PCSAT2 update

The following updates on PCSAT2 received from Dave G4DPZ and Bob WB4APR

73 Trevor M5AKA

Hi,

The live telemetry site has been connected to the APRS-IS network (ahubswe.net) rather than the specific server that Bob has mentioned.

I've just moved it over to that site and I'll be monitoring it for the next few hours.

The interesting thing is that I've seen many PC2XXB test packets on the APRS-IS but there's very little appearing at the moment.

According to http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/pcsat2.cgi, the only packets that have been seen are:

00:11:28:59 : PC2XXB]APRS,RS0ISS-3*,qAO,KB8ZGL-5:!3900.00N/
07630.00W0Testing
00:11:30:28 : PC2XXB]APRS,RS0ISS-3*,qAO,KB8ZGL-5:]testing
02:06:00:51 : PCSAT2]APRLTM,SGATE,qAO,KC9XG:{T# IGNORE ALogger A side
test packet
02:06:00:51 : KC9XG]APRS,PCSAT2*,qAC,KC9XG:] IGNORE ALogger A side
test digi packet
02:06:00:52 : PCSAT2]APRLTM,SGATE,qAO,KC9XG:T# IGNORE ALogger A side
test packet

Dave G4DPZ

On 4 Aug 2005, at 02:47, Robert Bruninga wrote:

Thanks to everyone that is feeding the live telemetry (1200 baud to any APRS Igate) and 9600 to satgate.aprsca.net:20150.

Its working. Not sure why the live web page is not pickikng it up yet... but that will be solved soon enough. Here is where we stand so far:

On the first pass which was only 2 deg for us, and our last pass of the next 17 hours or so, NASA Glen had a building blackage, so with 1 min LOS and 1 deg, we sent the wake up commands and were able to activate the PCSAT2 system, enable 10 sec telemetry and switched off the fail-safe shunts which would run the batteries down in 16 hours if not caught in time.

But with just that minute or so of access, we did not get the FTSCE Solar experiment telemetry enabled. Since then we have had a low pass over our west coast command station who was unsuccessful. But we are getting good telemetry via the worldwide APRS system, so we know the spacecraft is healthy.

There was a scare when NASA was going to activte the robot arm unplanned and we wouild have to shut down. But this was fought at JSC and they are going to allow us to remain on as long as the arm does not get within 14 meters.

We are in the 6 hour dead zone awaiting the first passes over Europe and NZ starting about midnight. We will make 5 tries from those areas before we finally get another shot at it from USNA at about 730 AM.

The NZ and AUS and London stations will try starting about 0600z and then USNA gets our first good passes starting at about 930z.

By the way, since we were here, we caught a pass of PCsat and were able to successfully cojmmand both the A and B sides of PCsat and she was alive and well. (though of course she died again on the next eclipse...)

Bob WB4APR

PCSAT2 info: http://www.pcsat2.info/

Other recent stories..

Other News Stories

• Get our news headlines for your website - click here
• Submit your news story - click here