Tag Archives: FUNcube

May 3 2015

EO-79 (FUNcube-3) Transponder Test May 4

QB50p1 and QB50p2 - Image Credit ISIS

QB50p1 and QB50p2 – Image Credit ISIS

On Monday, May 4 at around 0830 UT it is intended to activate for one orbit the AMSAT-NL FUNcube-3 transponder on QB50p1 / EO-79.

TLEs are in the normal repositories, COSPAR 2014-033-R, Object# 40025. Real-time tracking at http://www.n2yo.com/satellite/?s=40025 (Click All Passes on Predictions)

We would like people to try the following frequencies if possible:
DOWNLINK: 145.960 MHz USB
UPLINK: Tune to match downlink +/- 435.065 MHz LSB
The transponder is linear inverting, nominally 30 kHz wide, and approximately 500 mW output.

If you find the transponder busy on those frequencies, feel free to move around and use the entire transponder passband.

AMSAT-UK FUNcube Mission Patch Rev4 20100609

AMSAT-UK FUNcube Mission Patch

The passband seems to have a “dip” in the middle which is bigger than expected, but we do welcome feedback about the usability. Also, please limit your uplink power, as it looks like this transponder is as sensitive as FUNcube-1. The spacecraft antenna is a monopole, so we would also be interested in signal fading reports.

The commissioning of the transponder done to date is very limited, three activations for 5, 10 and 8 minutes respectively. So your reports are greatly appreciated.

We do understand this is a very short notice, but hope that some of you will be able to participate. This was a take-it-or-leave-it opportunity offered by the ISIS engineers for our consideration, and we are again very grateful to ISIS and VKI for giving us this opportunity.

Please report contacts and signal reports to pa3weg@amsat.org

Wouter PA3WEG
FUNcube Team

QB50p1 EO-79 FUNcube-3 Transponder - Credit Mike Rupprecht DK3WN

QB50p1 EO-79 FUNcube-3 Transponder – Credit Mike Rupprecht DK3WN

Apr 30 2015

Another FUNcube transponder!

QB50P1 FUNcube Transponder April 27, 2015 - Credit Mike Rupprecht DK3WN

QB50P1 FUNcube Transponder April 27, 2015 – Credit Mike Rupprecht DK3WN

AMSAT-NL has announced that an initial series of tests of the FUNcube transponder payload aboard the QB50p1 CubeSat have been successfully completed.

QB50p1 is one of two QB50 precursor spacecraft that were launched from Yasny in Russia in June 2014.

QB50p1 and QB50p2 - Image Credit ISIS

QB50p1 and QB50p2 – Image Credit ISIS

The primary science payloads are still being extensively tested but it has now been possible to undertake a short test of the transponder payload as well. The transponder is intended as a long term secondary mission following the initial technology demonstration and de-risking phase.

After spending ten months in space, the transponder was commanded on for short periods during each of the three morning passes over Europe on Monday, April 27, 2015. A number of FUNcube team members in the Netherlands and in the UK were standing by to run through a predefined test plan.

The transponder has a similar performance to that of FUNcube-1 but the passband is nominally 5 kHz wider by design.

It is not yet known when this transponder may be available for regular usage but AMSAT-NL is delighted to be able to report that the hardware is functioning and is very grateful to the QB50 project, the Von Karman Institute and ISIS B.V. for their ongoing support.

More information about the QB50 project can be found at https://www.qb50.eu/

AMSAT-NL http://amsat-nl.org/

AMSAT-UK https://amsat-uk.org/
Twitter https://twitter.com/AmsatUK
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AmsatUK
Flickr https://www.flickr.com/groups/AmsatUK
YouTube https://youtube.com/AmsatUK
FUNcube Yahoo Group https://amsat-uk.org/funcube/yahoo-group/

Apr 25 2015

Nayif-1 CubeSat mission will have FUNcube transponder

Deputy project manager of Nayif-1 Fatma Lootah

Deputy project manager of Nayif-1 Fatma Lootah

AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NL are delighted to announce that a FUNcube communications package has been selected as a major payload for the Nayif-1 CubeSat mission.

