Category Archives: Space

Articles about Space Communications – Satellites, ISS, and EME

Greencube (IO-117) – Setup, Software, and Operation

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Typical Greencube Pass Providing DX Possibilities

Typical Greencube Pass Providing DX Possibilities

Greencube (IO-117) is a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite that carries a 70cm digipeater. This satellite can provide DX contacts covering a wide area around an Amateur Radio satellite ground station. Putting together a station and the necessary software to use Greencube is not difficult. If you already have a computer-controlled satellite ground station that works on 70cm, you may already have most of what is needed. We’ll cover Greencube (IO-117) setup in detail in this article.

Operating with Greencube – What’s Required

Greencube (IO-117) requires the following for successful contacts via its digipeater:

  • A directional antenna with at least 12 dBi gain
  • A 70cm SSB/FM capable Transceiver with a soundcard interface and at least 25 watts of output at the antenna
  • Software to control the Transceiver to correct for Doppler shift and provide antenna tracking control or pointing information
  • A computer running modem software and a Greencube Terminal Program
  • A low-noise preamp at the antenna is recommended

Greencube Satellite Antennas

Satellite Antennas Tracking Greencube (IO-117)

Tower Mounted Satellite Antennas Tracking Greencube

We have three different antenna combinations that are Greencube capable here:

ARR Satellite Preamp

ARR Satellite Preamp

All three antennas have Advanced Receiver Research Low-Noise preamps which are powered via the associated antenna’s coax feedline. Unfortunately, the ARR preamps are no longer available. A good alternative would be the SSB Electronic SP 70 preamp. I recommend choosing a preamp that can be sequenced using coax power from your transceiver if your transceiver supports coax-powered preamps. This approach ensures that your preamps are protected from transmit power in most operational scenarios.

Radio, Computers, and Power

New IC-9700

Icom IC-9700 Transceiver

All of our Greencube (IO-117) setups use an Icom IC-9700 Transceiver.

We use two computers to run our stations:

  • A Mac (iMac or MacbookAir) running MacDoppler to control antenna tracking and to control our IC-9700 to perform Doppler correction
  • A Windows PC running the modem, terminal client software, and a logger for using Greencube’s digipeater and for decoding telemetry
Greencube (IO-117) Setup - Transportable Ground Station Radio and Computers

Transportable Ground Station Radio and Computers

Using the two computers means that both must simultaneously control the IC-9700 via the radio’s CAT interface. This is easily accomplished with the IC-9700 by using both the CI-V and USB CAT interfaces. The radio’s CI-V interface is used with MacDoppler, and the USB interface is used with the Windows PC to connect the IC-9700’s Rx and Tx audio to the modem SW and to provide for PTT via a COM port.

We use AC power for our fixed and transportable setups.

Portable Solar-Battery Power System

Our portable setup uses solar power consisting of two 90-watt foldable panels, an MPPT charger system, and a pair of A123 LiPo batteries. We’ll share more about our portable and transportable setups in subsequent posts.

Software

Greencube Client and Modem Software

Greencube Terminal and Uz7HO Modem Software

We use the following software for our Greencube (IO-117) ground station:

MacDoppler runs on a Mac computer (iMac or Macbook Air), and the rest of the software runs on a Windows PC.

The links above include instructions for setting up each of the software applications. The following are some notes on Greencube (IO-117) setup for each software component.

MacDoppler

Greencube (IO-117) Setup - MacDoopler Configuration for Greencube

MacDoopler Configuration for Greencube

The Greencube (IO-117) setup in MacDoppler configures the IC-9700 Transceiver to operate in simplex SSB digital mode. This is the SSB-D choice in MacDoppler’s Modes tab for Greencube.

MacDoppler Uplink and Downlink VFO Offsets

MacDoppler Uplink and Downlink VFO Offsets

You’ll want to select SSB-D mode in MacDoppler to track Greencube and configure the IC-9700 to work with the Greencube digipeater. Setting the uplink and downlink offsets to -1.200 KHz will place Greencube’s packet transmissions in the middle of the IC-9700’s passband.

