Short Wave News –
Amateur Radio Bill Passes Senate, Moves to the House
On Monday, December 14, S 1755 — The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act of 2009 — passed the Senate by unanimous consent; the bill now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. Sponsored by Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), S 1755, if passed, would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to undertake a study on emergency communications. S 1755 points out that “There is a strong Federal interest in the effective performance of Amateur Radio Service stations, and that performance must be given — (A) support at all levels of government; and (B) protection against unreasonable regulation and impediments to the provision of the valuable communications provided by such stations.”
First Chinese Amateur Radio Satellite Now in Space
AMSAT China (CAMSAT) reports that at around 0230 UTC on December 15, China launched its first Amateur Radio satellite — named XW-1 — into space. The microsatellite — a secondary payload aboard the CZ-4C rocket launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center — was launched into a Sun-synchronous orbit with an apogee of approximately 1200 kilometers. XW-1 successfully reached orbit at 0253 UTC. Members of the XW-1 launch team reported they received a beacon from the satellite shortly after the satellite deployed. In the first few days, the XW-1 team will work on the satellite’s FM and store-forward transponder mode and its linear transponder mode. Once those tests are complete, they will upload a new flight program to set up the payload schedule. The satellite’s communications payload includes a beacon and three crossband transponders operating in FM, SSB/CW and digital modes. Uplink and downlink frequencies can be found on the CAMSAT Web site. For the latest Keplarian elements for XW-1 and other satellites, check out the W1AW Keplarian Bulletins.