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Packet Radio On ISS Beeping Away
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
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