SuitSat Yourself

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Suit(Sat) Yourself
Finding, Tracking, Hearing SuitSat
Henry Cantrell, W4HTB
Richard Hackney, N1ASA
www.wku.edu/ksgc/suitsat.ppt
www.wku.edu/ksgc/sats.pdf
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SuitSat Project Description
2-meter radio in surplus Russian space suit, to
be deployed to space on February 2, 2006 during a
space walk by ISS astronauts
Web Descriptions www.amsat.org
patkilroy.com/amsat-dc/SuitSat - A Unique
Satellite.pdf
www.amsat.org/amsat-new/articles/BauerSuitsat/
www.arrl.org/ARISS/Suitsat.pdf
Subscribe to News by sending email
text subscribe sarex (no quotes) to
majordomo_at_amsat.org
Typical Broadcast Sequence ( 8-9 minutes per
cycle) (Ref Kilroy, above) 1. This is
SuitSat 1 Amateur Radio Station RS0RS.
2.-8. Voice greetings in English, French, German,
Spanish, Russian, Japanese ( EACH
20 seconds and EACH followed by a 30-second
pause). 9. Slow Scan Television (SSTV, single
image, Robot 36 format, 36 seconds). 10.
Telemetry in English (mission elapsed time in
minutes, Celsius temperature, and battery
voltage.
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SuitSat Hardware
Images from THIS IS SUITSAT-1 RS0RS!! -- Frank
H. Bauer KA3HDO -- and
www.amsat.org
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SuitSat Diagram
Kenwood TH-K2
28-12 VDC Converter
To 28 V Battery
Digi-talker
To Radio
Timer
Control Panel
Cable
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SuitSat Downlink
Frequency 145.990 MHz, Linear Polarization
FM -- Voice Announcements, Telemetry, SSTV
Power 0.5 - 1 watt (similar to AO-51, AO-27)
Expected Lifetime 2 - 6 days
Orbit same as ISS orbit (220 miles up)
Range when above horizon
1200 miles at rise and set
220 miles when overhead
15 dB stronger overhead than at the horizon
ISS VHF at 15o (700 miles)
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Possible UHF Relay
ISS may attempt to receive and relay SuitSats
signal
IF it works, the relay downlink power will be
10 w
The UHF relay frequency will be Doppler shifted
Program 5 memories with the following frequencies
1. AOS 437.810 2. 437.805 3. Mid
437.800 4. 437.795 5. LOS 437.790
Switch channels as signal becomes erratic
Note It is indirect (and may not happen). The
rest of the talk deals with direct VHF.
ISS on UHF at 20o (600 miles)
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Expected Signal Strength
SuitSats 0.5-1 watt is 10-13 dB weaker than
ISSs 10 w
Reception of SuitSats signal with quality
equivalent to the ISS signal requires making up
for the 10-13 dB deficit by
1. Increased antenna gain, and/or
2. Decreased range (its closer at higher
elevations)
Available antenna gain may limit usable reception
to higher-elevation passes (and a fraction of
their duration)
Time/pass spent above given elevations (for an
overhead pass, best possible case)
For passes reaching only 25o max, 2
minutes above 20o 5 min above 10o
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Range Table Tests
Elevation Range dB Relative (degrees)
(miles) to Overhead 90o
220 0 dB 60o 250
- 2 dB 45o 300
- 3 dB 30o 400
- 5 dB 20o 600 - 8
dB 10o 800 - 10 dB
5o 1000 - 13 dB
0o 1200 - 15 dB
Nearest
lt SuitSat overhead should be about as strong
as lt ISS at 5o
Farthest
Sample -- Excellent Whip
ISS at 5o (1000 miles), using a Pryme AL-800 Whip
(half-wave dipole)
SuitSat should sound similar to this when above
about 60o ( lt1 min )
Tested using ISS signals with 10 dB attenuator in
receiver to emulate SuitSat

• Good signal above 60o ( lt 1 minute )

SuitSat 3 - 8 detectable passes, 1 - 4 strong
(briefly)

• Detectable above 30o ( 3 minutes )

