More on the ISS/PCsat test.

> .... One other station, KB1EAA inadvertantly got a Triple hop, but with
> a ground station inbetween because he had a WIDE on the end of his path
> (which we have recommended for better IGate success once the packet
> reaches the ground).  But in this case, with ISS also having the WIDE
> alias, it went back up via satellite!
>
> [15:54:19] KB1EAA>APK002,W3ADO-1,SGATE,RS0ISS*/1::PCSAT    :HI{9
>

Which brings up some questions?
1) Where was the "SGATE" digi?
2) Was it on the ground or ISS?

The "SGATE" path for packets from PCsat or users was invented to solve a
"rules" problem in Australia.  The interpretation I received was that
packets could not be received from space and automatically injected into
a terrestrial network system without the intent of the originator.  THus
by originating packets with the SGATE path in them, then the packets
could be legally picked up and injected into the APRS system.

In that sense, I always thought that most SGATE's were in Australia, or
were only Injecting into the APRS internet, not digipeating back out to
RF.

*OR* since I have been sending the recommendations for this test to ARISS
since January, and I sent many versions and recommendatinos over that
time frame as the status and situation on PCast degraded, I always wanted
them to have the best recommendation.  In some of those, I recommended
that ISS include a digipeating ALIAS of SGATE too.  This way, since all of
PCsat's telemery has SGATE in its path, then if ISS was ever in range of
PCsat, then it might relay PCsat's telemetry.

QUESTION IS, was SGATE installed as a valid ALIAS on ISS?

So next time someone has ISS in view and packet is on, try digipeating
using the path of  UNPROTO CQ VIA SGATE and tell me if it worked.  I have
confirmed that the aliases of RS0ISS and ARISS and WIDE work, but I didn't
check for SGATE.  BUT in KB1EAA's packet, the SGATE did not do callsign
substitution, so it could not have been ISS.  ANd besides, if it HAD
digipeated it, then it could not also have digipeated the next hop via
RS0ISS too.

Also check for APRSAT.  It was recommended as the universal spaceborne UI
digipeating alias, but when PCsat started losing its ability to keep its
configuration, we were unable to keep that alias maintanied on PCsat, so
we removed that from the current recomendatin for this test..  But again,
we aren't sure what the 4 active aliases are that actually got loaded on
ISS.

Bob
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More on the joint ISS/PCsat joint test:

Although the fun part of the joint ISS/PCsat test was the attempt to
demonstrate dual satellite constellation opportunities for double hops,
the more subtle advantage that many people may have overlooked is
the double access times.

On Friday evening when ISS first came onto 145.825 and while it was 180
degrees out of phase with PCsat, those people sitting on 145.825 were
greeted with almost 10 hours straight of almost 14 satellite passes
averaging every 45 minutes or so.  It was a busy night.  Seems like I
couldnt get anything much done, because there was always another pass just
coming up, or just having ended.

Thus with only 2 satellites flying in constellation on the same frequency
with the same generic UI digipeating mission, we were getting a sample of
what I hope to show as the future of UI digipeating in space.  That is, if
we can get some of those contemplating the construction of a LEO satelltie
to include a UI digiepater on 145.825, then we would have an amateur
radio satellite system capable of on average providing communications
support to mobiles and handheld operators anywhere on the planet at least
once every 15 minutes or so around the clock.

Although this joint-generic access portion of this test, was one of the
fundamental objectives when we first proposed it back in January 2002,
that aspect was significantly compromised when PCsat began operating in
negative power budget and in the later months could no longer remember its
settings and so we could not get ISS and PCsat to use the SAME generic
"WIDE" alias.  Thus each user did have to change his UNPROTO path between
satellties.

But imagine if they were both "WIDE", then the 10 hours of more than 14
combined passes in one evening of keyboard QSO's independent of whichever
satellite was actually in view should have been quite impressive.

de WB4APR@amsat.org, Bob