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ZL2TZE > MIR 13.07.99 16:45l 221 Lines 9899 Bytes #-9759 (0) @ WW
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Subj: [sarex] Mir Status July 12,1999, PMS move
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From: ZL2TZE@ZL2TZE.#73.MLB.NZL.OC
To : MIR@WW
Mir Amateur Radio Status: July 12, 1999
By Miles Mann WF1F,
MAREX-NA (Manned Amateur Radio Experiment, North American Division)
Email problems with my server:
Hi everyone, over the weekend my email server went down. I sent out a few
messages which may arrive on the SAREX mailing list, out of sequence and out of
date. Since the problems
with the PMS seem to be resolved you can just delete the old messages.
Mir PMS Moved and Reloaded:
During the weekend of July 9-11 the Mir crew reportedly moved the Personal
Message System from the Priroid module into the Base-Block or the Mir-Core
module. After the move, the PMS began just transmitting an Audio carrier with
No data. The problem appears to be an incorrect setting on the Kenwood TM-733
transceiver. This radio has two data modes, 1200 and 9600 baud. It appears
that the radio was inadvertently set for the wrong mode.
Dave Laresen of MIREX, talked the Mir crew through resetting and testing the
Modem, the Kantronics KPC-9612 TNC. The crew eventually found the 9600 on the
Kenwood display the set the radio to the 1200 baud mode. Full packet operation
was restored by Sunday afternoon.
The next batch of information indicates the crew has moved the PMS hardware into
the Mir-Core module. If this information is correct it means we have dedicated
access to a Dual band antenna for greater frequency flexibility. However there
are also some limitations. The dual band antenna on the Mir module is closer to
the commercial transmitting antenna for the Mission Control Radio (TSUPs). We
had a problem on Sunday with De-sensing of the Amateur Radio station. The
commercial transmitter operates on the 143 MHz frequency and the Amateur Radio
station operates on 145.985 MHz. The frequency are just too close. (we will
have a similar problem on ISS) When the commercial transmitter is active, the
Amateur Radio station goes temporarily Deaf.
The MAREX-NA team contracted with DCI to build a special filter to solve this
problem. SAREX assisted with the debugging and delivery of the filter to
Russia. The filter is now on Mir and was used while the equipment was in the
Prioida module. However it appears the filer may have been removed when the
equipment was installed in the Mir-Core module. We are working on this possible
problem.
Air Leak and Supply delay:
There are a few stories about an Air leak on Mir in the news this week. Small
air leaks are nothing unusual on a large space Stanton. Just as long as they
stay small. The Mir crew has successfully repaired several small air leaks in
the past with good long term success results. There appears to be another small
air leak which the crew is currently working on.
Farrell Winder, W8ZCF. July 11, 1999
Jean-Pierre was heard to remark this morning as he passed over the USA at
approximately 12:22 UTC --- that everything is not so bad now that the
modem (Amateur Radio modem) is working again ---- concerning the pressure,
well we investigated but nothing really extremely serious.
There is a Mir Progress supply rocket launch currently scheduled for July 14.
This launch may be delayed while officials try to figure out what went wrong
with a similar rocket launch earlier this month. The Mir crew always has at
least a 30 day back up supply of food and water, just in case a cargo rocket
gets delayed.
SSTV Update from Mir crew:
If the equipment move took place, we should be able to get more and better
pictures of the Mir crew working in the Mir-Cord module. With access to the
Dual band antenna, we have solve one problem in getting both the PMS and SSTV
active at the same time. However, we are still Power Supply limited. Since we
only have one power supply, we can only run one project at a time. Either the
PMS or the SSTV. Until we have the ability to run both projects at the same
time, there is no reason to use the UHF 437.975 frequency. Both the SSTV and
PMS will stay on the 145.985 FM Simplex channel (which is fully coordinated).
Future Voice schedules with Mir:
The MAREX-NA team has been running Official Voice Schedules with the Russian
Space Station Mir since September 1991. Most of these schedules have been with
schools around the world (over 70 schools). During the month of August we hope
the make a schedule with the world. I know there are many people who have never
talked to a Cosmonaut in space before and we are trying to work out the details
for Mir crew voice time.
Stay tuned for further details.
Voice Contact Tips:
1 Listen first before Transmitting.
2 Wait till the crew says CQ or QRZ
We have been teaching the crew more Amateur Radio protocol and they are
catching on, slowly.
3 When you hear CQ/QRZ, just say the last two letters of you calls sign, twice
and that?s all
example: WF WF (don?t say anything else, until you hear the crew say,
something similar too. Station WF please continue?.
