APRS already has 3 LEO's in orbit and three more that are manifest. These extend the APRS uplink capability to everywhere on Earth and the LIVE feed from the satellites is available on http://ariss.net and http://pcsat.findu.com and the live feed everywhere else is on http://aprs.fi . So, in addition to all the HF IGates, and the VHF Igates and the Satellite Igates, there is worldwide uplink potential (that is "uplink" into the APRS network where then it gets parsed into the OUTERNET uplink).
I am only talking about amateur radio content, nothing else meets our rules, but as a 2-way emergency communications capability with more than 2 million licensed amateur radio operators worldwide, it does have potential within our rules. And it lets OUTERENET support a low cost 2-way global communications at virtually no cost to them either.
OUTERNET has three UHF cubesats that should be complete by May. [in addition to the GEO downlinks].
It is a 90kbps downlink with pre-determined content.
And we don't have to stream the entire APRS global feed! Only packets with the PATH of "OUTNET" in them. So any ham, anywhere on earth, can route his packet via the APRS satellite, or HF, or VHF terrestrial network and then have it routed into the OUTERNET uplink by including "OUTNET" in his path, and it will get sent on the OUTERNET uplink stream and hence to the OUTERNET GEO downlink. Thus, a 2-way system for Amateur Radio and their Emergency response.
The current APRS Satellite traffic is about 1000 packets per day and all are visibile on the above TWO satellite feeds. That works out to about one packet per minute or about 1 byte per second. 1 Baud would not be too much to ask of OUTERNET. Of course, if they turn it on for us, then the rate might increase TEN fold or in a few years, ONE HUDRED FOLD... To 100 baud. Or even one THOUSAND fold and the bit rate would be up to only 1 kbps or less than 1% of their traffic! Oh, and that is supporting thousands of two-way amateur and emergtency communicators globally anywhere on earth!
Bob, WB4APR
On 01/03/2016, Robert Bruninga [email protected] wrote:
Global Ham channel?
We should find someone to work with the OUTERNET folks to add an amateur
radio channel to their downlink. Their satellites could provide >
connectivity to 99% of amateur radio operators on earth. In addition, Ham > Radio can bring to OUTERNET an uplink capability that they currently don't > have. And the uplink can be from the same remote areas where there is no > service...
_______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb