SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.01 WEB PAGE CARRIES FO-29 INFO HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.01 Mike KF8BEX says that the Southeast Michigan Area AMSAT Net's web site has just created a new page dedicated to the bandplans and modes of FO-29 (JAS-2). Its all part of the web site dedicated to both analog and digital amateur radio satellite operation. Netscape users will enjoy the EchoSpeech audio files used in various pages. Mike urges us all to "check it out". The URL is, http://www.wwnet.com/~jsmyth/index.html [ANS thanks Mike KF8BEX for this information. He can be reached at kf8bex@oeonline.com] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.02 ANNOUNCING THE NEWEST AMATEUR RADIO MAILING LIST HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.02 Brian KE7GH says that BitBucket is a mailing list (reflector) devoted to specialized amateur radio communication techniques including: -SSTV, ATV, FAX, APT, DSP -Packet, Pactor, GTOR, Clover, RTTY -R/C, Telemetry, Balloons, Rockets, Robotics -homebrew, modifications, interfacing, widgets, etc He says to subscribe, send email with body of message SUBSCRIBE bitbucket to majordomo@primenet.com Brian cautions that since the reflector encourages the free exchange of ideas, those paying for email service by the byte may want to consider carefully before subscribing. He adds that BitBucket has NO organizational sponsors. He pays for it himself. [ANS thanks Brian KE7GH for the information. He can be reached at ke7gh@rimenet.com >or< http://www.primenet.com/~ke7gh] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.03 FO-29 AX.25 PROBLEM HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.03 Peter Guelzow DB2OS reports working FO-29 and congratulates all of JARL and JAMSAT to this fine bird. However he did observe a problem using the 9600 Bit/s FSK mode. in the form of a serious AX.25 protocol incompatibility with a TNC software which is widely used, at least in Europe. he says that the problem he encountered is, that on FO-29 the Bit 5 of the SSID-Byte is set to '0' instead of '1'. According to the official AX.25 link layer protocol from October 1984, the Bit 5 and Bit 6 of the SSID-Byte are "reserved for future use".. In particular in paragraph 2.2.13.1.1 it says: > 3. The bits marked "R" are reserved bits. They may be used > in an agreed-upon manner in individual networks. WHEN NOT > IMPLEMENTED, THEY SHOULD BE SET TO ONE. In Europe, he says they have many digipeaters now using the so-called DAMA access mode. DAMA was described in the paper of the ARRL : 8th Computer Networking Conference - October 7, 1989 - page 203-209, "DAMA - A NEW METHOD OF HANDLING PACKETS ?" In fact, DAMA uses Bit 5 of the SSID-Byte and it should be '1' for non-DAMA, as recommended in the official AX.25 protocol specification. In general, the SSID-Byte for DAMA from a DAMA-Master looks as follows: Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 +-------------------------------+ Y H Y 1 Y 0 Y S Y S Y I Y D Y E Y DAMA +-------------------------------+ ^^^ For a station which is *not* acting as a DAMA Master, it should be (as recommended by the AX.25 Link Layer protocol): Bit 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 +-------------------------------+ Y H Y 1 Y 1 Y S Y S Y I Y D Y E Y non-DAMA +-------------------------------+ ^^^ E end-of-address-field-Bit H has-been-repeated-Bit SSID SSID-Bits If Bit 5 is set to '0', the TNC (DAMA-Slave) will not transmit until it is "polled" by the DAMA-Master. So, everyone who is going to use the popular TF (TheFirmware) for TNC2 and his or her best terminal program, will not be able to use FO-29!! In fact, the same incorrect implementation of the SSID-Byte can be found on the PACSAT's, but since WISP is used, it doesn't matter and nobody cares about it... Peter expresses the hope that it may be possible to change this on FO-29 during a future software upload.. [ANS thanks Peter Guelzow, DB2OS for this information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.04 FO-29 BBS NEWS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.04 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.04 In another report concerning FO-29's 9600 bps mode, JR1NVU says that unlike other OSCAR's, one can access the satellite with just a terminal even at 9600bps. He comments that no special software is required and urges all to "give it a try". 