PCSat Satellite (ON6MU)


PCSat RadioAmateur Satellite

VHF Receiver	VHF Transmitter

Name: NAV-OSCAR-44 (NO-44) PCSat
Callsign: PCSat-1, W3ADO-1
NASA Catalog Number: 26931
Launched: September 30, 2001
Launch vehicle: Athena-1 rocket
Launch location: Kodiak, Alaska launch complex (link to launch location)
Orbit: Polar LEO (Low Earth Orbit)
Dimensions: aprox. 50 cm cubical
Inclination: 67 degrees
Period: 101 minutes

Features:

Digital communications transponder
GPS receiver

Beacon

145.825 MHz - AFSK digital 1200 baud/9600 baud telemtrie
144.390 MHz - AFSK digital (secondary US)

Digital Transponder

Uplinks: AFSK (FM) 1200 bps, AX.25
- 145.825 MHz
- 144.390 MHz (secondary Region 2)
- 435.250 MHz (9600 baud FSK, UHF Uplinks work without doppler tuning with a 30Khz Satellite RCVR)
Downlink: AFSK (FM) 1200 bps
- 145.825 MHz
- 144.390 MHz (secondary Region 2)

Status:

Operational.

PCSat main purpose:

The mission of our PCsat is unique in the Amateur Satellite Service as it
is designed to support the text messaging and position tracking (APRS) needs
of mobiles and handhelds only and links into the terrestrial internet system.
As such, the link margins to user OMNI antennas require downlinks in the
2 meter band.

For international operation, we will need a frequency(s) in the agreed
satellite sub band of 145.825 mhz. This frequency can hopefully be shared
with a number of other UI digipeating satellites in work... But we also
hope to use the exclusive North American Continent wide 144.39 APRS frequency
for occassional downlinks of brief one-line text pages to remote mobile
travelers. The following design summary should provides the background.

Since several other amateur satellties have provided imaging
and file store- and-forward for the last several years, PCsat concentrates
on the current trend towards personal real-time wireless messaging using
UI digipeating

Recent Info:

Bob, WB4APR, reports PCSat entered full sun for the period of
January 7-21, 2001. During this time there was enough power to
keep the GPS system turned on worldwide, allowing PCSat to be
the first satellite to report its own exact position directly to all users
for immediate display on their APRS maps.

As the first in what is hoped to be a constellation of future Amateur
Radio satellites doing dumb digipeating to mobile users, PCSat
planned to use the digipeater alias of APRSAT and encourage its
use on all such space digipeaters. Since this mission can also be
supported by the existing ISS digipeater as well, PCSat has
temporarily dropped the APRSAT alias and added NOCALL to its
alias list (to be compatible with the ISS) so that mobile users do
not have to re-configure between ISS and PCSat passes.

PCSat was recently featured on the DSL Reports web site, (a site
dedicated to broadband technology) and on CNN's space news.
In addition, a nice article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch about
PCSat occupied over three columns.

For more information, visit the PCSat web site at:

http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/pcsat.html

[ANS thanks Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, for PCSat information]

PCSat is a 1200-baud APRS digipeater designed for use by stations
using hand-held or mobile transceivers. Downlinks feed a central web
site < http://pcsat.aprs.org >. The APRS-equipped PCSat was built by
midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy under the guidance of
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR.

Software:

UISS PCSat and ISS communication software
UIView webpage
G4IDE PCSat Telemetry Decoder

PCSat Links:

PCSat footprint:

PCSat telemetrie first week of launch:

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[19:22:28]
T#655,127,125,071,100,213,11111111,0010,1

Fm W3ADO-1 To APRS2 <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[19:23:08]
Default LT2

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[19:23:09]
T#657,029,050,059,080,213,11111110,0000,1

Fm DL6BAW To DB0GAP Via W3ADO-1*,TRACE5-4 <UI pid=F0 Len=57 >[19:23:58]
>011721zDX: DL5MCD 47.40.21N 6.50.23E 319,3km 264ø 18:42

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[19:24:48]
T#662,128,124,136,116,213,11111111,0001,1

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=58 >[19:25:00]
>302106z Sysop test no users please during on-orbit tests

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=58 >[19:27:01]
>302106z Sysop test no users please during on-orbit tests

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[19:27:48]
T#671,117,125,178,097,213,11111111,0010,1

Fm W3ADO-1 To EB3GMK <UA F >[19:28:46]
Fm W3ADO-1 To EB3GMK <I R0 S0 pid=F0 Len=46 >[19:28:47]
Mission is UI digi only. No connections. Tnx.

