[amsat-bb] Standard for AMSAT status board observations of FS-3

[Mark L. Hammond]

Hi All,

I guess this Is a difference between the general user and me as a command
station :-) if I see a report that it’s downlink only, it triggers a bit of
anxiety regarding the operation of the satellite.

If I were to listen to  AO-92, but was unable to hear myself when
transmitting, should I report downlink only?  Different, but similar.

I guess my point is this, not hearing anything doesn’t mean it’s not
working. A report of Downlink only to me, anyhow, implies something is
wrong with the satellite. See the subtlety?

 Here’s another nuance, figure the status report is a satellite status
report, not a users experience report.

 In the end, it doesn’t really matter :-) I’m glad to see the reports are
being made for our satellites. It’s helpful, sometimes even when it’s not
very precise.


Mark N8MH



On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 12:17 PM Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) <
amsat-bb at wd9ewk.net> wrote:

> Hi Ryan!
>
> I'm with you on how to report on the AMSAT status page. If I
> don't see my packets being digipeated when using my TH-D72
> or TM-D710, I mark my reports as "Downlink Only". If I see
> my packets being digipeated, or I see other stations using
> the digipeater, I'll go with "Uplink and Downlink Active".
>
> As for the pass times, they gradually move earlier in the
> day. I have what should be some decent passes this
> afternoon, and I hope to work one or two of them from the
> Prescott Hamfest in north-central Arizona later with my
> TH-D72 & Elk - same setup I used last week, when I worked
> you via FalconSat-3.
>
> 73!
>
>
>
>
> Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
> http://www.wd9ewk.net/
> Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 2:28 PM, Ryan Noguchi via AMSAT-BB <
> amsat-bb at amsat.org> wrote:
>
> > I've been reporting my observations on the AMSAT Live OSCAR Satellite
> > Status page. For the FM and linear satellites, it's a no-brainer:  if I
> > hear live traffic on the bird, or if I hear myself being transponded,
> then
> > clearly "Uplink and Downlink Active" is appropriate.
> >
> > However, for the packet satellites, what's the criteria for reporting the
> > uplink as active? The past two days, I've received continuous streams of
> > non-APRS packets from FalconSat-3 on two passes, but despite manually
> > sending my beacons many times on each pass, I don't get digipeated (at
> > least no iGate seems to be picking up the traffic) and I don't receive
> any
> > APRS packets from anyone else.
> >   My TH-D72A is properly configured per Patrick WD9EWK's excellent
> > tutorial, and I've made QSOs earlier in the week with the radio in the
> same
> > configuration it's in now. The only difference seems to be that I'm
> working
> > FS-3 much earlier in the day, on a weekday, than I have in the past. I'm
> > just using a TH-D72A, so for all I know, a dozen ops are having a grand
> ol'
> > time on the BBS.
> >
> > I've been reporting these passes as "Downlink Only." Is that appropriate?
> > I seem to be the only one this week who reported FalconSat-3 as anything
> > but open for business. I'm planning to try one or more passes later
> today.
> >
> >
> > 73, Ryan AI6DO
> >
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-- 
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH]