Basic Equipment Needed for Working Amateur Radio Satellites

Basic Equipment Needed for Working Amateur Radio Satellites

Unlike what many may think, the minimum equipment needed to work a Low Earth Orbit Amateur Radio Satellite is only a dual band hand held directional antenna and a dual band full duplex hand held transceiver. Some have even worked without a full duplex transceiver by ‘blind transmission’, though it is not advisable to transmit when you cannot hear the satellite as per the operating guidelines.

Full duplex means that the radio can both transmit and receive at the same time. Typically uplink may be in VHF and downlink in UHF, though it can be reverse also depending on the mode of the intended satellite (Modes V/U or U/V). If your radio is not full duplex, you could use one radio to transmit and have another receiving set up so that you can listen to your own transmission in the satellite’s downlink.

The directional antenna like a dual band Yagi is pointed in the direction of the satellite pass location calculated using computer softwares for the purpose after inputing your location. There are web based tracking also available online. Most often you get only 10-15 minutes of time for attempting a contact during a single pass of the satellite so that good home work is needed prior to that. Easiest to work for a beginner are the FM satellites.