Author Archives: m0xtd

Oct 18 2012

CAS-2A1 and CAS-2A2 Linear Transponder Amateur Radio Satellites

CAMSAT CAS-2 banner at the Friedrichshafen Ham Radio 2012 event

CAMSAT are building two micro-satellites CAS-2A1 and CAS-2A2 to be combined into a binary star system for amateur radio communication and education.

There will be a radio link between two satellites when the satellites are in suitable positions in their orbits, so that the amateur radio communication coverage can be extended. Both spacecraft are 25kg 270x270x250mm and are planning to launch from Taiyuan into a sun synchronous, 1000km apogee, 99.5 degree orbit.

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Oct 18 2012

FITSAT-1 5840.0 MHz downlink received with FUNcube Dongle

Reception of FITSAT-1 5840.0 MHz downlink using FUNcube Dongle SDR

This video by radio amateur Tetsurou Satou JA0CAW shows reception in Japan of the 5840.0 MHz downlink from the FITSAT-1 (aka NIWAKA) CubeSat that was deployed from the ISS on October 4.

He used a 38cm dish with a down-converter to an IF of 1284 MHz, a BGA2717 LNA and the AMSAT-UK FUNCube Dongle SDR with HDSDR software.

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Oct 18 2012

Amateur Radio APRS for JOTA, Everywhere!

PACSAT developer Bob Bruninga WB4APR explains how you can use your APRS radio for global contacts at your Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) station this weekend.

You can use your APRS radio or HT to text message a CQ to all other JOTA stations with an APRS radio anywhere in the world. You need to remember nothing about the network, or paths, or freqs or do any set up. Just use the normal APRS frequency.

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Oct 17 2012

AMSAT-LU Stratospheric Amateur Radio Balloon Video

On May 19, 2012 a high altitude amateur radio balloon was launched from La Pampa, Argentina, reaching 34 km. It carried a 430 MHz to 144 MHz band 4 watt CTCSS activated FM repeater, APRS lu7aa-11, Robot-36 live SSTV, CW, and 40/20m CW telemetry beacon with 2 video cameras. (Total weight 970 grams).

It also provided a practice run for the upcoming LUSEX satellite.

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Oct 16 2012

Synergy Moon Google Lunar X-Prize Team

Space Tech Garage – Image Credit Synergy Moon

Radio amateur Gerard Auvray, F6FAO, is a member of the Synergy Moon team that aims to develop and land a rover on the moon.

Synergy Moon are currently building a communications and mission control infrastructure, starting with a NanoSat that will test some of the communications and rover hardware.

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Oct 15 2012

Assembling a Nanosatellite

T-Sat1 – University of Manitoba

In this video students from the Univeristy of Manitoba show what’s involved in assembling a Nanosatellite. T-Sat1 will use the 145 and 437 MHz amateur radio bands.

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