Amateur Radio article ISS Zeehan Primary School
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From 2. to AA. and back
Zeehan Astronaut
Zeehan Primary School International Space Station Contact 20/3/2002
By Dick Van Beek VK7KVB
The International Space Station (ISS) has been of great interest to most people on planet Earth and in particular
to the family of an eight-year-old boy, Thomas Lynd, in a‘little mining town on the West Coast of Tasmania.
Thomas’ Dad just happened to be an amateur, Bill VK7KHZ (his real name is Shane!) Thomas and Bill had
spoken to Andy Thomas aboard MIR and listened to many passes when Andy spoke to other amateurs in
Australia, so when hearing contacts from the new ISS the inevitable question arose, “When are we going to
speak to the ISS, Dad?”
The Zeehan Primary School Principal covering Communications and Space questions they would ask, practised
Neville Barnard was asked if the school science so the potential ISS contact correct radio procedure with the aid of
would be interested in making a contact would fit in really well with the school an obsolete microphone Bill had given
with the ISS. “Yes”, was the immediate curriculum. As the contact date them, and listened to audio files of other
answer. An application was made to approached the students worked out schools who had already made contact
ARISS (Amateur Radio International
Space Station), approved and a date and
time set. This would be a history making
first for Australian Amateur Radio and
the ARISS.
At about this time VK5ZAI Tony sa
Hutchinson the Australian appointed Thomas Lynd closes the Station
coordinator of ARISS became more
involved and as our appointed mentor 1 x Alinco DR119t VHF radio with the tripod antenna stand to the flat roof 210 amp hour battery. We had the radio
was of an enormous help with his advice output sef at 5 watts. with G clamps. The Quadrifilar Helix equipment and antennas ready.
and continuous email updates. 1 x Icom 251A multi mode standby antenna was mounted to the side of the We wanted to record the contact and
Grade 5/6 was the lucky class, under radio. (The Alinco proved to building and all antennas and feeders this was done using a P266 PC that had
the guidance of teacher Miss Kathryn receive better at FM than the Icom.) were checked. SWR on all antennas was multimedia capabilities. An electret
Weidenhofer. This class was nearly at 1 x Tokyo High Power HL180v below 1.2:1 despite the damp. Next the microphone plugged into the sound card
the end of an educational project amplifier. antennas were tested with the Tokyo was taped to an extension speaker that
2 x Dick Smith 20 amp power supplies High Power amplifier in line for a few was connected to the Alinco radio we
wired in parallel. minutes with no problems. Power out would use for the contact. Bill’s son
of the amplifier was 120 watts. Current Benjamin was given the job of holding
1x 210 AH lead acid battery connected
the microphone a set length from each
to the power supplies.
No ARISS contact had been made person. This set up made it easy to
1 x PC (main use, record the record both sides of the conservation.
Dick VK7KVB and Bill VK7KHZ operate contact.) with any Australian school to date so
the station for the students A phone was also required to be
1 x Speaker phone this would be a history making first
near the station so Tony VK5ZAI
The big day arrived. By the time I for Australian Amateur Radio and the
with ISS. This “training” proved to be could assist if necessary, also we
got to the Zeehan Primary School Bill International Space Station. considered it beneficial to have access
very worthwhile on the actual contact
day. was already at work. We had planned the Internet in the lead up to the
One of the conditions of the ARISS to hold the event outside in the drawn was 30 amps when the Alinco contact, to keep an eye on the Web page
contact was that we had 2 complete courtyard so people could watch the ISS was keyed up and amplifier on. The that displayed the ISS tracking software.
working stations so the following as it passed overhead while the students current was shared between two The phone worked OK but no matter
equipment was selected. spoke to astronaut Carl Walz KCS5TIE. identical power supplies. The power what we did we could not get the
1x4x4 element crossed Yagi antenna But the weather turned sour with high supplies we used were variable voltage modem to work. We learned later that
at fixed azimuth on a tripod stand winds and heavy rain so the equipment types so it was easy to set the voltage on the school used a 4wire commander
with a medium duty rotator, was set up in the assembly hall. The one and then adjust the other until the telephone system. We really wanted to
elevation was controlled manually. wind had blown over and damaged the amp meter read about the same, in this get the computer next to the radio gear
crossed Yagi antenna, so Bill and I case about 15 amps per supply. If the on the Internet But this was not to be.
1 x Quadrifilar Helix circular
Students queue up to aks questions of astronaut Carl Walz KC5TIE completed its installation by anchoring mains failed we would fall back on the The school had a computer set up not
polarisation standby antenna.
18 Amateur Radio, May 2002 Amateur Radio, May 2002 19
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