ARLS008 AO-40 transponders to open for experimental operation

[Paul L Rinaldo]

>SB SPACE ARL ARLS008
>ARLS008 AO-40 transponders to open for experimental operation
>
>The AO-40 team has announced that experimental transponder operation
>will start on Saturday, May 5, at approximately 0800z. The
>announcement comes in the wake of successful initial transponder
>tests last weekend.
>
>''We expect good conditions on Saturday morning over North and South
>America and Europe,'' said AMSAT-DL President Peter Guelzow, DB2OS,
>an AO-40 team leader. Guelzow said the 435 MHz and 1.2 GHz uplinks
>will be connected to the 2.4 GHz transmitter passband.
>
>It's estimated that AO-40 will be available on May 5 in the Western
>Hemisphere from 0800 until approximately 1400z. Stations should use
>only SSB and CW. Guelzow said it's expected the transponders will
>remain available over a period of approximately 10 days.
>
>The uplink frequencies are 435.550-435.800 MHz and 1269.250-1269.500
>MHz. The downlink passband is 2401.225-2401.475 MHz. The
>transponders are inverting, so a downward change in uplink frequency
>will result in an upward frequency shift in the downlink.
>
>Users are asked to avoid the ''middle'' 2.4 GHz telemetry beacon and
>give it a clearance of 5 kHz on either side. Guelzow said the
>transponder might be shut down if the beacon cannot be copied
>because of interference.
>
>He emphasized that the operation is experimental, the schedule
>subject to change, and the transponders could be shut down at any
>time without warning.
>
>AO-40 ground controllers also plan to test the problematic VHF and
>UHF transmitters again.
>NNNN
>/EX
>