Author: SM0TGU

Webmaster and member of the AMSAT-SM steering group.

Transceivers for Amateur Radio Satellites

Post author By SM0TGU
Post date 2021-01-11
29 Comments on Transceivers for Amateur Radio Satellites

IC-9700

Updated 2026-06-27

This is a list of VHF/UHF transceivers that can be used for Amateur Radio Satellites. Note that the general rule is that you need a full duplex rig (or two single rigs) to be able to hear yourself on the satellite downlink.

This list will never be complete in any way but maybe can help if you looking for old used rigs. Most of the info is from the excellent RigPix Database. If you have any updates or would like to add more rigs please send a mail to info@amsat.se

Also – WD9EWK, Patrick E Stoddard, has an excellent and large Excel spreadsheet with lists of HTs, VHF/UHF mobile transceivers and base-station transceivers. If you would like more information please download Patricks spreadsheet.

The list below shows:

Base stations rigs that have both VHF and UHF (HF as bonus) and all mode. Only one – IC-9700 – is in production today.
Non Full Duplex smaller rigs with VHF/UHF that can be used mobile or as portable. The classic FT-817 and IC-705 are listed here.
Handheld (HT) FM VHF/UHF – only full duplex or that has special satellite functions. There are many VHF/UHF HTs but very few are of interest for satellite use as they are not full duplex.
Mobile FM stations VHF/UHF – only full duplex or that has special satellite function.

Full Duplex All Mode Base Station VHF/UHF transceivers

Name	Weight (kg)	In production?	Note
IC-820/821	5.0	No
IC-910/911	4.5	No
IC-970	15.0	No
IC-9700	4.7	Yes	D-Star, SDR
IC-9100	11.0	No	Also HF
TS-790	9.2	No
TS-2000	7.8	No	Also HF
FT-736R	9.0	No
FT-847	7.0	No	Also HF

Mobile or Portable All Mode VHF/UHF transceivers
(not full duplex, all has HF except IC-905)

Name	Weight (kg)	In production?	Note
HS2	<1	No	SDR. Also rebranded by others.
IC-706MKIIG	2.45	No
IC-7000	2.3	No
IC-7100	2.7 (with front panel)	No
IC-705	1.1	Yes	D-Star, SDR, Battery See our posts about IC-705
IC-905	0.94 (controller)	Yes	VHF/UHF/SHF Interface based on IC-705. No HF.
FT-817/818	1.17	Yes	Battery
FT-100D	3.0	No
FT-857	2.1	No
FT-897	3.9	No
FT-991	4.3	Yes
FTX-1F	1.25	Yes	Portable with battery.

Handheld (HT) FM VHF/UHF
(only full duplex HTs or HTs that has special satellite functions and only in production)

Name	In production?	Full duplex?	Note
Anytone AT-D890UV	Yes	Yes	Full duplex, doppler correction and sat tracking
KG-UV8D	Yes	Yes	Probably same desense as KG-Q332
KG-UV9P	Yes	Yes	Probably same desense as KG-Q332
KG-Q332	Yes	Yes	Tested: Has some desense on UHF with TX with 5W on VHF
VGC N76 BTech UV-Pro	Yes	No	Doppler correction via APP. Note: not full duplex
AnyTone AT-D878UVII	Yes	No	Doppler correction and sat tracking. Note: not full duplex
Kenwood TH-D72	No	Yes	Classic Full Duplex HT. Yes I know it is not production but it is still one of the most used for sats.

Mobile FM VHF/UHF
(only full duplex or that has special satellite functions and only in production)

Name	In production?	Full duplex?	Note
VGC N7600	Yes	No	Doppler correction via APP. Note: not full duplex
Wouxun KG-UV980P	Yes	Yes
Retevis MA1	Yes	Yes
Yaesu FTM-300DE	Yes	Yes
Yaesu FTM-310	Yes	Yes
Yaesu FTM-150R	Yes	Yes
Yaesu FTM-510R	Yes	Yes
Icom IC-2730	Yes	Yes
Icom ID-5100	Yes	Yes
Icom ID-5200	Soon	Yes	Wifi, Bluetooth

Oscar-100

Icebreaker FS “Polarstern” on Oscar 100

Post author By SM0TGU
Post date 2021-01-10
No Comments on Icebreaker FS “Polarstern” on Oscar 100

From AMSAT-DL web:

