IARU Amateur Radio Satellite Frequency Coordination 1998/99

Frequency Coordination Activities
August 1998 to October 1999
(703 emails - 31 categories)

• Swedish Satellite - AMSAT-SM
• VOXSAT - AMSAT-LU
• BremenSat - Olaf Hänßler DG6BCC, Germany
• Citizen Explorer - University of Colorado, U.S.
• JAWSAT - Weber State University, Utah, U.S
• ASUSAT - Arizona State University, U.S.
• OPAL - Stanford University, California, U.S.
• StenSat - Hank Heidt N4AFL
• MIR Special Events - Miles Mann WF1F
• LEAST Project - Harold Price NK6K
• NATSWeb Satellite - Bob Bruninga WB4APR
• Emerald/Orion Project - Bob Twiggs KE6QMD
• Nanosatellite - Bristol University, U.K.

Swedish Satellite - AMSAT-SM

• Easy to use
• "Microsat" design
• Two analogue NBFM channels on 70cm
  Channel 1
  A "parrot" with 10 seconds of memory in half
  duplex mode, meaning TX for max 10 seconds
  and then listen to the parrot repeating your
  transmission on the same frequency.
  Channel 2
  A fax/SSTV downlink with a high-resolution
  CCD camera.· Proposed frequencies:
  437.250 and 437.225 or 437.275

VOXSAT - AMSAT-LU

• 1000 km polar orbit
• Downlink 1
  2.5W FM (telemetry, broadcast, parrot) 145.990
• Downlink 2
  4W FM (cross band uhf/vhf repeater) 145.910
• Uplink
  435.990 FM
• The frequencies that were originally coordinated by one of my predecessors for VOXSAT were downlink 145.825 and uplink 436.600

BremenSat - Olaf Hänßler DG6BCC

• Polytechnic Electronics Department
• Early planning stage of a small satellite (picosat, around 5kg).
• Altitude of 1000km with a camera-payload.
• Uplink and downlink on 70cm - 9600 baud.
• When questioned about the required split to fit within 435-438 responded with the suggestion to use 2M and 1.2GHz.
• Nothing further heard since December 1998.

Citizen Explorer
Colorado Space Grant Consortium

• Colorado Space Grant Consortium
• Low-cost small satellite.
• Proposed launch December 1999.
• Targeted at K-12, University students and Amateur Radio Satellite enthusiasts.
• Measures atmospheric ozone and UV radiation.
• Downlinks data at 9600 or 300 baud on 436.750 FM.
• Uplink on 2M for Command Station operations.
• Similar in concept to UoSAT-OSCAR-9 and 11 but with 70cm downlink.· Paper published in 16th AMSAT-NA Space Symposium proceedings - October 1998.

JAWSAT
Weber State University, Utah, U.S.

• Due for launch on 15th October 1999.
• Multipayload Adapter - Attitude Controlled Platform.
• Frequencies coordinated with Randolph Kohlwey N7SFI.
• Downlinks: 0-8W on 437.175 Voice and
  4k8,9k6,19k2,38k4 GMSK Digital (G3RUH).
  1.5W on 437.075 Voice and
  9k6,19k2,38k4 GMSK Digital (G3RUH).
  2W on 2403.2 Voice and
  9k6,19k2,38k4 GMSK Digital (G3RUH).
• Uplinks: 145.860 Voice; 9k6 GMSK Digital (G3RUH).
  145.xxx Voice; 9k6 GMSK Digital (G3RUH)
  to be announced after commissioning.
• The 437.075 and 2403.2 will not be on at the same time and will have to be duty cycled because of the heat they generate.
• The current plans are to have: 145.860 Voice up -> 437.175 Voice down (100 hertz CTCSS) plus 145.xxx 9k6 up -> 437.075 9k6 or 2403.2 38k4 down.
• Many other combinations are possible.
• Look forward to trying is 145.xxx Voice up -> 2403.2 voice down! Will not be in this mode very often.

ASUSat1
Arizona State University, U.S.

• Due for launch on 15th October 1999.
• Payload attached to JAWSAT.
• Frequencies coordinated with Assi Friedman 4X1KX\KK7KX.
• Uplinks:
  145.980 primary frequency
  145.850 backup frequency
• Downlink:
  436.700
• Voice repeater and 9600 baud AX.25 operations.

