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[jamsat-news:840] * SpaceNews 08-Jun-98 *
SB NEWS @ AMSAT $SPC0608
* SpaceNews 08-Jun-98 *
BID: $SPC0608
=========
SpaceNews
=========
MONDAY JUNE 8, 1998
SpaceNews originates at KD2BD in Wall Township, New Jersey, USA. It
is published every week and is made available for non-commercial use.
* APRS EXPERIMENT DAYS ON AO-16 *
=================================
AMSAT-OSCAR-16 command station Jim White, WD0E, has authorized an APRS
experimenters day on AO-16 to explore the use of the 1200 baud Pacsat
for position/status reporting for distant travelers using common TNCs.
The test periods will run from 0000 to 2359 UTC on Tuesdays (Monday nite,
and Tuesday day passes). APRS experimenters are requested to uplink only
on 145.940 MHz. Normal TNCs will NOT work unless modified for Manchester
transmission (a $3 mod); see TRAKNET in the May/June issue of the AMSAT
Journal for details, assuming you do not have a 1200 baud pacsat modem.
The intent here is only to provide a channel for mobile travelers or
wilderness position/status reporting (1 or 2 packets per station per day).
Existing users of AO-16 need not fear a deluge of activity, since most
99.9% of APRS users are already connected nationwide via VHF, UHF, HF, and
Internet gateways. Comparing this 24 hour a day connectivity with the
potential of only a few packets a day via AO-16 will certainly limit
activity to only those truckers, RV'ers and cross country mobile travelers
in the wilderness, willing to make the TNC mod.
Obviously, the objective for the ultimate use of the AO-16 link is for
7 day a week use on one of its 4 uplink channels. But to TEST these
concepts, the once a week APRS test day will be used to gather data on the
optimum transmission rate and on the details of making the XOR chip mod on
a variety of TAPR-2 type TNCs. By using only one day per week now, our
experiments will be focused to when the downlink stations are active.
The number one need is for automated AO-16 downlink stations (maybe 3 to
5 across the country) who will link the APRS packets into the rest of
the terrestrial network. TELNET to 199.227.86.221 port 23 to see the
continuous stream of nationwide APRS packets. We have one volunteer
so far in Pennsylvania, NR3U. The AO-16 command team thinks that this
experiment may lead to some good developments in using DSP to automate
the reception of the PSK downlink. If you have talent in this area,
come join us.
The idea is to use conventional 2-meter FM mobile radios and standard
TNCs with the added $3 XOR gate so that any DX mobile can configure for
transmitting his position/status via AO16 a few times a day. This makes
the uplink trivial to do for ANYONE going on a long trip.
If you are 1200 baud PACSAT capable, please monitor the downlink on Monday
nights and Tuesday days for any UI frames and capture them. Even if you
don't have a PACSAT modem, but do have UHF all mode, you should be able
to hear individual digipeated packets on 437.051 MHz. AO-16 comes over
everywhere in the USA between 10:30 and 1:30 both AM and PM local time.
Hopefully we will establish a mailing list of APRS-AO16 experimenters so
that we can keep close tabs on the progress of the experiments. If you
are not on that list, please indicate to me (wb4apr@amsat.org) your
interest.
[Info via Bob, WB4APR]
* FUJI-OSCAR-29 NEWS CORRECTION *
=================================
The FO-29 command station released on 1998-Jun-02 a correction to their
earlier announcement regarding FO-29 which was included in last week's
issue of SpaceNews. The telemetry value groundstations are asked to
monitor is channel '2B', which is the 6th value from 'HI HI'.
[Info via Kazu Sakamoto, JJ1WTK]
* KITSAT-OSCAR-25 NEWS *
========================
After returning to full service last week, KITSAT-OSCAR-25 is no longer
responding to upload and download requests made on either uplink frequency.
The satellite continues to transmit telemetry and status information on
its downlink frequency. In addition to this, the satellite is transmitting
the following ASCII text packet:
HL02->NEWS <UI>:
"We will reboot the OBC S/W of KO-25 for a while."
The satellite is reporting a spacecraft kernel uptime of over 450 days.
* FEEDBACK/INPUT WELCOMED *
===========================
Comments and input for SpaceNews should be directed to the editor (John,
KD2BD) via any of the paths listed below:
WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
PACKET : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA
INTERNET : kd2bd@amsat.org, magliaco@email.njin.net
SATELLITE : AMSAT-OSCAR-16, LUSAT-OSCAR-19, KITSAT-OSCAR-25
<<=- SpaceNews: The first amateur newsletter read in space! -=>>
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/EX
--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John A. Magliacane, KD2BD -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Internet : kd2bd@amsat.org | Voice : +1.732.224.2948
Satellite : AO-16, LO-19, KO-25 | Morse : -.- -.. ..--- -... -..
Packet : KD2BD @ KS4HR.NJ.USA.NA | WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
Video : 426.250 MHz/439.250 MHz | FAX : +1.732.224.2060
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