Category Archives: Amateur/Student Satellite

AMSAT Fox cubesats for student expts + Online software-defined radios

The latest episode of the HAMRADIONOW.tv program discussed the Fox Project at AMSAT-NA, which aims to build a “family of CubeSats with amateur radio transponders that can support advanced science experiments” for students : HamRadioNow – Episode 85: AMSAT Fox-1

Getting a launch date for a new satellite – even a date more than a year out – is exciting at AMSAT. In this episode, we talk to a pair of AMSAT VP’s. Tony Montiero AA2TX handles Engineering, and Mark Hammond N8MH does Education. We talk about what Fox-1 will do (an FM crossband repeater that will also relay data from onboard science experiments). And we learn how AMSAT must transition from a bunch of hams who put up satellites that we can talk through, to a provider of the physical platform and communications for educational experiments for school grades K thru Post-Grad…. that also has transponders and repeaters that hams can use.

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The site websdr.org provides a long list of online SDR (Software-Defined Radio) sites:

A WebSDR is a Software-Defined Radio receiver connected to the internet, allowing many listeners to listen and tune it simultaneously. SDR technology makes it possible that all listeners tune independently, and thus listen to different signals; this is in contrast to the many classical receivers that are already available via the internet.

For example, the following site tracks several satellites and the ISS and has a “sat” setting for tuning them in: VHF/UHF WebSDR on University of Technology Eindhoven – Maxwell Foundation (Note the site requests permission to run a Java program in your browser.)

 

AMSAT and ISS amateur radio news

Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.

ANS 195 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – July 13, 2013:
* 2013 AMSAT-NA Board of Directors Ballot Mailing This Week
* 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium This Week
* 2013 Central States VHF Society Conference 26-28 July
* The Whale’s HTs Don’t Have PL
* Scotland Portable Satellite Operation in August
* ARISS News
* This Week in Space History

AMSAT and ISS amateur radio news

Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.

ANS 188 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – July 7, 2013:
* Last Reminder for AMSAT Field Day Summary results
* FITSAT-1 (NIWAKA) Decays
* ISS Ham Radio Slow Scan TV active
* Sending Your Own Spacecraft to the Moon
* 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium starts July 19
* OPS-SAT opportunity for Radio Amateurs
* Dutch Amateur Radio Satellite User Meeting September 28th 2013
* ARISS News
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

AMSAT and ISS amateur radio news – June.30.13

Go to AMSAT News for the latest headlines about developments in amateur and student satellites and for updates about amateur radio on the ISS.

ANS 181 Weekly AMSAT Bulletin – June 30, 2013:
* ESA Education Office announce six CubeSats chosen for Phase 1 Initiative
* 13 Colonies Special Event Includes Satellite Operations
* 2013 AMSAT-UK International Space Colloquium Starts July 19, 2013
* Two Lithuanian Amateur Radio CubeSats Plan 2013 Launch To ISS
* July Space Station Spacewalks To Be Previewed And Broadcast On NASA TV
* Upcoming ARISS Contacts
* Satellite Shorts From All Over

Amateur radio station on the ISS to include digital TV

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) organization and d by AMSAT-Italy will place a digital TV system on the Station this year to “provide one-way video and audio from the ISS to complement the FM radio voice link used for ARISS school group radio contacts”:

For more about ARISS, see Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) – NASA