STS-127 Still On Schedule

Due to thunderstorms, STS-127 tanking began almost three hours late, but the count remains on schedule for the 0940 UTC launch. Range activities should be audible on HF at some point this evening (US time).

STS-127 Count On Schedule

At time of writing, the count was at -8 hours, 14 minutes. Of course, this does not include several built-in holds.

Tanking begins around 0015 UTC tonight (Tuesday in the US). NASA TV will be live.

Launch is still scheduled for 0940 UTC (5:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time). Weather still shows an 80% per cent chance of allowing launch.

My Recent SDR Hits

Latest catches i've made from the WebSDR in the Netherlands. Their 8-band version was still up as of yesterday.

44.2 RTTY? 50?/85 06/05/09 2021
46.0 ? Like 68.6 06/05/09 2017
54.0 ? Slow multi-tone 06/05/09 2016
68.0 ? 150-Hz shift stream 06/05/09 2000
68.6 ? Multi-tone stream 06/05/09 2000
147.3 DDH47, Deutsche Wetterdienst, ID & WX, Hamburg, 50/85, in GG, good cpy. 06/02/09 2114
298.5 MSK Unknown, no decode 06/14/09 2019
302.0 MSK DGPS, 426 (Gilze Rijen, Netherlands) 200 baud 06/14/09
303.5 MSK DGPS, 763 (Zeven, Germany) 100 baud 06/14/09 2030
311.0 CW ID: "LMA" (NDB, Germany, 51° 22' 15.00" N 006° 23' 42.00" E) 06/14/09 2043
311.1 CW "W" Unknown beacon, weak, seen on Speclab 06/14/09 2050
312.0 MSK DGPS, 640 (Oostende, Belgium) 100 baud 06/14/09 1949
312.5 MSK DGPS, 425 (Hoek van Holland, Netherlands) 200 baud 06/14/09 1953
313.5 MSK Unknown, no decode 06/14/09 2001
323.0 CW "ONC" NDB, Charleroi, Belgium 06/14/09 2104
324.0 CW "DP" and long dahs 06/14/09 2100
335.0 CW Unk dasher 06/14/09 2011
411.5 MCW "BET" Very loud NDB, Rheine Bentlage (Air Base?), Germany 06/04/09 2121
406.5 MCW "BOT" loud NDB, Bottrop, Germany 06/14/09 2014
490.0 Unid, sounds like Sitor or fast Baudot, 170 Hz shift, probably European NAVTEX, no decode. 06/01/09 1755
518.0 Unid, Sitor-B NAVTEX in EE, got "ZCZC," 100/170. 06/11/09 2255

10051.0 USB NY Volmet. 05/30/09 2118
10075.0 HFDL Squitters. 06/05/09 1953
10088.0 HFDL Squitters. 05/31/09 2251
10100.8 RTTY DDK9, Deutsche Wetterdienst WX, Hamburg, 50/450 06/02/09 2100
10130.0 RTTY Unk 75/850 encr 06/11/09 2324
10137.4 CW IK3NWX/BEACON 06/05/09 1900
10148.39 Packet TXUV63 de DC2WH-9 via RELAY 06/05/09 1910
10149.5 Packet (10147.3) 30m APRS gateway HB9MM-4 via TRACE3-3 06/13/09 2332

NASA Sets Wednesday for Next STS-127 Attempt

Following a weekend of meetings, NASA has resolved the scheduling issues for use of the Eastern Test Range. This means that STS-127's next target launch time is 5:40 a.m. EDT (0940 UTC) on Wednesday, June 17.

The range became available with the rescheduling of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS. Their new launch target, aboard the same Atlas V booster, is the very next day. There are three launch opportunities from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Thursday, June 18: 5:12 p.m., 5:22 p.m. and 5:32 p.m. (2112, 2122, and 2132 UTC).

Sounds like a busy 36 hours for communications on the Eastern Test Range.

STS-127 Postponed At Least 4 Days

According to NASA, the time required to inspect the hydrogen line, effect repair, and pick a new launch target will delay launch for at least 96 hours.

This is the same hydrogen system that gave trouble on an earlier flight. It conducts gaseous H2 boil-off to a flare where it can be burned safely.

