Tag Archives: GB1SS

Nov 4 2016

Sandringham students’ Amateur Radio project success

Sandringham students used amateur radio to talk to Tim Peake on the ISS

Sandringham students used amateur radio to talk to Tim Peake GB1SS on the ISS

The Watford Observer newspaper reports that Sandringham School students’ amateur radio communication project gave them the opportunity to visit the UK Parliament at Westminster.

The Observer says: Four students from a St Albans school showed off their engineering prowess to politicians, policy makers and businesses in Parliament.

The Year 9 and 11 students from Sandringham School, on The Ridgeway – Sandy Cairns, Polly Gupta M6POG, Stanley MacMurray and Emma Wilkinson M6GJQ – were invited to the event on Monday [Oct 31] after impressing judges with their engineering project at the regional heats of The Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Competition

Their amateur radio communication project saw them set up a radio to speak with Tim Peake while he was aboard the International Space Station.

Rhian Kazwini, Head of Science at Sandringham School, said: “Entering the competition has been great fun and given the team an idea of just how interesting a career in engineering could be.”

Read the full story at http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/stalbans/14842162.St_Albans_students__space_chat_with_astronaut_Tim_Peake_earns_them_trip_to_Parliament/

In January 2016 students at Sandringham School used amateur radio to talk to UK astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS on the International Space Station watch the video at https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/09/video-tim-peake-sandringham/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started, see
http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/alex-discovers-amateur-radio-2/

Sep 10 2016

Inspiring the next STEM generation

Susan Buckle UK Space Agency

Susan Buckle UK Space Agency

The UK Space Agency’s Astronaut Flight Education Programme Support Manager Susan Buckle will be giving a presentation at the RSGB Convention on Saturday, October 8.

Along with Ciaran Morgan M0XTD she will talk about the ten UK ARISS amateur radio school contacts with astronaut Tim Peake GB1SS during his Principia mission on the International Space Station.

These contacts have inspired thousands of young people and introduced them to amateur radio in a new and exciting way.

The full schedule and booking information for the convention are available at http://rsgb.org/convention Twitter hashtag #RSGBconv2016

An RSGB video celebrates these historic school contacts and the range of linked activities the schools have enjoyed.

Beginning with the exhilaration of the launch, it follows the competition for schools to host the ARISS contacts, and showcases the variety of science, technology, engineering, maths (STEM) and arts activities that helped pupils to understand more about space and amateur radio.

The contacts themselves, often led by newly-licensed pupils, were the successful culmination of many months of work and anticipation.

Watch GB1SS: schools speaking to Tim Peake

ARISS Principia https://principia.ariss.org/

What is Amateur Radio? http://www.essexham.co.uk/what-is-amateur-radio

Find an amateur radio training course near you https://thersgb.org/services/coursefinder/

A free booklet is available aimed at introducing newcomers to the hobby that can also be used as a handy reference while getting started, see
http://rsgb.org/main/get-started-in-amateur-radio/alex-discovers-amateur-radio-2/

Jan 10 2016

Listening to the ISS on a handheld radio

In this video Dan Trudgian M0TGN shows how to listen to the ISS using nothing more than a handheld radio, a Yaesu VX8, from Hackpen Hill in Wiltshire.

In the UK we use narrow 2.5 kHz deviation FM but the ISS transmits on 145.800 MHz with the wider 5 kHz deviation used in much of the world. Most base station and mobile radios can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters and for best results you should select the wider filter. Handheld radios all seem to have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

As a result of Doppler shift the 145.800 MHz ISS signal may vary by +/- 3.5 kHz during a pass going from 145.835 to 145.7965 MHz. Many FM radios can only tune in steps of 5 kHz, with such equipment you may get best results by selecting 145.805 at start of pass, then 145.800 and finally 145.795 MHz.

Watch GB1SS – Tim Peake QSO with Sandringham School

Read Dan’s blog http://www.m0tgn.com/

Follow Dan on Twitter @M0TGN

Dates of future Tim Peake amateur radio school contacts are at
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/02/03/all-uk-ariss-shortlisted-schools-are-now-scheduled/

ARISS Principia site https://principia.ariss.org/

How to hear the ISS https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-hear-the-iss/

Get press publicity by receiving ISS school contacts
https://amsat-uk.org/2016/03/10/press-publicity-receiving-iss/

The ISS should be transmitting Slow Scan TV (SSTV) later this year on 145.800 MHz FM
http://ariss-sstv.blogspot.co.uk/
https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/