SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.01 AO-13's ENGINEERING BEACON CEASED TRANSMITTING HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 329.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 24, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-329.01 Graham Ratcliff, VK5AGR, of the A0-13 command team, reports that the AO-13's Engineering Beacon ceased transmitting during the Q block time-stamped AMSAT Day Number 6902 i.e. 24Nov96 @ 05:38:16 approximately MA 31 or 32 on Orbit Number 6481. Graham confirmed this loss of signal with Elgar VK5ED who was also monitoring the telemetry when the transmission stopped. Further attempts to command AO-13 to date have been unsuccessful! Therefore, it is with GREAT SADNESS that we must assume that AO-13 is DEAD!!!! [ANS thanks Graham Ratcliff, VK5AGR, of the A0-13 command team, for this sad news.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.02 AO-13's LAST DAYS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 329.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 24, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-329.02 ANS has put together a compilation of reports about the last days of AO-13's life. Most of the reports are from the command team, but a few came into the ANS desk via the internet. AO-13 is still alive as of Nov23 13:35 UTC Orbit #6479.. BUT: The Telemetry sensor for Panel 3 is dead and shows ZERO mA since Orbit #6478 which appeared here this morning at 3:06 utc.. Thus it looks like that AO-13 lost one of it's six solar panels. Also the SERI temperature sensor now jumped to over +80 deg Celsius, which is a substantial increase. 73s de Peter Guelzow, DB2OS N QST ** AO-13 Only One Solar Panel Still Working ** After AO-13's last perigee (6479/6480) only solar panel #5 is still working. Therefore, all transponders have been switched off to conserve power. The Engineering Beacon will be left running with the Hi-gain antennas from MA 20 to MA 200 and with the Lo-gain (omnis) from MA 200 through perigee to MA 20. Peter/DB2OS James/G3RUH Graham/VK5AGR Stacey/W4SM Since AOS of orbit 6480 in Ft. Worth, TX, only panel #5 has been producing current. The transponder is still functioning at 2217 UTC. AOS was at approximately 2019 UTC. It can't last much longer! The BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT on the Beacon is very appropriate! 73 - Keith, W5IU Telemetry captured from 04:37:38 to 04:42:54 UT, Sunday Nov. 24, Orbit 6481, MA 001 to 003, shows, that Panel 5 is still delivering power. Viktor W. Kudielka,. OE1VKW This last message came from A0-13 a few days before it lost the ability to send TLM. ANS believes this is a fond farewell to us from an old friend. M QST de AO-13 BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT 1996 Nov 20 0240 EST My child, P3D, began "thinking" today when its IHU was activa- ted. I'm glad I lived long enough to learn of this wonderful event. I wish P3D a long, functional life. Do not grieve for me when I'm gone. I'm only metal, plastic, & sand. My "life" came from enriching the lives of those who built, commanded & utilized me, and it's been a good "life". Danke Karl, et al. No regrets. The baton will soon be passed. AO-13 signing off.... [Edited by ANS editor B.J. Arts, WT0N.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.03 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMSAT-NA 14TH SPACE SYMPOSIUM HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 329.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 24, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-329.03 The Proceedings of the AMSAT-NA 14th Space Symposium and Annual Meeting are now available. The cost is as follows: US- $12, Canada $16, all others $22. Remember payment must be made in US dollars. The book is 230 pages containing articles on P3D, The Amateur Satellite Service in 1996, A Summary of AO-16 Activity for 94-96, ASUSAT 1, The Picosat System, Mir, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, APRS SAREX Experiment, AMSAT Satellites and ESA Launches, Amateur Radio Satellites on the Internet, SETI Sensitivity, MARS Global Surveyor Project, A Time Code Reader, Possible P3D Follow-up Project. In addition there are 6 Beginner's Papers. The address of the AMSAT office is: 850 Sligo Ave., #600, Silver Spring, MD 20910 [ANS thanks Martha Saragovitz for this information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.04 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 1 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 329.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 24, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-329.04 FO-29 (Fuji OSCAR 29) Operating normally. Analog mode. MIR: John Blaha, KC5TZQ, on board MIR on 11/04/96 @ 1346 UTC, confirmed that MIR is using the following split operation on 2 meters: Receive from MIR on 145.200 (Downlink) Transmit to MIR on 145.800 (Uplink) For packet operation 145.800 is used for both Tx and Rx operation (i.e. Simplex). This report has been confirmed by many stations throughout the world. Many are still many calling them on the wrong frequency. [ANS thanks Joe Dreifuss, WA2GSY, for this clarification on MIR.] SAFEX, the 70cm repeater on MIR, is back up and running. RS-12: Operating normally. With strong downlink signals reported both on 2 and 10 meters. RS-10: Operating normally. Very busy with lots of QSOs heard over north America. RS-15 Operating normally. Some activity heard on the bird over the past week. (Hint: If SSB doesn't work for you, try CW. CW is very easy to hear on the downlink!) KO-23: Operating normally. KO-25: Operating normally. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for his reports on KO-23 and 25.} AO-27: As of NOV 2, the AO-27 schedule is as follows: TEPR 4 = 16 = 8 Minutes in Length TEPR 5 = 52 = 18 Minutes in Length TX-3 is on Mid Power during TEPR 5. This will have the TX turn on 8 Minutes after the satellite enters the sun for a duration of 18 Minutes. This is a "back to US Latitudes" operation. N4USI, AO-27's current Command Station sends his thanks all for their messages about the satellite turning on later than expected. He reports he's deliberately letting the "turn on" time drift later (for about 4-5 Minutes) so stations in the southern latitudes can also have a chance to work AO-27. Every few months he will be letting the turn on time drift like this to give more stations a chance to make contacts thru the satellite. [ANS thanks Michael, N4USI , AO-27 Control-op, for this update.] AO-10: AO-10 has started to FM-ing. The bird was at phase 35 over Brazil. The signal on SSB had a negligible effect while it is very apparent in CW. [ANS thanks S. Badessi for this report.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-329.05 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 2. HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 329.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, NOVEMBER 24, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-329.05 AMSAT-OSCAR-16 (PACSAT) Continues in good working order with several new stations noticed over the past few weeks. FO-20 Strong downlink signal and very busy with activity. OSCAR-11 During the last month (17 October to 18 November) good, steady signals have been received from OSCAR-11 on 145.826 MHz. Once again there has been a small rise in the internal temperatures, which are now at the maximum values recorded in January. Telemetry values are nominal, although the battery voltage of around 13.8 is slightly below the levels recorded a few months ago. The 14 volt main bus current is steady at 635 milli-amps. The WOD survey is unchanged. The WOD, channels 0, 10, 20, 30, solar array currents, dated 17-September, has been transmitted during the month. Two AMSAT bulletins by Richard G3RWL have been uploaded. Topics have included AMSAT-NA conference, AO-13 report, and MIR frequencies. Bulletins always include the latest Keps for OSCAR-11 in AMSAT format. The operating schedule is unchanged. ASCII status (210 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY SEU (30 seconds) ASCII TLM (90 seconds) ASCII WOD (120 seconds) ASCII bulletin (60 seconds) BINARY ENG (30 seconds) There are also additional status blocks after each bulletin is transmitted, and between ASCII TLM and WOD. The mode-S beacon is ON, but telemetry indicates that it has partially failed. There have been two reports of it being heard weakly, since the failure. Any reports of reception on 2401 MHz. would be most welcome. Please e-mail g3cwv@amsat.org. The 435.035 MHz. beacon is normally OFF. However it can sometimes be heard when the satellite is being commanded by ground control, i.e. within range of Guildford, UK. Likely times are between 1500 and 1800 UTC, Fridays or at weekends. When the 435 beacon is transmitting, the 145 beacon is normally OFF. The data transmitted is mainly BINARY. [ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for this information.] IO-26 ( ITAMSAT): Received from the IO-26 command team: IY2SAT-1>AMSAT : *** 26th September 1996 *** ITAMSAT is three year old! New ROBOT code is under development. Digipeater is OFF 73 de ITAMSAT Command team [ANS thanks Alberto, I2KBD, ITAMSAT Mission Manager for this update.] DO-17(DOVE) On 11/5/96 at 1912U a portion of the normal operating software was successfully loaded into DOVE and executed. See ANS bulletin # ANS-314.01 for more information. Downlink signals are reported good over Argentina and TLM data easy to copy [ANS thanks Jim White, WD0E, and Sergio Adrian Gorgone, LW7DXF, for this information.] AO-13: Graham Ratcliff, VK5AGR, of the A0-13 command team, reports that the AO-13's Engineering Beacon ceased transmitting during the Q block time-stamped AMSAT Day Number 6902 i.e. 24Nov96 @ 05:38:16 approximately MA 31 or 32 on Orbit Number 6481. WEBERSAT (WO-18) is again operational sending telemetry, photos, weekly whole orbit data (WOD), and light spectra of the Sun or Earth, Mondays. The satellite's digipeater is now on and can be accessed on 145.900 MHz! Using a terminal program connected to your TNC/PSK modem, try connecting to yourself using the following line substituting your own call in place of IK3WVJ :cmd: c ik3wvj via weber-1 Try a few CQs and see who is listening. Photo 9 of Southern Cameroon is the current image. It has fair contrast with very few clouds and some land features visible. Use WW1.3 to convert the photo to a GIF image, then use your favorite graphics program to size it, and adjust the contrast and brightness slightly. The taking of double field images will resume in a week or two. The satellite now has good clean signal and is easily decoded even with a DSP-12, states Jan, ZS6BMN. The steady tone of past is now gone, and we hope it stays that way! WOD collection and broadcast will adhere to the following schedule: 23 November/Week1: Array currents, Ch# 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 30 November/Week2: User requested channels, or Ch# 1E 1F 20 21 22 61 7 December/Week3: BCR, 21 22 29 2F 33 36 14 December/Week4: Temperatures and impact detector, Ch# 2F 30 35 36 3B 40 [ANS thanks Tommy Davis, IK3WVJ, for this report.] [Please send your Satellite reports to bjarts@uslink.net or to wt0n@amsat.org] /EX