Anybody copy the FASTRAC 1 and 2 nanosatellites yet? (as on page 83 of
the Feb 2011 QST)

They are on 145.825 MHz (and a 440 freq that escapes me at the moment),
sending a beacon with embedded telemetry data, using conventional VHF
packet protocol (AX.25).

The good news is that you can track it to see when it will be coming
over your neighborhood by downloading "Orbitron", a FREE tracking
program. The bad news is that Orbitron gets the Keplerian elements from
the Celestrak site...and Celestrak surprisingly has not yet posted the
keps for these birds. You can get the correct keps from the FASTRACK
site or amsat.org and then paste it into Orbitron.

Hey, it's not "short" wave, but it IS radio...and a little change of
pace challenge is always fun.

Yesterday, or the day before, I was checking out
http://www.jrwhipple.com
I saw a site/link there somewhere about 'tracking' satellites when they
are over your area.Something like that anyway.
cuhulin

On Mar 2, 9:56*am, Joe from Kokomo wrote:
Anybody copy the FASTRAC 1 and 2 nanosatellites yet? (as on page 83 of
the Feb 2011 QST)

They are on 145.825 MHz (and a 440 freq that escapes me at the moment),
sending a beacon with embedded telemetry data, using conventional VHF
packet protocol (AX.25).

The good news is that you can track it to see when it will be coming
over your neighborhood by downloading "Orbitron", a FREE tracking
program. The bad news is that Orbitron gets the Keplerian elements from
the Celestrak site...and Celestrak surprisingly has not yet posted the
keps for these birds. You can get the correct keps from the FASTRACK
site or amsat.org and then paste it into Orbitron.

Hey, it's not "short" wave, but it IS radio...and a little change of
pace challenge is always fun.

What kind of antenna would be useful for this? Just something the
size of a whip?

The only thing I have that receives this freq is a Patrolman portable
radio :-D

On 3/2/2011 12:56 PM, Joe from Kokomo wrote:
Anybody copy the FASTRAC 1 and 2 nanosatellites yet? (as on page 83
of the Feb 2011 QST)

They are on 145.825 MHz (and a 440 freq that escapes me at the
moment), sending a beacon with embedded telemetry data, using
conventional VHF packet protocol (AX.25).

The good news is that you can track it to see when it will be coming
over your neighborhood by downloading "Orbitron", a FREE tracking
program. The bad news is that Orbitron gets the Keplerian elements
from the Celestrak site...and Celestrak surprisingly has not yet
posted the keps for these birds. You can get the correct keps from
the FASTRACK site or amsat.org and then paste it into Orbitron.


Got the following response from Doc Kelso at Celestrak regarding the
missing keps:

The part that is missing is that the US government has decided not to
release ANY TLE data for any of the objects associated with the
STP-S26 mission, which includes the satellites you mentioned. As a
result, there is no data for them on CelesTrak.

I wonder what the big mystery is about the STP-S26 mission. It's already
been published in a national magazine (QST).

P.S. Interesting side note: these sats were put in orbit from Point
Barrow, Alaska, NOT Cape Canaveral. I didn't know they put stuff in
orbit from anywhere but Florida (or maybe Wallops Isl, VA?).

On 3/2/2011 12:56 PM, Joe from Kokomo wrote:
Anybody copy the FASTRAC 1 and 2 nanosatellites yet? (as on page 83 of
the Feb 2011 QST)

They are on 145.825 MHz (and a 440 freq that escapes me at the moment),
sending a beacon with embedded telemetry data, using conventional VHF
packet protocol (AX.25).

The good news is that you can track it to see when it will be coming
over your neighborhood by downloading "Orbitron", a FREE tracking
program. The bad news is that Orbitron gets the Keplerian elements from
the Celestrak site...and Celestrak surprisingly has not yet posted the
keps for these birds. You can get the correct keps from the FASTRACK
site or amsat.org and then paste it into Orbitron.

Hey, it's not "short" wave, but it IS radio...and a little change of
pace challenge is always fun.

Success!

Earlier this morning (March 3), I copied the beacon packet from FASTRAC
2. It wasn't a very close pass, about 700 km at nearest approach, they
are running 1 watt and I was using a zero gain, omnidirectional antenna.

Also copied a lot of ham digipeater packet chatter from several passes
of the International Space Station, which is also on the same frequency,
145.825 MHz and apparently running a bit more power.

Some of those people in some of the WebTV newsgroups are all hyped up (I
Say, HYPED) about them thar new iPad 2.It like they are having orgasms
about it.One of them asked me if there is an Apple store near me and
have I played with an iPad?

The AT&T SUCKS! store just across Highway 80 (about the same distance as
the Sears front door at Metrocenter Mall, 275 footsteps) from doggy's
couch has two iPads and a Samsung Galaxy Touch Tablet and a whole bunch
of other thangys on display over thar.Of course I played with one of the
iPads and the Samsung Galaxy Touch Tablet!

If I want a Touch Tablet, of course I will buy a Velocity Micro ten inch
screen Touch Tablet.Mama didn't raise no fool.

Doggy, play WOO WOO WOOF!
cuhulin