[amsat-bb] Falconsat3 ASTARS Network Concept

[Stefan Wagener]

Sorry Bob,

With all due respect, but I could not disagree more with your
statement: "Falconsat3
brings back a great satellite capability for emergency response traffic
into and out of remote disaster areas. Its file store and forward BBS using
the PACSAT protocol is ideal for getting multiline messages, and pictures
and data out of an area."

Here is why:

1. Its foot print and availability is severely limited by its inclination
of 35 degrees. Most of the northern hemisphere has a few minutes and
low horizon activity during a very short window.
2. Any satellite that is not available 24/7 (e.g. geostationary) is not
useful for emergency operations. Having it around for a few minutes a day
does not cut it. There is a reason why folks use HF and VHF radios (and not
amateur radio satellites)
3. The equipment, software and user training is not there. Just look at the
"fun" people having getting the TX side going.
4. You can count on one hand the folks that are currently having RX and TX
ability to get a few packets through not even thinking about images etc.
5. Emergency response requires KISS equipment and training on the amateur
radio side.

On the other hand, it is a fun satellite to play with and like most APRS
satellites a niche to explore and enjoyable from a hobby perspective.

Again, these comments are within the spirit of our common interests
and acknowledging all the great work you are doing and have done.

73, Stefan VE4NSA


On Thu, Oct 12, 2017 at 5:23 PM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:

> Falconsat3 brings back a great satellite capability for emergency response
> traffic into and out of remote disaster areas.
>
>
>
> Its file store and forward BBS using the PACSAT protocol is ideal for
> getting multiline messages, and pictures and data out of an area. Amateur
> radio Sateliltes sort of abandoned this concept with the rise of the
> internet.  And then the short, real-time contact capability of APRS better
> matched the shorter attention span of the evolving users.
>
>
>
> But now we have both in Falconsat3.  But we also now have the Internet and
> can integrate a worldwide collection of satstations capturing all the
> downlink PACSAT BBS packets and building a WEB portal on the ground that
> always mirrors the traffic on the bird.  Imagine that a remote operator can
> post a photo or file that can be read on a Falconsat WEB portal by FEMA or
> emergency operators back here anytime, anywhere.
>
>
>
> The concept is suggested on this page:   http://aprs.org/PFS3.html
>
>
>
> All we need is someone to write the internet server that collects the BBS
> packets from all the ground stations like the APRS-IS already does for
> APRS, but this new PACSAT-IS would be just for PACSAT BBS traffic.
>
>
>
> Then someone to collect the data and write the WEB Portal.
>
>
>
> Then people to put up satgates (hopefully using omni antennas) and with
> enough stations, all packets could be collected.
>
>
>
> Anyway, I created the above web page to kind of serve as a target for this
> exciting new Amateur Radio capability.
>
>
>
> So even stations that are using OMNI antennas now and only decoding a few
> packets per pass, we need to understand how well this works for high
> elevation passes.  Even this sparse data is good data.
>
>
>
> Remember, with a standard TNC all you are seeing are the few UI packets in
> the downlink.  I think if you set KISS mode, you will be flooded with all
> the streaming BBS data too.  This continuous stream at 9600 can make it
> easy to see the effect of an antenna in very short time.
>
>
>
> Bob, WB4APR
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