[Elecraft] QRP signals from Pathfinder probe (off topic)

[Jeff Stai]

Well, at least they have big antennas. ;) I read the other day on the NOVA
website that New Horizons will be downloading the data acquired in the
flyby at a data rate of only 1 kb/s - think "1200 baud modem" for those of
you old enough to remember them. And there was another fascinating article
there about how they use Reed-Solomon error correcting codes to compensate
for the inevitable bit errors and reduce the need for retransmission (and
now using the same RS code for DNA data storage, very cool stuff.)

Nothing about the path loss, but knowing the data rate is so low, and that
the RS code is probably good for a considerable error burst of several
bits, that should at least give you a sense of what the loss might be!

73 jeff wk6i

On Thu, Jul 16, 2015 at 11:10 AM, <ac5p at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Heard last night on  Nova program that the transmitter on the Pathfinder
> Pluto probe was 10 watts.  Anyone have a clue as to the signal path loss at
> 3 billion miles and what levels the deep space dish receiving networks are
> dealing with?   Incredible that the data stream can be extracted from the
> noise.
> Mike  AC5P
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to wk6i.jeff at gmail.com




-- 
Jeff Stai ~ wk6i.jeff at gmail.com
Twisted Oak Winery ~ http://www.twistedoak.com/
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com/twistedoak