Posts Tagged ‘amateur radio’
ARISSat-1 First Receive Attempt
August 5th, 2011 | 
Author: Like many hams, I started trying to simply receive ARISSat-1. My first opportunity was today around 7 AM MT (1300z). ARISSat-1 was successfully launched (really tossed) from the ISS on Wednesday, 3 August. I blogged about these events which you can read here. While I have the Arrow satellite antenna from Arrow antennas, due to work commitments beginning also at 7 AM, I would be unable to go outside and receive the transmission properly. This meant my only real chance of hearing anything would be via my Diamond 2m/70cm vertical I have attached to the side of my house. While this solution is less than ideal, I should be able to copy some of the transmitted signals as the satellite passed overhead.
The 7 AM pass would be my most ideal opportunity with the setup I had available to hear anything. As you can see from the image to the right, the ARISSat-1 would pass just to the north of Denver metro area. By the way, the image is a screen capture of the iPhone app titled GoSatWatch. This app is available in the iTunes store for iOS devices (there is even an iPad version). The price is $9.99 and is well worth it if you enjoy working the satellites and don’t want to have to lug around a laptop everywhere you go. In my situation, I can’t easily work satellites from my QTH. I don’t have a large enough yard and trees and other houses are in the way. I drive up to a parking lot which overlooks Cherry Creek reservoir. From this position I can very easily operate the birds without trees and buildings getting in my way.
Again, I would not have time to drive up to this parking area and would only be able to hear what my vertical antenna was capable of receiving. My expectation level was set very low and just simply hearing a faint signal would have been considered major success. I had no expectation of actually being able to copy any audio or data/video. I had heard reports of other hams being able to hear via an HT and stock rubber duck antenna, so the wait began.
Around 1150z I turned on the digital recorder and just simply set it next to my Yaesu VX-6 hand-held transceiver connected to the outside Diamond antenna. I’ve used the VX-6 to listen to other birds before and have setup frequencies for some of the common amateur radio satellites. My interest in satellite operations has sort of come and gone over the last 3-4 years. I’ll admit I’ve yet to have an actual QSO via satellite. But have my process for receiving down fairly well. I do plan to try for QSO’s on AO-51 this weekend.
Anyway, around 1157z I began hearing faint noises in the static. I had the squelch open and from 1157z through 1204z I managed to hear both audio (female and male voice transmission) as well as SSTV tones. Thankfully the conference call just required me to listen and I sort of did this at about 50%. Most meetings never start on time and this one was no exception. By the time the satellite had traveled further south, the signals dropped and I shut off the recorder and turned down the squelch.
Once my meeting was finished, I listened to the audio recording and managed to pull out the “secret word” and I plugged the recorder into my Rigblaster and used Ham Radio Deluxe and DM780 to decode the SSTV data. The image to the left is what I managed to copy. I’m impressed, especially considering I wasn’t actually pointing an antenna in the exact direction of the satellite pass. Just about anyone with an external antenna can do the same thing. You just need to know when to expect the satellite and listen for it.
If you want to try your hand at listening for ARISSat-1 just set your 2m transceiver on 145.950 and at the very least setup an external antenna. At present time, ARISSat-1 is just slightly ahead of the ISS which can be tracked here. You might also want to check out Orbitron. Orbitron is PC software available to track just about any type of satellite orbiting the earth. I would expect ARISSat-1 to be added very soon. But just track the ISS and you should be OK for now.
Until next time…
73 de KD0BIK
ARISSat–Successful Deployment (Sort of)
Like so many fellow hams I follow on Twitter, Facebook and Google+, yesterday I sat glued to a small 6 inch window which showed the events unfolding up at the ISS (International Space Station) during the launch attempt of the ARISSat-1, amateur radio satellite. The 6 inch window was a browser window I had sized to fit in the upper corner of my screen so I could also still work.
I had heard of the ARISSat-1 launch a few days before and to be honest at the time I wasn’t aware of just how the satellite would be launched. The past few days have been busy for me at work and the assumption was it would blast into orbit on the back of a Titan rocket along with other payload. It really wasn’t until I began streaming the NASA channel (since Comcast doesn’t offer it) that I realized the event wasn’t going to be as “eventful” as I had first thought.
