http://vk4tec.no-ip.org/sat_status/
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Bruninga " <bruni...@usna.edu> To: <amsat-bb@amsat.org> Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 10:46 PM Subject: [amsat-bb] PCSAT still kicking >I saw a CQ packet from PCSAT show up on my Mobile on 144.39 yesterday! > > Even I had forgotten that PCSAT does have a downlink on the national APRS > terrestrial 144.39 over NOrth America, and if the channel happens to be > quiet at the instant it transmits, then you can possibly receive it on > your mobile right there along with all the other local traffic! > > Sure enough, I quickly QSY'd to its main downlink on 145.825, and there it > was... > > THen I went back to my LIST to read the packet in detail and it was GONE! > Yep, the station was beyond my POSITION LIMIT, and so my radio did not > save it.. Drats... > > I used to keep posiiton limit turned OFF, so that I could capture these > random packets from hundreds or a thousand miles away, but have not done > that in years. > > A quick check of http://pcsat.aprs.org and www.ariss.net (now 24 hours > later) and I can't figure out who it was. The few stations via PCSAT do > not match the W1... callsign I thought I saw. I think it was a message. > But the message or position report did have the words "PCSAT" in them, and > that is what caught my eye on the radio display... > > Oh well. SO if you are on the open road far away from heavy activity on > 144.39, do not be surprised if you occasionally hear a packet via PCSAT. > If you do, then QSY to 145.825 and try to work them. > > PCSAT is basically dead, but when it DOES come over during mid-day in the > Northern Hemisphere it can sometimes have enough power to relay a packet > or two. Being in DEFAULT mode, the 144.39 and 145.825 transmitters are > cross-connected and that is why you can sometimes hear it on 144.39 in an > uncongested area in North America. > > But if you have your mobile POSITION LIMIT set to anything shorter than > 1000 miles or more, you may not capture them. > > This national downlink to ALL mobiles in the country was a capability we > had hoped could be used for ALL-CALL and for emergency message delivery to > ANY ham anywhere even if he was not monitoring the satellite downlink. > > Since the New-N paradigm, the amount of congestion and collisions on the > national channel has gone down somewhat and there are some moments of > silence when a weak space packet can get through. > > Bob, WB4APR > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.421 / Virus Database: 270.14.9/2426 - Release Date: 10/09/09 18:43:00 _______________________________________________ Sent via amsat...@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
