Before PSAT (NO-84) dies, don’t miss out on trying out its HF 28.120 PSK31 uplink transponder (435.350 MHz FM downlink). Apparently its battery is weakening and cannot make it through some eclipses. And the orbit only has 2 years left (Battery probably wont last that long).
But in the sun, it should work fine. PSK31 Xponder is always enabled, all it needs is to see PSK31 on the Ten-meter uplink. It will also send down an SSTV image (in the same waterfall) once every 2 minutes if the sun power is good. WB4APR
-----Original Message----- From: Tomáš Urbanec - Brno University (PSK31 xponder designer)... Subject: Re: FW: [amsat-bb] NO-84 (PSAT) PSK Transponder Sick?
Yes, it looks like NO-84. The pass was during eclipse, but not even in the half of it. The first transmission is ok, but it states battery voltage 3.95V , next transmission probably gets TX on and then processor hangs up on low voltage. It does not have any undervoltage protection implemented so it fights and loses.
This pass shows it working:
https://network.satnogs.org/observations/1854205/
But the battery should be charged, it is just before eclipse and long time above the sea, nevertheless, first transmission shows battery voltage 7.6V, the next one just 5.34V so the battery capacity is practically nonexistent.
It still has some lifetime as decay prediction shows to it some 2 years
http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?page_id=43437
Tomas OK2PNQ
-----Original Message----- From: Roy Dean via AMSAT-BB Subject: [amsat-bb] NO-84 (PSAT) PSK Transponder Sick?
https://network.satnogs.org/observations/1856207/
I started noticing observations on my home SatNogs station like this and just figured it was local qrm. However after looking at observations around the world, it appears that this type of signal is indeed coming from the NO-84 PSK transponder.
--Roy K3RLD