[aprssig] PCSAT2 Launch

[Robert Bruninga]

PCSAT2 was carried into space today by STS-114.
It will not be activated until it is installed on the
outside of the ISS on 1 or 3 August during an
EVA.   After a week or so of on-orbit checkout,
and if all goes well, the APRS digipeater will be 
activated for general use probably by 10 Aug.

But, well equipped ground stations are invited to
help us capture early telemetry on the alternate 
downlink of 437.975 on the first few days of 
activation.  Telemetry will be at 1200 and 9600 
baud.  For details, see:

http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/pec/pc2ops.html 

There are 2 classes of stations that can help.

1)  We ask 1200 baud IGates or SATgates to monitor
437.975 and feed to the normal global APRS system.
This will feed the live telemetry page:
http://www.pcsat2.info/PCSat2Web/RealTime.jsp 

2) 9600 Baud stations to monitor the same 437.975
for the special once-every-3.3 minutes 9600 baud
data beacon (54 lines of data).  Email your file to
PC2 at grc.nasa.gov 

The UHF downlink is only 1 watt and so it will require
a beam to hear it.

Good luck
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR
USNA Satellite Lab