************************************************************************** * * * THIS IS THE AMSAT-NA CBBS at ST. LOUIS MO, 24HR 7DAY AT (314)447-3003 * * 300/1200/2400 BAUD * * Mike Parisey WD0GML SYSOP * * Norm Newman NZ0Z Co-SYSOP * * * ************************************************************************** SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-224.01 AO-13 MODE S BEACON FIXED HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 224.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD AUGUST 12, 1989 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT AO-13 Mode S Beacon Can Now Be Commanded Off During Normal Mode S Operations AMSAT ground-command station operator Peter Guelzow (DB2OS) reported this week that with the help of DF5DP and ON6UG he was able to make a major break through in improving the performance of the Mode S transponder aboard AO-13. One of the original problems which plagued Mode S users was the fact that the Mode S beacon would not shut off as it was designed to do so during normal transponder operations. Consequently, it was necessary to use exorbitant amounts of power on 70cm to put a bring a copyable signal down in the 2400 MHz passband. In short, Mode S users had to "compete" with the beacon for RF output power. Among the many "eyeball" QSOs that Peter had at DATASPACE '89 at the University of Surrey two weeks ago, G2BFO and ON6UG make it known to Peter the curious behaviour they had noticed recently everytime the Mode S transponder was automatically switched on. They observed that there seemed to be a slight delay sometimes when the transponder came on -- sometimes the transponder would switch on, then the beacon would turn off, and then the beacon would come back on a moment later and visa-versa. So after returning from DATASPACE '89, Peter decided to investigate this report further. With the help of DF5DP and ON6UG providing him with instantaneous feedback using terrestrial packet links, Peter then sent several combinations of commands to AO-13 and was able to "manually" command the Mode S beacon off during normal Mode S transponder operation. This was the first time this had ever happened and with the beacon turned off, signal reports were excellent. Moreover, Peter says that he can now change the software to make this process happen automatically. At this time it is not possible to say with any certainty how much power it will take on 70cm to get into Mode S transponder with the beacon off; but the "best" guess is that it will require less power. After next week's busy transponder schedule change and attitude re-adjustment on AO-13, Peter will begin work on changing the ground-command software. Peter adds that he feels that something must have "changed" in the hardware since he first did tests a year ago on the Mode S transponder. Look for further updates on this important bulletin next week from the AMSAT News Service (ANS). /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-224.02 AO-13 TRANSPONDER SCHED CHANGE HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 224.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD AUGUST 12, 1989 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT AO-13 Transponder Schedule Change Planned For August 16, 1989 According to VK5AGR, AMSAT ground-command station, there will be a AO-13 transponder schedule change effective August 16, 1989. This change in schedule marks the end of "full-time" transponder operation. AO-13 will now start to encounter solar eclipse periods lasting from 3 minutes to 27 minutes between MA 247 through perigee to MA 001. This means that the all transponder operations will have to cease during this perigee time. Also, AO-13 will be making an attitude re-adjustment from the current Bahn coordinates of BLONG=180/BLAT=0 to BLONG=210/BLAT=0. The actual start of the this attitude maneuver will be on August 14th. All users should take note that magnetorquing will occur during the perigee passes of Orbits 893/894/895/896 from MA 224 to MA 31. Further magnetorquing may be required to "fine-tune" the attitude and if this is necessary, it will be done during August 16-20th. AO-13 users who have the G3RUH PSK 400 baud demodulator are encouraged to observe the telemetry on AO-13 during these eclipse periods. Particularly interesting are spacecraft temperatures during eclipse. Telemetry "watchers" will be suprised at how rapidly the temperatures drop. The following is the schedule for AO-13 until November 16th: AO-13 Transponder Schedule 16Aug89 until 16Nov89 BLON/BLAT 210/0 Mode B: MA 003 to MA 160 Mode JL: MA 160 to MA 200 Mode B: MA 200 to MA 240 Off: MA 240 to MA 003 Mode S: MA 210 to MA 222 /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-224.03 AMSAT SHORT BURSTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 224.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD AUGUST 12, 1989 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT AMSAT Short Bursts Through the efforts of Sumio Nakane (JH3BJN), AMSAT-NA has received the following operating schedule for FUJI-OSCAR-12 for the next few months: DATE MODE OPERATING PERIOD 08/16/89 JA 02:40 UTC until 10:52 UTC 08/19/89 JA 02:00 UTC until 10:12 UTC 08/25/89 JD 00:39 UTC until 08:51 UTC 08/27/89 JD 00:53 UTC until 09:04 UTC 09/02/89 JA 22:37 UTC until 06:49 UTC on 09/03/89 09/05/89 JA 21:57 UTC until 06:00 UTC on 09/06/89 09/08/89 JD 19:15 UTC until 03:27 UTC on 09/09/89 09/13/89 JA 18:48 UTC until 03:00 UTC on 09/14/89 PLEASE NOTE: NO FO-12 OPERATION FROM SEPT. 15TH TO SEPT. 25TH DUE TO SOLAR ECLIPSES! 09/26/89 JA 15:12 UTC until 23:24 UTC 09/30/89 JD 21:50 UTC until 12:44 UTC on 10/01/89 10/06/89 JD 20:29 UTC until 11:23 UTC on 10/07/89 10/10/89 JA 10:42 UTC until 18:54 UTC There is a AMSAT 17M Net which is convened every Sunday evening beginning at 23:00 UTC on a frequency of 18.155 MHz. Acting as Net Control Stations (NCS) are KO5I and N4QQ. This net provides another opportunity for those who cannot listen to the AMSAT nets on Sunday afternoon to still find out what is happen- ing in the world of amateur radio satellites. So join KO5I and N4QQ on Sunday evenings for this new AMSAT HF net. de DB2OS 01May89: *** AO-10 TRANSPONDER SCHEDULE *** 14Jul89 to 01Sep89 Mode-B : from MA 000 to MA 255 AMSAT-NA is soliciting papers for presentation at and/or publication in the proceedings of its 1989 Space Symposium. Areas of interest include research, development, engineering, funding, construction, management and operation of OSCAR (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) communications and scientific spacecraft and associated communications networks. Submissions or questions should be forwarded to: Ralph Wallio, W0RPK, CITS Chairman-AMSAT'89, 1250 Highway G24, Indianola, IA 50125. Or you can reach Ralph at the following "land-line" numbers: Home:(515) 961-6406 or Office: (515) 224-8034. On packet-radio you can send him messages via packet BBS W0AK. Also, if you would like to receive a "information" packet about the AMSAT-NA Space Symposium to be held on November 3-6th of this year in Des Moines, IA, please send Ralph a s.a.s.e. with one unit of postage. WB6LLO suggest that those wishing to experiment with packet on AO-13 should look for him using PSK on the following frequencies: Mode B-145.870 down, approx. 435.530 up Mode J-435.950 down, approx. 144.460 up WB6LLO mentions that if you are having difficulty "connecting" with him that you can meet him up 10 KHz for a voice contact, that is, on Mode B at 145.880 MHz or on Mode J at 435.960 MHz /EX FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! FLASH! THE FOLLOWING ADDED BY AMSAT-NA CBBS at St. Louis (314) 447-3003 24hr 7day 300/1200/2400 baud. This section may have additions through the week! STS 28-4 Elements: Satellite STS 28-4 NORAD Number 09284 Int Des 1989 928D Epoch 89 222.47191480 8/10/89 at 1119:33 UTC Drag 0.00080814 Rev/Day^2 Element Set 4 Inclination 56.9997 Deg RAAN 37.4554 Deg Eccentricity 0.00081920 Argument of Perigee 311.1796 Deg Mean Anomaly 48.8572 Deg Mean Motion 15.90164428 Rev/Day Epoch Revolution 30 Semimajor Axis 6679.9 Km Period 90.56 Min