SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-124.01 MIR UPDATE HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 124.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 04, 1997 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-124.01 In the STS-84 preflight press conference astronaut Mike Foale KB5UAC talked about ham radio and his stay aboard the Mir space station. As the schedule currently stands Mike will be aboard Mir from May to September. Mike Foale goes on to say , "I took my [amateur radio] exam in preparations for STS-56. My commander then was a pretty serious radio ham Ken Cameron , KB5AWP, and he encouraged the whole crew to do it. Since then I've enjoyed taking part in those activities, and I do look forward very much to using the ham radio on the Mir throughout my stay there to talk to anybody who can speak to me in either English, American, or Russian. As for particular items of news - I'm open for anything - I just like chatting with people. Specifically I request that people just tell me about their lives on Earth and what they're doing in their part of the world. I really enjoy having slightly longer contacts than just the brief collections of QSOs we do on shuttle. As a long duration crewmember I'm hoping that [hams] will allow me to talk longer with them, so I can have some contact with them and their countries and understand the people's conditions where they live as I fly over them." [ANS thanks Philip Chien, KC4YER , for this report.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-124.02 3C0DX, ANNOBON BULLETIN #4 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 124.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 04, 1997 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-124.02 Everything is already, 15 days and countdown... The 3C0DX Team will leave from the Madrid airport in Spain, this 19th at 18:30 UTC. They'll arrive to Paris, France 2 hours later and take a plane to Libreville, Gabon at 03:00 UTC on the 20th. Six hours more and Africa will be under there feet. Then two little planes will take them and the equipment to the island in about 2 hours more, flying over the Gulf of Guinea. A long way from Europe to Africa to be a whole week, 24 hours a day, transmitting, all bands, all modes including SATELLITES: RS-10 Mode A and RS-12 Mode K. QSL via EA4URE, P.O. Box 220, Madrid 28080, Spain CONTRIBUTIONS: CAIXESMM/2100/1585/70/0200025062 LOT of INFO AND PICTURES AT: http://www.ure.es/3C0DX E-MAIL: hf@ure.es [ANS thanks Julio, EA5XX., for this information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-124.03 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 1 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 124.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 04, 1997 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-124.03 MIR: (New frequencies implemented 1 January 1997: Uplink 145.2 MHz FM Downlink 145.8 MHz FM) Note, the above split is used for both packet and voice operation. ANS has received information that states that all amateur activity from MIR has been suspended until further notice. SAFEX, MIR 70cm Repeater (Uplink 435.750 MHz FM, Downlink 437.950 MHz FM, Subaudible tone 141.3 Hz) ANS has received information that states that all amateur activity from MIR has been suspended until further notice. RS-10: (Uplink 145.865-145.905 MHz CW/SSB, Downlink 29.36-29.4 MHz CW/SSB) RS-10 is operational. RS-12: (Uplink 21.21-21.25 MHz CW/SSB, Downlink 29.41-29.45 MHz or 145.91-145.95 Mhz CW/SSB) The downlink on 10m continues to be very strong, with some slow fading noticeable, but still nice strong signals heard and worked from Arizona and Puerto Rico into northern NJ. [ANS thanks Dick Montgomery, N3DV, for this update.] RS-15 (Uplink 145.858-145.898 MHz CW/SSB, Downlink 29.354-29.394 MHz CW/SSB) Be aware that RS-15 has battery charging problems. When the satellite is in the dark it has low output power.. [ANS thanks Geoff Perry for this report.] (Hint: If SSB doesn't work for you, try CW. CW is very easy to hear on the downlink!) RS-16 RS-16's 70 cm, 435.504 Mhz beacon on RS-16 operational. RS16 had no beacons active on 10 meters ,2 meters . [ANS thanks Kip Pettersson, SM1TDX, for this report.] FO-20 (Uplink 145.9-146.0 MHz CW/LSB, Downlink 435.8-435.9 MHz CW/USB) Operating normally. Strong downlink signal. KO-23 (Uplink 145.85, 145.9 MHz FM, Downlink 435.175 MHz FM, 9600 Baud FSK.) KO-23 operating normally. . KO-25: (Uplink 145.980 MHz FM, Downlink 436.5 MHz FM, 9600 Baud FSK.) KO-25 operating normally. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for his reports on KO-25 and KO-23.] AO-27: (Uplink 145.85 MHz FM, Downlink: 436.792 MHz FM (As of April 1, 1997) Operating normally. The satellite continuous working excellently over Europe ,but continues to be interfered with by non amateur operators. Current AO-27 schedule information can be found at www.umbra.com Tepr 4 = 32 counts 16 Minutes Tepr 5 = 66 counts 18 Minutes AO-27 Will turn on Every pass 16 Minutes after entering the sun and will stay on for 18 minutes. This corrects the early shut off that has been going on for the passed few weeks. Northern Stations will see the satellite turn on after AOS for the next week or so. This is due to the TEPR states being calculated for a while from now instead of Today. So the schedule will be drifting into a better state. This gives us a longing time before the schedule gets out of whack. Thanks goes out to the Alternate Control Station KM4NZ/N1XAU for the use of their station via the Internet for Controlling the satellite. With new software that lets me control the satellite at remote sights, He hopes to be able to keep the TEPR Schedule more up to date. [ANS thanks Michael Wyrick, N4USI, AO-27 Control-op, and Miguel A. Menendez, EA1BCU, for this update.] FO-29 Voice/CW (Uplink 145.9-146.0 MHz CW/LSB, Downlink 435.8-435.9 MHz CW/USB) Digital (Uplink 145.85, 145.87, 145.910 MHz FM, Downlink 435.910 MHz FM 9600 baud BPSK) The latest FO-29 Schedule can be found at. http://www.kt.rim.or.jp/~jr1nvu/eindex.html May 2(Fri) 10:26z(19:26) JD 1200bps 9(Fri) 00:57z(09:57) JD 9600bps 16(Fri) 01:35z(10:35) JA 23(Fri) 00:29z(09:29) JD 1200bps 30(Fri) 01:07z(10:07) JD 9600bps [ANS thanks Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK, for this report.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-124.04 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 2 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 124.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, MAY 04, 1997 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-124.04 AO-10: (Uplink 435.030-435.18 MHz CW/LSB, Downlink 145.975-145.825 MHz CW/USB) OZ1MY/Ib reports AO-10 has been FM'ing over the past few days. Stacey Mills, W4SM, reports that the chances of damaging AO-10 by uplinking during "FM'ing" are probably remote. The caution mainly stems from a theoretical consideration. AO-10's latching relays are set to the omni antenna and the transponder is on in Mode-B configuration. This all turns out to be perfect since we can't control the attitude, etc. Each time there's a power spike the chance exists that the IHU could have a "seizure" and blurt out a pulse to switch the antennas to higain, switch the transponder off or whatever. Of course these spikes occur every time we come out of eclipse, but the idea is to do what we can to minimize the number of power spikes. Occasionally spikes have "activated" the IHU in the past and caused the beacon to send out nonsensical data rather than the current constant carrier for short periods of time. ..and it isn't clear when AO-10 switched to the omni antenna, [ANS thanks Stacey Mills, W4SM, for this report.] OSCAR-11 (Downlink 145.825 MHz. FM, 1200 Baud PSK. Beacon 2401.500 MHz..) Operating normally. [ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for this information.] AMSAT-OSCAR-16 (PACSAT) (Uplink 145.9, 145.92, 145.94, 145.86 MHz FM, Downlink 437.0513 MHz SSB, 1200 Baud PSK. Beacon 2401.1428 Mhz.) Typical Telemetry Status (night window): uptime is 937/18:08:14. Time is Sat Apr 12 23:31:34 1997 Bat 1 V 1.206 V Bat 2 V 1.210 V Bat 3 V 1.274 V Bat 4 V 1.257 V Bat 5 V 1.195 V Bat 6 V 1.199 V Bat 7 V 1.222 V Bat 8 V 1.256 V Array V 10.024 V +5V Bus 4.718 V +8.5V Bus 7.819 V +10V Bus 9.900 V Total Array C= 0.000 Bat Ch Cur=-0.484 Ifb= 0.161 I+10V= 0.343 TX:010A BCR:1E PWRC:5AE BT:3C WC:25 EDAC:80 Graphic information about WOD/Telemetry values can be found at: http://www.arrakis.es/~ea1bcu/ao16.htm [ANS thanks Miguel A. Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report.] PACSAT (AO-16) 1200 bps Manchester FSK Uplinks: 145.900, 145.920, 145.940, 145.960 MHz 1200 bps RC-BPSK Downlink: 437.051 MHz Typical Telemetry Status (night window): uptime is 950/16:47:24. Time is Fri Apr 25 22:10:44 1997 Bat 1 V= 1.183 V Bat 2 V= 1.173 V Bat 3 V= 1.179 V Bat 4 V= 1.214 V Bat 5 V= 1.170 V Bat 6 V= 1.150 V Bat 7 V= 1.176 V Bat 8 V= 1.226 V Total Array C= 0.000 Bat Ch Cur=-0.401 Ifb= 0.172 I+10V= 0.256 TX:010A BCR:1E PWRC:5AE BT:3C WC:25 EDAC:30 Graphic information about WOD/Telemetry values can be found at. http://www.arrakis.es/~ea1bcu/wod.htm [ANS thanks Miguel A. Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report.] Russ Platt WJ9F, AO-16 Command Team , reports the digipeater on AO-16 has been on for the last couple of months. In regards to the 2.4 GHz transmitter, it does continue to work although WJ9F has not been leaving it on for an entire orbit due to its high current load on the 10 v bus. The battery charging scheme on the micros is managed during sunlight by adjusting the RCPSK transmitter power up or down to charge and not overcharge the batteries since we have no way to turn the solar cells off. The S-band transmitter does not have the ability to vary its output so it is a high current draw throughout the orbit. In the past during Experimenters Days when we have turned on the S-Band transmitter I had to scale back the output of the RCPSK transmitter to levels that were difficult to receive and even with these low levels the onboard software will still turn off the S-band TX if the Battery voltage drops too low, which it did.. [ANS thanks Russ Platt WJ9F, AO-16 Command Team for this report.] DO-17(DOVE) ( Downlink 145.825 MHz FM, 1200 Baud AFSK. Beacon 2401.220 MHz.) DOVE apparently crashed late last week (about April 24). Cause of crash is unknown at this time. WJ9F turned on the S-band transmitter about May 1 0500U and has started the reload process. .[ANS thanks Jim white, WD0E, DO-17 Command Team, for this news.] WEBERSAT (WO-18) (Downlink 437.104 MHz SSB, 1200 Baud PSK AX.25.) Webersat (WO-18) is currently in MBL mode after a system crash. The satellite appears to be in good condition broadcasting MBL telemetry. BCRi316.43mA bplt 1.340C TxPw 0.231W 5 V 5.742V 8.5V10.008V 10V 14.036V [ANS thanks Tommy Davis, IK3WVJ, for this report.] LUSAT-OSCAR-19 (Uplink 1200 bps Manchester FSK Uplinks: 145.84, 145.86, 145.88, 145.9 MHz FM, Downlink 437.1528 MHz SSB, 1200 bps RC-BPSK.) (LUSAT-LO-19) Typical Telemetry Status (night window): uptime is 675/08:36:21. Time is Fri Apr 25 22:41:31 1997 Bat 1 V= 1.309 V Bat 2 V= 1.289 V Bat 3 V= 1.309 V Bat 4 V= 1.302 V Bat 5 V= 1.301 V Bat 6 V= 1.284 V Bat 7 V= 1.306 V Bat 8 V= 1.294 V Total Array C= 0.008 Bat Ch Cur=-0.252 Ifb= 0.116 I+10V= 0.142 TX:016 BCR:1E PWRC:36E BT:3C WC: 0 Graphic and general information about Telemetry values can be found at: http://www.arrakis.es/~ea1bcu/lo19.htm [ANS thanks Miguel A. Menendez, EA1BCU, for this report.] IO-26 ( ITAMSAT): (Uplink 145.875, 145.9, 145.925, 145.95MHz FM, Downlink 435.822 MHz SSB, 1200 Baud PSK.) IO-26 controllers report that the spacecraft is now in IHT mode. The new ROBOT software is under currently undergoing tests. The beacon reports that the digipeater is OFF and that the ROBOT is undergoing tests. Controllers ask that groundstations please do not transmit on any of the satellite's uplink frequencies for the time being. [ANS thanks Daniele Piercarlo, IK2XRO, ITMSAT Command Station for this report.] [Please send your Satellite or News reports to ANS Editor B.J. Arts, WT0N, via e-mail, at bjarts@the-bridge.net or to wt0n@amsat.org] /EX