[amsat-bb] Re: [fieldops] What do you do with satellites?

Robert Bruninga bruninga at usna.edu
Thu Oct 2 08:18:06 PDT 2008


> I'm looking for something a little more 
> than just HEO v. LEO. 
> I'm looking for modes of operation. 
> I'd love to hear from someone on the use of 
> PACSAT birds, APRS, and maybe some keyboard-
> to-keyboard digital modes (PSK31 anyone?).

Well, here are my APRS comments..
Any of the digital birds that can be operated in bent-pipe
digipeater mode can be used for real-time text messaging, status
reporting or position tracking.  The current satellites that
have been used this way are ARISS,GO32,ECHO, and PCSAT.

Typical applications are:
1) Exchanging contacts and grids, and live demos
2) Position reporting on long trips from far places
3) Status reporting on long trips from far places
4) Data reporting from far places and experiments

In this last category, there have been ski-pole mounted WX
stations that have been placed in the Arctic and Antarctic and
reported back via amateur satellite, there was a truck driver
that drives the frozen rivers in the arctic circle that used
APRS via the satellites to let his wife know where he was.

We are making ocean floating buoys for student experriments in
environmental sensors.  I am testing one in the attic of my
dad's house in Alabama, so I can keep track of the temperatures
(from here in Maryland) to make sure the heat is on, etc..  We
have a team going to Mongolia, and they will take an APRS
device, so they can send data and email.

Any APRS radio can send text messages and email from the radio
without even needing a PC.  Just set the message and when a
satellite comes into view, it will be delivered.  For any remote
world travelers, this has value,  thought there has to be a
ground station in the same footprint to relay it into the global
APRS internet linked system.

Bob

> 
> 73,
> Eric W4OTN
> 
> 
> >Eric:
> >
> >This is where the "beauty" of HEO satellites are seriously 
> missed. Unlike
> >LEO satellite exchanges, HEO satellites promote true, long 
> discussions with
> >hams in other countries creates genuine cultural exchanges - 
> much more than
> >"just talking". I can cite chapter and verse of such past
QSOs.
> >
> >'73,
> >Dick Jansson, KD1K
> >kd1k at amsat.org
> >kd1k at arrl.net  
> >
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: fieldops-bounces at amsat.org 
> [mailto:fieldops-bounces at amsat.org] On
> >Behalf Of Eric Christensen
> >Sent: Thursday, 02 October, 2008 01:04
> >To: AMSAT FieldOps; AMSAT-BB at amsat.org
> >Subject: [fieldops] What do you do with satellites?
> >
> >I had a question a couple of days ago from someone that 
> thought all you
> >could do over the satellites was talk.  I explained to him
that there
> >were other things you could do but I'm sure I left out some
things.
> >
> >That got me thinking, though.  I wonder how many people just
aren't
> >familiar enough with satellites to know there are other 
> things you can
> >do with them than just pick up a microphone and talk.
> >
> >I've already started writing an article on what you can do
with
> >satellites but I'd love to hear from all the users out there 
> as to how
> >you operate over the birds.
> >
> >Please respond directly to me at w4otn at amsat.org.
> >
> >73,
> >Eric Christensen, W4OTN
> >AMSAT Area Coordinator - Southeastern Virginia USA
> >AMSAT Member 35360
> >http://www.ericsatcom.net
> >GPG Key Fingerprint: 4395 EF8D DDFF E681 26CB  7165 2F95 
> 7CC9 D749 08ED
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> >
> >
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