German students miss opportunity to talk to ISS

[g4tut]

German students miss opportunity to talk to ISS

On Friday night, 8 December 2006, an ARISS School Contact had been planned by Rosaviacosmos for cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin RZ3FT with students of the 'Erweiterte Realschule Weiskirchen'.
The contact was scheduled at 22:10 UTC, i.e. 23:10 local time.

The questions were to be asked by 12 students who had studied for and successfully passed their amateur radio examination. They would operate with their personal callsign.

While once more testing the groundstation equipment in the afternoon before the contact, the Weiskirchen team discovered that the azimuth motor tracking feedback system was not working properly. They decided to change the motor. This was not an easy task, for there were high gales at 100km/hour.

The crossed Yagi antennas were reinstalled just in time, but tracking could not be optimized. There was also a groundplane backup antenna, but communications with the ISS were very difficult.

A second attempt was made during the next pass at 23:47 UTC, i.e. 00:47 local time. But the result was not better.

Mikhail Tyurin called several times but no solid copy could be achieved. Thomas Reiter was busy with other duties and did not participate to the contact.

Radio and TV of Saarland covered the event with reportages and interviews. Everybody regretted the negative result, hoping that the students would have better luck next time.

ARISS, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, an international working group of several amateur radio societies from countries participating to the ISS, provides a free educational outreach programme in collaboration with the Space Agencies, involving a worldwide team of volunteering amateur radio operators.


Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
ARISS-Europe chairman



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[K0RGR]

I'm not trying to be critical, but in looking into the ARISS program earlier, it was my understanding that the common practice is to have one of several established ARISS stations as backups for situations like this, with a telephone link to the school. I believe that other ARISS contacts have been saved by using the backups. It's too bad this one was not.

[aa1mn]

Amateur radio failed to get through? Like a cell phone or police, fire, or EMT communications sometimes do in harsh conditions?

Where are all the people out there now who always lead to believe that amateur radio never has this happen when I tell them that police, fire, EMT radios and cell phones have got it covered?

E.T. phone home?

[kd5tlc]

Make the best of it... have the kids help fix the station, and give it another try on a later date... they'll feel great knowing that THEY made it happen.
Best of Luck

[K4JF]

Quote[/b] (aa1mn @ Dec. 10 2006,13:41)]Amateur radio failed to get through? Like a cell phone or police, fire, or EMT communications sometimes do in harsh conditions?

Where are all the people out there now who always lead to believe that amateur radio never has this happen when I tell them that police, fire, EMT radios and cell phones have got it covered?

E.T. phone home?
I don't believe your toy cellphone will reach the space station, either.

[aa1mn]

I don't believe your toy cellphone will reach the space station, either.

Let me guess, you're one of the people who likes to think that amateur radio is infallible and subject to the same faults as the police, fire, and EMTs communication devices like I mentioned in my initial post aren't ya?

Having a little bit of difficulty facing the facts?

The truth hurts, don't it?

[WA5BEN]

Quote[/b] (aa1mn @ Dec. 12 2006,06:17)]I don't believe your toy cellphone will reach the space station, either.

Let me guess, you're one of the people who likes to think that amateur radio is infallible and subject to the same faults as the police, fire, and EMTs communication devices like I mentioned in my initial post aren't ya?

Having a little bit of difficulty facing the facts?

The truth hurts, don't it?
Let's see. Some well-intentioned people failed to foresee a problem with a system that had been working, and failed to do the recommended 24 hour in advance system check. This for a demonstration of a highly advanced mode that requires Doppler compensation, functioning computer-controlled STEERABLE antennas, functioning radios, precise time coordination, and very good time management. And a mode that is ONLY possible via ham radio.

That is a failure of the PEOPLE and PLANNING. It is not a failure of any method or equipment that is -- or ever will be -- used for EMCOMM.

Your rants to the contrary notwithstanding, amateur radio CONTINUES to be the first and only method of communication available in the initial hours / days / weeks of EVERY disaster. As a case in point, we were the ONLY means of communication for Bogalusa, Louisiana (and for several surrounding parishes) for over 10 days after Katrina.

[KC2ESD]

Should have had a Eggbeater antenna as a back up.

[aa1mn]

Quote[/b] ]Let's see. Some well-intentioned people failed to foresee a problem with a system that had been working, and failed to do the recommended 24 hour in advance system check. This for a demonstration of a highly advanced mode that requires Doppler compensation, functioning computer-controlled STEERABLE antennas, functioning radios, precise time coordination, and very good time management. And a mode that is ONLY possible via ham radio.

