Author: SM0TGU

Webmaster and member of the AMSAT-SM steering group.

Categories
Operations

Working satellites with IC-9700

This is a guide how to work satellites with the Icom IC-9700. When trying to understand the IC-9700 I needed to write down how to use it – so this is how this post was born. Several different user scenarios are explained below.

The IC-9700 satellite memory examples and file can be found here.
Please contact us if you see anything that will not work in the following user cases.

Setting up PstRotator and OmniRig

The PstRotator manual is very good so please read it, very important is the section how to use IC-9700 with PstRotator satellite functions.

The file for OmniRig is delivered with PstRotator and is named IC-9700PST.ini. Do not forget to copy this file to the OmniRig folder.

My settings for OmniRig is like this:

And a typical layout for PstRotator Satellites Tracking is like this:

Case 1: Using IC-9700 stand alone without computer control

Read the IC-9700 Basic Manual section 7 “Satellite communication”. It has all the information you need.

I have tested linear satellites with manual tuning (RS-44) and it worked very good. My uplink TX signal (VHF) was fixed and I tuned the downlink signal (UHF) when needed. The VFO tracking/untracking function of the IC-9700 is outstanding.

Some basic rules I learned from skilled operators:

  • “Tune the highest frequency”
  • “Always tune UHF to VHF” – the same as fix the VHF frequency and tune UHF.

Case 2: Using IC-9700 with PstRotator

Once again – first read the excellent manual of PstRotator and the section about satellites and IC-9700. Then – read it one more time!

Some operating hints:

  • Select the satellite from PstRotator Favorites. Correct frequency, mode and subtone (if needed, for FM) are now set to IC-9700, and the radio goes into Satellite Mode. The filter selection, for example if you have chosen FIL2 for USB, should not be changed from PstRotator.
  • The first time on a satellite you may need to correct the offset with the +/- and then click Save.
  • Press the “UP+DN” on PstRotator. Doppler is now adjusted on both RX and TX. You can use the VFO knob on the IC-9700 to tune around on the passband with full doppler control, very nice! Just transmit and you should hear yourself.
  • If a station you would like to receive, or your own signal, is off frequency it can be good to use the RIT on the radio to adjust RX frequency in a smooth way, without changing the PstRotator settings. Also the PBT (Pass Band Tuning of RX filter) can be good to use during RX.

Case 3: Using IC-9700 as TX with SDR-Console v3 as RX

In this case the IC-9700 is working as the transmitter with full doppler control and SDR-Console with a SDR (or panadapter for IC-9700) as receiver, also with doppler control. Be sure to set the correct band for TX to the MAIN VFO in IC-9700 and do not use the Satellite Mode. Then use the same setup as described in this post.

It is possible to use the VFO knob on IC-9700 to tune the TX frequency.

Case 4: FT4 with IC-9700 and PstRotator

Be sure to use DATA mode settings in PstRotator. Then the IC-9700 is using the filter you have selected for DATA.
Then use it just like Case 2 above.

Case 5: FT4 with IC-9700 as TX and SDR-Console v3 as RX

Use the IC-9700 as transmitter and SDR-Console with SDR (or panadapter for IC-9700) as receiver. Be sure to set the correct band for TX to the MAIN VFO in IC-9700 and do not use the Satellite Mode Use the same setup as described in this post.

This is the setup I’m using when running FT4 because I think it gives better control over the QSO than using PstRotator.

Categories
Ham Satellite news

EASAT-2 and HADES Updates

Info from ANS:

Felix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Mission Manager provided the last information on their satellites as of January 18, 2022.

“We confirm the reception of both EASAT-2 and HADES, as well as the decoding of telemetry and the FM recorded voice beacon with the callsign AM5SAT of the first one. EASAT-2 appears to be working well except for the deployment of the antennas, something that apparently has not yet occurred and causes weak signals. However, the AMSAT-EA team confirms that, based on the reception of FSK, CW, the FM voice beacon and the telemetry data that has been decoded, it can be said that the satellite is working perfectly. In the event of low battery or system malfunction, the on-board computer would not transmit CW messages or the voice beacon-callsign, as it would be in a ‘safe’ state with only fast and slow telemetry transmissions.

“These signals that have been able to confirm the operation of both satellites were received by Dr. Daniel Estévez EA4GPZ at 18:07 UTC on Saturday, January 15, using two antennas from the Allen Telescope Array. The TLEs used were obtained from the radio amateur community, with Doppler observations from the Delfi-PQ satellite, deployed together with EASAT-2 and Hades.

“TLEs used were these ones:
https://github.com/AMSAT-EA/easat2-tle-lottery/blob/main/satnogs-2022-01-16-DELFI-PQ.tle

Daniel, EA4GPZ, performed a preliminary analysis using just one polarization of one of the satellite dishes. EASAT-2 has been detected with a relatively strong signal, close to the Delfi-PQ signal, obtaining said recorded voice FM beacon transmissions and FSK, FSK-CW at 50 baud.

“The CW beacon clearly shows the message: VVV AM5SAT SOL Y PLAYA, which is one of several that both satellites emit, although the callsign AM5SAT confirms that it is EASAT-2.

