May 27 2016

VHF Handbook Available for Download

IARU_Region_1_logoThe new version of the IARU Region 1 VHF Handbook 7.50 covering VHF, UHF and Microwaves is now available for download.

The handbook has chapters on Band Planning, Contests, Propagation Research, Operating Procedures and the key Amateur Satellite section on pages 123-131. Page 116 specifies a standard for the use of circular polarization defining which way helical beam antennas should be threaded.

Recommendations proposed in the Vienna meeting 2016 and approved by the Executive Committee meeting in Brussels as well as all relevant decisions of the IARU R1 Conference 2014 in Varna Bulgaria are included in this version.

The handbook is available at
http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php/documents/Documents/VHF/Handbook-7.50.pdf/

May 25 2016

Amateur satellite launch from India

Swayam-1 CubeSat Flight Model - Credit COEP

Swayam-1 CubeSat Flight Model – Credit COEP

Mineo Wakita JE9PEL reports on the Indian ISRO PSLV-C34 amateur radio satellite launch planned for June 22, 2016 at 0355 UT into a 500 km 98 degree inclination orbit.

Main Payload, Cartosat-2C, Earth Observing
PSLV-XL(C-34), Satish Dharwan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India

Satellite      Uplink    Downlink  Beacon    Mode
------------  -------  --------  -------  ---------------
BEESAT-4         .      435.950  435.950  4800bps GMSK,CW
BIROS            .      437.525     .     4800bps GMSK
LAPAN-A3      435.880   145.880  145.825  FM,APRS
Max Valier       .      145.860  145.960  CW
Sathyabamasat    .      145.980     .     2400bps BPSK
Swayam COEP      .      437.025  437.025  1200bps BPSK,CW
Venta-1          .         .     437.325  CW
------------  -------  --------  -------  ---------------

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/be4lapan.htm

Among the satellites being launched is Swayam-1 developed by students at the College of Engineering Pune (COEP). It will provide a text messaging facility using the COEPSAT protocol.
http://amsatindia.org/coep-satellite-swayam-project/
http://www.coep.org.in/csat/track-swayam/

UPDATE: Yono YD0NXX reports the Indonesian built LAPAN-A3 does not have an amateur radio payload.

May 25 2016

GK4LOH received over 3467 km on 144 MHz

International Space Station ISS 2011

International Space Station – Image Credit NASA

A reflection from the structure of the International Space Station enabled a 144.175 MHz signal from Tim GK4LOH in Cornwall to cross the Atlantic.

The YouTube description reads:

02:40 UTC May 24th 2016 ISS Flypast. Signal heard 2 minutes 45 into the recording and continues for over a minute. The transmitted message was “GK4LOH GK4LOH T T T T T T T T T T”

As soon as ISS set in GN37 I stepped outside the shack and watched as the ISS fly right over here 🙂 Recorded by Frank VO1HP using the remote receiver beacon VO1FN.

Watch GK4LOH IO70jc reception at VO1FN GN37jr 3467km 144.175MHz ISS flypast

GK4LOH Blog http://www.g4loh.com/

The RSGB VHF Manager John Regnault G4SWX has received a Canadian station on 144 MHz which on investigation was also found to be by ISS reflection, see
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2014/july/uk_radio_ham_copies_canadian_144_mhz_signal.htm

May 23 2016

UWE-3 Status Report

UWE-3 X-Y-Z Axis Graph 2016-05-11On May 21, 2016 the CubeSat UWE-3 celebrated 2.5 years in space without any significant failures.

Batteries, EPS, OBC and ADCS are fine, nevertheless we were confronted with a minor problem with one of the radios UWE-3 autonomously recovered from. Since then UWE-3 is in a very stable condition again.

UWE-3 LogoSome weeks ago we have re-initiated operations with UWE-3 on an interim basis. The goal is to test new magnetic control algorithms in space. Therefore we operate the satellite on the 436.395200 MHz frequency and perform data downloads from time to time. In the figure below the satellite’s rotation rate w is shown for one of the experiments. The goal was to establish a rotation about the satellite’s X-axis (blue) at 10 deg/s while the Y/Z-axes should be at 0 deg/s. In general the desired rotation rate could be achieved but with major deviations from the setpoint. With the intention of optimizing the relevant control laws we will continue with these experiments within the next days and weeks.