My morning started off busy like most and the spacewalk had already begun by the time I settled in to watch. The two Russian spacewalkers were already outside of the ISS with ARISSat-1 in hand. I heard mention ARISSat-1 weighs in at 70 pounds and appeared to be about the size of a toaster oven. At one point the satellite was un-tethered and perhaps moments from being launched when it became clear something was missing from the satellite. The missing item was the 70cm UHF uplink antenna.
This immediately caused a flurry of conversation on Twitter and Google+ regarding what happened to the 70cm antenna. Really unsure just how the ARISSat-1 arrived to the ISS, I tweeted “I wonder if anyone found an extra antenna in the glove box of Atlantis STS-135”. Others imagined it sitting behind some books or boxes on someone’s desk back on Earth. Of course, it could have easily been floating around in the ISS. We later heard an update which ruled out the missing antenna was on Atlantis as the ARISSat-1 arrived some time ago on board a Russian supply mission.
The launch of ARISSat-1 was the first of several projects to be completed during the EVA. The Russian spacewalkers eventually returned the satellite to the holding bay and started work on project number 2 which was to install a laser based communication system. The comedy of errors continued. At one point one of the two Russian spacewalkers either unscrewed a wing nut or was trying to attach a wing nut. It went missing and was then discovered floating off into the deepest, darkest depths of space. More space junk?
This little boo-boo spurred more chuckles on social media and the entire event sort of reminded many of us of a typical field day weekend. It also reminded me of the time I had left my house on a Saturday morning for a DAREC training meeting. We were meeting just a few miles away from my house and I was extremely early. So early that I realized I had my hand-held, but no antenna. I quickly returned home to grab the antenna and still made it to the meeting with time to spare. Of course…returning to Earth to pickup the 70cm antenna was out of the question and this was well outside of the scope of “What can brown (UPS) do for you”?
My morning soon turned into lunchtime and I had a 12:30 dentist appt. By the time I arrived back home it was a little after 2 PM. I checked in with friends on Twitter to learn they had launched ARISSat-1 successfully without the 70cm antenna. This left many of us on earth scratching our heads. I saw this posted on Google+ “It appears that ARISSat-1 was deployed…without the UHF antenna. My brain keeps saying WTF?”
While I (and many) found humor and poked fun at the events unfolding some 240nm above Earth, the brave men and women (regardless of nationality) are true modern day pioneers. The duties performed are as important as those performed hundreds of years ago by names like Columbus, Magellan, Lewis & Clark and two brothers named Wright. These duties are performed in an environment which very few could or would even want to journey. Thank you to all these modern day pioneers for what you contribute to the rest of us on Earth.
As I said, once I returned around 2:15 PM MT, ARISSat-1 was tumbling away from the ISS. I guess the decision to launch without the 70cm antenna was weighed against the next scheduled EVA wasn’t until February 2012. It was confirmed the missing antenna will have no impact to the satellites ability to transmit to stations on earth, and receiving capabilities will only be marginally impacted. ARISSat-1 was given a gentle push by one of the two Russian spacewalkers and it began its 1-3 month journey.
Hams all around the world began pointing their antennas to the sky in hopes of receiving the signals from ARISSat-1. Images like the one below slowly began making their way into social media streams. This one received by Peter Goodhall, 2E0SQL in the United Kingdom. This was a low elevation pass, but clearly shows the onboard cameras are active and audio was also received. Similar images and audio have been received by many other hams and will continue to do so for many weeks to follow.
If you would like to learn more about the ARISSat-1 Satellite and working satellites in general, please check out the AMSAT website. You might also find this document a helpful read. In the US, hams holding at least a technician class license can operate most amateur radio satellites with nothing more than a dual-band hand-held transceiver and an external antenna. There are many plans available on the internet (Google is your friend) on how to construct your own. Also, the Arrow II satellite antenna is used by many hams (including myself). Check out this link for this antenna and watch videos by Randy Hall, K7AGE. Randy also produces many other helpful “how to” videos and makes them available on his Youtube channel. Please check them out.
