Jan 25 2012

SumbandilaSat beyond repair

Sumbandilasat

Sumbandilasat

The defenceWeb site reports:

South Africa’s second satellite, SumbandilaSat, is no longer fulfilling its main purpose due to technical problems and is essentially beyond repair, its maker SunSpace says.

Rob Olivier, head of Business Development at SunSpace, told defenceWeb that although contact can still be made with the satellite, it cannot capture images and is thus “not fulfilling its main purpose”.

He said that chances of repairing the satellite are virtually zero and that SunSpace has moved on to other projects.

SumbandilaSat was damaged during a solar storm in the June last year. The power supply to SumbandilaSat’s onboard computer stopped working and the satellite stopped sending back images.

Read the full story here.

In addition to its primary imaging mission SumbandilaSat (SO-67) carries an amateur radio voice beacon, parrot repeater and VHF/UHF FM repeater.

Southern African Amateur Radio Satellite Association (SA AMSAT) http://www.amsatsa.org.za/

defenceWeb http://www.defenceweb.co.za/

Jan 25 2012

RS-39 Reception Video

Nittin VU3TYG has made available a video showing reception of the new RS-39 (Chibis-M) satellite that was deployed from the Progress M-13M cargo ship.

RS-39 has beacons on 435.315 and 435.215 MHz that can be received directly by schools and colleges for educational outreach purposes.

Watch Chibis-RS-39 Telemetry decoding

RS-39 (Chibis-M) http://www.uk.amsat.org/3910

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder http://www.uk.amsat.org/4029 

RS-39 Real Time Tracking Map http://chibis.cosmos.ru/cyclogr/prepare1/google/index.html
For Keps click on two gear wheels in top left-hand corner then click on Satellites.

Satscape Satellite Tracking Software http://www.satscape.info/home/?q=node/2

Free Sound Recorder http://www.sound-recorder.biz/freesoundrecorder.html

Jan 25 2012

Video of AMSAT Symposium Project OSCAR Talk

In this video Lance Ginner, K6GSJ, describes the early days of Project OSCAR, which put Amateur Radio into orbit and lead to the foundation of AMSAT.

Watch AMSAT Symposium 2011 Keynote Speech

Article – “OSCAR-1 Launched 50 Years Ago” http://www.uk.amsat.org/4026

Jan 25 2012

RS-39 telemetry and data

Riku, ZL1KLP reports via the AMSAT-UK FUNcube user group that “RS-39 Received loud and clear in NZ. Seems to be a successful mission”.

DK3WN SatBlog

RS-39 telemetry and data 05:34 UTC 435.315 MHz (TX A)

RS39 UBS 134 IBS 96 USUN 22 ISUN 0 ITXA 0 ITXB 0 TTXA 136 TTXB 135 TNAP 123 RS 39
RS39 UBS 133 IBS 117 USUN 22 ISUN 0 ITXA 0 ITXB 0 TTXA 135 TTXB 136 TNAP 133 TAB 138 MSEP 0 MCON 5 SMA 130 SMB 118 MRXA 2 MRXB 2 RS39
RS39 UBS 131 IBS 64 USUN 21 ISUN 0 ITXA 0 ITXB 106

data transmission on 435.215 MHz (TX B)

Jan 24 2012

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder Screen Shot

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder Screen Shot - Nittin VU3TYG

Mike Rupprecht DK3WN has made available software to decode the telemetry beacon of RS-39  (435.315 and 435.215 MHz) .

In Google English the software description reads:

Very simple tool for decoding the CW telemetry and display of telemetry values ​​of Chibis-M (RS-39).

The input of the received telemetry values ​​are in the respective fields U.S., IBS, Uzun, iSun, ITXA, ITXB, TTXA, TTXB, TNAP, TAB, MSEP, MCON, SMA, SMB, and MRXA MRXB. The converted value is displayed immediately. All values ​​are checked for plausibility, one differing from the standard value is displayed with red background. Normal telemetry values ​​have corresponding hardware box with a green background.

With the Save button, the currently displayed telemetry values are saved ​​in a file.

Download RS-39 Decoder Version 1.0 http://www.dk3wn.info/files/rs39.zip

DK3WN satellite software page in Google English http://tinyurl.com/DK3WN-Sat-Software

RS-39 Real Time Tracking Map http://chibis.cosmos.ru/cyclogr/prepare1/google/index.html

RS-39 (Chibis-M) http://www.uk.amsat.org/3910

Jan 24 2012

Article – “OSCAR-1 Launched 50 Years Ago”

Lance Ginner K6GSJ with OSCAR 1

Lance Ginner K6GSJ with OSCAR 1

The ARRL have released an English translation of an article about the pioneering amateur radio satellite OSCAR-1

A new, highly informative article on how the world’s first Amateur Radio satellite, OSCAR-1, came to be designed, built and launched has been posted to the ARRL’s Space Communication web page (see the “Articles” section). Written by Andreas Bilsing, DL2LUX, “OSCAR-1 Launched 50 Years Ago” was first published in the German magazine Funkamateur. It is reprinted with their permission. OSCAR-1 was launched just over 50 years ago, on December 12, 1961.

Link the the article in English http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/Bilsing.pdf

ARRL Space Communication page http://www.arrl.org/space-communication