AMSTAT, anyone?

[Chaos703]

With the Shuttle ready to go back up, I'm very curious about the AMSTAT network. I've found a few references to the following frequencies being active in the Tulsa area:

144.34
146.94
421.25

Has anyone every successfully monitored the Shuttle? If so, are these the correct frequencies? Any info or help would be greatly appreciated!

(off subject note: Just heard COS for a naked 10-75 driver bouncing off curbs at 20 mph. That's a keeper!)

 

[KD5WLX]

Amsat, not AmStat

It's Amsat, not Amstat. www.amsat.org

The shuttle has a number of radios on a host of frequencies, most of which have to do with telemetry or comms back to mission control. They used to also have an amateur station that was used occasionally (rarely is more like it) but I have no idea if it is still there (remember, there are multiple shuttles, and they are not all identical).

The International Space Station has two Amateur Radio stations for earth contacts. I've heard the astronauts talking to people on the surface on several occasions. Their radio is currently in cross-band repeat mode, so instead of hearing them, they are auto-retransmitting earth station contacts - uplink is 437 something, and downlink is 145.800.

146.94 is an amateur radio 2 meter repeater frequency. Around here, a prominent one run by the TRO. Won't hear any astronauts there, but might hear guys talking about having talked to the astronauts.

144.34 is the APRS packet frequency. Down there, all you'll hear is digital noise, unless you feed it in to your sound card and get the computer program that translates it. Then what you'll see is where various amateurs cars are as they motor about the town.

421.25 is in the CW portion of the amateur 70cm band. While you might hear some weak signal work there, it won't be from space. The satellite downlink portion is in the 430.xxx range.

And the "operational" comms will not be in either of these ranges - 144 to 148 and 420-450 are reserved for amateur radio. NASA has their own blocks for the "real" mission stuff. I have no idea what they are.

 

[ae5me]

With the Shuttle ready to go back up, I'm very curious about the AMSTAT network. I've found a few references to the following frequencies being active in the Tulsa area:

144.34
146.94
421.25

Has anyone every successfully monitored the Shuttle? If so, are these the correct frequencies? Any info or help would be greatly appreciated!

(off subject note: Just heard COS for a naked 10-75 driver bouncing off curbs at 20 mph. That's a keeper!)

I assume you are referring to AMSAT (amateur satellite organization). Over the years, the frequencies you've listed above have been used for space shuttle audio retransmission. Basically they take the NASA audio feed for the space shuttle and retransmit it on amateur radio frequencies. The actual retransmission is on the ground here in Tulsa (with either a shortwave or internet feed), as the other frequencies used by the Shuttle to communicate directly with NASA are in different bands. Occasionally the space shuttle will carry an amateur radio payload and make contacts on the 2m band, but it has been a while on that, as well.

I think it has been a while on the space shuttle audio retransmission in Tulsa as a lot of people can get a hold of it now through internet broadband.

If you and others have enough interest in listening on this mission, I can put the feed up on the 145.45 Leonard repeater as we have an internet connection on that machine (and I am the trustee).

 

[ae5me]

Re: Amsat, not AmStat

146.94 is an amateur radio 2 meter repeater frequency. Around here, a prominent one run by the TRO. Won't hear any astronauts there, but might hear guys talking about having talked to the astronauts.

144.34 is the APRS packet frequency. Down there, all you'll hear is digital noise, unless you feed it in to your sound card and get the computer program that translates it. Then what you'll see is where various amateurs cars are as they motor about the town.

421.25 is in the CW portion of the amateur 70cm band. While you might hear some weak signal work there, it won't be from space. The satellite downlink portion is in the 430.xxx range.

I think they had the NASA shuttle audio retransmission once or twice on 146.94 ten years ago. 421.25 is also the frequency for amateur television ATV in Tulsa. I'm guessing that they had an audio subcarrier of the shuttle (along with video) as well. 144.34 is the National ATV calling frequency, so I'm guessing they have simulcast the audio there, too.

If you guys want it, wouldn't be too much trouble to put a feed for this mission on 145.45.