UZ7HO Soundmodem

UZ7HO Sound Modem Greencube Packet Decoding Greencube Packets

UZ7HO Sound Modem Greencube Packet Decoding Greencube Packets

There is a specific version of UZ7HO’s Soundmodem for use with Greencube (see the link above to download greentnc.zip). The soundcard and PTT COM port interfaces provided via the USB connection to the IC-9700 must be configured in Soundmodem.

Soundmodem Devices Settings

Greencube (IO-117) Setup - UZ7HO Soundmodem - Devices Setup

UZ7HO Soundmodem – Devices Setup

The USB connection from the IC-9700 to a Windows PC will create a pair of sound devices (in this example, USB Audio CODEC) and a COM port (in this example, COM15) for CAT and PTT control. These must be properly configured in the Settings – Devices choice on the Soundmodem main menu.

Soundmodem Modem Settings

UZ7HO Soundmodem - Modem Setup

UZ7HO Soundmodem – Modem Setup

The Settings – Modems choice on the Soundmodem main menu brings up this dialog. The settings are the default ones. Note that Soundmodem has two modes – GreenCube 1200bd and GreenCube 300bd. The GreenCube 1200bd setting is normally used for digipeater operation, including decoding telemetry when enabled. You’ll need to use the GreenCube 300bd setting to decode telemetry if Greencube’s digipeater is turned off.

IC-9700 Transceiver Settings

There are some important adjustments to the configuration of the IC-9700 that need to be made for Soundmodem to work properly with the transceiver.

IC-9700 CI-V Settings

IC-9700 CI-V Settings

Configuring the CI-V USB Port to Unlink from [REMOTE] is necessary to allow it to function independently for the other interfaces.

IC-9700 USB AF Output Settings

IC-9700 USB AF Output Settings

You’ll want to set the AF Output Level of the USB interface to about 25% of the maximum and adjust the Windows audio control in Control Panel to get a display on the Soundmodem waterfall of about the intensity shown above.

IC-9700 USB Modulation Input Settings

IC-9700 USB Modulation Input Settings

Setting up the Tx audio levels is important to avoid overdriving the Transmitter. A good place to start is to set the USB Mod Level in the IC-9700 to about 25%.

IC-9700 Tx Drive Setting for One ALC Bar

IC-9700 Tx Drive Adjustment for 1-2 ALC Bars

Then adjust the Windows audio control in Control Panel to get full transmitter output power with only one or two bars of ALC indication on the IC-9700’s ALC meter when transmitting via the Greencube Terminal client. This adjustment is an essential part of your Greencube (IO-117) setup.

OZ9ARR’s Greencube Terminal Setup

Greencube Terminal and Modem Software

Greencube Terminal and Modem Software

A client program is required to format and decode the packets from Greencube. We are using OZ9ARR’s Greencube Terminal for this purpose. This program includes a macro button capability to help you format Greencube Tx packets and includes some nice capabilities for logging contacts and identifying new DXCCs, Grids, and Stations that you have not yet worked.

Greencube (IO-117) Setup - Greencube Terminal Setup

Greencube Terminal Setup

We are using Greencube Terminal with N3FJP’s ACLog to log contacts made with Greencube. This makes it easy to export our contacts to an adif file after each Greencube operating session and import them into our main logger. We also periodically export an adif file containing all of our satellite contacts from our main logger and provide access to this file so Greencube Terminal can determine what we’ve worked before. OZ9ARR’s Greencube Terminal webpage thoroughly explains how to set up and use the program.

DK3WN’s Greencube Telemetry Decoder

DK3WN's Greencube Telemtry Decoder

DK3WN’s Greencube Telemetry Decoder

Greencube periodically sends Telemetry information. You can decode it by using DK3WN’s Greencube Telemetry Decoder with Soundmodem. You can download the decoder and see how to install it on DK3WN’s webpage.

