Tag Archives: Amateur Radio

Sep 13 2011

FUNcube Group Membership Exceeds 2000

In under a year the AMSAT-UK FUNcube Yahoo Group has achieved over 2000 members.

The group was created by Rob Styles M0TFO at the end of October 2010 to provide support for the AMSAT-UK FUNcube satellite and the FUNcube Dongle (FCD) Software Defined Radio (SDR).

The FUNcube satellite project is an educational CubeSat project with the goal of enthusing and educating young people about radio, space, physics and electronics. It will support the educational Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) initiatives and provide an additional resource for the RSGB GB4FUN Radio Communications Demonstration Module.

The target audience are school pupils in the 8-18 age range. As well as providing a strong 145 MHz telemetry beacon for the pupils to receive FUNcube will also have a 435/145 MHz linear transponder for Amateur Radio SSB/CW use.

The FCD SDR was originally developed for educational outreach as part of the ground segment for the FUNcube satellite. However, it was realised it can be used for many other applications as well, so AMSAT-UK developed a Pro version which has a frequency range of 64-1700 MHz.

Similar to a USB TV Dongle, the FCD simply fits into a computer USB port and can be used with freely available Software Defined Radio software. The FCD is all-mode which this means that as well as data, it will also receive many other signals including AM, FM, SSB and CW and weather satellite images.

Join the FUNcube Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube/

SDR-RADIO software http://www.sdr-radio.com/

The FUNcube Dongle SDR can be ordered via http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/?page_id=286

Information on the FUNcube satellite project is at http://FUNcube.org.uk/overview/

A sample edition of the AMSAT-UK newsletter OSCAR News can be seen at http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf

Sep 7 2011

UK Amateur Radio Smartphone CubeSat STRaND-1

The International Amateur Radio Union satellite frequency coordination panel has agreed a frequency of 437.575 MHz for the UK satellite STRaND-1.

Some of the SSTL STRaND-1 Project Team, from Left to Right: Bob Dyer, Nick Holt, Dale Mellor, Mark Brenchley, Shaun Kenyon, Jonathan Gebbie, Rupert Taylor, Rosie Linehan, James Parsons, Andy Schofield

STRaND-1 will carry an Android Smartphone and plans to use data rates of 9k6 or 19k2 bps for the AX.25 packet radio downlink. A software-based speech synthesiser will be included to pay homage to the UOSAT family of satellites.

The 3U CubeSat measures 30 by 10 by 10 cm and weighs 4 kg. Unlike previous CubeSats it will feature full 3-axis control with the attitude an orbit control system comprising a nano-magnetorquer, nano-reaction wheels, GPS receiver, 8 pulse plasma thrusters and a butane thruster.

STRaND stands for Surrey Training, Research and Nanosatellite Demonstration and the programme is intended to be a long-term arrangement between the space company SSTL and academic researchers at the Surrey Space Centre (SSC), with STRaND-1 the first of a long line of STRaND nanosatellites.

Continue reading →

Sep 5 2011

1970s UK Satellite To Be Revived

40 years ago the United Kingdom’s first satellite launched on a UK built rocket went into space and now a team from the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Surrey are attempting to revive it.

The Prospero spacecraft was launched by a Black Arrow rocket on October 28, 1971 from Launch Area 5B, Woomera carrying a series of experiments to investigate the effects of the space environment. The satellite operated successfully until 1973 and was contacted annually until 1996. Its beacon on 137.560 MHz was heard by Amateurs in 2006.

Audio recordings of the 0.3 watt phase modulated signal with 2048 bit/s PCM from Prospero on 137.560 MHz can be heard on the Sounds from Space site of Matthias Bopp DD1US http://www.dd1us.de/spacesounds%204.html

Prospero real-time oribtal tracking page http://www.vk3ukf.com/Space/GadgetSatProspero.htm

BBC Prospero story and pics at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14783135

Bernhard VA6BMJ says that there’s an item about Prospero in the Space Boffins podcast :
http://audioboo.fm/boos/431009-space-boffins-podcast2

Britain in Space http://www.britain-in-space.co.uk/1960/blackarrow.html

Sep 5 2011

Louis Varney G5RV Cup

The G5RV Cup for Space Communications has been awarded to Paul Robinson 2E1EUB by RSGB President Dave Wilson M0OBW.

RSGB President Dave Wilson M00BW Presents Louis Varney G5RV Cup to Paul Robinson 2E1EUB

RSGB President Dave Wilson M0OBW Presents G5RV Cup to Paul Robinson 2E1EUB

The cup is awarded for advances in space communication and the presentation took place at the Telford Hamfest on Sunday, September 4.

Paul was nominated by AMSAT-UK for his work promoting and encouraging the use of amateur radio satellites and perfecting the art of a portable ground station.

Paul comments that he is privileged to have his call sign and name on the cup alongside some very famous call signs, some of which are no longer with us, he would like to thank AMSAT-UK and the RSGB for this award.

Previous holders of the cup are: 1956 G2IG, 1960 G3BCM, 1967 G3FDW, 1968 BRS15744, 1970 G3JGO, 1989 GW3XYW, 1991 G0/K8KA, 1992 G3RUH, 1993 G3AAJ, 1994 G6GEJ, 1996 G6GEJ, 1997 G3AAJ, 2000 G3RUH.

AMSAT-UK publishes a colour A4 newsletter, OSCAR News, that is full of Amateur Satellite information. A sample edition can be seen at
http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf

Join online at http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK

Sep 5 2011

Radio hams tune in to space airwaves

John Heath G7HIA has written an article about amateur radio space communications for the October edition of the British Interplanetary Society magazine Spaceflight.

The Spaceflight description says:
“Radio amateurs have always been keen to exploit new means of communication and John Heath [G7HIA] provides a fascinating insight into how satellite technology has transformed the world of the radio ham soon after the launch of Sputnik right up to the present day.”

The article covers the FUNcube satellite, ARISSat, GB4FUN and the FUNcube Dongle SDR.

You can buy the October edition of Spaceflight magazine via
http://www.spaceflightmagazine.com/pages/latest-issue.html

Sep 4 2011

World Amateur Radio Day – Celebrating 50 Years in Space

In light of the anniversary of the launch of OSCAR 1 on December 12, 1961 and the launch of OSCAR 2 on June 2, 1962, the IARU Administrative Council selected the phrase, “Amateur Radio Satellites: Celebrating 50 Years in Space” as the theme for World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2012

World Amateur Radio Day celebrates the founding on April 18, 1925 of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) and hams around the world will be on the air. The 2011 event attracted the interest of TV news broadcasters: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/april2011/amateur_rady_day_on_tv.htm

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189990007710376

Notes of the IARU Region 1 C5 committee meeting that took place in Sun City August 14-16, 2011 have been published in the VHF-UHF-MW newsletter Editon 58 that can be dowloaded at http://www.oevsv.at/export/oevsv/download/UKW/Newsletter_58.pdf

IARU Region 1 Minutes of the Final Plenary, August 17, 2011

IARU Administrative Council Summary Record August 19-20, 2011