Hi Tom,
Just for the record, AO-27 is not an AMSAT bird, and AMSAT has no input or inside track into what goes on with the satellite. I know who the command stations are, but as long as the birds running, there really isn't IMO much reason to bug them.
From my observations and experience, you really don't need a scheduler to work AO-27. It's neat, but superfluous. Right now the satellite is turning on a little further south than normal, somewhere around 25 degrees latitude. This drifts just a tad earlier/further south each day, until one of the command stations resets it. So, if you listen to a pass, note when and where it turns on, and now you know where and when to look tomorrow and even next week.
Keeping a satellite running is a lot of work, and I can only imagine it's tedious after 18 years. Webpages and widgets come second after that.
73, Drew KO4MA
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Schuessler [email protected] Sent: Nov 18, 2011 8:48 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [amsat-bb] AO-27 questions -- so why the silence.
Several weeks ago I posted a question about the status of the AO-27 web site and the TOPR scheduling for that satellite. Recently Clint Bradford K6LCS posed a similar question and got really no relevant response. Can someone from AMSAT (or AMRAD) leadership give some insight into the state of that program and whether the turn on schedule is still running on times predicted via the AO-27 Scheduler program which cannot receive updates because of the lack of the ao27.org site.
Please, no crickets chirping. Be nice to have an explanation or guidance.
Thanks, 73 and see you on the birds.
Tom Schuessler N5HYP
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