Happy Birthday AO-16

AMSAT Oscar 16 celebrates its 20th birthday on January 22 and to celebrate, it will be switched to its special 'voice mode' from January 21-24.

AO-16 was one of four Amateur Radio microsats launched from Kourou on an Ariane 4 rocket in 1990. The other microsats DO-17, WO-18 and LO-19 have ceased operation but are still in orbit.

On the AMSAT bulletin board Mark Hammond N8MH writes:

Happy Birthday! Guess who is turning 20 years old on January 22nd?
AO-16, DO-17, WO-18, and LO-19 !! :)

To honor the great work of AMSAT volunteers that created, built, and launched the original "fleet of four" microsats exactly 20 years old, we will be *attempting* to operate AO-16 in its special "voice mode" on select passes during the period January 21-24.

Operations will be limited to stations that share the footprint with the command station N8MH (grid FM05pj).

Mode FM Voice Repeater (Downlink is DSB. Operation is Intermittent)

Uplink: 145.9200 MHz FM
Downlink 437.0260 MHz USB and LSB

Please understand that because of the current orbit and a thermal issue in the spacecraft, the satellite turns itself OFF via a reset rather unpredictably--sometimes only moments after being turned ON.

So operations may be limited to very short periods of times (barely enough for quick exchange). During some passes it might not work at all... but I'm willing to give it a shot.

Watch for AO-16 to be turned ON for operations during the following dates and times, posted below in UTC:

WinAos QTH: -78.7/35.4

Let's hope at least a few of you can make a contact!
If nothing else, you can listen to the familiar "hmmmmm" of 1200BPSK and reminisce.

73,

Mark L. Hammond, N8MH
AO-16 Command Station

AO-16 Information
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/satInfo.php?
satID=11&retURL=satellites/all_oscars.php

AMSAT Bulletin Board AMSAT-BB
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/

Amateur Radio Satellite AO-16 reconfigured
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2008/
ao16_reconfigured.htm