Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Aug 21 2013

Radio ham describes “nearly drowning” during space walk

Luca Parmitano KF5KDP / IR0ISS on Expedition 36 EVA July 9, 2013 - Image credit ESA

Luca Parmitano KF5KDP / IR0ISS
on Expedition 36 EVA July 9, 2013 – Image credit ESA

“I can’t even be sure that the next time I breathe I will fill my lungs with air and not liquid”

These are the words of Luca Parmitano KF5KDP / IR0ISS describing his recent space walk during which his spacesuit leaked.

Read his blog – EVA 23: exploring the frontier
http://blogs.esa.int/luca-parmitano/2013/08/20/eva-23-exploring-the-frontier/

Radio Ham’s Leaky Spacesuit
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/07/31/radio-hams-leaky-spacesuit/

Astronaut Luca Parmitano KF5KDP talks about his ham radio contacts
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/08/14/astronaut-luca-parmitano-kf5kdp-talks-about-his-ham-radio-contacts/

Huffington Post – Astronaut Luca Parmitano Recounts Nearly Drowning During Spacewalk
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/20/luca-parmitano-spacewalk-drowning_n_3786645.html

Aug 20 2013

Radio ham VK3FADO in The Age newspaper

ArduSatThe Age newspaper reports on Jonathan Oxer VK3FADO who has been developing the ArduSat CubeSats which carry amateur radio payloads

The article, by Ben Grubb, says for the past 10 months, Jon VK3FADO has been involved in designing and building two crowd-funded micro-satellites that will allow anyone to conduct their own space experiments.

Named ArduSat-1 and ArduSat-X, the low-cost, miniature satellites are aboard the International Space Station ready to be put into orbit between October and March 2014.

Read the full article at
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/sci-tech/to-let-your-own-tiny-piece-of-space-young-einsteins-welcome-20130819-2s7bh.html

ArduSat Open Source Ham Radio CubeSats
https://amsat-uk.org/2013/08/09/ardusat-open-source-ham-radio-cubesats/

Aug 19 2013

PhoneSat: “Crowd-sourced science” via ham radio

Phonesat ConstructionEDN magazine interviews Jasper Wolfe about the new Phonesats to be launched this year which will carry amateur radio payloads.

The Phonesats were developed by young engineers (average age 23) at the NASA-Ames Research Center.

The EDN article by Steve Taranovich says:

Wolfe told us that NASA’s next generation PhoneSat satellites to be launched on November 6 and December 6, will emit packets over the amateur radio band at 437.425 MHz. Satellites transmit using AFSK (1200 bps) modulation, AX.25 packet coding and have vertical linear polarization. As in the first launch, hence the term “Crowd-sourced science” coined by mentor Jim Cockrell.

The two PhoneSat 2 and 3 satellites will transmit with a periodicity of respectively 28 seconds and 30 seconds. The PhoneSat 2.0 beta satellite, Alexander, transmit with a periodicity of 25 seconds. One satellite will be up there for two years and the other for three months.

Read the EDN article
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/anablog/4419778/NASA-PhoneSat—Crowd-sourced-science–via-ham-radio

One of the images taken by the first Phonesats, Graham and Bell, launched April 21, 2013 can be seen at https://amsat-uk.org/2013/04/26/phonesat-pictures-released/

Aug 18 2013

Battery Charger for FUNcube-1 Amateur Radio CubeSat

FUNcube-1 charger developed by Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG - Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

FUNcube-1 charger developed by Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG – Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

The launch date for the amateur radio FUNcube-1 satellite remains on schedule for November this year. Coming up this week, on August 22 at 14:39 UT, is the next DNEPR launch from Dombarovsky near Yasny so we are looking forward to the successful insertion of its KOMPSAT5 payload into orbit as this will give greater confidence for the actual FUNcube-1 launch date. http://www.kosmotras.ru/en/news/127/

FUNcube-1 flight model - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 flight model – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

In the meantime every CubeSat needs to be able to have the capability to charge its on board batteries when already in its POD. Of course this means that we need a suitable battery charger and it needs something quite special so as to be certain that there is no risk of overcharging or other disaster.