Making Contacts with Greencube

Greencube Terminal and Modem Software

Greencube Terminal and Modem Software

With your Greencube (IO-117) Setup complete, you should be ready to make some contacts! Begin by starting up all of the software and configuring MacDoppler to track Greencube in SSB-D mode. When Greencube is in range, you should see Greencube’s packet transmission being displayed in Soundmodem’s waterfall, and you should be able to hear the packet bursts on your Transceiver. Adjust the Soundmodem decode pointers by dragging them with your mouse to center them in the waterfall traces received in Soundmodem. The setting should be around 1400 – 1500 Hz. Also, make sure that GreenCube 1200db mode is selected in Soundmodem. You should see packets being decoded by Soundmodem.

Greencube (IO-117) Setup - CQ Button

CQ Button

Greencube (IO-117) Setup - INFO Button

INFO Button

Greencube (IO-117) Setup - RRR Button

RRR Button

Greencube (IO-117) Setup - 73 Button

73 Button

You can configure the Shortcut buttons to handle the steps needed to make a contact. The images above show the setup of the buttons that we are using here.

Greencube Terminal Working JH8FIH

Greencube Terminal Working JH8FIH

You’ll want to set the Tx delay for 0 – 2 seconds to give your preamp time to recover from transmitting before you receive your digipeater packets back from Greencube.

You can begin to make a contact by either clicking on another station’s CQ to load the station’s callsign or by just calling CQ yourself. Next, use the INFO button to send your callsign and grid square and then the RRR and 73 buttons to complete your contact. When you are done, you can right-click on the last packet in the exchange or on the station’s callsign that you have worked in one of the right windows to log the contact. That’s all there is to it!

Note that you’ll want to confirm that Greencube has heard and digipeated each of your transmissions. Collisions, fading, and other effects will often cause your packets to not be digipeated, and you’ll need to repeat your transmission until it is digipeated by Greencube.

You can also use the digipeater in store-and-forward mode by setting a long TX Delay (the number is in seconds). This can be as long as several hours to allow you to have Greencube digipeat your packet on the other side of the world! Note that store and forward contacts do not count for operating awards such as Worked All States, VUCC, or DXCC.

The video above shows Uz7HO Soundmodem and OZ9AAR’s Greencube Terminal being used to make contacts during a Greencube pass. the video also demonstrates some of Greencube Terminal’s features for identifying unworked calls and grids. You’ll want to spend some time reading OZ9AAR’s webpage to learn about and take maximum advantage of the many features Greencube Terminal can provide.

More Fun With Greencube

This article is the second in a series that we are working on. You view the other articles via the links below. This is a work in progress, and we’ll be creating additional Greencube-related posts in the near future:

You can also read more about our Satellite Ground stations here.

Fred, AB1OC

Scouts on Long Island Contact the ISS via Amateur Radio

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Matinecock District Scout ISS Contact

Matinecock District Scout ISS Contact

I once again had the pleasure to help a group of young people make contact with an Astronaut on the International Space Station this past week.

NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren

NASA Astronaut Kjell Lindgren

Scouts from the Matinecock District made a contact with Astronaut Kjell Lindgren, KO5MOS on the International Space Station on Saturday, June 4th, 2022.  You can watch and listen to the contact on YouTube by clicking below.  The actual contact begins at about 40:35 into the video.

The Scouts’ contact lasted for approximately 10 minutes. The Scouts asked and Kjell answered 18 of their 20 questions and there was time at the end of the contact for “Thank Yous”.  Here are the questions that the Scouts asked:

