PCSAT-1 status från ANS kommer här:
PCSAT-1 has been recovered as it entered better sun angles.
PCSAT-1 should remain NORMAL OPS for the next few weeks until it experiences an overload and resets. Then it will be lost until December. All users are asked to please adhere to these fundamental
principles:
1) No connections to or through PCSAT-1
2) UI digipeating and APRS packets only about a 1 minute rate
3) Watch pcsat.aprs.org for live activity
4) Use the path of VIA PCSAT-1 or VIA ARISS
5) Minimize all packets after dark!
Enjoy PCSAT-1 and APRS! Make contacts, QSO, enjoy!
Just remember that ACKS are pretty useless and only add QRM to the channel. So do not expect ACKS via the satellite. If you see your outgoing packet digipeated by PCSAT-1 a few times then you should ASSUME that the other person got it and delete it yourself. By the same token, if someone sends you a message, then ANSWER him in kind, so that he knows you got it.
[ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR, for the above information]
PCSAT-1 Special Ops
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 274.03
From AMSAT HQ SILVER SPRING, MD.
October 1, 2006
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-274.03
Bob Bruinga, WB4APR, with the US Naval Academy Satellite Lab provided the following update on PCSAT-1 special operations.
We now welcome routine trackers and unattended beacons so that we can build up statistics on channel loading and the channel capacity of
PCSAT-1 and it’s follow-on spacecraft. We do want everyone to include basic info in their packet though. Please include PWR,Antenna Gain, and RATE. Such as "5W,3dbi,5min" so that the statistics will show us what works…
PCSAT-1 works like any APRS digipeater so the only thing you have to do, to work the satellite is to change your APRS (or packet station) channel to 145.825 instead of its normal frequency. When you get to work, QSY to 145.825 during the day, and when you get home. Its nice to look at your mobile radio and see who else you captured after work or overnight.
For unattended, set your beacon rate to once ever 5 minutes. If attended and monitoring the channel, you can use 2 minutes. You can see if you got in on http://pcsat.aprs.org . Watching the capacity of
PCSAT-1 to carry these data will be usefull for gauging the success of our next satellite, ParkinsonSAT. See http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/buoy.html
PCSAT-1 responds to most common digipeating callsigns (below) so that no one should have to change anything when going between terrestrial or ISS operation to PCSAT-1, other than their frequency.
– PCSAT-1
– RELAY
– WIDE
– WIDEn-N
– ARISS
– TRACEn-N
We saw 22 people yesterday on the East Coast and the web page above, is showing about 70 in the last 2 days. PCSAT-1 should be able to handle 100 or so per footprint PER PASS! So lets get the number of users up for the next 2 weeks of useful PCSAT-1 life.
See web page PCSAT.APRS.ORG or Google for PCSAT.
[ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR, for the above information]
