new mode from the ISS (AIS)

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ka3jjz

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Reading the summaries of the spacewalk activitites from STS 129, there was something rather new...it seems that the ISS will be performing experiments on AIS using a new antenna mounted on the starboard edge Earth-facing (forward) side of the Columbus module.

Here is our wiki article on the subject...

AIS - The RadioReference Wiki

With some currently unused ham equipment being shifted into Columbus, it will be interesting to see how these experiments progress. I don't know what frequency(ies) will be used as yet. As far as I recall, using this mode on ham frequencies would be legal...

This is one of those modes that you need to tap the discriminator to copy. Happily, many 2m radios provide a so-called '9600 baud out' tap at the microphone jack. So building a separate mic cable and connector should do the job. And if you already have a radio that has a tap, you're good to go, along with the software.

I'll add a link in the ISS article for AIS, for future reference

More as it becomes known 73 Mike
 

ka3jjz

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Courtesy of AMSAT weekly bulletin ANS-178, to which full credits are applied, and edited somewhat for brevity...
========================================================
SpaceDaily.com reported this week that ESA's Columbus module maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS) aboard the International Space Station was switched on. The AIS antenna, mounted externally on the Columbus module, was fabricated by AMSAT and ARISS member Lou McFadin, W5DID and the US ARISS team.

ESA reported receiving more than 90,000 Class A AIS messages during a 14 hour test between 1900 GMT on 2 June and 0900 GMT on 3 June. This generated a global view of maritime traffic as the ISS orbit crosses all major shipping lanes.

AIS is currently a terrestrial VHF system with an average range of 40 nautical miles (74 km). This makes it useful within coastal zones and on a ship-to-ship basis but open ocean traffic remains largely untracked. The Columbus AIS Experiment (COLAIS) detected these signals from orbit. All international vessels, cargo ships above certain weights and passenger carriers of all sizes must carry 'Class A' AIS transponders, broadcasting continually updated identification and navigation data.

An ESA spokesman said, "We are currently testing the NORAIS receiver, built by the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment and Kongsberg Seatex. In three months' time the Station crew will switch it with a second receiver called LUXAIS, the work of Luxembourg companies Luxspace and Emtronix. For the next two years we will go on swapping between these receivers."

With commissioning completed, the experiment is run remotely and the results are routed via the Columbus Control Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany to COLAIS teams.
==========================================

73 Mike
 
D

DaveNF2G

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Discriminator tap might not be needed if running AIS Messages software from ShipPlotter by COAA.
 
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