ISS Packet turned 'OFF' for duration of SuitSat
By Miles Mann WF1F
For the duration of the SuitSat project, the ISS amateur radio 'packet'
mode will be turned "OFF". Please do not transmit any packet
or voice data on 145.990 MHz amateur radio SuitSat down link frequency.
Cross Band Repeat:
There is a possibility that the ISS Kenwood D700 may be configured to
act as a telemetry cross band repeater for the SuitSat project. The Russian
team is working on the details to program the D700 to retransmit the telemetry
from the SuitSat on the down link of 437.800 MHz FM. The reason for the
rebroadcast is to extend the listening range of the SuitSat project.
When SuitSat is launched, it will be flying very close to the ISS. As
the days go by, the distance between the two satellites will gradually
increase to hundreds of miles. One of the satellites will lead the other
by several minutes (I am not going to tell you which, you will have to
put on your thinking cap and figure this one out). The cross band telemetry
mode can in theory double the listening range of the SuitSat project.
The 2-6 day battery life of the SuitSat will be the actual limiting factor
of
this project,.
New time for SuitSat EVA, Feb 3, 2006 at 22:20 UTC
ARISS to activate a new hand launched educational satellite project from
the International Space station. The new educational experiment is called
SuitSat. The SuitSat project is onboard the International Space Station
and is being prepared for activation very soon. The SuitSat project has
a tentative activation date of February 3, 2006. The SuitSat activation
will take place during the ISS crew space walk. SuitSat will be hand launched
by the ISS crew during the Spacewalk.
ALL NOTE !!
Since we have just determined that the batteries in SuitSat may last only
a few days, suggest prepare now to receive the 1st transmissions so as
not to miss out on this Historical event !!!
What is SuitSat:
In short, the crew will toss an old spacesuit out the airlock and let
fly away as its own satellite. The space station crew have attached an
amateur radio beacon transmitter to the spacesuit. The SuitSat project
as it is called will broadcast telemetry and voice messages to earth for
as long as the batteries last. Anyone with a simple FM receiver or police
scanner should be able to hear the signals from SuitSat as it orbits around
the earth 15 times a day.
SuitSat Details:
For more specific details on the SuitSat project, please review the AMSAT
and related links below.
If you would like to help ARISS track the performance
of suit sat, then you can go to the special SuitSat web page and log your
signal reports. http://www.suitsat.org/
Additional information on SuitSat at the AMSAT web
pages. http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/SuitSat/
ARISS SuitSat Details
http://www.amsat.org/amsatnew/
articles/BauerSuitsat/index.php
Orbit Pass Times for Suit Sat (Boston, Houston and San
Francisco) I have enclosed some approximate orbit pass times for the cities
listed for 4th. For more accurate tracking try locating a software tracking
program or just use the NASA web page and track the International Space
Station.
(http://science.nasa.gov/Realtime/JTrack/Amateur.html)
Assuming Suit sat is activated at 22:20 UTC on February 3rd 2006, It
will be heard first in S. America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe.
North America will be in range the next day on February 4th.
San Francisco
To convert PST to UTC add 8 hours
Feb 4
0226-0234 PST 10:26-10:34 UTC
0400-0408 PST 1200-1208 UTC
0537-0545 PST 1337-01345 UTC
0714-0720 PST 1514-1520 UTC
0849-0857 PST 1649-1657 UTC
1024-1032 PST 1824-1832 UTC
1201-1207 PST 2001-2007 UTC
Houston
To convert from CST to UTC add 7 hours
Feb 4
0153-0201 CST 08:53-08:01 UTC
0329-0337 CST 10:29-10:37 UTC
0821-0825 CST 1521-1525 CST
0955-1003 CST 1655-1703 CST
1131-1139 CST 1831-1839 CST
Boston
Feb 4
02:25-02:33 EST 7:25-7:33 UTC
03:59-04:09 EST 08:59-09:09 UTC
05:35-05:44 EST 10:35-10:44 UTC
07:10-07:20 EST 12:10-12:20 UTC
08:45-08:55 EST 13:45-13:55 UTC
10:21-10:30 EST 15:21-15:30 UTC
SSTV (Slow Scan TV ):
SSTV is a way Amateur Radio stations send JPG still images around the
world. We use an audio format we call SSTV. The
SuitSat project will transmit Telemetry, Pre-Recorded Voice messages and
one SSTV image. The whole process will repeat approximately every 9 minutes.
(Robot 36 format).
What's left is to connect your computer to the speaker of your radio
and some SSTV decoding software, such as ChromaPix http://www.barberdsp.com/
or similar software. Here are just two of the many Share-Ware SSTV applications
on the market. There may be many more.
W95SSTV by Silicon Pixels
http://www.barberdsp.com/w95sstv/w95dload.htm
MMSSTV
http://mmhamsoft.ham-radio.ch/
There are also many High quality pay software applications that offer
many more features, such as multiple windows that allow you to simultaneously
receive an image while preparing your next image that you want to transmit.
CPIX
http://www.barberdsp.com/
What is Slow Scan TV?
On this web page you will find many links to help you learn more about
Slow Scan TV
http://www.marexmg.org/fileshtml/sstvlinkpage.html
Tips on how to use ISS, SSTV, Packet and Voice
http://www.marexmg.org/fileshtml/howtouseiss.html
Marexmg Web page
http://www.marexmg.org
73 Miles WF1F
MAREX-MG
Until we meet again
See also
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2006/spacewalk_preps.htm
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2006/suitsat_8days.htm
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2006/this_is_suitsat.htm
http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2006/suitsat_status.htm
Online Satellite Pass Predictions:
http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/predict/
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