Now here is a collectors item or soon to be as a few years from now the ISS will be decommissioned.
You can download this beautiful ISS 2025 Calendar by clicking HERE.
Many thanks to NASA and all it's contributors for making this calendar available for download.
The official portrait of the International Space Station's Expedition 72 crew. At the top (from left) are, Roscosmos cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Alexey Ovchinin, NASA astronaut and space station Commander Suni Williams, and NASA astronaut and Flight Engineer Butch Wilmore. In the middle row are, Roscosmos cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Ivan Vagner and NASA astronaut and Flight Engineer Don Pettit. In the bottom row are, Roscosmos cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Gorbunov and NASA astronaut and Flight Engineer Nick Hague. Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford and Robert Markowitz
As I write this article the SSTV Experiment is currently underway. The Theme this time around is: "Celebrating ARISS 2024". You have from the 25 December 2024 to 5 January 2025 to catch all 12 images. I am pleased to announce that there are a lot of interest and participation in the SSTV Experiment in South Africa. For those interested you still have 6 days left to download SSTV images from the ISS.
What will the Experiment entail?
"The SSTV transmissions will be made using the amateur radio station in the ISS Service Module. The transmission frequency will be 145.800 MHz (+/- 3.5 kHz Doppler shift) FM, using SSTV mode PD120.
Many FM rigs can be switched to wide and narrow deviation FM filters. For best results you should select the filter for wider deviation FM. Handhelds generally have a single wide filter fitted as standard.
The ISS call-sign will be RS0ISS.
Reports are requested: please send ARISS uploading your decoded pictures in the official ARISS SSTV gallery: https://www.spaceflightsoftware.com/ARISS_SSTV/
Useful information to receive the pictures can be found here: https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/iss-sstv/
Follow ARISS on X for official updates during the event https://x.com/ARISS_Intl
Why download SSTV images from the ISS?
Every radio amateur that participate set his/her own goals and has a reason for participating in the experiment. Unfortunately I do not have all the information on hand why some radio amateurs download images. In this article I will look into a few reasons.
Herewith some images (Click on images to enlarge) of the radio amateurs that are currently participating in the ARISS SSTV Experiment:
ZAYN ZR3VO, Orania, South Africa
In the previous SSTV Experiment the editor used a 2 Element Yagi Antenna to download images. This little antenna performed well and Zayn ZR3VO decided to construct this antenna for use during the Series 23 event. Herewith a few images received of the construction of the antenna as well as some images.
Here is a few images downloaded by Zayn using different antennas. I can see and improvement in the quality of images as the experiment progresses.
Note: No satellite antennas,satellite ham radios, rotators or tracking software used. Only a handheld and a "handheld" antenna plus cellphone.
Rulhof ZS4RM, Ballito KZN, South Africa
Rulhof ZS4RM a young radio amateur from Bloemfontein is currently on holiday in KZN. He decided to use his AMSAT SA Antenna to receive images from the ISS. He removed all the 70 cm elements from the antenna, just using the two elements for 2 meters. He was quite disappointed with the quality of the images that he received. He decided to remove the reflector and just use the driven element. Well it worked and it worked well. Now this is not to say that the AMSAT SA Antenna is not working. I personally think that using the antenna with all the elements makes the antenna very directional and you need to be spot-on to track the ISS and download the images at the same time. With this antenna now being a "dipole" it provides a margin for tracking errors apart from removing the directionality which makes it easier to use for this type of operations. If you have a AMSAT SA Antenna this options is now available with all the other options this antenna provides.
Herewith an image received of the "modified" antenna as well as some downloaded SSTV images.
Jakobus ZS1JDJ, Da Nova, Mossel Bay South Africa
Jakobus is one of the new radio amateurs in the Southern Cape. He decided to use his dipole antenna mounted on the roof. Well done Jakobus not a bad image for the first time trying. Please keep on downloading images.
Gerrit participated in the previous experiment and downloaded several good quality images with his homebrew satellite antenna. He provided the following images of the current experiment.
Thys ZS1TBP, Heiderand, Mossel Bay South Africa
Thys participated in several experiments in the past when he was at home and not driving a 18 wheeler. He is a Trucker and it is not always possible to participate in these events. This time around he provided some images.
Johan ZS1I, Heiderand, Mossel Bay South Africa
I used this ARISS SSTV Event to experiment with with a homebrew 2 element Quad Antenna, Robot36 Software, Orbitron and a Baofeng UV82 HT. The wire 2m Quad Antenna looks quite promising as the image below was my first image downloaded from the ISS during this series. Further testing will have to done before I can come rate the antenna against the homebrew copper pipe 2 element Quad Antenna, Nagoya NA-771 Whip Antenna, homebrew 1/4 Wave Ground Plane Antenna and homebrew 2 element Yagi Antenna. The antenna shootout continues.
Now the following image was downloaded with a line of trees in the way. It was a very low pass and I was quite amazed that the 2m Wire Quad Antenna and Baofeng UV82 HT received signal with the trees in the way of the pass.
Christi ZS4CGR, Luckhoff, FS, South Africa
The following two images comes from Christi ZS4CGR. He advised that he receives far better quality images with the Quansheng UV-K6 HT than the Baofeng UV5R HT. Judging from the images it is clear that they are excellent images. Well done Christi!
Well there is still time to download and play around with SSTV coming from the ISS.
Enjoy!!
It has often been reported that the oldest satellites still working in space are, collectively, the JPL Space Probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. The Voyagers were both launched in 1977 to take advantage of the planetary alignment called, back then, the “Grand Tour”. This was the alignment of the outer planets, which allowed, using gravitational assist, both Voyagers to visit multiple planets each. Both missions were nothing short of spectacular and they still expand our imaginations. Their images changed the human vision of our solar system. But, are they really the oldest, still functional spacecraft in outer space?
