Amateur Radio Satellite Trilogy

1. Overview2. Equipment hands on

How to operateLive demo?

3. Construction Project

JCARC Program TrilogyDick Illman AH6EZ

Part 1 - Overview

Why Operate via Satellites?

• Exciting to youth and the public (remember FD)• Available to all license classes• Can be accomplished with minimal equipment

– As usual, more is better

• Long distance using VHF and UHF– Other states and countries

• Challenging– Antenna design, construction, aiming– Managing doppler shifts

• Good for disaster preparedness– Nothing is terrestrial

Enjoyment of Satellites

• Monitor beacons

– Capture and send health to satellite team

– Support schools and other organizations

• Make US and DX contacts on V/U as tech

– FM satellites provide easy QSO but crowded

– Linear satellites mostly SSB and CW

– Data packet connectivity, APRS extension

• Satellite capability similar for ISS contacts

Types of Satellites

• Beacon only– Might be CW, SSTV, or data packets

– Mostly telemetry information, student education/fulfillment

• Low Earth Orbit (LEO)– Most common, least expensive to orbit

– Single channel FM translator (VHF<->UHF repeater)

– Wider bandwidth linear (non-FM) translator

• Higher Earth Orbits (HEO) – rare/expensive

• Geostationary – rare/expensive

• APRS Satellites – many by Naval Academy students

Orbit Heights Make a Difference

LEO HEO

GeoStationary

Faster movingMore Doppler

Less DX, short QSOShorter lifespan

Slower movingLess Doppler

More DX, longer QSOLonger lifespan

StationaryNo Doppler

Best DX, QSO foreverLifespan = fuel

Highly Elliptical Orbit

Long distance needs higher gain antennasAntenna aiming relatively easy

Low Doppler shiftshemisphere coverage footprint

Short distanceAntenna aiming difficultHigh Doppler shiftsSmall coverage footprint

This was typical of AO40satellite before its rocketexploded while trying to

change to a less elliptical orbit

Small Satellites

• Amateur Satellites have been small since Sputnik• Very small satellites have been called

– Micro Sats– Pico Sats

• Standardized deployment satellites are called Cube Sats• Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA created “launcher”

– Square tube to stack several satellites– Pushes satellites from host rocket into similar orbits

• Frequently telemetry only, with command link• Mostly developed by Universities• Improvements in solar efficiency and SMD have made these

satellites more advanced and capable• Can be lower power FM or linear translators

Several Recent Cube Sats

aau-cube sat

can-x1

dtusat

quakesat

x1-4

Recent News - Nov 15 2016 Launch

• Fox 1A Up=435.18 (67Hz) Down=145.98

• Fox 1B Up=435.25 (67Hz) Down=145.96

Planned, pending IARU freq coordination

• Fox 1C Up=435.3/1267.3 Down=145.92

• Fox 1D Up=435.35/1267.35 Down=145.88

Many Modes Possible

• Voice

– SSB, FM, D-Star

• Pictures

– SSTV, Digital ATV

• Data

– CW, AX.25 packet, PSK, FSK, GMSK, JT65, Spread Spectrum, APRS

June 30 Satellite Snapshot

Active Unlaunched

Beacon 61 3Digital 24 3Linear 12 2FM only 7 4WSJ T J T65 2SSTV 1D-Star 1

108 96

China AMSAT cube/pico 6Geostationary 2017

Satellites – Waves of Excitement

• Historical variations in satellite activity (EOL, Launches)• Satellites do not last forever

– Electrical failures, mostly batteries– AO7 launched in 1974, now running on just solar panels (bat fail)

• Launching satellites is generally expensive– Amsat is constant looking for financial support

• Over the last 50 years– Intended geostationary (AO40 internal booster engine blew up)– High Earth Orbit linear satellites (AO16, AO27)– Low Earth Orbit FM satellites (many)– CubeSats, PicoSats– Space Suit “satellites” – Russian space suits– APRS Satellites

Lots of new exciting Satellites

• 10m PSK up 2m FM Satellites

• APRS and other data satellites

– QIKcom-1,2 Sept-Dec 2015 (DTMF>APRS)

• 6 Chinese CubeSats, 1 linear translator – Sept 7-9

• Fox FM Satellites in 2015-2016

• Geosynchronous Satellite in 2017

• HEO Satellite in 2016

• Universities highly engaged

Chinese (CAMSAT) satellites

20 KHz Inverting Transponder

QIKcom-2

QIKcom-2 overview

• Naval Academy student satellite scheduled to fly January 2016

• APRS digipeater 1 min beacon over USA/EU on terrestrial frequencies (144.39) alert terrestrial APRS users that satellite in view

