Author Archives: robert

ARISS Contact to be Friday May 6

Posted on April 27, 2016 by robert

The ARISS and NASA organizations have just announced that the All Saints Academy contact with the International Space Station will take place on Friday May 6th. Our orbit will be a descending one, beginning at approximately 12:44 PM local time and … Continue reading →

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Packet QSO with VA3NNA via ISS (RS0ISS)

Posted on April 25, 2016 by robert

Adrian, VA3NNA, and I used UNPROTO packets to have a QSO today via the Packet Robot, RS0ISS, aboard the International Space Station. fm WB4SON to CQ via RS0ISS* FN41FN +/ ctl UI^ pid F0 – 25-APR-16 11:08:12 fm VA3NNA to … Continue reading →

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ARISS Practice Going Well

Posted on April 24, 2016 by robert

As of yesterday, the RF Team from NCRC has had 3 ARISS practice sessions, where we use the Packet Robot RS0ISS to check out the RF uplink/downlink and antenna tracking gear. Usually at home I use M2 Eggbeater antennas, and … Continue reading →

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QSL for RS0ISS Packet Arrives

Posted on April 18, 2016 by robert

I received a QSL via the ARRL for the packet activity through the ISS Packet Robot, RS0ISS on April 4th.  

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ISS SSTV Reception

Posted on April 13, 2016 by robert

Always looking for a new way to practice for our upcoming ARISS contact the first week of May, I setup the MMSSTV program to decode the SSTV signal being sent from ISS on 145.800 MHz.  The signal is sent using … Continue reading →

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Just Another Number

Posted on April 11, 2016 by robert

Recognizing that there isn’t anything special about this, but I noticed that I had exactly 4,000 confirmed QSOs in LotW today (63% confirmation rate).

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Successful Digipeat from ISS

Posted on April 4, 2016 by robert

As our ARISS contact is 30 days away, so it is time for lots of practice.  While not at All Saints yet, I am using my IC-9100 with egg-beaters to monitor the ISS Packet Robot on 145.825 +/- Doppler.  Packets … Continue reading →

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DXCC Update

Posted on April 1, 2016 by robert

After ironing out some system glitches, the nice folks at the ARRL checked in my paper QSLs and I found myself standing at 251 confirmed countries with 1,188 band-points.  Also, one of the paper QSLs finished 30-meter WAS, making that … Continue reading →

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A Grand Day at ARRL HQ

Posted on March 31, 2016 by robert

A friend of mine, Paul, N1PSX, and I drove to ARRL HQ yesterday for a visit.  It was Paul’s first trip, and the first time in a long time for me (my father and I visited in 1982 when we … Continue reading →

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VK0EK Heard Island Success on 80-meters

Posted on March 28, 2016 by robert

Propagation and fate smiled on me.  Shortly after I could hear VK0EK’s 80 meter signal at about S-3 (local noise level S-2), I was able to work them a few minutes before local sunset.  Grey line propagation with a bit … Continue reading →

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