9600bps FSK (NRZ-L) Uplink: 145.870 MHz Downlink: 435.910 MHz Callsign: 8J1JCS 1200bps BPSK (NRZ-I) same as FO-20 Uplink: 145.850, 145.870, 145.890, 145.910 MHz Downlink: 435.910 MHz [ANS thanks JR1NVU Kondo-san at JARL for this information which was relayed to us by Tak Okamoto JA2PKI President of JMSAT. We also thank Bruce Paige, KK5DO, for the Packet information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.05 LAST CHANCE FOR AO-13 HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.05 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.05 The AO-13 Command Team report that drag has not been quite as severe as initially estimated, allowing the satellite to be moved for a final session at a favorable attitude. The duration of this orientation is unknown, but on or before November 1st, reorientation will be necessary. Re-entry is expected for the second week of December. Mode Schedule ------------- ** AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE ** 1996 Sep 01 - Nov ?? Mode-B : MA 0 to MA 40 | Mode-BS : MA 40 to MA 180 | Nominal Alon/Alat 170/0 Mode-B : MA 180 to MA 256 | Omnis : MA 200 to MA 25 | Move to attitude 90/0, Nov ?? Eng.Beac: MA 140 to MA 60 | 145.985 MHz NOTE: In order to determine and adjust the attitude of AO-13, there will be occasional command station switchovers to the Mode-S beacon during times of favorable squint angle. The mode-B transponder will be off for a few minutes at these times. Service will be restored as quickly as possible. The higher powered engineering beacon (145.985 MHz) is currently ON from MA 140 to MA 60. Eventually, this will be turned on full time for the duration of AO-13's functional existence. The drag effects at perigee cause the ALAT to rise slightly each orbit. The initial orientation for this period will be approximately ALON/ALAT 170/-10 with ALAT progressively rising during this time period. The nominal ALON/ALAT for this orientation allows for much more favorable squint angles early in the orbit when AO-13 is relatively high in the northern hemisphere, without greatly affecting the currently excellent conditions for users in the southern hemisphere. This should be a very good orientation. Use and enjoy AO-13 during this final favorable attitude. When this orientation becomes impossible to maintain, or by November 1st, AO-13 will be turned to its final attitude of ALON/ALAT 90/0. This will provide protection of the solar panels and omni-directional antenna from perigee heating and will reduce the drag associated deflection of the ALAT. >From this point until the demise of the electronics AO-13 will be Mode-B only, full-time omni antenna, much as with AO-10. Information Sources ------------------- Up-to-date information about AO-13 operations is available on the AO-13 general (GB) and engineering (EB) beacons. The GB (145.812 MHz), when active, transmits bulletins and telemetry at 400 bps PSK, alternating with CW at 0 & 30 minutes past the hour, and RTTY at 15 & 45 minutes past the hour. The EB (145.985 MHz), when active, transmits exclusively at 400 bps PSK. These bulletins are also posted to Internet, ANS, Packet, PacSats etc, and many international newsletters. Internet users who want the latest AO-13 information may check: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/satinfo/ao13/ http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ Telemetry is archived at: ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/satinfo/ao13/telemetry/ ANS thanks the AO-13 active command stations: Peter DB2OS Graham VK5AGR Ian ZL1AOX James G3RUH Stacey WB4QKT They may be reached via Internet (callsign@amsat.org) and KO-23. They always solicit constructive feedback about operations. Please lease remember to state a return address clearly. /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.06 1996 AMSAT ANNUAL MEETING NEWS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.06 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.06 The 1996 AMSAT Annual Meeting and Space Symposium WWW Page has been updated and modified with great information on this year's event. Links to sites in the Tucson area, information about the meeting agenda, and more is now available. Please visit the page at http://www.amsat.org/amsat/sympos96.html If you haven't yet decided to come to Tucson this year, perhaps a visit to this WWW site can help you! [ANS thanks Dave Burnett, WD8KRV, for this update.