Tag Archives: 4M

Nov 11 2014

4M – End of Mission

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload - Credit LuxSpace

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload – Credit LuxSpace

The JT65B amateur radio payload, which successfully completed a lunar flyby, has fallen silent after transmitting for 438 hours.

During the afternoon of November 10 the battery voltage dropped from 13.1V to 12.1V and continued falling. The last signal was received by Rein W6SZ at 01:35 UT on November 11 when the battery voltage had fallen to 8.4 volts.

Ghislain LX2RG posted the following to the Moon Net list:

Here at Luxspace, we have to thank you all for the reports, for the tracking, and we also hope that we provided you with the challenges you expected.

4M may possibly awaken from time to time if illumination becomes better.

We shall now endeavor to prepare the next one.

Manfred Memorial Moon Mission (4M) LX0OHB-4M http://moon.luxspace.lu/blog/

4M Lunar Payload https://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/15/4m-lunar-payload-integrated-keps-released/

Oct 30 2014

Press coverage of 4M ham radio lunar payload

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload - Credit LuxSpace

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload – Credit LuxSpace

The successful amateur radio lunar payload 4M launched on October 23 has generated a number of articles, the latest is in The Daily Beast.

Read The Daily Beast article about the first privately-funded spacecraft to travel the Moon at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/26/luxembourg-and-china-team-up-on-private-mission-to-the-moon.html

Since its launch 4M has been transmitting the digital mode JT65B on 145.980 MHz. The signal was first picked up 79 minutes after launch by Roland Zurmely PY4ZBZ in Brazil. The signal was very weak as 4M flew around the Moon but radio amateurs still managed to copy it. 4M is now heading back toward Earth.

4M reception by Berend PA3ARK signal level -8 dB

4M reception by Berend PA3ARK

Ghislain Ruy LX2RG has provided some additional information on the 4M project:

This project is entirely funded by our company [Luxspace], with strictly no commercial purpose. It means also that it had to be cheap, fast, efficient. In the partner page, you will find all those partner companies that have provided their services for free or at reduced cost. http://moon.luxspace.lu/partners/

I had only 6 months to set it all up, starting from blank page or quite so. I mean all really. And on top of that a mission from my boss: take the youngest by the hand and lead them to success. Done. I have repaid what I have been given by the elders when I was a beginner.

Here are at Luxspace, we are quite a lot of skilled high level engineers, and to say the truth, we do not object having fun on top of that.

LSE space offered for free to deal with all the data handling and setup all the website, data base, and so on. They did it in a very few months, and choose the most practical way for them in order to be in time and operational. And we are. As simple as it is.

We have learned a lot during these 6 months, and the last 6 days have been quite an education also.

The next mission will integrate all what was discovered and learned. My homework this week is to write it all down. Now, it is Java, and that’s it. Could have been better, but it works as expected or so, and that’s what counts. Fine tuning will come later.

Believe or not, I knew nothing of JT65B 7 months ago. We have put it all in a small microprocessor, including SDR !

Read the 4M blog at http://moon.luxspace.lu/blog/

For tracking information just enter your latitude and longitude at http://moon.luxspace.lu/tracking/

Lunar Ham Radio Payload Launched https://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/23/lunar-ham-radio-payload-launched/

ARRL – Radio Amateurs Report Hearing 4M Moon Orbiter JT65B Signal
http://www.arrl.org/news/radio-amateurs-report-hearing-4m-moon-orbiter-jt65b-signal

AMSAT-UK
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Twitter https://twitter.com/AMSATUK

Oct 25 2014

4M Lunar Payload Update

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload - Credit LuxSpace

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload – Credit LuxSpace

On October 25 Ghislain Ruy LX2RG provided this update on the 4M lunar amateur radio payload.

Signals from 4M are quite weak. This is not due to a loss of power as telemetry shows normal parameters, but to the attitude of the last stage that places a deep of the radiation pattern in the direction of the Earth. I hope that Earth’s movement with respect to the inertial attitude of the last stage will give better results in the coming days.

The 4M is becoming a real challenge now, and receiving the signals during flyby will be quite an achievement. A little bit away from the original goal though, but this risk was known.

One sure result is the radiation measurement that showed what was to be expected, and the graphs will soon be pubished on the blog.

I hope you will be able to receive during the AMSAT-DL AGM this weekend, but you will have to put 16+dB [antenna] gain at least.

Radio amateurs are encouraged to receive and report the signals http://moon.luxspace.lu/receiving-4m/

For tracking information just enter your latitude and longitude at http://moon.luxspace.lu/tracking/

See the 4M payload Blog at http://moon.luxspace.lu/blog/

Lunar Ham Radio Payload Launched https://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/23/lunar-ham-radio-payload-launched/

4M Lunar Payload https://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/15/4m-lunar-payload-integrated-keps-released/

AMSAT-UK
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Twitter https://twitter.com/AMSAT_UK

Oct 23 2014

Lunar Ham Radio Payload Launched

4M - Chang Zheng CZ-3C-G2 launch vehicle

4M – Chang Zheng CZ-3C-G2 launch vehicle

The 4M amateur radio payload with a WSJT JT65B 145.980 MHz beacon was launched on Thursday, October 23 at 1759 UT.

The Chang’e-5-T1 mission 4M payload launched on the Chang Zheng CZ-3C/G2 rocket from the LC2 launch complex at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, Sichuan. The first telemetry from the JT65B beacon was received at 1918 UT by Roland Zurmely PY4ZBZ in Brazil.

A number of Australian radio amateurs have reported receiving the signals from 4M. Among them was Rob Whitmore VK3MQ at Mount Dandenong, Victoria (QF22qe) who reports that at best, the strength was -13 on the JT65B scale and could also be totally down into the noise with no decodes.

