[amsat-bb] Additional satellite resources available for disaster relief

[RaySoifer@xxxxxx]

Please let your contacts in the affected regions know that, in addition to 
AO-51, two analogue transponder satellites are available 24/7 to help with 
disaster traffic: Fuji-OSCAR 29 and SaudiSat-OSCAR 50.

For those who are not familiar with them, FO-29 is a linear transponder that 
will reproduce whatever is uplinked to it, with one difference: due to its 
inverted passband, a USB uplink signal will be downlinked as LSB, and vice versa. 
 The uplink passband is 145.900-146.000 MHz, and the downlink 435.800-435.900 
MHz.

SO-50 is an FM "repeater in the sky," much like UO-14 (now QRT) which was so 
helpful in previous Indian disasters.  The uplink is 145.850 MHz, the downlink 
436.795 MHz.  Unlike UO-14, however, it requires a PL (CTCSS) tone for 
access.  If you hear the satellite operating, use a tone of 67.0 Hz.  If it is in 
range and you do not hear it, you can turn it on for 10 minutes by transmitting 
for 1 to 2 seconds with a tone of 74.4 Hz, then switching to 67.0 Hz for 
operation.

In addition to FO-29 and SO-50, two satellites are also available on a 
part-time basis: AMSAT-OSCAR 7 and AMRAD-OSCAR 27.  Consult the "Sat Status" page on 
www.amsat.org for further information about them.

Hope this helps.

73,

Ray, W2RS
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