Anyone looking for something to do with a gain array, might want to track the SIMPL spacecraft while listening on 145.825.
This is the host spacecraft that has QIKCOM-1 module on board.
The SIMPL ground team reports detecting some S band signals apparently from SIMPL. So that is an indication that maybe the spacecraft powered up. That being the case, then maybe it powered up QIKCOM-1 also. But if the host CPU did not send the antenna release signal, then QIKCOM-1 may be powered up but with antennas all coiled up and still in their slot.
But high gain stations might hear something. This is a far fetched scenario, but if someone is looking for something to do, its worth a listen. The object number is
42983 or type SIMPL in spacetrack.
QIKCOM-1 beacons once a minute on 145.825 APRS 1200 baud and should respond as a digipeater using the path of ARISS or APRSAT. So rather than wait for the 1 minute beacon, you are welcome to ping it as well. But remember, like all APRS digis, it will ignore dupes for a while. I think the DUP delay was set to ten seconds.
And even if you do not decode it, if your 10 kW EIRP signal can get a PING response every 10 seconds or so, then that would be something you might hear.
QIKCOM-1 transmits with 4 Watts. But into a shorted antenna, the signal might be down 26 dB or more… something like 10 mw. Not decodable, but detectible by ear maybe.
Good luck fishing.
Bob, WB4aPR
Added the satellite in SatNOGS DB and scheduled some observations on our network's best stations:
https://network.satnogs.org/observations/?norad=42983
Crossing fingers!
~pierros
On Mon, Jan 8, 2018 at 11:33 PM, Robert Bruninga bruninga@usna.edu wrote:
Anyone looking for something to do with a gain array, might want to track the SIMPL spacecraft while listening on 145.825.
This is the host spacecraft that has QIKCOM-1 module on board.
The SIMPL ground team reports detecting some S band signals apparently from SIMPL. So that is an indication that maybe the spacecraft powered up. That being the case, then maybe it powered up QIKCOM-1 also. But if the host CPU did not send the antenna release signal, then QIKCOM-1 may be powered up but with antennas all coiled up and still in their slot.
But high gain stations might hear something. This is a far fetched scenario, but if someone is looking for something to do, its worth a listen. The object number is
42983 or type SIMPL in spacetrack.
QIKCOM-1 beacons once a minute on 145.825 APRS 1200 baud and should respond as a digipeater using the path of ARISS or APRSAT. So rather than wait for the 1 minute beacon, you are welcome to ping it as well. But remember, like all APRS digis, it will ignore dupes for a while. I think the DUP delay was set to ten seconds.
And even if you do not decode it, if your 10 kW EIRP signal can get a PING response every 10 seconds or so, then that would be something you might hear.
QIKCOM-1 transmits with 4 Watts. But into a shorted antenna, the signal might be down 26 dB or more… something like 10 mw. Not decodable, but detectible by ear maybe.
Good luck fishing.
Bob, WB4aPR _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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
I don't have a super high-gain antenna (2x8 element CP beam on 2 meters, with a preamp), but nothing heard during the 08:26z pass (00:26am local). Does it matter if the spacecraft is in sunlight or not? Nearly all the passes here are at night...
Greg KO6TH
Robert Bruninga wrote:
Anyone looking for something to do with a gain array, might want to track the SIMPL spacecraft while listening on 145.825.
This is the host spacecraft that has QIKCOM-1 module on board.
The SIMPL ground team reports detecting some S band signals apparently from SIMPL. So that is an indication that maybe the spacecraft powered up. That being the case, then maybe it powered up QIKCOM-1 also. But if the host CPU did not send the antenna release signal, then QIKCOM-1 may be powered up but with antennas all coiled up and still in their slot.
But high gain stations might hear something. This is a far fetched scenario, but if someone is looking for something to do, its worth a listen. The object number is
42983 or type SIMPL in spacetrack.
QIKCOM-1 beacons once a minute on 145.825 APRS 1200 baud and should respond as a digipeater using the path of ARISS or APRSAT. So rather than wait for the 1 minute beacon, you are welcome to ping it as well. But remember, like all APRS digis, it will ignore dupes for a while. I think the DUP delay was set to ten seconds.
And even if you do not decode it, if your 10 kW EIRP signal can get a PING response every 10 seconds or so, then that would be something you might hear.
QIKCOM-1 transmits with 4 Watts. But into a shorted antenna, the signal might be down 26 dB or more… something like 10 mw. Not decodable, but detectible by ear maybe.
Good luck fishing.
Bob, WB4aPR _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. 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
participants (3)
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Greg D -
Pierros Papadeas -
Robert Bruninga