Amateur Radio Satellites

Presented to
Virginia Tech Amateur Radio Association

By
Zach Leffke, KJ4QLP
October 2, 2012
Agenda

• The Satellites
• Orbits and Stuff
• AMSAT
• FM Transponders
• Linear Transponders

• The Ground Station

• Antennas / Polarization
• Tracking
• Radios and Doppler
• An Exchange
The Satellites – What Are They?

images from: http://www.amsat.org & http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/10/live-delta-ii-launch-npp-satellite-nasa-and-noaa/

The Satellites – How Do they Get Into Space?

images from:
https://directory.eoportal.org/web/eoportal/satellite-missions/a/aerocube-3
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/10/live-delta-ii-launch-npp-satellite-nasa-and-noaa/
Orbits – What’s an orbit and why do I care?

• DOPPLER SHIFT
• TRACKING

images from:
http://mapmaker.meteor.wisc.edu/~jbrunner/ackerman/satellite/satellitebkgrnd.html
AMSAT – www.amsat.org
The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation

http://www.amsat.org/amsat-new/satellites/status.php
AMSAT – www.amsat.org
The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
AMSAT – www.amsat.org
The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation
Satellite Transponders
FM and Linear

images from: http://www.arissat1.org/v3/

The Ground Station

That’s all great but how do I play with them?

Short Answer:
• You need to be a Ham
• You need an antenna
• You need to know where to point the antenna
• You need a radio
• you need to know how to tune the radio
• you need to know how to do a proper exchange

THAT’S IT!
The Ground Station

Antenna

Low Noise Coax

Radio
Amplifier
The Ground Station
RX Antenna

TX Antenna Low Noise

Amplifier Diplexer Radio

Power
Amplifier

RX Antenna
OR
TX Antenna Low Noise
Amplifier
Radio
Power
Amplifier
The Ground Station

OR
The Ground Station

OR
The Ground Station
I’m a Ham, what’s good enough?

images from: http://www.jerryclement.ca/Electronics/Ham-Radio/10282516_i3Q8b/2/1172801879_4Ez3J#!i=1172801879&k=nttPXHk

Antennas – Polarization

Vertical LHCP
= OR

Horizontal RHCP

Photo Courtesy: images from: http://sv1bsx.50webs.com/antenna-pol/polarization.html <- AWESOME ANIMATION

Antennas – Omni

images from:
Qudrifilar Helix: http://www.nemarc.org/wa3umc/wa3umc.htm
Moxon Pair and Turnstile: A Simple Fixed Antenna for VHF/UHF Satellite Work by L.B. Cebik, W4RNL
Antennas – Omni

images from:
Paper: An EZ-Lindenblad Antenna for 2 Meters by Anthony Monteiro, AA2TX
Antennas - Directional

images from: http://www.arrowantennas.com/arrowii/146-437.html

Antennas – Directional

RHCP Helical – Polarization fixed Crossed Yagis (70cm and 2m) – Polarization
by geometry of antenna sense can be switched through phasing lines
and relays

Photos From: http://www.qsl.net/sv1bsx/antennapol/polarization.html

Antennas - Tracking

70cm Elevator
Crossed
Yagi 2m
Crossed
Yagi

Thrust
Bearing

Rotator
Antennas – Tracking
The way I do it

GS-232
Orbitron WISP DDE Rotator
Or G-5500
(More later) (More later) Elevator
Equivalent

Antennas
Radio
and stuff
Antennas – Tracking Software
Orbitron example
Antennas – Tracking
TLEs + SGP4 = AZ, EL, Doppler Shift

JAS-2 (FO-29)
1 24278U 96046B 12275.30409075 -.00000010 00000-0 22741-4 0 9456
2 24278 98.5875 2.0859 0351019 114.5644 249.2498 13.52989730796305
TECHSAT 1B (GO-32)
1 25397U 98043D 12275.33976110 -.00000050 00000-0 -38721-5 0 8876
2 25397 98.3751 248.8929 0001446 14.6220 345.5013 14.23294845739128
SEDSAT 1 (SO-33)
1 25509U 98061B 12275.82168182 .00000787 00000-0 14667-3 0 3339
2 25509 31.4309 90.1928 0351449 56.4291 306.9401 14.28826663727910
ISS (ZARYA)
1 25544U 98067A 12276.46198043 .00019552 00000-0 34226-3 0 3966
2 25544 51.6486 308.2918 0018276 123.2706 15.1801 15.50442927794687
PCSAT (NO-44)
1 26931U 01043C 12275.85437241 .00000013 00000-0 37143-4 0 1493
2 26931 67.0526 205.4155 0006266 248.7547 111.2863 14.29836102574495
SAUDISAT 1C (SO-50)
1 27607U 02058C 12275.25660586 .00001210 00000-0 20295-3 0 8783
2 27607 64.5597 332.2084 0076067 227.2995 132.1640 14.72543389525582
CUTE-1 (CO-55)
1 27844U 03031E 12276.01537007 .00000182 00000-0 10376-3 0 4753
2 27844 98.7024 282.8533 0008907 276.8487 83.1704 14.21081066480064
CUBESAT XI-IV (CO-57)
1 27848U 03031J 12275.54499152 .00000271 00000-0 14546-3 0 4248
2 27848 98.7114 281.7720 0008866 282.9418 77.0772 14.20825882479932

http://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/
Doppler Shift

DEAD ON

HIGHER LOWER

T1 – Received Frequency higher than “nominal” frequency

T2 – Received Frequency equals “nominal” frequency
T3 – Received Frequency lower than “nominal” frequency

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.tpub.com/content/et/14090/css/14090_19.htm

Doppler Shift

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.tpub.com/content/et/14090/css/14090_19.htm

Doppler Shift

Image: Screen Shot of Orbitron 3.71 Software

Orbitron is free software created by Sebastian Stoff, http://www.stoff.pl/
A Satellite Exchange
Call Sign, 4 Digit Grid

HAM A: K4KDJ
HAM B: K4KDJ, K8YSE EN91
HAM A: K8YSE, copy you EN91, please copy my EM97
HAM B: K4KDJ, copy your EM97, QSL 73s
HAM A: QSL, 73s

Or maybe…………….
HAM A: KJ4QLP
HAM B: KJ4QLP, K8YSE EN91
HAM A: KJ4QLP, copy you EN91, please copy my EM97, the handle here is Zach
HAM B: KJ4QLP, copy your EM97, handle here is John
HAM A: Thanks for the contact John, 73s
HAM B: QSL, 73s, and good luck

How to find Grid locator?

Grid: http://f6fvy.free.fr/qthLocator/fullScreen.php
Questions ?