SuitSat-2 Now Called ARISSat-1:

SuitSat-2 Now Called ARISSat-1::

"The SuitSat-2 project -- an Amateur Radio satellite housed in a Russian spacesuit -- now has a new name to go with a new shape:

ARISSat-1. On Wednesday, August 19, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, announced the new name for the satellite and project. According to ARRL ARISS Program Manager Rosalie White, K1STO, the project team is moving ahead, using the same hardware that was to fly in the Russian Orlan suit. Russia will continue to call the satellite Radioskaf-2, so ARISS is designating it ARISSat-1/Radioskaf-2."

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2009/08/26/11039/?nc=1

Stories on SuitSat-1 back in 2006:

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/01/27/4/?nc=1

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/05/24/5/?nc=1

Ham Radio Events near or in Colorado

Ham Radio Events near or in Colorado:

August 14-15 Duke City Hamfest (Albuquerque, NM)
August 16 Denver Radio Club Hamfest (Golden, CO)
August 28-30 Mountain ARC CampFest 2009 (Lake George, CO)
September 5 Alamogordo Hamfest (Alamogordo, NM)
September 27 Boulder ARC BARCFest (Longmont, CO)
October 3 Pecos Valley ARC Swapfest (Roswell, NM)
May 28-30 2010 Rocky Mountain Division Convention (Casper, WY)

Links to websites belonging to the above events are found on the Rocky Mountain Division site: www.RockyMountainDivision.org

Ham Radio Field Day 2009 , June 27 to 28

Every fourth full weekend in June thousands of Ham Radio Operators or Amateur Radio Operators head out with emergency power and set up portable radio stations to practice their operating skills to make as many contacts as possible.

Welcome to ARRL Field Day! June 27,28 2009

This year will be my first "Field Day" that I've participated in. I'm looking forward to it.
I'm heading out past Kiowa Colorado in a field with a bunch of other Ham Radio Operators.

I'll post some pictures.
Bill
KC7CPM

http://www.arrl.org/contests/announcements/fd/

http://www.arrl.org/pio/press_releases/2009/0622.html

http://www.qsl.net/kc7cpm

Listen to Live Ham Radio Field Day Broadcast

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NASA Hubble Mission STS-125 Atlantis

The space shuttle, Atlantis, is set to blast off today about 12 noon MDT for the last mission to the aging Hubble Space Telescope.

Mission Details:

Live Screen shots from NASA TV

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Future Begins May 8th - Star Trek

One of the first TV shows I remember watching with my Dad in the 60's was Star Trek. The others were Bonanza and Gunsmoke. But I really loved Star Trek! I can't say I'm a trekkie. I am definitely a Star Trek Fan! I've been to two or thee Star Trek Conventions in my time. I can't remember being this excited over a new release of a movie since... well. Since Star Wars!

The new Star Trek 2009 launches tomorrow starring James Tiberius Kirk, legendary starship captain, modeled in part on C.S. Forester's heroic Admiral Horatio Hornblower and partly on Alexander the Great played by the peerless William Shatner (though only after Jack Lord demanded too much money), and conqueror of the infamous "no-win" Kobayashi Maru test though, as critic

Dave Bushman points out, only after cheating by reprogramming the computer.

This 11th movie in the Star Wars epic explores the backstories of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto), before they unite aboard the USS Enterprise to combat Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan from the future who threatens the United Federation of Planets.

The Final Frontier: The Science of Star Trek

The new movie warps into theaters this week! I am boldly going to see it!

April is Autism Awareness Month

Reminder: April is Autism Awareness Month

My Son Christian and Merial

Christian more intrigued with toes in the water then the Grand Tetons around him!

About Autism

Ham Radio Family

Our local LDS Church Stake sent out an announcement last month that they were supporting a Ham Radio Class to enhance Emergency Preparedness and encouraged anyone interested to attend. I was already a Ham Radio Operator, Technicial Class. I came up with a plan. I told some friends of ours, another IT buddy - who had recently expressed interest in becoming a Ham Radio Operator, about the class. I went a step further and said that my wife, Merial, would attend if his wife, Jen, would attend. Then I went home and told my wife, Merial, that Jen would attend only if Merial would attend. They all agreed! Pretty sneaky!

Merial and I and a couple of friends, and other interested parties, have been attending the Ham Radio Class for the last 6 weeks.

Then, last week, my kids came over. My son, Wesley, is 14 years old and is a straight A student. I've encouraged him to study for a Ham Radio License before, but he only showed mild interest.

Well - I told him that he had two days to study and I was sure he could pass the test. I lectured about Ham Radio on the drive over from Utah to Colorado. We arrived in Denver on Wednesday. The last class was on Thursday. I helped Merial and Wesley a lot with study materials. They took practice tests over and over again.

The problem was that I also agreed to upgrade my License from a Technician to a General Class License! I spent so much time studying with them that I left my studying mostly until the night before. I studied throughout the night, and so did my Son, Wes. The next day we had a blizzard, but I was relieved that they didn't cancel the testing session in Franktown Colorado!

Merial and Wesley both passed the Technician Class Test the first time, so they will be getting their Ham Radio Licenses this week.

I failed my first attempt at the General Class. I took a second try and barely passed. If I would've missed one more question I wouldn't have passed! It wasn't pretty for me, but hey... a pass is a pass!

So... I now have a Ham Radio Family!

My son lives in Utah, but now we'll have one more way to communicate.

Merial - Technician Class
Wesley - Technical Class
Bucky - General Class

Very cool!

73 DE KC7CPM

Did I mention that Morse Code is no longer required?

Links:
Ham Radio Licensing
LDS Church and Emergency Preparedness - Official Site
LDS Church ,Ham Radio, and Emergency Preparedness

Welcome to the World of Ham Radio
How Ham Radio Works

Quick trip to Utah and back!

I'm taking the rest of the week off. Tuesday, I'm heading to Utah to pick up my four kids. Wednesday is the trip back. I have them until Sunday. That's the day I'm taking them back. Lot's of driving!

Happy Easter

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son...
John 3:16