Satgen 604 Listen to ISS/Mir by GM4IHJ (BID SGEN604) 2000-10-21 As a starting point for beginners in Amateur radio space operations, year 2001 may provide excellent opportunities for listening to these space craft . Allowing gradual exploration, of the use of computer generated orbit tracking data, and the special difficulties associated with reception of VHF signals from space. At IHJ two beginners already have good HF radio reception and are familiar with RS13 operations. So to get them on VHF , a couple of 2m/10m receive converters have been dug out of storage. Powered by ancient computer 230 AC to 12 DC power converters, the output from the converters at HF is fed to antenna changeover switches which permit rapid shifting from VHF to HF operating. While one recovered 4 element 2m yagi antenna and another home brewed 3 element copy. provide the neccesary RF inputs to the converters. Antenna rotation or polarisation switching is not provided at this stage. The antennas are mounted so that they point south at an elevation of about 20 degrees. Noting that in Scotland all ISS and Mir orbits in range, pass to the south of the station as the space craft track from west to east. Perhaps when the young men get a modicum of experience , their outfits can be improved with antenna rotation and polarisation switching. But while they get used to the rise and fall of the signal due to Faraday rotation of polarisation , and the need even at FM to switch frequency slightly to allow for doppler. There is little point in complicating their situation until they have first " caught " their space craft several dozen times. Ham radio signals on 2m, may be spasmodic at first, with both ISS and Mir , but IF THE DECISION IS MADE TO KEEP MIR MANNED, it can be expected to be heard as it passes through south at the Scottish stations and comes in range of its ground FM links on 143.625 MHz. Conversation on this link will mostly be in Russian, but it may be heard more regularly during the first few months of 2001 than the 2m Mir signal or the ARISS Amateur Radio in Space Station equipment. Mirs cosmonaut 143.625 signal tunes at 27.625 MHz after down conversion to the HF receiver, and a standard Microwave modules 2m/10m converter handles this slightly out of band signal easily. In the early stages of operation, only 2m signals can be expected from the ISS astronauts. Both Voice FM and Packet modes are contemplated. But exact operating schedules are not presently known. Initial operations on ISS will use the 147 MHz Sirius telemetry antenna on the Functional Cargo Block (FCB), which can be connected through to the crew cabin. Later in 2001 , purpose built antennas will be fitted to the ISS service module. Just how much time the crews will have for amateur radio is uncertain. But the temporary FCB installation will be ready for use by the residents in ISS in November 2000. By contrast if Mir continues in orbit, it is unlikely to be manned before early 2001 when commercial operation may start. So Mirs amateur radio operation possibilities are very uncertain. But 143.625 FM should be heard if and when manned European orbits go east of the Greenwich Meridian of Longitude.