RAC Bulletin 2009-08-08

Subject: RAC Ontario Section Bulletin for August 8, 2009
Date: Saturday, August 08, 2009 6:43 AM

RAC Ontario Section Bulletin for August 8, 2009

NATIONAL NEWS

ONTARIO SECTION NEWS

1. Laurentian Net Seeks Net Controllers

The Laurentian Net is looking for amateur radio operators to fill in
as Net Control Stations. Controllers are needed occasionally during
the week, and every second Sunday. The Laurentian Net meets every
evening on 3.755 MHz at 6:45 pm Eastern Time. If you can assist,
please contact Shawn VE3PSV Saturdays on the Laurentian Net, or via
NTS messsage to the Ontario Phone Net.

-- Shawn Gartley, VE3PSV, Net Manager

ITEMS OF INTEREST

2. Perseid Meteor Shower

This year's Perseid meteor shower may be even better than usual,
especially on the peak day of Aug. 12. Spaceweather.com reports
"According to the International Meteor Organization, about 10
Perseids per hour are now streaking across the night sky. This number
could increase to as many as 200 per hour when Earth crosses an
anticipated filament of comet dust" around 0800 UTC on August 12th.

-- eham.net and spaceweather.com

3. Endeavour Deploys Student-Built Satellites

The recent space shuttle mission, STS-127, deployed four student-
built satellites, all with telemetry downlinks in the 2 meter or 70
cm amateur bands.

Castor and Pollux are spherical satellites, part of the Atmospheric
Neutral Density Experiment. Both transmit 1200-baud packet radio
telemetry on 145.825 MHz. Hams are encouraged to submit telemetry
reports; see tinyurl.com/kwyyz5 (Kilo Whiskey Yankee Yankee Zulu
Five) for information.

BEVO-1 and AggieSat2 are "picosatellites" from the University of
Texas and Texas A&M. BEVO-1 will transmit Morse code beacons or 9600
baud packet radio data telemetry at 437.325 MHz. AggieSat2 will
beacon at 436.250 MHz. Reception reports are welcome; see
tinyurl.com/kouftn (Kilo Oscar Uniform Foxtrot Tango November) for
BEVO-1 and www.aggiesat.org for AggieSat.

-- ARRL Bulletin Service

4. ARISS Contact with Hospital for Sick Children

On Thursday, July 30, patients of the Hospital for Sick Children in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada participated in an Amateur Radio on the
International Space Station (ARISS) contact. Children spoke with
Astronaut Robert Thirsk, VA3CSA via telebridge station ON4ISS in
Belgium and were able to ask 18 questions about life in space. Nearly
100 people were present for the event and the contact was broadcast
throughout the hospital on closed circuit television.

-- ARISS News

5. 90,000 Chinese Hams

Ham radio is growing in China. According to the Chinese Radio Sports
Association, which oversees amateur licensing in China, there are some
90,000 radio amateurs there, and the number has been steadily growing
in recent years.

-- Amateur Radio Newsline