Signals in Space: How, Where & What

 

The 47th Annual Trenton Computer Festival took place on March 18th 2023. I was invited back to give a presentation this year alongside some amazing fellow presenters focused on related topics.

The presentation on "Signals in Space:  How, Where & What" were highly animated and included some authentic recordings from some various man-made signals of significance over the past 60+ years.

For the basic static slides, you can download a copy HERE though if you missed it live.

UPCOMING 3/15/2021 HVDN:LIVE - VHF/UHF is NOT just FM Repeaters: The IC-9700 & IC-705 Punch-Out

On the 8:00PM EST March 15th 2021 episode of HVDN:LIVE, we will take the Icom IC-9700 and IC-705 for a in depth conversational review thanks to Neil W2NDG as moderator with Jim WA2UMP and Steve K2GOG trying to defend reasons why to or not acquire either of these radios.

VHF/UHF is NOT just FM repeaters

This review is not going to be a product endorsement in any way, but it just so happens that both of these radios do not have any direct current production competition, so that is why we are stuck with making this an Icom focused discussion. 

The goal will be to highlight all the interesting things you can do on VHF/UHF aside from only talk on repeaters.

Both the Icom IC-9700 and IC-705 will be in full view during the discussion to ensure we provide fact rather than fiction for both radios. It will be really fun! 

Basic flow is going to be:

• Introductions 

• Reasons why did Jim acquire the Icom IC-9700  

• Reasons why did Steve acquire the Icom IC-705 

• Discussion on if they would do it again

• Discussing "Was it easy to do...…" 

• Focus on hardware tips & tricks

• Focus on software tips & tricks

• Remote operation comments 

• Live Q&A

How to join HVDN:LIVE?

We are going to experiment and see how many people can join the live meeting and we will be using  Jitsi instead of Zoom since HVDN supports and encourages open source projects.

If interested in attending on March 15th at 8:00 PM Eastern Time , please join using http://meet.jit.si/hvdn/livemarch15th2021 and use the password "hvdnlive"

This event will be recorded for later playback, but anything live is always better than a recording, so be sure to check it out and get your questions ready for Neil, Steve & Jim! 

Feel free to drop some questions below in advance!

WFD 2020: Hudson Valley & OMARC Edition

Part of the OMARC "Over Night" team. Pictured, counterclockwise:  Aaron KC2NDA (Flex 6300), Alan KD2HLX, Doc KJ2DOC, Mike KB2AQW,  "JR" KA2TMU  and  Kate KD2RYD. Photo taken by Steve K2GOG.

2020 marked the 3rd annual  Overlook Mountain Amateur Radio Club participation in Winter Field Day.  This non-ARRL sanctioned contest style event has challenged and inspired the United States amateur radio community through different sets of goals where amateur radio capabilities can be tested in bad weather in most parts of the country the last weekend each January.

This article captures the essence of this fantastic event and its opportunity to not only hone amateur radio skills but to also engage with the public about the convergence and modern relevancy of amateur radio today.

OMARC WFD 2020 Summary

This year, the Overlook Mountain Amateur Radio Club set up four HF stations for making contact during Winter Field Day from Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck, New York.

OMARC is the only Hudson valley region club running a winter field day operation and continues to grow its list of achievements and accomplishments. A full list of known participants can be viewed here.

The major goals for this year  for OMARC were to add PSK31 and CW modes on HF to generate more points beyond our normal "voice only" operation and to also be ready to have at least two stations on the air at the start of the official contest time of 2:00 PM Eastern US time.













WFD HF Antenna Fun

"Hey Dave K2JLV, is that an antenna?"  The green wire was leftover from the inverted L.  It looks like it should be re-purposed as another 20m vertical for 2021 WFD  (L-R, Dave K2JLV, David KD2MQE)

80m+ Inverted L:  70ft wire fed at the ground with a 4:1 balun with an LDG RT-100 auto-tuner protected from the elements in the "hobbit house".  The 90 degree angle was at the 35 foot mark and then sent horizontal another 35 foot.  Goal for this antenna was 80m operation to fill in pattern gaps from the inverted V 40m/80m dipole and to also act as a general purpose all band antenna.  We fed it with almost 400 feet of LMR400. 

