In trying to hit the current, active, APRS digipeating satellites: PSAT (NO-84), ISS and occasionally FalconSat-3, one has to reconfigure the Path, and BPS. Using this HT there is a relatively simple menu system, and a few minutes prior to the pass, you can be good to go. Typically, I will set the APRS beacon to manual and use it to send up a first message (ok, I've read this is bad form, 'technically', from the AMSAT-BB reflector threads... so, I'll probably curtail this going forward.
We send messages to each other through these sky-digipeaters using UI / unproto messages and I have several canned (preprogrammed user) phrases to be used to "complete" a QSO.
Unfortunatly for reasons unknown, the D72A stopped sending out messages. I could beacon but not send out an actual message.
I went over every setting in detail:
300 - call sign - KA2CZU-2
301 - Beacon Type - APRS
302 - APRS Locak - OFF
310 - Data Band - A Band
311 - Speed - 1200
320 - DCD Sense - Ignore DCD (only way for me to even beacon right now)
321 - TX delay - 200 ms
380 - Position Comment - Not Emergency
390 - StatusText - set to stuff
3A0/1/2 - QSY stuff all Off
3B0/1 - Pkt Filter OFF and Type = Weather
3Cx - symbol default Kenwood
3D0 - TX Beacon Method- Manual
3D1 - Init. Interval - .2 min (tried other settings)
3E Algorithm both decal and pathing were ON... just set to OFF... don't know what these do
3F/G Smart Beacon , never have touched these
3H0 - PacketPath - *Others
3H1 - ARISS
and for the most part, everything was correct, with the exception of DCD Sense... I was told to only use "Ignore DCD" when working the full duplex 9600bps FalconSat-3 digipeater.
Fine.
That wasn't the issue.
No change made a difference, tried another ham's MC4 file and still no-workie.
What worked?
A full reset, and then restoring my (previously saved) settings.
Remember, it's [OK] to reset, if you saved your settings like you should 😃