What if we include spacecraft that remained behind in Earth Orbit? Is it even believable to state that the oldest still working satellite in space wasn’t even designed or operated by NASA, USAF, ESA or any other space agency? What if it was stated that this satellite was designed by radio amateurs and the final assembly occurred in a basement laboratory not far from Goddard Space Flight Center? What if it was noted that 2024 is the 50th anniversary of this satellite, launched on 15 November 1974? The spacecraft, AMSAT-OSCAR-7 (AO-7) is still providing service to hundreds of radio operators around the world, as it has for a very, very long time. And, would you believe that the oldest satellite working around our planet is a SmallSat weighing 29 Kg?
The above, as nearly as we can determine, is all true and this is the amazing story of what made this possible and why this satellite is sometimes called the “Sleeping Beauty Satellite.” The video tells the story of how the mission was conceived, how radio amateurs from four countries worked together to develop a very complex spacecraft with quite a creative payload.
We want to explain the many successes of this communications satellite during its primary mission, and we want to surprise you with the extended mission, which continues to this day. Let's watch the video about this wonderful little satellite that could, also called the "Sleeping Beauty Satellite", but this satellite is far from sleeping.
A few links with interesting reading:
AMSAT-OSCAR-7
A Still Operational, Small-Satellite
History Lesson
https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-co...
Project OSCAR original Board of Directors
around 1960
https://lso.fe.uni-lj.si/literatura/R...
AMSAT-OSCAR 7 Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMSAT-O...
Photos/Documentation:
Jan A. King (OSCAR 7 Project Manager)
AMSAT
Image: IRIS (Click on image for larger view.)
Are you prepared for a large strong earthquake in South Africa?
A moderate earthquake struck western South Africa early on Sunday, with tremors reported across several regions.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the magnitude 5.3 quake occurred at 02:51 local time, 101km west of Brandvlei, a small town in the Northern Cape Province.
The earthquake’s epicenter was 30.45 degrees south latitude and 19.44 degrees east longitude, with a depth of 10km.
There have been no official reports of casualties or property damage so far.
Local authorities are expected to conduct further assessments in the affected areas.
This earthquake can have a low humanitarian impact based on the magnitude and the affected population and their vulnerability.
| GDACS ID | EQ 1458807 | |||||
| Earthquake Magnitude: | 5.3M | |||||
| Depth: | 10 Km | |||||
| Lat/Lon: | -30.445 , 19.4352 | |||||
| Event Date: | 22 Dec 2024 00:51 UTC 22 Dec 2024 02:51 Local | |||||
| Exposed Population: | 2 thousand in MMI&>=V | |||||
| Inserted at: | 22 Dec 2024 01:08 UTC | |||||
INFORM Coping capacity: | 4.3 (South Africa) |
More information, maps and data available HERE
Image: Ham Radio Dashboard (Click on image for larger view.)
Amateur Radio Software notify the administrator of the ZS Link Network Blog, Mossel Bay, South Africa of this earthquake
This earthquake was also felt in Mossel Bay. As I did not feel the earthquake at the time of its occurrence I picked up on the event via Ham Radio Dashboard which is installed on my computer and comes up at startup. I immediately noticed the red circle over Southern Africa. (See first image and click on it to enlarge) This notification set the ball rolling and I soon found more data on the earthquake.
To my fellow radio amateurs HERE is more information on Ham Radio Dashboard should you like to use it on your computer. As can be seen from the image above various windows can be displayed at the same time and by double clicking on a window it will open as a large image to view the information close-up.
Thus far no reports of serious damage or injuries. We are not "Profits of Doom" but we were/are due for a large earthquake. The last damaging earthquake occurred in Tulbagh in 1969. The 1969 Tulbagh earthquake occurred at 20:03:33 UTC on 29 September. It had a magnitude of 6.3 Mw and a maximum felt intensity of VIII (Severe) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. It caused widespread damage in the towns of Ceres, Tulbagh and Wolseley and led to 12 deaths.
We as radio amateurs should be prepared for any eventuality. One never knows when a disaster can happen that needs our services.
Sonsak Mosselbaai 16 Julie 2014 - ZS1I
KENNISGEWING: Die Dagbreek Span Net wat weeksdae om 06h00 in die oggende op die Aasvoelkop Herhaler en ZS-Link Hub geskied se laaste bymekaarkoms vir die jaar, sal op 20 Desember 2024 plaasvind. Die net-kontroleerders gaan so 'n blaaskansie neem tydens Kersfees en Nuwejaar. Die Dagbreek Span Net sal weer op die 6 Januarie 2025 in aanvang neem. Daar word vertrou dat die net-kontroleerders die rustyd sal geniet.
LET WEL: Die Ontbytsake Span Net sowel as die Sonsak Span Net gaan egter steeds voort op weeksdae onderskeidelik 06h30 en 16h30 op die Aasvoelkop Herhaler en ZS-Link Hub. Meer besonderhede oor die frekwensies en netwerk nodes word op die lug aangekondig maar is ook beskibaar op die ZS-LINK Blog. Klik HIER vir meer besonderhede.
Radio Amateurs wat in die Suid Kaap vakansie hou is welkom om in te skakel en saam te gesels.
Hier volg so 'n paar fotos wat ek geneem het toe ek SAWDIS, SAWOIS en Mossel Bay Weather Observation websites bedryf het.
Wys maar net hoe mooi is dit waar ons bly. (Klik op fotos om te vergroot.)
Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) over Simons Town. Picture: Hassaan Tanvir During a recent discussion on the "Sonsak Span Amateur Rad...
