Pass Recorder 2.0 has been released for general availability, the following has changed:
You can download version 2.0 at https://www.2m0sql.com/pass-recorder/
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Uplink is on the 10m PSK frequency of 28.120 USB and it downlinks on 435.350 FM (PSK31), the satellite builders recommend using up to 75w into an omnidirectional antenna on 10m.
In my own experience of using NO-84, I was using a 10m dipole which worked reasonably well, but I found the best antenna for myself was a 10m GP this was easy to build with a small fibreglass fishing rod, wire and a dipole centre I made one for less than Β£10 (Bargain!)
I found with this setup I was able to activate the transponder with as little as 10w, however, of course, increasing the power made sure that NO-84 could hear my signal a lot more.
Of course, with this satellite doppler is a consideration and although you can use a standard PSK31 application for transmitting and receive youβll see your signal has the Doppler curve on it, however, K0SM has produced a simple application called DopplerPSK
Setting this up is simple, you download the application which is Java and launch it and then set some parameters. In Station -> Edit Station InformationΒ you specify your location like you would with any other tracking application. You then select the satellite you want to use by going to Satellite -> Choose SatelliteΒ and select NO-84.
Itβs worth noting youβll need to manually update the TLEs, these are stored in the /tle/ subdirectory.Β Iβd recommend using the https://www.amsat.org/tle/current/nasabare.txt once you have updated the TLEs relaunch the application.
Select the output soundcard by clicking on Audio Device in the menu and selecting the correct one, remember this is the audio going to your radio.
On the main screen of DopplerPSK youβll notice you have some tracking information and boxes update the MyCallΒ with your own callsign and press update.Β Notice below that there are prepopulated text inputs and radio buttons to represent the one that has been selected for now use CQ.
Its generally recommended you transmit the whole time NO-84 is passing over. The other station will be on a different frequency to yourself, update their callsign in DXCall and the exchange and hit the UpdateΒ button, again then select the message you want to send till the contacts complete. Then go back to CQ or reply to someone else if their calling CQ, this method seems to work well.
To decode the signals, I personally recommend using a PSK application that supports multi decoding, for instance, FL-Digi, you can watch all the stations on the passband and your own and carry out your contact with ease.
Remember that if NO-84 doesnβt hear a PSK31 signal on 28.120 the transponder will not turn on unless it is sending its beacon signal.
Hopefully, this gives you some idea how to setup DopplerPSK to complete a NO-84 PSK QSO. Itβs worth keeping in mind that activity can be low, so do not be scared to ask for prearranged contact.
The post Using the NO-84 (PSAT) PSK Transponder appeared first on 2M0SQL.
Those which follow me on social media might have noticed at the start of the month I launched a small desktop application called Pass Recorder, it was built purely as I wanted a tool to sit in the background when I was operating on satellite passes recording what I was hearing in case I needed to double check a callsign or share the audio with a friend.
Pass Recorder interfaces with SatPC32 via its DDE interface and automatically records a pass if its above 0 degrees to a high-quality wavΒ format, this audio quality does, however, generate slightly larger files with an average pass being about 60mb, but AO-7 passes are more in the range of a 100mb.
However, for a proof of concept itβs working well and Iβm planning to make some improvements and allow dropping the audio quality which will reduce the size for those who want that, Iβve also had some requests to support other applications, which I have no objection to, the next supported application will be WXTrack by David, GM8ARV.
You can grab the application by going to https://www.2m0sql.com/pass-recorder/ the tool is free but donations are appreciated.
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Satellite tracking applications play an important part in using the transponders available to radio amateurs, of course, experiences of them all vary and are very subjective however we are going to explore what is available on the Android platform.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.me.g4dpz.HamSatDroid
AMSATDroid Free has been the staple choice for most keen AMSAT operators, created by David G4DPZ and provided free to the community it allows you to see the next passes for individual satellites for a period of time when you select a pass Β it gives you a graphical display of the pass on a compass style view or a map view which includes the track of where itβs going to be.
The application hasnβt received many updates but recently got made open source and is available on Github https://github.com/g4dpz/AmsatDroidFree
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.heavens_above.viewer_pro
Heavens-Above Pro has been my favourite satellite tracking app when on the move, its amateur radio features allow you to search for an amateur satellite youβre after, it then gives you passes for the next couple of days along with pass times and a rough guide for the uplink and downlink.
On selecting the pass of interest you get a compass view which updates in real time showing where the satellite is, it also gives a detailed break down of a pass from the start (AOS) to the end (LOS) including the time the satellite is at its maximum elevation.
A useful function in Heavens-Above is that it allows you to create calendar entries for the pass, thus helping you plan your trip. Within the settings, you can also define some of the options like the minimum elevation so if you canβt work below 10 degrees elevation you can set that.
Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.runar.issdetector
ISS Detector has become the most popular application for satellite tracking in recent months with its huge range of features it offers, although you have to buy the Amateur Radio Extensions which cost around Β£1.09 via an in-app purchase itβs well worth it.
Once you have purchased the addon you can create a filter to include the active ham radio satellites that you are interested in and set a minimum elevation plus whether you want ISS Detector to popup a notification when the pass is due within 5 minutes which is useful.
Returning to the main screen you a full list of next passes based on your filters these are in chronological order. When you select the pass you get a wealth of information displayed in the RADAR tab you get a compass view of the pass you help you with antenna pointing, selecting the details tab gives you a finer display of the pass times and its elevations along with a live Google Map of the satellites current position.
The interesting part of this tab is when you scroll down it gives you doppler information, for a linear satellite you get doppler corrections for the top and bottom edges of the transponder, on FM passes you get the uplink and downlink, this can be a useful guide on where you should be listening and transmitting.
Within the satellite view, you also have the option to create a calendar entry if youβre planning a day trip or even share the pass with friends.
As with any application, thereβs a huge selection of settings options to go through and adjust to your liking but once you have it set up itβs straightforward to use.
Hopefully, this gave an insight into some of the options available, Iβve not been paid to recommend any of them and paid apps were bought with my own money, I will say that ISS Detector is my main go-to application for planning passes whether at home or even portable the notifications, calendar and filters just make it simple.
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