• APRS transponder relays remote telemetry, sensor and user data

• DTMF uplink on 145.98 MHz for non-APRS users in the field

• DTMF for sending callsigns and grid squares and the spacecraft acknowledges the uplinks by voice response

• DTMF users can send any of 99 pre-stored messages (including standard ARL radiogram messages) by sending message number

• Converts DTMF data to APRS format that goes into global APRS system

• 99 grids with 99.99% of worlds population with a 00-99 table

QIKcom Grid Square Map

QIKcom-2 DTMF Messages

• DTMF decoder will accept encoded standardized 2 digit message number (00 to 99) preloaded on satellite

• 16 key DTMF string– "C" key to indicate a message

– EMERGENCY (9 speaks “Emergency”) or TEST (other than 9) digit

– modifier digit

– two digit message number (MM)

– encoded CALLSIGN

• CeMMnCCCCCCXXXX#

Packet Satellites

• Packet Downlink . . 145.825 1200 baud APRS (shared with ISS, PCSAT, UO11 and others!)

• NO83 (BricSat),NO84(PSAT)• PSK31 Downlink . . 435.350 MHz +/- 5 kHz FM (300 mw)

PSK31 Uplink . . . . . 28.120 MHz +/- 2 kHz PSK31 SSB (75 watts into omni vertical authorized)

• PSAT (NO84) digipeats user packets just like packet system on ISS

• PSK-31 transponder on PSAT

• dozens of simultaneous PSK31 users• full duplex and maintain continuous group dialogue throughout the pass• Requires 2 instances of single software or 2 computers

•

Satellite Tracking

• You need to know when its above horizon

• If directional antennas, need to point them

• NOVA

• SatPC32

• Orbitron

• Ham Radio Deluxe module

• Android and iOS applications

Demo of various satellite trackers

• Nova

• SatPC32

• Orbitron

• Ham Radio Deluxe

• AndroidSAT

• iOS

• Web based

EN62

EN63EN53EN43

EN44

EN35EN25

EN26EN16

EN17

EN18EN08

DN98

DN88DN78DN68

DN58

DN48DN38DN28DN18

DN17DN07CN97

CN87

EN61

CN88

July 21July 22July 23

EN16

= Maidenhead grid during UO-14 pass= Successful QSOs from these Maidenhead grids= Maidenhead grid traversed

2003 Amtrak Satellite Rover ExpeditionChicago to Seattle (2210 miles)

By AH6EZ

(Based on Amtrak schedule)

Equipment: Kenwood D7A 5 watts to handheld Arrow Antenna yagi

CN88 July 23-29

CN96

CN96 July 30

(CN88,CN96 fixed operation)

Bused around derailment

EN44

Operating in the Observation Car

Arrow Antenna3 Elements VHF7 Elements UHF

UO 14 Satellite1 channel FM145.975 Uplink435.070 Downlink+/- 10 KHz Doppler~16 minute pass

Kenwood D7A5 wattPortable

Digital AudioRecorder

Earphone

Compass

Unfortunately I could not operate outside of the train when stopped. Satellites are time critical

What do you need to make Satellite QSOs? (in order of capability)

• Any dual band (2m/70cm) FM transceiver– Normal mobile or portable antenna– LEO FM satellites– Digital audio recorder desirable (things happen fast)

• Two radios or simultaneous dual band FM xcvr– Huge advantage to hear your signal thru satellite

• Multimode radio(s) for SSB, CW, or PSK• Packet and digital modes• Hand held, tripod manual, omni or tracking antennas• Receiver (transceiver) preamplifiers• Automatic Doppler correction

AMSAT

• US organization focused on Satellites

– Building satellites and getting them launched

• Educational outreach

• Good web site www.amsat.org

• Support them, $44/year membership

• Several other countries have #AMSAT orgs

Part 2 - Equipment

Arrow antenna/ Kenwood D7aEgg Beaters with preamps/ Kenwood TS2000

Azimuth/Elevation Rotator

Live demonstration if possible during meeting time

Part 3 - Construction

Dual band yagi

Maybe on an evening with a satellite pass

Egg Beater Antenna for 2m, 70cm

Horizontally polarized at horizon good for terrestrial SSB/CW alsoCircularly polarized overhead better for tumbling satellites

No antenna aiming required, focus on making QSOs

Hairpin VHF/UHF yagi

Can be turned by hand to eliminate fadesCaused by satellite antenna orientation

When HF is DEAD…

Consider Satellites,

OUT OF THIS WORLD…