That is a failure of the PEOPLE and PLANNING. It is not a failure of any method or equipment that is -- or ever will be -- used for EMCOMM.

Your rants to the contrary notwithstanding, amateur radio CONTINUES to be the first and only method of communication available in the initial hours / days / weeks of EVERY disaster. As a case in point, we were the ONLY means of communication for Bogalusa, Louisiana (and for several surrounding parishes) for over 10 days after Katrina.




This is a mode that is only possible via ham radio and it didn't it work did it? Didn't you just prove the point that I was making, Jimmy boy, that amateur radio is just as fallible as any other form of communications? If it's not then why didn't it work the way it was supposed to after not one BUT TWO TRYS at it?

And aren't you mistaken about it being a failure of people and planning when the article states that it was the "azimuth motor tracking feedback system was not working properly"? Isn't that a failure of the equipment? Doesn't that support my point that amateur radio equipment is subject to failures like other communications systems are? (Did I already make this point in the above paragraph?)

Not to belabor the point, but how can amateur radio continue to be the first and only method of communication available in the initial hours, days, and weeks of every disaster when most personnel who are on the front lines - military, police, firepersons, emts - have their own communications to use and rarely, if ever, make use of amateur radio? Did you not know this or conveniently overlook this fact for your own misleading purposes?

As far as Katrina goes don't you realize that, for the most part, the rescue efforts are - for the most part - not considered to have been up to par which is why FEMA, the Red Cross and others involved were brought under investigation for the poor performance?

Don't worry Jimmy, I do understand that people with fragile egos like yourself often react inappropriately to comments like the above even at the tender age of 60 plus years like yourself. I guess sometimes its tough to get over psychological childhood traumas ... but many of my friends and co-workers had a good laugh over your post anyway, and some of them were hams too.

[N5VRZ]

I am amazed by the 'haters' in this world. Amateur radio is different things to different people, and the arguments posted by AA1MN are a real head-scatcher. Even more amazing is the tenacity of his attacks.

This is a simple thread, and it is unfortunate that things fell through for the students in their attempted contact. No claims were made, yet the attacker wades in as if to shred what is a HOBBY over a straw man of non-performance. I'm not sure what motivates the haters in this world, but I feel very sorry for them and whatever level of dysfunction it is in their lives that cause them to leave posts such as these.

The question that pops into my head right away is "why are you a ham?', but, as I said, the hobby is different things to different people. I just have to keep telling myself that.

[aa1mn]

Dear N5VRZ,

David, let put things a bit into perspective if I may. I have no animosity towards those who missed the contact. In fact, I wish them well in the future.

The initial post here was directed towards those who in the past have incorrectly made claims to or implied that amateur radio is a better, more reliable means of communications than others that exist such as those used by the military, police, fire crews, EMTs, and cell phones. I point to the statements made by WA5BEN in this thread - such as amateur radio being the 'first' and 'only' means of communications 'in the initial days, hours, weeks of EVERY disaster - which is clearly not the case and blaming this particular incident on the failre of PEOPLE and PLANNING as he puts it which, according to the article, it also is clearly not.

I agree with you David that amateur radio is different things to the different people in the hobby who enjoy it for different reasons as I do. It is the false claims like those cited above that I take umbrage with and with those who make them.

If it weren't true I wouldn't be able to say it weren't so.

Take care.

[N5VRZ]

Oh. Thanks for filling me on on the back story here. I'll put my nose back on my face and pull it out of where it didn't belong!

As Gilda Radner's character on SNL used to say:
...."Nevermind..."

73

[WA5BEN]

Quote[/b] (aa1mn @ Dec. 13 2006,06:10)]Quote[/b] ]Let's see. Some well-intentioned people failed to foresee a problem with a system that had been working, and failed to do the recommended 24 hour in advance system check. This for a demonstration of a highly advanced mode that requires Doppler compensation, functioning computer-controlled STEERABLE antennas, functioning radios, precise time coordination, and very good time management. And a mode that is ONLY possible via ham radio.

That is a failure of the PEOPLE and PLANNING. It is not a failure of any method or equipment that is -- or ever will be -- used for EMCOMM.

Your rants to the contrary notwithstanding, amateur radio CONTINUES to be the first and only method of communication available in the initial hours / days / weeks of EVERY disaster. As a case in point, we were the ONLY means of communication for Bogalusa, Louisiana (and for several surrounding parishes) for over 10 days after Katrina.




