Technically over region 2, Americas, and region 3, Asia, we are supposed to use 144.49 up for general voice QSOs with ISS and 145.800 is the downlink frequency. They work split. There is a different uplink frequency for the Region 1 space, 145.200. This is printed on the handy dandy AMSAT frequency chart. Unless they have gone to a non-programmed (VFO) mode of their radio and just winged it, but I doubt that. Thus they would never hear someone calling on 145.800.
Tom Schuessler, N5HYP EM12ms
Message: 12 Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2018 18:09:28 -0400 From: Scott mailto:scott23192@gmail.com To: mailto:amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] 145.800 - missed a golden chance for live astronaut QSO Message-ID: mailto:CAJCSnOZxUEQ5aCpiY9qfMtjQFzAADhgfPcK-ZLiD6YOwbVtbTg@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Of course not everyone would have seen my tweet on this subject today, so I thought I'd share to the mailing list as well.
During most passes of the ISS where I'm working with the packet digipeater on 145.825, I also monitor 145.800 just in case there is any activity on that frequency.
For the first time in my personal experience, today one of the astronauts was randomly calling to see if anybody was listening. Of course I tried to reply on 145.800 simplex, but there are a number of possible uplinks and none of them were programmed into my radio. THEY ARE NOW!
FYI, here is a list of uplink/downlink combinations that I found online: https://issfanclub.com/frequencies
... and here is the downlink audio from today with the gaps removed:
https://www.qsl.net/k/k4kdr//files/2018-10-06--1858--ISS-voice.mp3
It was a real thrill and like so much of this hobby, a learning opportunity.
73
-Scott, K4KDR