ISS Activity Thread

[ka3jjz]

It's possible it was sending a SSTV pic using PD180. There have been messages in this forum on this very topic...Mike

 

[Jay911]

From the Reddit thread (not by me) I received these images from the ISS on 145.800MHz channel using RTL-SDR and a simple antenna.:

"80 years since the birth of the first cosmonaut of the planet Earth- Y.A.Gagarin"

 

[ka3jjz]

Great pix, Jay. What software for the SSTV decode were you using? Mike

 

[Jay911]

Wasn't me. Someone else on Reddit posted them. This thread which is a crosspost of the above indicates he used MMSTV with SDR#.

 

[SCPD]

Great pix, Jay. What software for the SSTV decode were you using? Mike

MultiPSK is the easiest.

 

[cmeyer18]

So I'm not sure if that was the SSTV signal or something completely different. Saturday's definitely was the SSTV signal and I base that on pre-recorded posts of the audio from others

That is SSTV. Ran it through MMSTV and got this little bit of image from it. Looks like it is PD180 as well, same as what the ISS used earlier in the weekend.

 

[wd9ewk]

Re: ISS recording- what is this?

Hi!

The ISS was sending down SSTV pictures on 145.800 MHz over the weekend. Originally it was only going to be on during their non-sleep times each day, but the crew let it run throughout the weekend. Many pictures were captured, and posted on an online archive at:

Welcome to the AMSAT SSTV gallery

I was able to get a couple of good pictures, and a few others of varying quality (either due to the ISS passing at a low elevation, or only getting part of the picture at the start or end of a pass). Here are links to the pictures I received:

http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7935.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7927.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7928.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7929.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7930.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7931.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7932.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7933.jpg
http://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/uploads/7934.jpg

I recorded the signals, then played them into the RX-SSTV software to get these pictures. Some of these were received using a Kenwood TH-D72A HT, and a couple using the FUNcube Dongle Pro+ with HDSDR software. Antennas were either an Elk handheld 2m/70cm log periodic or a VHF crossed-dipole. A few of them were copied during passes where I stopped at truck stops in western Arizona as I was driving back from California on Saturday (31 January) evening, and the others at home in the Phoenix area on Sunday (1 February) evening.

As for calling CQ on 144.490 MHz, this is - unfortunately - a pointless exercise most of the time. Most of the time, 145.800 MHz will be silent, with the only activity coming on 145.825 MHz in 1200bps AX.25 packet. The only time it is worth calling the ISS (with your call sign, not CQing) is when the crews call CQ or QRZ on 145.800 MHz. A good source for up-to-date ISS ham radio information is:

ISS Fan Club | get in touch with the International Space Station

73!

 

[wd9ewk]

That is SSTV. Ran it through MMSTV and got this little bit of image from it. Looks like it is PD180 as well, same as what the ISS used earlier in the weekend.

PD180 was the SSTV mode used last weekend, and in December just before Christmas. The ISS SSTV system is set up to send the PD180 pictures (just over 180 seconds per picture), then there are no transmissions for 3 minutes before the next picture. PD180 gives better pictures than many other SSTV formats, but at the expense of a longer transmission to get the pictures.

73!

 

[del1964]

Thanks so much for decoding that sliver! New to the whole SDR and satellite comm thing. I wish I had recorded the previous flyover...it was crystal clear and booming through my speakers.

 

[Your_account]

Can i use my 130 MHZ Antenna for the ISS to?

 

[ka3jjz]

Yes it's possible, although the antenna is a touch too big to be resonant on this frequency. Undoubtedly you would need to have a fairly high elevation pass, clear of obstructions. Folks have used much less to hear the Station.

As to RX-SSTV here's the URL for that software, for those that are interested

RX-SSTV: Freeware SSTV Program, By ON6MU

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

For the Linux and Mac folks see this message for compatible software

http://forums.radioreference.com/sa...rum/306908-iss-pd180-linux-mac-osx-users.html

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

MultiPSK is the easiest.

And here's the link for that

MultiPSK home page

Mike

 

[del1964]

ISS broadcasting anything today on any freq?

Anyone know of any comms to take place as it flys over the U.S. in about 20 minutes?

 

[wtp]

look to the right

ISS Fan Club | get in touch with the International Space Station

for a list of who and when.

 

[W8RMH]

I talked to them a few years back..it was neat.

 

[wd9ewk]

Anyone know of any comms to take place as it flys over the U.S. in about 20 minutes?

You should hear 1200bps AX.25 packet on 145.825 MHz most of the time. You can see recent packet activity from the ISS at:

Amateur Radio Stations heard via ISS

At the end of next week, according to this tweet:

https://twitter.com/RF2Space/status/565141766429761536

there should be SSTV transmissions on 145.800 MHz. Audible with an FM receiver or transceiver, and free software can decode the transmissions. More information should be appearing at the ISS Fan Club:

ISS Fan Club | get in touch with the International Space Station

Good luck!

 

[ka3jjz]

I have dug out the URLs of some of the popular SSTV software and posted them in this thread...

http://forums.radioreference.com/sa...nitoring-forum/306975-iss-recording-what.html

There are Windows, Linux and Mac packages

and several folks have had success with the popular freeware MM-SSTV, the URL for which is...

MMSSTV - MM HamSoft

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

You can decode the AX.25 packet the ISS sends with any number of programs, as linked here from the APRS wiki - there are LOTS of platforms available...

Software - APRSWiki

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Additional SSTV from the ISS announced

From the Southgate ARC and the DXLD Yahoo group
=======================================
The Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) has announced another round of amateur radio Slow Scan Television (SSTV) activity from the International Space Station (ISS) will take place later this month

Twelve different images depicting space pioneer Yuri Gagarin - the first human to orbit Earth - will be sent on 145.800 MHz using the SSTV mode PD180, with a 3-minute off time between transmissions.

The equipment used will be the Kenwood D710 transceiver located in the Russian Service Module. It is thought the equipment may be producing about 25 watts output which should provide a very strong signal. The D710 uses 5 kHz deviation FM. If your rig has selectable FM filters (most mobiles do) make sure you choose the wider setting designed for 20 or 25 kHz channel spacing, usually marked FM or FMW.

Plans are being discussed for transmitting new images from space enthusiasts around the world in the coming months. Additional details will be released.

The images received by amateurs world-wide during previous transmissions can be seen at
Welcome to the AMSAT SSTV gallery

You are invited to upload any pictures you receive during the upcoming transmissions.

In the UK newspaper the Daily Mail, Jonathan O’Callaghan wrote about how 22-year-old Radek Karwacki, an AMSAT-UK member, received pictures from the ISS using a £10 ($15) RTL-SDR dongle and a dipole antenna, see

ISS ham radio SSTV in UK press | AMSAT-UK

Read what you need to do to receive these pictures from space at

More ISS Slow Scan TV Activity | AMSAT-UK

More ISS Slow Scan TV activity | Southgate Amateur Radio News