
SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0919
* SpaceNews 19-Sep-94 *
 
 
BID: $SPC0919
 
 
                               =========
                               SpaceNews
                               =========
 
 
                        MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 1994
 
 
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA.  It is
published every week and is made available for unlimited distribution.
 
 
* SAREX SCHOOL CONTACT *
========================
Sal, N9NJF had the pleasure of making a scheduled SAREX contact with Dick,
KB5SIW during mission STS-64 on 11-Sep-94 at 23:48 to 23:56 UTC from the 
Crystal Lake South Elementary School, Crystal Lake, Illinois.  
 
Ed Picha, N9EP reports that the contact went well and solid signals were 
aquired about 20 seconds after computer-predicted AOS.  Six children were 
chosen to ask questions, and each got to ask 2 questions.
 
The ground station equipment used to make the contact included a Yaesu 
FT-736R with Mirage 150 W amp into a KLM-14CX antenna with Landwher preamp 
mounted on the antenna.  A backup configuration consisted of a Motorola 
SPECTRA, 110 W out to a 5/8 wave vertical antenna at 30 feet.
 
The antenna was computer controlled with INSTANT TRACK and KC TRACKER.  
Doppler compensation was accomplished by programming a number of memories 
in the FT-736 with the appropriate doppler corrected transmit and receive 
frequencies and switching these memories each minute of the pass.  Ed is
currently working on some software to perform doppler compensation 
"automagically" for the FT-736 transceiver, and expects to have it 
completed shortly.  
 
Ed found that LHCP was superior to RHCP for most of the pass.  Some times 
the difference in received signal strength was as much as 4 S units, even 
though the antenna in the Shuttle is linearly polarized.
 
Ed also reports the SAREX contact was a great experience and it was truly 
rewarding to see the school kids bouncing off the walls when the contact 
was over.  They were REALLY excited!
 
[Info via Ed Picha, N9EP]
 
 
* AMSAT-OSCAR-16 NEWS *
=======================
At 0300 UTC on 12-Sep-94, the AO-16 Command Team began to reload the
of the Ramdisk and File Server software on AMSAT-OSCAR-16 after running
without a reload for over 700 days.  This "Preventive Maintenance" is 
warranted by the accumulation of uncorrectable SEU's (Single Event Upsets) 
in the file control structures stored on the ram disk.  During the past 
year, four uncorrectable SEU's have been recorded in the directory, root 
directory and FAT (File Allocation Table) entries of the error logs.  In 
the past, a crash of the file server software was attributed to these types 
of errors.  Reloading and running the ram disk software reformats the ram 
disk thereby cleaning out all the bad SEU's.  
 
Fortunately these uncorrectable errors have not occurred in the EDAC memory
where the actual spacecraft operational software is run.  This allows the 
command team to unload and reload a task or tasks with the shortest amount
of file server downtime.  The digipeater will be off during this reload and
all stations are requested not to uplink to the satellite during this time.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
 
[Info via Russ Platt, WJ9F, of the AO-16 Command Team]
 
 
* LUSAT-OSCAR-19 NEWS *
=======================
After a three month period, the file server on the LUSAT-OSCAR-19 satellite
is back in operation.  The file server had been out of service since the
spacecraft's on-board computer crashed last May for unknown reasons while
it was over the South Atlantic Anomaly.
 
An LUSAT command station completed the OBC software reload on Sunday
11-Sep-94 and brought the file server back on line.
 
[Info via Gustavo, LW2DTZ of AMSAT LU]
 
 
* FUJI-OSCAR-20 NEWS *
======================
The FO-20 command team mentioned that digital mode operation of the bird
will be continued for a while because mode switching between digital mode
and analog mode may cause a problem with the onboard command system.
 
[Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK qga02014@niftyserve.or.jp]
 
 
* ITAMSAT-OSCAR-26 NEWS *
=========================
After 40 days of idle time, the ITAMSAT spacecraft was switched on by 
ground command and a full spacecraft checkout was performed by the control 
team.  IO-26 was found to be in excellent shape with the battery fully 
charged and all critical parameters in a nominal state.  Several pieces 
of test software were loaded and executed without any problem.  
 
The reason for the delay in bringing IO-26 back on the air was due to the 
heavy workload of the control team.  Alberto, I2KBD spent some time in 
Chile helping the CESAR team, and lightning destroyed the main command 
station.
 
The reload of the IHT code with improved capabilities is scheduled by
the end of September to celebrate IO-26's first year in orbit.  Until that 
occurs, expect a few more weeks of idle time.
 
[Info via Alberto, I2KBD, ITAMSAT Mission Director]
 
 
* MIR EVA COVERAGE *
====================
John, G7MIZ, in England reports watching live pictures of the latest 
extravehicular activity outside the Russian space station Mir on the 
morning of 13-Sep-94 at 0630 UTC on the COSMOS 2054 satellite, 10,820 MHz, 
loacted at 15 degrees west longitude.  Other noted frequencies were 
10,925 MHz, and 11,385 MHz.  Peak signal times were 0600 and 1800 UTC.
 
[Info via John, G7MIZ @ GB7OAR.GBR.EU]
 
 
* THANKS! *
===========
Thanks to all those who sent messages of appreciation to SpaceNews,
especially:
 
   IK1SLD    XE1RK    KC2EQ    N2AAM    N2CBO    N2JOC    N4WAK    AB5IQ    
   K8EF      LU8DYF   KF9WW    N9EF     John Darden       Dan Carlisle
 
...and those I got to speak to on the "Spectrum" radio show last week.
The producers reported the telephones never stopped ringing during the
broadcast!
 
 
* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Mail to SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John, KD2BD) via any
of the following paths:
 
FAX       : 1-908-747-7107
PACKET    : KD2BD @ N2KZH.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET  : kd2bd@ka2qhd.de.com -or- kd2bd@amsat.org
SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19
 
MAIL      : John A. Magliacane, KD2BD
            Department of Engineering and Technology
            Advanced Technology Center
            Brookdale Community College
            Lincroft, New Jersey  07738
            U.S.A.
 
 
       <<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>> 
 
/EX

