RAFT lives!
Throught overnight sleepless efforts, RAFT was finally commanded into PSK-31 mode by the combined efforts of DK3WN, PA3GUO, and PE1ITR and others.
The problem has been that the RAFT command receiver is deaf when the bus voltage is over 8.1 volts. But at night in the dark, it works OK. SO here is how to work RAFT PSK-31. (we have heard no signals yet, and do not know if the HF wire antenna got deployed. So we welcome MAX power on the 28.120 USB PSK-31 uplink. Listen with FM on 145.825 downlink. It is very weak and needs a beam.
Someone in the footprint needs to bring up the PSK-31 transponder with their own TNC command on 145.825 uplink. Just send C RAFT. This connect request packet will activate the PSK-31 transponder for about 90 seconds. You will not get an ACK however.
You may TX on 28.120 USB PSK-31 with max power throughout the pass until we find out if the HF RX is working.
Oh, notice that the "C RAFT" probably will not work in the daytime since the BUS voltage is above 8.1V and so the command receier is deaf. But you are welcome to try.
Good luck! I am on slow dialup this weekend, and so will have little comment.
Bob, Wb4APR USNA RAFT command station.
---- Original message ----
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:56:52 +0100 (CET) From: "Rob Hardenberg" [email protected] Subject: Re: AW: AW: RAFT trials Jan 27 night over Europe >
I was listening on the psk31 downlink the 435UTC pass with >the psk decoder but couldn't also detect your signal. The 2m downlink is OK with spinrate qsb between S4 and S9+. Its noisy with computer signals in the waterfall display, but the signal strenght is good for psk demodulation.
I didn't try the 10m uplink yet but if its ok the I will try tomorrow 28/1. I use also a dipole and 100W.
The 6:10UTC pass was not tracked here because of sleep.....
!S 04:35:37 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#375,081,002,036,036,107,10000000,999 !S 04:36:38 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#378,081,002,037,036,105,10000000,999 !S 04:36:58 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#379,081,002,036,035,104,10000000,999 !S 04:37:18 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#380,081,002,036,035,104,10000000,999 !S 04:37:37 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#381,080,002,037,036,103,10000000,999 !S 04:37:47 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :>RAFT is on 145.825 US Naval Academy !S 04:37:58 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#382,080,002,036,035,103,10000000,999 !S 04:38:17 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#383,081,002,036,036,102,10000000,999 !S 04:38:37 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#384,081,002,036,035,101,10000000,999 !S 04:38:57 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :T#385,080,002,036,035,101,10000000,999 !S 04:40:47 !RAFT>BEACON,SGATE/1 :>RAFT is on 145.825 US Naval Academy
73 Rob PE1ITR
Mike Rupprecht schreef:
Hi,
0435UTC pass:
RAFT PSK transponder was ON for 98 seconds. I could not hear my own signal. Worked with (only) 100watts and dipole /vertical R6000 antenna. Downlink is very noisy but we can see the spin rate.
I think we need big guns......
73, Mike
If you connect to RAFT, you will never get an answer from the satellite TNC. So it is important to DISCONNECT the own TNC.