 

[K5MAR]

Re: Amsat, not AmStat

144.34 is the APRS packet frequency. Down there, all you'll hear is digital noise, unless you feed it in to your sound card and get the computer program that translates it. Then what you'll see is where various amateurs cars are as they motor about the town.

Ummm, APRS is on 144.390.

Mark S.

 

[peterjmag]

The last time I heard a rebroadcast of shuttle transmissons was on the The TRO repeater (146.805) back in the mid 90's. I have never heard any on the other frequencies listed or since the mid 90's.


P.J. Maguire

 

[Chaos703]

Re: Amsat, not AmStat

It's Amsat, not Amstat.

I'm so embarrassed! amSAT. That's what I meant, honest.

Thanks for all the input, everyone. Sounds complex yet intriguing I'll check out the website and read up on it all.

ae5me, I think it would be a hoot to listen to it over the scanner. That would make it easier to monitor the entire time they're up. But I wouldn't want you to go to the trouble if I'm the only one interested. So my vote is yes, but don't do it just for me.

 

[KE5BGX_Robert]

ISS Frequencies



V/v - V/u Dwn 145.800
FM Voice Up 144.490 Region 2/3 Voice 145.200 Region 1 Voice
Digital Up 145.990
Up 437.800 Crossband Repeater


Most times the ISS radio is on but, no one is monitoring or transimiting. On occasion I have heard the digital side when the station is overhead. But I have yet been able to actually talk to the ISS......

 

[ae5me]

Re: Amsat, not AmStat

It's Amsat, not Amstat.

I'm so embarrassed! amSAT. That's what I meant, honest.

Thanks for all the input, everyone. Sounds complex yet intriguing I'll check out the website and read up on it all.

ae5me, I think it would be a hoot to listen to it over the scanner. That would make it easier to monitor the entire time they're up. But I wouldn't want you to go to the trouble if I'm the only one interested. So my vote is yes, but don't do it just for me.

W5BBS Leonard repeater is carrying live shuttle audio for the duration of the mission. Just tune over to 145.45 Mhz.

Lost internet feed for about an hour this morning between 8 AM and 9 AM, but worked like a charm for the launch all the way to main tank separation.

 

[K5MAR]

Wish I could hear it in Stillwater. The "live" feed on the internet (Space.com) was about a minute and a half behind.

Mark S.

 

[ae5me]

Wish I could hear it in Stillwater. The "live" feed on the internet (Space.com) was about a minute and a half behind.

Mark S.

Might not be that far fetched to get 145.45 in your neck of the woods. Do you have any outdoor and/or directional antennas? I know that one gentleman was able to work the repeater from Stillwater using an omnidirectional, but he also had good elevation on a tower. Worth checking out to see if you can get it on the base scanner. I'm sure you could hear it with a Yagi or other directional antenna.

 

[Chaos703]

Thanks again for putting this up. I'm really enjoying it. Flying a Space Shuttle sounds much more difficult than it appears in the movies.

 

[K5MAR]

Wish I could hear it in Stillwater. The "live" feed on the internet (Space.com) was about a minute and a half behind.

Mark S.

Might not be that far fetched to get 145.45 in your neck of the woods. Do you have any outdoor and/or directional antennas? I know that one gentleman was able to work the repeater from Stillwater using an omnidirectional, but he also had good elevation on a tower. Worth checking out to see if you can get it on the base scanner. I'm sure you could hear it with a Yagi or other directional antenna.

Maybe if the conditions are right, but not on a regular basis. The ridge west of Tulsa blocks reliable radio traffic between there and here. I'm sure the tower helps, also. My tower (which will only be 40' when installed, due to zoning regulations) is sitting on the back porch, so I'm just using a dualband omni on the roof at this time. I can hit some of the major machines in OKC, but Tulsa just isn't possible. I know there are guys in T-Town that can hit S'water's .35 machine, but it's receive antenna is 300+' up the KOSU tower. It's 75 miles as the crow flies from Stillwater to Leonard, a pretty good haul even over flat terrain.

Mark S.