1. What do you have to study after HS in order to have a career as an Astronaut?
2. Could the ISS ever be self-sustaining and not need care packages of food/water/oxygen from Earth?
3. Are ISS teams only picked based on skills or does NASA try to match personalities as well?
4. How does the ISS stay safe from all the “space junk” floating around the Earth?
5. Do you only do experiments in your field of expertise on the ISS or because of limited resources do you find yourself assisting others doing things you’re not as comfortable with?
6. Is automated piloting better than manual piloting in terms of flight controls and docking?
7. What one thing did you do as a young adult that you felt was your first significant step to becoming an astronaut?
8. I’ve heard being in space can change your taste buds. Have you created any interesting or creative recipes to make space food taste better?
9. How do they supply the ISS with constant oxygen?
10. We saw a video of a gorilla suit prank on the ISS a few months ago. Have there been any other funny pranks?
11. What jobs do you have to do on the ship?
12. Do the astronauts get to bring something from home with them to space?
13. I’ve heard astronauts from different countries will trade food. What country has the most popular dish on the ISS?
14. In your personal opinion, what is the best and least good thing about being on the ISS?
15. Can you swim in space when you’re floating?
16. Can you feel the effects being in space has on your body? If so, what’s it like?
17. Can you yo-yo upside down in space?
18. Does the ISS have technology installed that could capture Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)like the US Navy has recently? Have you seen anything up there that you can’t explain?
19. What does it feel like to go to space?
20. I read that there was once water on Mars. Where did all the water go?
AB1OC ARISS Ground Station Operations

AB1OC ARISS Ground Station Operations

This contact was made in a Telebridge format using my Ground Station here in New Hampshire, USA. The linkup with the Scouts on Long Island was via a Zoom conference call. You can learn more about our ground station here.
ARISS Ground Station

ARISS Ground Station

Helping young people make contact with astronauts on the ISS using Amateur Radio is great fun. My work with ARISS is near the top of my list in terms of the most rewarding work that I do with Amateur Radio.

Best and 73,

Fred, AB1OC

Scouts in Australia Contact the ISS via Amateur Radio

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Scout Making Contact with the ISS

Scouts in Victoria, Australia Making Contact with the ISS at VicJam

I once again had the pleasure to help a group of young people make contact with an Astronaut on the International Space Station this past week. The Scouts were participating in a Jamboree in Victoria, Australia. You can learn more about the event, called VicJam, here.

Astronaut Mark VandeHei, KG5GNP

Astronaut Mark VandeHei, KG5GNP

The Scouts made contact with Astronaut Mark VandeHei, KG5GNP this past Tuesday, January 4th, 2022. You can watch and listen to the contact on YouTube by clicking below. The actual contact begins at about 8:25 into the video.

The Scout’s contact lasted for approximately 10 minutes. The Scouts asked and Mark answered all of their questions and there was time at the end of the contact for “Thank You’s” and “Good Wishes”. Here are the questions that the Scouts asked:

  1. What 3 things do you miss from Earth? My Mum worked on a ship and missed; sleeping with the window open, the smell of cut grass, and the sound of rain on the roof.
  2. What do you have to do to become an astronaut?
  3. What would happen if someone were seriously ill on the ISS, and what would you do?
  4. How do you prepare and eat your meals while up in the space station?
  5. What is it like to float around in no gravity without friction?
  6. How does it feel going from zero gravity in space back to earth’s gravity? Does it hurt??
  7. What is the scariest thing to happen to you whilst you have been in space?
  8. How do you shower and go to the toilet in space?
  9. After being in the space station for so many months, how does it feel to experience planet Earth and nature again with all your senses, especially smell?
  10. How do the seasons affect the veggie production system on the ISS? How often do you get to eat fresh food?
  11. Did you always want to be an astronaut and how did you make it happen?
  12. Why do people go into space and how long is an average mission?
  13. How did you feel when you first learned of your selection to go to space and has this been a life-long ambition for you?
  14. Can you share some of the science that was worked on in space that we can now see on earth?
  15. Is there sound or much noise in space?
  16. Multiple nations have had space stations each bestowed with a specific name – Russia had Mir, NASA had Skylab, and China Tiangong-1. As a truly international effort and the largest man-made object in space, does the ISS have a Nickname, or is there a name that the astronauts use for the individual components?
  17. What energy supply do you use to power the station. If nuclear, what type of reactor do you use? If solar, how many solar panels do you use, and what is their power density?
ARISS Ground Station

ARISS Ground Station

This contact was made in a Telebridge format using my Ground Station here in New Hampshire, USA. The linkup with the Scouts in Australia was via a telephone connection using a phone patch in my shack. You can learn more about our ground station here.