4 Keep your conversation short and speak very slowly. If you are fluent in
French or Russian that?s better, use the appropriate languages or English too.
5 When you are done, the crew will usually remember to say CQ/QRZ for the next
station waiting. When the band is too crowded, Jean-Pierre usually says Break
Break, which is his way of asking all stations to please stop transmitting.
6 If the crew is on voice, do not send any packet messages. The crew will
sometimes leave the Kantronics KPC-9612 ON, while they are on voice. This is so
they can read OLD mail while
they are talking on voice.
7. Do not ask the crew about the QSL card procedures. The Mir crew does not
Keep a log
of radio contacts. Just send a card to one of the two address below.
Current Channel, 145.985 FM Simplex.
I would like to ask everyone to please be patient regarding Amateur Radio
operations on Mir. The Amateur Radio portion of the Mir experiments are
primarily OFF-Hours experiments. The Mir crews do have a very busy schedule and
only have a very limited amount of FREE-Time to use the educational Amateur
Radio experiments.
QSL Update:
Several people have asked, Where are their QSL cards for Sputnik 17 and 18. And
where are their QSL cards for Mir.
The short answer is:
The MAREX-Russia club has run out of QSL cards for those projects.
We are now looking into different plans on how to restock the QSL cards for the
MAREX-Russia club and we need about 4000 cards. When I get more specific
information, I will pass it on.
QSL Information:
Please use one of the following QSL managers and follow the directions for that
Manager
and included the following information:
Return Name and Address, country, ZIP
Date and time of your contact, In UTC format
Signal report (Best guess)
Radio Station and Antenna (optional)
All Mir contacts, including SWL, Two-way voice or Packet connections (R0MIR),
and including the Sputnik Satellites
Envelopes should be well sealed and do not include cash.
Send a SAE (Self Addressed Envelope ) and one or two IRC coupons
(which can be purchased at major US post offices).
Do not make any notes on the out side of the envelope with Amateur Radio Call
signs visible.
Temporally out of QSL cards!
Sergej Samburov
PO Box 73
Korolev-10 City
Moscow Area, 141070, Russia
************************************************
The California address still has a short supply of cards in stock.
For Two-way contacts with Mir ONLY. Just for the call sign R0MIR and R0MIR-1
No SSTV-SWL (Short Wave Listener) cards will be issued at this address.
No Sputnik-SWL cards
Dr. Dave Larsen - N6CO/K6MIR
PO Box 311
Pine Grove, California
95665
USA
Please include a SASE (Business Size Envelope) and two IRC?s for international.
If you are sending an IRC, Please make sure it is dated 1999, as the post office
won't accept IRC's dated over 1 year old.
Make sure the cancel stamp is in the right place on the IRC.
"Green Stamps" (USA ONLY) are appreciated for covering additional costs.
Note: Dave Larsen MIREX / N6CO is not handling SWL cards for Sputnik, please use
the other addresses
*****************
Current Mir Crew Members:
SOYUZ TM-29 arrived at Mir on February 20, 1999. Mir Soyuz TM-29 crew consisted
of French cosmonaut Jean-Pierre Heignere, Viktor Afanasyev and Slovakian
Cosmonaut Ivan Bella
On February 28, some of the crew returned to earth, they were:
Slovak Ivan Bella and Gennadiy Paldalko.
Gennadiys mission lasted approximately 6 months (August 16 1998 ? February 28
1999)
The remaining crew consists of:
The French cosmonaut Jean-Pierre Heignere (aprox 6 months)
Cosmonaut Viktor Afanasyev (aprox 6 months)
Cosmonaut Sergei Avdeyev. Sergei mission began August 16, 1998 and will end
on August 23, 1999. On this Mission Sergei spent just over 1 full year on board
the Mir Space Station.
On June 20, 1999, Sergej broke the worlds record for Total-Time-In-Space.
Sergei has spent over two full years in space when you combine all the time from
all of his missions together.
PMS Status (Personal Message System):
The PMS activity was a little intermittent last week, but its running good.
Tracking Mir:
For current tracking data, try the CelesTrak web page at http://celestrak.com/
Copyright 1999 Miles Mann, All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely
distributed via the following means - Email (including listservers), Usenet, and
World-Wide-Web. It may not be reproduced for profit including, but not limited
to, CD ROMs, books, and/or other commercial outlets without prior written
consent from the author.
Images received from the MAREX-NA SSTV system on the Russian Space Station Mir
are considered public domain and may be freely distributed, without prior
permission.
Miles WF1F
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