Apogee 307.23 Km Perigee 296.28 Km PRESS RELEASE: From: THE WESTLINK REPORT 28221 Stanley Court Canyon Country Ca. 91351 To: All Editors/Publishers Sub: 1989 Young Ham of the Year For Further Information Contact: Burt Hicks (805) 251-4488 August 9, 1989 - Los Angeles California. The Westlink Report amateur Radio Newsletter and Yaesu U.S.A. are proud to announce that 18 year old Erin Mc Ginnis, KA0WTE, of Topeka Kansas has been named as the Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year. Erin was chosen to receive this high honor for her ongoing dedication to amateur radio public service activities, disaster preparedness work and publicizing amateur radio. She was nominated by the Kaw Valley Amateur Radio Club of Topeka with which Erin has been a regular participant in numerous civic events. Theses include stints as net control for the Washburn University President's Rowing Regatta, Annual Railroad Days Commemorative and the Exxodusters Parade. Other events in which KA0WTE has participated include the KSNT Go Forth Celebration. In the area of disaster preparedness work, Erin has displayed amateur radio at emergency preparedness exhibits, is a regular member of the local A.R.E.S. operation and participates in the annual Field Day exercise. During the latter, the club stations were taken out of the drill and turned to a NWS Emergency Call- Out. To help publicize and expand amateur radio in her community, Erin has organized press releases and on-site television interviews for the local and national electronic press, assisted in the development and preparation of a city resolution declaring Field Day week to be "Kaw Valley Amateur Radio Club Week" in Topeka and both organized and teaches the club's fall Novice training class. In addition to all of these amateur radio related activities, Erin who holds a Technician class license is a recent Honor Roll graduate of Topeka High School where she maintained a straight A average during her Senior year. While in Topeka High School her interests included dramatics, drill team, debate squad, various social functions and amateur radio. She also held a part-time job. Erin Mc Ginnis comes from an all-ham family. Her father Steve is N0HGX, mother Linda is N0HGY and her bother Matt holds the callsign KA0WTF. All were licenses in 1985. Her primary interest in on-air amateur radio operation, when time permits, is chatting with stations from the British Isles. She also hopes to use amateur radio to keep in contact with her family when she starts Emporia State College this fall. Erin Mc Ginnis KA0WTE will receive her award at the ARRL Southwestern Division Convention Grand Banquet the evening of August 26 in Los Angeles California. Making the presentation will be its creator Bill Pasternak WA6ITF of the Amateur Radio Newsline, Westlink Report Editor/Publisher Sanford "Burt" Hicks, and C.H. "Chip" Margelli K7JA - Vice President of Yaesu U.S.A. Yaesu U.S.A is the corporate underwriter of the Westlink Report Young Ham of the Year award program. The company provides transportation and lodging for the winner along with a major prize in the form of amateur radio equipment. Providing additional prizes are Falcon Communications of Newport Beach Ca. which is donating a 150 watt / 2 meter mobile amplifier to the club that nominated Erin and Gordon West Radio School which will supply Erin's former High School with amateur training materials. -30- Mode-S status update by K0RZ, August 12, 1989 MODE-S IS WORKING !!! Thanks to the efforts of DJ4ZC, DB2OS, ON6UG, G2BFO, and DF5DP a new command software configuration was worked out for the AO-13 Mode-S transponder. As a result, as reported by DB2OS, the transponder PASSBAND can now be commanded ON and the BEACON OFF. Using uplink powers the same as required for Mode-B, results in downlink signals on 2400 MHz. that are 10 to 15 dB above the noise using a 4 ft dish with a 1 dB preamp noise figure. An additional surprise is that in addition to the normal Mode-S uplink a portion of the Mode-B uplink passband also appears in the Mode-S downlink. The