Re: [amsat-bb] Communication thru P5-A

["Robert Oler" <cvn65vf94@xxxxxxx>]

Both these antennae allowed for communication directly with the Earth. A UHF 
(381 MHz) antenna provided a one-way relay to the orbiter using a 30 W relay 
radio. Data storage was on a 40 Mbit tape recorder, and the lander computer 
had a 6000 word memory for command instructions.
<<

Im sorry Chris your confused.

The orbiter and the lander both had 20 watt TWT's (they were identical I 
believe).

The only 30 watt transmitter was the UHF LINK between the lander and the 
orbiter.

There is a substantial difference between generating 30 watts at 381 mhz and 
50 or 100 at 10GHZ.

Viking 1 lander was pretty long lived.  What killed it was a bad command 
sent by the skeleton staff that was controlling it after its primary mission 
was over.

Robert

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