Charles KD2BID and Steve K2GOG positioning one leg of the 80m/40m dipole for OMARC WFD2020

40m/80m Inverted V Dipole:   We spent the most time making sure this antenna was set up correctly and was oriented to provide north south coverage in the US. The center of the dipole had a 1:1 balun and 15 inch spreaders to keep the 40m and 80m wire elements isolated from each other.  This antenna was fed with 250 feet of LMR400.

David KD2MQE and JR KA2TMU using a sling shot to position an end rope for the other end of the 80m/40m dipole to pull it up past an annoying tree branch. No, they are not hunting for "sqweeeeeerl" 

10m/15m/20m Aluminum trap dipole:  Hung up in a tree about 60 foot high almost directly over the pathway to the immediate right of the cabin. This antenna was fed with about 100 feet of  LMR400.


20m Wire vertical: Suspended from a tree and the feed-point of the antenna was about 15 feet from the ground with its two radials held in place at 45 degree angles. This antenna was fed with about 100 feet of  LMR400.

OMARC WFD 2020 HF Radio Discussion

This year we operated as "Four Oscar" status per the official rules and used the following radios.

• Flex 6300
• Icom IC-725
• Icom IC-718
• Yaesu FT-450

A Kenwood TH-D74 was used for our AO-91 satellite contact and a Yaesu FT-450 was used for our PSK31 contacts on 20m.

Doc KJ2DOC fine tuning his "Military Go Box"  to get it just right for a weekend of radio operation at OMARC WFD2020

Dave K2JLV learning about PSK31 from Bob KD2QAK. Looking onward was Winn KD2HAF and Bob, a curious drone enthusiast who came with Winn and Ted K2MKD to his first Winter Field Day experience

Powered by OMARC: Doing it the safe way!

Newly elected OMARC VP, Alan KD2HLX confirming generator operation along with OMARC President Dave K2JLV. Nice work guys!

Keeping the generators far away from the radio shack and proper grounding eliminates any interference or noise when trying to receive weak signals on the HF frequency bands.

This Kingston, New York based club has made considerable investments in its generators and being able to run them continuously thanks to external fuel tanks. 

The first year the club ran WFD, they realized a need for some higher wattage generators to run electric heaters and also made sure we always use non-ethanol fuel.  

Even though there are no gas stations in Dutchess County that carry this fuel, its worth the extra trip across into Ulster to get this higher grade and better quality gas to keep the generators running perfectly.

CJ KD2IIN and Dave K2JLV inspecting the generators late at night Saturday. Needs more cow bell!

OMARC WFD 2020 Satellite Contact Discussion

Steve K2GOG again focused on getting the club its 1500 extra points for making one satellite contact. This year he was successful during the Sunday 10:03 AM EST pass of AO-91 thanks to a low elevation contact with Dana VE1VOX about 750 miles north east in Nova Scotia.

Everyone else looking for satellite contacts seemed to be creating a traffic jam again on AO-92 which was passing over at the same time! 

The prior evening, AO-92 and SO-50 were also packed with contacts trying to score points for Winter Field Day and Steve was not able to bust through the pile up to make a qualified contact.

The audio recording was made with the digital recorder that is built into the Kenwood TH-D74, but I forgot to set it to record both sides of audio, which is why you do not hear me ask "Are you participating in WFD?" in which Dana says, no he is not and just having some fun in the rain. This was then followed by me comment on everyone else being on AO-92 and I appreciate the nice contact with him.

Steve K2GOG making contact via AO-91 with Dana VE1VOX to earn 1500 points for WFD. 
Kate KD2RYD was kind enough to capture the moment . 

Wait, there was a movie filmed at WFD?

C.J KD2IIN, who runs the Farming and Gardening Net but now recently re-branded as the Sunday Evening All Things Natural Net took a nice video that he posted on his popular Farmacy Seeds Network YouTube channel. For those unable to make WFD, this may give a better glimpse into the shenanigans that happen at the event.

OMARC WFD 2020 Moments & Miracles

Starting around noon Saturday was the expected sleet and freezing rain, which was right on time! The good news was OMARC was ready to get on the air before the official start time of 2:00 PM. A few hours later, former OMARC President Ted K2MKD and a few others needed to leave and Steve K2GOG was kind enough to give them a ride down the trail to avoid getting wet.

Miracle #1: Rather than spend a few minutes to get out of the car to unlock the gate to turn around, Steve decided to do a three point turn that did not go as planned. The ice and rain created some pretty bad road conditions and he slid off the road, but safely navigated to a spot that would allow Master Yoda to use the Force to pull him from the icy trail side muck. 

Reality Check:   Mark from T and N Towing came by to assist with a flat bed tow truck and masterful winch skills to free Steve's RAV4. Not a single scratch happened thanks to Jedi like diligence and focus at the controls. Thanks Mark!! 

Stuck in mud , are you, hmmm yes?

Drive carefully one must during Winter Field Day 

Moment #2:

Kate KD2RYD attempted to get a few hours (minutes?) of sleep in her hammock slung under her ultralight tarp.

Miracle #3:    No one put graffiti on the N2HVD "Alice" camera that Steve K2GOG constructed.  The goal was to share and control video from on top of the Ferncliff Fire Tower. Due to technical difficulty on the ground, the 900 MHz link was not making contact, but local access over 2.4 GHz was possible.  A version 2.0 is being planned for the next event at Ferncliff Forest that does not weigh 14 pounds!  More about this in another soon to publish article.

Moment #4:  The OMARC team continues to do a great job showing the best way to run generators by following proper safety at all times.

Miracle #5:   Our new sign for Winter Field Day was still standing by the end of the event!

Miracle #6:  Not a single person went hungry or without a hot drink for the duration of the event.  Pizza, donuts, coffee and tea kept everyone running at top performance levels. Saturday night, Dave K2JLV cooked burgers and dogs, but no pictures of that seem to exist!

Charles KD2BID keeping a close eye on the coffee and tea pots. Cold pizza anyone?

Please visit the official Facebook page for more pictures and details about the Overlook Mountain Amateur Radio Club Winter Field Day. Hope to see you next year for another OMARC WFD!

               

                               Visit OMARC Facebook 

Mr. President: Dialing for satellites?

Ah, the ubiquitous DTMF keypad still has some relevance as a modern communications tool in the age of voice assistants, location technology and digital communications. Lets find out if that is true.....

What is DTMF?


When you press the buttons on a telephone or most radio keypads, a connection is made that generates two tones at the same time. A “Row” tone and a “Column” tone. These two tones identify the key you pressed to any equipment you are controlling. If the keypad is on your phone, the telephone “Central Office” equipment knows what numbers you are dialing by these tones, and will switch your call accordingly.

If you are using a DTMF keypad to remotely control equipment, the tones can identify what unit you want to control, as well as which unique function you want it to perform.

How do you dial satellites with DTMF Mr. President?

Not all amateur radio satellites focus on providing voice, packet, location or image sharing. A few have incorporated APRStt which makes for novel quick communication of both user call sign and location using one nice short string of DTMF codes.

Any one who has watched or conducted amateur satellite activity may be familiar with the grid square or maidenhead location system.   Using only two capital letters, two numbers and two lower case letters can the geographic position with accuracy of 7.5 miles.

While that may not seem too accurate, its good enough for quick general location exchange.  Simply speaking into a radio that you are located in FN31 or FN31bw is far easier than saying 38°53'52.6"N 77°02'11.4"W or even 38.897933, -77.036500.

Using APRStt, you can simply press *13315246402164# which works out to K2GOG located in FN31bw.   The time it takes to send 16 characters is less time than it took to read this last sentence.

For those interested in data satellite communications, but do not own a radio capable of the popular AX.25 based 1200 baud APRS functionality like the Kenwood TH-D72, TH-D74 and the newish Lanch HG-UV98 to be reviewed on HVDN later this summer, this may be an interesting communication method to experiment with.  Courtesy of Bob Wood, WA7MXZ, here is a nice calculator to compute your own APRStt sentence.

