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Packet Radio On ISS Beeping Away

Posted by timothy on from the do-they-use-cb-jargon-too? dept.

mzac writes: "The amateur radio abord the ISS is now activated and is digipeating packet radio. With a simple 5W handheld and a 3/4 wave 2 meter antenna, the signal can be received quite easily. Anyone who doesn't have a amateur radio license but does have a scanner can probably also receive the signals with a handheld scanner and the stock antenna. Using satellite tracking software and NTP software to sync your computer's clock is a good way of knowing when the ISS will pass over." (Read more.)

"Transmitting to the station is a bit more difficult as everyone is trying to transmit to the station on each pass, but many people have made it through.

Frequencies for the ISS are:

  • Worldwide downlink for voice and packet: 145.80MHz
  • Worldwide packet uplink: 145.99MHz
  • Region 1 voice uplink: 145.20MHz
  • Region 2 & 3 voice uplink: 144.49MHz
More info can be found at: Amsat or the ARISS Home Page."

9 of 46 comments (clear)

  1. Re:heh, I can see it now.. by Kartoffel · · Score: 3
    ISS isn't made by Microsoft, but it *is* proprietary

    Not true. Per the Natioanl Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958: "The Administraction shall provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof."

    Getting specs from contractors is more difficult, however, because they've got contacts (surprisingly enough) that allow them to keep their own stuff proprietary. Anything NASA does purely on its own, however, is meant to be freely available.

    Some things like parts of the ISS expedidion #1 crew's log entries, were "redacted" by NASA PAO office. That doesn't mean it's classified, however. You can still get all that stuff throug a FOIA (freedom of informatio act) request. The redacted stuff was mostly Shep cursing out flaky software, or the crew talking about going to the bathroom, or losing a small part cause it drifted away behind a rack. No conspiracies to cover up... just silly things that for whatever reason the public affairs folks "sanitized".

  2. Map of stations making it in by jmaslak · · Score: 4

    http://www.ariss.net/

    It includes maps of the stations that get to make it in.

    As a disappointment, there are some dweebs that are tying up the link by sending too frequent of beacons. After all, if you can wait an hour between passes, can't you be happy if only 1 or 2 beacons are heard an hour?

  3. Another site by superid · · Score: 4

    I use Heavens-above to get times for sightings in my area.

    SuperID
    Free Database Hosting

  4. I got through! by QuantumHack · · Score: 5

    On April 10th, at 6:35pm CDT, I sent a message through the ISS digipeater, using nothing but a low-power 2-meter radio in my car, a TNC (radio modem), and a little handbuilt terminal (coulda used a Palm, even). I'm in Oklahoma, and the message was picked up by a station in Colorado, and one in Maryland. Pretty cool. This would make a great "stuck-out-in-the-boonies-and-need-help" thing. Plus, since we're using APRS (transmitting our GPS position along with messages), that means "help" would know where it was needed. Cell phones don't work everywhere, you know, and don't even get me started on Iridium. Ham radio still has some uses.

    Check out http://www.hamhud.net to see what I used to get through.

    Steve KA9MVA
    "QuantumHack"

    --
    www.backwoodsengineer.com
  5. Re:How to do it? by burris · · Score: 3
    From what I understand your X-mhz box does not run at precisely X-mhz. The clock actually oscillates slightly around the stated frequency. This is of course to prevent a huge spike of RF emissions at the clock frequency, which makes it way easier to get FCC certification.

    Burris

  6. Just what amateur radio needs.... by yawhcihw · · Score: 3

    another busy, intermittently available repeater.

    yay

    now when do we get autopatch? :)

  7. Cooperation and such by GlassUser · · Score: 3

    I remember when the ISS first had its solar sails deployed. That night, I looked up the night's pass on J-pass, went outside, and saw it rise, for the first time. I made sure to do that the next few nights, as the orbit would allow. It's going to be nice to be able to "see" it for the first time with a radio, get that warm fuzzy feeling about international cooperation across borders and all.

    --
    funny munging
  8. Oh yeah... by Scoria · · Score: 3

    Use J-Track or J-Track 3D to see when the ISS will be near your house.

    And this is NASA's ISS homepage, if any of you want to know something about the ISS...

    --
    Do you like German cars?
  9. Good, since MIR is dead. And, Ham radio dead by mwillems · · Score: 3
    Good to hear we have another satellite! I (aka VA3MVW) used to digipeat via MIR, and the feeling that I was talking from Toronto to, say, Texas via space station MIR was fascinating. Using simple equipment too - simple 2m VHF, with a simple TNC (I have a few for sale btw: I use 3 and own 5)...

    Ham radio is not dead - one use that /.ers should like is TCP/IP over AX.25 packet. Meaning, when my cable provider is down (happens a few times a week) I can get out (or in!) via packet radio. Telnet to a server 25 miles away from home, and standard TCP/IP from there; a ham's IP address being issued by ampr.org.

    Then there's emergency radio (ice storms, tornadoes, etc), and talking to people kin your car: I spend hours talking away while stuck in traffic jams. And it's all free. :)

    73,

    Mike
    ---

    --

    ---
    BDOS ERR ON A:>