required uplink powers appear to be the same whether on Mode-B uplink or Mode-S uplink frequencies. Listed below are the preliminary operating frequencies with The Mode-S PASSBAND ON: Mode-S uplink: 435.601 to 435.637 Mode-B uplink: 435.471 to 435.507 Mode-S downlink: 2400.711 to 2400.747 The corresponding Mode B downlink frequencies for the Mode-B uplink listed above is: 145.927 to 145.891 MHz. Using Mode-S uplink frequencies produce no signals in the Mode-B downlink. However, using Mode-B uplink frequencies produces signals in both the Mode-B and Mode-S downlinks. Simultaneous cross mode QSO's have been made by using the Mode-B uplink frequencies. No explanation of the presence of the Mode-B uplink signals in the Mode-S downlink has as yet been developed. DF5DP suggests using the USB in the Mode-S uplink to help Mode-S downlink users distinguish between Mode-B and Mode-S uplink stations. Since the Mode-S transponder is non inverting, Mode-B uplink signals will be on LSB and Mode-S uplink signals will be on USB. I also understand from DF5DP that today DB2OS, Peter has loaded the new software to the IHU and has set the schedule as follows: Mode-S Beacon ON and Passband OFF: MA 146 through MA 149 Mode-S Beacon OFF and Passband ON: MA 150 through MA 159 Mode-S Beacon OFF and Passband OFF: All other MA values Past History with the Mode-S transponder ---------------------------------------- THE Mode-S transponder was designed so that either the BEACON or the PASSBAND could be enabled but NOT BOTH at the same time. The PASSBAND is enabled by a CMOS logic line that comes from the IHU (On Board Computer) and causes the Beacon oscillator to be turned off and the an IF transistor switch at 10.7 MHz. to be turned on. For whatever reason, the IHU was not able to switch the Mode-S Transponder to Passband. In the past, QSO's were made by forcing signals through the last IF Transistor switch that was biased off. When the Mode-S unit was still on the bench, K0RZ was able to force a signal through the Passband with the BEACON ON and the PASSBAND OFF by increasing the input signal level about 20 dB to equal the Beacon level. The initial design level assumed 2.5 KW erp to produce a downlink signal equal to the beacon. Not being able to turn the PASSBAND ON, meant it took 20 dB more uplink signal or about 250KW erp to equal the beacon level. 60KW+ erp produced a downlink within 6 dB of the Beacon level. Now with the PASSBAND ON and the BEACON OFF uplink signal powers are the same as required in Mode-B. SEE YOU ON MODE-S, 73's Bill, K0RZ Problems with DOWN EAST MICROWAVE: I wish to report a recurring problem with Down East Microwave. Last year at Dayton 1988, I purchased 4 loop Yagi's from Bill. Two months after, I called and asked where my antenna's were and they partially showed up, that is the loops show up without the boom's. One and a half months after that, I called and yelled a little and my boom's showed up about a month later. Always one to be a damn sucker, I paid for one of Bill's new brick amps for 1296 this year at Dayton. It was based on the new bricks that have made working on Microwave transmit equipment so much easier and had all the right stuff, decent looking hybrid combiners for multiple bricks and boasted 70 watts out at a price significantly reduced from the alternative of a tube amp purchased from somewhere near Cape Canaveral ;-). It is now 4 months and a couple of inquiries later and I still don't have my DAMN AMP. I do not recommend Down East Microwave to anyone. The equipment seems to be good but the performance on getting the goods out the door to the customer seems to be poor. Bill knows who I am and if he would do this to a director of AMSAT, a V.P., a chief exploitee of AMSAT engineering (I do all the dishwashing and bottle cleaning), then I shudder to think what he does to those people with no public exposure. I WANT MY BIG MODE L SIGNAL and I will now have to go get my money out of Bill and find an alternative. I suggest that you don't try to take a cheaper way out either. Bob McGwier, N4HY