Contact with ISS

[robbage]

I heard packet on 145.825 this morning. Dunno the origins though.. was a couple of bursts around S2 and then nothing for 10 minutes so I left.

[VK6ZMS]

I spoke to a UFO last night

[meg]

I spoke to a UFO last night

Same here I called and it responded - it was like being in the David Bowie song "Starman"

[robbage]

Unavailable For Objection

[VK6ZMS]

Unavoidable Family Outing

[meg]

This link was on the AmsatVK list today - NASA's spectrum plan. Plenty of potential listening up there!
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/spectru ... ov2007.pdf

[vk6hgr]

I've sent some APRS packets to the ISS on 145.825MHz over the last few nights and I've successfully received a reply - woohoo!

I sent:

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Mon Aug 10 01:51:40 2009  VK6HGR-2>APU25N,ARISS,WIDE,SGATE:=3152.06S/11556.38E-VK6HGR Beechboro Western Australia

It replied:

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Mon Aug 10 01:51:42 2009  VK6HGR-2>APU25N,RS0ISS-3*,WIDE,SGATE:=3152.06S/11556.38E-VK6HGR Beechboro Western Australia

(Note the RS0ISS-3* - the star means "repeated by")

Radio is a Yaesu FT-857 with Orbitron predicting the passes. The antenna is a 2m quad-band vertical I had on my old car on the pergola with a mag mount and I'm using a $3 ebay USB sound card as the modem

Interestingly, the crew leave messages for us on the ground:

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Sat Aug  8 04:12:24 2009  RS0ISS-3>P0PPP0,VK6FUN-2,WIDE:'vXl '/]Canadarm2 ready to grab PMA3
Sun Aug  9 01:24:32 2009  RS0ISS-3>P0PPP0,VK6FUN-2,WIDE,SGATE:'vXl '/]Canadarm2 moved PMA3 to Port
Sun Aug  9 21:54:00 2009  VK6HGR-1>APRS,WIDE3-2:}RS0ISS-3>P0PPP0,TCPIP*,VK6HGR*:'vXl '/]A day for housekeeping &rest
Mon Aug 10 02:38:07 2009  VK6HGR-1>APRS,WIDE3-2:}RS0ISS-3>P0PPP0,TCPIP*,VK6HGR*:'vXl '/]Today is Roman's birthday!

[vk6hgr]

Here's the help card from ISS's BBS (RS0ISS-11) so you don't waste an entire pass downloading it from the ISS to try and figure out how to use the thing (like someone I know )

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Welcome to RS0ISS's message board
System Ver 1.50 108026 Bytes free

Commands

W(rite)   = Type W (callsign)<cr> to begin message entering.
Subject:  = Header(max 30 characters) are entered after 
            the prompt: "Subject:".
            Ending the header with a carriage return <cr>.
Message:  = Message are entered after the prompt: "Message:".
            Ending each line with <cr>.
            You terminate with either a <cr>/EX<cr> or <cr><ctrl-Z><cr>
            to the indicate end of your message.
B(ye)     = Type B<cr> to DISCONNECT.
F(ile)    = Type F<cr> to show the lates
L(ist)    = Type L<cr> to show the all messages.
M(ine)    = Type M<cr> to show latest 20 messages (to or from you).
            Subsequent F or M command will show next 20 active messages.
R(ead)    = Type R n<cr> to show the number n message.
A(bort)   = Type A<cr> to Abort.
J         = Type J<cr> to show connect stations.
K(ill)    = Type K n<cr> to delete the number n message (only to or from you).
H(elp)or ?= Type H<cr> or ?<cr> to display this.

CMD(F/K/M/R/W/B/H/?)>

[slipknot]

Hehehe good work Gav, its hard to use packet with the iss on the count of how many people in perth all try to log on at the same time.

[vk6hgr]

Hehehe good work Gav, its hard to use packet with the iss on the count of how many people in perth all try to log on at the same time.

That's amateur radio for you. Space pileup

[Blinky]

Taken from VKlogger forum.

Upcoming ARISS Contact Schedule as of 2009-08-21 05:00 UTC

Volkssterrenwacht Urania, Hove, Antwerp, Belgium, telebridge via VK4KHZ
Contact is a go for: Mon 2009-08-24 11:30:49 UTC 50 deg VK4KHZ

The downlink audio should be audible across the East Coast of Australia on 145.800 FM this monday night at 11:30UTC.

There appears to be a mutal window around 1130UTC so you might just hear a very short portion of this for about a minute. If they start at the specified time then very little chance but if they try when they are in range ( a minute earlier) it is possible it could be heard. It will be very low to the east at the time. Don't bother calling as they have this arranged and I seriously doubt they would reply and you would only be QRM. Just a slight, very slight opportunity to hear the ISS on voice.

[vk6hgr]

I've written some scripts that'll let you see what my stations sees from ISS.

mheard on the satgate port:

http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/cgi-bin/mheard?sgate

List of packets received from ISS for the last 2 days:

http://vk6hgr.ampr.org/cgi-bin/issheard

[Bonez]

Hey Gav,

Even though I can't "use" packet with my license, I'm interested in setting up a ground receiving station similar to what you have. Are you able to give me a bit more info about the setup? The software that you use?

I've got a netbook, a scanner and a discone mounted out the back. Would be nice to downlink some info, just for kicks

Cheers

[Zebedee]

Even though I can't "use" packet with my license...

Well, you know the answer to that!

(Sorry, I just had to )

[Bonez]

Even though I can't "use" packet with my license...

Well, you know the answer to that!

(Sorry, I just had to )

There's nothing stopping me downlinking the data though. Any hobbiest can do that with a scanner and a PC without a license