David Bowman G0MRF reports the successful on-air test of the AMSAT-UK U/V FM transponder has been carried out.
Destined for the 6U Jovian-1 satellite, this mode U/V FM transponder had its first on-air test on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
A 70cm 20 watts ERP signal was transmitted over a distance of 59 km with a path loss of -150 dB and received by the FM transponder on a QFH antenna. The signal was re-transmitted on 145.895 MHz.
The 67th CEPT Electronic Communications Committee (ECC) Plenary Meeting, held June 24-27, approved ECC Decision (25)01 imposing restrictions on both Amateur and Amateur-Satellite operation in the 23cm band (1258-1300 MHz). It entered into force on June 27, 2025, with a preferred date for implementation of December 27, 2025.
In order to account for amateur service installations that are authorized and operational in the frequency range 1258-1296 MHz in many CEPT countries, administrations may, on national level, define a transitional period to comply, with the expectation this could take up to three years according to national circumstances.
6.2 APPROVAL FOR PUBLICATION OF DRAFT ECC DECISION (25)01 ON GALILEO AND ITS PROTECTION IN 1258-1300 MHZ FROM RADIO AMATEUR
The WG FM Chairman introduced the draft ECC Decision (25)01 on Galileo and protection measures in 1258-1300 MHz in Annex 06 to 026, which was endorsed by WG FM for publication by the ECC.
24 administrations indicated their intention to implement this Decision, while 1 administration indicated their intention to implement it partially.
Germany stated that they have to determine how to implement this Decision at national level.
The United Kingdom informed the meeting that it will implement decides 1 (designation of the frequency bands for Galileo) but will not apply the technical conditions on amateur and amateur-satellite in decides 2.
An ARISS SSTV event from the International Space Station will begin no earlier than July 14 with the expectation that the event will run through the weekend into the beginning of the following week.
This is all subject to Axiom Mission AX-4 schedule and other operational considerations. AX-4 is expected to depart from ISS on Monday, July 14 at 11:05 GMT (12:05pm BST)
The subject will be the 50th anniversary of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) and the 40th anniversary of STS-51F.
STS-51F was the second SAREX flight and had the first use of SSTV in human spaceflight.
Start: Monday, July 14 1605 GMT (10:45am BST)
End: Sunday, July 20 1800 GMT (7pm BST)
Frequency: 145.800 MHz FM (+/-3.5 kHz Doppler Shift)
SSTV Mode: PD120 (Transmission cycle 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off)
You are invited to upload decoded images in the ARISS gallery, area “ARISS Series 28 Apollo Soyuz and STS-51F” at: https://ariss-usa.org/ARISS_SSTV/
Once you’ve submitted, just clicking on the dedicated button you can apply for the official ARISS SSTV award.
It’s always possible to receive the ISS SSTV signal by using the WebSDR at the Goonhilly Earth Station, the audio can then be fed into your PC or Smartphone SSTV App https://vhf-goonhilly.batc.org.uk/
Follow @ARISS_intl on X for official updates, since changes can occur.
Reminder, the images are sent on a (roughly) 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off schedule. So if you don’t hear anything, give it 2 minutes!
Many FM rigs can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard.
You may be able to get publicity for the amateur radio hobby if you contact your local newspaper and tell them you’ve received a picture (doesn’t have to be perfect) from the International Space Station, see https://amsat-uk.org/2015/02/04/iss-sstv-in-uk-press/
Stellar Kinetics Kia-1 and support teams at Etlaq Spaceport Oman
A team of 6 students from the University of Surrey, the University of Portsmouth and the University of Southampton are integrating equipment they designed, manufactured and tested to a 12m high Stellar Kinetics Kia-1 rocket in Southern Oman.
Jovian-O and pod at Surrey university for vibration testing
The launch from Etlaq Spaceport, to an anticipated altitude of 500km, will be the first flight of the 2 stage Kia-1 rocket and is one of 5 planned test flights from Etlaq this year. The spaceport is located at 18 degrees latitude overlooking the Indian Ocean, making it an ideal location for launching vehicles into multiple orbits, including equatorial orbit, sun-synchronous orbit, polar orbit, medium Earth orbit, and geostationary orbit. The Spaceport should be fully operational by 2027.
The Universities payload, known as Jovian-O, will test a student designed 6U CubeSat deployment pod and its payload. The battery powered ‘satellite’ will not completely deploy from its pod, but remain tethered to it. However it will capture video and still images of the deployment process verifying correct operation of the pod. It will also flight test hardware from the imaging payload DAVE, ( Dual Aperture for Viewing Earth) which will fly on the future Jovian-1 orbital mission along with an AMSAT-UK educational outreach and U/V FM transponder.
Students integrating the Jovian-O 6U payload
The images transmitted from Jovian-O during this sub orbital test flight use 500kb/sec QPSK. AMSAT-UK provided a high gain 4W 435MHz amplifier for the mission and a deployable 435MHz antenna. Data will be received at Etlaq by the student’s portable ground station.
“In 2023 I officially started the Wick High School Radio Club, with a callsign of GM0WHS. The aim of the club was to expose our students to the wide range of activities available in amateur radio.
I remember our first activity: talking to another amateur in England via the SO-50 satellite. I stood with three students on the rugby pitch, antennas pointing to the sky and talking to another amateur, Nick M1DDD.
By the end of the contact, we had 30 students around us wondering what was going on. Their curiosity sparked, we answered questions on what we were doing and invited them to take part.”
There is no better way to explore the fascinating world of wireless communication than by becoming a radio amateur.
This free online 3-week amateur radio course will enable you to become a radio amateur and get an Ofcom amateur radio licence and callsign, details and booking information at https://www.essexham.co.uk/train/book-a-place/
434.100 MHz downlink received September 12, 2024 by PE0SAT
AST & Science LLC (AST SpaceMobile) currently have five Bluebird commercial satellites that use the amateur radio 430-440 MHz band. They were launched into Low Earth Orbit on September 12, 2024.
Despite not being amateur satellites the first five commercial satellites use these amateur frequencies for telemetry links with a 50 kHz bandwidth: 430.5, 432.3, 434.1, 435.9 and 439.5MHz.
AST SpaceMobile are planning to launch a further 243 satellites also using 430-440 MHz for TT&C. AST SpaceMobile say each UHF TT&C beam will support one command channel and one telemetry channel and the channel bandwidth will be between 64 kHz and 256 kHz.
The 430-440 MHz band is used for a variety of Amateur Radio applications, examples include amateur space communications, weak-signal SSB, digital television, data communications, repeaters and other applications. The proposed 243 satellite constellation will cause interference to amateurs world-wide.
If preferred you can submit a more detailed Standard Comment with .doc, .txt or .pdf attachments at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/standard
Enter 25-201 into Proceeding(s) field and click on the pop-up which says ’25-201 SPACE BUREAU ACCEPTS FOR FILING AST & SCIENCE, LLC MODIFICATION APPLICATION’ fill in required fields and attach your comments file.
AST SpaceMobile say they have ground stations in Australia, Argentina, Bulgaria and Korea.
For some background on FCC attitudes see the interview the Chief of the FCC’s Space Bureau, Jay Schwarz, gave to the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). It primarily concerns the ITU-R EPFD limits but it reflects the new thinking at the FCC about getting rid of “outdated assumptions about system design and spectrum use”
Destined for the 6U Jovian-1 satellite, this mode U/V FM transponder had its first on-air test on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
There is no better way to explore the fascinating world of wireless communication than by becoming a radio amateur.
AMSAT-UK 
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