Monthly Archives: December 2014

Dec 24 2014

Using the RTL-SDR dongle to detect meteors

Combined SDR# and Spectrum Lab Display - Dr David Morgan 2W0CXV

Combined SDR# and Spectrum Lab Display – Dr David Morgan 2W0CXV

A new paper has been released by Dr David Morgan 2W0CXV on using the RTL2841 DVB TV Dongle as a SDR processor with SpectrumLab.

The paper Techniques for using the RTL Dongle for Detecting Meteors covers the setting up and use of the dongle to receive meteor pings from the Graves Radar on 143.050 MHz.

It can be downloaded from the Meteor Detection Projects page of the BAA-RAG website http://www.britastro.org/radio/projects/meteorproj.html

Join the BAA-RAG Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/baa-rag

Download the free publication RAGazine from http://www.britastro.org/radio/downloads.html

Dec 23 2014

Tweeting via the ISS

International Space Station - Image Credit NASA

International Space Station – Image Credit NASA

Harold Giddings KR0SIV describes how he Tweeted using amateur radio and the International Space Station.

He says: I sent a message to the International Space Station, it transmits it back down to groundstations in its view and those stations send the message to the APRS-IS network. My server then takes the message parses out useful data and posts it to Twitter as a tweet.

The ISS has two amateur radio stations. One is in the Russian Service Module and uses a Kenwood D710 and can do Slow Scan Television (SSTV) as well as FM voice. The other is in the Columbus Module and uses Ericsson handhelds for 145 and 435 MHz FM, the 2395 MHz HAM-TV system is also in this segment of the space station. In addition to voice contacts the 145 MHz Ericsson handheld is used to provide the APRS packet radio digipeater used by Harold.

Watch Twitter on the International Space Station

Ham Radio Tweets
http://hamradiotweets.com/
https://twitter.com/HamRadioTweets

How to hear the ISS https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-hear-the-iss/

How to work the ISS on APRS Packet Radio
https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-work-the-iss-on-aprs-packet-radio/

Dec 23 2014

FUNcube-1 in full-time transponder mode

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

On December 23 FUNcube-1 / AO-73 was switched into full-time transponder mode with low-power beacon. It will remain in that mode for the next 5-7 days.

Enjoy the transponder.

With best wishes for the Festive Season, and for 2015

FUNcube Team

Dec 21 2014

Russian ISS School Contacts

International Space Station - Image Credit NASA

International Space Station – Image Credit NASA

Both Dmitry Pashkov R4UAB and Michal Zawada SQ5KTM have released videos of ISS school contacts by cosmonaut Yelena Serov operating with the callsign RS0ISS which took place on Sunday, December 21, 2014.

Yelena Serova

Yelena Serova

The amateur radio station in the Russian Service Module was used and the Kenwood D710 operated on 145.800 MHz FM. The power setting used is not clear but may have been 25 watts. It is understood that ISS school contacts had been planned for Sunday with students at both Ekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk.

In his blog Dmitry Pashkov R4UAB said of the first Chelyabinsk contact: Radio session of the crew of the International Space Station with a children’s art school in Chelyabinsk. With great difficulty they contacted. Questions answered by Yelena Serov.

Watch the first Chelyabinsk contact ARISS RS0ISS г. Челябинск (R4UAB)

Watch the second Chelyabinsk contact – ARISS RS0ISS г. Челябинск (виток № 2) (R4UAB)

Michal Zawada SQ5KTM also received a signal from a school contact today and produced the following video.

Watch ISS / RS0ISS 21.12.2014 contact with Russian station R8AM(?)

Dmitry Pashkov R4UAB Blog http://tinyurl.com/R4UAB-Blog

Dec 20 2014

ISS SSTV reception on a portable setup using RTL-SDR

Standing in a car park, I was able to successfully receive the images using a handheld 3 element 144 MHz Yagi antenna connected to a RTL-SDR USB dongle.

The dongle was connected to Windows-8 tablet using a USB OTG cable.
I was running SDR# to listen and record the FM audio on 145.800 MHz.
I had a LNA connected between the antenna and rtl-sdr but since the the downlink from the ISS was quite strong it was probably not required.

M0JJS

Watch ISS SSTV reception on a portable setup using RTL-SDR

ISS SSTV https://amsat-uk.org/2014/12/18/iss-sstv-success/

Dec 19 2014

Radio ham helps ESA with tracking widget

ESA_03_logo_dark_blueThanks to radio amateur Chip Sufitchi N2YO the European Space Agency’s new satellite tracking widgets are live.

The tracking widgets are fed with the latest orbital tracks for ESA missions, or missions with significant ESA participation. The default track shows the ISS.

Track ESA missions http://blogs.esa.int/rocketscience/track-esa-missions/

ESA tracking widgets are powered by http://www.n2yo.com/