Newsletter of the Argonne Amateur Radio Club s4

RADIOACTIVITIES NEWSLETTER OF THE ARGONNE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB

Volume XLI, Number 12 December 2000

In This Issue... He said he got a lot of favorable reports on his Working the new with the old • Only IF you audio "even before I mentioned the equipment I was have time Mr. Astronaut/Cosmonaut! • and using," he says. "My thanks to the League and the more! DXCC Desk for creating this award." Hams in Space Station take advantage of ample free time to fire up a rig Club meeting from CNN Reports/QRZ.com

The December club meeting will be the AARC The first residents of the International Space Christmas Party. See the article following this Station enjoyed a few days rest before preparing for announcement for details. the arrival of a Russian spacecraft crammed with tons of supplies. There is going to be a Party!

When: December 3rd at 12:30 p.m. Where: The Olde Country Buffet in Darien (At the corner of Lemont Road and 75th Street, Northwest corner between Service Merchandise and Toys-R-Us.)

Bring a gift under $5 to participate in the grab bag. Spouses and any others are invited to come along and join in the festivities with us. We hope to During their down time they hooked up a ham see you there! radio and spoke with people more than 200 miles (320 km) below on Earth. The crew of two cosmonauts and one astronaut over the weekend Working the new millennium with the old: successfully fired up their new ham radio from ARRL Letter equipment in Zarya, one of three modules currently comprising the orbiting outpost, NASA said. Dave Paperman, W5WP, worked the 100 entities required for the ARRL DXCC Millennium The agency said the trio would use the radio to Award using a restored Hallicrafters "Hurricane" talk with school children and ham radio operators transceiver--the SR-2000 (of course!). throughout the world. But a NASA spokesman at Mission Control in Houston said Monday he did not He reports that his QSO #100 was with the know who the crew spoke with during their first FO0AAA DXpedition. "I decided to use the ham radio conversations. Hallicrafters partly as a tribute to the classic equipment of the previous millennium and as part of an ongoing demonstration of the ability of these venerable radios to 'hold their own' in the pileups of today," he writes. ARGONNE AMATEUR RADIO MEMBERSHIP is open to all who are RADIOACTIVITIES is published monthly by interested in amateur radio. This club is the Argonne Amateur Radio Club as a CLUB sponsored by Argonne National Laboratory. nonprofit newsletter intended only for the 9700 S. Cass Ave. Employees of ANL or DOE-Chicago are use of its membership. Material appearing Bldg. 222 - A253, Argonne IL eligible for full membership. Auxiliary here does not represent the official position 60439 membership is available to non-employees. of Argonne National Laboratory or the U. S. Department of Energy. Please give credit to  W9ANL/R is an open repeater, coordinated the author and to Radioactivities or the on 145.19 MHz (-600 input). The AARC Argonne Amateur Radio Club, when using PRESIDENT Dennis Kelly K9LJK repeater has been in operation on this original material published here. Deadline VICE PRESIDENT Bruce Epperson frequency pair continuously since February for submissions normally is the fifteenth of KA9JXU 5, 1982. the preceding month. V. P. IDAHO Bill Parmley KR8L SECRETARY Jim Klick K9FAT W9ANL Packet node runs MSYS on 145.09 EDITOR Bruce Epperson KA9JXU TREASURER Dale Travis AG9H MHz. EVENTS Lew Garrison WB9PGO SKYWARN ACTIVITIES Deni Lamoreaux DIRECTOR Dick Konecny K9IB CLUB NETS: 2 meter fm (1) Regular, every W9DS Monday evening at 9:00, and (2) the Night PACKET RADIO Loren Thompson KB9CTJ DIRECTOR Fred Propper WB9VUT Patrol every night at 10:30, both on LAST PAGE Bill Karraker W9AVE DIRECTOR Jim Specht W9GBL W9ANL/R. There is an open packet DIRECTOR Loren Thompson KB9CTJ conference on W9ANL packet node every Please send club and editorial  Monday evening at 8:00; type C at the BBS correspondence to the above address, or to e-mail: [email protected] prompt. The Peanut Whistle Net (PWN) [email protected]. Please include http://www.bigfoot.com/~w9anl every Sunday at 1:30 p.m., and many “AARC” in the subject. One last note. Please fill out and return the enclosed membership application blank just as soon as possible. Please don't wait for the last minute. Editorial Have a Merry Christmas or a Happy Hanukkah by Bruce A. Epperson, KA9JXU and a Great New Year!

