[amsat-bb] Falconsat3 ASTARS Network Concept

[Jordan Trewitt]

That honestly sounds like a really good advertisement for one of the Phase
4 satellite concepts if I've heard of one. Although I do kind of hope I can
get time to listen to the falcon sat before the symposium.

Regards,
Jordan
KF5COQ

On Thu, Oct 12, 2017 at 10:24 PM Stefan Wagener <wageners at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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
> > _______________________________________________
> > Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
> Opinions
> > expressed
> > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
> > AMSAT-NA.
> > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite
> program!
> > Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via AMSAT-BB at amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available
> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions
> expressed
> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of
> AMSAT-NA.
> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program!
> Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
>