Ham radio on the international space station

[Gabe001]

https://phys.org/news/2020-12-earthl...ham-radio.html

Has anyone here ever had a chat with the astronauts on the space station?

Gabriel

No, but I have heard them on many an occasion with a handheld, makes (made?) people down the pub interested. They (the space station) prefer to do planned QSOs with schools etc. I have never been brave or arrogant enough to try off the bat.

[G6Tanuki]

I've heard them quite a few times too; they usually publish the dates when there's going to be activity and then all you need is the appropriate app on your phone to tell you the times of the 'passes' at your lat/long.

Surprisingly strong signals even on a walkie-talkie or scanner using just the rubber-duck antenna.

[Gabe001]

This may be a stupid question, I know close to nothing about ham radios

Is it possible to hear the ham conversations on the short wave amateur bands or are these complete different?

[G6Tanuki]

Yes - hams use short-waves extensively.

They predominantly use single-sideband [SSB] and Morse [CW] - which can't be received properly on a typical LW/MW/SW domestic receiver - you need a 'communications' receiver with a beat-frequency-oscillator.


See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_receiver

[ms660]

https://www.ariss.org/contact-the-iss.html

Lawrence.

[Graham G3ZVT]

Here is a rather poor recording I made of Helen Sharman on board the Mir space station in May 1991.

Trio 2300, built in telescopic whip, 145.525MHz FM.

https://soundcloud.com/rambo1152/gb1mir

[Graham G3ZVT]

Originally Posted by Gabe001

This may be a stupid question, I know close to nothing about ham radios

Is it possible to hear the ham conversations on the short wave amateur bands or are these complete different?

Difficult, but not impossible.

When my interest in amateur radio started with just such a chance encounter. In those days (mid to late 1960s) there was a lot of AM activity on the 160 meter band, this band is located slightly higher in frequency than the medium-wave band, and consequently many ordinary radios covered a part of it, and those that didn't could be made to with a slight twiddle internally.
There were two amateurs a few hundred yards away that used to chat to each other on Sunday mornings, I found out where one of them lived and the rest is history.

[Gabe001]

Just read through the information in those links. Thank you all.

I know close to nothing about ham radios

The space station uses FM (frequency modulation) at about 145MHz https://www.livescience.com/33453-is...o%20volunteers. which is in a global amateur band (I think North Korea is the only country that doesn't allow it although it is allocated there). Although the station is 200 miles or so away it is "line of sight" and easily receivable on inexpensive equipment (such as a scanner). To become legally able to transmit radio in the UK you need to have passed a test or three, nothing onerous, look for your local radio society. I like experimenting with digital modes, getting to south America (and back) using a few watts of power is fun.

And in the spirit of this forum you can use vintage military radios for two way communication.

[Gabe001]

Originally Posted by rambo1152

Here is a rather poor recording I made of Helen Sharman on board the Mir space station in May 1991.

Trio 2300, built in telescopic whip, 145.525MHz FM.

https://soundcloud.com/rambo1152/gb1mir

That's amazing!

[ParcGwyn]

Heard them a few times and also received SSTV pictures.

Dave
GW7ONS