Pehuensat problems

Pehuensat's elusive signal was copied in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 01/21/07 at 21:48 LU (GMT-3).

Pehuensat-1 was heard on 145.825 with a weak but clear signal just above the noise by ear, but they were unable to decode the AX25 packet beacon. The rig was a FT-736 and omni super turn- stile antenna for 2 meters.

Engineer Jorge Lassig, director of the Penhuesat Uncoma project informed radio amateurs that the satellite takes between 48 and 72 hours to charge its batteries, due to the inadequate position of the nosecone to which it is still attached in reference to the sun.

Once the batteries are recovered, the satellite transmits during several orbits until they discharge again causing the onboard computer to set the system in safe mode, leaving just the oscillator on.

Folks at Uncoma are evaluating when the nosecone will change its position in space to improve the battery charging process of Penhuesat.

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