Andy, RK3KPK operator of the RS3A RS Command Station sent me the following information today 29th January 1995 in response to my RS-15 TLM request. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- RS-15 TELEMETRY --------------- As a rule the telemetry is sent in CW. It represents various status indicators and measurements made on the transponders. 16 data channels are sent. Each channel is in the form of 3 alpha characters followed by 2 numeric characters. For example IIR 39, the IIR part is the alpha and the 39 is the numeric part of the channel. The alpha part indicates a specific status such as U < Normal or U = Normal for the onboard power supply. In the example IIR 39, the IIR parts gives a specific status for 1 channel. The onboard power supply voltage IIR means the Voltage is Normal. If however IIR is replaced by IIW in channel 1, e.g. IIW 39, then the voltage is less than normal. The numeric part of Channel 1, 39 in our example gives the real voltage of the onboard power supply where the value in volts equals the number sent multiplied by 0.4. That is ...... Volts = n x 0.4 = 39 x 0.4 = 15.6 1. II U,K,W,O - Voltage of the onboard power supply less than normal S,D,R,G - Voltage of the onboard power suply is normal n x 0.4 = real voltage in volts 2. IN U,K,W,O - Sensitivity transponder rx is maximum S,D,R,G - Sensitivity transponder rx is minimum n/10 = TX 29 MHz output power. 3. IA U,K,W,O - Beacon-1 output is nominal S,D,R,G - Beacon-1 output is maximum n x 0.2 = IFA-1 power supply voltage 4. IM U,K,W,O - Beacon-2 output is nominal S,D,R,G - Beacon-2 output is maximum n x 0.2 = IFA-2 power supply voltage 5. NI U,K,W,O - Service info S,D,R,G - Service info n x 0.2 = Stabilizer +5 V (Volts) 6. NN U,K,W,O - Service info S,D,R,G - Service info n x 0.4 = Solar battery voltage (volts) 7. NA U,K,W,O - Service info S,D,R,G - Service info n x 20 = Solar battery current (mA) 8. NM U,K,W,O - Service info S,D,R,G - Service info n x 20 = the consumption current (mA) 9. AI U,K,W,O - TLM sampling period = 60 min S,D,R,G - TLM sampling period = 15 min n - 10 = 10m TX temperature in C 10. AN U,K,W,O - Transmission of TLM = 600 Baud S,D,R,G - Transmission of TLM = 1200 Baud n - 10 = 2m RX temperature 11. AA U,K,W,O - Transmission from board memory = 600 Baud S,D,R,G - Transmission from board memory = 1200 Baud n - 10 = stabilizer temperarture in C 12. AM U,K,W,O - Receiving of board memory = 600 Baud S,D,R,G - Receiving of board memory = 1200 Baud n - 10 = temp of charger block in C 13. MI U,K,W,O - Transmission of TLM info is ON S,D,R,G - Transmission of TLM info is OFF n - temp., solar battery block 1 (identified by a table) 14. MN U,K,W,O - Transmission from board memory is ON S,D,R,G - Transmission from board memory is OFF n - temp., solar battery block 2 in C (identified by a table) 15. MA U,K,W,O - No use S,D,W,O - No use n - temp., solar battery block 3 in C (identified by a table) 16. MM U,K,W,O - Accumulator is OFF S,D,W,O - Accumulator is ON n - pressure in the hermetic container (identified by a table) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This should assist our scientific use of RS-15 and to explore some of the anomalies of variable spin fading, signal strength, etc. Note that there is no positive indication of a Mode 'K' or 'T' transponder system unless it is resident within the vectors labelled 'Service Info' 73, Pat, G3IOR @ GB7VLS