Satgen 175   Satellite Problems  by GM4IHJ                 1st August 1992

Several queries recently ask - what has happened about the radar
interference from Pave Paws (satgen159), which is at its worst around
435.1 on top of Uosat 5 , and, also hampering AO13 controllers severely. I
regret I have heard nothing about progress. Yes RSGB know. Indeed a
"Spokesman" went around 4 months ago saying " He was sorting it out. All
other folks should cease commenting on this top secret subject". Since
then he has said nothing although he and other readers will know that far
from being top secret, the details of this system were published in UK in
Scientific American Feb 85. So any secrecy went out of the window years
ago. I know the RadCom satellite columnist wrote it up for RadCom July 92
issue. I am further informed that the Editor of RadCom approved this
simple precis of the 7 year old S Am report. But someone censored it
before RadCom was published, and we got a large picture of Uosat on page
60 instead of the Pave paws data. All of which cloak and dagger stuff is
more reminiscent of the "Carry On Gang" than a sensible adult approach to
a nasty expensive problem. Perhaps we may be told something at the Amsat
Surrey Colloqiuim. Or is someone hoping the problem will be forgotten ?

Gateways. Have been experimenting with gateway type access to Phase 3
sats. Problems arise when trying to use PSK Phase Shift Keying for
dialogue gateway to and from sat. Other Ops using high power tune across
the PSK and capture the Auto Frequency control. PSK demands tuning within
100 Hz. So AFC essential. So PSK no good. Back to the drawing board.

K2UBC Martin Davidoff author of Satellite Experimenters Handbook is a very
welcome visitor to Scotland presently. So I hope to discuss progress on
more " Experiments for Education " on Amsats. No plans to publish anymore
on this at present. Other publishing held up - No point in publishing 2nd
edition of Dove manual until/if it gets digi voice. - No intention to
produce 3rd edition Uosat 5 manual until Kitsat due up in next two weeks
has had several weeks of operating successfully. 

One recent question I cannot answer. Does anyone know if the " US Topside
Sounder" said to have 6 separate frequencies by AJ0N in his Ionospheric
article in August 92 Radcom page 44 top figure - ACTUALLY EXISTS . Only
operational HF beacons known here are RS10 29.357 and RS12 29.408 MHz. The
old ISKRA2, ISKRA3, Cosmos 1686, Salyut 7, Uosat 1 beacons are all
defunct. If this satellite does exist what are its frequencies. This would
be a marvelous aid to Amateur Radio propagation experiments. So could
readers please note for the future that if "Your Country" puts up
something of this type, will you please let us know. I had never heard of
the beacons referred to by AJ0N. Indeed for years I have been saying in
lectures on propagation that the US is the only major country NOT TO HAVE
DONE THIS. I would be delighted to be proved wrong.  73 de GM4IHJ @ GB7SAN