QRP stations ONLY to access ISS crossband repeater for Field Day

The ARISS Phase 2 station will be configured in crossband repeater mode--437.800 MHz up/145.800 MHz down, but it's being requested that only low-power (QRP) Earth stations access the system.

The definition of a QRP station for this activation will be the same criteria that AMSAT is using for its QRP operations on ECHO (AO-51) for Field Day.

AO-51 ECHO/ISS LOW POWER STATION (QRP) REQUIREMENTS:
To attempt to keep this simple a low power station will be defined as a station which can deliver no more than 10 watts to a vertical or handheld antenna. Some examples of Low Power Stations:
1. Using an HT (barefoot, no amplifier) with 10 watts or less
output into any type of vertical whip antenna (rubber duck, etc) or handheld beam antenna (arrow type).
2. Using a mobile station with 10 watts or less output into car mounted mobile whip antenna(s).
3. Using a base station at 10 watts output into a vertical Omni directional antenna on the side of the house.

Examples that are not Low Power Stations:
1. Any type of high gain beam antenna, KLM, M2, Cushcraft, etc.
2. Any station transmitting over 10 watts into any type of
antenna.

The crossband repeater should be activated Thursday, June 22 (late in the crew day) so ground operators can have a chance to practice with their QRP setups and learn how best to deal with the Doppler on the uplink. It will be deactivated on Monday as required for the docking of the Progress cargo supply ship.

If Jeff Williams (KD5TVQ) and/or Pavel Vinogradov (RV3BS) do get a chance to talk on the radio, they will be using the crossband repeater mode and will be giving "NA1SS, 1 Alpha, ISS" or "RS0ISS, 1Alpha, ISS" respectively.

REMINDER- contacts through the crossband repeater on ISS do count as a satellite contact, but contact with the crew do not count for ARRL Field Day credit.

An article with more details is available on the ARRL website at:
http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/06/07/1/?nc=1

Kenneth - N5VHO

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