A portable satellite station for the QO-100 geostationary satellite (Es’hail-2) was commissioned on the icebreaker FS “Polarstern” at 14:23 UTC on December 27, 2020, with an initial QSO between DP0POL/mm and DK3ZL. A very special experiment, originated from an idea of Felix DL5XL and Charly DK3ZL. AMSAT-DL spontaneously supported this project by providing a complete 6 Watt transverter radio station, as well as a 75 cm dish on a tripod.

https://amsat-dl.org/en/a-new-star-has-risen-on-qo-100/

Tags QO-100

Changes on amsat.se Members news

Medlemsstatus och internetaktivitet 2020

Post author By SM0TGU
Post date 2021-01-08
No Comments on Medlemsstatus och internetaktivitet 2020

Här kommer en sammanfattning över medlemsstatus och AMSAT-SMs internet- och informationsaktivitet från 2020.

Medlemsstatus
AMSAT-SM hade vid årets slut 289 medlemmar att jämföra med 268 medlemmar för 2019. Ingen har aktivt gått ur under året. Detta innebär att vi ökar vårt medlemsantal varje år. Sedan 2013 har vi fått 205 nya medlemmar vilket innebär att mer än två tredjedelar har registrerat sig de senaste sju åren.

Hemsidan och sociala medier
Via Twitter har vi en fortsatt stor ökning av följare – just nu (jan 2020) 1164 följare jämfört med 668 följare i slutet av 2018.
Under året fick vår webbhotell-leverantör nya ägare och hemsidan flyttades därför rent tekniskt. För webbredaktören har det blivit något enklare att redigera och prestandan är även något bättre (snabbare svarstider).
I och med den nya webbhotell-leverantören har vi även fått en ny statistikfunktion, vilket gör att det inte går att jämföra värden från föregående år. Så här såg det ut under andra halvan av 2020 (notera ökningen under december):

Kostnaden för hemsidan är fortsatt sponsrad av Lars SM0TGU under flera år framåt.
Under december gjordes ett stort arbete med ny design för hemsidan vilket förhoppningsvis gör det enklare att hitta.

Operations

Working satellites with IC-705 PstRotator or SDR-Console

Post author By SM0TGU
Post date 2021-01-01
8 Comments on Working satellites with IC-705 PstRotator or SDR-Console

This is a guide how to working satellites with the IC-705 or similar rig. When trying to understand the IC-705 I needed to write down how to use it – so this is how this post was born. I will try to explain 3 different user scenarios, each have a case for FM- and linear satellites :

Working stand alone (portable) without computer control
Working with SDR-Console for doppler adjust and a SDR as receiver
Working with PstRotator for doppler adjust

The IC-705 satellite memory examples and file can be found here.
Please contact me if you see anything that will not work in the following user cases – I have limited knowledge.

Setting up PstRotator

I will not explain how to use and set up PstRotator – the PstRotator manual is very good. The settings for Omnirig is like this:

And a typical layout for PstRotator Satellites Tracking is like this (and for reference image for the text below):

Case 1: Using IC-705 stand alone without computer control

FM satellites

Select split memory for the satellite in IC-705.
If needed adjust the RX frequency with the VFO knob (look at the waterfall).
Adjust the TX frequency for doppler when transmitting with VFO knob. Use a printed frequency chart for help.

Linear satellites with SSB transponder
(I have never tried semi-duplex on linear satellites before so not sure if this works)

Select split memory for the satellite in IC-705.
Adjust the RX frequency with the VFO knob to find a free space on the transponder (look at the waterfall).
Adjust the TX frequency (press PTT and use the VFO knob) to the correct frequency on the uplink. Use a printed frequency chart for help.

Case 2: Using IC-705 with SDR-Console v3

In this case the IC-705 is working as the transmitter with full doppler control and a SDR as receiver, also with doppler control.
This is my primary working setup for now!

FM satellites

Select the downlink frequency in SDR-Console for your SDR receiver and enable tracking in the satellite window, this will doppler control your RX.
Select the uplink memory for the satellite in IC-705 to get correct CCTCS tones.
Select the uplink frequency in SDR-Console, it will be transferred to External Radio windows.
Start External Radio in SDR Console for doppler control – no need to do anything on the IC-705 – just transmit.