AB1OC ARISS Ground Station Operations

AB1OC ARISS Ground Station Operations

Helping young people make contact with astronauts on the ISS using Amateur Radio is great fun. My work with ARISS is near the top of my list in terms of the most rewarding work that I do with Amateur Radio.

Best and 73,

Fred, AB1OC

YOTA 2021 ISS Contact

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International Space Station (ISS)

International Space Station (ISS)

I had the pleasure of serving as the ARISS contact moderator for the Youth On The Air (YOTA) 2021 Camp’s contact with the International Space Station (ISS) using Amateur Radio today. Young Hams spent the week at the Voice of America Bethany Relay Station in West Chester, OH engaging in a variety of Amateur Radio Activities…

Source: YOTA 2021 ISS Contact

You can view the video of YOTA 2021 Camp’s contact with astronaut Aki Hoshide, KE5DNI via the link above.

Fred, AB1OC

Satellite Passes During Field Day 2021

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Field Day 2021 Satellite Passes in FN42

Field Day 2021 Satellite Passes in FN42

We had some time over the weekend so we ran some Satellite Pass Predictions for Field Day 2021 for our Grid Square which is FN42. As you can see, we are going to have a lot of fun working satellite during Field Day! Field Day rules limit us to a single FM EasySat contact using but we can work as many contacts via Linear Transponder Satellites as we wish

Field Day Satellite Station

Field Day Satellite Station

We recently set up and tested our Portable Satellite Ground station here at our QTH and it’s working great! It has produced some good DX contacts into Europe from New Hampshire, USA during the past week.

You can read more about our Portable Satellite Station test here.

Fred, AB1OC

Field Day Satellite Station for 2021 – Setup and Test in Hollis

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The Nashua Area Radio Society will be using our portable Satellite Station this year at Summer Field Day. A number of members got together recently to assemble and test our Computer-Controlled Portable Satellite Station for Field Day. Here are some pictures of our Field Day Satellite Station Test…

Source: Field Day Satellite Station for 2021 – Setup and Test in Hollis

Several members of the Nashua Area Radio Society got together to set up and test our Portable Satellite Station for Field Day 2021. Our station is a computer-controlled one and enables us to work FM and Linear Satellites using phone mode and CW.

The setup uses an M2 Antenna Systems LEO Pack Antenna System on a Glen Martin Aluminum Tower that is set up to be portable. Feedlines use 100 ft lengths for LMR-400uF and LMR-600uF coax cable for the 2m and 70cm bands. The rotator is an Alfa-SPID Az/El unit. The antenna system also uses coax-powered preamplifiers from Advanced Receiver Research. The station uses an IC-9700 Transceiver, a Green Heron RT-21 Az/El Rotator Controller, and a MacBook Air Laptop running MacDoppler and MacLogger DX.

This setup is an updated version of the portable satellite station that we built for an ISS Crew Contact that a local school did with us some time ago.

You can see how the portable station goes together in the article above. You can learn more about the design and construction of our Portable Sation from the series of articles that begins here. We hope to work some of our readers on the birds during Field Day this year!

Fred, AB1OC

Tech Night – EME II: Station Construction and Operation

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EME II - Station Construction and Operation

EME II Tech Night – Station Construction and Operation

We recently did a second Tech Night Program on EME as part of the Nashua Area Radio Society’s Tech Night program. I wanted to share the presentation and video from this Tech Night so that our readers might learn a little more about how to build and operate an EME station for the 2m band.

January 2021 Tech Night – EME II: Station Construction and Operation

You can view the Tech Night presentation by clicking on the video above. Here’s a link to the presentation that goes with the video. You can learn more about the Nashua Area Radio Society’s Tech Night program here. There is a demonstration of an actual live EME contact on the 2m band at 57:57 in the video.

The first Tech Night in the EME Series was about Getting Started in EME Communications. You can view that Tech Night here.

