RadioStrat - Balloon Based Stratospheric Probe

RadioStrat is a balloon-based stratospheric probe project carried on by a bunch of Baccalaureate students as a research work for their final grade.

The four members’ team - Roc, Ignacio, Roger and Carlos, are studying aeronautics, computing and telecommunications within the science and technology branch of the Catalan Baccalaureate in Barcelona.

The probe is based on Arduino Uno and Trackunio. Readings from two temperature sensors and GPS tracking information will be sent to the VHF APRS network. It is expected reach up to 30Km high.

The RadioStrat team contacted to the Catalonia’s Radioamateur Association, Unió de Radioaficionats de Catalunya - URCAT, to get some technical support and to make an agreement to use the radioclub’s callsign EA3URC-9.

The balloon launched on 25th September 2017 (coordinates 41º 42' 51,8'' N i 0º 41' 14,7'' W).

RadioStrat Project - https://radiostrat.wixsite.com/radiostrat

15th Annual CubeSat Developer's Workshop

The 15th Annual CubeSat Developer's Workshop will take place from 30th April to 2nd May 2018 at the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Performing Arts Center!

Thousands of square feet of exhibition space including the all-new Founder's Room-a beautiful 24' x 24' business casual lounge have been added to the event.

Submit an abstract - http://www.cubesat.org/workshop-abstract/

G3IOR and K2ZZ SK

Norfolk, UK amateur/ham radio operator, and satellite pioneer Pat Gowen, G3IOR has passed after a lengthy illness at the age of 85.

Pat Gowen G3OIR was a co-founder of AMSAT

Gowen was a co-founder of AMSAT-UK and a member of its Board of Directors in 1974. He wrote the satellite column for Practical Wireless for many years and was a frequent contributor to The AMSAT Journal and OSCAR News.

Gowen was the first radio amateur to work DXCC via low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites, although his award is #4, since he had to wait for QSLs to arrive. Fluent in Russian, he enjoyed conversing with the cosmonauts aboard the now-defunct Russian Mir space station and the ISS. Gowen was the first to discover the resurrection of the long-dormant AO-7.

He also was a prominent HF operator and DXer and a member of the First-Class CW Operators Club.

Radio Oasis proprietor George Politzi, K2ZZ, of Loudonville, New York, died unexpectedly on September 19. He was 65 and had been a radio amateur for nearly 50 years. Politzi’s was a familiar face among the vendors at various hamfests around the eastern US, marketing his company’s antenna products.

The ICQ Amateur/Ham Radio Podcast Team would like to pass on our condolences and thoughts to both families