Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Jun 21 2015

KLETSkous Project Update

KLETSkous LogoThe South African Radio League (SARL) report at the pre-conference Engineering meeting held on Friday [June 19] members of the SA AMSAT CubeSat team made some tough decisions.

During the past few years, various options and subsystems have been experimented with.

The team has now set the launch date of KLETSkous at July 2017 with the first flight model to be ready by February 2016 for testing after which final integration will start. This requires that various module designs are locked down and built by October 2015.

It is planned to have all the modules wired together in a breadboard configuration for testing the interoperation of the various sub-units by December 2015. Some modules are at a more advanced stage than others, but in the next few months, the team expect to catch up and meet the deadline for the first breadboard test.

Frik Wolff, ZS6FZ, the League’s technical manager, has joined the team and is working on solar panels and stabilisation issues. Francois Oberholzer, an honours student at Stellenbosch University, is working on improving the weight/strength relationship of the space frame, a project that is part of his thesis. Nico van Rensburg, ZS6QL, as programme manager and the person responsible for documentation, will support the project manager, Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP.

There are many opportunities for radio amateurs to join the engineering team. If you have a particular expertise or passion to add value to the  KLETSKOUS project, please discuss your participation with Hannes Coetzee or any of the team members and send your details to saamsat@intekom.co.za

Source SARL http://www.sarl.org.za/

KLETSkous http://www.amsatsa.org.za/KLETSkous.htm

SA AMSAT Space Symposium June 20, 2015
http://www.amsatsa.org.za/SA%20AMSAT%20SPACE%20SYMPOSIUM%202015%20programme.pdf

Jun 17 2015

QB50p2 FM Transponder Tested

QB50p1 and QB50p2 - Image Credit ISIS

QB50p1 and QB50p2 – Image Credit ISIS

AMSAT-Francophone report that the FM transponder on QB50p2 (EO-80) has been tested. A Google English translation of the post on their website reads:

On June 19, 2014, two 2U CubeSats QB50p1 and QB50p2 were launched as part of the QB50 precursor program into a polar orbit at an altitude of 680 km.

The satellite QB50p2 (object 40032) is equipped with a secondary FM transponder payload developed by AMSAT-F.

On Tuesday, June 16, 2015 almost 1 year after launch the AMSAT-F FM transponder on QB50p2 was activated by the main control station in The Netherlands for the duration of an orbit. At the Polytechnique in Palaiseau, we were able to receive telemetry in CW and put into action the FM transponder with an output of 1.5W.

A very strong signal was received at Palaiseau and by F6HCC in Brittany. The transponder was turned off at the end of the orbit.

In a few weeks, the transponder should be activated permanently. The signal is very strong, we will probably use a lower power level of 500 mW or 1 watt. We will inform you later.

QB50p1 (EO-79 / FUNcube-3) is equipped with a linear transponder for SSB and CW. The first tests were successfully completed in April and its transponder should also be enabled full-time in a few weeks.

Gérard – F6FAO

QB50 Amateur Radio Information https://www.qb50.eu/index.php/precursor-amateur-radio-operator

AMSAT-Francophone http://tinyurl.com/AMSAT-Francophone

The IARU Satellite Frequency Coordination Panel Status pages list these frequencies for the two satellites:

QB50p1 (FUNcube-3) has a VHF 9600 bps BPSK telemetry downlink plus a linear U/V transponder for SSB/CW communications similar to that already flying on FUNcube-1 with an output of 400 mW.
• 145.815 MHz 9600 bps BPSK telemetry beacon
• Inverting SSB/CW linear transponder 400 mW PEP
– 435.035 – 435.065 MHz Uplink LSB
– 145.965 – 145.935 MHz Downlink USB

QB50p2 has  a VHF 9600 bps BPSK telemetry downlink plus a separate RF payload from AMSAT-Francophone which will comprise of a FM voice transponder with UHF uplink and VHF downlink. It can also transmit FX25 telemetry at 9600 bps.
• 145.880 MHz 9600 bps BPSK telemetry beacon
• 145.840 MHz 9600 bps FSK FX25

To use the FM voice transponder Paul Stoetzer N8HM suggests programming these frequencies into your rig’s memories:

EO-80 AOS - TX 435.070 MHz 210.7 Hz CTCSS, RX 145.840 MHz
EO-80 2   - TX 435.075 MHz 210.7 Hz CTCSS, RX 145.840 MHz
EO-80 TCA - TX 435.080 MHz 210.7 Hz CTCSS, RX 145.840 MHz
EO-80 4   - TX 435.085 MHz 210.7 Hz CTCSS, RX 145.840 MHz
EO-80 LOS - TX 435.090 MHz 210.7 Hz CTCSS, RX 145.840 MHz

AOS = Aquisition Of Signal. TCA = Time of Closest Approach. LOS = Loss Of Signal

OSCAR Numbers for QB50p1 and QB50p2 CubeSats
https://amsat-uk.org/2014/07/02/oscar-numbers-for-qb50p1-and-qb50p2-cubesats/

Jun 16 2015

Amateur Satellites at Skills Night

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ sending Packet Radio to the ISS

Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ sending Packet Radio to the ISS

The Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society Skills Nights, are hosted by the CARS Training Team and continue to be a popular and appealing event, especially for newcomers to the hobby.

