[amsat-bb:72356] AO-40 Update, 2003-10-22

["Stacey E. Mills" <semills@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Position.
AO-40 is currently at ALON/ALAT = 20/0 and we continue to advance toward 
45/0.  We are holding the current position for the moment, but the next 
jump of approximately 10 degrees (ALON ~30) will come in about another 
week.  At that time we will discontinue the K-band window and move the U/L 
-> S2 passband window to later in the orbit, as well.

FEC.
We are running FEC on as many orbits as possible, working around the need 
for pictures and other command functions.  FEC mode requires loading the 
IHU-2 each orbit and this is not always possible; however most orbits have 
FEC active.  We have modified the FEC routine to allow the option of 
cycling between normal mode telemetry including message blocks and event 
blocks, and FEC mode telemetry (A-blocks only).  With this option, the 
normal mode is currently active from 0 to 16 minutes of the hour, and the 
FEC mode is active for the remainder of the hour.  This allows time for 
users to read the message blocks and for event blocks to be 
collected.  During transition between these two modes, up to 1 minute of 
beacon "idling" (hex50) may be heard before the new mode starts.

--W4SM for the AO-40 Command Team



-- 
  ________________________________________________________________________
  Stacey E. Mills, W4SM    WWW:  http://www.keplerian.com
    Charlottesville, VA     PGP key: http://www.keplerian.com/key
  ________________________________________________________________________  

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