Aug 15 2021

Guide to using FT4 on satellites

Setup for FT4 on the RS-44 satelliteAMSAT-SM have published a guide to using the popular digital mode FT4 via the amateur radio satellites using SDR-Console software, a SDR receiver and the Icom IC-705 as the transmitter.  We have also had information from Jef ON8NT of the setup that he and Thierry ON2ACO used.

The AMSAT-SM guide covers:

• Step 1 – Setup SDR-Console and IC-705 with correct frequency

• Step 2 – Config WSJT-X

• Step 3 – Start Satellite External Radio in SDR-Console

• Step 4 – Select correct RX frequency in SDR-Console

• Step 5 – Find yourself on the satellite transponder

• Step 6 – Start calling CQ

• How to use a 2nd instance of WSJT-X for RX of your own FT4 signal

Read the guide at https://www.amsat.se/2021/08/15/ft4-via-satellite-with-sdr-console-and-ic-705/

This is a short video of FT-4 communication via satellite AO-73 with SDR-Console V3.1 and Icom IC-705. It is a part of a guide that will be published later on AMSAT-SM web https://www.amsat.se/

In the first part you will see the first screen with SDR-Console with Airspy Mini as receiver, audio is piped to WSJT-X. You will also see SDR-Console handle the TX Doppler correction for the IC-705 via “External radio”.

In the second part you will see the second screen with WSJT-X connected to IC-705. The output was only one (1) to two (2) watts! You can see that WSJT-X is reading the Doppler corrected frequency. You will also see SDR-Console satellite tracking and PstRotator controlling the SPID RAS rotor.

Watch FT4 via AO-73 with SDR-Console and Icom IC-705

Thierry ON2ACO and Jef ON8NT use the ICOM IC-9700 for FT4 on the satellites.

They used the video from NU1U on YouTube which gives a good step by step ‘how-to’.

Watch IC-9700 using SatPC32 and WSJT-X

Instead of SatPC32 they used the S.A.T. controller from http://csntechnologies.net/sat

For configuring the RX instance from WSJT-X, also the article from GM4FVM on using multiple instance was very helpful in setting up the soundcard properly in WSJT-X !
See https://gm4fvm.blogspot.com/2021/02/multiple-instances-of-wsjt-x-using-more.html

Jul 27 2021

ISS SSTV Aug 6-7 145.800 MHz FM

ISS SSTV MAI-75 image 9/12 received by Chertsey Radio Club on Baofeng handheld

ISS SSTV MAI-75 image 9/12 received by Chertsey Radio Club on Baofeng handheld

Russian cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS) are planning to transmit Slow Scan TV images on 145.800 MHz FM using the SSTV mode PD-120.

The transmissions are part of the Moscow Aviation Institute SSTV experiment (MAI-75) and will be made from the amateur radio station RS0ISS in the Russian ISS Service module (Zvezda) using a Kenwood TM-D710 transceiver.

August 6, 2021 (Friday) from 10:50 GMT until 19:10 GMT*

August 7, 2021 (Saturday) from 09:50 GMT until 15:55 GMT*

*Dates and times subject to change.

The signal should be receivable on a handheld with a 1/4 wave whip. If your rig has selectable FM filters try the wider filter for 25 kHz channel spacing.

You can get predictions for the ISS pass times at https://www.amsat.org/track/

ARISS SSTV Blog https://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/

Useful SSTV info and links https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

Jul 21 2021

23cm band: Amateur radio coexistence with Sat-Nav

Galileo LogoThe Chair of IARU Region 1 Spectrum Affairs, Barry Lewis G4SJH, reports on the meeting of the ITU-R Working Party 4C (WP4C) July 5-13 which discussed the amateur radio 1240 MHz band.

On the IARU-R1 site he writes:

During the period 5 – 13 July 2021, the preparatory work for WRC-23 agenda item 9.1b continued in ITU‑R Working Party 4C (WP4C). (See Region 1 Feb 23rd news item for further background). The IARU member representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway, UK and USA, participated in the meeting and delivered additional information on amateur activities in this key microwave band

Preliminary studies came from France based on the ongoing CEPT work to provide initial estimates of separation distances required between RNSS GALILEO receivers and a sample of amateur emissions. The European Commission GALILEO team provided a set of observations pertaining to a RNSS interference event in northern Italy.

The work contributed by France, although needing refinement, is going in a good direction, using ITU‑R recommended propagation models and assumptions based on operating scenarios provided by the amateur community. Further work is needed to take account of the large disparity between the RNSS service receiver bandwidths and the frequency band offsets of the amateur applications based on the measurements carried out by Germany.

The RNSS community have updated their RNSS receiver protection criteria with an update to ITU‑R Recommendation M.1902 that now includes parameters relevant to the GALILEO E6 signal block. However these criteria only distinguish between a narrow band and wide band interferer level at the receiver and take no account of offset frequency in the receiver bandwidth or any time variance.