There was an excellent turnout on the evening of Monday, June 15 with 68 people signing in.

A major highlight of this month’s event was a live demonstration of amateur APRS packet data on 145.825 MHz FM from the International Space Station (ISS) as its flew overhead. Steve Hedgecock M0SHQ had clear reception and even managed to get a few of his own packets sent and relayed by the ISS.

Andrew Garratt M0NRD in Newark-on-Trent was one of those who received Steve’s packets and he immediately sent an eQSL.

Steve had received his new Elk 2m/70cms Log Periodic satellite antenna from the AMSAT-UK shop just a few days before and it performed admirably. During the evening Steve explained how to get started with amateur satellites. They can be received on handheld rigs and worked using low power, just 5 or 10 watts. Further information can be found at https://amsat-uk.org/beginners

On May 31 Steve M0SHQ was filmed making contacts via the SO-50 satellite by the team from the TX Factor TV show so you may see him in one of their future videos.

Satellites were just one aspect of great evening, with a wide range of activities from home construction to how to operate portable taking place. Read the report on the evening at http://www.essexham.co.uk/news/skills-night-june-2015-report.html and http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/skills/cars-skills-jun2015.htm

The next CARS Skills Night will be on Monday, July 20. It’s free to attend and all are welcome.

Jun 16 2015

International Space Colloquium at Guildford

AMSAT-UK FUNcube Mission Patch Rev4 20100609The AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium will be held on July 24-26 at the Holiday Inn, Guildford, GU2 7XZ, UK.

Among the speakers will be:
• Peter Guelzow DB2OS with an update on AMSAT-DL projects, including the Phase 4 satellite
• Chris Brunskill, formerly of Surrey Space Centre (SSC), now working at the Space Catapult at the Harwell Campus. He will be presenting an extremely novel project aimed at schools and education
• It is hoped the BATC will be able to demonstrate live Digital TV reception from the International Space Station, using the Ham TV system
• Drew Glasbrenner KO4MA, from AMSAT North America will be attending, and presenting the latest news of the FOX satellite(s) due for launch later this year, and also on their Phase 4 project

The Colloquium is open to all, admittance on the Saturday and Sunday is £10 each day. Further information is at https://amsat-uk.org/colloquium/

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF with ISS HamTV Transmitter

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF with the HamTV transmitter in the ISS Columbus module

Jun 15 2015

Help needed to receive NanosatC-BR1

NanosatC-BR1 Engineering Model – Image CRS/CCR/INPE-MCT, UFSM

NanosatC-BR1 Engineering Model – Image CRS/CCR/INPE-MCT, UFSM

The first Brazilian CubeSat, NanosatC-BR1, is experiencing battery issues for the last several months and it now seldom emits a beacon in CW on 145.865 MHz.

For some time, Paulo PV8DX, was able to detect a beacon signal when the satellite was over the Caribbean sea during daylight. But now, no more signals have been detected.

We would like to request assistance from hams in the northern hemisphere to see if NanosatC-BR1 is still transmitting any signals.

Any help will be much appreciated.

73, Edson PY2SDR
Email: ewpereira<at>gmail.com

NanosatC-Br 1 https://amsat-uk.org/2014/02/23/brazilian-cubesat-nanosatc-br-1/

Jun 11 2015

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF back on Earth

Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF back on Earth June 11, 2015

Samantha Cristoforetti, IZ0UDF back on Earth June 11, 2015

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF along with Anton Shkaplerov and Terry Virts landed safely on Thursday, June 11 in Kazakhstan after a three-hour ride in their Soyuz spacecraft. They left the International Space Station (ISS) at 1020 UT in a Soyuz TMA-15M landing by parachute on the Kazakh steppe at 1344 UT.

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF with ISS HamTV Transmitter

Samantha Cristoforetti IZ0UDF with ISS HamTV Transmitter

Samantha is the seventh ESA astronaut and the first female ESA astronaut to complete a long-duration mission in space. She set new records for longest single time in space for an ESA astronaut and female astronauts in general.

She set a new record for single mission duration by a female astronaut with 199 days in space on her first flight, surpassing the previous record of 195 days set by Sunita Williams KD5PLB as a flight engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15 from December 2006 to June 2007.

Samantha carried out a number of ARISS amateur radio school contacts and was involved in the Blank Test Transmissions from the new ISS HamTV digital television system on 2395 MHz which were received by radio amateurs around the world.

Take a Panoramic Tour of the ISS Columbus Module, look out for the HamTV transmitter
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/International_Space_Station/Highlights/International_Space_Station_panoramic_tour

Anatoly Zak http://www.russianspaceweb.com/iss_soyuz_tma15m.html#landing
ESA http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Futura/ESA_astronaut_Samantha_Cristoforetti_back_on_Earth
NASA http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/expedition-43-crew-departs-space-station-lands-safely-in-kazakhstan

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) http://ariss.org/