This is a mode that is only possible via ham radio and it didn't it work did it? Didn't you just prove the point that I was making, Jimmy boy, that amateur radio is just as fallible as any other form of communications? If it's not then why didn't it work the way it was supposed to after not one BUT TWO TRYS at it?

And aren't you mistaken about it being a failure of people and planning when the article states that it was the "azimuth motor tracking feedback system was not working properly"? Isn't that a failure of the equipment? Doesn't that support my point that amateur radio equipment is subject to failures like other communications systems are? (Did I already make this point in the above paragraph?)

Not to belabor the point, but how can amateur radio continue to be the first and only method of communication available in the initial hours, days, and weeks of every disaster when most personnel who are on the front lines - military, police, firepersons, emts - have their own communications to use and rarely, if ever, make use of amateur radio? Did you not know this or conveniently overlook this fact for your own misleading purposes?

As far as Katrina goes don't you realize that, for the most part, the rescue efforts are - for the most part - not considered to have been up to par which is why FEMA, the Red Cross and others involved were brought under investigation for the poor performance?

Don't worry Jimmy, I do understand that people with fragile egos like yourself often react inappropriately to comments like the above even at the tender age of 60 plus years like yourself. I guess sometimes its tough to get over psychological childhood traumas ... but many of my friends and co-workers had a good laugh over your post anyway, and some of them were hams too.
This is like comparing a walk around the block with seriously competing in a marathon. No preparation is required for the former, but MUCH is required for the latter. When people fail to prepare, it is they who fail -- not the equipment.

I know a LOT about not failing demos. I never failed one single demo, never failed to solve the problem I was sent to address, and never had a customer complaint in over 7 years of running around the world with a crypto company. (The founder and former president of the company wrote that in the recommendation that he gave me when I also left.)

Failing a demo is TOTALLY preventable. When one fails to plan, one usually fails to execute. Failure to have TESTED spares is clear evidence of failure to plan. I never went without at least THREE working units (two are required for a demo) AND working cables -- or at least two units and EVERY part that I needed to rebuild any failed unit. I never went without a full set of spare parts (resistors, capacitors, fuses, knobs, firmware, etc.). I never went without PERSONALLY testing each and every piece of equipment, handset, cable, and interconnect. And I never went with equipment and cables that I did not PERSONALLY pack immediately after each was tested.

RE: "but how can amateur radio continue to be the first and only method of communication available in the initial hours, days, and weeks of every disaster when most personnel who are on the front lines - military, police, firepersons, emts - have their own communications to use and rarely, if ever, make use of amateur radio?"

There were ZERO military people for 9 full days. The closest thing to "military" that we had was a Guard chopper that always checked in with the local airport Unicomm when he flew within range -- and that only after 5 days -- after "Governor Stupid" finally allowed the federal government to come into LA. The police had ZERO contact with any outside agency. The fire departments could talk to their own units, but not to the next town. Ambulance, likewise. The comunication between the local PD, FD, and Ambulance and the Parish EOC / Sheriff's Office was by ham radio. (I handled the request from the SO to the local PD to get the local guy to make and deliver the SO special shirts.) All communication to the state EOC was by ham radio.

We were in communication with Dallas HQ from the time we departed San Antonio (and I from the time I left Dallas) on HF and UHF. We had unbroken 440 MHz communication with Dallas (and most of Texas) from Dallas to San Antonio to the Texas border on I-10 East of Houston. We talked with the LA EOC on HF, and on VHF once we got within range of Baton Rouge.

The main issue with the rescue efforts was POLITICAL. In LA, the idiot governor REFUSED to call for federal help for DAYS. In MS and AL (from where you heard few complaints), the governors called in federal help immediately. Here, again, ham radio handled at least a dozen helicopter rescue dispatch requests on 7285 alone. (The Coast Guard was monitoring and responding on that frequency.)

Red Cross has never managed any rescue. They are supposed to handle the logistics of getting food and shelter equipment to those who actually do the work. (Red Cross "workers" have abundant time for breaks. Disaster Relief workers rarely sit down.) In our case, I had to go around the RC to get food to feed 5000 people (15,000 meals / day) -- after we were told by RC that we would not have another delivery for two days. The RC guy was ANGRY that we had trucks that afternoon -- but our people got fed. (Oh, by the way, the message went by ham radio.)

What is laughable are the incessant attacks on all things related to EMCOMM and disaster relief communications by someone who has obviously never been involved and lacks even the most basic knowledge. Maybe childhood issues do enter into this......

