Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF sends out a pre-release copy of the Amateur Radio Newsline broadcast script to the ANS editors. This week's Newsline will include news about Eagle. Here's a copy for anyone interested ...
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
HAM RADIO IN SPACE: THE EAGLE WILL FLY
AMSAT's Board of Directors has approved the payloads for the upcoming Eagle ham radio satellite. Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF reports:
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Of primary concern to most radio amateurs world-wide was the decision to include an SSB and C-W transponder transponder with uplink on 70 centimeters and a downlink on 2 meters. What AMSAT calls U-Band and V-Band. This means that Eagle will be usable over 75% of an orbital pass by any AO-13 or AO-40 capable ground station. In other words, Eagle will be backward compatible with most previous ham radio satellites.
Other transponders include SSB and C-W with an uplink on L-band and a downlink the 2.4 GHz S1-band and a low rate text message system operating on the UHF and VHF bands. These transponders will be implemented using Software Defined Radio technology.
But thatÂ’s not all.. AMSAT says that Eagle will also carry an advanced communications payload or A-C-P. The A-C-P will allow voice communications uplinking on the S2-band at 3.4 Ghz and downlinking on C-band at 5.8 Ghz. It will do all of this using a single 60cm dish. The satellite antennas will be electrically steered to reduce spin modulation and allow use over 75% of any given orbit.
An additional, fix-pointed, uplink will be available at L-band. This L-band uplink will require a separate antenna at the ground station. Also on-board will be C-band equipment for high rate data communications such as streaming video.
For the Amateur Radio Newsline, Bill Pasternak, WA6ITF, in Los Angeles.
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The AMSAT board announced its selection following a meeting on October 5th in Sam Francisco. It also said that AMSAT will develop and make available an affordable ground segment for the ACP system. Additional information will be posted at www.amsat.org in the near future. (AMSAT)