Tag Archives: ISS
September 2, 2020 by fkemmerer
Thanks to some great work by the ARISS Team, a new Voice Repeater system is operating on the International Space Station! Here is the access information:
Mode: FM Voice
Uplink Frequency: 145.990 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
Downlink Frequency: 437.800 MHz
IORS Hardware and Kenwood Radio
The repeater uses the new InterOperable Radio System (IORS), a space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, and an ARISS developed power supply system.
Kenwood D710GA
Here's some more information from the ARISS Press Release:
The ARISS team is pleased to announce that the setup and installation of the first element of our next-generation radio system was completed and amateur radio operations with it are now underway. This first element, dubbed the InterOperable Radio System (IORS), was installed in the International Space Station Columbus module. The IORS replaces the Ericsson radio system and packet module that were originally certified for spaceflight on July 26, 2000.
The initial operation of the new radio system is in FM cross-band repeater mode using an uplink frequency of 145.99 MHz with an access tone of 67 Hz and a downlink frequency of 437.800 MHz. System activation was first observed at 01:02 UTC on September 2. Special operations will continue to be announced.
The IORS was launched from Kennedy Space Center on March 6, 2020, on board the SpaceX CRS-20 resupply mission. It consists of a special, space-modified JVC Kenwood D710GA transceiver, an ARISS developed multi-voltage power supply, and interconnecting cables. The design, development, fabrication, testing, and launch of the first IORS was an incredible five-year engineering achievement accomplished by the ARISS hardware volunteer team. It will enable new, exciting capabilities for ham radio operators, students, and the general public. Capabilities include a higher power radio, voice repeater, digital packet radio (APRS) capabilities, and a Kenwood VC-H1 slow-scan television (SSTV) system…
You can view the full ARISS Press Release here.
I was able to work several stations using the new ISS Voice Repeater this morning. It is very sensitive and uses 5 watts of downlink power with a good antenna on the ISS. I was able to make solid contacts using the Ground Station here using only 1.5 watts uplink power when the ISS was at 10 degrees above the horizon. At least one of my contacts was with a station using an HT with a whip antenna!
The voice repeater is sensitive enough and uses a power level that will enable folks with an HT and a whip antenna to make contacts using the ISS when it is close to the horizon. It should also be easy to make contacts using mobile rigs that can support cross-band operation as well. Program your radios!
I'm looking forward to working you through the ISS!
Fred, AB1OC
Posted in Space, VHF-UHF.	Tagged ISS, Space, VHF-UHF
Listen to the ISS Contact Scheduled for April 30th, 2020
April 23, 2020 by fkemmerer
We have successfully tested the Telebridge capabilities here at our station. ARISS has scheduled a Multipoint Telebridge an ISS school contact using our Ground Station for Thursday, April 30th beginning at 13:35 UTC (9:35 am Eastern Time). The Multipoint Telebridge format enables the students to contact the ISS from their homes via telephone connections.
Space Communications Ground Station at AB1OC-AB1QB
Our station will provide the ground to the ISS link for the contact between Chris Cassidy KF5KDR, an astronaut on-board the ISS, and the Northern Virginia Schools Group, Woodbridge VA.
IP Camera View of VHF/UHF Tower at AB1OC
ARISS will Livestream video and audio during the contact including a view of the antennas here as they track the ISS. The Livestream of the pre-contact program will begin at around 30 minutes before the ISS comes up. You can click on the YouTube stream below just before the contact to see the pre-contact program and to listen to our contact with the ISS.
Stations in the Northeastern USA should be able to receive the downlink signal from ISS during the contact on 145.800 MHz FM, Rx only. We hope that you'll join us for the upcoming contact with the ISS!
Posted in VHF-UHF, Youth.	Tagged ISS, VHF-UHF, Youth
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 11 – Phone Patch/Telebridge Capability
April 1, 2020 by fkemmerer
Council Rock South Students Contact the ISS
I have joined the ARISS Program as a Mentor to help schools make contacts with astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). School contacts as part of the ARISS program can take two forms – Direct Contacts and Telebridge Contacts.
