Satgen 26 27th September 89. PACKSATS ARE COMING Before the end of 1989 , five new Store and Forward Packet Radio satellites should be in orbit, with two more following later. They are not all the same. Their characteristics are :- Name Uplink Frequencies and Mode Downlinks And Mode Builder Orbit Packsat 145.9 145.92 145.94 145.96 437.05 437.025 Amsat NA Polar 1200 FSK initially 1200 BPSK Lusat 145.9 145.88 145.86 145.84 437.15 437.125 Amsat LU Polar 1200 FSK initially 1200 BPSK Weber 145.9 1200 FSK 437.1 437.075 Utah USA Polar Other chans 144.3 to 144.5 1200 BPSK Uosat D 145 MHz approx 9600 FSK 436 MHZ approx U of Surrey Polar 9600 FSK Uosat E similar frequencies and modes as for Uosat D U of Surrey Polar JAS1B 145.85 145.87 145.89 145.91 435.91 Jamsat Midlat 1200 FSK 1200 BPSK RUDAK2 435.1 1200 FSK 145.99 1200 BPSK AmsatDL Polar 435.15 4800 FSK Note. THe top 5 should launch in November 89, JAS1B should launch in 90, and Rudak may be later. Webersat will not provide packet at launch, it may provide it later. At launch Packsat and Lusat will uplink on 1200 bps , they may change later to 4800 bps,as and when suitable modems become available. Equipment The simplest packsat station will need:- Two metre and 70 cm aerials A two metre FM transmitter providing about 25 watts A 70 cm SSB receiver system capable of tuning 437 MHz (see below) A 1200FSK up/1200BPSK down Fuji Oscar 12 modem ( a PCB for constructing G3RUH's excellent modem is available from Amsat UK). Electromail Po Box 33 Birchington Rd Corby NN17 9EL can supply RS range components for RUH modem. A terminal node controller (most work with RUH modem,but check ) A microcomputer and suitable packet radio software Please be careful. Very few stations have the above equipment ready to hand, particularly the 437 MHz receiver which needs to have Up/Down button frequency control to use the Modem AFC MIR The new cosmonauts are talking most evenings on orbits between 1900 British Summer Time and 2100, on both their 143.625 FM Command link and also on 2m FM, as they pass over southern UK. UFO 432 Is reported to be a special satellite launched by Shuttle some time back but this is highly unlikely because Shuttle has never flown with orbit inclination above 57 deg and UFO is inc 96 degs. Murphy's First Law of orbital motion says " if you must considerably alter inclination of a sat in orbit its cheaper in fuel to bring it back to Earth and relaunch it SatTV No sign of BSB Marcopolo beacons as yet . 73 de John GM4IHJ@GB7SNE