During our experiments we received an outstanding support from the radio community from all over the world we are very thankful for. The received packets were instantaneous injected into our algorithms and delivered an important contribution to our research work. We would like to express our special thanks to DK3WN, PE0SAT, DL8MCO, EU1XX, ON4HF, Rainer, JA5BLZ, JA6PL, CU2JX, LU4EOU, JA1GDE, SP7THR, G7GQW, YC3BVG, JF1EUY, JE9PEL, JE1CVL, JO1PTD, ZL4JL, EA7ADI, K4KDR, JA0CAW, JH4XSY, PA2EON, SM0TGU. THANK YOU!

Yours sincerely,

UWE-3 Team

UWE-3 was launched with FUNcube-1 on November 21, 2013. Latest UWE-3 news at
http://www7.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/forschung/space_exploration/projects/uwe_3/uwe_3_news/

May 23 2016

Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat Video

Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat - Credit Tomsk Polytechnic University

Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat – Credit Tomsk Polytechnic University

The Russian space agency Roscosmos has released a video of the Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat commemorative transmission from the International Space Station.

The satellite was developed by students at the Tomsk Polytechnic University to test new space materials technology and is the world’s first space vehicle with a 3D-printed structure. It was launched from Baikonur to the ISS on March 31, 2016 in a Progress-MS-2 cargo vessel. It will be deployed by hand during a future Russian spacewalk (EVA), which is why unlike other CubeSats this one has a handle. The call sign of the satellite is RS4S.

Tomsk-TPU-120 CubeSat Callsign RS4SIn May 2016 the Tomsk Polytechnic University celebrated its 120th anniversary. As part of the celebrations on May 10/11 the Tomsk-TPU-120 was activated in the ISS and transmitted a greeting to Earth inhabitants, recorded by students of the university in 10 languages: Russian, English, German, French, Chinese, Arabic, Tatar, Indian, Kazakh and Portuguese.

The greeting message was transmitted once a minute on 437.025 MHz FM. One of the Kenwood transceivers on the ISS provided a cross-band relay, re-transmitting the signal on 145.800 MHz FM.

The video, recorded in the Russian ISS Service Module, shows the CubeSat and the amateur radio station.

Watch Микроспутник ТОМСК ТПУ 120 на МКС

The next Russian spacewalk appears to be EVA-43 which is expected to take place in early 2017 http://spaceflight101.com/iss/iss-calendar/

World’s First 3D-printed Satellite http://tpu.ru/en/news-events/760/

Dmitry R4UAB operates a WebSDR which you can use to receive the transmissions when the ISS is over Russia http://websdr.r4uab.ru/

May 21 2016

Es’Hail-2 Geostationary P4-A Transponder Frequencies

Es'Hail-2 Geostationary P4-A Transponder Frequencies

Es’Hail-2 Geostationary P4-A Transponder Frequencies

The launch of the Es’Hail-2 satellite into a geostationary orbit at 25.5 degrees East is planned for the 3rd quarter of 2017. The coverage area of the amateur radio Narrowband (NB) and Wideband (WB) transponders should extend from Brazil to Thailand.

Es'hail-2 coverage area

Es’hail-2 coverage area

Es’hail 2 will carry two “Phase 4” amateur radio non-inverting transponders operating in the 2400 MHz and 10450 MHz bands. A 250 kHz bandwidth linear transponder intended for conventional analogue operations and an 8 MHz bandwidth transponder for experimental digital modulation schemes and DVB amateur television.

Narrowband Linear transponder
 2400.050 -  2400.300 MHz Uplink
10489.550 - 10489.800 MHz Downlink

Wideband digital transponder
 2401.500 -  2409.500 MHz Uplink
10491.000 - 10499.000 MHz Downlink

Equipment requirements:

X-Band 10 GHz Downlink:
– 89 cm dishes in rainy areas at EOC like Brazil or Thailand
– 60 cm around coverage peak
– 75 cm dishes at peak -2dB
– NB: linear vertical polarisation
– WB: linear horizontal polarisation

S-Band 2.4 GHz NB-Uplink:
– narrow band modes like SSB, CW
– 5W nominal Uplink power (22.5 dBi antenna gain, 75cm dish)
– RHCP polarisation

S-Band 2.4 GHz WB-Uplink (DATV):
– wide band modes, DVB-S2
– peak EIRP of 53 dBW (2.4m dish and 100W) required
– RHCP polarisation

Presentation on Es’hail by Peter Guelzow DB2OS, President of AMSAT-DL, at the 2013 AMSAT-UK Colloquium http://www.batc.tv/streams/amsat1306