Tag Archives: Ham Radio

Sep 29 2011

Autumn OSCAR News

The autumn edition of the colour A4 newsletter OSCAR News is being posted to AMSAT-UK members this week

As usual it’s packed with Amateur Satellite articles:

– Haven’t Got A Callsign – regular column by Clive Wallis G3CWV
– Memories of working Astronaut Helen Sharman GB1MIR by Chris Lorek G4HCL
– Louis Varney Cup Presentation to Paul Robinson 2E1EUB
– ARISSat-1 Reception
– USA NTIA WRC proposal for an ITU “Educational” Satellite Service
– ARISSat Update
– FUNcube Testing at RAL
– Syncart geostationary transponder
– Report on First UK National Space Conference 2011
– FUNcube Project Report
– KiwiSAT Current Status
– IARU Region 1 Sun City Report
– 2011 AMSAT-UK Colloquium Report
– QB50 Latest News

To receive this copy of OSCAR News join AMSAT-UK online at
http://tinyurl.com/JoinAMSAT-UK/

If you’ve never seen OSCAR News before you can get an idea of what it’s like by downloading a sample issue from http://www.uk.amsat.org/on_193_final.pdf

Sep 19 2011

Isle of Skye on Amateur Radio Satellites Sep 24

Paul Robinson 2E1EUB, current holder of the Louis Varney G5RV cup, will be active on the Amateur Radio satellites from the Isle of Skye and Eastern Scotland starting Saturday, September 24.

2E1EUB Portable Satellite Station

2E1EUB Portable Satellite Station

He will be using the call sign 2M1EUB/P and weather permitting Paul will be active from the Isle of Skye for a week and then active for a further week from Cairngorms National Park about 80km west of Aberdeen in grid square IO67VJ.

He says he welcomes skeds, contact details via:
http://www.qrz.com/db/2E1EUB
http://www.qrz.com/db/2M1EUB

Louis Varney G5RV Cup

Getting started on Amateur Radio Satellites PDF

Sep 13 2011

ARISSat-1 on Ham Nation Show

TAPR President, Steve Bible N7HPR, discusses the new amateur radio satellite ARISSat-1 on this weeks edition of the popular video show Ham Nation. He appears after the item on the Elecraft KX3 portable SDR transceiver.

Watch Ham Nation episode 16 at
http://twit.cachefly.net/video/hn/hn0016/hn0016_h264b_864x480_500.mp4

Other Ham Nation episodes can be seen at http://twit.tv/show/ham-nation/

Ham Nation airs live each Tuesday at 6:00 PT/ 9:00ET at http://live.twit.tv/

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

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