ARISS Direct Contacts
Direct contacts involve setting up a space communications ground station at the school making the contact.
ARISS Direct Contact Ground Station Antennas at Council Rock HS
Direct Contacts involve a great deal of preparation and a local Ham Club which has considerable VHF weak-signal experience and equipment to partner with on a school's contact. There can also be considerable expense involved in assembling the necessary ground station for a Direct Contact. In addition, some locations are much better than others in terms of access to good, high-angle ISS passes and an environment that is relatively free of nearby obstructions like buildings, hills, etc.
Our radio club, The Nashua Area Radio Society, supported a Direct Contact at Hudson Memorial School in December 2018. It was a fantastic experience. You can read more about what was involved here.
ARISS Telebridge Contacts
Students at Maani Ulujuk High School in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
Telebridge contacts involve using an existing ground station in a different location with an audio link to the school making the contact via telephone. This type of contact provides a high-quality experience with an astronaut on the ISS without the need to construct a ground station at the school. It enables the teachers involved in the contact process to focus on the educational aspects of their contact with the ISS.
All of the ARISS Telebridge Ground stations are built and operated to very high standards.
Also, schools in difficult locations or those who don't have the needed support of a local Ham Radio club with the necessary space ground station equipment can still enjoy making a contact with an astronaut on the ISS. In addition, a Telebridge contact also enables the supporting Amateur Radio Club to focus on providing great Amateur Radio activities and educational support to their partner school.
Adding Telebridge Capability to Our Station
We've used the station here to make many satellite contacts and to listen to ARISS contacts from the ISS. We've also used our station to receive images from the ISS during ISS SSTV events. We've decided to add a Phone Patch to our station here to enable it to be used as a testbed for schools preparing for Telebridge contacts.
Adding A Telephone Patch
Phone Patch To Enable Testing and Hosting Telebridge Contacts
A Telephone Patch enables a third party to communicate over an Amateur Radio link using a telephone. A Phone Patch provides a connection between a Transceiver and a telephone line. It also handles creating a proper balance at the 2-wire Hybrid Interface that connects to the telephone line to the radio. A typical Phone Patch device also provides for Transmit and Receive level adjustments.
Phone Patch units are not used all that much anymore. Fortunately, MFJ still makes the MFJ-624E Hybrid Phone Patch.
Setting up the MFJ Phone Patch was pretty straightforward. All that was required to work with our IC-9700 Transceiver was to set the internal jumpers in the MFJ Phone Patch to configure its microphone connection properly. The MFJ Phone Patch came with a cable to connect to the round microphone jack on the IC-9700 Transceiver. A connection between our audio amplifier to bring audio into the Phone Patch was made to complete the installation.
Testing On The Air
The MFJ Phone Patch was adjusted to achieve a good balance on the 2-wire Hybrid Interface to the telephone line and the Transmit and Receive levels were properly adjusted prior to on-the-air use. These procedures are clearly explained in the manual for the MFJ-624E and are easy to complete.
With these steps complete, we set up a telephone call and made several contacts using FM stateless on the air. We received good audio reports and could easily understand the downlink audio using a standard telephone receiver.
Becoming an ARISS Telebridge Ground Station
My initial purpose for adding Telebridge capability to our ground station was to enable it to be used to perform testing of the audio systems in schools that will be hosting Telebridge contacts. I am also going to apply to become one of the ARISS Telebridge Ground Stations in North America. We have an emergency backup power system here and our station's location in our home makes it a good choice for situations where contacts need to be made at any time of the day or night. More to come on this in the future.