A whole year! 365 days, 12 months, 4 seasons, The treasurer's computer: 52 weeks, 8760 hours. However you want to say it by Dale Travis AG9H the calendar has turned around once again. Members: East 39; West 5; Associate 101; The events of another year have come and gone Newsletter 9; Retired 29 and we have weathered them all. With Y2K being a Balances: Checking $4902.18; Cash $0.00; ANL big fizzle in the early part of the year, a national fund = $129.00 political race that started and formed (and is yet to Distributed as: Club $1147.68; Equipment $960.14; be decided!) during this year, a Field Day that came Repeater $1719.21; Packet $1082.42 close to setting new records for how much a person For the period October 27, 2000 thru November 18, could look like a drowned rat and many other 2000: events that tried and failed to daunt us. Income: Dues $0.00; Club $1.70; Eqp $1.42 Rptr $2.55; Pkt $1.60; ANL $0.00 Antennas have gone up and come down, rigs Expenses: Club $0.00; Rptr $0.00; Pkt $0.00; Eqp have been sold and bought, rare DX and locals have $0.00 all been worked as the year aged day by day. The repeater went KABLOOEY! when Thor smashed There should be a 2001 membership down with his hammer of lightning and thunder. application form included with this newsletter. The But we muddled through somehow and made do application MUST be signed to be accepted. Please with a whisper of a signal where we were used to swamp me with signed applications in December. having a loud voice heard both far and wide. Please DO NOT staple or tape your check/cash to the application. It is not necessary and does create I would like to take this opportunity to wish some interesting guesses at times. Your application each and every one of you the merriest and happiest usually winds up getting torn and I can loose some of holiday seasons. This is that time of year when information from the application. we think about peace, fellowship, and goodwill towards all men. We remember the great holiday seasons of the past and how that spurns us to make Also, please don't cut the application; leave it this one extra special in its own way. full sheet size. I have gotten some forms without calls, so I fill out your membership card without a the flight's progress in the Arianespace control call, then a few days later, I find there is a call in room. The satellite is not expected to be ready for my database, but, sorry, too late, the membership general use for about nine months. card has already gone out. I do not have my database handy when I fill out the membership "It was a textbook launch," said Phase 3D cards. For the ANL people, PLEASE put your Mission Director and AMSAT-DL Executive Vice building & room number on your application, as I President Peter Guelzow, DB2OS. Guelzow, who's do not have access to an ANL phone book any filling in for Phase 3D Project Leader Karl Meinzer, more. For ANL-W, use your building number NOT DJ4ZC, said the satellite appears to be in excellent just ANL-W or Idaho. health. A "general beacon" was transmitting on approximately 435.450 MHz. The AO-40 PSK beacon has been monitored on or about 145.898 MHz – slightly different from the expected IT'S ALIVE! PHASE 3D IS NOW AO-40 frequency. from ARRL Letter This week's Phase 3D launch culminated a Alive and well and in orbit around Earth, the decade of planning, design, construction and testing satellite known for the past decade as "Phase 3D" as well as an ambitious fundraising campaign. The has a new name. AMSAT-NA Board Chairman Bill ARRL was among the major contributors to the Tynan, W3XO, this week announced that Phase 3D Phase 3D project. now will be known as AMSAT-OSCAR 40, or AO- 40. Newly elected AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH, hailed the news of the launch. "We have been calling it Phase 3D for far too "It expands the capabilities of radio amateurs to long," Tynan said. "Henceforth it will take its place work with higher frequencies and develop advanced in the long line of OSCARs, satellites built by the communication techniques," he said. "Once more, Amateur Radio community for the Amateur Radio Amateur Radio operators will be at the leading edge community throughout the world." of experimentation in communications."

