ANDE/RAFT COMMS USER SERVICE EXPECTATIONS de WB4APR ------------------------------------------------------------------------ (rev-5) 10 Feb 07 New: RAFT and ANDE SPEAK: ANDE and RAFT have joined the constellation of USNA APRS Satelllites that provide a worldwide position, status and message service for mobile and handheld amateur radio satellite users and schools. Unfortunately, their downlinks are significantly weaker than PCSAT-1 and usually not receivable except with a good beam. ANDE is better than RAFT. A few packets can be heard in the middle minute or so of a high pass by a mobile (omni antenna with short coax). The downlink can be seen on FINDU's http://pcsat.aprs.org. We welcome any future satellite low duty-cycle UI digipeating satellites on this shared frequency. POLICY STATEMENT: ANDE and RAFT transponders are open systems in accordance with the ITU regulations for the Amateur Satellite Service. To provide the best overall throughput for the most users, ANDE and RAFT transponders are protocol driven and require users to adhere to the fundamental protocol requirements. Only users that adhere to these published protocol and operating standards are authorized to use the spacecraft. ANDE and RAFT USAGE: You may use ANDE and RAFT if you adhere to the following objectives: 1) Keep informed of the current protocol requirements via the ANDE and RAFT Operations web page and via bulletins in the downlink. http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/ande-raft-ops.html 2) Understand that the APRS mission on ANDE and RAFT and your objective is only to get your position and or status/message digipeated once or maybe twice per pass. AND/OR a few messages spoken. 3) Use only the authorized power levels, channel and periodicity for your station class and precedence as posted and published below. STATION CLASS PWR BAUD UPLINK PERIOD DIGIPATH DOWNLINK ------------- --- ---- ------- ------- -------- --------- Unattended 50W 1200 145.825 3 min APRSAT 145.825 Attended BASE 50W 1200 145.825 1 min APRSAT 145.825 Mobile 50W 1200 145.825 1 min APRSAT 145.825 Handi-Talkie 5W 1200 145.825 1 min APRSAT 145.825 ALIASES AUTHORIZED: VIA APRSAT, or VIA ARISS, or VIA satellite call. 4) These Periods and Path recommendations may change at any time due to loading on the uplink. If two satelltes are in view at the same time and both hear a WIDE2-2 packet, remember that both will key at the same time and both will then ignore the other one's digipeat. The best way to get a dual hop packet (if they both hear you) is to go VIA APRSAT,APRSAT or VIA ARISS,ARISS. NOTE: This only works with PCSAT-1, since ANDE and RAFT are much weaker and will only hear each other during a very close conjunction. 5) Please include your Effective Radiated Power (ERP) and your beacon rate in your packet so that all can compare the statistics and performance of this satellite channel. ERP is TX power plus antenna system gain. Example: !DDMM.hhN/DDDMM.hhW-Bob,50W,2min mobile. 4) Use a TXD no greater than 200ms if possible. The satellites will work with as little as 100 ms if your rig will. This lets more users in. 5) Use the short packets. Avoid redundant information. RAFT SPEECH or PSK-31: RAFT has three modes in addition to digipeting. Packet-to-Voice-synthesizer -OR- PSK31-Transponder, and a RADAR xponder. The RADAR is only under COMMAND station control, and RAFT will only be in either the VOICE or PSK mode at any particular time. The PSK-31 mode is by far the most power hungry, so normally the mode will be VOICE except when announced. RAFT PACKET-TO-SPEECH: RAFT is weak signal, and command stations must share the same channel, so do not TX if you cannot hear RAFT to avoid jamming other operations in progress. Here are the ground rules: 1) No automatic beacons greater than once every 1-3 minutes. 2) Only a few voice packets per station per pass are authorized 3) Do not transmit a voice packet if you cannot hear RAFT 4) RAFT requires a good beam and high pass to hear the weak downlink. 5) If you cannot hear it, please do -not-transmit to it. 6) The RAFT voice module is only ON if someone has sent a CONNECT REQUEST to "RAFT". The connection does nothing else other than turn on power to the speech module. But the connected station can send anything to be spoken directly. 7) Once the voice module is on, then any OTHER station can send APRS formatted messages to TALK and those messages will also be spoken along with "XXXX says..." in place of the header. 8) RAFT voice circuit will remain on for 5 minutes after the connect 9) While on, RAFT will speak any UI APRS msg it hears, sent to "TALK" ANDE voice is the same process, except it can only be turned on by command stations. Similarly, the command station can cause voice by the RPRINT "say this stuff" and it will be spoken. Also while the voice is on, then it too, like RAFT will remain activated for that pass and will speak all UI APRS formatted messages to TALK. On ANDE, there can be a 10 second delay between the time your TALK message is digipeated and when it speaks. RAFT PSK-31 MODE: The RAFT TX comes up for 1 full minute during which all PSK-31 audio heard on 28.120 MHz USB will be relayed on the down- link. Clearly this is a power hungry mode due to the long TX times. When PSK-31 is enabled, any station may bring up the transponder by a simple packet CONNECT TO RAFT. When RAFT sees a connect request, it turns on the 10 meter receiver and the 145.825 TX for 1 minute. (Maybe longer later). During that time users can send and receive PSK-31 using a 10 meter SSB uplink and their 145.825 FM downlink to their PSK-31 software. Due to the power load of the full time transmitter, this mode will be not available as often as the Voice system. Remember that RAFT downlink is WEAK. Do not attempt to CONNECT TO RAFT to turn on either the VOICE or PSK-31 unless you can hear the 10 second telemetry packets. Thanks. ACCEPTANCE: If you accept the conditions of operation for ANDE and RAFT, you are authorized access. Please sign this agreement and post it in your primary operating station for your future reference. Check back to this page frequently for updates. 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