[nrv-hams] VTARA Special Guest Presentation Tomorrow (3/22) at 7:15pm in Squires 232

[Ben Williams]

Hi everyone,

There will be a special meeting *tomorrow* (3/22) from 7:15 pm (sharp) to
about 8:30 pm in *Squires 232 *(not Squires 342). This meeting will feature
presentations from visiting guest speakers Dr. Anthea Coster and Dr. Phil
Erickson (W1PJE) of MIT Haystack Observatory. Dr. Coster will give a talk
titled "Brief Introduction and Examples of Satellite Tracking at Radio
Frequencies". Dr. Erickson will speak about "New Amateur Radio
Collaborations at MIT Haystack Observatory". (See the following abstracts
for details.) Everyone (members and non-members) are invited to attend and
we will provide Carol Lee doughnuts.

Also, before the meeting, we will be taking Dr. Coster and Dr. Erickson out
to dinner at the Cellar (302 North Main Street, next to Chipotle) around
5pm. Everyone is invited to join us there for dinner and casual
conversation!

Brief introduction and examples of Satellite Tracking at Radio Frequencies
Dr. Anthea Coster
Assistant Director, MIT Haystack Observatory
This talk will provide a brief description of satellite tracking at MIT.
I will explain how satellite orbits are predicted and then how radars
subsequently use these predictions to search for, track, and improve
orbital element values. I will briefly review the history of satellite
tracking at the Millstone Hill radar complex on the Haystack Observatory
grounds, including a discussion of the tracking of the Sputnik 1 satellite
at Millstone in 1957; the incorporation of computers to command and control
the radar; and the development of coherent processing for tracking deep
space satellites in real-time (a technique borrowed from Haystack planetary
astronomers).  I will also show a movie of the current satellite catalog in
orbit.  I will finish by showing an example of passive satellite tracking
using the ground based and Haystack developed Radio Array of Portable
Interferometric Devices (RAPID) system, a next generation flexible and
multi-purpose radio capture system.  In particular, I will give an example
of RAPID capabilities by showing high fidelity RF voltage-level recordings
of CW coherent radio signals at 150 MHz and 400 MHz originating from
satellite beacons in low Earth orbit.  These signals can be used to obtain
information on ionospheric electron density variations.

New Amateur Radio Collaborations at MIT Haystack Observatory
Dr. Phil Erickson, W1PJE
Assistant Director, MIT Haystack Observatory
Group lead, Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
MIT Haystack Observatory is an interdisciplinary research center of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) engaged in radio astronomy,
geodesy, upper atmospheric physics, and radar applications.  Haystack has
been conducting frontier investigations in the geophysical remote sensing
domain for more than 60 years, and our overall mission includes a
significant dedication to education and training opportunities in the art,
application, and science of radio for the next generation of scientists and
engineers.

As part of our desire to expand these opportunities, we have recently
initiated a number of pilot projects to connect with the larger national
and international radio amateur community, who are not only our physical
neighbors but also our radio frequency neighbors.  Our projects are being
led by our engineering coordinator and longtime ham Will Rogers KD4FOV, and
are conducted in partnership with members of the Nashoba Valley Amateur
Radio Club (NVARC), an ARRL Special Service club in nearby Pepperell,
Massachusetts.  Links are also being considered with the active North East
Weak Signal Group working at VHF, UHF, and SHF frequencies in the New York
and New England area.  I will briefly describe initial tests and
development ideas for these projects.  These include concepts for high
sensitivity Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) 70 cm work using our large 46 meter
steerable antenna, and engagement with NVARC’s Thinking Day On The Air,
organized by the World Association of Girl Scouts and Girl Guides and
featured recently in the March 16, 2017 ARRL Newsletter.  I will conclude
by discussing ways we might extend these partnerships to include both VTARA
and the emerging HamSCI initiative.


Hope to see you all there!
73 (Best Regards),
Magda Moses, KM4EGE
VTARA President