Via ARRL, original story here.

After being postponed several times, nine Chinese satellites carrying Amateur Radio payloads were launched on September 19 at 2300 UTC, separating from the Long March launch vehicle about 15 minutes later.  China Amateur Satellite Group CAMSAT CEO Alan Kung, BA1DU, has said that four of the microsatellites and two of the CubeSats included in the launch have been designated as XW-2A through XW-2F.  The other three satellites — a CubeSat, a nanosatellite, and a picosatellite — carry the designations CAS-3G, CAS-3H (LilacSat-2), and CAS-3I (NUDT-Phone-Sat), respectively.  All of the new satellites have downlinks on 2 meters and uplinks on 70 centimetres.  Satellite enthusiasts have been enjoying the sudden surfeit of spacecraft to work.

“So many signals, so little time,” was the observation on the AMSAT-BB from Alan Biddle, WA4SCA, who lives just south of Nashville.

“Very good copy on CAS-3 CW beacons on [XW-2] A, B, C, D, E, F. Strong!” Clayton Coleman, W5PFG, reported from Texas.  Not long after launch time, W5PFG and fellow Texan Glenn Miller, AA5PK, worked each other via CAS-3F.  He reported the CW beacons were strong on all of the CAMSAT satellites.  The CW beacons carry individual call signs for the satellites as well as telemetry in the form of three-character text groups and the word “CAMSAT.”

“CAMSAT will release decoding documents for CW beacon and telemetry very soon,” said Kung.

Edward Chuang, BX1AD, in Taiwan, posted to the AMSAT-BB the text he copied on September 20 at 0938 UTC from XW-2A through XW2-F:

bj1sb dfh xw2 xw2 aaa rtt rur rur ruv tnv r6i rmk rrn ttt rmn tkt rdr ttt ttt 6it ttt tti ttt ttt 6rk vtt camsat camsat

bj1sc dfh xw2 xw2 aaa rtt rrm ru6 rui tnn r6i rmi rrk ttt rk6 tvn rer ttt ttt 6it ttt tti ttt ttt 6uk vtt camsat camsat

bj1sd dfh xw2 xw2 aaa rtt rrn rrm rui tnr r6v rmn rur ttt rk4 t4m eur ttt ttt urt ttt tti ttt ttt uvk vtt camsat camsat

bj1se dfh xw2 xw2 aaa rtt rur rur ruv tmt r6i rnt rur ttt rmt tii far ttt ttt mkt ttt tti ttt ttt t4k vtt camsat camsat

bj1sf dfh xw2 xw2 aaaa irbc kbkc aink iua6 ur6f 64ck aaid vbim im4d 4e4c 4dtt tttt tttt tfn4 tttt kbt4 ikkm dddd dddd dddd dddd dddd dddd camsat camsat

bj1sg dfh xw2 xw2 aaaa iubs kf6t ain4 4fcd tttt 6i4k ari4 4ci6 ik4f 4d4b 4ett tttt tttt tbn4 tttt 4ct4 6kim dddd dddd dddd dddd dddd dddd camsat camsat

The satellites also have been heard in Europe.  “Good signals from CAS3-F at 0700 UTC,” reported David Bowman, G0MRF, who was at the Rugby World Cup special event station GB0RWC.  He reported contacts with SP5ULN and F1AFZ.

The XW-2 satellites also have been heard in South America and in Southeast Asia.  “I received CW beacon from XW-2 during 1108 UTC pass, including CAS-3A, CAS-3B, CAS-3C, and CAS-3D, maximum elevation 72° over Bangkok, Thailand,” Karn Suwanrat, E20ZFD/AA1AF reported on September 20.  He has posted a YouTube video.

“Wow, impressive to see all six satellites via SDR on a 4° degree pass,” enthused Mark Hammond, N8MH, in North Carolina. “Bravo, CAMSAT and Alan! Congratulations on a wonderful start of mission.”

Information on all of the just-launched CAMSAT satellites is available on the ARRL website.  XW2 predictions are available on the AMSAT website.

Just following the PS-54 Pico Balloon post the other day, she’s (are balloons female?) still there and hanging out just south of Mexico.  Click the image for the current location of PS-54.Also, Acrophobics, don’t watch this video – everyone else, watch it in HD and:

1. Marvel at how what drones have done for videography and
2. Start thinking about where ORARC can procure and erect one of these!