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=58 >[19:29:00]
>302106z Sysop test no users please during on-orbit tests

Fm W3ADO-1 To APRS2 <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[19:29:06]
Default LT2

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[19:31:09]
T#681,035,050,058,044,213,11111111,0000,1

Received digi's in January 9, 2002:

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[09:05:41]
T#859,130,134,096,114,213,00111111,0110,1

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[09:05:49]
>OPS NORMAL

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=38 >[09:05:55]
=4608.88N/01514.50Ey [email protected]

Fm DK1SFA To APU24L Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=38 >[09:06:32]
=/6&fcQ#d?- Bvy 73 de Albert {UIV32}

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1 <UI pid=F0 Len=47 >[09:06:40]
=5056.28N\00402.47ESwww.qsl.net/on1dht {UISS20}

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=47 >[09:06:41]
=5056.28N\00402.47ESwww.qsl.net/on1dht {UISS20}

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=15 >[09:06:43]
!hello ON1DHT>

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=21 >[09:06:47]
=4608.88N/01514.50Ey

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[09:06:50]
>OPS NORMAL

Fm I6JKW To PE1NHD Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=29 >[09:06:52]
Ciao Jos 73 da nando JN63SO>

Fm PE1NHD To EUROPE Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=25 >[09:07:37]
Good morning CN8CY I6JKW

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1 <UI pid=F0 Len=11 >[09:07:40]
!Hi S57NML>

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=11 >[09:07:41]
!Hi S57NML>

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[09:07:42]
T#861,017,154,046,031,213,00111111,0100,1

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=38 >[09:07:44]
=4608.88N/01514.50Ey [email protected]

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[09:07:49]
>OPS NORMAL

Fm DK1SFA To APU24L Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=53 >[09:08:09]
=/6&fcQ#d?- BGood morning to all via PCSat! {UIV32}

Fm SM7WDL To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=80 >[09:08:13]
=5536.44N\01303.17ES* Hello to all FROM MALMOE SWEDEN! [email protected] {UISS20}

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=15 >[09:08:37]
!hello SM7WDL>

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1 <UI pid=F0 Len=47 >[09:08:39]
=5056.28N\00402.47ESwww.qsl.net/on1dht {UISS20}

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=47 >[09:08:40]
=5056.28N\00402.47ESwww.qsl.net/on1dht {UISS20}

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[09:08:42]
T#862,127,135,143,142,213,00111111,0101,1

Fm I6JKW To PE1NHD Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=21 >[09:08:42]
Good morning JOS 73>

Fm I6JKW To PE1NHD Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=21 >[09:08:46]
Good morning JOS 73>

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[09:08:49]
>OPS NORMAL

Fm I6JKW To PE1NHD Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=21 >[09:09:04]
Good morning JOS 73>

Fm W3ADO-1 To APRS2 <UI pid=F0 Len=50 >[09:09:14]
Paths of RELAY/WIDE/APRSAT/NOCALL/W3ADO-1 are OK.

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=38 >[09:09:29]
=4608.88N/01514.50Ey [email protected]

Fm F4CEP-3 To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=40 >[09:09:31]
=4833.35N/00240.78E-73 v SAT! 99.0 38.0

Fm F4CEP-3 To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=40 >[09:09:31]
=4833.35N/00240.78E-73 v SAT! 99.0 38.0

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=38 >[09:09:35]
=4608.88N/01514.50Ey [email protected]

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=15 >[09:09:37]
!hello SM7WDL>

Fm I6JKW To CQ Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=51 >[09:09:40]
=4336.11N/01330.27E-73 de [email protected][JN63SO]

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[09:09:41]
T#863,132,135,108,103,213,00111111,0110,1

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[09:09:49]
>OPS NORMAL

Fm PE1NHD To EUROPE Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=46 >[09:10:00]
Good morning CN8CY I6JKW DK1SFA S57NML ON1DHT

Fm PE1NHD To EUROPE Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=46 >[09:10:01]
Good morning CN8CY I6JKW DK1SFA S57NML ON1DHT

Fm I6JKW To CQ Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=51 >[09:10:12]
=4336.11N/01330.27E-73 de [email protected][JN63SO]

Fm G7IED To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=55 >[09:10:21]
=5355.56N/00259.35W-Ralph in Knott End @ GB7FYL {UIV23}

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1 <UI pid=F0 Len=9 >[09:10:24]
Hi PE1NHD

Fm ON1DHT To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=9 >[09:10:26]
Hi PE1NHD

Fm I6JKW To CN8CY Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=21 >[09:10:32]
GD Op:Nando [JN63SO]

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=12 >[09:10:36]
!GM PE1NHD>

Fm I6JKW To CN8CY Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=32 >[09:10:56]
Ciao Lachen 73 da Nando JN63SO>

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=38 >[09:10:59]
=4608.88N/01514.50Ey [email protected]

Fm I6JKW To CQ Via W3ADO-1* <UI pid=F0 Len=51 >[09:11:26]
=4336.11N/01330.27E-73 de [email protected][JN63SO]

Fm S57NML To APRS Via W3ADO-1* <UI P/F pid=F0 Len=21 >[09:11:33]
=4608.88N/01514.50Ey

Fm W3ADO-1 To ID Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=27 >[09:11:36]
W3ADO-1/R XBAUD/G MAIL-1/B

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=42 >[09:11:42]
T#865,017,039,044,082,213,00111111,0100,1

Fm W3ADO-1 To BEACON Via SGATE <UI pid=F0 Len=12 >[09:11:49]
>OPS NORMAL

Received with ON6MU's UISS windows software

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