[sarex] Re: Marex news, ISS radio status

[George Henry]

Just saw a message over on the AMSAT BB that indicates that Dr. Charles Simonyi will be performing maintenance on both rigs during his upcoming stay on the ISS.....   YAY!!!


George, KA3HSW


-----Original Message-----
>From: Dave Taylor <w8aas at comcast.net>
>Sent: Apr 6, 2007 7:05 AM
>To: Sarex <SAREX at AMSAT.Org>
>Subject: [sarex] Re: Marex news, ISS radio status
>
>Miles overstates the D700 problems.  The memory channels didn't  
>become corrupted; they are fine.  Physically, the radio is fine.   
>What happened was that the programmed operating modes (PMs, in D700  
>terminology) were overwritten by unplanned (and unknown) changes,  
>probably during the SSTV try-outs.  Without reliable PMs, changing  
>modes requires a lengthy and error-prone procedure to switch between  
>packet operations and school contacts.  Therefore, the radio was  
>manually put in the school contact configuration and left there.   
>That is its primary mission.
>
>Fixing the PMs does not require an OS load (whatever that means).   
>The custom EPROM firmware, which modified some of the D700's  
>functions for space use, doesn't need to be changed.  The PMs are  
>just operator configurations that can be reloaded from a computer via  
>a serial port on the front of the radio, without disassembling  
>anything.  All that is needed is the computer, crew training, and  
>scheduled crew time to do it (all of which are hard to arrange on ISS).
>
>-- Dave, W8AAS
>