Linear satellites with SSB transponder

Select the downlink frequency in SDR-Console for your SDR receiver and enable tracking in the satellite window, this will doppler control your RX.
Select the uplink frequency in SDR-Console, it will be transferred to External Radio windows.
Adjust the RX frequency at SDR Console to find a free space on the transponder (look at the waterfall).
Start External Radio in SDR Console for doppler control.
As SDR Console does not link (track) up/downlink VFOs – adjust the TX frequency on the IC-705 with the VFO knob to the correct frequency on the uplink. Doppler is corrected also during TX. Use a printed frequency chart for help.
You can also adjust the frequency with the mouse wheel in at the External Radio windows. I find this better then using the VFO knob on the radio.

In late 2021 I have made a virtual VFO control that is working well and this is the way I’m working all my QSOs now.
Please see this post on my GitHub for more info.

Case 3: Using IC-705 stand-alone with PstRotator

In this case PstRotator sets the correct frequency and mode on the IC-705 and has doppler control for both RX and TX. You are working IC-705 stand-alone as semi-duplex.
Note! I’m not using this setup for now.

FM satellites

Select the satellite from PstRotator Favorites. Correct frequency, mode and subtone are now set in IC-705 VFOs.
Press the “UP+DN” on PstRotator. Doppler is now adjusted on both RX and TX.
No need to do anything on the IC-705 – just transmit and listen.

Linear satellites with SSB transponder

Select the satellite from PstRotator Favorites. Correct frequency and mode are now set in IC-705 VFOs.
Press the “UP+DN” on PstRotator and check that VFO linking are set to “Reverse”. Doppler is now adjusted on both RX and TX and the VFOs are linked.
Adjust the RX frequency with the VFO knob to find a free space on the transponder (look at the waterfall). The TX is linked and will have correct frequency.
Change the VFO linking to “Not linked” on PstRotator. This means that both TX and RX are still doppler adjusted but the TX frequency is locked (fixed). If needed you can adjust the RX frequency with the VFO knob on the IC-705.

Finally this is a short video when using the tiny GPD MicroPC with PstRotator and IC-705 as a portable computer controlled doppler adjustment.

Tags ic-705, PstRotator

Members news

Gott nytt år 2021!

Hej!

Tänkte ta tillfället att önska alla medlemmar i AMSAT-SM ett riktigt gott nytt år.

Från styrgruppens sida känns det lite speciellt att vi nu arbetar vidare med AMSAT-SM i en form där vi har minskat det administrativa och koncentrerar oss i stället på kärnverksamheten. (Vi håller ständigt dörren öppen för fler aktiva som vill deltaga i styrgruppen för AMSAT-SM:s framtid)

Det har varit lite annorlunda i år vad det gäller att kunna träffas och diskutera våran hobby men vi ser framåt och önskar att det återigen skall bli möjligt med lite informationsträffar inte bara via nätet.

Vi befinner oss i AMSAT världen i ett fantastiskt skede där vi nu kan kommunicera via en transponder i det geostationära bältet samt även får se ett otroligt flöde med nya studentsatelliter. Vi kommer även under kommande år, återigen få satelliter på 10&15M vilket kan bli väldigt intressant nu när solfläckarna sakta börjar öka igen.

Ett stort tack till det trogna gänget på HF nätet 3740 söndagar klockan 10.00 (Nätet har varit aktivt över 30 år)

Om man tänker till lite, vad kan vi mer önska oss? Det har från AMSAT världen föreslagits en Måntransponder i samband med ett kommande ESA projekt… Tänk om det skulle bli en verklighet… vilka möjligheter för oss som gillar rymdkommunikation.

mvh Håkan SM7WSJ (medlem Amsat-SM styrgrupp)

Telemetry

AO-73 low power telemetry 2020-12-25

Post author By SM0TGU
Post date 2020-12-25
No Comments on AO-73 low power telemetry 2020-12-25

Used the following:

RX at aprox 145.933 MHz USB BW 3.2 kHz
2 * 6 el Yagi circular polarization (Vårgårda)
AlfaSpid RAS az/el rotor
LNA Mini-2 from SHF Elektronik
LMR-400 coax
SDR Airspy HF+ Discovery
SDR-Console v3 with doppler correction of downlink and satellite tracking, rotor control
PstRotator for rotor control interface between SDR-Console and RAS controller
VB-Cable: virtual audio cable for piping audio from SDR Console to FUNcube-1 Dashboard. Set to 96 kHz and 16 bit.
Telemetry software: FUNcube-1 Dashboard.