Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 23:52:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Bob Bruninga To: amsat-bb@AMSAT.Org Cc: TAPR APRS Special Interest Group Subject: [amsat-bb] ISS UtIquette ISS UtIquette: UI digipeating from space has great potential for bringing live-human QSO's back to digital satellites. This mode was quite well exercised during the last year of MIR giving many stations lots of operating experience. One lesson was... Since TNC's and PC's can be rather tireless at sending packets, the following rule of "ISS UtIquette" might be a good idea... 1) If your station is attended, then operate in accordance with good operating practice... Make packets as short as practical and share, and use the minimum power necessary to communicate.... etc... 2) If your station is unattended, put it in RECEIVE only mode. 3) If you need to conduct special tests which might not fit either category above, then please limit your ERP to 5 Watts or less. This way, your packet will probably not QRM anyone trying to work ISS; yet if the channel is clear, it will get through. ERP means Effective Radiated power. This includes antenna gain. Or said another way, an HT on an OMNI, not on a BEAM... etc. It WILL work "if the channel is clear". In fact, 1W has been shown to work on rare ocasions... A summay of past and present UI digipeating in space can be found on http://aprs.org/astars.html DISCLAIMER: I have no official position with ISS, ARISS, or AMSAT and I hope I am not suggesting something out of place.... de WB4APR, Bob ---- Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.