Nayif-1 Mission PatchThis mission is intended to provide Emirati students with a tool to design and test systems in space. It is being developed by the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) in partnership with American University of Sharjah (AUS).

It is expected that this payload will provide a large amount of valuable environmental data from space together with  a new, enhanced, UHF to VHF linear transponder.

The AMSAT team will be working closely with the Emirati students, in collaboration with support partner, ISIS – Innovative Solutions In Space B.V. from the Netherlands, to develop this new system in time for the launch which is scheduled to take place towards the end of 2015.

This exciting news was announced on April 25, 2015 during the Dutch “Interessedag Amateursatellieten”  or “Satellite Interest Day” event in Apeldoorn.

Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG demonstrating reception of FUNcube-1 at EIAST in Dubai

Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG demonstrating reception of FUNcube-1 at EIAST in Dubai

Apr 16 2015

FUNcube-1 (AO-73) Transmitting Again

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 (AO-73) is again transmitting telemetry. A restart took place during the 0930 UT pass over Europe.

The CubeSat had stopped transmitting at around 2018 UT on Wednesday, April 15.

The team is still investigating the situation, but have concluded from earlier telemetry analysis that it was safe to switch back to nominal operations.

During the 0930 UT pass over The Netherlands, Wouter PA3WEG commanded it back to nominal mode with full automatic mode switching.

At this time, there is no reason to believe this event was dangerous to the spacecraft, all systems were nominal and the battery is nearly full.

Many thanks for all the reports that the team have received.

FUNcube-1 (AO-73) Telemetry:
• Dashboard App http://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/funcube-telemetry-dashboard/
• Data Warehouse Archive http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/
• Whole orbit data shows the effect http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/wod.html?satelliteId=2

Mar 20 2015

FUNcube-1 Solar eclipse update

As expected, FUNcube-1 (AO-73) entered the shadow of the moon around 1000 UT on Friday, March 20, 2015.

Solar panel currents dropped to almost zeroThis is what happened to the solar panel currents, they dropped to almost zero.

This what we usually see from our Whole Orbit Data telemetry

This is what we usually see from our Whole Orbit Data telemetry. Normally the CubeSat is in the sun for 60 minutes and in eclipse for around 30 minutes…but not this morning!

FUNcube-1 (AO-73) Telemetry:
• Dashboard App http://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/funcube-telemetry-dashboard/
• Data Warehouse Archive http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/
• Whole orbit data shows the effect http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/wod.html?satelliteId=2

Mar 15 2015

Two Million Packets Uploaded to Data Warehouse

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

AO-73 (FUNcube-1) – Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

The FUNcube team are pleased to announce that the Data Warehouse has received two million packets of telemetry data from ground stations around the world.

FUNcube-1 (AO-73) was launched on November 21, 2013 and since then radio amateurs and schools have been receiving the telemetry packets transmitted by the satellite and passing them to the AMSAT-UK Data Warehouse for analysis and storage.

There are normally several people uploading the same packet but for the 2 millionth it was an individual:

• Carlos Eavis, G3VHF

The Data Warehouse statistics as of 09:53 UT on March 15, 2015 were:

Number of registered users: 1529
Number of active users (data received in last two weeks): 193
Number of active users since launch: 818

Number of packets transmitted by satellite since deployment: 8312304 (2.13 GB)
Number of packets uploaded by users before de-duplication: 8539662(2.19 GB)

Number of packets stored in warehouse: 2000000 (512 MB)

Number of packets recovered & stored – Time – Coverage
• Realtime 2M – 115 days – 25%
• HiRes 3.9M – 1085 minutes – 19%
• WOD 0.56M – 385.78 days – 80%

As always, many thanks for all those individuals and groups who are sending data to the warehouse.

FUNcube-1 (AO-73) Telemetry:
• Dashboard App http://funcube.org.uk/working-documents/funcube-telemetry-dashboard/
• Data Warehouse Archive http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/
• Whole orbit data http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/wod.html?satelliteId=2