Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Jan 28 2012

Masat-1 Elliptical Orbit Video

Artists impression of Vega launch

Artists impression of Vega launch

Vega is planned to launch on February 9 from the ESA launch site at Kourou in the Caribbean. It will carry seven amateur radio CubeSats and an amateur radio Microsatellite called ALMASat.

This HD clip shows how one of those CubeSats, Masat-1 (437.345 MHz), is going to orbit around Earth. You can see the satellite establishing contact with the primary ground station at BME, joined by the radio amateurs in Europe and all over the World. The radio contact is possible only if the satellite is above the Horizon at the given location. This is symbolized with thin green lines between the satellite and the ground stations, represented by coloured dots on the Globe.

Everybody is welcome to join in recieving the satellite using the ground station software freely downloadable from the Masat-1 website!

Watch Masat-1 Elliptical Orbit and Pass over European Ground Stations

The Masat-1 Ground Station Client Software was prepared to process the 437.345 MHz GFSK 625/1250 bps transmission received from the satellite Masat-1. The software provides the following functions:

– Audio demodulation
– Packet decoding
– Packet data visualization
– Frequency waterfall plot to aid radio tuning

Download the software and a test WAV file from http://cubesat.bme.hu/en/foldi-allomas/kliens-szoftver/

Frequencies and links for the amateur radio satellites on Vega are at http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/esa9cubf.htm

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

Jan 26 2012

2E0HTS Working the OSCAR-7 Satellite

A video from Simon 2E0HTS shows him working F6HRO and DG1EA via the amateur radio satellite OSCAR-7 which was launched in 1974.

His new assistant is showing good radio com skills especially rotating and elevating the satellite antennas.

Watch Simon’s video – AO-7 Satellite QSO (with a little help from my new radio partner)

Simon 2E0HTS Ham Radio Operator Blog http://www.hamradiooperator.blogspot.com/

Working the SSB satellites http://www.uk.amsat.org/2712

Jan 25 2012

SumbandilaSat beyond repair

Sumbandilasat

Sumbandilasat

The defenceWeb site reports:

South Africa’s second satellite, SumbandilaSat, is no longer fulfilling its main purpose due to technical problems and is essentially beyond repair, its maker SunSpace says.

Rob Olivier, head of Business Development at SunSpace, told defenceWeb that although contact can still be made with the satellite, it cannot capture images and is thus “not fulfilling its main purpose”.

He said that chances of repairing the satellite are virtually zero and that SunSpace has moved on to other projects.

SumbandilaSat was damaged during a solar storm in the June last year. The power supply to SumbandilaSat’s onboard computer stopped working and the satellite stopped sending back images.

Read the full story here.

In addition to its primary imaging mission SumbandilaSat (SO-67) carries an amateur radio voice beacon, parrot repeater and VHF/UHF FM repeater.

Southern African Amateur Radio Satellite Association (SA AMSAT) http://www.amsatsa.org.za/

defenceWeb http://www.defenceweb.co.za/

Jan 25 2012

RS-39 Reception Video

Nittin VU3TYG has made available a video showing reception of the new RS-39 (Chibis-M) satellite that was deployed from the Progress M-13M cargo ship.

RS-39 has beacons on 435.315 and 435.215 MHz that can be received directly by schools and colleges for educational outreach purposes.

Watch Chibis-RS-39 Telemetry decoding

RS-39 (Chibis-M) http://www.uk.amsat.org/3910

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder http://www.uk.amsat.org/4029 

RS-39 Real Time Tracking Map http://chibis.cosmos.ru/cyclogr/prepare1/google/index.html
For Keps click on two gear wheels in top left-hand corner then click on Satellites.

Satscape Satellite Tracking Software http://www.satscape.info/home/?q=node/2

Free Sound Recorder http://www.sound-recorder.biz/freesoundrecorder.html

Jan 25 2012

Video of AMSAT Symposium Project OSCAR Talk

In this video Lance Ginner, K6GSJ, describes the early days of Project OSCAR, which put Amateur Radio into orbit and lead to the foundation of AMSAT.

Watch AMSAT Symposium 2011 Keynote Speech

Article – “OSCAR-1 Launched 50 Years Ago” http://www.uk.amsat.org/4026

Jan 24 2012

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder Screen Shot

RS-39 Telemetry Decoder Screen Shot - Nittin VU3TYG

Mike Rupprecht DK3WN has made available software to decode the telemetry beacon of RS-39  (435.315 and 435.215 MHz) .

In Google English the software description reads:

Very simple tool for decoding the CW telemetry and display of telemetry values ​​of Chibis-M (RS-39).

The input of the received telemetry values ​​are in the respective fields U.S., IBS, Uzun, iSun, ITXA, ITXB, TTXA, TTXB, TNAP, TAB, MSEP, MCON, SMA, SMB, and MRXA MRXB. The converted value is displayed immediately. All values ​​are checked for plausibility, one differing from the standard value is displayed with red background. Normal telemetry values ​​have corresponding hardware box with a green background.

With the Save button, the currently displayed telemetry values are saved ​​in a file.

Download RS-39 Decoder Version 1.0 http://www.dk3wn.info/files/rs39.zip

DK3WN satellite software page in Google English http://tinyurl.com/DK3WN-Sat-Software

RS-39 Real Time Tracking Map http://chibis.cosmos.ru/cyclogr/prepare1/google/index.html

RS-39 (Chibis-M) http://www.uk.amsat.org/3910