VK Logger Ham Radio Forum Archive

http://amsat-uk.org/2014/08/11/ham-radi ... -the-moon/

A new probe planned Tx'ing JT65 on 2m. Not quite EME, but at least 'ME' without the bounce!

73 - Rob VK2GOM / GW0MOH

From the ARRL

http://www.arrl.org/news/moon-bound-ham ... -but-hurry

Hi all.....

Has anyone tried there luck getting a TX from this mission.....2m JT65b

Signals have already been copied...around the world...

I entered the TLE's into a tracking program and it said the satellite should have been visible, but pointing a 2m antenna in the direction resulted in nothing seen in JT65b here. However, it is highly likely I made a mistake with the tracking program. Will keep trying ...

Hi all...

Bob I looked at this site a few minutes ago...and it said it was visible now....

you can check if what you came up with is right....maybe...

http://moon.luxspace.lu/tracking/


Just put in you details....and wait for the output....

Got it! Needed a GaAsFET preamp at the antenna due to the lossy feedline and smallish antenna (just 6 elements on a 2.5m boom).

065300 10 -17 2.7 -627 3 * 153V231A +2C 1 0
065400 3 -19 2.7 -624 3 * 73 DE LW3EOV 1 0
065500 8 -21 2.7 -624 3 * RAD0S42NA4 1 0

Doppler shift has it lower than the published 145.980 ... seems very near to DF=0 with my RX at 145.978.9

065900 2 -25 2.7 -16 4 * KK6NWJPEACE73 1 0
070000 3 -22 2.7 -16 3 * R47L33-X3O 1 0
070100 8 -18 2.7 -16 3 * LOVE U AGNES 1 0

Was strong this morning before work

best was -4

Cheers

hi all...

good work....it said it was about 128,000km away....so doing well..

Keep going till you lose it.....there are some awards and such that go with launch...


check out the contest on the link I posted...

Getting decodes here as well, signal strength -19dB vfo dial at 145.978

"Upgraded" to a 7 element Yagi on a 3.2m boom today. Installed to the highest technical parameters on a Black and Decker workmate 'tower'
The GaAsFET preamp at the 'mast head' helps. Still maintaining JT65B decodes at around -20dB (+- QSB)
The tracking program says 223692km from earth, so well over half way towards its flyby of the moon.

Latest decodes added:
010404 8 -17 -0.3 -11 3 * 73 DE KC5QNK 1 0
010504 4 -25 -0.3 -11 4 * RABW444DCZ 1 0
010604 4 -25 -0.3 -13 3 *
010704 9 -18 -0.3 -13 3 * LX0OHB-4M0357 1 0
010804 6 -20 -0.3 -13 3 * 140V245A +3C 1 0

73,

Hi all.....

oh very impressive setup.hihi.....should encourage anyone who has a beam and Preamp and a ladder to give it a try...

I have mainly 70cm here....made second beam....I might be waiting for the Japanese to launch around Dec I think..


Seeing this is a VHF and above forum(basically)....it surprises me that more people are not having a go and posting there efforts....just to participate in something that does not happen often....well never actually.....go figure

Something decoded from the satellite for the original poster ...

045904 4 -26 -0.1 -129 3 * 73-ROB VK2GOM 1 0

Hi all....

What was that you posted.....was that part of a message or ?

There was an opportunity for several thousand short messages (JT65format, so limited to 13 characters eaxh) to be lodged with luxspace via their website before the satellite launch. These messages were loaded into the satellite and form part of the 'data' being transmitted in JT65. That line I posted above was a message that VK2GOM no doubt lodged with luxspace. Rob's 1 minute of fame

(the messages do get repeated, and each one will be broadcast several times during the flight).

Hi all.....

cool....I did read there was something like 4000 messages.......I wonder if Rob knows he had a call out....he should be able to get a good copy with his newly made 2m beam....wonder if he is home to try...

still getting decodes here, last message

081103 5 -22 0.2 -223 3 * OD5RI RIRI 73

lots more fading now

Update: http://amsat-uk.org/2014/10/25/4m-lunar-payload-update/

Hi all....

Just read the link Bob....16+ dB antenna maybe required.......so are you guys still getting any signals now...?

223000 11 -17 4.8 -245 3 * R489N3+0YT 1 0
223100 9 -22 4.8 -245 3 * AS AND EVEN M 1 0
223200 7 -21 4.8 -242 1 * LX0OHB-4M0614 1 0
223300 2 -24 4.7 -242 3 *
223400 4 -22 4.8 -242 3 * UCH MORE THAN 1 0


Hello John.
This on a single 18 el horizontal yagi with mast head preamp. No elevation . Distance to craft 298K

Can detect signals up to or down from 20 deg .

73
Joe
VK7JG

This morning when the satellite was around 8 to 18 degrees elevation nearly every sequence was decoding with the boost in signal resulting from "ground gain" adding to the antenna's performance (antenna at 1 WL height ... the resulting radiation pattern is more or less as shown in the simulation below, with peak gain at 17dBi). The signal level indicated in JT65B was generally between -15 and -20 at that time.
Now the satellite is at 67 degrees there is just the 'raw' gain of the Yagi (supposedly 13.0dBi at 146MHz), and only the sequences at the peak of the QSB are decoding ...

022505 7 -22 0.1 172 3 * RADN-40W.2 1 0
022605 0 -28 0.1 172 3 *
022705 8 -22 0.1 172 3 * LX0OHB-4M0661 1 0
022805 9 -21 0.1 170 3 * 140V245A +2C 1 0

73,