Some interesting info on falconsat, pacsat, and the IC-9700.
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Mark L. Hammond [email protected] Date: Fri, Sep 23, 2022 at 9:31 AM Subject: Re: 9600 baud on IC-9700? To: Rich Gopstein [email protected], Andrew Glasbrenner < [email protected]>
Hi Rich, I am delighted to learn about the interest and possibility of a pacsat board! Just coordinate with me and the laws of physics (satellite orbits..) and I can certainly try to turn ON Falconsat-3 for you all. It just won't stay on for more than an orbit or two. Ideally, you all should record some of the data downlink so you can run it at will in the shack and on the bench. In fact, years ago we built an AMSAT digital archive that had recordings of AO-51, which is the same thing...just a thought. I did many modem tests/optimizations using recorded files over the years.
If possible, the satellite OS and PBBS really need to be burned into memory onboard the bird, since the uploading of the files needed to run the PBBS take several passes at 9600 baud... Maybe 2 copies, in case one gets bad. Anyhow, Drew KO5MA and I have a lot experience with running AO-51 and Falconsat-3 over the years. Oh, and of course AO-16/17/18/19...
The IC-97000 needs to have its FM-D mode act and perform exactly like the FM-D mode in the IC-9100. That gives us audio in and out that supports 9600 baud that be used with TNCs--hardware or software. It's stupid that they dropped 9600 support. In the end, it COULD be as simple as a firmware update for end users. Evidently, they are never going to write the code. Many of us have begged and tried to lobby for it.
Here to help as needed! Copying Drew....
73, Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] AMSAT Director and Command Station
On Fri, Sep 23, 2022 at 7:19 AM Rich Gopstein [email protected] wrote:
There's a new AMSAT project to look at building a "pacsat" board which will have a 9600 baud downlink. As an exercise, we were going to try receiving Falconsat transmissions since it uses the same encoding that is being proposed for the pacsat board.
There are at least a couple of us who have 9700s and we weren't sure if we be able to receive at 9600 baud.
Just out of curiosity, what do you mean by Icom making the 9700 work "the right way"?
On Fri, Sep 23, 2022, 6:56 AM Mark L. Hammond [email protected] wrote:
Hi Rich,
Yes, it works on receive. Shame on Icom for making it work "the right way"....and not allowing TX at 9700 at all.
It's pretty straightforward. Put the 9700 in FM mode; set the USB audio from AF to IF; then point your software decoding program to the 9700 soundcard. Pretty much all there is to it...I did this with FoxTLM to copy DUV telemetry on the Fox birds, too. Same idea...broadband receive to software. Another trick--since it's "only a soundcard" you can run multiple decoding software at the same time on the receiver..
What's your plan for 9600 on the 9700?
Mark L. Hammond [N8MH] AMSAT Director and Command Station
On Thu, Sep 22, 2022 at 10:59 PM Rich Gopstein [email protected] wrote:
Mark,
Burns mentioned that you have successfully received 9600 baud transmissions using an IC-9700?
Are the details available somewhere?
Thanks.
Rich, KD2CQ