[amsat-bb] Re: FLTSATCOM Hacked

[Robert Bruninga]

> A last comment, a LEO would be virtually worthless 
> for Emergency NET communications and HF is still 
> a viable and reliable means of communications...

Well, I still think a bunch of 145.825 APRS digipeating
satellites in LEO that would allow text-messaging from anywhere
in the world at any time, downlinked into the APRS-Internet
system and hence global internet connectivity is still a great
way to go for basic messaging for emergency response.  With just
6 such tiny 4" cubesats, you could get a message in-or-out with
no more than a half hour wait from the front panel of your APRS
mobile radio.  With a dozen of these, you could have global
communications anywhere instantly or with no more than a 5
minute wait.

Our goal is to get more of these up there to join the ISS
digipeater, but of the 4 we have lanuched so far, all were
short-term orbits and so the most we have ever had operational
at one time was 3 (PCSAT-1, ANDE and RAFT).  That is one of the
main reasons we wanted to see ISS on 145.825 to join the
constellation.  ISS was still on 145.800 during most of the life
of those three birds (which were all on 145.825) 

Today, with 6 AA NiCd's, a 19" whip antennna, and a 3.4" square
APRS Microtacker TNC/Radio you can throw together an APRS
satellite for under $400.  Add cheap solar panels, a lot of
sweat equity and then find a school to provide the $50,000
launch, and bingo, A LEO satellite with great utility that
anyone can use while mobile for text messsaging and email from
the front panel of their APRS radio.

Please see the Microtrack TNC/Radio which can serve as the
entire Comms, Command, Control and Telemetry module:

http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/mt-tt4.php

And see our cubesat project: http://www.aprs.org/psat.html
though this web page needs to be significanly updated..

Bob, WB4APR