[amsat-bb] PCsat back in negative power (fwd)

[Bob Bruninga <bruninga@xxxxxxxx>]

PCsat is now in negative power budget and practically unuseable.

We will try for a few more days to turn everything off (INCLUDING THE
DIGI) to try to get it through eclipses.  When the digi is off, the only
packet you will see is the 1/min telemety packet and it will be from the
callsign of NODIGI...

Sorry, it was a good run.  We got 33 days out of it this time....

We restored PCsat to full operations 15 Dec, 2 days before full sun and
she supported users to over 50 a day around the world through the end of
the year.

She entered eclipses again on 1 Jan, yet continued to support even growing
numbers of users.  During this same time, the ISS packet system became
operational again, further attracting users to this mode.  Often, PCsat
logged 60+ users (the size of our WEB log) in just over 12 hours.

But over MLK weekend we lost her back to  negative power again.  Last pass
Friday, 16th all telemetry looked good and I restored the 72 hour timer
and we were all set for the weekend.  But with seconds before LOS, I
noticed that although the telemetry was showing, and I had commanded the
TX's to isolate, they weren't.  The relay was stuck.  And it was our last
pass for the next 16 hours.

ALl weekend our 3 stations around the world tried to re-energize ths stuck
relay, and I came in on Saturday and was sure I was successful, but again,
on each eclipse we lost it again.   So Tues and Wed, we also were able to
fully command it, but the eclipses are just too long and she dies on the
dark side.

So PCsat goes back into catch-as-catch can mode until next full Sun in
MAY...  Our longest period without a full sun period since launch.

After a few more days of attempts at recovery, we will not bother to turn
off the DIGI and revert back to the mode of "if you can hear it, work
it..."  And that will only be in the SUN...

Bob


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