International Space Station received in Worthing - 9 January 2012

Continuing the theme of receiving the International Space Station in random car parks in Southern England, using various low-tech cheap equipment...

This time was near Worthing (West Sussex) around 1020 GMT on Monday 9 January 2012. I am using my old camera again so hopefully the audio is not as overdriven as the Portsmouth video!

The signal from the space-station I am receiving is on 145.800MHz, in narrow FM, at the top-end of the 2 meter amateur radio band. The signal going up to the space-station was coming from a school in France. Sadly I couldn't receive that side of the conversation. The astronaut speaking is Dan Burbank, callsign KC5ZSX.

The handheld is the Mark II version of the very cheap and cheerful (but excellent value for the money) Baofeng UV-3R, using just the supplied rubber duck as an antenna. The smallest step size on the radio is 5kHz, so I couldn't do anything about the Doppler shift unfortunately! 145.800 was close enough though.

There is slight breakthrough from pagers, which cannot be helped in a radio of this size and complexity. Using a bigger and better antenna might actually have made the breakthrough worse.

For more information, see: http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2012/iss_on_145800_monday_morning.htm and http://www.southgatearc.org/news/january2012/ariss_event_0901.htm

If I can receive the ISS, then *anybody* can! Go for it, however naff your receiving setup is!!

Greetings to all ISS fans and radio enthusiasts of all kinds, everywhere.

73 from Edmund (2E0MDO)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• International Space Station
• ISS
• Dan Burbank
• KC5ZSX
• OR4ISS
• Descartes High School
• ham radio
• amateur radio
• 2 meters
• NA1SS
• 2E0MDO
• Baofeng
• Baofeng UV-3R
• 145.800Mhz

[rcpilot297]

Hey, great Video! I have received the ISS today with my Wouxun portable Transceiver. Amazing how strong the signal was here in Germany. I was driving my car so i couldn't record it. vy 73! de do1jmw

[MrEdTraveller]

@rcpilot297 Vielen Dank fur Ihre Nachricht! Die Wouxon Dual-Bander gefhelt mir sehr gut, seit 2009 habe ich die Wouxon fur 2 meter und 70 cm band. Ich gratuliere Sie fur Ihre ISS-Empfang! Freundschaft fur Sie und Ihre Famille von Ed 2E0MDO (sorry for my German, it's self-taught!) :-)

[2E0VCU]

Hi Ed. Good video. I have posted it on my facebook page and it has had a lot of attention and shares. 73's

[MrEdTraveller]

@2E0VCU Thank you Sir! Hope you're getting on all right, it would be nice to see you again face-to-face before too long. Cheers!

[WalkieTalkie446mhz]

where can i find a LONG antenna to this small walkie talkie?

[M0JRA]

great vid, a lady at my radio club worked the guys up there ,and recieved the qsl.

[leatherfoot22]

Thats excellent! thank you for uploading this. :)

[Jamieduk999]

is there a rx tone in use as i never here it?

[VictoreCelia]

Very good receptioon on the uv3.

73

[MrEdTraveller]

@ryanelger07 A VHF handheld was how I started, followed by a VHF & UHF one, followed by an HF rig! A lot of people start out on 2 meters, it's good practice. Although the band can be very quiet, a lot of people seem to listen but not transmit until somebody else does first! I don't think a QSO from here to Surrey stands much chance, especially as a handheld will produce 5 Watts maximum. I can j.u.s.t about get into the Alton repeater in Hampshire (GB3SN), which covers parts of Surrey.

[ryanelger07]

@MrEdTraveller Thank you. Off to see my local club in a couple weeks time to get the ball rolling. I will probably be getting a VHF/UHF rig/handheld first. What do you fancy the chances are of a VHF QSO from Surrey to your neck of the woods?

Ryan

[MrEdTraveller]

@owlsrock150 Glad you liked it! :-) Thanks for the comment.