Students at Council Rock High School South in Southampton, PA will be talking with Astronaut Drew Morgan, KI5AAA aboard the ISS on Thursday. The ISS will be over our area here in the Northeastern Unit States beginning at about 12:55 pm eastern time on Thursday, December 5th. Council Rock’s ARISS Contact is made possible by the ARISS Program.

You should be able to hear Drew on the ISS voice downlink at 145.800 MHz FM. The ISS pass will be a high one over our area. As a result, we should be able to hear the downlink using a good vertical antenna and perhaps even using an HT.

ARISS Contact Preparations

The Council Rock H.S. South Amateur Radio Club partnered with the Warminster Amateur Radio Club to prepare for the school’s ISS contact.

Students, Teachers, and their Warminster ARC partners have assembled and tested their ISS Ground Station in preparation for their contact. Several of the students used their station to make their very first Amateur Radio Contacts.

Plans for Contact Day

Here’s some more information about the plans for the contact from Andy Vavra – KD3RF, a Warminster ARC member, who has been working with the Students and Faculty at Council Rock H.S. South to prepare for their contact:

I’m Andy Vavra – KD3RF, and one of several mentors from the Warminster Amateur Radio Club (WARC) who are helping students from Council Rock High School South in Southampton, PA make contact with the International Space Station on Thursday, December 5th as part of NASA and AMSAT’s ARISS program…

Several Warminster Amateur Radio Club members including Michael Shanblatt (W3MAS,) Irwin Darack (KD3TB,) Joe Horanzy (AA3JH,) as well as myself (KD3RF) and ARISS advisor Fred Kemmerer (AB1OC) have been mentoring the teachers and students to help them set-up and operate a permanent satellite station at the school which they will use to engage in a conversation with the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) this coming Thursday, December 5th at 17:56 UTC (12:56 pm Eastern Time.)…

Council Rock South has an active Ham Radio club (KC3NNG) with more than 30 student members in grades 9 – 12 who are getting started on their Ham Radio journeys. The club is under the sponsorship and guidance of four teacher/advisors from the school’s STEM program; Gerald Fetter (K3OHI,) Joe Warwick (KB3ZED,) and Jeff Warmkassel and Fred Bauer who are working on getting licensed.

The student members represent all segments of Council Rock’s diverse community and are interested in continuing their education in fields such as engineering, science, technology, marketing and business.

Join In On Council Rock’s ISS Contact

You can join the Council Rock Facebook Group for updates and watch a live stream of the contact on Thursday between 12:30 – 1:30 pm.

• Facebook Page & link for live stream video of the contact:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/crsouthradio/posts
• Council Rock South Amateur Radio Club Homepage:  https://www.crsd.org/Page/57298
• Council Rock South Amateur Radio Club Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/crsouthradio/

I am serving as the ARRIS Mentor for Council Rock H.S. South’s ISS Contact. I am looking forward to the opportunity to be at their school on Thursday to be part of what I am sure will be a very memorable event.

You can learn more about the ARISS Program and how to secure an ISS contact for your school here.

Fred, AB1OC