08 · SPACE STATION
Work the ISS from your backyard.
The International Space Station carries an amateur radio station — and astronauts use it. With a Technician license and a $30 handheld you can talk through its repeater as it flies over San Diego at 17,000 mph. Here's when to point your antenna up.
NEXT PASS OVER DM12
--:--:--UNTIL AOS · ACQUISITION OF SIGNAL
UPCOMING PASSES · PACIFIC TIME
| DATE | AOS | MAX EL | DUR | QUALITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMPUTING ORBIT… | ||||
FETCHING CURRENT ORBITAL ELEMENTS…
SKY PATH · NEXT PASS
ISS FREQUENCIES
Voice downlink (Region 2)145.800
Crossband repeater up145.990
Crossband repeater down437.800
APRS digipeater145.825
SSTV events145.800
HOW TO WORK IT
Three steps to a space contact
STEP 01
Get your Technician license
All you need to transmit on the ISS bands. SANVEC exams are free — most people pass with a weekend of study.
STEP 02
Grab any dual-band handheld
A $30 HT and its stock antenna will hear the ISS. A $25 handheld yagi makes you clearly workable through the repeater.
STEP 03
Point up at AOS
Tune the downlink, correct for doppler ±10 kHz, and call during a high pass. Astronauts answer school and ham calls when duties allow.
