RE: [amsat-bb] RS-12/13 question

["Kevin Muenzler, WB5RUE" <wb5rue@xxxxxxxx>]

Last I heard RS-13 is in Mode KA which is 15/2 up 10 down.
Yes it is turned on all the time and only the RS-13 beacons are on.
They turned off RS-12 several months ago.
For more detailed info check out 
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/rs1213.html
or
http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sats/n7hpr/rs_kd2.html

Kevin, WB5RUE
el09

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-AMSAT-BB@AMSAT.Org [mailto:owner-AMSAT-BB@AMSAT.Org]On
> Behalf Of alf sauve
> Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 1:01 PM
> To: amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org
> Subject: [amsat-bb] RS-12/13 question
> 
> 
> Here's the basic question, a small trestie on the 
> frustrations of a newbe
> follow:
> 
> What are the ROBOT DOWNLink frequencies?
> How do you know?
> Which bird is operational?
> How do you know?
> Is it operational on all passes?  All lattitudes?
> All Longitudes?  Day and night?  Weekdays and Weekends?
> And how do you know?
> Are all 8 beacons operationall all the time? or just the 4 on 
> the active
> bird?
> Which mode is it in?   K, T, A, KT, KA,
> How do you know?
> 
> Thanks, Alf - W4ADS
> 
> Discussion:
> 
> Okay, I'm not a newbe, in the sense that I've tracked STS's 
> since the first
> ham mission.   I've tracked the Sputnik Jr's as well.  I'm 
> more of what you
> might call a "casual" satelliteer.   I'm probably typical of 
> many hams that
> don't have extensive setup and are not part of the "in 
> crowd", but want to
> try out or sample satellite work.  We might even become 
> active, contributing
> members of AMSAT.  (or maybe already are.)
> 
> I appreciate all the hard work that's been done to get these 
> satellites up
> there and operational.   I would hold no grudge, if the 
> people who paid and
> sweated to get them launched only reserved their usage for themselves.
> However, I see articles in Amsat and other publications 
> trying to get more
> hames to use the birds.  Well, folks, it very frustrating 
> trying to work
> them.   I can see why many people give it a go and then just 
> go on to other
> things.
> 
> The questions above are typical of my frustration.  I've read 
> the official
> AMSAT web page on RS12/13 and gone to the Kevin's web site as 
> well.  (thanks
> Kevin for hosting the information some good newbe stuff.)   
> They're good
> stuff but just enough to be frustrating.   Of course one can 
> ask on the
> Amsat BB or other list serv, but many people are afraid to 
> jump into these
> discussions groups, especially since most of it is wasted on 
> the license
> structure and extras vs. no-coders stuff.  Here's a good example from
> Kevin's page not just enough info(not picking on you, just an 
> example):
> 
>      "From time to time the mode and even which of the two 
> satellite packages
> are active will change.
>      "Sometimes the satellites are listening on either 15 
> meters, 2 meters or
> both."
>      "It can transmit on either 10 meters, 2 meters or both."
> 
> The proverbial question for the new comer or casual user then 
> is, "when."
> When is this sometimes?  How do you find out?  Oh sure, I can 
> subscribe to
> Amsat BB and wait until the next "annoucement".   I can 
> transmit back and
> forth on 2 and on 15 HOPEING someone will respond.   I've did 
> a search on
> the Amsat Annoucments didn't find anything any titles last 
> year or this year
> on "RS-12".    You see the more someone has to "dig" for the 
> info the more
> likely it will be they go elsewhere.
> 
> So the long and short is, please, if you want to attract more 
> supporters,
> please make it easier to figure this out.  Instead of 
> throwing 16 POSSIBLE
> frequency ranges at a newbe, how about a simple "quick start 
> guide".  (e.g.,
> "For the week of 2/28, set you receiver on 29.460 and your 
> transmitter on
> 145.960 USB for RS-xx")   Could someone keep an up-to-date site, with
> operational times, frequencies, days of the week, modes?   
> Maybe it exists,
> then could someone ensure links to such a page are readily 
> available on
> other pages?
> 
> Again, much appreciation for those who worked hard to advance 
> Oscar where we
> have it now.   Just a view from the "out crowd".
> 
> Alf - W4ADS
> 
> 
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