The pictures show the charger which was specially designed and constructed by Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG for FUNcube-1. Smartly presented in a blue anodised case, this charger can be set to charge the Li battery to the best voltage for long term storage, approx 7.6 Volts, and can also be used to enable the final pre-launch testing of the spacecraft and its flight software before launch.

FUNcube-1 carries a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for SSB/CW communications and a 145 MHz 1200 bps BPSK telemetry beacon. Further information at https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/funcube-cubesat/

FUNcube-1 battery charger - Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

FUNcube-1 battery charger – Image credit Graham Shirville G3VZV

Aug 16 2013

FUNcube Dongle SDR – Free Shipping Offer

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Software Defined Radio

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Software Defined Radio

On the FUNcube Dongle Software Defined Radio site Howard G6LVB says:

I’ll be away for a few days next week (19 August to 23 August), so as there will be a short delay in dispatch, I’m currently offering free shipping until I return if you place an order before I return.

Make sure you check the “Free Shipping” check box when you checkout!

I will use the same shipping methods, ie FedEx International Priority for non-UK, and Royal Mail Special Delivery, just it’ll be free over that period.

Free shipping offer http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/?p=1507

Ordering your FUNcube Dongle Pro+ http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/?page_id=1113

The FUNcube Dongle (FCD) Software Defined Radio (SDR) was originally developed for educational outreach as part of the ground segment for the FUNcube satellite. A proportion of the sales of the FCD goes to support AMSAT-UK’s FUNcube satellite.

You can join the FCDProPlus Yahoo Group by following these steps:
• Send a blank email to fcdproplus-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk
• Yahoo will send you an email in response, you may need to check your SPAM folder
• Click on the link in the email, this will bring up a Yahoo page in your browser
• On the Yahoo page ignore the big Join link in the middle and click on the link at the bottom of the page instead, it says: “As an alternate option, you may join the mailing list instead.”
• You should then be a member of the group.

Some of the SDR decoding programs available include:
• SDR Sharp (SDR#) http://sdrsharp.com/
• SDR-Radio http://www.sdr-radio.com/
• HDSDR http://www.hdsdr.de/

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ LF/MF/HF/VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio Video
https://amsat-uk.org/2012/10/03/funcube-dongle-pro-plus-sdr-video/

Aug 16 2013

Lithium-ion Capacitor satellite OPUSAT in the press

OPUSAT Team - Image credit SSSRC

OPUSAT Team – Image credit SSSRC

The OPUSAT CubeSat, built by students at the Osaka Prefecture University Small Spacecraft Systems Research Center (SSSRC), will test Lithium-Ion Capacitors in space.

OPUSAT - image credit SSSRC

OPUSAT – image credit SSSRC

Lithium-Ion Capacitors have a high energy density (reportedly 14 Wh/kg) and so could potentially be of use in small satellites such as CubeSats where space and mass are at a premium.

OPUSAT will have deployable solar panels and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). The downlink on 437.150 MHz will be CW, 1200 bps AFSK or 9k6 GMSK telemetry.

The satellite has attracted the attention of the press. Read one Japanese newspaper story in Google English at http://tinyurl.com/Nikkan-OPUSAT-130815

OPUSAT in space - Image credit SSSRC

OPUSAT in space – Image credit SSSRC

A launch is planned on the JAXA H-2A-202 rocket in Spring 2014 into a 400 km circular 65 deg orbit along with the primary payload Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR). There should be a number of other satellites carrying amateur radio payloads on the launch, including:
• STARS-2 – Kagawa University
• TeikyoSat-3 – Teikyo University
• ShindaiSat – Shinshu University
• INVADER – Tama Art University
• ITF-1 – University of Tsukuba

OPUSAT website in Google English http://tinyurl.com/OPUSAT