MAREX MG

SpaceCam1 Status


March 2008

In September 2007 the  Kenwood D700 received a partial manual software reload.  The software reload, solved the long nagging 10 second delay problem which caused Packet Mail to be practically unusable.  The "Delay fix", also improved the Unproto / APRS packet responses times. 

The Cross-Band repeater was tested for a week in January2008.  

The Marex Slow Scan TV project SpaceCam1 is still waiting for a laptop.  All laptops are being used for higher priority projects at this time.  Marex was also informed that we may need to Re-certify the SpaceCam1 software Again.  We are not sure at this time what additional information will be required for the Re-certification process.

 

September 2006

SpaceCam was activated part time during August and September 2006.  During one overnight test, SpaceCam1 was left running in Slide Show mode.  This mode will automatically send a new image at specific intervals.  Commander Pavel had set the delay between images to 1 minute.  Later that evening, some stray noise began to interfere with the VOX circuit that controls when to signal the Kenwood TM-D700 to transmit the SSTV Image.  On a few occasions the transmitter would get stuck in the transmitting mode. 

The built-in transmitter timer on the D700 would then automatically shutdown the transmitter after 3 minutes. This process kept repeating over and over again for most of the evening.  The commander Pavel decided to shutdown the system until we can isolate the stray noise problem.  We are hoping it was just an Audio level setting on the laptop.  It is possible to set the laptops audio level drive too high, which can cause noise or hum to cause false tripping of the VOX circuit.

Thank you for your support.  Miles WF1F

 

Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 04:25:51 -0400
To: sarex@AMSAT.Org
From: "Frank H. Bauer"
Subject: [sarex] ARISS Operations

All,

The ARISS team has been quite engaged with Pavel Vinogradov as he continues the testing and verification of the SSTV system on ISS. We expect this to continue over the next few weeks.

Those active on the bands have noticed that the Kenwood radio system has  been up and down over the past week or so. This is expected to
continue as Pavel checks out the SSTV software, configures and optimizes the radio, and performs the integration checks necessary to make the SSTV system as autonomous as possible. Since this is a "spare time" activity for Pavel, please bear with us as we go through this aspect of system setup. It is not possible right now for Pavel to switch between modes (e.g. voice, packet and SSTV) on the Kenwood and continue the methodical process of system setup and reconfiguration.

As has been the norm for school contacts (due to the current ISS vehicle attitude), we will use the Ericsson radio in the FGB for 2 meter voice operation when the crew desires to do voice QSOs.

We appreciate your patience in this matter as we reconfigure the Kenwood system to support additional modes and operations.

73, Frank H. Bauer
ARISS International Chairman
AMSAT-NA V.P. for Human Spaceflight Programs
 

 

 

 

 


Home

You are visitor # since August 2006