Satellites for Beginners

Overview of Satellites Types of Orbits Orbital Mechanics Keplerian Elements Satellite Tracking Antenna Basics Simple Transmitters/Receivers Satellites for Beginners
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Types of Orbits

Types of Orbits
Low Earth Orbit
290 1,600 kms

Medium Earth Orbit

10,000 16,000 kms

Geosynchronous Orbit
36000 kms

Orbital Mechanics

Orbital Mechanics

Orbital Mechanics

Orbital Mechanics

Keplerian Elements
CATALOG NUMBER EPOCH TIME ELEMENT SET NUMBER INCLINATION RAAN ECCENTRICITY ARGUMENT OF PERIGEE MEAN MOTION ORBIT NUMBER CHECKSUM
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Keplerian Elements
NASA 2 Line format
AO-07 1 07530U 74089B 04197.68802813 -.00000029 00000-0 10000-3 0 2955 2 07530 101.6797 243.9770 0012017 165.7959 194.3449 12.53568878357487

AMSAT FORMAT
Satellite: AO-07 Catalog number: 07530 Epoch time: 04197.68802813 Element set: 295 Inclination: 101.6797 deg RA of node: 243.9770 deg Eccentricity: 0.0012017 Arg of perigee: 165.7959 deg Mean anomaly: 194.3449 deg Mean motion: 12.53568878 rev/day Decay rate: -2.9e-07 rev/day^2 Epoch rev: 35748 Checksum: 348 9

Manual tracking of Satellites

Satellite Tracking

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Satellite Tracking
Computer Tracking

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Globe view

Satellite Tracking

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Antenna Basics
Directional properties Transmitting vs. Receiving properties Efficiency Polarization Isotropic Antenna

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Antenna Basics
Antennas not for beginners.

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Antenna Basics
Antennas for Beginners

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Antenna Basics
Vertical-plane gain patterns Showing the relative field intensity for half-wave dipole above perfectly Conducting ground. Pattern at right angles to dipole. (A) is for height of wavelength, (B) Is for height 3/8 wavelength, and (C) is for height of 1.5 wavelengths.

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Antenna Basics

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Antenna Basics

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Antenna Basics

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Simple Transmitters/Receivers
VERY BASIC LIST: VHF/UHF FM transceiver/hand held transceiver. VHF/UHF wave antenna. 2.5 W for the hand held. INTERMEDIATE LIST VHF/UHF Multimode. VHF/UHF beam antennas. Azimuth & Elevation control rotator. Higher power for the elliptical orbit satellites.

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Satellites for Beginners

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) - ARISS Catalog number: 25544 Launch date: November 20, 1998 Status: Operational Digipeater: Active The current Expedition 12 crew is: Commander: William McArthur KC5ACR Flight Engineer: Valery Tokarev (no call) Worldwide packet uplink: 145.990 MHz FM Region 1 voice uplink: 145.200 MHz FM Worldwide downlink: 145.800 MHz FM Russian callsigns RS0ISS, RZ3DZR USA callsign NA1SS Packet station mailbox callsign RS0ISS-11 Packet station keyboard callsign RS0ISS-3 Digipeater callsign ARISS

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Satellites for Beginners

FO-29 JAS-2 Catalog number: 24278 Launch Date: August 17, 1996 Status: Operational Voice/CW Mode JA Uplink: 145.90 to 146.00 MHz CW/LSB Downlink: 435.80 to 435.90 MHz CW/USB Beacon: 435.795 MHz Digital Mode JD Uplink: 145.850 145.870 145.910 MHz FM Downlink: 435.910 MHz 1200-baud BPSK or 9600-baud FSK Callsign: 8J1JCS Digitalker: 435.910 MHz Please send the reception reports to lab2@jarl.or.jp . Please use the subject line: 'FO-29reception report'. 22

Satellites for Beginners

AO-51 ECHO Catalog number: 28375 Launch date: June 29, 2004 Status: Operational Feb 26 FM Repeater, V/U Uplink: 145.920 mhz FM, 67 hz PL Tone Downlink 435.300 mhz FM 9k6 Digital, V/U, PBP BBS (Pacsat Broadcast Protocol BBS) TLM Data Active Uplink: 145.860 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital Downlink: 435.150 mhz FM, 9k6 PBP Digital [01292006] The ECHO Operations committee will determine modes and schedules for experiments.

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How Will I Ever Get In?

The good news is that in the weeks following activation of AO-51 the load has lightened and its easier to get it if you plan ahead and avoid the pileups. Many people are able to work Echo successfully. 5 watts is all that is needed with both an Arrow antenna and a wave whip. Aruni VE4WMK who is 10 years old uses an HT with an Arrow and is very successful. Have a look at the AMSAT website entitled 12 Suggestions for Handheld Transceiver Users. Here are some of the basics:

1.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Listen First. If you cant hear other stations, you cant work them. AO-51 is very strong (only the ISS is stronger) so almost everyone can hear it on a good HT with a good whip antenna, the dual-band Arrow yagi or the dual band Elk log periodic that are sold at most flea markets in the area. Keep your squelch off. Although Echo is strong, its not strong enough to break your squelch in most cases. Make sure you have your PL tone set to 67hz. Like most repeaters, even if you get a chance to get in, you wont without the PL tone set. Dont try to use tone squelch either, as Echo does not transmit a 67Hz PL tone back on its downlink. Dont use a verticle antenna. Whips and ground plane antennas should be tilted so that the verticle is 90 degrees off the elevation of the satellite. Know where the satellite is. Keep a tracking program nearby where you can reference it. If you are handheld outside, use a handheld computer running PocketSat or PetitTrack to reference the satellites position. Use Dual Headphones! I cant stress this enough. Your brain is the best DSP there is, and if you only hear the signal through one ear, your brain cant filter out the noise nor can it react quickly to callsigns.

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How Should I Prepare?

When you decide to work AO-51 for the first time, some preparatory steps will help.
Visit the AMSAT website and visit the Echo Project page to make sure you have the correct frequencies. The AMSAT website also has online pass predictions in the Tools section which will calculate the passes for your location. Try listening on one pass nearby (over 30 degrees of elevation) and see how well you are receiving. If you cant hear the satellite, you may need to improve your receive antennas. Try to arrange a sked with another station. Its easier to make a contact with someone who is experienced on the satellites than cold calling. That contact can also help you determine how well your signal is doing. Plan on working a pass away from populated areas (see the map - white spots are high density population areas.) If you can work to the north or west or over the ocean, your results will be better because statistically there are fewer people. Most of all, dont get discouraged. AO-51 is reprogrammable from the ground and they have made some improvements to it already. For example, initially the power was set to 330mw, then 500mw and now is set for 1W. AO-51 can operate up to 7 watts, but it is unlikely they will increase power over 2W since most stations now receive AO-51 full quieting.
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New Transponder Mode Designations

When naming a transponder the input (uplink) is always specified first. A slash / is used to separate input and output. Input (Uplink) frequency, wavelength, or designator / Output (Downlink) frequency, wavelength or designator.
LINK DESIGNATORS

(Frequency)

(Wavelength)

(Designator)
H T V U L S C X K

21 MHz 15 m 29 MHz 10 m 145 MHz 2m 435 MHz 70 cm 1.2 GHz 24 cm 2.4 GHz 13 cm 5.7 GHz 6 cm 10.5 GHz 3cm 24 GHz 1.2 cm TRANSPONDER NAMES

Old Name
Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode Mode A B J K KA KT L S T

New Name
V/T U/V V/U H/T H,V/T H/T,V L/U U/S H/V

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