[amsat-bb] Re: AO-51 update 25 April 2011

[Ted]

Thanks for your efforts Mark

73, Ted K7TRK

-----Original Message-----
From: amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces at amsat.org] On
Behalf Of Mark L. Hammond
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 2:49 PM
To: amsat-bb at amsat.org
Subject: [amsat-bb] AO-51 update 25 April 2011

Hi All,

For now, it looks like the PL tone management (and changes to other
settings) has helped to keep AO-51 running and supporting normal operations.
We are now running around 475 mW of power out on 435.300 MHz.

Over the last few days, some of you on the east coast of the U.S. have
probably heard command stations downloading telemetry files on the 435.300
frequency.  You can expect this to happen every few days; sometimes in the
AM, sometimes in the PM.  Because it's 9600 baud packet, it sounds like a
carrier or open squelch with a "SSSSSHHHHHHHHHH" sound to it.   If you hear
that sound, there isn't much use in trying to uplink; it means we're
collecting telemetry and the voice repeater is off for the moment.  Wait for
the "SSSHHHHHHH" sound to go away, and you'll know the voice repeater is
active again.

The current power budget makes it very hard to run both transmitters at the
same time.  Also, we are trying to keep the amount of commanding to a
minimum, so using the single transmitter for both voice and telemetry is our
current approach.  We'll see how it goes.  It does mean that it eats into
voice operations a little, but the trade off is worth it-both for the short
and long terms.

In the meantime, keeping using our old bird when it's active!  We don't want
to take it for granted...  

73 on behalf of the Command Team,


Mark L. Hammond  [N8MH] 

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