More About Our Ground Station
Here are links to some additional posts about our Satellite Ground Stations:
Portable Satellite Station Part 7 – Plans for a 4.0 Station
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 1 – New Tower
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 2 – Antennas
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 3 – Antenna Integration and Testing
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 4 – Tower Camera and J Mode Desensitization Filter
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 5 – New IC-9700 Transceiver
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 6 – Tower Finishing Touches
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 7 – Flex SDR Satellite Transceiver
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 8 – GPSDO Frequency Locking
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 9 – Upgraded Simple Portable Station
Satellite Station 4.0 Part 10 – Adding 23 cm To Our Satellite SDR
Posted in Remote Operating, Space, Station Design, VHF-UHF.	Tagged ISS, Satellites, Space, VHF-UHF
RSU 21 Students to Communicate to Outer Space – Portland Press Herald
March 3, 2020 by fkemmerer
Ann Stockbridge, Educator at Kennebunk's Sea Road School
Regional School Unit 21 has been selected for an out-of-this-world opportunity. An international association of space agencies and Amateur Radio organizations has chosen RSU 21, represented by Sea Road School, to advance in a process climaxing in a conversation between students and astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
RSU 21 was one of 10 schools selected nationally to continue through the multi-month acceptance process. The contact event with the ISS could occur between July and December of this year.
The opportunity is provided by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station), an association that includes NASA, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, the American Radio Relay League, the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation, and space agencies in Canada, Japan, Europe, and Russia. They collaborate to enable students to communicate with ISS astronauts and help inspire interest in space, communications and STEM coursework.
Source: RSU 21 students to communicate to outer space – Portland Press Herald
As our readers may know, I have joined the ARISS program as a Mentor to help schools prepare for and make successful contacts with Astronauts on the International Space Station. I am working with Regional School Unit 21 Sea Road School teachers and local Ham Radio folks in Maine, USA to help them make contact with the ISS during 2H2020. The link above shares more about the STEM learning program that is being created around this contact.
Posted in Space, Youth.	Tagged ARISS, ISS, Space, Youth
December 2019 ISS SSTV Event
January 16, 2020 by fkemmerer
Source: December 2019 ISS SSTV Event – Nashua Area Radio Society
Slow-Scan TV from the International Space Station (ISS) was on the air again late in December 2019. The ISS SSTV event was in memory of cosmonaut Alexei Leonov. We had our satellite station running to track the ISS and capture the SSTV images during the event. It's pretty easy to receive these images – it can be done with an HT, hand-held antenna, and a laptop…
This article includes a gallery of the images that we received during the December 2019 ISS SSTV event and some how-to information that you can use to receive SSTV images from the ISS with just an HT and a handheld antenna.
Anita, AB1QB and Fred, AB1OC
Posted in Software, Space, Special Events, VHF-UHF.	Tagged ISS, Space, Special Events, VHF-UHF
An Amazing Experience – Council Rock HS South ISS Contact
December 13, 2019 by fkemmerer
Its been about a year since we helped students at Hudson Memorial School make contact with the ISS. That contact was enabled by ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station). ARISS is an organization that coordinates and sponsors Amateur Radio Activities aboard the ISS.
After our contact, I decided to become an ARISS Mentor so I could help other schools make contacts with astronauts aboard the ISS. I spent the last year working with Dave Jordan, AA4KN to learn how the ARISS program works and how to help schools make successful ISS contacts. Dave did a great job coaching me as I worked with Council Rock H.S. South in Holland, PA to prepare for their ISS Contact…
Source: An Amazing Experience – Council Rock HS South ISS Contact
I recently had the privilege of helping Council Rock H.S. South in Holland, PA to make contact with astronaut Drew Morgan on the ISS. The link above shares the story of this amazing experience and my journey to become an ARISS Mentor. The article also contains videos and photos that capture and share the experience. I hope that you enjoy it!
ARISS Mentor
Posted in Space.	Tagged ISS, Space, STEM, VHF-UHF, Youth
Listen In On The Council Rock ARISS Contact on Thursday!
December 3, 2019 by fkemmerer
Students at Council Rock High School South in Southampton, PA will be talking with Astronaut Drew Morgan, KI5AAA aboard the ISS on Thursday. The ISS will be over our area here in the Northeastern Unit States beginning at about 12:55 pm eastern time on Thursday, December 5th. Council Rock's ARISS Contact is made possible by the ARISS Program…
Source: Listen In On The Council Rock ARISS Contact on Thursday!
You should be able to hear Drew on the ISS voice downlink at 145.800 MHz FM. The ISS pass will be a high one over our area. As a result, we should be able to hear the downlink using a good vertical antenna and perhaps even using an HT.
