Satgen 191  9600 bps , Techsat1, Comet, RS12    by GM4IHJ      20th Nov 92
The BID of this msg is SGEN191  Please use it if you retransmit this msg.

Thanks to G3RUH, G4WFQ, GM8SNE, LU7AKC , HB9SKA and others for 9600 hard
ware tips. RUH advises that to avoid Phase Lock Loop pulling on FT5200,
FT211 and FT212. Change R48 on Main Unit, from 4.7k to 47K. Thereby
reducing LF response of PLL.   G4WFQ advises he has got Paccom TNC 220
working 9600 full duplex, and HB9SKA has published a mod for PK232MBX
users - if you did not see HB9SKA bull, packet to me and I will send you a
copy. As LU7AKC and others say Tiny 2 and TNC 2 clones are most peoples
choice for 9600 bps satellite working.

Inertia wheel stabilization. 4X1AS reminds me that Israeli TECHSAT1 will
use Inertia wheel stabilization. I am not sure whether this is single or 3
axis. Either way I hope it is really well made - noting that it is ironic
that in the very week I write satgen 190 about 3 axis stabilization, Mir
has been in trouble and is rationing electric power ( including that to
its ham radio gear which has had to go QRT), because of stabilization
problems, SMA lost 5 wheels before it burnt up and I hear that the Hubble
space telescope has lost 3 of its 6 wheels, one more failure and it will
be u/s until next years planned "Shuttle astronaut lens mod - to which
must now been added, inertia wheel replacement".

Comet Swift Tuttle has been visible here in binoculars on recent clear sky
frosty nights. Best views are in two hours after sunset before ground haze
obscures it.Dates,RA,DEC for next 3 weeks are :- 24/11  279, 12.3 // 29/11
284, 6.3// 4/12 287.4, 1  // 9/12 291, -4 // 14/12 294, -8 all in degrees.

RS12 has been giving some good sub horizon ionospheric DX propagation this
week. The beacon  29.408 and users were audible in GM when RS12 was over
Dutch Harbour in the Aleutian Islands west of Alaska. Even more
tantalising , the beacon ( but no users - Penguins not licensed Hi ), has
been heard as RS12 moved out of the Southern Indian Ocean and started
across the Antarctic Ice Cap. No antipodeal signals from RS12 this week ,
but at 1112ut 9th Nov 92 RS10 beacon 29.357 was heard when the sat was
near New Zealand. It was near midnight in ZL so no users heard.

VE7CIS asks if I will publish a correlated list of all sat names and
operating frequencies. This is a big order, and as I took 2 years or more
to write most of this type of data for the RSGB Space Radio Handbook,from
Llambda House,Cranborne Rd, Potters Bar, Herts. I would recommend that as
the best place for enquirers to look. I try to keep Satgen for more
immediate short term data, so any query like George's I reply to
separately by SP packet. I do not mind answering the odd query or two in
this way, but for detailed stuff like sat frequency plans which take up
lots of pages ,I recommend you get the book. If you do send an enquiry
from abroad by packet, it does help if you add data about prefered route
/path from UK to your local packet network. 73 de John GM4IHJ @ GB7SAN