phone number and record their report via direct phone line coupling into the eight channel audio console. It is recorded with equalization for best sound over the repeater. I then play the recording several times at the computer and build graphics as needed. However Newsline #929's format was so fast paced it was hell trying to keep up. So I opted for simple name graphics. I plan to continue producing "NEWSLINE MADE FOR ATV" in this format. However! Look for a change in format in the near future. It will put as much as a two week delay in presenting Newsline however I think all who watch will enjoy it. If their are reports that have a timely nature I will present them without delay.

If anyone has a story or bulletin they would like to have reported please call me at work 714-650-2001 ext 123 or at home 714-631-kmtv(5688).

Membership Information

ATN Financial Corner

First I would like to Welcome all the new members since the February meeting.

Bill Webb AB6OR

Ralph Buscemi AB6UQ

Larry Fritz AG8O

Louis Johnson K6UMX

Frank Brockway KA6PUV

Ray Fas KD6GRM

Mac Mcdonald KD6UIN

Ken Stubblefield N6ALA

Fred Paseman W6FVW

Elmer Thomas WA6PFA

Bruce Forsberg WB6IZG

Norm Sharpe WV7K

Welcome to Amateur Television.

John KC6YVS Treasurer

Membership Application

(1 Year) $35.00 ____ Renewal ___ New Member $_________

Name____________________________ Call _____________

Address_________________________ Phone_____________

City____________________________ State___ Zip________

Make checks payable to:

John Gibson

1032 La Roda Ct.

Ontario, CA 91762