Just saw a message over on the AMSAT BB that indicates that Dr. Charles Simonyi will be performing maintenance on both rigs during his upcoming stay on the ISS..... YAY!!!

George, KA3HSW

-----Original Message-----

From: Dave Taylor w8aas@comcast.net Sent: Apr 6, 2007 7:05 AM To: Sarex SAREX@AMSAT.Org Subject: [sarex] Re: Marex news, ISS radio status

Miles overstates the D700 problems. The memory channels didn't become corrupted; they are fine. Physically, the radio is fine. What happened was that the programmed operating modes (PMs, in D700 terminology) were overwritten by unplanned (and unknown) changes, probably during the SSTV try-outs. Without reliable PMs, changing modes requires a lengthy and error-prone procedure to switch between packet operations and school contacts. Therefore, the radio was manually put in the school contact configuration and left there. That is its primary mission.

Fixing the PMs does not require an OS load (whatever that means). The custom EPROM firmware, which modified some of the D700's functions for space use, doesn't need to be changed. The PMs are just operator configurations that can be reloaded from a computer via a serial port on the front of the radio, without disassembling anything. All that is needed is the computer, crew training, and scheduled crew time to do it (all of which are hard to arrange on ISS).

-- Dave, W8AAS