Tynan said he got the official go-ahead from The satellite now is in orbit some 585 miles Phase 3D Project Leader Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, to above Earth at the closest point. Phase 3D's final assign an OSCAR number. It's been 40 years since elliptical orbital configuration will put the satellite the first OSCAR satellite launched. AMSAT- some 2500 miles away from Earth at its nearest OSCAR 40 was dedicated to the memory of one of point, and some 29,500 miles at its farthest. its principal builders, Werner Haas, DJ5KQ, and operates under the call sign DP0WH. Haas died At 630 kg (1380 lbs) and some 20 feet across earlier this year. A plaque aboard AO-40 is when the solar panels are deployed, Phase 3D is the dedicated to his memory. largest Amateur Radio satellite ever put into space. Three other satellites, the giant PanAmSat PAS-1R Tynan, whose tenure as AMSAT-NA President communications satellite and the smaller STRV-1C covered the early years of the Phase 3D project, was and 1D mini-satellites, joined AMSAT Phase 3D – overjoyed to see the satellite finally in orbit. now AO-40 – for the ride. "Congratulations and thanks to all who participated in any way to this wonderful achievement," he said. For more information, visit the AMSAT-NA Web site, http://www.amsat.org . Following a one-day postponement, Phase 3D was successfully launched November 16 at 0107 UTC and placed into a geostationary transfer orbit, from which it will be nudged into its final high ISS CREW CHECKS OUT HAM GEAR elliptical orbit. When the Ariane 5 launcher from ARRL Letter successfully deployed Phase 3D at 0153 UTC, cheers erupted from the AMSAT team monitoring The International Space Station crew of US astronaut and ISS Expedition 1 Commander Students at the Burbank School in Burbank, William "Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, and Russian Illinois, were tentatively scheduled to have the first cosmonauts Sergei Krikalev, U5MIR, and Yuri Amateur Radio contact with the Expedition 1 crew Gidzenko checked out the Amateur Radio on the next month. Another 18 schools are under International Space Station initial station ham gear consideration for ARISS school contacts. last weekend. Tentative operating frequencies are: Worldwide "With the successful execution of engineering downlink for voice and packet, 145.80 MHz; test communications passes, the Amateur Radio on worldwide packet uplink, 145.99 MHz; Region 1 the International Space Station project has passed a (Europe/Africa) voice uplink: 145.20 MHz; Region significant milestone," said ARISS team member 2 and 3 voice uplink, 144.49 MHz. Crew members Will Marchant, KC6ROL. may use their personal call signs or one of the "club station" call signs issued for ISS use – NA1SS, Two initial Amateur Radio test passes were RZ3DZR, or DL0ISS. The Keplerian elements conducted via R3K at the Gagarin Cosmonaut bulletin from ARRL now includes data for the ISS. Training Center in Star City near Moscow, with Russian ARISS delegate Sergej Samburov, For more information, visit RV3DR, at the controls. AMSAT Russia President http://ariss.gsfc.nasa.gov/. Eugene Labutin, RA3APR, and Vladimir Zagainov, UA3DKR, also were on hand for the commissioning pass.

A subsequent test pass via NN1SS at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center was equally successful. The crew reiterated its interest and support for Amateur Radio activities on the ISS. School Amateur Radio contact schedules and, casual QSOs are pending at this point, however, as the crew tackles a very busy work regime in space.

Shepherd reports that all equipment aboard the ISS appears to be operating well, although he and the other crewmembers have complained about the noisy air conditioner. The crew spent its first week installing an oxygen generator, a carbon-dioxide WANTED: removal unit and other life-support systems. Almost any tube-type related radio gear, Things will get busier when a Russian cargo transmitters, receivers, etc., which are restorable ship filled with food, parts, trash bags and another and suitable for display and demonstration. air conditioner arrives November 17. The crew must Cosmetic condition is fairly important, but beyond unload the rocket, stow the gear, and then fill the that almost anything is fair game as long as most rocket with trash to jettison before the shuttle main components are all there. Endeavor lifts off at the end of the month with a new set of solar panels for the ISS. Please contact Ron Hensel, K9ZE at 630-365- 0213 or [email protected].

ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communication Course coming The crew is not getting Thanksgiving off, and soon: crewmembers did not request turkey and the trimmings be sent into space. The ARRL Certification and Continuing http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/appstatus.html. Education Pilot Project's first offering is closer to The page lists pending DXCC applications by call completion. Since March 2000, a dedicated crew of sign. volunteers has been working together to produce a basic level introductory course in emergency communications. What was heard just the other day (At least what I can remember anyway.) The course will provide a basic standard of training for everyone, regardless of their geographic By C. Ennit Meiwiegh location or education level. This first-ever ARRL continuing education course will initially be Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping available as an on-line course, offering a certificate trip. They set up their tent, and are soon fast asleep. and ID card for each student who successfully completes each part. Some hours later, Holmes wakes his faithful friend.

The first course, which comprises Level I, “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you Introduction to Emergency Communications, is see.” made up of Parts 1, 2 and 3. Future courses, Level II, NCS and Liaison Training, and Level III, Watson replies, “I see millions of stars.” Emergency Communications Management/Administration Issues, will be “What does that tell you?” available in 2001. Watson ponders for a minute. “Astronomically More details about Level I, Introduction to speaking, it tells me that there are millions of Emergency Communications, will be released as the galaxies and potentially billions of planets. course nears completion. – Dan Miller, K3UFG Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Timewise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it’s evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?”

Holmes pauses for a moment, shaking his head, then says, “Watson, you idiot, someone has stolen our tent.”

Three weeks after her wedding day, Joanna called her minister. “Reverend,” she wailed, “John and I had a dreadful fight.”

DXCC applications list available: “Calm down, my child,” said the minister, “it’s not half as bad as you think. Every marriage has to have DXCC applicants no longer need wonder its first fight.” whether their applications made it to ARRL HQ for processing. Now they can find out by visiting the “ I know, I know,” said Joanna. “But what am I List of DXCC Applications Received page, going to do with the body?” Argonne Amateur Radio Club Bldg. 222 Room A253 Argonne, IL 60439