The IARU is working to ensure the amateur services are realistically represented in the studies as they move forward. It remains vital that national amateur communities present their views on the importance of this band to their national regulators in a consolidated and consistent manner. The work will continue throughout the year and beyond both in ITU‑R and in the regional telecommunications organisations and the IARU is committed to ensure every group hears the amateur position on this important microwave band.

Read Barry’s full post at
https://www.iaru-r1.org/2021/23cm-band-and-sat-nav-coexistence-preliminary-studies-considered-in-itu-r-wp4c/

Read the IARU Summary Meeting Report at
https://www.iaru-r1.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Report-from-WP4C_Jul-2021Rev1.pdf

Jul 20 2021

AO-109 transponder available for use by efficient modes like FT4/CW

AMSAT FOXAMSAT has announced the transponder on the amateur satellite AO-109 (Fox-1E) is available for use by efficient modes such as FT4 or CW.

A statement on the AMSAT website says:

The AMSAT Engineering and Operations Teams are pleased to announce that AO-109 (RadFxSat-2/AMSAT Fox-1E) is now open for amateur use. Users are advised to use efficient modes such as CW or FT4 for making contacts, since issues with the satellite make SSB voice contacts challenging at best.

Please see the May/June 2021 issue (Vol. 44, No. 3) of The AMSAT Journal for an article by Burns Fisher, WB1FJ, and Mark Hammond, N8MH, detailing the various attempts to characterize AO-109 and its apparent problems.

On behalf of the Engineering and Operations Teams–

73,
Jerry, N0JY and Drew, KO4MA

AO-109 Frequencies
Inverting Linear Transponder
Uplink 145.860 MHz – 145.890 MHz
Downlink 435.760 MHz – 435.790 MHz
1k2 BPSK Telemetry 435.750 MHz (non-operational)

Source AMSAT https://www.amsat.org/ao-109-radfxsat-2-amsat-fox-1e-open-for-amateur-use/

AMSAT Bulletin Board http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb

Jun 14 2021

ISS SSTV 145.800 MHz FM June 21-26

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) logoARISS report there will be an “Amateur Radio on Shuttle, Mir and ISS” Slow Scan TV (SSTV) event from June 21-26. Transmissions from the International Space Station will be on 145.800 MHz FM using PD120.

The ARISS team will be transmitting SSTV images continuously from June 21 until June 26. The images will be related to some of the amateur radio activities that have occurred on the Space Shuttle, Mir space station and the International Space Station.

The schedule start and stop times are:

Monday, June 21 – Setup is scheduled to begin at 09:40 UTC (transmissions should start a little later).

Saturday, June 26 – Transmissions are scheduled to end by 18:30 UTC.
Downlink frequency will be 145.800 MHz and the mode should be PD120.

Those that recently missed the opportunity during the limited period of MAI transmissions should have numerous chances over the 6 day period to capture many (if not all 12) of the images.

Check the ARISS SSTV blog for the latest information http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.com/

ARISS SSTV Award https://ariss.pzk.org.pl/sstv/

The signal should be receivable on a handheld with a 1/4 wave whip. If your rig has selectable FM filters try the wider filter for 25 kHz channel spacing.

You can get predictions for the ISS pass times at https://www.amsat.org/track/

Useful SSTV info and links https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/

Jun 13 2021

MIR-SAT1 to deploy from ISS

MIR-SAT1 CubeSat

MIR-SAT1 CubeSat

The Mauritius Amateur Radio Society (MARS), is offering an Award to commemorate the deployment of the MIR-SAT1 CubeSat from the ISS, planned for June 22 at 10:55 GMT.

The award is open to all participating Radio Amateurs/SWLs worldwide and will be issued to those decoding MIR-SAT1 telemetry (TLM) and forwarding it to SatNogs.

Full details of the award and links to telemetry decoders are at
https://mars3b8.wordpress.com/2021/06/19/mir-sat1-special-award/

The deployment will be shown live on JAXA YouTube channel, the broadcast starts at 10:35 GMT on Tuesday, June 22.

The IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination page reports:

MIR-SAT1 is a 1U CubeSat mission with the following objectives:

1. Verify the performance of the on-board subsystems by receiving telemetry from the satellite and establish communication to and from the satellite (command and control).
2. Collect images of Mauritius and the Mauritian EEZ for capacity, building, experiment and research.
3. Experimental communication with other islands via the satellite (for scientific and/or emergency purposes), through a Radio Amateur digipeater payload.
4. V/U 9600bps GMSK digipeater may be open for Radio Amateur communication worldwide when the satellite not used for all above.

A downlink on 436.925 MHz has been coordinated. Decoders for the amateur radio community and schools have been developed by Chris AC2CZ and Daniel EA4GPZ and will be available in the public domain on their WEB sites/Github, Links will be provided before launch on Tweeter, AMSAT-BB and Space Mauritius, see
https://spacemauritius.com/#telemetry

For the digipeater operation it will be necessary to evaluate the power available after deployment to decide on opening same 24/7 or on scheduled time.

IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination pages http://amsat.org.uk/iaru/

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