4M reception by Berend PA3ARK signal level -8 dB

4M reception by Berend PA3ARK signal level -8 dB

Rob VK3MQ says “I am using the “Before” TLE as published on the Luxspace website with Gpredict to stear my 6 element yagi and TS2000. With Doppler the frequency is 145.9787 MHz at the time of writing. So far the decodes have included callsign, telemetry and a story of Manfred Fuchs threading through alternate decodes.”

Sam Jewell G4DDK @DXING Tweeted “Had around 40 minutes of near 100% copy from the moon probe 4M transmitter from around 1725z [Oct 24]. 9 element Yagi and K3/2m on 2m /JT65B”

The spacecraft will head into a Lunar Transfer Orbit (LTO), before performing a flyby around the Moon. Radio amateurs are encouraged to receive and report the signals. http://moon.luxspace.lu/receiving-4m/

For tracking information just enter your latitude and longitude at http://moon.luxspace.lu/tracking/

See the 4M payload Blog at http://moon.luxspace.lu/blog/

4M Lunar Payload https://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/15/4m-lunar-payload-integrated-keps-released/

AMSAT-UK
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/amsatuk
Twitter https://twitter.com/AMSATUK

Oct 15 2014

4M lunar payload integrated – Keps released

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload - Credit LuxSpace

LX0OHB-4M amateur radio lunar payload – Credit LuxSpace

The integration of the LX0OHB-4M amateur radio payload was completed on Sunday night, October 12 and is now ready to launch.

The onboard clock has been adjusted to start JT65B (145.980 MHz) at the UTC minute +/-1 second. It is likely to drift during the mission, and manual offset introduction will be required after a week or so. The launch date is October 23 at 1759 UTC.

Chang Zheng CZ-3C/G2 launch vehicle at Xichang carrying the 4M payload - Image LuxSpace

Chang Zheng CZ-3C/G2 launch vehicle at Xichang carrying the 4M payload – Credit LuxSpace

Beginning of transmission of 4M will start between 1917 UTC and 1927 UTC. Refer to the provided maps and animations links in the blog section (see also older messages) to determine your visibility. Alternatively, use the ‘tracking’ section where you can compute your tracking elements by introducing your geographic coordinates. The table can be copied/pasted into a text file. As the apparent movement will be close (and closer) to the one one of the Moon, manual pointing is easy but for the largest arrays. We’ll try to publish equivalent TLE’s to input in usual tracking software.

The link budget is quite tight, but the first hours should give comfortable signals. QSB is to be expected.

As JT65B is used: please remind those not yet too familiar with it that the receiver must not be tuned during the transmission. A dedicated webpage is being written to detail the procedure.

A dedicated java application is also available to automatically transmit the decoded messages to the 4M website and ease the data collection. (Thanks to LSE Space). Alternatively, you can also send the decoded messages by eMail, sending the ALL.txt file.

For those not wishing to use JT65B, please record the signals (11025s/s, 8or 16 bits, mono), taking care not to saturate the recording and NO MP3 please.

SpectrumLab is an excellent choice, although some may wish to use simpler recording software.

You can imagine that the team is quite eager to receive the first reports, so, do not hesitate to mail immediately, send decoded messages or even phone or text me at +352 661 678 986.

Our friends of IC CMalaga are also quite eager to receive the results of their radiation dosimeter experiment.

Basic rules of the contest have been delineated in the blog section. Complete rules will be published soon.

Stay tuned on our website or Facebook page.

The following is a tentative set of orbital elements that should remain valid from the launch to at least up to the October 27 when using usual classical and simple tracking software that do not integrate Moon.
1 99999U          14298.79728009  .00000066  00000-0  00000-0 0 00006
2 99999 030.6553 295.6956 9746689 147.2577 071.9585 00.10600338000010
The following set is to be used after the flyby from October 28 onwards
1 99999U          14301.79728009  .00000000   00000-0 00000-0 0 00009
2 99999 049.9434 067.2017 6639865 045.9865 124.5019 00.06612018000010

.
Ghislain Ruy LX2RG
Email: ruy@luxspace.lu with “4M Amateur” in the subject

Manfred Memorial Moon Mission (4M) http://moon.luxspace.lu/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LuxSpaceSarl

The launch will be broadcast by CNTV/CCTV: http://www.cntv.cn/ or http://english.cntv.cn/ or http://english.cntv.cn/live/p2p/index.shtml

Information animations and some JT65B test files at
https://cloud.luxspace.lu/public.php?service=files&t=33c4a21c09ba3736a55fc09896e463f6

Read the paper 4M Mission: a Lunar FlyBy experiment
http://tinyurl.com/4M-Mission-V3

EME 2014 slides: 4M, A Moon Flyby Mission
http://tinyurl.com/4M-slides-eme2014

4M lunar ham radio payload shipped
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/04/4m-lunar-ham-radio-payload-shipped/

Oct 13 2014

4M Lunar Payload in Practical Wireless Magazine

Cover November 2014.inddThe November issue of Practical Wireless (PW) magazine, in the shops now, devotes three pages to the 4M amateur radio lunar payload which will transmit JT65B on 145.980 MHz. Beijing plan to launch the payload on October 23. The article, written by Colin Redwood G6MXL, is well worth reading.

PW magazine also carries the popular columns World of VHF by Tim Kirby G4VXE, Data Modes by Mike Richards G4WNC and Emerging Technology by Chris Lorek G4HCL.

It is understood that postal copies of Practical Wireless can be purchased using a Debit or Credit card by ringing +44 (0)1202 751611 Monday – Thursday 8.30am – 4.00pm.

Practical Wireless magazine http://www.pwpublishing.ltd.uk/practical-wireless-latest-issue/

PW World of VHF on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/worldofvhf