[50785] B   BID: ANS-271.01  
Path: N1DCS!W2JUP!KC2FD!N2BQF!KA3DXX!WA7NTF!WB3V!WB3FFV!W3IWI
Date: 03 Oct 91 00:16:48 Z
From: W3IWI@W3IWI
To: SAT@AMSAT
Subject: PACSATS MOVE TRAFFIC WORLDWIDE


HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 271.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD SEPTEMBER 28, 1991
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT

PACSATs Provide Worldwide Gateway For NTS & Personal Messages

Earlier this year KI6QE and NL7NC established a message gateway 
between Alaska and the "lower 48" states using AO-16.  This 
gateway has proven to be so sucessful that it has now been 
expaned to every continent in the world.  It also utilizes all of 
the PACSATs now, i.e., AO-16, LO-19, and UO-14.  There are more
than 20 gateway stations providing coverage for the USA, Europe, 
Asia, Oceania, South America, the Carribean, South Africa, the 
Middle East, and even the Arctic Circle (Baffin Island).  These 
stations have become so proficient at moving NTS and personal 
message traffic that it is now common for them to deliver all of
their messages within 24 hours of receipt from the originating 
gateway station.  Recently, they have even been able to turn-
around the "end-to-end" reponses to these messages in less than 
24 hours.  KI6QE points out that this quick response could 
greatly faciliate the movement of emergency and "health-and-
welfare" traffic after a major natural disaster.

In a never ending effort to continually improve his operating 
efficiency, KI6QE has been experimenting with "automating" his 
station to upload message traffic to the PACSATs without any 
station operator intervention.  Although successful in automating 
the receipt of message traffic and preparing it for uploading to
the PACSATs, KI6QE still stays there is more work to be done in 
"moving the traffic out" after it gets to the destination gateway 
stations.  He says "the outward traffic problem is more complex 
and still requires some manual func tions." 

KI6QE would like to encourage all radio amateurs to use this 
service provided by the 20 gateway stations around the world.  
This highly skilled group of OSCAR satellite enthusiasts come 
from all "walks-of-life" and are dedicated to
providing this service to the amateur radio community worldwide.  
If you would like to find out more about how to move your 
messages or NTS traffic through this worldwide PACSAT gateway 
system, contact KI6QE @ AA6QD.#CENCA.CA.USA.NA.
or via AO-16, LO-19, or UO-14.