Lasting two days, the long-range communication test between the engineering model of MASAT-1 and the ground station was successful. An 11 km long link was tested on Thursday, while on Friday the transmissions were performed from a distance of nearly 90 km (from Kékestető). The interested participants could receive the satellite’s telemetry signals with the published decoder software. The measurement data will be evaluated in the remaining part of the week.

Some members of the team, led by HA7WEN, will leave for Késkestető on Friday morning with one model of the satellite, which we will continuously “tease”. On the basis of today’s preliminary tests performed from a look-out tower on Anna-hegy, the satellite will be operated in its basic mode. This means that first it will not be commanded and only its telemetry transmission will be monitored. We will obtain a huge amount of information already in this case, since it measures and reports more than 100 valuable parameters. These are data that can be accessed and interpreted by anyone. It is recommended to study the released software in advance and observe the parameters of the various subsystems. Next, we will control the unit and perform link tests. We will check whether it receives the sent requests and answers them. If the two-way connection is active between the ground station and MASAT, then the testing of the various remote controlled functions may begin. Such cases are the alteration of the BEACON message, clock setting, starting the self-diagnostics, monitoring of various parameters (e.g. the PCB temperature, data acquisition).

The on-board computer stores the acquired data in files, which is an important step of the second part of the tests. We elaborated a test measurement that represents about 100 packages in compressed form. We will try to download these 100 packages (1 logged, compressed trend file) with various data rates and attenuators inserted into the receive path of the control station. The receive and control station will be in building E of BME.

Everyone who is interested is welcome on 145.400MHz around 12:00 PM.

Further information about the software and its use is available here. The antennas are recommended to face Kékestető on early Friday afternoon as MASAT-1 will transmit from there. Its operation can be tracked by the software. The start of the transmission will be indicated on the homepage.

The meeting frequency is 145.400MHz, the satellite will transmit on 437.345MHz.

A communications trial will be held on Friday (04 February 2011), in which the radio amateurs are kindly requested to participate. The first version of the telemetry decoder software will be tested, hoping to ensure this way its smooth use after the start, as well as to correct the initial errors as soon as possible on the basis of the feedbacks. Further details are coming soon…

The Central Bank of Hungary (MNB) announces an open discussion related to its commemorative coin release program in 2012. In the framework of this, everyone is provided with the opportunity to express his/her opinion about the topic of the coins to be released. The material, nominal value and technical parameters of the coins will be finalized after the open discussions between 10 and 31 January 2011. The full text of the preliminary release plan, which provides the bases of the discussions, is available here.

Our visitors are kindly requested to definitely send their supporting votes related to this topic to the address of the Central Bank of Hungary , provided that they find MASAT-1 worthy to be displayed on a commemorative coin next year.