Any amateur radio with a DTMF keypad from the lowly $25 BaoFeng radios, to more current mainstream radios like the Yaesu FT-70R and about 300+ other models to the super cool looking military "knock off" variants of the PRC-152 found on E-Bay would work just the same for APRStt since they can all send DTMF.

But how to decode APRStt?

DTMF is hard by ear to determine the DTMF code sent, so the soon to launched PSAT2 includes a  DTMF to voice transponder which will read back via computer generate voice a fully formed APRStt sentence it receives.  There are also many other very interesting things that PSAT2 will also permit such as:

• PSK31 10m band up-link/UHF FM down-link

• SSTV camera with UHF down-link in the same pass-band as PSK31 signals

• DTMF Grid Square up-link and Voice/APRS down-link for Grid position reporting

• DTMF Text messaging (APRStt).

• APRS text messages up and Voice down.

• Conventional APRS digipeater 

Some may choose to experiment with an SDR tuned to the appropriate PSAT2 frequencies and decode APRStt with suitable software or maybe even use an Arduino based simple DTMF decoder since not many amateur radios can decode DTMF easily. 

The radios that can and often include other uses for DTMF multi tone decoders and could be programmed ahead of time to un-mute when a known APRStt is heard, but that sounds frustrating.  Maybe someone will "hack" a TYT MD-380 or other to show DTMF since it is capable at multi tone decode?  Hmmm.....

PSAT2 details please?

Once this interesting cube-sat reaches orbit and is provisioned for operations after the June 23rd or 24 or 24th 2019 launch window, we will be able to track the satellite and hopefully learn if 28.120 MHz is the actual 10m frequency to be used for the PSK31 transponder up-link or not.

PSAT2 is sure to be an exciting satellite and we wish it success and to help continue to make ham radio great again!

Related Reading

• APRS PSAT2 Details Page

• How To Guide: Satellite Based APRS iGateway

• AMSAT Satellite Status Tracker

Presentation: Satellite Spectrum & Amateur Radio

Steve K2GOG presented on "Satellite Spectrum & Amateur Radio" at the Trenton Computer Festival on March 23rd alongside another 50+ technology and innovation focused topics.

The goal of the presentation was to cover the valuable radio spectrum available through amateur radio and promote its use through innovative communication applications on earth and in space thanks to underlying computer technology

How much spectrum do we have?

For those that are already licensed amateur radio operators, you may have a printed version of the below spectrum chart that the ARRL publishes or at least have seen it somewhere before.

In the United States and most other countries, there are different license classes of amateur radio operators. Some countries restrict the transmit power or operating modes as well as what frequencies can be used depending on your license restrictions.

Steve decided to add up all the spectrum that is accessible to the three current United States amateur radio licenses and further highlight just how much of the total 23,126.7731 MHz of discontinuous spectrum can be used for satellite related communications. The results are pretty interesting.

What really separates the Extra from General or Technician?

Sometimes it is good to be simple. Get the highest license possible and ensure you never have to worry about operating on the wrong frequency. Currently, the only thing that separates the highest from the lowest license class in terms of spectrum access is 3.9321 MHz of operating capability.

The difference in spectrum for the different license classes is mostly found in the HF bands ranging from as low as 135.7 kHz and up to 29.7 MHz. The only other spectrum not accessible to the technician class license is the 219 to 220 MHz portion of the under utilized 1.25m which many consider as being only from 222 to 225 MHz.

The remaining spectrum is all available to the Technician class license holder!

What if your not interested in long range "HF" communication?

With advances in radio receiver sensitivity and advanced low signal to noise ratio transmission modes, large antennas often associated with HF operation are not always needed.

However, even with specialized magnetic loop antennas and FT-8 digital text modes -nothing beats a full sized dipole for global communications on the 14 MHz or 7 MHz bands often referred to as 20m and 40m respectively and not everyone has the space or interest in such an antenna.

Radio propagation theory does not always guarantee communications are possible at all times of the day which may frustrate some people who only have limited times to "play radio" with HF spectrum.

