How to use ISS repeater? Help
Hi all,
I am not really a newbee, but have a burning question?
Its been a long time between drinks hearing the ISS over Australia, do they turn off the repeaters?
I have from time time left the APRS decoder going and sometimes get a packet on 145.825 FM.
Back about 3 years ago the UHF up link with VHF down was working fine lots of use it got, and for no reason gone,
Now the question is from reading the posts up here its repeating but maybe not on the U/V mode, what up link frequency are normally used, there are heaps of times when the club is doing demo of amateur radio and heaps of good passes but just can not get it!
I have seen a couple of passes that was on sun set and the ISS was in full sun and yes I tried very hard to get some thing out of it, but did not try the V/V mode and not knowing if region 1 frequency or region 2,3 is to be used.
I have asked a heap of people that are normally on the bird when in U/V mode (b) but they all have said it just turned off Paul and NASA will not tell us when its going back on, one person I know has a high level in NASA but will not say to much apart from its off?
Could some one please let me know as there are heaps of satellite uses down here.
Cheers and 73s
Paul
Kenwood D700 limitations
The Kenwood D700 only supports one operation at a time. If you hear packet on 145.825, you won't hear the crew talking on 145.80. Same goes for the repeater. It is rarely activated due to the 20+ step procedure (compared to the 5 steps to activate packet or general voice contacts) to activate and then anytime you have a school contact, it has to be deconfigured before and reconfigured after. Only a few crew members are comfortable enough doing this in a timely manner.
The crossband repeater is usually activated during periods when few or no school contacts will occur since it can be configured and then left active for long periods. Other times it is activated is when a very enthusiastic crew member is on board and will request to have that mode activated.
Kenneth - N5VHO
Using a icom 821h
Thanks for the en-site,
I do however hear the APRS packets, the last pass just gone over head well 6 degrees, tracking perfect.
Its been a long time from when I have heard any thing like voice, I was normally on the ISS on ever pass that I was near the radio, some times it was only a couple of us me a VK5 and one VK7 and some times a VK2 might join in if it was a low one, but high passes over australia would become a jam up, lol.
I have the pc and scanner setup to record and there was a pass before this one, VHF VHF well I did not hear a noise.
So what you are saying if I hear APRS packets on 145.825, and I don't feel like playing aprs, may as well turn off the transceivers and remove the satellite antenna and go back to EME, moon bounce or could use the ISS for a bit of AE we all know where it is, bouncing 400 watts off it is sure to get some thing happening.
One day the hams of Australia would like to show that simple contacts via hand helds to space craft are possible not science fact or fiction, but there for the amateur life to use.
Cheers