Space shuttle Discovery and a crew of seven astronauts are beginning a 13-day mission to the International Space Station.
Discovery’s two solid rocket boosters ignited right on schedule at 6:21 a.m. EDT, sending the shuttle soaring past the launch tower at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Commander Alan Poindexter will lead the STS-131 mission to the International Space Station. Discovery will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module filled with science racks to be transferred to laboratories on the International Space Station. The mission will feature three spacewalks.
Mastracchio and Anderson will conduct three six-and-a-half-hour-long spacewalks on flight days 5, 7 and 9 to replace an ammonia tank assembly, retrieve a Japanese experiment from the station’s exterior and switch out a rate gyro assembly on the S0 element of the station’s truss. STS-131 is the 33rd shuttle mission to the station.
You can follow the STS-131 mission until the shuttle lands back safely to earth over at http://www.spacevidcast.com
If you don’t have a computer to hand you can still tune into Shuttle audio on reflector 9877 via IRLP / Echolink connected nodes.
Here’s Randy, K7AGE chasing the AO-51 satellite in his back garden with an arrow antenna and a 5w handie.
This amateur radio satellite is just one of many that licensed amateur radio users can make use of to make short QSO’s with other radio amateurs. You can see the status of all OSCAR satellites here on the AMSAT web site.
SYRG is especially interested in the AO-27 satellite that was used to provide the first D-Star via Satellite contact between Michael, N3UC, FM-18 in Haymarket VA and Robin, AA4RC, EM-73 in Atlanta GA.
The Analogue repeater on-board satellite AO-27 is well suited for D-Star work. The radios were designed to pass 1200-19200 baud GMSK data like D-STAR does too.
This year, Andy - 2E0BLF will be investigating digital communications on D-STAR via satellites and in particular AO-27. If you would like to get involved or can help, please let us know.
Over the next few weeks we’ll be looking at making a satellite listening station from an arrow antenna and K7AGE’s bracket design that accomodates a handheld radio.
The ABC Television series, “Last Man Standing” is about Mike Baxter (played by Tim Allen), a marketing executive for “Outdoor Man,” a fictitious sporting goods store in Colorado. Mike, is a “man’s man” and involved in all kinds of outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating. Likewise, Mike (and Tim) has a love for all the electronics that go with these activities. Among Mike’s interests is Amateur Radio (Ham Radio).
Tim's character (Mike Baxter), is KA0XTT. This is a call sign the show cleared for use on air. "XTT" is a bit of a private joke as Tim's character name on "Home Improvement" was Tim Taylor. So, ex T. T.
In the show’s radio inventory is currently an ICOM IC-9100 HF radio, an IC-92AD dual band, hand-held, a Heil PR-781microphone, a Daiwa CN-801HP SWR/Power meter a Comet CAA-500 antenna analyzer and a Iambic CW Paddle.
The South Yorkshire Repeater Group monthly meeting will be held at the Three Horse Shoes in Brierley on Thursday the 8th of December 2011 at 8pm.
Paid up members nominations for the forthcoming SYRG elections in 2012 are due within the next 21 days.
Oh and we may even sneak in a pre Chris...
Icom is organising a weekend long D-STAR QSO Party that is to be held between 0:00 on the 11th of November to 24:00 on the 13th of November (UTC) 2011.
This event differs from previous D-STAR contests that have taken place over the last few years.
Instead of competing for numbers of contact...
The Great Northern Hamfest in Barnsley has now been running for 20 years.
On the 18th September 2011, it will be somewhat special - as it is the 21st Birthday of the Great Northern Hamfest.
To celebrate our 21st Birthday, we want you to design our limited edition pin button badge.
Thi...
