Michael
Others have mentioned the APRS satellites ANDE-1 and Raft, both of which operate on 145.825 MHz up and down. Both are easy to use although ANDE requires care because of its limited and finite power budget.
PCsat also operates on 145.825 MHz (up and down) and the ISS is on 145.800 MHz down and 145.990 MHz Up. PCSAT is waiting for better sunlight and the ISS is currently off.
There are a couple of others you may also like to listen for.
UO-11. Transmits ASCII at 1200 b/s. Clive Wallis is always keen to receive signal reports for this satellite. The Tx is currently off, but will switch on around 31 March. Clive isn't sure exactly when this will happen, so it is fun to listen for it at around that time. You can decode UO-11 using MixW, although I use a hardware decoder built mostly from junkbox parts.
You could also listen for Pehuensat. I heard this one only once, shortly after it was launched. It should transmit UI packets (1200 b/s AFSK) but I only ever heard a recorded voice message. I'm not sure of the current status of this satellite, but since I have gear up and running on 145.825 MHz I watch for this one too.
You'll need to make an interface to go between your rig and your computer if you want Tx to the satellites. This can be very simple and easily built from stuff in your junk box. If you just want to copy the telemetry, you need only couple the audio output of your rig to the line-in jack on your soundcard.
On 2 metres, I use a homebuilt 6 element horizontally polarised antenna. It's currently horizontally mounted and is steerable only in azimuth. That works okay with LEOs.
You can also experiment with various software packages that can copy the 1200 b/s AFSK signal. You already have AGWPE and UISS is a great program to use when working satellites via AGWPE. You might also try UIview which allows you to run an Sgate (even over a dial up connection) and of course the powerful MixW.
I generally run both AGWPE and a hardware TNC in parallel since I find that one sometimes decodes packets that the other misses. You can also run UISS and UIview simultaneously with both receiving data from AGWPE.
Sil - ZL2CIA
Michael Tondee wrote:
Unfortunately because of some financial issues, I'm going to have to sell my TS-2000X. I've avoided it and tried to figure some way around it but the sad reality is that it's got to go. I was thinking that I'd be leaving the satellite game for awhile but then it occured to me that maybe I could do something with 2 meter FM. I have a Kenwood TM-241 mobile rig and a Yaesu Ft11R handheld. Isn't APRS done on just the two meter band? Would it take both radios or just one? Are their other things I could do like possibly monitoring beacons or decoding telemetry and such. I have no TNC but I could use AGWPE with my soundcard. I'd just like something to "scratch the itch" so to speak till I can go back to a more fully equipped station. Thanks, Michael, W4HIJ
P.S. If I owe any of you QSL cards, please be patient, I am getting to them!
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