Category: POPSAT-HIP1

POPSAT-HIP1 beacon

DK3WNLeave a comment

Hello everyone,

Another month has passed (which made POPSAT now 9-month old and thus it’s time for another update.
Unfortunately POPSAT now can only be awake when there’s Sun illumination.
Our investigation seems to indicate a combined problem among the solar panels, battery charging capability, as well as the EPS itself.

Recently, we’ve been enabling the Morse beacon just when we have our contacts in the morning. But then the beacon will be off at the next eclipse.
So it can be heard in limited time and regions, which are South East Asia, China, Siberia, and India.

And attached is the updated battery voltage until today.

Thank you & 73,
Yesie 9V1SQ
POPSAT-HIP1 team

POPSAT-BV

POPSAT-HIP1 update

DK3WNLeave a comment

Dear everyone,

We’d like to update the situation for POPSAT. We’re sorry that we can’t yet enable the Morse beacon, since the recent power budget doesn’t seem to allow, but we still have daily contact with POPSAT.

Attached is the battery voltage profile until today. As can be seen, the voltage fluctuates, there was a hopeful moment that the voltage might go up further, but apparently the combination between degraded solar panels and battery prevent the easy charging. Other than this, the subsystems are doing fine, we can still maintain our telemetry and telecommand.
We’re exploring ways to keep POPSAT alive and perhaps to have the beacon in limited region. We’ll update again then.

Thank you & Regards,
Yesie 9V1SQ
POPSAT-HIP1 team

popsat_batt_022015

POPSAT-HIP1 update

DK3WNLeave a comment

Dear everyone,

For the past week and likely this week too, POPSAT has been quiet.
We have been observing that the power input is getting weaker, therefore it has been put in the low power mode (which means beacon off as well).
We are trying to hopefully be able to bring it back to full battery voltage.
The info we get from our morning pass today is the battery voltage is at 7.46V.

If possible, we’d like to switch on the beacon again early next week.

Thank you & Regards,
Yesie 9V1SQ
POPSAT-HIP1 team