Hi Bernhard,
Now if I could only convince them to include a transponder for us hams ...
FUNcube boards and the AMSAT-NA Fox-1 boards include the capability to transmit telemetry data modes and support a voice transponder. Not sure what ITAR issues prevent Fox-1 boards being used in other country's satellites.
The Fox-1 boards supply the avionics radio half of the satellite leaving the students to concentrate on designing their scientific payload. Fox boards have a documented interface for experimenters to use.
FUNcube switches between ham voice/cw modes and full power telemetry. Fox-1 boards would provide the capability to support both voice and low-rate telemetry stream simultaneously or switch to a high speed data link with no voice.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM [email protected] Editor, AMSAT Journal