SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-146.01 NEW WISP VERSION AVAILABLE HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 146.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 27, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-146.01 Minor Changes To The WISP Program Now Available W0SL has uploaded MSPE 0.99g and GSC 0.91c to KO-23 about 09:00 UTC today. He has also put these two files on the AMSAT ftp site as individual zipped files for a reasonable period of time and has revised WISP9501 to WISP9502. Both of these files have very minor updates, although it perhaps depends on if the problem fixed actually affected you. The changes/fixes are given as follows: GSC updates 1) Changed the the way it detects which line you've clicked on when editing the schedule. 2) Send auto fill requests option now fixed in MSPE setup. 3) Fixed DSP problem when you had a satellite that wasn't being tracked at the top of the sched, it sometimes put the DSP into incorrect mode. 4) The DSP COM port initialization code was changed to allow 38,400 baud use. MSPE updates 1) Problem fixed where some of the screen elements were not redrawn. 2) Added support for the PK-900. This hasn't been tested so feedback would be welcomed. 3) Some TNCs send their KISS data using a multidrop ID. This causes MSPE some problems and it can be difficult to detect this. A new warning has been added to report this. 4) As soon as the first packets are received from the satellite, MSPE resends the command to put the TNC into full duplex mode. This is to try and reduce the effects of the TNC 1.1.8 code bug. Current module versions are as follows: GSC 0.91c MSPE 0.99g VIEW-DIR 0.81 MSGMAKER 1.13 MSGVIEW 0.99 PROCMAIL 0.94 UPDKEPS 0.74 WISP-TLM 0.54 WKCTDRV 0.73b WISP.HLP 4-14-95 In another important developement that will affect all WISP users, in anticipation of programs being released for WIN95, Paul (KB5MU) has opened directories on the AMSAT ftp site for these files: /amsat/software/win95/ In the near future Chris, (G7UPN/ZL2TPO), will release a WIN95 version of MSGMAKER which can be used with the regular Windows 3.x version of WiSP running under WIN95. W0SL anticipates that there will be other additions to the WIN95 version of WiSP and that they may have version numbers beginning with a 2. When these files are released by G7UPN, W0SL will place them in the /amsat/software/win95/wisp directory. There will then be two locations for WiSP files on the ftp site: /amsat/software/windows/wisp (for Windows 3.x files) /amsat/software/win95/wisp (for WIN95 files) As usual, W0SL will post a message to amsat-bb when files are uploaded to these two directories. As of the moment, there is nothing in /win95/wisp presently. [The AMSAT News Service (ANS) would like to thank Roy Welch (W0SL) for this bulletin item.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-146.02 2-LINE KEPS DROP CHECHKSUM HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 146.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 27, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-146.01 WA5QDG Reports A Major Change In "2-Line" Keplerian Element Generation Ray Hoad (WA5QGD), AMSAT-NA Orbital Data Manager noticed this week that there is a significant change in the two-line elements. They are the following: 1. USSPACECOM (the agency that supplies the keplerian elements) has left off the checksum on the 2-line elements. This is important to radio amateur satellite users because this change has now been reflected in the NASA and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) elements which is where WA5QDG receives his keplerian elements that he prepares for us each week. 2. WA5QGD added the checksum himself to make a normal set of keps. 3. The keplerian elements look OK. He has checked them against last weeks elements and they look OK. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM USE LAST WEEK'S KEPS! 4. Both INSTANTTRACK and QUIKTRAK read the 2-Line elements fine. 5. WA5QGD doesn't know why USSPACECOM made this sudden change. He will find out why and what they intend to do in the future. Here is a comparison of the "new" and the "old" formats: Mir 1 16609U 86 17 A 95144.12750572 0.00003953 00000 0 57842-4 49 2 16609 51.6459 278.0913 0003976 349.9089 10.2052 15.5660711852928 Mir 1 16609U 86017A 95144.12750572 0.00003953 00000 0 57842-4 0 491 2 16609 51.6459 278.0913 0003976 349.9089 10.2052 15.56607118529287 The first set is the new format. The second set is the old format. In line 1: The Int'l ID (column 10-17) does not have the zero between "86" and "17." The piece number of the Int'l ID ("A") is now right justified. The leading zero of the drag term "IS STILL" present (column 34). The zero in column 63 (ephemeris type) is no longer present. There is no checkusum number at the end of the line (column 69). In line 2: There is no checksum number at the end of the line (column 69). Please stay tuned for further information about this in next week's ANS bulletins. [The AMSAT News Service (ANS) would like to thank WA5QDG and W5BWF for this bulletin item.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-146.03 WEEKLY OSCAR STATUS REPORTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 146.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD MAY 27, 1995 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-146.03 Weekly OSCAR Status Reports: 27-MAY-95 AO-13: Current Transponder Operating Schedule: L QST *** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 1995 May 22 - Jul 31 Mode-B : MA 0 to MA 70 | Omnis : MA 230 to MA 25 Mode-BS : MA 70 to MA 110 | Mode-S : MA 110 to MA 112 |<- S beacon only Mode-S : MA 112 to MA 135 |<- S transponder; B trsp. is OFF Mode-S : MA 135 to MA 140 |<- S beacon only Mode-BS : MA 140 to MA 180 | Alon/Alat 180/0 Mode-B : MA 180 to MA 256 | Move to attitude 225/0, Jul 31 Note: The Mode-B beacon is ON during the Mode-S transponder operations only. Please do NOT uplink to the B transponder during Mode S only, as it inter- feres with Mode-S operations. [G3RUH/DB2OS/VK5AGR] UO-22: Following the crash that occured on UO-22 on Sat the 13-MAY-95, the command team quickly re-loaded the software and put the satellite back into action on Sunday, 14-MAY-95. [Andrew G8TZJ@AMSAT.ORG/G8TZJ@GB7LAN.#16.GBR.EU] AO-27: AMRAD-OSCAR-27 (AO-27) is operated as a commercial satellite (EYEsat) weekdays and is switched to amateur service at weekends. It is currently configured as an FM voice repeater 145.850 MHz uplink and 436.800 MHz downlink. It is only operational over the northern hemisphere. [VK3JT] MIR: It appears that the packet radio TNC seems to be be working FB as of 20-MAY-95. [N2CQR/HI8] The AMSAT NEWS Service (ANS) NEEDS YOUR HELP! The ANS looking for volun- teers to contribute weekly OSCAR status reports. If you have a favorite OSCAR which you work on a regular basis and would like to contribute to this weekly bulletin, please send your observations to WD0HHU at his CompuServe address of 70524,2272, on INTERNET at wd0hhu@amsat.org, or to his local packet BBS in the Denver, CO area, WD0HHU @ N0QCU. Also, if you find that the current set of orbital elements are not generating the correct AOS/LOS times at your QTH, PLEASE INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION AS WELL. The information you provide will be of value to all OSCAR enthusiasts. /EX