We get quite a few requests from folks to explain how to get started with Amateur Radio Satellites. Requests for information on how to build a computer-controlled ground station for Linear Satellites are also pretty common. I recently got such a request from our CWA class so I decided to put together a session on this topic…
Source: Getting Started With Amateur Satellites (and Progressing to Linear Birds)
We recently put together a presentation and demonstration on Getting Started with Amateur Radio Satellites. We covered quite a bit of ground during the presentation including:
- How to put together a simple station and work FM EasySats with HTs and a handheld antenna
- A recorded demonstration of some contacts using FM EasySats
- How-to build a computer-controlled station and work Linear Transponder Satellites
- Fixed and Portable Satellite Station Antenna options
- A recorded demonstration of some contacts using Linear Satellites
- How-to work digital (APRS digipeater) contacts
- How-to receive SSTV Transmissions from the ISS
We recorded the session so that we could share it with folks. The link above will take you to our Blog where you can view the presentation video and Powerpoint. The post also includes links to many additional articles about building and operating Amateur Satellite Stations.
Fred, AB1OC
Multiple sources and viewpoints are always useful.
AMSAT also has a very good book that is upgraded every year. The latest one just come out and is available as a download for $15 at:
https://tinyurl.com/2020GettingStarted
Very nice and inspiring presentation, Tom!
You have the station I have always dreamed of!
Back in the late 90’s I had a home built Oscar-13/p3d class station built with home grown interfaces to 2 tv rotators and an FT-736 control program I wrote called FT-7361 which did dopper tuning and drove a homebrew array similar to yours, but using TV Antenna rotators rather than the Yaesu.
When the High Orbit satellites all went away, I moved to fully automated 24×7 Pacsat operations, and had a blast, but in so doing, wore out several sets of rotators due to the constant usage.
Now, getting back into the hobby again, I dragged my old FT-736 code kicking and screaming into the 32 bit 21st century, and have cobbled together a switched array of fixed 3 element yagi’s. So far, I have had decent luck on the 2 meter downlinks from the FM Birds. (At the moment, I am just using a vertical on the 70cm uplink until I can find a 70cm capable antenna switch. ) It will never perform as well as the driven antennas, but the goal of having no moving parts is attractive, and the cost is substantially less.
If anybody is interested in comparing notes, I’m typically around on DMR (NH State Brandmeister)
-al
WB1BQE