Until next time…
73 de KD0BIK
Track and Watch ARISSat-1 on The Go!
So when I checked my Mac yesterday for pictures from ARISSat-1′s for SSTV, I was a little disappointed I didn’t have any. I know one of the problems was that it was deployed late because of a 70cm antenna issue, but also of a dumb mistake on my part. But now I have to wait another day for a pass. But to keep track and pass the time, I have a couple mobile apps to help me.
Satelittle Tracker Icon
The first one is Satellite Tracker. It’s free and it’s a pretty good app for iOS. There is a paid version that gives you maiden head info too, but being that I am a poor working Ham, I need to pinch pennies when I can. The description from iTunes says,
Track satellites as they pass over your location. This application allows you to select any number of satellites and will show the track through the sky of the next pass(es) of each over your location. Frequency information can be added so you know how to tune into the signals. The satellite information is downloaded via the internet, and the iPhone GPS can be used to automatically track your location. Options allow the display of the sun and moon locations and the angle of the iPhone/iPod Touch to indicate to guide where to point your antenna. This application is primarily intended for those who use the Amateur Radio satellites but weather and other satellites can also be tracked.
NASA TV Icon
Another great app that I literally just found, like just before I was writing this, was the NASA TV app. I can now watch NASA TV as well as video on demand and see when NASA programming will be appearing on other TV networks. So this is pretty awesome that I can watch NASA TV on my lunch breaks at work. Here’s the description,
The NASA Television App brings live and on-demand TV programming to your iPhone or iPod Touch. Watch the latest NASA events unfold in real-time or select from a list of recently uploaded videos. Plan your viewing up to a week in advance with the NASA TV schedule, and check out a list of NASA-related programming on other networks.
These are the kind of apps I like. They offer a lot and at a real decent price. While FREE is obviously the best, the cost of some of these apps are well what they’re worth. So if you have an iOS device, please grab them and GO!
73.
Rich also writes a Tech blog and posts stories every Tuesday and Thursday on Q103, The Rock of Albany’s website, as well as Amateur Radio stories every Monday thru Friday here on AmiZed Studios.
Handiham World for 03 August 2011
Welcome to Handiham World!
Handiham Radio Camp begins on Monday, 8 August. The weather across most of North America has been uncommonly hot, often setting new temperature records. Fortunately we did get a nice weather break today here in Minnesota as the humidity dropped a bit and the morning temperature was in the low 60’s Fahrenheit. Of course we would like to see nice, comfortable weather during our week at Camp Courage, but there is another reason I look forward to less heat and humidity in the atmosphere: there will be less interference from thunderstorms! Thunderstorm static is a common problem for amateur radio operators who enjoy making contacts on the lower frequency HF bands. The 75 m band is still somewhat usable during the summer months, but it does take patience to put up with all of the static from storms that are sometimes hundreds of miles away. Add to that the long summer days when absorption gets really high and makes signals so attenuated that they really have a hard time competing with the static crashes and you really have quite a challenging radio environment. Believe it or not, some amateur radio operators still even make contacts on the 160 m band during the summer. That is the absolute worst of our HF bands during the high summer season because it is most affected by absorption and QRN.
[email protected]
Handiham Manager
But first – Help us win the Dr. Dave Challenge!
Money is tight these days and we desperately need your support. Now, thanks to a generous challenge grant by Dr. Dave Justis, KN0S, we have a chance to help fill the budget gap. Dr. Dave will donate $5,000 to the Handiham System if we can raise a matching amount. That means we need to really put the fund-raising into high gear! If you can help, designate a donation to Handihams, stating that it is for the “Dr. Dave Challenge”. We will keep you posted in our weekly e-letter as to the progress of the fund.
Nancy can take credit card donations via the toll-free number, 1-866-426-3442, or accept checks sent to our Courage Center Handiham address:
Courage Handiham System
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422
Be sure to put a note saying “Dr. Dave Challenge” somewhere in the envelope or on the note line of the check. If you donate online as detailed toward the end of your weekly e-letter, be sure to designate to Handihams and then send me an email letting me know you donated to the Dr. Dave fund: [email protected].
Thank you so much for your support!
