Bob -
Yes, the TRANSIT satellite appears to be designed for a low speed broadcast style service.
An Internet entry/access page would permit an "ease of UI" for the creation of the
message to be properly encoded, upilnked and then broadcast on the downlink.
Application would require these characteristics:
1. Content would have to be tolerant of no more than 2 changes each day, no stock quotes!
Electronic equivalent of the old morning and evening newspaper. What does a locl nespaper
provide for content that is still relavent or desired?
2. Content woiuld have to be relavant to amatuer radio or educational / scientific community.
3. Contant needs to be "global" in nature -- regional or country specific would not appeal to the larger global audience.
4. Should be content that has highest value to a mobile/portable station (think of a lone person in South Pacific - small island or boat: Tom Hanks in Cast Away ).
What daily "global" content wojuld be most useful for them to know?? Assume they have the radio to receive and laptop computer.
5. Due to infrequency, data / information has to be "correct the first time" -- retractions woudl take one or two days (reducing validity of service content)
Some content ideas:
a. Daily solar activity/propogation daily bulletins (also sent via ARRL and Internet accessilble) useful to amateur DX community
b. Lunar information for Tidal predictions
c. TLE of amatuer radio satellites and ISS
d. Global "short message"/bulletin to amateur radio community -- beyong ARRL focus -- more along ITU / global scope
e. Astronomical events of "note" --- northern and southern hemisphere. Plantes visible, rare alignments.
f. Special events (scientific, radio, etc.) -- hemispheric or very wide audience
Greg
w9gb
Message: 11 Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:27:00 -0400 From: "Robert Bruninga" < bruninga@usna.edu > Subject: [amsat-bb] New Satellite Downlink? To: < amsat-bb@amsat.org >
Possible new AMSAT Application?
We may have access to two old TRANSIT navigation satellites with a 50 baud downlink at 149.985 (and 400 MHz). (presently coming over in the mid afternoon). My problem is, coming up with any meaningful application to use them for communications that would capture the interest of students, hams or volunteers in support of education, public service or emergency comms or just plain fun...
The downlink can be heard on an OMNI antenna (though I would suggest a 3/4 wave (55") vertical) and could be decoded by a simple software only application with a sound card. (someone has to write it)...
The total useful message capability is about 500 bytes transmitted every 2 minutes (at 50 baud). The uplink is very specialized and can ONLY BE DONE from one (or two) very special command stations. These satellites of course were the original Navy Navigation satellite system (also called OSCARS) and so the message would be in-place of the normal navigation data. SO in a sense, this is a downlink BROADCAST application. Since ham radio is two way, I'm stumped for applications.
The total message capability of 500 Bytes can contain one long ARRL bulletin, or 20 APRS position/status reports, or say 20 or so APRS text messages, or say 50 "callsign exchanges" or maybe even 1 thumbnail image... but what's the application?
Even if we allow say, INTERNET link to the command station for "anyone" to contribute to the twice per-day upload, then everyone's receiver application can receive them... For what?
So Im looking for ideas. All I can come up with so far is: 1) ARRL Bulletins? (I don't even know how often ARRL sends bulletins ...) 2) Navy/Army/AF MARS broadcast bulletins ... 3) Internet message in-to-command-upload-to message RF downlink. Two stations do this to each other and it counts as a two-way QSO? 4) ...
Every scenario of interest usually begins with the much higher value of UPLINK from the individual field station, not downlink.. Hence I am stumped.
HUMMH... Maybe purely educational? If the software can run on any PC with a sound card connected to any scanner... Then every school can use it as a satellite downlink signal of interest.. What kind of thumbnail image can fit in 500 bytes? Send in your picture and get it downlinked on a given day?
Etc..
Will need a DSP volunteer to write the sound card decoder.
Bob, WB4APR