AMSAT NEWS SERVICE<br /><br />ANS-044<br /><br />ANS is a free, weekly, news and information service of AMSAT North<br />America, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. ANS reports on the<br />activities of a worldwide group of Amateur Radio operators who share<br />an active interest in designing, building, launching and<br />communicating through analog and digital Amateur Radio satellites.<br /><br />Please send any amateur satellite news or reports to: <br /><br />ans-editor@amsat.org<br /><br />In this edition:<br />* AMSAT Financial Reporting Improvements<br />* Miami Hamfest Report<br />* Fairview School ARISS Contact Successful<br />* ARISS Status - 07 Feb 2005<br /><br /><br />SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-044.01<br />AMSAT Financial Reporting Improvements<br /><br />AMSAT News Service Bulletin 044.01<br />>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.<br />February 13, 2005<br />To All RADIO AMATEURS<br />BID: $ANS-044.01<br /><br />AMSAT treasurer Gunther Meisse, W8GSM was pleased to announce the<br />closing of the 2004 books and the commencement of the formal Audit this<br />week. Meisse said new procedures implemented by our business Manager,<br />Martha Saragovitz in our Maryland office have lead to this more timely<br />year end closure. Donors, members, and the Board look forward to the<br />more timely information which is vital to good planning. When the audit<br />is complete it will immediately be posted on the AMSAT web site for all<br />our members to view.<br /><br />We have also instituted new budgeting & accounting procedures which make<br />future planning, cost control, and project progress analysis much<br />easier. Hopefully within the next 12 to 18 months we will select and<br />implement new accounting software which will still further assist us<br />with the management of our organization.<br /><br />[ANS thanks Gunther, W8GSM for the above information]<br /><br />/EX<br /><br /><br />SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-044.02<br />Miami Hamfest Report<br /><br />AMSAT News Service Bulletin 044.02<br />>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.<br />February 13, 2005<br />To All RADIO AMATEURS<br />BID: $ANS-044.02<br /><br />Drew, KO4MA reports that the Miami hamfest was the best he has seen in<br />the last 4 years. Bill, KD4FRB manned the booth where interest in AMSAT<br />materials was brisk and several people either joined as new members or<br />renewed their AMSAT memberships. In addition to having a booth, live<br />demonstrations where conducted on FO-29, SO-51 and AO-51.<br /><br />Drew added, "I expect Orlando to be gangbusters based on how Miami went,<br />and the absence of the Melbourne hamfest last September."<br /><br />[ANS thanks Drew, KO4MA for the above information]<br /><br />/EX<br /><br /><br />SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-044.03<br />Fairview School ARISS Contact Successful<br /><br />AMSAT News Service Bulletin 044.05<br />>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.<br />February 13, 2005<br />To All RADIO AMATEURS <br />BID: $ANS-044.05<br /><br />Leroy Chiao KE5BRW operating NA1SS on the ISS had a successful contact<br />with Fairview School in Mount Prospect, IL. Charlie, AJ9N, was operating<br />the station at the school and provided the following account.<br /><br />The kids and Leroy did an absolutely outstanding job and everyone should<br />be commended. We were able to go through all students twice and had<br />time for a few extra questions. A total of 23 questions were asked. My<br />crew did an outstanding job.<br /><br />We acquired Leroy's signal about 90 seconds after the predicted AOS. <br />Signoff occurred a few seconds before LOS with the students and parents<br />saying 73.<br /><br />The contact was simulcast to the World Wide Web and there were over 50<br />hits. The contact was also simulcast via the IRLP system using a radio<br />link to the N9EP repeater on an experimental basis.<br /><br />[ANS thanks Charlie, AJ9N for the above information]<br /><br />/EX <br /><br /><br />SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-044.04<br />ARISS Status - 07 Feb 2005<br /><br />AMSAT News Service Bulletin 044.04<br />>From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.<br />February 13, 2005<br />To All RADIO AMATEURS <br />BID: $ANS-044.04<br /><br /><br />1.Air Training Corps Contact Successful<br /><br />On February 2, cadets from the Air Training Corps 1132 Squadron of<br />Stalham High School in Norfolk, England spoke with Leroy Chiao, KE5BRW<br />Twenty questions were asked and answered as fifty students witnessed the<br />contact. Two newspapers were in attendance, as was BBC television, which<br />covered the event and broadcast it on the South England BBC TV program<br />to an audience of millions.<br /><br /><br />2.Upcoming School Contacts<br /><br />Rockland District High School in Rockland, ME has been scheduled for an<br />ARISS contact on Monday, February 14 at 15:06 UTC.<br /><br /><br />3.ARRL Article on Pinion School Contact <br /><br />ARRL ran a story on the Pinion Elementary School contact. “New Mexico<br />Youngsters Finally Get Chance to Talk to ISS,” can be found at:<br />http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2005/02/02/6/?nc=1<br /><br /><br />4.ARRL Article on Packet Tests<br /><br />On February 2, ARRL ran a story about the Kenwood TM700 transceiver<br />which wwas switched to the PC-Sat frequency for a few days to conduct<br />some tests. To view the article, “ISS, PC-Sat set up for joint packet<br />tests,” see:<br />http://www.arrl.org/<br /><br /><br />5.Astronaut Receives Callsign<br /><br />Expedition 11 astronaut John Phillips passed his technician’s exam on<br />January 28. He has been issued the callsign KE5DRY.<br /><br /><br />6.SuitSat Meeting to be Held <br /><br />A Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) will be held on Monday, February<br />14 through Friday, February 18, in Houston, to design SuitSat, and to<br />prepare the associated documents for this project. <br /><br />[ANS thanks Carol, KB3LKI for the above information]<br /><br />/EX