We are in the process of upgrading our EME station to include adaptive polarity. you can read more about that project here.

A key part of optimizing our EME Station was to reduce RFI from the network in our home. You can read about the installation of Fiber Optic Networking to reduce RFI and improve our EME station’s performance here.

Fred, AB1OC

ISS Voice Repeater is QRV!

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International Space Station (ISS)

International Space Station (ISS)

Thanks to some great work by the ARISS Team, a new Voice Repeater system is operating on the International Space Station! Here is the access information:

  • Mode: FM Voice
  • Uplink Frequency: 145.990 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
  • Downlink Frequency: 437.800 MHz
IORS Hardware

IORS Hardware and Kenwood Radio

The repeater uses the new InterOperable Radio System (IORS), a space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, and an ARISS developed power supply system.

Kenwood D710GA

Kenwood D710GA

Here’s some more information from the ARISS Press Release:

The ARISS team is pleased to announce that the setup and installation of the first element of our next-generation radio system was completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway. This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.

The initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross-band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.99 MHz with an access tone of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.

The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020, on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply, and interconnecting cables. The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities, and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow-scan television (SSTV) system…

You can view the full ARISS Press Release here.

I was able to work several stations using the new ISS Voice Repeater this morning. It is very sensitive and uses 5 watts of downlink power with a good antenna on the ISS. I was able to make solid contacts using the Ground Station here using only 1.5 watts uplink power when the ISS was at 10 degrees above the horizon. At least one of my contacts was with a station using an HT with a whip antenna!

The voice repeater is sensitive enough and uses a power level that will enable folks with an HT and a whip antenna to make contacts using the ISS when it is close to the horizon. It should also be easy to make contacts using mobile rigs that can support cross-band operation as well. Program your radios!

I’m looking forward to working you through the ISS!

Fred, AB1OC

AO-27 Is Back!

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AO-27 Satellite

AO-27 Satellite

The AO-27 FM satellite is back on the air! AO-27 is an FM V/U Mode satellite that was launched back in 1993. The satellite’s Amateur Radio payload became inoperative about 7 years ago due to an internal communications failure. Thanks to some great work by Micheal, N3UC, who was one of this satellite’s original designers, the satellite is back on the air on a limited-time basis (4 minutes, twice per orbit over the mid-latitudes).

I was able to make my first contact through AO-27 this morning. The contact was with AI9IN in Indiana, USA. I’m looking forward to making more contacts using this satellite in the near future. Here are the current frequencies for the uplink and downlink (no PL tone is required):

  • Uplink – 145.850 MHz FM
  • Downlink – 436.7975 MHz FM

It’s great to have yet another FM satellite we can all use. I hope that other satellite operators will give AO-27 a try.

Fred, AB1OC

Getting Started With Amateur Satellites (and Progressing to Linear Birds)

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Get Started with Amateur Satellites

Get Started with Amateur Satellites

We get quite a few requests from folks to explain how to get started with Amateur Radio Satellites. Requests for information on how to build a computer-controlled ground station for Linear Satellites are also pretty common. I recently got such a request from our CWA class so I decided to put together a session on this topic.

We covered a number of topics and demonstrations during the session including:

  • How to put together a simple station and work FM EasySats with HTs and a handheld antenna
  • A recorded demonstration of some contacts using FM EasySats
  • How-to build a computer-controlled station and work Linear Transponder Satellites
  • Fixed and Portable Satellite Station Antenna options
  • A recorded demonstration of some contacts using Linear Satellites
  • How-to work digital (APRS digipeater) contacts
  • How-to receive SSTV Transmissions from the ISS

About 30 folks attended this session and there was some good Q&A throughout.

Getting Started With Amateur Satellites

The presentation was recorded and can be viewed above. Here’s a link to the associated Powerpoint Presentation.

There are lots of articles about building and operating Amateur Satellite Stations here on our blog. The following are links to several articles and series on this topic:

I hope that you find this information useful for your Amateur Satellite projects!

Fred, AB1OC