RF HF propagation is just like the weather

A forecast is still just a forecast and is generally correct, but the difference between satellite communications and HF is the predictability.  For those with limited time to gain "radio communications" gratification, satellite communications may be worth a look.

You can easily calculate when a satellite will pass over head in the case of the "Low Earth Orbit" satellites covered in Steve's presentation for example. It certainly would be great if the weather was like that, wouldn't it?

Depending on satellites

One shortcoming of most satellite communications is that you are reliant upon a man made piece of technology flying over your location in order to make long range contact.

The other shortcoming is you can only make contact with other stations in the footprint of the satellite, which is different than HF since technically you can talk around the world and sometimes even hear your own echo under the right conditions.

Benefits of satellite communication is that you can get a lot of "ham radio" done in a very short amount of time given the brevity of low earth orbit satellites for those not fortunate to live in the foot print of the only current geosynchronous satellite that covers all of Europe, Middle East, Africa, India and a few other countries across Asia.

Fight:  Innovation in amateur radio

The first amateur satellite put into orbit was OSCAR-1 in 1961, just 4 years after Sputnik was put into orbit as the first ever satellite. 

Now almost 60 years later, there has been a total of over 100 satellites put into orbit and most of them being fully operational, with a few example success stories being AO-7, SO-50, AO-92 and QO-100.

In total and thanks to international regulatory efforts, all this satellite success requires spectrum to be set aside since managing who or what can use certain frequencies is more challenging compared to how a specific country can manage its finite spectrum resources.

Its pretty clear that there has been a lot of innovation within the amateur radio satellite spectrum, but much of it has yet to be fully realized.

One example of how technology originally meant for meteor scatter or earth-moon-earth communications which involves bouncing signals off of these non-man made satellites is known as low signal to noise ratio modes, mostly invented by Joe Taylor, K1JT.  The modes can now be found in use on the HF bands rather than for space related contacts. Here is how computers and amateur radio together create innovation.

Technology Improvements: We all benefit 

OSCAR 100 which was put into functional orbit by the Qatar Amateur Radio Society along with technical guidance from the German branch of the Amateur Satellite Corporation known as AMSAT pushes the boundaries of technology and spectrum management.

In 2018, various digital voice modes such as those enabled and made more accessible due to Multi Mode Digital Voice Modem (MMDVM) hot spot devices created an issue for certain satellites operating in the congested 435 to 438 MHz band.   A LEO satellite such as AO-92 speeds overhead at an average altitude of 220 miles and can easily be interfered with by 20mW hot spots and the lower power radios people use to access them. OSCAR 100 is the only satellite that does not have this issue.

Price has driven the adoption of MMDVM hot spots and radios such as the Anytone D868, TYT MD-380 and others. 

Today, thanks to the QO-100 satellite, there is a lot of rapid innovation taking place which shows that cost and user benefits generate lots of excitement that highlights the growth of the radio arts as specified in FCC Part 97.1.

The only unfortunate thing for North American amateur radio operators is that its not possible to utilize this innovative satellite and its great use of spectrum because it is in geosynchronous orbit. However, the AMSAT project GOLF is coming near which is exciting!

Looking beyond, satellite is just one way to show innovation through the use of spectrum. The future of amateur radio is dependent on finding other innovative applications for spectrum, so why not look at what else may be possible outside of the HF bands, even going as high as the mmW bands -
GigaHertz.... not MegaHertz!!!

Full Presentation & Added Bonus

The complete, but non-animated version of the presentation can be found at the link below in addition to the amateur spectrum database compiled to help develop some of the content Steve K2GOG presented both at the HVDN Quarterly meeting this past March 11th as well as TCF on March 23rd.

HVDN Satellite Spectrum Presentation

HVDN Amateur & Satellite Spectrum Database

How To Guide: Satellite Based APRS iGate

There is so much amazing activity these days surrounding satellite and software defined radio (SDR), but there are not many clear and current guides for those interested in creating receive only gateways to send satellite born APRS signals over the internet. Let's change that.

