Hi JoAnne,
I am able to copy stations on 145.825. I am also able to do APRS on
144.390 (and the aprs.fi website shows my station as being active).
1. I now recall a series of posts not to long ago that talked about this
very issue of SATGATE's. The only reason I wanted to see a posting of my
callsign somewhere was to see that it was indeed working. I think I'll
change my unproto to RS0ISS, seems most of the stations I hear have it
set that way.
3. I do have my TNC set to PASSALL. I do see a fair amount of packet
activity. I'm just not getting anything in the way of a response. I'll
just keep at it and see what happens.
During the pass, I issue a "converse" command and send something like
"Hi from Kelley EN25". If I see another station I send something like
"Hi W0ABC this is Kelley W0RK". Is this the right format? I assume that
trying to connect to another station isn't the right way?
Thanks for the very informative response JoAnne. Perhaps I'll see you on
the bird.
Kelley - WØRK
On 6/8/2014 9:21 AM, JoAnne Maenpaa wrote:
Hi Kelley,
If you are able to copy stations on the 145.825 MHz downlink you have
your packet setup working. If you add "more antenna" you'll find you
can copy a pass starting sooner and lasting longer. Otherwise, if you
hear with the vertical antenna it is working OK.
I use the USA 144.390 MHz APRS beacon frequency for testing my packet
receive setups. I'm near Chicago so there is always an APRS
brap-brap-brappity-brap around. In rural areas you may need to wait a
while. But, if your packet setup works on terrestrial signals it is
ready for the ISS. You can do testing without waiting for an ISS pass
if you use 144.390. Then tune back up 145.825 and it should be ready.
But (there is always a but) ...
1. Getting on the list and/or map at www.ariss.net depends on the
downlink also being heard by an earth station setup to SATGATE its
received packets. There seem to be fewer SATGATE stations around than
in years previously. You don't have to do anything special to get
SATGATE'd. Your UNPROTO CQ VIA ARISS (CQ VIA RS0ISS works also) is all
you need to do. But there has to be a SATGATE station in range.
2. ARISS has a weaker signal than before. It is still a good signal
but in the past their higher power used to make the packet bursts able
to be copied on an HT and rubber duck. Nowadays an external antenna is
necessary (which you have). The ARISS downlink signal experiences
shadowing from the ISS structure. Sometimes this contributes to the
weaker downlink which means fewer stations hearing you ... or,
SATGATES hearing you.
3. Setting PASSALL to ON helps you copy packets that don't complete
the checksum. Many times there is enough information in there for
human eyes to pick out. Still, the SATGATES will need to receive the
entire packet with checksum to relay you. This is just another
technique for troubleshooting. PASSALL is available on the hardware
TNC configurations but I haven't found a soundcard packet program
which supports it.
4. PCSAT NO-44 can digipeat on 145.825 if it has a good charge from
its solar panels. Set your unproto to CQ VIA W3ADO-1. The signal from
NO-44 is definitely weaker than the ISS. It often shuts down after a
few packets because of power issues. On a good day it is another
satellite to add to your list. The packet log and map for NO-44 is at
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/pcsat.cgi The same lack of SATGATE
stations issue also applies here. Sometimes it may be a couple of days
until someone makes it through and on rare passes several stations are
successful.
--
73 de JoAnne K9JKM
k9...@amsat.org
Editor, AMSAT Journal
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