You can join the Council Rock Facebook Group for updates and watch a live stream of the contact on Thursday between 12:30 – 1:30 pm.
Facebook Page & link for live stream video of the contact: https://www.facebook.com/pg/crsouthradio/posts
Council Rock South Amateur Radio Club Homepage: https://www.crsd.org/Page/57298
Council Rock South Amateur Radio Club Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crsouthradio/
I am serving as the ARRIS Mentor for Council Rock H.S. South's ISS Contact. I am looking forward to the opportunity to be at their school on Thursday to be part of what I am sure will be a very memorable event.
You can learn more about the ARISS Program and how to secure an ISS contact for your school here.
Posted in Space, VHF-UHF, Youth.	Tagged ISS, Space, STEM, VHF-UHF, Youth
Live Video from an ISS Crew Contact Tomorrow
Primary and Backup Stations at Hudson Memorial School
An ISS Crew Contact with Hudson Memorial School will take place tomorrow afternoon. We will be streaming several live video feed from the school all day tomorrow….
Source: ISS Crew Contact – The Day is Almost Here – Nashua Area Radio Society
Primary and Backup Antennas at the School
All of our gear and Antennas are set up and ready to go. Contact activities will start around 1:15 pm eastern time (18:15 UTC) and our contact will begin at 1:45 pm eastern time (18:45 UTC). The article above contains a link where you can watch the Live Video of the ISS contact. We hope that you'll join us for the contact!
Posted in Space, VHF-UHF, Youth.	Tagged ARISS, ISS
ISS Crew Contact Part 4 – Final Date and Time for Our Contact!
November 27, 2018 by fkemmerer
Serena Aunon-Chancellor – NASA Astronaut
We have just received word from our ARISS Mentor, Dave Jordan, AA4KN – Our ISS Crew Contact will take place on Friday, December 7th at approximately 1:45 pm EST. Activities on-site will begin with some videos and station tours before the contact.
We will be using the Nashua Area Radio Society callsign, N1FD, for our contact with NA1SS. We believe that our contact will be with Serena Aunon-Chancellor, KG5TMT. We are all very, very excited to hear the news!
Prioritized ISS Passes for our Crew Contact
This date/time was our second choice and the ISS will be on a good pass reaching a maximum elevation of 48 degrees at Time of Closest Approach (TCA). Our contact with the ISS will last about 10 minutes.
Click to View Video on N1FD Facebook
Our plan is to begin the final set up of our equipment on Monday, December 3rd at Hudson Memorial School. We will be Live Streaming the setup and testing of our Station at HMS as well as our actual contact via the Nashua Area Radio Society Facebook page.
Time Until Our Contact Begins...
A copy of the press release about our contact follows…
ARISS-Contact-Press-Release
Posted in Space, VHF-UHF, Youth.	Tagged ISS, Space, Youth
ISS Crew Contact Part 3 – Summary of Our Preparations
Nashua Area Radio Society preparations for our upcoming ISS Crew Contact at Hudson Memorial School (HMS) are almost complete. All of our gear is tested and packed, our press release is written, we've alterted local news media folks, the students have put together their questions, and have practiced for their contact.
We are just awaiting notification of the final date and time for our contact and we'll begin final setup and testing at HMS.
We've been sharing our progress as we've on the Nashua Area Radio Society's Youth Forum as we have worked through our final preparations. I also would like to share a summary here along with some insights on what we've learned along the way.
An ISS Crew Contact is No Small Undertaking …
Satellite Station 3.0 Antenna System Test
We have been working for almost a year now to get ready for our contact. We've built and tested two space ground stations and we've discovered and addressed several performance and reliability issues with these stations during trial deployments at Field Day, Ham Fests, License Classes, and during testing here at our QTH.
