AMSAT-SM - Official Website of AMSAT-SM SwedenAO-40 is currently at ALON/ALAT = 20/0 and we continue to advance toward 45/0. We are holding the current position for the moment, but the next jump of approximately 10
degrees (ALON ~30) will come in about another
week.
At that time we will discontinue the K-band window and move the U/L -> S2 passband window to later in the orbit, as well.
We are running FEC on as many orbits as possible, working around the need for pictures and other command functions. FEC mode requires loading the IHU-2 each orbit and this is not always possible; however most orbits have FEC active.
We have modified the FEC routine to allow the option of
cycling between normal mode telemetry including message blocks and event blocks, and FEC mode telemetry (A-blocks only). With this option, the normal mode is currently active from 0 to 16 minutes of the hour, and the FEC mode is active for the remainder of the hour. This allows time for users to read the message blocks and for event blocks to be collected. During transition between these two modes, up to 1 minute of beacon idling (hex50) may be heard before the new mode starts.
– –W4SM for the AO-40 Command Team
Klla:
Due to the worsening solar angle we must begin off-pointing ALON at the rate of about 1 deg/day. For the moment the passband schedule will remain as it is, but it will be shifted to later in the orbit within a few days.
2003 Oct 05 ALON/ALAT ~ 5 / 0
ALON will be slowly advancing to 45. N-block update soon.
– –W4SM for the AO-40 command team.
Klla: amsat
Hello all,
The EISCAT Svalbard Radar October operations schedule is now out on the Web – and the 32-meter antenna has been assigned to the JW/SM2BYA operation from 1800 UT, October 17 to 2400 UT, October 19 ! WE ARE REALLY GOING TO GET ON !!!
Status:
TX chain has been tested at 500+ watts output and is ready to go,Some minor work remains TBD on the RX chain, but could be used as it stands,
One DB6NT spare preamp was delivered a few days ago,
Antenna relay, sequencer, interlocks and control logic all tested and ready.
The K2RIW PA, the HV PSU and the 28/432 transverter are all built in 19 rack panel format. They will be installed in a 19 inch equipment rack in the feed cabin, only three meters from the waveguide port – so cable losses should really
be negligible.
Polarisation:
I have now double-checked the specs on the 32-meter feed system. It is set up to transmit RHC and receive LHC at 470-530 MHz.
We are going to access the feed through the RX port => we will be transmitting LHC and also receiving LHC (not RHC as said earlier). The polarisation is not likely to be more than approximately circular, as the polariser is tuned for 500 MHz, but at least the handedness should remain the same at 432.
Consequences: We are not expecting ear(th)-shattering own echoes,Stations set up for plane polarisation will lose 3 db both ways but Faraday rotation will not be an issue,
IMPORTANT: Stations able to TX/RX circular should configure their antennas for RHC and use that both for RX and TX to match our fixed LHC setting.
More info to follow later. Questions please to sm2bya@telia.com Like to see a picture of the antenna? Go to www.eiscat.com/esr Please spread the word to your terrestrial and AO-40 friends !
73Gudmund SM2BYA
Klla: www