[aa1mn]

Well WA5BEN, just because none of your demos failed does that mean that demos never do? #Or is the demo that failed for the students here exempt and if so on what grounds ... just because you say so or don't want it to be?

Further Jimmy boy, unless you're recounting an entirely different account of what happened during Katrina than what is available from every reputable media source National Guard, FEMA, Red Cross and police and fire officials certainly were there either before, during or after the wind and water came unless you're saying that the police, EMTs and fire personnel hightailed it out of there when they heard the weather forecasts ... are you willing to make that statement to back up your assertion that amateur radio people are the first lines of defense in disasters?

Lastly, Jimbo, how is stating the fact that amateur radio - like any mechanical device - subject to failure like any other mechanical device is an "attack" when it is simplely a statement of the truth? #Could it be you, and others like yourself, don't like the truth when it hurts your fragile egos?

By the way, WA5BEN, just to fill you in ... the emergency response to Katrina was a disaster ON ALL LEVELS so it's nothing to brag about and blaming it on politics doen't shift it away from the people such as yourself who didn't carry out a well organized effort. If amateurs had been the saviours of this situation then why wasn't it mentioned in any accounts of the disaster relief efforts?

Can you honestly say that an transistor has never shorted out, a power supply gone bad, an antenna line frayed and failed, or any number of other major or minor inconveniences gone wrong for amateur radio users? #If so, how about fixing the power supply of my unit for free?

[WA5BEN]

Quote[/b] (aa1mn @ Dec. 14 2006,14:10)]Well WA5BEN, just because none of your demos failed does that mean that demos never do? Or is the demo that failed for the students here exempt and if so on what grounds ... just because you say so or don't want it to be?

Further Jimmy boy, unless you're recounting an entirely different account of what happened during Katrina than what is available from every reputable media source National Guard, FEMA, Red Cross and police and fire officials certainly were there either before, during or after the wind and water came unless you're saying that the police, EMTs and fire personnel hightailed it out of there when they heard the weather forecasts ... are you willing to make that statement to back up your assertion that amateur radio people are the first lines of defense in disasters?

Lastly, Jimbo, how is stating the fact that amateur radio - like any mechanical device - subject to failure like any other mechanical device is an "attack" when it is simplely a statement of the truth? Could it be you, and others like yourself, don't like the truth when it hurts your fragile egos?

By the way, WA5BEN, just to fill you in ... the emergency response to Katrina was a disaster ON ALL LEVELS so it's nothing to brag about and blaming it on politics doen't shift it away from the people such as yourself who didn't carry out a well organized effort. If amateurs had been the saviours of this situation then why wasn't it mentioned in any accounts of the disaster relief efforts?

Can you honestly say that an transistor has never shorted out, a power supply gone bad, an antenna line frayed and failed, or any number of other major or minor inconveniences gone wrong for amateur radio users? If so, how about fixing the power supply of my unit for free?
The only demo that fails is the one that is not planned, tested, and executed. My demos never failed because I planned every detail, tested every component, arrived early to set up and RE-TEST, and had a TESTED spare for EVERY component.

I never failed to fix a technical problem because I listened to my customer, tested every conceivable cause, made decisions on cause and effect based upon solid evidence, and tested the system again and again to confirm the resolution.

When I am in a customer country, I am the company. If I fail, the company fails. If anyone goes on a demo, or troubleshooting, or repair trip without understanding that they bear the sole responsibility for success or failure, they simply should not be in the field. Failure is NOT an option.

Regarding Katrina

1. No federal troops or agencies were PERMITTED into LA prior to 02 Sep. That is the day the idiot "Louisiana does not need federal help" governor finally requested federal assistance. Prior to that time, federal assets were legally barred from entering LA.

2. Most of the LA Guard were deployed in New Orleans.

3. Areas to the East had far greater damage than New Orleans, because they took direct hits and/or the greatest storm surge. New Orleans was on the WEAK (West) side of the eye, and was missed by the eye.

4. The loss of life and property in New Orleans was NOT directly caused by the hurricane. The loss of life was caused by the failure of the mayor to implement the disaster plan for the KNOWN 50% of residents who had no car. The loss of property was a PREDICTED result of levee failures from a hurricane of strength greater than category 3.

