[amsat-bb] Re: Redundant geostaionary birds?

[Karl Bullock]

Andy,

I proposed exactly the same thing about 5 years ago and was basically 
told the satellite companies wouldn't go for it.  These birds are worth 
a considerable amount, even though they're not usable for their intended 
purpose.  I would think a "donation" of the use of the bird to AMSAT, a 
non-profit organization, would reap some substantial tax benefits, as 
well as benefit emergency communications.  The question is, who has the 
contacts to advance such a proposal?  Certainly not me :)

73,
Karl, WA5TMC


Andythomas wrote:
> Hi gang,
>
> I was reading an ESA press release about satellite radio experiments and
> didn't realise its emphasis on re-using redundant broadcast tv satellites
> until I read the bbc version of the story at:
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6301359.stm
>
> which explains that when the broadcast geostationary saetllites lose fuel
> for position control the tv guys lose interest in them, even though the
> transponders work fine.
>
> Then I fell to wondering:
>
>  whether we in the amateur satellite service could not use both the up and
> down links on these redundant geostationary birds?
>
> I don't know the exaxct frequencies but there may be one out there that has
> frequencies we share (or at least the uplink). After all we have years of
> experience of chasing staellites which are not exactly where they should be
> in the sky and so the "wandering geostationary" satellite shouldn't be a
> worry.
>
> I think each transponder channel is 27 MHz wide??
>
> I remember vaguely that there was a "pipe" on one of the birds from the UK
> to the USA which was used in amateur service about 15 years ago now (but I
> don' t remember very much else).
>
> If we could take over one channel on the transponder then immediately we
> would start looking at uplink equations, multiplex etc. and what about a
> mobile aprs service?!
>
> 90% of the world will tell you why it can't be done. Who can show how it
> can be done?
>
> 73 de andy G0SFJ
>
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