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Air Force Gives 10-Year-Old Orbiting Satellite To Ham Radio Operators (arrl.org)
Longtime Slashdot reader Bruce Perens writes: The U.S. Air Force has transferred control of a 10-year-old orbiting satellite to AMSAT, a ham radio organization, which has enabled it for any licensed ham to use on the air, as the satellite's Air Force missions have ended. Falconsat 3's first mission was science: measuring gravity gradient, spectrometry of the plasmasphere, electronic noise in the plasmasphere, and testing three-axis attitude control using microthrusters. Secondarily it was used to train Air Force Institute of Technology students in space operations, with close to 700 cadets obtaining ham licenses in order to operate a number of Air Force satellites using ham frequencies.
Now in its third mission, control of the satellite has been transferred to AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, and all government frequencies have been disabled with only ham ones remaining. The satellite will relay APRS (position and status reporting) signals, it will operate a BBS in the sky, and will broadcast telemetry.
Now in its third mission, control of the satellite has been transferred to AMSAT, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, and all government frequencies have been disabled with only ham ones remaining. The satellite will relay APRS (position and status reporting) signals, it will operate a BBS in the sky, and will broadcast telemetry.
Receivers are de-sensitized by close-by transmitters on the same band. Having the uplink and downlink be in a separate band avoids this. Terrestrial repeaters use a big piece of RF plumbing to avoid this, which would increase the weight of the satellite.
Bruce Perens.
You might be surprised. It only requires the Technician class license, which is no big deal to pass. A hand-held crossed 440/146 beam antenna will make it and costs less than $100, you don't really need an azimuth-elevation rotator. You learn how to point this by hand and wave it around until you hear the satellite. The required radio power would work with a walkie-talkie but a mobile/base radio is more likely to have the input and output that works with 9600 Baud modems. I am not clear whether a 9600 TNC works or whether you just use sound cards and a software modem.
The voice birds require that handheld antenna and a dual-band walkie-talkie, and that's all.
Bruce Perens.