First -- Happy Boxing Day to all our UK and Commonwealth friends.
Oscar 11 is a UK-built amateur satellite launched in 1984. It has been dead (well, almost dead) for many years. But when the sun shines on the solar panels, it wakes up and transmits. I've been able to hear it and -- more usefully -- see it on my RTL-SDR HD-SDR receive system. My antenna is my re-born (from the Dominican Republic) three element homebrew 2 meter cubical quad (see pictures below).
I'm sorry the video is a bit out of focus, but you can clearly see the trace of the signal from the satellite. Realize that my HD-SDR software is about 10 kHz off calibration. You can see the Doppler shift, and you can see the signal fading in and out as the old satellite tumbles through space. Any ideas on what the other signals seen off to the side are? Is anyone else listening for Oscar 11?
https://amsat-uk.org/satellites/telemetry/uosat-2-oscar-11/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UoSAT-2
http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?cat=47
Posts
Bill,
ReplyDeletePlease show us your antenna when you have some spare time..............BillF
OK Bill F -- I added a couple of iPhone pictures of the antenna. Nothing fancy. Scrap lumber and refrigerator tubing. 73 Bill
ReplyDeleteThank You Bill,
DeleteI really enjoy your blog and podcast, very inspirational and entertaining..........73
Cool antenna mount!
DeleteBill,
ReplyDeleteThat signal lower in frequency is most likely AO95 (FOX-1Cliff) it is still being tested and is sending a little bit of telemetry followed by a synthesised voice saying "FOX1C Safe Mode" The bird was launched on the recent Falcon Launch from Vandenberg (same one as the Indian sat). Have a listen on FM on 144.825 plus or minus Doppler. It transmits every 2 minutes in safe mode.
I picked it up here in GM no problem.
Correction to QRG of FOX1Cliff it is 145.920 MHz. My apologies.
ReplyDeleteHere is my recording of AO95 Bill.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/12eu5htvGUQ
73 David GM4JJJ
Thanks David. But was AO-95 above my horizon at that time? Heavens Above only seems to point to two candidates:Kaituo 1B and AO-73. It could also be that the other signals were from ground stations. Bill
ReplyDeleteBill, my apologies, I was a bit premature in my guess. I understand that AO-95 has some receive anomaly and commissioning has been stopped for now. I do hope that they can fix it later, Cliff K7RR who it was dedicated to was a great fellow who I met while on vacation in CA. From the look of the trace on your SDR it does look like it could be
ReplyDeleteGosh, Am I making a real hash of this today? Must be too much Christmas Cheer yesterday. Hope that you find the source, perhaps a listen on another orbit and see what you hear, data or voice.
ReplyDeleteOnce again all the very best for the festive season.
I see the "Ray Gun" at work. Bravo Bill. Kinda Cool.
ReplyDeletePete N6QW