Need to keep re-orienting to maintain
polarization match, loudest signal)
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Higher Gain -- 3-Element Yagi
Arrow, homebrew, or other 3-element yagi gives 6
dB gain over whip
Hand track for maximum signal
(www.arrowantennas.com)
More gain, more opportunity (more of pass usable)
Expect SuitSat detectable at 10o, and strong
signal at 20o and above
Verified using 10 dB attenuator receiving ISS
packets
Hand-tracking procedure -- (1) Practice path
beforehand, and (2) Maintain maximum signal along
the path by rotating about boom to match
polarization.
Example N ( 25o E ) S
N
S
E
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Passes if Released Feb 2
Minutes with Whip Yagi
D S D S MaxEl Feb CST Rise
(MaxEl) Set 2 -- 6 4 55o
2 034227 SW (55 SE )NE -- -- 5 2
23o 2 100700 NW (23 NNE)ESE -- --
5 2 25o 2 114212 WNW(25 SW
)SSE 3 1 6 4 78o 3 103117
NW (78 NE )SE 2 -- 6 4 58o 4
025602 SW (58 SE )NE -- -- 5 2
24o 4 092035 NW (24 NNE)ESE -- -- 5
2 24o 4 105548 WNW(24 SW )SSE
End of
2 Days 3 1 6 4 83o 5 094450
NW (83 NE )SE 2 -- 6 4 61o 6
020934 SW (61 SE )NE -- -- 5 2
25o 6 083406 NW (25 NNE)ESE -- -- 5
2 23o 6 100920 WNW(23 SW )SSE 3
1 6 4 87o 7 085819 NW (87
NE )SE 2 -- 6 4 64o 8
012301 SW (64 SE )NE -- -- 5 2
26o 8 074733 NW (26 NNE)ESE -- -- 5
2 22o 8 092247 WNW(22 SW )SSE 3
1 6 4 89o 9 081144 NW (89
WSW)SE End of 1
Week
Summary --
NOTE This table is indicative only for general
planning purposes. The actual times must be
calculated no sooner than a few days before with
appropriate Keplerian two-line elements (TLEs),
and these will only be available a few days
before the passes. Updates will be provided when
they are available a few days before Feb 2.
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Updated Pass Predictions
Same as for ISS passes
Need to be calculated within a few days prior to
the passes
Alternate Sources/Methods
A. N1ASA will calculate a table and broadcast it
by email.
or
B. Calculate using J-Pass 2.0 (or their email
service), at
Liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/RealTime/Jpass/20/
or
C. Download freeware Orbitron from
www.stoff.pl/
and Keps (TLE - Two-Line Keplerian Elements)
from
or
www.amsat.org/amsat-new/tools/keps.php/
D. Download, evaluate and purchase Nova
(59.95) from
www.nlsa.com/nfw.html
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J-Pass Predictions
Calculates pass charts for your location ------
(Note Directions are reversed from ground-map
convention chart gives overhead view.)
Or, Email Service sends reports three times/week.
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Orbitron Predictions
Select multiple sats to track
Footprint -----------
Ground Track ------
--- Pass Chart
Predictions ---
(Ground map convention)
Includes Az-El Rotor Control
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Nova Predictions
--- Footprint
Ground Track ---
Tracks any number of satellites
Pass Chart ----
(Ground map convention)
Includes Az-El Rotor Control -- Numerous
Interfaces
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Thoughts on SSTV
Make audio recording of SSTV transmission -- can
be displayed later
Need a full 36-second, high-quality recording,
with quieting signal
Possible Problems -- -- Possible Solutions
Timing, Speed Variations -- Use a digital
recorder (MP3, etc.)
Extraneous Audio -- Direct connection, not with
microphone
Weak signal -- Use higher-gain antenna,
high-elevation passes
Noise -- Use DSP (if can do so without
artifacts)
Tumbling Satellite, Polarization Fading --
Use circularly polarized antenna, e.g.,
1. Eggbeater, on-axis with radials
or
2. Crossed yagis phased 90o for CP
2 yagis at right angles, shifted by ?/4 on the
boom, fed in phase
ISS at 20o elevation, packet received with 10 dB
attenuation no fading as antenna was spun around
the boom axis twice. Signal was independent of
orientation.
20o
10o
Details at Ref hjem.get2net.dk/ole_nykjaer/oz2oe
/xyagi/build_yagi.html
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Software for SSTV
MMSSTV -- Freeware from mmhamsoft.ham-radio.ch
Mic Recording
Direct Recording
White Noise
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SpaceCam1 (possibly May 2006) www.marexmg.org
SSTV on ISS -- SpaceCam1 Modes
Send and receive SSTV images
Camera input to send images taken on board ISS
Slide shows of images from ISS
Repeater mode, can retransmit images from
amateurs on the ground
Whats Needed to Participate
Your existing VHF/UHF transceiver/antenna system
Computer with MMSSTV freeware to send/receive
images
Predictions from J-Pass/Email, Orbitron, or Nova,
etc.
Simple audio soundcard-to-XCVR interface
(e.g., RigBlaster, Buxcomm Rascal, etc.)
(even mics, speakers, and recorders will work)
www.marexmg.org/fileshtml/sstvlinkpage.html
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Greetings, I am SuitSat. Ive been given new life
with a battery and a radio voice. Its very nice
being on the ISS with Bill and Valery. They say
its a nice day out, and were going for a little
walk outside. Wow! Its a great view out here
today. Wait ... what ... where are you guys
going? Why are you waving from INSIDE the station?
Hello CQ, CQ, CQ Can anyone down there hear me?
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NA1SS -- Astronaut Bill McArthur International
Space Station
VHF Contact N1ASA - NA1SS December 1, 2005 Up
145.490 Dn 145.800
UHF Contact N1ASA - NA1SS January 15, 2006 Up
Down 437.540 - 437.560 437.545 -
437.555 437.550 - 437.550 437.555 -
437.545 437.560 - 437.540