APRS & Satellites (and balloons, drones, etc)

Currently there are three active satellite based digipeaters in low earth orbit. The International Space Station (ISS), PCsat NO-44, and SAT NO-84 all operate on 145.825 MHz.

There is also a fourth APRS satellite named FalconSat-3 that was turned over from the United States Air Force in 2017 for amateur radio use, but is operated on 145.840 MHz and requires a little more work to use. There are other amateur digital mode satellites in the planning stages.

Image Courtesy of  http://aprs.org/outnet.html

What is an iGateway?

An iGateway is nothing more than a radio receiver that is connected to the internet. Signals received by the antenna are passed from the radio over the internet.  The iGateway is designed for digital or data signals and not voice however. Websites such as findu.com and aprs.fi are two examples are where the benefit of igateways can be shown and show APRS data.

There is also the Othernet (Formerly known as Outernet) project that sends information from its ground station back up towards different satellites that "datacast" to special receivers such as the Dreamcatcher. Properly addressed APRS messages are in turn broadcast over this separate satellite network. This is not the same as an iGateway, but does add some other unique potential.  For an amateur to route a message with APRS through one of the mentioned satellites earlier, one must use the path of "OUTNET" instead of "ARISS".

General users of APRS for ground based modes typically leave the path as WIDE1-1 or WIDE2-1, but those interested in satellite communications must use the alternatives listed since a satellite works differently from a propagation perspective to ground based or even low altitude aircraft or balloons.

How To:  SDR & Raspberry Pi iGateway

To create an iGateway you will require:

• An inexpensive USB SDR

• Raspberry Pi Computer or other similar device

• Antenna capable of overhead reception

• Various cables and stuff for your installation

There are way too many variables on antennas and cabling specific to every installation so we will keep this brief and skip that part. The shortest run of coaxial cable from antenna to radio is needed. The highest and clearest view towards the horizon in as many directions as possible is required for optimal reception when considering setting up a iGateway.

The satellites we will be monitoring pass over most locations about 3-5 times every day for just a few moments, so it's possible a APRS capable satellite will pass over once every 60-90 minutes.

Lets setup the software bits and bobs....

The main goal of this article is to only share the steps for configuring software to get a SDR dongle working with a Raspberry Pi.  These steps can also work for those looking for alternate uses for SDR based hardware such as the now out of date L-band focused Dreamcatcher v 2.03 boards that were replaced with the newer Ku-band Dreamcatcher v3 and likely could be used too.

The real magic here is the software and how it will all work together.

First step, is get a working operating system on your device of choice such as the Raspberry Pi or Dreamcatcher v2.03. Most of these instructions will work for other linux based computers but is not the focus of this article.

Please run sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get upgrade first to ensure your operating system is current and has most all of the popular packages installed for general use before continuing.

Second step, involves setup of Dire Wolf which translates sound to packet decoding. Run the following on your device to install it.

sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev
git clone https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf
cd direwolf
make
sudo make install
make install-conf

Next, you need to configure the operating system to take virtual audio from an inexpensive SDR dongle and pass it to direwolf.  Go ahead and plug in your SDR dongle to your raspberry pi. If you are using a Dreamcatcher, there is no need since the SDR is part of the board already!

sudo apt-get install cmake build-essential libusb-1.0-0-dev
cd
git clone git://git.osmocom.org/rtl-sdr-git
cd rtl-sdr
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ../ -DINSTALL-UDEV_RULES=ON -DDETACH+KERNAL_DRIVER=ON
make
sudo make install
sudo ldconfig
sudo reboot

Let's pause for a moment and test the SDR to make sure its recognized.

run "rtl_test"  and ensure you get a status update like this before continuing. This shows that the SDR is being recognized by your Raspberry Pi, Dreamcatcher 2.03 or other single board linux computer.

Now we need to configure Dire Wolf and the best way to do that is copy some of the great work that Keith G6NHU has compiled. Head on over to his interesting site here:

http://qso365.co.uk/2017/02/a-guide-to-setting-up-an-aprs-receive-only-igate-using-a-raspberry-pi-and-an-rtl-sdr-dongle/ 

The only basic change you need to make is to select the correct frequency. In the United States much of the APRS activity is on 144.390 MHz, but since we are interested in satellite based APRS, change it to 145.825 MHz instead.

