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I strongly recommend reading all of amsat.org, this is just filled with useful information. I’ve pulled a few specific links that I will talk about on the net, below.
Best Practices (please please read):
https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/FM-Satellites-Best-Practices.pdf
List of amateur communications satellites:
Lists currently available sats with amateurs uplinks. Use this to chose one or more sats to attempt contacts.
Chart showing recent reception history
Use this to see if the sat you have chosen has been heard from lately, maybe change your plan if not.
Pass Predictions
Use these to find when a particular sat is going to pass in “view” of your location.
Maidenhead Grid Square.
Use this, with your zip code, to learn your Maidenhead Grid Square, which is part of the standard sat “exchange” when making contacts.
- Turn OFF automatic beaconing (please), you need to control the transmission timing by LISTENING first.
- Set APRS PATH to 'ARISS' (instead of the usual WIDEn-N path)
- Set your status text to something like "CQ via ISS"
- Set up some preset texts to use in messages and replies (ISS passes go FAST).
- ISS APRS frequency is: 145.825
- LISTEN. Only after you clearly hear the incoming data and are succcessfully decoding packets, then:
Trigger a BEACON when you hear a gap.
or
- Send an APRS Message to a CQ that you copy. If you get a reply, feel free to reply to the reply.
Sending when you are not successfully decoding packets is just calling interference for others.
When you are done. Please change your APRS PATH back to the default WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2 on mobiles and WIDE2-2 on fixed stations. Do not transmit the ARISS PATH on the 144.390 traditional APRS frequency. Digipeters will just throw it on the ground.
Oh, go search for yourself on aprs.fi to see if you got Digipeated.