************************************************************************** * * * THIS IS THE WD0GML-AMSAT-ST.LOUIS BBS 24HR 7DAY AT (314)447-3003 * * 300/1200/2400 BAUD * * Mike Parisey WD0GML SYSOP * * Norm Newman NZ0Z Co-SYSOP * * * ************************************************************************** SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-232.01 AO-13 MODE S WORKING PERFECTLY HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 232.01 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD AUGUST 20, 1989 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Strong AO-13 Mode S Signals Heard With "Normal" Mode B Uplink Power Levels As reported last week in a AMSAT News Service (ANS-224.01) bulletin, Peter Guelzow (DB2OS) with the assistance of ON6UG, G2BFO, and DF5DP, was able to figure out a way to shut down the Mode S beacon on OSCAR-13 during normal pass- band communications on the Mode S transponder. From the very beginning the Mode S transponder's beacon was designed to shut off when the transponder operations commenced. However, until recently this would not occur and those who wanted to use Mode S had to "push" their signals past the beacon using enormous amounts RF output power on 70cm. But with Peter's reprogramming of the Integrated Housekeeping Unit (IHU) to now turn off the beacon auto- matically, Bill McCaa (K0RZ) reports that with normal Mode B uplink power levels it is now possible to bring down an excellent signal on the Mode S transponder. Bill points out that in his testing he had excellent signals using 300-500 watts EIRP using his own Mode B uplink capability. On the downlink his signals were 10 to 15 dB above the noise floor using a 4 foot diameter dish and a 1 dB NF pre-amplifer. Bill would also like to remind OSCAR-13 users of the passband limits on the Mode S transponder. The uplink for Mode S extends from 435.471 MHz to 435.507 MHz. The corresponding downlink on Mode S starts at 2400.711 MHz to 2400.747 Mhz. AMSAT salutes the efforts of all those who were involved in getting the Mode S tranponder working properly. AMSAT encourages all OSCAR-13 users to take advantage of this new "resource." /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-232.02 MICROSAT LAB GROUND TEST STATION HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 232.02 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD AUGUST 20, 1989 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT Two Complete Ground Test Stations Installed At The MICROSAT Lab On Sunday August 10th two complete PSK packet stations were installed in the AMSAT-NA MICROSAT Lab located in Boulder, CO. The task of integrating the tranceivers, computers, and building and testing the TAPR PSK demodulators, fell on the shoulders of AMSAT-NA Area Coordinator for Colorado, Jim White (WD0E). These two complete stations will be used for testing the MICROSATs while they are in the Lab and also during thermal vacuum testing. Later, the two stations will be taken by the AMSAT-NA Launch Preparation Team to Kourou, French Guiana in October and be will used to checkout the spacecraft and make any last minute software updates. Since four spacecraft are being built in parallel and because redundancy is needed at the launch site, Jim felt that it was necessary to have two complete stations. The stations consist of a pair of 2M/70cm multi-mode Kenwood 711/811 tranceivers, MFJ 1270 TNC-2, TAPR PSK modems, two XT class computers with monitors, and an assortment of "rubber duck" antennas, dummy loads, miscellaneous cabling, and power supplies. Also, Jim had to modify the TNC's to allow for a direct connection to the MICROSAT flight computers so software uploading and testing can be accomplished without having to use the tranceivers. Many of the visitors to the MICROSAT Lab in Boulder, CO are immediately impressed with the ground station assembled by Jim. After the launch, this equipment will be used by AMSAT ground-command stations to monitor telemetry and perform daily "housekeeping" chores. AMSAT-NA would like to express its appreciation to Kenwood for donating their fine tranceiver pair to the MICROSAT program. Thanks are also in order to Heathkit/Zenith Data Systems who donated a pair of their XT-class computers. Other equipment donations came from MFJ with their TNC-2's (MFJ-1270's), TAPR for the PSK demodulators, and an assortment of "odd-and-ends" from Gateway Electronics of Denver. Without these generous donations of essential equipment to the amateur satellite program, AMSAT-NA would have to focus its scarce resources to procuring this equipment instead of concentrating on building spacecraft. Once again, AMSAT-NA wants to acknowledge Jim White for the excellent job he has done in putting these stations together and the many fine manufacturers who have helped to make the MICROSAT ground test/command stations possible. /EX SB ALL @ AMSAT $ANS-232.03 AMSAT SHORT BURSTS HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 232.03 FROM AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD AUGUST 20, 1989 TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT AMSAT Short Bursts The following is the latest OSCAR-13 operating schedule. Please post this in a convenient place in your hamshack for quick reference. 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 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 08/25/89 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 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! DOWN EAST MICROWAVE UPDATE: Howdy: I received a very nice letter from Bill Olsen concerning my recent problems with Down East Microwave and their L band amplifier. Bill did exactly what I wanted him to have done all along, by giving me a complete description of exactly where things stood. As many of you may not know Bill or his company very well, his is a very small operation, low overhead and small volume. He takes own new products, sometimes designed by others, and pushes them through to the market. This is usually done at prices reduced from those one might expect to pay for equipment. A similar Sideband Engineering amp from Germany to the one I ordered from Down East, will cost you about $1400 U.S. with import, etc. This particular amp is a new development project and is based on the really neat brick modules that are coming out of Japan. I am completely satisfied with the response I have received from Bill, I know where the project stands and since it will cost me several hundred bucks less than ANY alternative for 70W amp on 1296, I am willing to wait. My only real complaint was not knowing where things stood and thinking I would be receiving it before now. On the Loop Yagi's I received from Down East last year, they work so well that I have consistently refused to give Tom Clark the one he paid for. I suppose that I ought to pay up or give it to him (REAL SOON NOW). N4HY Bob The story appearing last week on this BBS reguarding DOWN EAST MICROWAVE were private comments by Bob and should not have been placed on the Board without my checking out the story before releaseing it. I am now sorry for the slip of ethics in this matter, and apologize to both Bill and Bob. However items in this section are for your information and NOT official AMSAT statements, some are NOT suitable for transmission via Amateur Radio. In the future I will check out any added items that are of questionable nature, likewise feel free to edit the FLASH! items before posting them to your Packet BBS's. Again apologies to all. WD0GML Mike, Sysop AMSAT-NA CBBS at St. Louis