Decommissioned?

[lazyfortress]

If a satellite, like the decommissioned NOAA-17, is decommissioned, do its communications systems still operate, like VTX2 on NOAA-17, which provides APT? Which satellites out of this list is the easiest to catch and has the strongest signal: NOAA-15, NOAA-18, NOAA-17, METEOR-M, or MeTOP? Do the OKEAN and/or Sich satellites still operate? What frequencies do GONETS operate on that are not on the Military band (200-380?MHz)? What does CW mean? Do telemetry from different satellites sound different? And what does "carrier" mean? I saw this thing on Zarya for NOAA-9, and it says something about the carrier signal. Is it APT related, or something different? What is a good antenna that works well indoors for NOAA APT reception and is small enough so parents don't complain? I'm using a PRO-649. Thanks!

 

[Napalm]

Almost all of these questions can be answered with a very quick Google.

I realise you're in 8th grade and I remember being 13/14... so here goes:

More than likely if its decomissioned then no, it's either died or its turned off. The NOAA sats usually have around the same signal strength, but its been a while since I've listened to them.

CW means carrier wave, but it means morse code. Go on youtube and listen to some CW and/or morse code. A carrier is what "carries" the information on the frequency youi're listening to. Carrier Wave is a modulation scheme that is simply turning the Carrier on and off at different intervals.

There's no good antenna for indoor use for APT. You REALLY need something outdoors and preferably designed for satellite reception. I've used a discone but that's neither small nor parent friendly.

 

[ab5r]

You might find this informative too: POES Operational Status - Office of Satellite and Product Operations - POES Status

 

[K5MPH]

For me NOAA-18 has the best signal down link......

 

[KC5AKB]

Free Ham Radio Satellite Tracking App for iOS | AMSAT-UK
W5YI : Resources for Amateur & Commercial Radio
Ham radio satellite's are cool .
Google info on using ham radio sat's