SuitSat-2 demo at the Central States VHF Society Conference

On July 24-25 the Central States VHF Society hosted their 43rd Conference in the Chicago area. The event attracted radio amateurs interested in experimentation with weak signal VHF/UHF, microwave, terrestrial and space communications, and EME.

SuitSat-2 System Engineer Gould WA4SXM was at the Conference with a functioning prototype of the SuitSat-2 hardware, antennas, and initial software. The success of the Phoenix ARISS system integration meeting held July 10-12 was evident as SuitSat-2 transmitted live signals everyone at the Conference could monitor on 145.950 MHz.

The SSTV subsystem was transmitting live pictures in Robot36 mode captured by the cameras.
Reminder: if your computer SSTV capture software such as MMSSTV is functional viewing existing terrestrial SSTV transmissions you will be ready to receive SuitSat-2 video.

Gould also gave a presentation to a full house during which he discussed SuitSat-2 architecture and software. The presentation, as well as the live display, included these subsystems:

+ Software Defined Radio Transponder
+ Internal Housekeeping Processor Board
+ Power Control Board
+ Interconnect Board
+ Safety Power Interlock
+ Flexible antennas

The SuitSat-2 team plans to deliver the completed flight system to Russia in December, 2009 with an EVA deployment planned for the Spring of 2010.

Watch the AMSAT Journal for full details as system integration completes and SuitSat-2 moves toward orbit!

Amsat