International Space Station

[emt_531]

So exactly how close does this thing need to be near for me to hear it. I live in california and today it was off the coast about 1000 miles heading south, is that close enough or does it need to be right on top of me?

[ka3jjz]

It really isn't a matter of 'close' or 'near'; rather, how high is it (in degrees) above your horizon? A significant overgeneralization would be that with simple antennas, higher is better. Using better antennas, such as the Arrow beam, and getting the antenna up on a tower, that height can be cut down.

Also keep in mind that the astronauts do not always leave the ham station on line. At times, they must shut it down as a matter of safety. Keeping your ear on 145.8 (where voice, and on occasion. slow scan TV) at the times when the station is at its highest elevation (and, as I understand it, NASA tends to give the astronauts down time during the weekends) is the way to go. You can look up when the station is over your location on many websites - or you can get software to do the predictions for you. Some of these links are on our SATCOM wiki. You can access that from the wiki pulldown on the blue toolbar 73 Mike

[WouffHong]

Originally Posted by emt_531

So exactly how close does this thing need to be near for me to hear it. I live in california and today it was off the coast about 1000 miles heading south, is that close enough or does it need to be right on top of me?

I was on it (literally) last night around 11:45 PM hear in N. GA. - I leave my scanner on often and pick up the ISS on 145.800 easily on the BCT15 with a small Radio Shack discone IN THE CELLAR! :-)

I can also pick it up mobile or even on a handheld when the approach is nearby.
There are many good sites to get the coverage and times dats. but my favorite is LIVE REAL TIME SATELLITE AND SPACE SHUTTLE TRACKING as it not only shows the ground coverage circle, but also the "visibility" times and dates along with the track overhead. That part of the page highlights "visible" passes, but anytime I see the inclination over 20 degrees, I pick them up on my outside discone very well.

If you have an outside vertical vhf antenna, and an almost overhead pass, the signal usually peaks when it is 20-60 degrees or so over the horizon, and may drop off a bit when overhead, but comes back in as it leaves the area. That is due to the vertical antenna having a poorer response in overhead passes from the null effect directly above the antenna.

Tom
W4NOV

[boyledad]

If you can also monitor 145.825 it will help you know whether it is in range. Even when there is no voice activity on 145.80 you can usually catch the data bursts from the packet station.

[Hoofy]

I got a QSL card today from a contact I made back on Nov. 30, 2008 with the ISS.

Happy Days.................

[shaft]

I can pick it up pretty well with my vx-7r using the RH-77 antenna. I live in the St. Louis area and started picking it up when it crossed the Oklahoma/Missouri border and lost it somewhere over Michigan. This is based on watching it on one of the prediction sites.