On second thought, I probably shouldn't have called the ISS after I thought this contact was over. These ARISS contacts are complicated and highly coordinated and if random hams are trying to call the ISS, even though the scheduled contacts use confidential uplink frequencies and not the public uplink, you never know if it could confuse or interfere with an astronaut or cosmonaut who isn't trained primarily to make these contacts with schools. Afterall, they are done during their free time, and if it becomes exceedingly difficult to make contacts with schools and there is little reward, they are more likely to not provide the time to do it at all. I recommend not trying to call the ISS before, during, or after an official ARISS contact.
If you really want to make contact, you could encourage a local school to submit an application, work with them as a mentor, and be the first person who initiates the contact before handing the mic over to the students. Such a good idea I might even do it myself.
John Brier, KG4AKV, Raleigh, NC, FM05
On Wed, Jul 1, 2015 at 4:45 PM, John Brier johnbrier@gmail.com wrote:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-XIz5OUXn4
Unedited video from my phone of today's International Space Station (ISS) contact with Tulsa Community College in Tulsa, Oklahoma as received in Raleigh, North Carolina on top of a landfill park. At some point I hope to edit the video from my digital SLR together with this video from my phone plus the voice recorder audio from my radio.
0:39 - beginning of reception 5:30 - ending of school contact and beginning of me unsuccessfully calling the ISS 7:55 - clearing and giving up 8:18 - explanation of situation/setup
My reception of the ISS begins with Cosmonaut Gennady Padalka answering question number five from the list of prepared questions (see below). You won't be able to hear the students because they are too far away and they keep the uplink frequency confidential to avoid anyone trying to hijack the contact opportunity. The contact ends with them trying to ask question number 13, but it was apparently too noisy for Padalka to hear.
- What are some things that you go through to be trained to become an
astronaut?
- What is the maximum amount of time recommended to be on the ISS due
to lack of gravity?
- Is it hard to integrate with other crew members that live on board
the space station?
- How do you keep a look out for space debris and how do you respond
to avoid a possible collision?
Does each crew member work on the same experiments?
Of the current experiments, how many do you expect to complete
while you are onboard the International Space Station?
- What hobby or pass time items are you allowed to take on board the
ISS from home?
What is the most interesting looking country from space?
What is the largest space object that has hit the ISS?
Full details of the contact as provided by Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS):