SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0930 * SpaceNews 30-Sep-96 * BID: $SPC0930 ========= SpaceNews ========= MONDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 1996 SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use. * OSCAR STATUS * ================ UoSAT-OSCAR-11 is performing well with a narrowband FM downlink on 145.826 MHz. UO-11 was copied at KD2BD in New Jersey on 30-Sep-96, and was found to be transmitting telemetry, whole orbit data, and an AMSAT-UK news bulletin by Richard, G3RWL, dated 28-Sep-96. A 1200 bps UoSAT synchronous AFSK demodulator (G3RUH design) was used to copy OSCAR-11 along with an ASCII communications program (Minicom under Linux) using 7 data bits, even parity, and one stop bit. AMSAT-OSCAR-16 (a.k.a. "PACSAT") is performing well after over 743 days of uninterrupted service since its last operating software reload. Manchester encoded FSK uplinks are on 145.900 MHz, 145.920 MHz, 145.940 MHz, and 145.960 MHz, while a single BPSK downlink can be copied on 437.051 MHz. Several new groundstations have appeared on the satellite over the past month. SpaceNews, Keplerian data bulletins, and F8REF reports are among the weekly news and information bulletins available on AMSAT-OSCAR-16. Jean-Luc, F1JEK, is making use of the satellite to pass packet radio traffic between France and other parts of the world. AO-16's beacon text, as copied by KD2BD in New Jersey, reads as follows: PACSAT-1>AMSAT : June 1996 PACSAT AO-16 Owned and Operated by AMSAT-NA Command Team WJ9F, WD0E, VK7ZBX, KB5MU AO16 Command Team DOVE-OSCAR-17 is in MBL (Microsat Boot Loader) mode while work continues to bring it back to full operation. At the present time, the satellite is making short MBL packet transmissions on a downlink of 145.825 MHz. The FM beacon carrier is OFF between packet bursts. The S-band beacon is reported to be operational at the present time. WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18 is also in MBL mode. Its 1200 bps BPSK beacon can be copied on 437.100 MHz with an SSB receiver, TNC, and PSK pacsat modem. LUSAT-OSCAR-19 continues to provide flawless pacsat performance with good downlink signals. The kernel uptime is reported at over 468 days, and the beacon text, last updated in March, reads as follows: LUSAT-1>AMARG : March 8 - 1996. BBS is open to users. Digipeater is off. El BBS esta disponible. El digipeater no esta operativo. Norberto - LU8DYF. FUJI-OSCAR-20 is active in Mode JA (analog mode). Many European stations can be heard making stateside contacts via this satellite during daytime passes over the northern Atlantic. KITSAT-OSCAR-25 is active providing 9600 baud FSK pacsat communications using a downlink frequency of 436.500 MHz. ITAMSAT-OSCAR-26 continues to transmit telemetry information using BPSK modulation at 1200 bps on a downlink frequency of 435.822 MHz. On 30-Sep-96, the spacecraft reported a kernel uptime of over 120 days. The beacon text read as follows: 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 AMRAD-OSCAR-27 (a.k.a. "EYESAT") continues in FM repeater mode with an uplink on 145.850 MHz and a downlink on 436.800 MHz. The uplink receiver is very sensitive, allowing access with QRP equipment and handheld transmitters, but the downlink is a bit weak and can be difficult to copy at times. FUJI-OSCAR-29 was in Mode JA (analog mode) on 30-Sep-96. Several stations using SSB were copied with good signals on the transponder's downlink. MIR has been active on 145.550 MHz since the last Space Shuttle mission. Astronaut John Blaha has been making frequent voice contacts on 2-meters with stations around the world. Early evening visible passes for MIR are expected to begin across the US in less than two weeks. RS-10 is active in Mode A. The ROBOT (autotransponder) on 29.403 MHz is not calling CQ, nor is it responding when being called on an uplink of 145.820 MHz. Despite this, uplink signals can be easily heard through the ROBOT, making it a "cheap and dirty" single user CW transponder, especially for those keying chirpy FM rigs with CW. RS-15 users report scarce use of the satellite's Mode K (21 MHz up, 29 MHz down) transponder. RS-15 offers a large footprint and a long access time at the expense of a weak downlink. Turnstiles and yagis appear to be the preferred receive antennas for successful communications via this satellite. * SpaceNews NEWS * ================== SpaceNews, as well as official AMSAT-NA news bulletins, can be accessed via the World Wide Web at the following URL: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/news The web pages that carry SpaceNews are a joint effort by Paul, KB5MU, and John, KD2BD. A page containing a table of contents is also available to make it easy for users to find the information they are looking for. Those only interested in the latest issue of SpaceNews can take a short-cut by accessing: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/news/SpaceNews SpaceNews and AMSAT-NA bulletins may be received by Internet e-mail by sending a request to listserv@amsat.org and asking to be placed on the ANS mailing list. Please include your callsign and your e-mail address in your request. Subscriptions to the list may be terminated by sending a request to the same address (listserv@amsat.org) as before. Note that this is not an automated service, but one in which all requests must be serviced by hand. Additional information on this and other services is available at the AMSAT-NA World Wide Web site: http://www.amsat.org * FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED * =========================== Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below: WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/ PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19 <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> /EX