The digital amateur television (DATV) transmitter aboard the International Space Station is due to be commissioned over a period of several weeks in February and March, according to the ARRL. Commissioning will be done in several stages by Astronaut Mike Hopkins, KF5LJG. Once active, the station will downlink digital video signals on 2.395 GHz, beginning with a 25-day continuous transmission of a blank video signal (with no camera attached). However, decoding the signal should result in the channel name "HAMTV" appearing on the screen. For updates and more information, visit the ARISS-Europe website at <www.ariss-eu.org/>.
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| NASA Photo |
Also on board the ISS are four amateur radio cubesats, which
were delivered by a resupply rocket in early January. According to the AMSAT
News Service, LituanicaSat-1, LitSat-1, ArduSat-2 and UAPSat-1 are all
scheduled to be deployed from the space station in the coming months. LituanicaSat-1
carries an FM transponder and a packet digipeater (2-meter uplink;
70-centimeter downlink for both) and a 70-cm. CW beacon. LitSat-1 is believed
to have a linear transponder for SSB/CW communications, with uplink on 70
centimeters and downlink on 2 meters. UAPSat carries a packet digipeater (2m
up, 70 cm down) and ArduSat - an Arduino-based satellite - will be
downlink-only, transmitting digital signals on 70 centimeters.