OPAL

Stanford University, California, U.S.

• Due for launch on 15th October 1999.
• Payload attached to JAWSAT.
• Second of the Stanford's SQUIRT (Satellite QUIck Research Testbed) series of satellites.
• OPAL is an acronym for Orbiting Picosat Automatic Launcher which is its primary mission.
• Frequency coordinated with Bob Twiggs KE6QMD
• Uplink and Downlink on 437.100 half-duplex.
• Communication is via 9600 baud Packet Radio and is primarily for spacecraft management and launch of Picosats such as StenSat.

StenSat - Washington, D.C. Group

• Due for launch on 15th October 1999.
• One of the Picosats due to be launched by OPAL.
• Built by a group of Amateur Radio operators located in Washington, D.C. area on very short notice.
• Required urgent frequency coordination.
• Frequencies coordinated with Hank Heidt N4AFL
• Uplink: 145.840 Downlink: 436.625 (0.1 or 0.25W).
• Periodically transmit 1200 baud AX.25 telemetry.
• Amateurs will also be able to PING the spacecraft using using a 6-digit DTMF code.

MIR Special Events - Miles Mann WF1F

• June 1999 Miles proposed Special Event Days before the crew departed MIR in August 1999.
• Miles originally suggested some frequencies outside the 145.800 to 146.000 segment, then some frequencies between 145.900 and 146.000.
• After much discussion it was agreed that the MAREX-NA public voice channels for the special event days should be:
  Primary 145.985 FM Simplex
  Temporary 1 145.825 FM Simplex
  Temporary 2 145.800 FM Simplex

LEAST Project - Harold Price NK6K

• First proposed to AMSAT in November 1998.
• LEAST - Lots of Extra Amateur Stuff on the Telescope an Amateur Radio package onboard the Canadian Telescope satellite known as MOST.
• Low power, high MIPS processor fed by a tuneable receiver covering 50MHz to 3GHz with 500KHz bandwidth.
• Also simple L/S transponder with LEILA strong signal attenuator, store and forward spectrum analyser, radiolocation via Doppler, highly encoded modulation schemes, studies of interfering signals in higher ham bands and pure fun projects.
• Frequency coordination is currently in progress:
  Uplink: L-band, Downlink: S-band, Data: 153.6 Kb PSK

NATSWeb Satellite - Bob Bruninga WB4APR

• Built by teams at U.S. Naval Academy and Weber State
  University in less than 6 weeks for launch in February 1999
• Missed launch due to State Department requirement for Export Licence.
• Mission to provide APRS mobile position and status reporting link from mobiles anywhere back to into a worldwide APRS infrastructure.
• The frequency chosen was 144.390MHz which fitted with North American bandplan but not IARU Regions 1 and 3.
• Therefore a frequency in the 145.800 to 146.000 was the only worldwide solution, more urgent international phone calls and it was agreed to use 145.815 as the downlink with 144.390 as the uplink.
• If APRS activity increases in IARU Regions 1 and 3 then an alternate uplink in 145.800 to 146.000 would be needed.

Emerald/Orion Project

Stanford & Santa Clara Universities California, U.S.

• 3 satellites due for launch in first quarter of 2002 from a Shuttle.
• 2 satellites called Emerald and 1 called Orion which will fly in formation using GPS with inter spacecraft and ground communications using Amateur Satellite frequencies.
• SQ hardware and BekTtek software will provide the Amateur Radio community with Pacsat (9600 baud half duplex) capability and bent pipe features of the modem when not in use for the primary mission.
• Primary mission completed in first 3 months after launch.
• Frequency coordination is currently in progress with Bob Twiggs KE6QMD - 70cm for crosslinking and 2M uplink.

Nanosatellite - Bristol University, U.K.

• Contacted by Ross Wilkinson G0WJR about proposed undergraduate project by Aerospace Engineering Department.
• Nanosat to be deployed by astronaut from I.S.S.
• Life expectancy only a few days because it is planned to have only battery-power i.e. no solar cells.
• 70 cm telemetry downlink only - 100bps data rate.