AMSAT UPDATE By Dee Interdonato, NB2F
Hi again to the BARA Gang!      This is an AMSAT update with inside information and unique details for your Satellite informational needs.  After returning from Chicago and participating in another AMSAT Symposium, the AMSAT group is concentrating on the ARISSat-1 Project. All is ready on the construction end and our team has made 2 units, a prime unit and a backup.  They are already in Russia and our rep, Lou McFaddin, W5DID, is there also to oversee the final assembly of the satellite.      ARRISSat-1 is the result of a mishap in the use of a spare space suit that was scheduled to be called SuitSat-2.  It was thrown out in the trash.  This whole new adventure was definitely welcomed although, some members that built it used many hours of their personal time to have it completed by the required deadline.(accolades)      If you go to the AMSAT website and click on the AO-51 information area, you will find a way to contribute to help finance this new bird. Donate as much as you can from a few dollars to(?) - all helps out. I’m giving a talk about this bird at the next BARA meeting and you will learn as much as I have with up to minute data.      The ANS 016 I just released (12/16/11) has a bulletin about satellite protocol.  Because of many users on AO-51, one of the easiest to use birds, everyone forgets about courtesy and having one or two contacts and letting others do the same. Read about it again. It is certainly not the only LEO to use,  I found FO-29, AO-7, and SO-50 with few people on them. Try to use the others that are up there for your enjoyment.      There are many reams of info on the AMSAT website.  If you can’t find an answer to your question, feel free to ask me. I’ll get you an answer from one of our “Rocket Scientists.”  See you at the next meeting. 73, Dee, NB2F NJ AMSAT Coordinator                                        Bob McGuire from NJ   ,