5. The levees failed AFTER the hurricane had passed.

6. If we had every man and woman in uniform in all of the services, we could not have covered all of the affected towns.

7. Red Cross had their units staged over 200 miles away. They were NOT on location ANYWHERE in the disaster area.

8. I passed a number of Red Cross vehicles on the restricted-access highways to which I was cleared. They were going in at the same time that I was going in.

9. The first and only communication from the vast majority of LA, MS, and AL towns was ham radio.

10. We had at least 4 FEMA people (who are also hams) on our frequencies. They were coordinating with local governments via ham repeaters.

11. The 440 machine in New Orleans was used extensively by the military units to coordinate their units and talk to the EOC in Baton Rouge.

12. Quite a large number of "police" and "fire fighters" abandoned their posts in New Orleans. Dozens that fled have applied for positions in PD and FD in the Dallas area -- and have been universally refused employment, as they deserve to be.

13. Police and firefighters in most other places obeyed their orders. They were there when we arrived -- but they could talk only to their own department. IF their base station survived, they could "dispatch" -- usually after someone flagged down a unit, because there was no phone service. In many towns that lost their base stations, fire and police were coordinated by parking a police car next to a fire vehicle and passing messages to the service that needed to respond.

Re: "Attack"

On this and other threads, you have demonstrated a complete, unreasonable, and unreasoned disdain for all discussions about EMCOMM, amateur disaster relief, and amateur disaster mitigation. You continue to make unsupported (and unsupportable) attacks when the errors in your statements are disclosed. Very simply, there is no truth in your statements, though you may very well believe them to be true.

We carried out a VERY well organized effort. With no grocery store or gas station, we fed 3 meals a day to over 5000 people a day. We handled communications liason between the Sheriff / parish EOC and the local PD/FD. We had the only link to the state EOC. We coordinated with the Red Cross and Salvation Army. We responded to the state EOC and FEMA with damage assessments. The media picked this up several times -- only to be drowned out by the whining from the mayor and governor about their self-inflicted problem in New Orleans.

Why is it that an area of about 10 miles square with RELATIVELY minor hurricane damage received more coverage than an area of over 200 miles by 50 miles that had CATESTROPHIC damage from the hurricane. (Show me just one 300 foot long barge -- or even a large boat -- sitting over a block inland from the river, lake, or ocean in New Orleans. That was a COMMON sight along the MS and AL coastlines.)

Re: "transistor has never shorted out, a power supply gone bad, an antenna line frayed......."

Every one of these is a PREDICTABLE failure. If I fail to PLAN, fail to TEST, and fail to provide myself with a RECOVERY plan from each of these potential problems; I simply do not deserve to be in the field.

In my Chrysler Sebring convertible, I had:

Icom 735 HF -- 100 Watts
Icom M-800 channelized HF -- 2 - 30 MHz, 150 Watts, Part 90, Part 87, and Part 89 certified.
Copies of both my amateur and commercial radiotelephone licenses.
RACES ID (State of Texas and City of Richardson)
Icom V-8000 -- 75 Watt VHF
Icom 2720 -- 55 Watt VHF / 35 Watt UHF with crossband repeat and aircraft receive
Icom W32-A -- 5 Watt VHF/UHF HT with crossband repeat and aircraft receive
Spares kit with common resistors, capacitors, connectors, and wire.
Tool kit with full electronic repair tools, shrink tubing, connectors, and adaptors
Tektronix 2215A Oscilloscope, with probes
DVM
100 feet of RG-58
5 each 10 foot RG-58 with BNC connectors
150 feet of wire
100 feet of 1/8 inch nylon rope
50 feet of 3/8 inch nylon rope

Mobile Antennas (operational):

2 ea Comet Z-780 VHF/UHF
1 ea Hamstick for band of interest (normally 40 meters)

Mobile Antennas (spare / available):

1 ea Comet SBB-7
1 ea Comet SBB-5
1 ea 75 meter Hamstick
1 ea 40 meter Hamstick
1 ea 20 meter Hamstick
1 ea 15 meter Hamstick
1 ea 17 meter Hamstick
1 ea 10 meter Hamstick

Installed AC power: 1 ea 375 Watts
Available AC power: 1 ea 150 Watts

Laptop with mapping software linked with GPS

24 bottles of water
Emergency rations for 5 days
Spare gas and oil
All fuses for car and radio
AC Chargers for all electronics

First aid kit
Sleeping gear

TRANSLATION

A spare for everything, materials to build antennas, and appropriate tools, test equipment, and parts to fix just about anything that might break.

"It broke" is NOT an excuse for failure. It may be a reason, but it is NEVER an excuse.