..and the “Grand Dame” of digital communication experiments is celebrating its 40th anniversary these days.
On March 1, 1984, the second satellite designed and built by the University of Surrey’s Spacecraft Engineering Research Group—USAT in the UK, UoSAT-2 (UO- 11) was launched on a Delta rocket from the Western Test Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base
Among its many experiments, UoSAT-2 carried the Digital Communications Experiment, which was the first use of amateur radio store&forward techniques with Low Earth Orbiting Satellites
In 2008 it was determined that there was no viable battery backup functioning, only the solar panels were available to provide power. With the watchdog timer and eclipse schedule during orbits, the satellite has a 20 day cycle of 10 days on and 10 days off.
The older satellite radio amateurs will surely fondly remember the many wonderful hours we spent with UO-11. That makes it all the more wonderful to still receive the familiar signals today:
1400 UTC
000000010001020002030003040004050005060006070007080008090009 100001110000120003130002140005150004160007170006180009190008 20000221000322000023000124000625000726000427000528000A29000B 30000331000232000133000034000735000636000537000438000B39000A 40000441000542000643000744000045000146000247000348000C49000D 50000551000452000753000654000155000056000357000258000D59000C 60800E615FC1620105633341644402651E0C66200267000168000E69000F UOSAT-2 2408213120624 000000010001020002030003040004050005060006070007080008090009 100001110000120003130002140005150004160007170006180009190008 20000221000322000023000124000625000726000427000528000A29000B 30000331000232000133000034000735000636000537000438000B39000A 40000441000542000643000744000045000146000247000348000C49000D 50000551000452000753000654000155000056000357000258000D59000C 60800E615FC1620105633341644402651E0C66200267000168000E69000F UOSAT-2 2408213120629 000000010001020002030003040004050005060006070007080008090009 100001110000120003130002140005150004160007170006180009190008 20000221000322000023000124000625000726000427000528000A29000B 30000331000232000133000034000735000636000537000438000B39000A 40000441000542000643000744000045000146000247000348000C49000D 50000551000452000753000654000155000056000357000258000D59000C 60800E615FC1620105633341644402651E0C66200267000168000E69000F UOSAT-2 2408213120634 000000010001020002030003040004050005060006070007080008090009 100001110000120003130002140005150004160007170006180009190008 20000221000322000023000124000625000726000427000528000A29000B 30000331000232000133000034000735000636000537000438000B39000A 40000441000542000643000744000045000146000247000348000C49000D 50000551000452000753000654000155000056000357000258000D59000C 60800E615FC1620105633341644402651E0C66200267000168000E69000F UOSAT-2 2408213120639