What did you say about balloons?

Perhaps you may tire of the same general activity on APRS terrestrial activity or even what may be bouncing off a satellite.  The next logical thing to look into would be tracking a balloon of some sort.

Taner DB1NTO has a new product out to cater to people looking to track something that can only carry a very light weight device.  He calls it PicoAPRS Lite and should open up lots of possibilities to experiment with alongside perhaps with a portable version of an iGateway connected via cellular hotspot.

If anyone in the Hudson Valley is interested in experimenting with tracking objects other than a house which does not move much, or a car, lets start talking.

The STEM (31630) DMR talk group seems a logical spot as well as the AMSAT (98006) talk group, so lets make something happen here when spring time arrives!

• More about STEM 

• More about AMSAT

Visit the HVDN Activity Calendar to learn of upcoming discussion, projects, meetings and events 

64 Satellites: Can I get a ride too?

T- Minus     10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...LIFTOFF!!!

SpaceX was able to put 64 various size satellites into orbit with only one Falcon 9 rocket. The total payload weighed in at 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilograms).

Jerry Buxton, N0JY of AMSAT pictured at the SpaceX launch facility.
AMSAT was responsible for the Fox1Cliff (OSCAR-95) communications
satellite available to amateur radio operators world wide

Payload Details

Of the 64 objects launched on December 3rd,  the amateur radio Fox-1Cliff which is now known as OSCAR 95 is just one of many satellites, so here is the full list of publicly known 60 satellites and basic details, so let's get going.....

Lists: We love lists!

Not every satellite was a "CubeSat" which are normally 10cm cube weighing less than 4 kilograms.The largest satellite part of this launch was potentially the 231-pound (105-kilogram) KazSTSAT Earth-imaging satellite.  

There was also the Elysium Star 2 which carries the remains of Robert Lawrence, an African American astronaut was selected for the U.S. Air Force’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory program.

#1 - AISTECHSAT 2: The second in the AISTECHSAT series and is a 6U CubeSat developed by Aistech to provide thermal images of the Earth. It will also help with maritime and aeronautical tracking as a prototype for a larger constellation.

Thermal imaging system is on board that is used in forest management, fire detection, gathering data for agriculture like identifying the health of the plant, analysing land for expansion. It can also detect energy consumption and loss of buildings.

The satellite also provides airborne and maritime vessel tracking via AIS and ADS-B receivers. The AISTECHSAT can also use a bidirectional communication system on board to send and receive automatic information from the vessel or remote asset worldwide.

For aircraft tracking an ADS-B receiver is on board. HVDN has its own ADS-B receiver that tracks aircraft in the Hudson Valley and is available to its membership. More information can be found here

----

#2 - Astrocast 0.1: Astrocast is a planned network of Nanosatellites providing global L-band machine-to-machine (M2M) services. The satellites are orbiting in a low earth polar orbit. This allows the creation of a global network covering the entire globe, including the poles. 

After integration of the NanoLink terminal, the ground based assets can reliably and securely send any kind of sensor data to the constellation of nanosatellites that will acknowledge the reception. Astrocast enables transmission of 1KB/day from any region on the earth.

A geographically distributed network of ground stations collects the data gathered by the satellites. The data are then uploaded to a cloud storage for access by the customer.

----

#3 - Audacy:   Audacy is building a space-based data relay network via a constellation of medium Earth orbit relay satellites along with our ground facilities. These satellites will maintain constant connectivity for our customers’ spacecraft from any point on Earth to lunar orbit

Details on 59 more satellites

Fantastic research has already been done by Gunter Krebs on all the other satellites that were part of this historic launch.  Have a look at all his hard work at  https://space.skyrocket.de/index.html 

Add caption

Talk about stuff like this?