STS-127 Launch Scrubbed!

NASA has scrubbed Saturday's Space Shuttle launch after a leak was found in a gaseous hydrogen return line during tanking. The decision to postpone was made at 12:26 AM EDT (0426 UTC). There is no new launch target time yet.

STS-127 Weather Still Looks Good

Launch is still scheduled for 7:17 AM tomorrow (1117 UTC). The Rotating Service Structure has been moved back. Tanking starts this evening.

Check the usual frequencies for downrange traffic such as Booster Recovery Vessels. This launch's early morning time means better propagation on the lower frequencies they usually use.

Latest Cuban Spy Bust Spotlights V2 and M8

Once again, well-placed US government workers (in this case, retired) have been arrested on espionage charges.

Following an FBI sting, agents arrested Walter Kendall Myers, a former State Department analyst with a top-secret clearance, and his wife. They allegedly passed documents and intelligence to their Cuban handlers for something like 30 years.

FBI's 3-year investigation produced alleged evidence that they had received instructions from short wave voice and Morse code broadcasts, and made document drops in shopping carts. When surveillance cameras in markets improved, they switched to encrypted e-mail from Internet cafes.

Past testimony has given ample evidence that the mysterious V2, M8, and SK01 numbers broadcasts are indeed aimed at low-level, deep-cover spies operating in the US. Given the sloppy engineering of these, it's a wonder anyone gets their messages at all, but they apparently do just that.

Don't Forget DTV Transition On Friday

Friday, June 12 is the day most US high-power TV stations turn off their analog signals and broadcast exclusively in digital.

I would imagine that anyone who can understand this blog is already technically sophisticated (OK, geeky) enough to know this, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway.

Friday promises to be an interesting day from an engineering standpoint. There is no sudden, dramatic event where all analog channels go dark at once.

Stations are changing over in 6-hour windows. There is considerable engineering required, since in most cases the existing UHF digital simulcast will be moved to the former analog frequency, or to an altogether new one. VHF channels 2 through 6 are being vacated, so many large network affiliates in big markets will broadcast on UHF after the change.

In many cases, there is a loss in coverage due to the frequency changes or other technical factors. This is shown on the FCC's list as a "2% loss." Actually, it's a >=2% loss.

Spectrum freed up after the change will be reallocated to public safety and probably some kind of mobile data communication for consumers.

The acting FCC chair is in Los Angeles today for a media event aimed at generating publicity that might be seen by the estimated 4% of households in that market which still haven't done anything to get ready for the change.

A complete schedule of all US DTV cutovers is available from the FCC in an Excel spreadsheet. It's pretty interesting.

STS-127 Countdown Starts Wednesday Morning

The launch of the next space shuttle mission is still tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at 7:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time (1117 UTC). There is the usual 10 minute launch window. While the weather has been bad in Florida for several weeks now, there's an 80% chance it will be favorable on Saturday.

BREAKING NEWS II: Tentative US Navy/ Marine Corps MARS Cutbacks

The following message was transmitted to all stations in mid-May from Chief, Navy/ Marine Corps MARS. It's written in typically opaque military bureaucratese, with references to various DoD directives. As far as I can tell, it describes orders (not yet implemented) to pretty much eliminate Navy and Marine Corps participation. There would still be a Navy/ Marine Corps MARS, but not as we currently know it.

My reading of all this is that the Navy is negotiating, so far unsuccessfully, to get out of new budgetary funding requirements concerning MARS. I seem to perceive all this as a high-stakes bargaining chip. Others closer to the situation seem to agree.

It'll be interesting to watch all this play out. Here's the message, reformatted for blog readability but otherwise unedited:

DE NNN0ASA 040
R 162200Z MAY 2009
FM CHNAVMARCORMARS WILLIAMSBURG VA
TO ALNAVMARCORMARS
INFO ZEN/CHIEF ARMY MARS FT HUACHUCA AZ
ZEN/CHIEF AIR FORCE MARS SCOTT AFB IL

BT

UNCLAS

SUBJ: CHNAVMARCORMARS BCST 03-09

A. DOD DIRECTIVE 4650.2 DTD 26 JAN 1998
B. DOD INSTRUCTION 4650.02 (PROPOSED) NOTAL

1. COMMANDER, NAVAL NETWORK WARFARE COMMAND (NNWC) HAS DECIDED TO 'SUNSET' THE MARS MISSION WITHIN NAVY AS OF 30 SEP 2009. NNWC HAS REQUESTED ALL MILITARY BILLETS AND MY CIVILIAN POSITION BE DELETED AND UNFUNDED AFTER THAT DATE. OPNAV HAS NOT YET APPROVED THIS REQUEST.