FCC seeks comments on change to allow exam credit for expired Amateur Radio licenses
The FCC is going to entertain the possibility of allowing examination credit for expired ham radio licenses and is seeking comments on the matter. As we know, if your license expires and is beyond the two year grace period, you must start all over again with the Technician exam and work your way back up to whatever your former license level was, taking every exam. The Anchorage VEC has requested this change.
DA 11-1318
Released: July 29, 2011
| Read more on Handiham.org |
Watch ARISSat-1 Deploy on NASA TV [VIDEO]
It’s the big news of the week for Amateur Radio. ARISSat-1 will be deployed today from the International Space Station thanks to 2 Russian Cosmonauts. The satellite will have 4 Slow Scan TV cameras as well as a CW and BPSK beacon. According to what I have read you’ll be able to pick it up with just a simple hand held and a quarter wave whip antenna. I plan on testing that statement out myself.It’ll also have on board, a cross-band linear transponder for SSB/CW work. A little something for everyone. I’m thinking the SSTV is going to be what I am shooting for. AMSAT-NA has a special page setup with more information on how to receive signals from the satellite. Below is the live feed from NASA-TV. The Sat is being deployed at 14:00 UTC.
73.
Rich also writes a Tech blog and posts stories every Tuesday and Thursday on Q103, The Rock of Albany’s website, as well as Amateur Radio stories every Monday thru Friday here on AmiZed Studios.
Join the discussion on Google+
Google+ is the latest entry in the social media web applications taking the world by storm. It’s been around for a little over a month and is gaining some attention. I believe it is still in beta form and you can only gain access to the service via an invite from another existing user. More about that in a minute.
Yes it might be possible that you have already hit your limit of the number of social media sites you will join and use. Like many hams, I tend to frequent Twitter and Facebook only. But Google+ is gaining more of my attention, especially over Facebook.
Facebook privacy concerns have always been something I’ve thought about. I know some folks just flat out will not join Facebook or they cancelled their accounts for this very reason. I tend to operate under the idea that I won’t say or talk about anything on Facebook that I would be afraid for my Mother or Grandmother to read. But with Facebook you really don’t have a lot of control with who you share what information with.
An example of this problem is I have a couple of different types of people who follow me on Facebook. I have hams (like you), family and old class mates. If I log onto Facebook and talk about how excited I was to work the STS-135 special event station, about half of my followers won’t or care to understand what I’m talking about.
Google+ changes all this. When you setup Google+ you add people you know or want to know better into circles. Think of them as a circle of friends. I’ve setup circles based on ham radio, geocaching, flight simulation, family and friends. When I decide to post something on Google+ I can decide which of my circles to direct that message to. This functionality helps prevent the information overload effect of broadcasting every thought to every person you follow.
There are other advantages to Google+ which I’ve not covered. I wanted to keep this blog posting short and sweet. If you are a ham and would like an invite to Google+, please contact me (my email address is on QRZ) and I’ll be more than happy to send you an invite and add you to my amateur radio circle.
Until next time…
73 de KD0BIK
Memorization is for Whimps! Learning the Extra Class
So I recently posted on Twitter that the formulas for the Extra class exam was kind of making me feel stupid because it’s been so long since I did any kind of serious math. I got a couple replies saying I didn’t need a calculator for the Extra Class test. Well, since they pull from a group of questions where all the questions and answers are known, yeah.That’s just raw memorization and reciting the answer on command. That’s not what I want to do. I want to understand the theory and use it in a practical purpose in my own projects. If someone else wants to pass the test to say “Yeah, I have an Extra Class”, then feel free. I believe that knowing this theory and being able to use it in a practical sense make someone a m0re rounded Ham and able to tackle new problems and take on more complex projects.
Now Yes, there are times when you just need a shortcut for the math. It makes it easier. So here are 2 videos that kind of show you what I mean. These make it a little easier for me to grasp the math behind the theory. If you’re studying like me, good luck!
73.
Rich also writes a Tech blog and posts stories every Tuesday and Thursday on Q103, The Rock of Albany’s website, as well as Amateur Radio stories every Monday thru Friday here on AmiZed Studios.
