[GCARC] Visible ISS pass 8:01pm tonight

[John Zaruba]

I was successful digipeating through the ISS using my old Yaesu FT1D with a SignalStick antenna and 5 watts output.

Was very cool watching the station pass over while transmitting through it.

Thanks for the heads up Jim!

73,

John K2ZA

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 3, 2023, at 14:41, Mike <g0ggleblind at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the info sir.
> 
> I believe the AX.25 packet is active on the ISS as well @ 145.825 both up
> and down. I used to like decoding the APRS packets and watching stations
> pop up on a map within the ISS's footprint.
> 
> Clear skies and 73
> Mike Thompson
> KG4JYA
> Mikeasphere <http://mikeasphere.blogspot.com/>
> 
> 
>> On Mon, Apr 3, 2023 at 12:00 PM Jim n2gxj <jim.n2gxj at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> It is a coincidence that at 8pm, same time as the start of tonight's
>> TechNet, there is a potentially excellent visible pass of International
>> Space Station (ISS).  I may be a few minutes late to the net so that have a
>> chance to look (and maybe listen-in to the cross-band repeater traffic
>> using my hand-held! )
>> 
>> How see it?
>> If skies are not too cloudy, no binoculars, nor telescope required.  This
>> is a "naked eye" pass.  Simply stand outside, facing bright Venus in the
>> west at 8pm.  Within a minute or two, look for a bright dot rising in the
>> sky from the right of Venus, from the north-west horizon, then passing
>> above Venus.  This bright dot is the space station.  It is bright enough
>> for us to see in this pass because of high up sunlight that is not in the
>> Earth's shadow reflecting off of the body of the space station and its
>> solar panels.
>> 
>> The ISS will move in an arc across the sky, passing above Venus at 8:03,
>> then traveling past a point almost overhead - just above Mars - by 8:04pm,
>> and then continuing until it disappears into the south-east horizon around
>> 8:06.
>> 
>> Can we hear the amateur radio repeater in space on the ISS?
>> Yes you can! For extra fun, if you want to hear hams trying to use the
>> cross-band repeater that is on the station at the same time that you are
>> visually watching the pass, you can take your hand-held outside to listen
>> in!
>> Your best bet on your handheld is when the ISS is highest in the sky, up
>> near Mars.
>> Simply tune to 437.800 MHz FM on your HT, turn off your squelch so can hear
>> constant static (also allowing weaker signals to be heard), then hold your
>> radio flat, so that the antenna is parallel to the ground (instead of the
>> usual pointing up).
>> 
>> If you really want to get fancy with your receiving, before the ISS is
>> overhead you might hear the chatter clearer with slightly higher frequency,
>> e.g. 437.805. Then tune to 437.800 as is overhead. Then tune to slightly
>> lower frequency after is past, e.g. 437.795. Some people pre-program all
>> three of these as memories in their HT, but it also works to manually tune.
>> 
>> Have fun, and good luck for clear skies!
>> 73,
>> Jim
>> 
>> details:
>> sky chart showing the pass (hold this overhead, as E-W are reversed,
>> assuming you are looking up at the sky through the picture)
>> 
>> https://www.heavens-above.com/passdetails.aspx?lat=39.7416&lng=-75.0789&loc=NJ_home&alt=45&tz=EST&satid=25544&mjd=60038.0026358046&type=V
>> 
>> cross-band repeater status:
>>  it is configured (it is enabled) 3-April-2023.
>>  https://www.ariss.org/current-status-of-iss-stations.html
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> GCARC mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/gcarc
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:GCARC at mailman.qth.net
>> 
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> GCARC mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/gcarc
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:GCARC at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html