2. ALL THREE MARS SERVICES HAVE OPERATED UNDER THE MANDATE OF REF A, WHICH IS STILL VALID. REF B IS A PROPOSED UPDATE TO REF A AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING COORDINATED BETWEEN DOD AND THE THREE SERVICES. REF B INCREASES THE SERVICES REQUIREMENT TO SUPPORT THE MARS PROGRAMS WITHIN THEIR SERVICE. ARMY AND AIR FORCE HAVE AGREED TO THE CHANGES BUT NAVY (OPNAV) HAS ASKED TO BE LET OUT OF THIS REQUIREMENT. THIS NEGOTIATION IS STILL IN PROCESS AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE RESOLVED.

3. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF NNWC DECISION TO 'SUNSET' THE MARS MISSION, I AM FORCED TO INITIATE ACTION TO CLOSE DOWN NAVY-MARINE CORPS OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES BY 30 SEP 2009. ACCORDINGLY:

A. AREA DIRECTORS WILL TRANSFER ALL MEMBERSHIP RECORDS TO HQ NLT THAN 31 JUL 2009. WHEN RECORDS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED, STATE DIRECTORS WILL SEND ALL MEMBERSHIP RELATED MATTERS DIRECTLY TO CHNAVMARCORMARS VICE THE AREA DIRECTOR.

B. AREA DIRECTORS WILL CLOSE DOWN THEIR OFFICES AND TURN IN ALL EQUIPMENT TO DRMO NOT LATER THAN 30 SEP 2009.

C. NONE OF THE EQUIPMENT AT THE AREA DIRECTORS STATIONS WILL BE ALLOWED TO BE TRANSFERRED TO ANY MEMBERS. THE EQUIPMENT MAY BE TRANSFERRED TO OTHER OFFICIAL NAVY ORGANIZATIONS (LIKE MWR OR SPECIAL SERVICES) TO HELP EQUIP OR START UP MILITARY RECREATION STATIONS. THESE TRANSFERS WILL BE APPROVED BY HQ ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.

4. IF NAVY'S REQUEST TO BE DELETED FROM REF B IS NOT APPROVED, THERE WILL BE A NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS PROGRAM BUT IT WILL NOT HAVE AREA DIRECTORS (THEY WILL HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED). ALL MEMBERSHIP CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE HANDLED BETWEEN THE STATE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF, NAVMARCORMARS DIRECTLY. AREA DEPUTY DIRECTOR AND AREA STAFF POSITIONS WILL BE RETAINED TO COORDINATE FREQUENCY MATTERS, TRAINING, ETC.. ALL OPERATIONAL MATTERS WILL BE HANDLED BY STATE AND REGION DIRECTORS.

5. I WILL INFORM YOU AS SOON AS I FIND OUT THE FINAL RESOLUTION OF NAVY'S REQUEST TO 'SUNSET' NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS.

BT
NNNN

BREAKING NEWS: SkySweeper Decoder Program Is Discontinued!

This terse announcement was posted on Saturday to the SkySweeper mailing list:

Hello All,

All sales, marketing and development of SkySweeper Std, SkySweeper Plus and SkySweeper Pro will be discontinued from 1st of June 2009.

SkySweep Technologies LTD is now fully concentrating on the SkySweep Messenger product family and some other professional systems development.

SkySweeper support continues as it is until 1.1.2011.

The latest versions and manuals can be downloaded here:
http://www.skysweep.com/index-6.html

We would like to send our warmest thanks to all the SkySweeper users!

Mikko Huttunen

General Manager
SkySweep Technologies

Given the time difference between here and Finland, where the program was produced, June 1 has already come. SkySweeper is no more.

