[K6BW] Amateur Radio and the ISS space station.

[Bill Smith]

Hello Sonoma County Hams,
The ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) ground
station at the Santa Rosa Junior College, W6SRJ, will be conducting two
telebridge contacts with the ISS in the next couple of days. The SRJC
hosts one of 7 NASA authorized stations which are part of the worldwide
telebridge network to connect school kids to an astronaut aboard the
ISS.  The kids are given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to an
astronaut live in space via Ham Radio.  For more information about
ARISS, please visit http://www.rac.ca/ariss/oindex.htm

Richard Garriott, W5WKQ is aboard the ISS presently, and has been
conducting all sorts of ham contacts, and downlinking SSTV Images when
he passes over the US.  This is the most activity the ham community has
seen from the ISS ever.  It's a very exciting time for the SRJC
Telebridge Team - Tim Bosma W6MU, Don Dalby KE6UAY, Bill Hillendahl
KH6GJV, Herb Sullivan K6QXB and Jeff Basham KK6JAB.  We've had a lot of
opportunity in the last few days to contact Richard via the station,
practice our skills, and continue the training program at the ARISS
station.

We have two upcoming "school" contacts in which the telebridge audio
will be carried live via the IRLP (Internet Relay Linking Protocol)
Network, and it will be repeated live on two Downtown Santa Rosa
Repeaters - 146.835, and 444.900 via the KK6JAB IRLP Node.  Both
repeaters can be heard throughout the Santa Rosa and surrounding
areas.  

The 1st Telebridge audio will connect automatically at about 8:00am
tomorrow morning, 10/17.  The contact is expected to start at 8:31am,
and last between 9 and 12 minutes, and you'll hear updates of that time
given by the Telebridge moderator.  Jeff Basham, KK6JAB is scheduled to
be at the W6SRJ mic tomorrow morning. 

The second Telebridge audio connect will occur at about 7:45am on Monday
morning, 10/20.  Monday's contact is expected to start at 8:14am and
last the same, 9-12 minutes, and updates will be given as the ISS
approaches Santa Rosa.  Bill Hillendahl, KH6GJV is scheduled to be at
the mic on Monday morning.

If you want to listen to the audio live, you should be able to hear the
direct transmission from the ISS on 145.800.  Depending on your
location, you may be able to hear W6SRJ also.

If you are not near a radio, or not near Santa Rosa, you'll be able to
listen to the live audio on the internet, by clicking on the "Live
Streaming Audio" link at http://www.discoveryreflector.ca/.

If you have a chance to tune in, please do so .. you'll witness a piece
of Ham Radio history.  Also, please feel free to forward this email to
all your ham radio contacts.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at kk6jab at arrl.net.

Thanks and 73!

Jeff Basham, KK6JAB
on behalf of the SRJC ARISS Telebridge Team

Public Information Officer, San Francisco Section
ARRL - The National Organization for Amateur Radio