Hi Kevin,
I found ISS DIGI a great stepping stone up from receiving FUNcube AO-73 telemetry (>81,000 packet since January 2015) using a SDR radio. http://www.stargazing.net/david/satellites/20150104_1809UT_AO-73.html
1. Using a Kenwood TM-710G and a vertical antenna I have received the ISS DIGI and other stations through the ISS. The Kenwood TM-710G is left on 24/7 and later looking at the TM-710G APRS list I can see stations received when I am at work or sleeping.
2. Using the manual beacon it is very exciting to see my call on the Amateur Radio Stations heard via ISS map and list http://ariss.net http://ariss.net/ I plan to do a STEM project on this activity at the Pine Mountain Observatory Summer workshop in 2016.
Last summer we did FUNcube AO-73 telemetry. We received 759 packets. https://www.youtube.com/user/DavidAHaworth/videos http://warehouse.funcube.org.uk/ranking.html?satelliteId=2
3. Hooking a PC terminal to the Kenwood TM-710G I made my first satellite contact with CA using the ISS DIGI. It would be nice for those using unattended auto beacons to indicate so in their beacon message so people do not waste time trying to do a short QSO with them.
4. Using a Kenwood TH-72 hand held with its own rubber ducky antenna I can pick up the ISS DIGI on high passes over head.
Summary: ISS DIGI is a great learning tool about satellite communications and it is fun.
On Dec 17, 2015, at 3:34 PM, Kevin Deane [email protected] wrote:
Has anyone made any contacts at all? I doubt it, all shown are beacons which are lame because they wear down the bats on PC-SAT -44 remember that bird?
The packet on ISS is a waste of time maybe they should move the antenna or something...
Kevin KF7MYK _______________________________________________ Sent via [email protected]. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
73, Clear and dark skies without RFI, David Haworth, WA9ONY http://www.stargazing.net/david http://www.stargazing.net/david [email protected]