SkySweep Messenger is a commercial-grade messaging suite based on STANAG 4285, 4539, and 5066. It is also capable of the American MIL-STD-110A/B and MIL-STD-141 (more commonly known in the hobby as "ALE"). It has the usual e-mail and Internet connectivity. It is aimed at government users and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

SkySweeper was intended for either the more geeky hams or the hard core digital utility fans (in other words, us). It was a good deal for the price. It contained a great number of highly modular sub-programs, some working better than others, which could be combined in endless ways at the will at the user. More money got you more modules, not better code.

Dedicated, more specialized programs could often produce more accurate decodes of a few modes at a time, but with the loss of this modularity. SkySweeper allowed the user to string together decoders, analyzers, filters, processors, and transmitters into truly mind boggling series and parallel configurations. One could spend years experimenting with all this.

Best of all, Mikko was always available on the mailing list to answer newbie questions, gripes, and bug reports.

Mac users are lucky to still have Chris Smolinski's excellent MultiMode package. On the PC side, however, the departure of SkySweeper leaves a real gap in the market. There are still MixW and MultiPSK, both excellent multimode packages, but obviously aimed more at hams. On the high end, we still have the professional multi-mode products by HOKA, Wavecom, et al, but these are rightfully priced well beyond the means of most hobbyists.

I'm hoping that I'll still be able to move SkySweeper to new computers, because I'll be using it for a long time to come.

WebSDR Temporarily Has More Bands

The Web Software Defined Radio site that I have written about before is running a special wideband setup in which a lot more bands are available. Especially fun for listeners on the US West Coast is the VLF/LF/MF band, from essentially DC to 600 kHz. Along with some utilities that I've never heard personally, it's also a chance to hear the European longwave broadcast band.

Other bands usually not available are amateur 160, 30, 20, 18, and 15 meters. Some weak CW was coming through on 15, despite the non-resonant antenna for this band. 160 was hopping due to the contest. 30 is wide enough to hear some adjacent utilities, notably New York VOLMET, which comes blasting in.

This will end soon. It was supposed to go back to normal on May 27, but this was extended due probably to a major ham radio contest this weekend.

As we've mentioned before, the SDR is at a university campus in the Netherlands, and maintained by a student amateur radio club.

Here are some catches I made this morning (local time):

60.0 kHz CW
MSF, Anthorn, UK; standard time signals and codes. The CW timing deviates slightly from the expected 1 interruption per second in such a way as to send a time code that can be decoded for time and date. A successful decode was made here at 1845 UTC. 05/30/09 1826

77.0 AM/PM
DCF77, Mainflingen, Germany;, time signals and codes. This is a more complex encoding scheme than MSF, and decode was not achieved due to SDR link latency/instability. 05/30/09 1904

100.00 Pulse Unk Loran-C. 05/30/09 1850

129.1 FSK ASCII
DCF49-European power grid control, Mainflingen, Germany. Continuous idle on mark with ASCII bursts. I've never heard this here via the air. Usually only Ary Boender reports it. 05/30/09 1930

Here's some more details from the web:

Agcy : EFR Berlin
Callsign : DCF49
Transmission site: LW-facility Mainflingen
Radiated Power : 60 kW
Frequencies : 129.1 and 139.0 kHz
Transmission mode: 200 bps ASCII
Modulation : FSK
Control protocol : DIN 19244
Message format : FT 1.2
Service : Long wave Teleswitching

135.6 FSK ASCII
HGA22-European power grid control, Lahihegy, Hungary. 05/30/09 1930

138.8 FSK ASCII
DCF39-European power grid control, Burg, Germany, 300-baud ASCII. Carrier w/data bursts. Not synced to others. Possible FSK. 05/30/09 1930

Slight SAQ Change

*FLASH FLASH FLASH*

* *

The *planned* transmission with the Alexanderson alternator on 17.2 kHz at Grimeton Radio/SAQ at Tuesday 19 May is *moved to Wednesday 20 May* at the same times, 07:00 UTC and 07:30 UTC. Sorry for trouble.

--Lars Kalland

Yes, that is 17.2 kilohertz, using an RF alternator with a truly huge antenna. Coverage is worldwide, if you can dig it out of the noise down there.

T-9 and Counting

The ice constraint has been cleared, and the bird is go for launch. The count picks up at -9, and I'm QSY to a larger TV screen.

T-9 and Holding

If anyone wonders, the T-9 hold is longer than usual. Launch is still on schedule for 1801:56 UTC. This optimum launch time changes slightly as Hubble's orbit is tracked. The window for a launch actually lasts until 1843 UTC.

Count resumes at 1752:56 UTC.

Preliminary examination of the ice team's photos indicates no constraint, but needless to say there'll have to be a meeting on this.

Freedom Star Now On 6751 USB

3 hours ago, Allan Stern in FL heard Cape Radio and DoD Cape go to 6751.0 for range comm with Freedom Star.

STS-125 Remains on Schedule

NASA just exited the planned T-20 hold, and has resumed count toward a 2:01:57 EDT launch of the space shuttle mission STS-125 to the Hubble telescope.

At 1700 UTC, NASA TV shows an ice team examining icing on a LH2 return line. If this becomes too large, it's a no go for launch.

Cape Radio at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has been heard working Booster Recovery Vessel Freedom Star on 5711 and 10780 kHz USB.

STS-125 Launch Scheduled Monday

The Hubble repair mission is scheduled to launch, if all goes well, on Monday, May 11, at 1401 Eastern or 1801 UTC. As always, radio traffic downrange will start the night before, on the usual NASA frequencies.

From the NASA press release:

NASA will provide online updates at:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

A webcast May 10 at noon will start the in-depth online coverage of the mission. Host Damon Talley of NASA's Digital Learning Network and correspondent Rebecca Sprague will preview the mission and examine the remarkable history and discoveries the Hubble observatory has made. Astrophysicist Mario Livio of the Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute will discuss the telescope's impact beyond the scientific community.

A blog will provide launch countdown updates beginning at 8:30 a.m. May 11. Originating from the Launch Control Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to launch.

During the STS-125 mission, visitors to NASA's shuttle Web site can read about the astronauts' progress and watch their five spacewalks live. Also, updates will be provided to the NASA News Twitter feed.

To access the feed, visit:

http://www.twitter.com/nasa

As Atlantis' flight wraps up, NASA will update a blog detailing the spacecraft's return to Earth.

SAQ 17.2 kHz Schedule for 2009

GRIMETON RADIO/SAQ PLANNED TRANSMISSIONS, SUMMER AND AUTUMN 2009

There will hopefully be transmissions with the Alexanderson alternator on 17.2 kHz, CW (A1A) at the following dates and times during 2009:

1)

Tuesday, May 19 2009 at 07:00 and 07:30 UTC.

There will be a transmission to celebrate the Japanese VLF-station Josami Radio/JND when it will be nominated to Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Milestone and also celebrate its start 80 years ago. The radio station is now a museum.

No reports required and no QSL-cards are given.


2)

Sunday, May 24 2009 at 10:55 UTC.

A transmission will take place to celebrate the First Swedish Coast Radio Station and 100 years of Karlskrona Radio/SAA. The station is still working on military frequencies.

No reports required and no QSL-cards are given.



3)

Sunday, June 28 at 09:00 and 12:00 UTC.

The annual transmission on "Alexander Day". The station is open to visitors.

We are glad to receive reports and will exchange QSL-cards.



4)

Saturday, October 24 at 09:00 UTC.

As last year we will transmit on United Nations Day.

No reports required and no QSL-cards are given.



5)

Thursday, December 24, Christmas Eve at 08:00 UTC.

The Christmas transmission as before.
The stations is open to visitors.

We are glad to receive reports and will exchange QSL-cards.

We will start tuning up some 30 minutes before message.

Also read our web site: www.alexander.n.se

QSL-reports are, when indicated, kindly received via:

- E-mail to: info@alexander.n.se
- or fax to: +46-340-674195
- or via: SM bureau
- or direct by mail to: Alexander - Grimeton Veteranradios Vaenner, Radiostationen, Grimeton 72 S-430 16 ROLFSTORP
SWEDEN

Yours

Lars Kalland SM6NM

Thanks to Lars for making this available, and Ary Boender for posting it to his UDXF list.