Care to talk with others interested in satellite communications and technology plus the experiments conducted up above?   Here are some spots to check out related to amateur radio:

• AMSAT-DL Discussion Forum:  https://forum.amsat-dl.org/ 

• AMSAT DMR Talk Group:  98006 (Listen in here)

• STEM Talk Group: http://stem.hvdn.org/ 

• AMSAT Mailing Lists:  http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/maillist/maillist.php

• HVDN Orbital News:  http://notebook.hvdn.org/search/label/HVDN%20Orbital%20Channel

Your Next Antenna Project: Upgraded Space Station Communications

This came up on the weekly North American astronomy net and now I know what my next antenna project will be. Not sure if NASA will be willing to share the plans with me or not though. 😉

Here is a nice article from April 27th 2018 with more detail.

NASA Upgrades Space Station Emergency Communications Ground Stations

Since the launch of the International Space Station’s first component in 1998, communications infrastructure has been critical to the station’s success and crew safety. NASA is currently implementing upgrades to very high frequency (VHF) communications ground stations that backup the station’s primary communications system, the Space Network, and communicate with Soyuz spacecraft when out of Russia’s range.

NASA’s VHF ground stations provide two-way, audio-only communications and transmit over two frequencies, VHF1 and VHF2. VHF1 is used for emergency communications with the International Space Station. VHF2 communicates with Soyuz spacecraft.

Russia also operates a VHF network independently from NASA's. The combination of the two networks ensures VHF communications are available on every orbit of the space station and Soyuz.

The space station hosts two VHF1 antennas, 180 degrees apart. They flank the Zvezda Service Module, an early Russian contribution to the station that served as an early cornerstone for its habitation. Astronauts and cosmonauts can communicate with mission control from any module of the station via VHF1.

“Maintaining the availability of utility-like communications between the crew and the ground is paramount to enabling mission success and ensuring crew safety,” said Mark Severance, Human Spaceflight Communications and Tracking Network director. “The NASA VHF network, in combination with the VHF network operated by our Russian partners, does just that.”

Under normal circumstances, the station relies on NASA’s Space Network, a series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites in geosynchronous orbit. The network provides near-continuous communications coverage between the station and mission controlcenters around the world who make sure the station’s systems function properly. The Space Network also enables the transmission of high-resolution science data, ultra-high definition video and special downlinks like student contacts with astronauts. VHF1 would only be used in the unlikely event that the space station was unable to communicate via the Space Network.

Russian Soyuz spacecraft sport a single VHF2 antenna towards their tail. Russia uses VHF2 as their primary system for voice communications from launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to docking with the space station and upon undocking and returning to Earth.

On most Soyuz missions, the spacecraft docks with the space station prior to exiting Russia’s VHF network coverage. The same is true on return to Earth. However, on Soyuz missions that require a longer, 34-orbit rendezvous, the NASA VHF network stands by to provide emergency communications while the Soyuz is outside of Russia’s range, orbiting over the continental United States. NASA’s VHF network could also provide emergency communications in the event a problem required the Soyuz to stay in orbit for an extended period of time.

NASA’s upgrades to VHF network ground antennas, currently underway, involve improvements to numerous electronic components and installation of new software for tracking the space station and Soyuz. Additionally, new antennas at the ground stations, able to operate at VHF1 and VHF2 simultaneously, will add redundancy to the network so that if one system fails, the other system will be able to take over immediately.

“The purpose of these upgrades is to ensure the VHF ground stations remain a robust capability for backup and emergency communications,” said Severance. “The addition of redundancy, the ‘belt and suspenders’ approach, is particularly important given that these systems would only be employed due to failure of the primary space station communications system or an emergency onboard the Soyuz.”

NASA maintains VHF ground stations in two locations: Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, and NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. These ground stations are strategically placed to maximize contact with the station and Soyuz as they orbit above North America. The Russian VHF ground stations are located throughout Russia, providing contact as the space station and Soyuz orbit above Asia and Europe.

NASA’s VHF system is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Exploration and Space Communications projects division. NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation program office provides programmatic oversight to the network.

Banner image: The International Space Station. Credit: NASA

---

By Danny Baird
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Last Updated: April 26, 2018

Editor: Rob Garner

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-upgrades-space-station-emergency-communications-ground-stations