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N4XEO > SAT 17.04.04 09:27l 44 Lines 1460 Bytes #999 (0) @ AMSAT
BID : ANS-109.03
Read: GUEST
Subj: AMSAT Project Opportunity?
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<DB0MRW<DB0ERF<DB0FBB<DB0GOS<DB0EEO<DB0RES<ON0AR<7M3TJZ<
IK1ZNW<N4XEO
Sent: 040417/0340Z @:N4XEO.FTP.FL.USA.NOAM #:3227 [Fort Pierce, F] FBB7.00i
From: N4XEO@N4XEO.FTP.FL.USA.NOAM
To : SAT@AMSAT
AMSAT News Service Bulletin 109.03 From AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD. April 15, 2004
To All RADIO AMATEURS
BID: $ANS-109.03
Tracking the position of tiny Amateur satellites (cubesats)
down to a few seconds in their orbit can be easily done
using the technique we propose on our RAFT cubesat.
Using a simple direct-conversion receiver at 216.98 MHz
(the frequency of the 80 megawatt ERP Naval Space Radar),
an audio-ping will be heard whenever the satellite flies through
the very narrow 0.2 degree fan beam over Texas. The ping
lasts on the order of a second, but it nails your position quite
accurately. You command it on for a few seconds in your
satellites downlink whenever you want to find your satellite
over the southern USA.
We think we can build these things about the size of a book
of paper matches. Just a 216.98 MHz local oscillator and
an NE602 mixer should do it?
Does anyone want to help us develop this device for our
RAFT satellite to fly next year? This will also possibly help
other Amateur Projects as well. A good volunteer project...
See the project http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/raft.html
Remember, the NSSS Radar fence is 80 Mwatts, so
this thing does not need to be sensitive... nor have its
own antenna even... Thus it will fit nicely on just about any
amateur satellite if you are worried about losing it...
[ANS thanks Bob, WB4APR for the above information]
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