“In the recording made by Daniel EA4GPZ there is also a faint trace confirmed to be from Hades and stronger packets probably from the IRIS-A satellite.

“HADES, like EASAT-2, is transmitting weak signals, weaker than the ones of EASAT-2, most likely because the on-board computer has not yet managed to deploy the antennas either, although it will continue trying regularly. The reason the signals are suspected to be weaker at Hades is that the antennas are more tightly folded than those of EASAT-2. In any case, this is great news, since the transmission pattern confirms the proper functioning of the satellite. In the observations you can see the FSK tones with a deviation of about 5 kHz interspersed with the FM carrier corresponding to the voice beacon of the satellite, which has callsign AM6SAT. The AMSAT-EA team is working to try to decode the telemetry signals and obtain more detailed information on the state of the satellite.

“We kindly ask you, if you have very high gain antennas, to try to receive them, specially Hades. If we could decode telemetry it would be very helpful for us.

“Until antennas are deployed it will be very difficult to use their repeaters or to receive any SSTV camera images from Hades, but we hope that this will happen sooner or later, at least because even if the computer doesn’t succeed applying heat to the resistor where the thread is attached, with time, the thread should break due to the space environment conditions.

Details of the decoded telemetry and voice, as well as more details in:
https://www.amsat-ea.org/ (Texts are In Spanish)

And in the following Twitter threads:

EASAT-2 transmissions:
https://twitter.com/ea4gpz/status/1482457631566487553
EASAT-2 decodings by Gabriel Otero:
https://twitter.com/gaoterop/status/1482758196037050382
HADES transmissions:
https://twitter.com/ea4gpz/status/1482696274797338625.”

[ANS thanks Felix Paez, EA4GQS, AMSAT-EA Mission Manager for the above information.]

Categories
Ham Satellite news Members news

AMSAT-SM 40 years during 2022

During this year 2022 AMSAT-SM celebrate 40 years as a satellite group in Sweden. Stand by for more events later this year! As you can see we have also updated our logos.

73 from the steering group of AMSAT-SM

Categories
Operations

Satellite Memory File for IC-9700

This is a memory group file over satellite frequencies for Icom IC-9700 and CS-9700 software. Feel free to use it, change and add, make your own groups etc.

Import the memory file into CS-9700:
Note! Be sure that you not overwrite anything in your IC-9700 when cloning and/or importing the .csv file! Make a backup of your current settings!

  • Mark the Satellite Memory group
  • Right click and choose import the .csv file
  • The memories will now be imported to CS-9700

As CS-9700 seems to handle character set different between regions I have created two files. If one does not work, try the other one. Comma separated is working for North America.

Download the latest files from SM0TGUs Github:
IC-9700_SatFrqMemGroup.csv
IC-9700_SatFrqMemGroup_commaseparated.csv

Note! When downloading from GitHub, you download all the files in the repository as a zip file. Then you can use the file of your interest:

If you have any problems downloading the files from the GitHub location please contact us and the files can be sent via mail.

Categories
Members news

Styrgruppsmöte januari 2022

For english see below in this post:

Styrgruppen i AMSAT-SM (Håkan SM7WSJ, Inge SM4JLX och Lars SM0TGU) har haft ett möte i januari och dessa är några av punkterna som kom upp och beslutades:

  • Vi har fått in en del donationer via PayPal. Dessa pengar överförs årligen till gruppens konto. Vill du donera? Detta görs via denna länk:
    https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/amsatsm
  • AMSAT-SM fyller 40 år i år och vi har tankar på att anordna ett satellitdiplom. Inga mer detaljer är klara men vi håller på och undersöker tillsammans med en amatörradio-kollega i Stockholm.
  • Vidare på 40-årsjubileet: Vi kommer anordna någon form av tävling/frågequiz under våren med fina priser! 7 maj är själva dagen för jubileet. Vi kommer även skriva lite om detta i QTC och andra medier.
  • AMSAT-SM HF-nät fortsätter på söndagarna rapporterar Håkan. Kul att det hålls vid liv!
  • Lars har en del planerade föreläsningar under 2022, men det gäller att Corona-restriktionerna släpper.
  • I övrigt rullar allt på, vi har en mycket stabil ekonomi med i stort sätt inga löpande utgifter mer än AMSAT-SMs domännamn (www.amsat.se).

English summary:

  • All donations via PayPal is transferred to AMSAT-SM Bank account. Please feel free to donate at: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/amsatsm
  • This year 2022 AMSAT-SM is celebrating 40 years. We are planning some sort of Satellite Award but no more information at this point. We will also write some articles in the Swedish ham radio newsletter QTC.
    And we are planning some kind of quiz on the website with some nice prices during May.
  • The AMSAT-SM HF net is still going strong, every sunday on 80 meter!
  • Lars SM0TGU will (if Corona restrictions lift offs) do some satellite presentations during this year.
  • Our financial status is still very good.
Categories
Ham Satellite news

Updated XW-3 CAS-9 User Manual v1.11

Alan BA1DU has sent an updated XW-3 CAS-9 User Manual and can be downloaded here:

XW-3（CAS-9）-Amateur-Radio-Satellite-Users-Manual-V1.11Download