Date: Mon, 06 Sep 1999 13:42:01 +0200

Receiving Inmarsat

Dear Doc:
Thanks to your information I got the Inmarsat AOR. Since I could use
AFN-radio as a 24h-indicator, it was been esay to locate the bird. Now I
tried very hard to find the IOR-Inmarsat. I believe it is on 64° east, but
did not find any signal on 1537 mc. Do you know of any frequency-indicator
to tune in? Which one is more exiciting, AOR or IOR?
thank you, C.C.Rubin

Dr.Dish:
On the INMARSAT 3F1 at 64 degree east (at the moment at 63.90) is the
AFN-radio not present. Instead you can use a data-stream on 1537.745 MHz
which delievers a constant strong signal as indicator. For INMARSAT A
reception you got 339 channels in 25 kHz-spacing (ch.1=1535.025 and
ch.339=1543.775). Diificult to say which one delivers the more exciting
traffic. to me it is the IOR-INMARSAT. It is to us European more excotic
and the dangerous Strait of Malacca is the source of many emergency calls.
I do not know your location in Europe, but the 3F1 delivers at my place
(51°N/6°E) strong signals. I just finished a small booklet about receiving
INMARSAT A-traffic in the german language (its called something like:
Inside INMARSAT-A Traffic in Theory and Practice) and will hopefully
available in the english language in due time.

-- Christian Mass (Dr.Dish)™