Satgen181  Satellite Experiments or Communications  by GM4IHJ 12th Sept 92
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Several recent discussions have focussed on the question " What are
Amateur Satellites For " ? One group have unilaterally declared that they
are for communication and nothing else. Most people however hold the wider
view that - the injunction in the old UK amateur license to the effect
that " the priviledge of an amateur license was to enable the user to
acquire new knowledge and skills via self education " ie to carry out
educational and scientific experiments. 
In fact this argument is simply a playground for the bureaucrats amongst
us, who would seek to ban SARA , UNAMSAT etc simply because they did not
build them . Sensible folks by contrast , allow that we can make good use
of both types of satellite usage perhaps simultaneously, in the same
vehicle. This being the case ( having outlined the Comms potential of
present satellites in Satgen 176) , here is a rough review of what is
available for the amateur satellite educator and experimenter.

RS10  Super for asymetric propagation studies, and doppler experiments.
RS12  Excellent sub horizon HF ionospheric propagation including 
      antipodeal com links .Fantastic doppler problems and intriguing "
      non great circle propagation studies using doppler"
Oscar 10 Propagation probing out to 6 earth radii, with chance to explore 
      magneto tail in both quiet conditions and magnetic storms.
Oscar 11 Uo2 excellent telemetry and whole orbit data probe of sat local
      environment.
Oscar 13 As for Oscar 10, plus ZRO reception tests, polarisation studies
      and orbit perturbation problems.
Oscar 16 Pacsat, excellent environmental telemetry and doppler studies.
Oscar 17 Dove presently out of action, but can be good education sat.
Oscar 18 Webersat NTSC pictures of earth from space.
Oscar 19 Lusat as for pacsat but interesting stabilization / signal 
      polarisation contrast with Pacsat.
Oscar 20 same as Pacsat with good telemetry.
Oscar 21 RM1 Good VHF doppler and FM Comms experiments
Oscar 22 Uo5 Good earth pictures
SARA ( Bureaucrats arguing about oscar number) A first clas experiment 
      involving natural radio signals from a planet ( Jupiter) 600,000,000
      miles away.
Kitsat 1 ( again argument about oscar number ) Excellent earth pictures.
Coming shortly RS15 and UNAMSAT- this latter with very interesting meteor 
radar using onboard DSP Fourier Analysis of meteor echo doppler in search
for "extra solar" comets and meteor dust.

Amsat Journal has printed details of one or two of the above experiments.
A full detailed list can be found in the RSGB Space Radio Handbook
available from RSGB Lambda House , Cranborne Rd, Potters Bar , Herts EN6
3JE , England - credit card orders accepted from abroad.
Hopefully we may soon get more amsats looking at other space radio
features Eg AKR, Plasma radiation , and spectrum analysis of inter stellar
molecules and atoms. 73 de GM4IHJ @ GB7SAN
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