Telemetry and beacon data from F-1 contain critical information about the satellite’s health (battery & solar cell voltages, temperature readings) and they are very important to us. This is our first space mission so we would like to ask the amateur radio community to help in tracking and receiving data from F-1 CubeSat. You will receive the verification card from us!
Attention: there is no CW transmitter on F-1, we are using FM transmitter to send Pulse-Width-Modulated Morse code audio beacon so please use FM mode in your receiver!
Here is a quick summary on F-1’ frequencies:
145.980 MHz: main channel, 1W RF output, FM, AFSK 1200bps, one telemetry packet every 30 seconds, now it operates in the dark by default (but later can be commanded to operate in sunlight as well)
437.485 MHz: backup channel, 0.2W RF output, FM, PWM Morse code beacon (in FM mode, not CW!), each beacon transmission lasts about 20 seconds then 90 seconds delay, only operates in sunlight
1. Latest TLE of F-1 (updated Oct 14, 2012)
It is officially confirmed that F-1 is object 98067CR and #38855 in NORAD CubeSats catalog. Please use this TLE:
F-1 1 38855U 98067CR 12287.13071136 .00039268 00000-0 64483-3 0 88 2 38855 51.6484 255.3407 0014394 161.0888 199.0627 15.51904629 1195
2. Satellite pass prediction
3. F-1 Telemetry Decoder
- F-1 Telemetry Decoder v2.1.2 update 04/October/2012 (please uninstall earlier version first, if any)
- F-1 Telemetry Decoder User Manual (detailed instructions)
- Sample audio F-1 PWM CW beacon
- Sample audio F-1 packet beacon (this audio file contains a burst of 3 similar telemetry packets from F-1, please use it to verify that F-1 Telemetry Decoder is running correctly on your computer and ready to decode received packets from F-1)
If your software modem only support TCP/IP port:
-Please visit: http://www.mixw.net/index.php?j=related and download, then install “serial port emulation driver”.
-Download and install TCP2COM
-Run your software modem
-Run and config TCP2COM software
-Run F-1 Telemetry Decoder
4. F-1 beacon data format
| No1 | Data | Description | Size (bits) | Size (chars) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F-1’s callsign | “XV1VN” | 5 | |
| 2 | OBC1 reset count | Number of OBC1 reset | 8 | |
| 3 | Temp. 1 | Temperature inside F-1, OBC board, oC | 8 | 5 |
| 4 | Temp. 2 | Temperature outside Y- side, oC | 8 | |
| 5 | Checksum bit | 0 if sum of items #2 to #4 is even, 1 if it is odd | 1 | |
| Total | 10 |
4.2 VX-3R2
| No | Data | Description | Size (bit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date time | Date: dd/mm/y: 5/4/3=12 bits Time: hh/mm/ss: 5/6/6=17 bits |
29 |
| 2 | Battery voltage | Battery voltage multiplied by 100 (divide by 100 to get actual value) | 11 |
| 3 | Solar cells voltage | Solar cells voltage multiplied by 10 (divide by 10 to get actual value) | 8 |
| 4 | Temp. 1 | oC (outside Y+) | 8 |
| 5 | Temp. 2 | oC (outside Y-) | 8 |
| 6 | Temp. 3 | oC (outside X-) | 8 |
| 7 | Temp. 4 | oC (outside Z+) | 8 |
| 8 | Temp. 5 | oC (outside Z-) | 8 |
| 9 | Temp. 6 | oC (outside X+) | 8 |
| 10 | Temp. 7 | oC (inside Z-) | 8 |
| 11 | Temp. 8 | oC (inside, under VX-3R1) | 8 |
| Total | 112 bits = 14 bytes |
Note:
- F-1 periodically sends a burst of 3 telemetry packets with the same content to avoid loss of packet
- Time in UTC, 24 hours format
- Year count starting from 2012 (2012 equals 0, 2013 equals 1 and so on…)
- Battery voltage reading is accurate to 0.01V, values are multiplied by 100. Divide by 100 to get actual value
- Solar cells voltage reading is accurate to 0.1V, values are multiplied by 10. Divide by 10 to get actual value
- Temperature reading from sensors, will be added with 100 before transmission to ensure a positive number so please subtract 100 to get actual value
- 112 bits, divide to 14 chunks of 8 bits, each chunk becomes one byte
5. Decoding data from F-1
Please feel free to ask if there is any question. We would really appreciate your kind support!
Fantastic, mixing amateur radio with space – great fun, and you are using WordPress for your website too! – Good skills!
Congratulations and wishing all the very best with the launch and deployment. will look forward to hear the signals from the satellite.
73
Nitin [VU3TYG]
Congratulations and wishing all the very best with the satellite deployment. All waiting to receive the satellite signal, CW and telemetry data on the air.
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Looking forward to another packet bird… atleast for a while.
Congratulations to all concerned
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Great engineering work. Best wishes for a successful mission. I will be listening and capturing the telemetry.
Thank you! Our little CubeSat and its companions are scheduled to be deployed into space early September, I guess 2 to 3 weeks from now. Let’s hope for the best!
Tnx. Nice Decoder
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Any chance of the decoder supporting software modems such as AGW or UZ7HO http://uz7.ho.ua/packetradio.htm
that use an IP port as an interface?
Thank you for your suggestion, unfortunately our decoder doesn’t support an IP port source at the moment. We will consider this in the next release.
Well I have MixW setup only so I can get a com port to connect to your decoder, I don’t intend to register it so am limited to 15 days use. most Sound Modems use IP ports. So if your next release could include that support it would be very welcome. I could then decode and send reports for a longer period.
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I decoded F-1 Sample Audio using F-1_OBC2_KISS_beacon.mp3.
I replayed this file continually in Windows Media Player.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/hamradio/je9pel/20925f1c.png
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Congratulations!
Good wishes and Greetings from AMSAT-India for a great launch and successful mission.
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Hi.
Thanks to Thu’s help, my TS2000 is all set up and ready to go here in the UK.
Wish you luck and hope to be able to send you some telemetry data over in the next few days.
Neil
Download UZHO Sound modem from here http://uz7.ho.ua/packetradio.htm setup as per the manual.
Download HW VSP from http://www.hw-group.com/products/hw_vsp/index_en.html
The single port version is free. Setup the standalone version, on the virtual serial port, select a free serial port, and enter 127.0.0.1 and 8000 for the port.
VSP will change to match whatever the software connected to the com port wants.
That’s it you now have a virtual KISS TNC (UZ7HO changes modes from AGW to KISS emulation depending on whats connected)
virtual KISS TNC for feeding the decode software
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Congratulations
last nite listened on three passes, but heard nothing on 145.98 MHz. however, our local noise level is about S5, and right now we have problems with elevation motor. keep fingers crossed!
Dear Joachim, what a nice surprise to see you here! Thank you for your help, here we are keeping our fingers crossed, too!
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Set up decoder software but no trace of a signal on 145.980MHz on near overhead pass in the middle of darkness period (07-10-2012 23:50 UTC to 00:01 UTC). Tracking, antenna altitude-azimuth control and doppler correction by SatPC32. I can usually copy most weak signals so assume there was no transmission.
Dick