Space Field Trip at HMS
Dan, AC1EN and the faculty team at HMS have expended a great deal of effort with the students at their school to prepare for our contact. Their activities have included:
Leading the ARISS Crew Contact Application Process for our contact
Integration of Radio Space Science concepts into their student curriculum
A Skype contact with a NASA Engineer
Visiting the Boston Museum of Science special exhibit on Space and the International Space Station
A High Altitude Balloon Project with the Nashua Area Radio Society to learn about Atmospheric Science and Space Communications
Space-related student projects including building rovers, participating in an egg drop, and having their pre-engineering program students work on solutions for the ISS
Holding a Field Astronomy and STEM night for students and building Amateur Radio into the school's annual STEM Nights
Audio-Visual Elements are Important and as Challenging as the Ground Station Equipment…
Sound System Mixer
We planned from the very start to provide a shared, multimedia experience as part of our contact. Our plans included:
Providing a professional-quality audio and video experience for the students, parents, and faculty members at HMS during our contact
Creating a high-quality Video Capture of our Contact
Live Streaming our Contact to Facebook so that more Students, Parents, and the Amateur Radio Community could participate in our contact in real-time
Dave, K1DLM who is a member of NARS had extensive professional sound experience and was able to help us with this part of our project.
Audio System for ISS Contact
Dave put together a professional-level A-V system design to support our contact and provided much of the gear to realize the design. His uses a pair of communications microphones, a pro-mixer, and audio interface gear to provide student and radio audio to the sound system in the auditorium at HMS as well as to an array of video cameras. The system makes extensive use of XLR cabling and pro-level devices to ensure clean audio.
Video Presence on the Internet is an Important Element to Draw Interest in a Project Such as Ours…
We Live Streamed some of our Station Testing activities to Facebook and we were amazed at the interest and response that we received. Many folks worldwide followed our progress on Facebook in real-time as we set up and completed our full station test.
ISS Antenna Camera Test
We are planning to have two IP Video Cameras Live Streaming to Facebook during our contact. One in the room to provide video of the students as they talk with the astronaut on the ISS and a second on our antennas as they track the ISS.
Its Critically Important to Test the Complete Station Ahead Of Time – New Challenges Emerged when we Mixed Audio and Radio Gear…
Full Station Setup and Test
We set up the full station (Primary and Backup) along with all of the Audio and Video Gear about 3 weeks prior to our contact for a complete system test. We learned a great deal in doing this and we encountered several problems which we have since corrected.
On-Air Station Test
The most important issues did not show themselves until we made some contacts with all of the A-V gear in place. We had problems with RF aggravated ground loops in the radio microphone circuits during the initial test. These problems did not show themselves until we added the audio mixer and sound system into the station.
Audio Isolation Transformer
These problems were easily corrected by adding Audio Isolation Transformers into the radio microphone circuits.
XLR Line to Microphone Level Attenuator
We also solved some potential issues related to level differences between line and microphone audio circuits using Audio Attenuators.
These problems were not difficult to solve but they would have seriously degraded our contact if we had not discovered them early while there was still plenty of time to secure parts and retest.
Data Networks in Schools and Public Places Require Configuration Adjustments to Support Contact Elements…
Data Network Test at HMS
Schools and other public places typically do a good job of protecting their data networks and users from threats from both the Internet and within the venue. Tracking Programs, IP Cameras for Live Streaming, and other contact support gear are not typical devices that would be in operation on such networks. Also, many public venues rely almost exclusively on WiFi for access to the Internet and typically prohibit or severely limit client devices from communicating with each other.
WiFi can often suffer from RF interference issues when many devices like Smart Phones are located together in a small area. This situation is common in large gatherings.
Data System for ISS Contact
We had quite a bit of experience with these problems as part of other school projects we've done. We worked closely with the IT staff at HMS to plan for and create a network design to support our contact. We opted to use a wired network approach with a local Ethernet switch to implement the IP communications between the elements in our stations and the associated IP Cameras.
The IT team at HMS configured their network to ensure that the IP addresses of our devices were fixed in DHCP and that devices that needed access to the Internet had the access that they required. The IP cameras where the most challenging elements here.
Packed and Ready to Go…
Equipment Packing and Protection
Well, all of our gear is packed and ready to go for setup on-site at HMS. The next article in this series will cover the on-site set up for our contact.
Posted in Space, Station Design, VHF-UHF, Youth.	Tagged ISS, Portable Station and Field Day, Satellites, Space, Station Design, VHF-UHF, Youth
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