Decoding Satellite.. HUH?

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Murphy625

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Why do all these satellites marked for amateur radio always use some strange digital mode?

I have a half dozen digital mode decoders.. FLDigi, MultiPSK, etc.. and none of them contain the decoding mode required for any of these satellites..

What is BPSK 1200 or MPSK or AFSK?? And where does one get software to listen to these things?
 

ka3jjz

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You might start by telling us which satellite you are trying to hear. Telemetry is one thing, and it's likely not to tell the average listener all that much, and I suspect that's what you are trying to see.

Mike
 

prcguy

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Satellite telemetry for station keeping, control, etc, is encrypted, so I doubt anybody would be listening to that.

You might start by telling us which satellite you are trying to hear. Telemetry is one thing, and it's likely not to tell the average listener all that much, and I suspect that's what you are trying to see.

Mike
 

royldean

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What is BPSK 1200 or MPSK or AFSK?? And where does one get software to listen to these things?

These are methods that the satellite uses to create "ones" and "zeros". They are standard modulation methods used in many digital systems. Check out DK3WN's website for a metric tonne of decoders:

Software – DK3WN SatBlog

Additionally, the AMSAT and AMSAT-UK websites will have FoxTelem and FunCube decoders for the Fox and FunCube sats.


Satellite telemetry for station keeping, control, etc, is encrypted, so I doubt anybody would be listening to that.

OP specifically mentioned Amateur sats - so downlink telemetry is almost always (if not always) non-encrypted. Some sats have downlink telemetry that is as simple as CW....
 
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