[sarex] Mir radio equip.

["Miles Mann" <Miles_Mann@xxxxxxxxxx>]

By Miles Mann WF1F,
MAREX-NA (Manned Amateur Radio Experiment, North American Division)

Hi All:

Thanks for your suggestions on what to do with the Amateur Radio equipment
on Mir, when Mir is finally retired in February 2001.
I have asked similar questions of Energia during my dealing the Mir Amateur
radio program.
In 1996 I asked one of the engineers how much it would cost to bring down one
of the modems which is no longer used. I wanted to put the old PaCom HandiPack
modem
in a museum
 He said that the amount of hardware
they can bring back to earth is very limited.  Usually all space is filled in
the
Soyuze with computer data and photographic film and medical experiments.
The cost to bring back 1 pound of hardware was very expensive.
So i told him to toss the Modem in the trash truck because the memory battery
was
now leaking and we did not want the lithium to contaminated the air and water
supply.
 I am not sure if they ever tossed it.


Recently i asked question again and was told that is still would not be possible
to bring
any of the amateur radio equipment on Mir.  We can always hope.
The existing Mir Kantronics KPC-9612 modem, Serial number 401 has passed a
lot of important traffic over the past 2 years.

During my telecon today with Energia, ill make a point of passing on some of
your
comments.

PS
Rather than having a Flea Mkt to raise money for P3D, why dont you
raise money for MAREX-NA.
The Kantonics and SSTV projects both came from MAREX-NA and
we also have project proposals being reviewed for ISS.

73 Miles





Andy:
Does anyone know what they will do with the amateur station when they are
finished with MIR? Surely it won't burn up with MIR. What does everyone else
think they should do with it?


Andy C. Tolar (KF4AIO)

**********************************************

HI All;
     In my opinion, They should remove the equipment and return it to
Earth. This of course depends on them having enough room in their capsule
to do so.  At the very least It could be serviced so when (if) they
return to MIR it will be in good condition.  Maybe they wouldn't have the
problems they seem to be having with the packet system from time to time
                          "73"      John,   KG5ZA

**********************************************
 Bruce Bostwick
Unfortunately it will probably go down with the ship, so to speak.  The
only alternative would be to bring it down aboard the last Soyuz, and space
in those Spam cans is EXTREMELY scarce .. somewhat smaller than an Apollo
CM, and there's way more important stuff that would have to come back
first.  There are no further Mir-STS dockings planned since NASA is
concentrating on getting ISS online and STS launches cost upwards of $500
million a shot ..

           Bruce Bostwick  KD5BIV    Austin, TX  Grid EM10DH
**********************************************
Roger:
I think they should hold a Flea Market and donate the money they raise to the
P3D project...

Roger

WA1KAT



----
Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe sarex" to Majordomo@amsat.org