ISS
Related Wiki pages: satellites, AO51, VO52, SO50, FO29
The International Space Station is populated by astronauts who are all Amateurs. ISS partner countries USA, Canada, Russia, Europe and Japan, operate ARISS - Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.
To downlink is 145.800 FM. (There other frequencies outside the Amateur ranges such as 143.625 FM on which you can hear ISS to base communications)
Working the astronauts
In Region 1 (Europe-Middle East-Africa-North Asia), the uplink is 145.200 FM.
In Region 2, (North and South America-Caribbean-Greenland-Australia-South Asia) it's 144.490 FM
Please be aware that there are scheduled links with schools, and please don't attempt a QSO if someone aboard the ISS appears to be answering questions.
You can apply to have a scheduled contact for a school here: http://www.ariss.org/
Working the cross-band repeater
To use the cross-band repeater, set your uplink to 437.800 FM (worldwide). However, according to "ISSFanClub" as of 2008-10-19, it hasn't been used for 255 days.
Working it
The ISS will take about 12 minutes to pass from horizon to horizon if it goes directly overhead. The signals (as received on a mobile antenna (6/2/70cms), leant backwards to "go horizontal") are 5/9+30 at the peak of the pass. It's a very strong signal, as the station is only 200-300 miles away (straight up!).
However, from that height, the ISS can "see" a large area of earth (footprint) - all with many stations wanting a contact.
Images
Occasionally, the 145.800 FM downlink will squirt some data ever 5 mins. This appears to be images.
Images can be submitted to ARISS, and are visible here: http://www.amsat.com/ARISS_SSTV/
ARISS for schools
ARISS school contacts may be scheduled where amateur satellite operators deploy a portable station at the school so that, during a ten minute pass of the ISS, an astronaut may answer questions prepared by the students. If a station cannot be deployed portably at the school for a direct link, a remote ground station may be linked by landline to provide a telebridge.
While the ISS operators are not available for other QSO's during times scheduled for school contacts, SWL/scanner reception reports will be accepted.
External links
- http://www.ariss.org
- ARISS Europe
- ARISS Canada
- ARISS: Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, ARRL, December 2006
- A very good page for more information is http://www.issfanclub.com/
| Amateur radio satellites | |
| Satellites | ISS * AO51 * FO29 * SO50 * VO52 |