400 MHz Satellites

[tazz]

Does anybody know of any satellites operating in the 400 - 403 MHz band ????

I keep getting hits on the following frequencies on numerous receivers...........

400.575 MHz
400.5875 MHz
400.600 MHz
402.750 MHz

They may not be satellite related at all. I figure it was worth a shot to ask here. I try to Google for some information, but couldn't find any answers.

 

[oldradioguy2010]

Could those frequency be birdies in your scanner?
You know, internal signals inside the scanner.
Just a thought.

DW
So. Cal

 

[tazz]

Could be ??? But getting them on multiple radios. Just not on the same radio. I would also say some kind outside RF interference but I live in a rural area with no other transmitters around.

I found two more frequencies tonight......
400.025 MHz
401.950 MHz

I do need to make a audio recording of a transmission and post it here.

 

[wtp]

take the antenna out and see if they are still there.
no i am not kidding.

 

[VK3RX]

I assume you've checked the FCC database for frequency allocation.

Are the signals on those frequencies there continuously or do they come and go?

If the latter, it would suggest a satellite origin, particularly if there is Doppler shift on the frequency during the reception period

 

[oldradioguy2010]

I will pop in the freqs and see what comes up here.
Located in Southern California.

DW
So. Cal

 

[MASTER48]

You are probably receiving GOES satellite signals (geostationary operational environmental satellite). They operate in the 400Mhz range. Which is a companion band for satellites transmitting on 150Mhz. They have been around for a long time.

 

[Thunderknight]

Does it sound like data or just open carrier? Are they there 24/7?
Do you have any Federal installations near by...USGS river monitoring, seismic stations, etc.? Wondering if it could be telemetry.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Could be ??? But getting them on multiple radios. Just not on the same radio. I would also say some kind outside RF interference but I live in a rural area with no other transmitters around.

I found two more frequencies tonight......
400.025 MHz
401.950 MHz

I do need to make a audio recording of a transmission and post it here.

They are real signals. There are enough of them that I could not figure out which ones I was hearing a couple years ago and gave up.

 

[dlwtrunked]

You are probably receiving GOES satellite signals (geostationary operational environmental satellite). They operate in the 400Mhz range. Which is a companion band for satellites transmitting on 150Mhz. They have been around for a long time.

The are not called GOES as that is generally reserved for the geostationary weather satellites. The satellites that use 150/400 are used to study the earth's gravity and there may be a COSMOS old navigation satellite using frequencies near 150 and 400 MHz. In both these cases, multiplying the frequency near 150 MHz will give the frequency near 400 MHz. But there are satellites that just use frequencies near 400 MHz also. An example is Aprizesats using 400.50-400.65 MHz. There are others. Here is a page to visit:

Space Frequency Listing, 170-350 MHz, Downlink

 

[dlwtrunked]

The are not called GOES as that is generally reserved for the geostationary weather satellites. The satellites that use 150/400 are used to study the earth's gravity and there may be a COSMOS old navigation satellite using frequencies near 150 and 400 MHz. In both these cases, multiplying the frequency near 150 MHz will give the frequency near 400 MHz. But there are satellites that just use frequencies near 400 MHz also. An example is Aprizesats using 400.50-400.65 MHz. There are others. Here is a page to visit:

Space Frequency Listing, 170-350 MHz, Downlink

The above link covers around 400 MHz even though the link name in the original post say 170-350 MHz. That is a naming mistake at the website not my mistake.

 

[krokus]

I assume you've checked the FCC database for frequency allocation.

That is a federal allocation, in the US, and would not be in the FCC database. (A different agency coordinates the federal users.)

 

[tazz]

Does it sound like data or just open carrier? Are they there 24/7?
Do you have any Federal installations near by...USGS river monitoring, seismic stations, etc.? Wondering if it could be telemetry.

They sound like some data. Still trying to find which mode best reception is in. They are there 24/7 with each transmission lasting a few minutes. I have no federal installations nearby. Only thing close to my house is the water treatment plant of the town I live in. I don't think it's any kind telemetry from it.

I live in rural area and wonder if it could be some kind of wildlife tracking devices ?? I have seen a deer before in the woods near the house with what looked like some kind of black box around it's neck.

 

[tazz]

The are not called GOES as that is generally reserved for the geostationary weather satellites. The satellites that use 150/400 are used to study the earth's gravity and there may be a COSMOS old navigation satellite using frequencies near 150 and 400 MHz. In both these cases, multiplying the frequency near 150 MHz will give the frequency near 400 MHz. But there are satellites that just use frequencies near 400 MHz also. An example is Aprizesats using 400.50-400.65 MHz. There are others. Here is a page to visit:

Space Frequency Listing, 170-350 MHz, Downlink

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

 

[RadioDitch]

You are probably receiving GOES satellite signals (geostationary operational environmental satellite). They operate in the 400Mhz range. Which is a companion band for satellites transmitting on 150Mhz. They have been around for a long time.

None of the GOES or NOAA sats utilize downlinks close enough to the frequencies the OP provided, even accounting for doppler shift on the non-GOES sats. It would help to know what equipment you are receiving these frequencies on, and what type of signal (data, voice, etc.) you are hearing.

 

[dlwtrunked]

None of the GOES or NOAA sats utilize downlinks close enough to the frequencies the OP provided, even accounting for doppler shift on the non-GOES sats. It would help to know what equipment you are receiving these frequencies on, and what type of signal (data, voice, etc.) you are hearing.

Note my reply that he was mistakenly calling satellites that research the earth's magnetic field "GOES". Those tranmit just carriers. The link I provided gives satellites in the range that the original poster was listening. Some of the other satellites around 400 MHz are in the link I posted(despite the link name): Space Frequency Listing, 170-350 MHz, Downlink

 

[tazz]

None of the GOES or NOAA sats utilize downlinks close enough to the frequencies the OP provided, even accounting for doppler shift on the non-GOES sats. It would help to know what equipment you are receiving these frequencies on, and what type of signal (data, voice, etc.) you are hearing.

The equipment I normally use to receive the signals are different receivers which include the AOR DV-1, ICOM IC-R8500, Uniden BCD996XT, Uniden BCD536HP, and a Uniden BCD996P2. I still need to get outside and use my ICOM R 20, ICOM R-30, or another portable radio to see what all I can get with them outdoors.

Type of transmission heard are a data "buzzing" sound. I still need to get a audio recording of a transmission. I have been busy the past few days, and haven't had a chance to get one.

 

[RadioDitch]

The equipment I normally use to receive the signals are different receivers which include the AOR DV-1, ICOM IC-R8500, Uniden BCD996XT, Uniden BCD536HP, and a Uniden BCD996P2. I still need to get outside and use my ICOM R 20, ICOM R-30, or another portable radio to see what all I can get with them outdoors.

Type of transmission heard are a data "buzzing" sound. I still need to get a audio recording of a transmission. I have been busy the past few days, and haven't had a chance to get one.

And is this an omnidirectional antenna? A helical? A dish? Etc?

 

[tazz]

And is this an omnidirectional antenna? A helical? A dish? Etc?

 

[tazz]

Sorry I forgot to put what kind of antenna. It's a Diamond X-30A dual band vertical antenna.