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.07 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 1. HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.07 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.07 FO-29 (Fuji OSCAR 29) FORMERLY JAS-2 Operation of this new Japanese amateur satellite appears normal. Initial operation is progressing, to build up whole system in every pass. Please wait for half a month until JD transponder will be ready. CW telemetry beacon heard at many locations. The mail box is now experimentally opened for public use. Please keep on collecting telemetry frames and send them to; jamsat-bb@iijnet.or.jp The satellite was operational on mode JA on the evening of 8/20/96, reports Jerry Smyth, N8ULU.. He reported that signals were good with typical LEO fades from time to time. The Southeast Michigan Area AMSAT Net's web site has just created a new page dedicated to the bandplans and modes of JAS-2. Its all part of the web site dedicated to both analog and digital amateur radio satellite operation. Netscape users will enjoy the EchoSpeech audio files used in various pages. Check it out: http://www.wwnet.com/~jsmyth/index.html It looks like NORAD/Space Command again cross-tagged FO-29 with its upper stage rocket body. It is believed that the following are the correct current Keplerian elements: FO-29 1 24278U 96046B 96242.62656264 .00000118 00000-0 12029-3 0 109 2 24278 98.5763 317.0146 0352120 221.2281 136.2328 13.52626304 1712 [ANS thanks Ken Emandes, N2WWD, for these FO-29 keps.] MIR: The SAFEX II equipment onboard MIR's PRIRODA module has been powered on. 145.55 simplex has been active from the space station. RS-12: Operating normally. RS-10: Operating normally. RS-15 Operating normally. Down link signals are never very strong and there is much deep QSB. DO-17 (DOVE): The S band beacon is operational. KO-23: Operating normally KO-25: Operating normally. [ANS thanks Jim Weisenberger, AA7KC, for the reports on KO-23 and 25.} AO-27: Operating normally. AO-10: KF2SO reports hearing strong signals from OSCAR-10 Aug. 30 at 10:00 UTC. He says that it was at a range of 30,000+ kms. He notes that it was FMing, and wonders if anyone has monitored OSCAR-10 with clean, non-FMing signals lately. If so, he further wonders if the solar panels were lit by the Sun. [ANS thanks KF2SO for this AO-10 information.] /EX SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-244.08 WEEKLY SATELLITE REPORT PT 2. HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 244.08 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD, AUGUST 31, 1996 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT BID: $ANS-244.08 OSCAR-11: During the last month OSCAR-11 has continued to provide good signals on 145.826 MHz. There have been a few shut downs, due to the watchdog timer, which has then been reset by ground control. OSCAR-11 can be heard on 145.825 MHz. Modulation is 1200 baud AFSK, with tones of 1200/2400 Hz. There have been many designs for suitable decoders, but perhaps the simplest way is to use an old telephone modem, using Bell 202, or V23 tones. It is essential to invert the modem's output signal, before feeding it into the computer. The current operating schedule is - 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. It is possible that the long period of ASCII status blocks may be replaced by binary TLM and WOD. [ ANS thanks Clive Wallis, G3CWV, for this update on OSCAR-11.] IO-26 ( ITAMSAT): ITAMSAT, now, is in good shape. Telemetry is every 60 seconds and the digipeater is OFF. The actual beacon is: ** 15th August 1996 ** Digipeater is OFF. Command station IK2XRO-IW2EGC in Buenos Aires. Thanks to LU8DYF-LUSAT Command team. 73 de ITAMSAT Command team. AO-13: The status of AO-13 is covered in ANS Bulletin 244.005. WO-18 (WEBERSAT-OSCAR-18): Has experienced many software crashes recently. Efforts are underway by the command team to identify the cause, and make the appropriate corrections. Controllers all hope that WO-18 will be operational again very soon sending telemetry, photos, weekly whole orbit data (WOD), and light spectra of the Sun or Earth. [Please send your Satellite reports to bjarts@uslink.net or to wt0n@amsat.org] /EX