From ARVIC, original story here:

The International Amateur Radio Union Region 3 triennial conference in Bali on October 12-16, is hosted by IARU Member Society, Organisasi Amatir Radio Indonesia or OARI. The venue is the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel, where OARI will have special event station YB16IARU. It’s the 2nd time that the event has been held in Indonesia.

ORARI President, Sutiyoso YB0ST said: “It’s an exciting time for us as we continue to grow and thrive, remaining always adaptable, motivated and responsive. The world of Amateur Radio is an exciting area in which to work and play, and we’ll continue to meet and bring inspired people together in forums like this, to ensure IARU Region 3 remains at the cutting edge.”

IARU Region 3 covers the Asia-Pacific. Among the matters to be considered are those referred from the other two IARU Regions. In Bali there will be IARU Region 3 Directors, representatives from IARU Region 1 and Region 2, and the IARU International Secretariat.

Among those represented in person or by proxy are the ARRL US Pacific Territories, ARSI India, BDARA Brunei, CRSA China, FARA Fiji, HARTS Hong Kong, JARL Japan, KARL Korea, NZART New Zealand, MARTS Malaysia, ORARI Indonesia, RAST Thailand, SARTS Singapore, WIA Australia, and VARC Vietnam. Each have filed a report. Some attending delegates may also hold proxies for IARU Region 3 Member Societies who can’t be there, and these may be exercised under the constitution when voting occurs.

On the agenda are reports including on the World Radio Conference in Geneva in November, the IARU role in CubeSat launches, UN push for Morse code to have heritage recognition, Band Planning, proposed Korean war cemetery own by the UN to have a 4U1 callsign, and the 17th conference venue. IARU Region Coordinator reports also include ARDF, Emergency Communications, the Monitoring Service (Intruder Watch), International Beacons, Region 3 Award, and Support to the Amateur Radio Service (STARS) program.

For all of the reports: http://iaru-r3.org/16th-triennial-conference-of-the-iaru-r3-documents/

From ARVIC, original story here:

After more than 110,800km in the air, starting from Australia the pico balloon PS-46 completed two circumnavigations of the Southern Hemisphere, before descending into the Indian Ocean (July 18), brought down by bad weather.

The solar powered balloon carrying an Amateur Radio payload was launched on May 23 by Andy VK3YT, who said: “It was an exciting but also an exhausting eight weeks for many hard-core trackers. Their perseverance ensured the balloon was tracked almost around the clock. It was hard work, and the little party balloon was becoming part of the daily routine for many of us. Big thank-you to all the new trackers that have come to help, and the veteran trackers that have been hanging around. The trip would not have been possible without you.”

There were more than 20 regulars, and many others, who tracked the high altitude flight, of using data on HF in WSPR and JT9, via a 25mW transmitter. After leaving Queensland in north-east Australia tracked by VK 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7, it began a third trip around the hemisphere. Throughout the trip the balloon was often heard by Bob ZL2RS of Kerikeri, who is an elevated rural area in New Zealand’s north.

It drifted along the jetstream on a more northerly path over the Pacific Ocean to South America entering Peru, Bolivia, then out via Brazil. Reports along the way were from John AK4AT, Virginia, Bill W4HBK, Florida, Pablo OA4AI in Lima, and Jorge LU5VV, Bariloche Argentina.

The balloon then moved across the Atlantic Ocean to South Africa, first crossing Namibia, Botswana and South Africa, with tracking from John ZS5J, Pravin ZS5LT, Vince ZS6BTY, Jan ZS6VOL, Ken ZS6KN and Jan ZS6BMN.

Then leaving South Africa near Durban, it headed southeast, and some 7956km from its starting longitude in Australia, where it hit bad weather and was lost. Last to hear the balloon was Vince ZS6BTY from Pretoria. The balloon had been at an altitude of about 9,000 metres, but quickly descended to end in the ocean.

The record flight achievement is not the end of it. Andy VK3YT is already planning his next balloon, and the trackers just can’t wait. In a message to all trackers he said: “See you at the next launch.”