🛰️ GCARC Satellite Report
September 12 offers 7 passes during the 9 AM–3 PM window — 5 FM and 2 linear transponder opportunities. Top passes: AO-123 (excellent at 85°, 10:05 AM), AO-91 (good at 43°, 09:28 AM), JO-97 (fair at 23°, 10:28 AM). Note: FO-29 and AO-91 at 09:19 AM overlap — assign two operators.
| Start (ET) | Satellite | Mode | Quality | Dir | Dur | Frequencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:19 AM Peak: 09:26 AM |
FO-29 | Linear 🎛️ | Low 10° | W | 14 min | 145.900-146.000 ↑ / 435.800-435.900 ↓ Linear SSB/CW |
| 09:28 AM Peak: 09:33 AM |
AO-91 | FM | ✅ Good 43° | W | 10 min | 435.250 ↑ / 145.960 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 10:05 AM Peak: 10:14 AM |
AO-123 | FM | ⭐ Excellent 85° | E | 18 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 10:11 AM Peak: 10:18 AM |
RS-44 | Linear 🎛️ | Low 10° | WNW | 15 min | 145.935-145.995 ↑ / 435.610-435.670 ↓ Linear SSB/CW |
| 10:28 AM Peak: 10:33 AM |
JO-97 | FM | Fair 23° | E | 10 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.910 ↓ PL 88.5 Hz |
| 11:50 AM Peak: 11:58 AM |
AO-123 | FM | