In a message dated 28/04/2010 23:13:34 GMT Daylight Time, ei7m-wkt@asahi-net.or.jp writes:

UNITEC-1, Negai*", WASEDA-SAT2, KSAT information http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/unitec-1.htm

JE9PEL, Mineo Wakita

Hi all. / Mineo.

Very good to hear Unitec -1 is on schedule.

I have built a downconverter for 5840 MHz to 1284 or 145MHz and would like to track the satellite on the early part of it voyage to Venus. - Probably only the very early part of the trip with a 1m dish.

However, having read the available information there are still a list of problems that need to be resolved. I wonder if the Unitec team, or the group may have an opinion on the following.

1) What polarisation is transmitted from the patches. Linear? Circular? etc. I need to select a dish feed. 2) How long will Unitec -1 spend commissioning in LEO ? 3) Is there a tracking utility that can show doppler or even direction for a specific geographic location. Doppler is 'interesting' given that you have the probe travelling away from Earth, the Earth orbiting the sun and you also have the movement due to the rotation of the Earth? 4) Given the transmissions on 5840 are 30 mins in a 2 hour period, will there be an on-line counter predicting when the spacecraft should be in transmission mode. (Or a reference time so we can count ourselves?) 5) At what point in the mission will the transmitter be changed from 145 to 5840MHz. 6) Is there a method of sending telemetry to the team at Tokyo?

I like a challenge.....

Many thanks

David G0MRF