Satgen 32 8th Nov 89  Fuji JAS1 - Packsat Lanches - Comet - BSB

I have not published Fuji JD orbit times recently because there have been 
none near UK. For overseas stations the times are 18 Nov 0156 to 0349 ut,
25/26 Nov 2247 to 0049 ut , and 5 Dec 1951 to 2152 ut. These orbits start
and finish near Japan and pass in range of USA, S America,Cape Town and
Singapore. So Jamsat are trying to give the majority a chance, despite 
very weak power supplies. Unfortunately this means no Fuji JD over Europe,
but see below , JAS1 - B is coming very soon.

Packsat Launch Dates . With the launch date of the Micro Packsats and,
Uosats D and E put back to Jan 19th , they are getting very close to the 
Fuji JAS1 - B launch scheduled for 23rd Jan. Any delay with Ariane and it
could be that Fuji B will be the first of the new Packsats heard in Europe
Remember that Ariane will launch probably sometime very early in the
morning, but will not have an orbit in range of UK until about 0900 ut. By
contrast Fuji B will launch eastwards swinging down across the South 
Pacific, then up over South America , and into Europe perhaps over Spain.
A path which should put it in range of UK as it crosses south eastern
Europe about 85 minutes after launch.

Uosat D and E are due to launch on Ariane with the microats. Provisional
Uosat D frequencies are :- Beacon 435.070, Uplink primary 145.975 and 
secondary 145.900, with the downlink on 435.250 MHz. The packet equipment 
will use 9600 baud FSK for which the G3RUH modem is suitable. Please note
that working at these high speed = widebandwidth signal rates,  requires
careful setting of transmitter and receiver audio characteristics, with 
the transmit signal going directly onto the modulator (not the mike input)
and the received signal coming from the demodulator ( not the audio output
jack). Modem PCBs are available from G3RUH 3 Benny's Way Coton Cambridge
CB3 7PS. Please read G3RUH's excellent notes which accompany the PCB,
before you do anything else.

Comet Okazaki-Levy-Rudenko . For anyone prepared to get up around 0515 
this comet is now as bright as Halley was. I appreciate this means it is
not very bright but it may get a bit brighter over the next couple of
weeks. It has passed someway above the bright star Arcturus in the pre 
dawn eastern sky and is moving about a degree or two eastwards every day.
To this somewhat visually impaired  observer it looks like a dim 
but quite large blur, no sign of a tail in my binoculars. On Nov 24th it
passes near the crescent moon,but thereafter it quickly drops into the pre
dawn twilight.

BSB Direct Broadcast TV sat has been sending almost continuous DMAC
programs and trailers on 11861 MHz . One regular feature has a variety of
different people talking from a lecture rostrum for what are clearly
studio test shots, noting that the subjects are hand waving , head
wagging, non TV professionals .  73 de John GM4IHJ@GB7SNE  8th Nov 89