Tag Archives: APRS

Featured, General, Newsletter, On The Air, Space

Making Contacts Through LEO Satellites

I’ve been having a lot of fun this past week learning to operate using satellites. It is amazing how many LEO satellites are operational right now!

LEO Satellites - Antennas
Satellite Antennas

We built an improved portable LEO satellite station a little while back and used it for the first time during a Technician License Class that we taught earlier this spring.

We decided to set up the station in our back yard about a week ago. The idea was to spend some more time learning to operate the station and to improve our satellite operating skills.

The past week has been a productive one. Here are some stats for our satellite operations during the last 7 days –

  • Contacts Made: 78
  • Modes Used: SSB Phone, FM Phone, CW and Packet (APRS FM)
  • Satellites Worked – 9 Total plus the ISS: AO-7, AO-85, ARISS (International Space Station), FO-29, SO-50, XW-2A, XW-2B, XW-2C, XW-2D, and XW-2F
  • States Worked: 23
  • Grids Worked: 49

The week began with a visit from Curtis, N1CMD who has quite a bit of experience with Digital Packet operation via the digipeater on the ISS. After some experimentation, Curtis helped me to find a setup using a SignaLink Sound Card and a second, windows computer that works well for Packet QSOs. I tested the setup using the terrestrial APRS network to get all of the hardware and software working correctly. The combination was then used to make a first packet contact using the ISS.

Operational LEO Satellites

The LEO satellites which are currently operational support a mix of split band modes. All of the satellites that we’ve worked so far use either 2M/70cm or 70cm/2M up and downlinks. The satellites support a variety of operating modes including via single channel FM, linear transponders, and APRS packet systems. Operating skills such as proper adjustment of up and downlink frequencies, Tx power management and setup of the digital packet system have been at least partially mastered this past week.

There are a great bunch of folks who are regulars on the satellites and we have made some new friends in our short time operating through satellites. The single channel FM satellites are usually too busy to support rag-chewing. The linear transponder satellites (there are many of these) support several conversations at the same time and we have had some nice rag-chew sessions on these birds.

There is also a good bit of DX to be had via satellites. This past week we have worked Patrick, FJ/N2IEN in Saint Barthelemy; Chris, 9Y4D in Trinidad and Tobago; Burt, FG8OJ in Guadeloupe; Fausto, HC9VF in Ecuador; and several stations in Canada.

We are planning to set up our portable satellite station at Field Day this year. Curtis will be the main operator/station master for our satellite station. If you are interested in learning more about satellite operations, please let Curtis or I know and we’ll help you to learn more during Field Day 2017.

Fred, AB1OC

Activities, Education and Training, Featured, General, Newsletter, Space, Youth Activities

High Altitude Balloon Project Update #1

I just wanted to take a moment and update everyone on our progress on our High Altitude Balloon project.

Our fundraising efforts are complete and were very successful thanks to the generosity of our members and many friends.

We have secured support from two area high schools for our project Merrimack HS and Bishop-Guertin HS. Currently, we have a total of 10 – 12 young people who have joined our project.

High Altitude Balloon Classroom Topics
High Altitude Balloon Classroom Topics

With help from local teachers, we have developed a curriculum and classroom materials to help the teachers we are working with to deliver classroom sessions on the science behind high altitude balloons and the associated radio technologies. The classroom instruction began with a session at Merrimack High School this week.

We have purchased the balloon kit and supporting electronics and we are planning a session to test everything later this week.

Our planned launch date at this time is on May 13th. We are also planning an open house at AB1OC/AB1QB’s QTH the week before the launch to allow the students to test their balloon and to learn more about Amateur Radio.

We’ll post more here as the project progresses.

Again, thank you all very much for supporting our work.

Fred, AB1OC on behalf of the HAB Team

Activities, Featured, General, Newsletter, Space, Youth Activities

Our High Altitude Balloon Project Meets Its Funding Goal!

We met with teachers and kids in a STEM club at a second local school this afternoon. The teachers and kids are very excited about our project!

We are working on bringing an additional school on board.

STEM Learning Syllabus for HAB Project
STEM Learning Syllabus for HAB Project

We are also working with teachers in our partner schools to develop a syllabus that combines in-classroom lessons with hands-on learning to plan, build and launch our High-Altitude Balloon carrying Amateur Radio. Our team is also planning a tour of a local Amateur Radio station and other activities for the kids. We hope to reinforce the STEM learning aspects of our project this way. This should also spark further interest in Amateur Radio.

Funding For Our Project

We have met our initial funding goal for our project! Many thanks for the very generous donations from club members, member families and support from folks who found us via the internet. Stories about our project have been featured on qrz.com and eham.net and we have received support and well wishes from many HAMs via those sites.

We are hoping to raise more than our goal. If this happens, we will be able to invest in additional equipment. We will then also add some more science experiments to our balloon flight.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped us!!

Fred, AB1OC

Radio Amateurs Developing Skills Worldwide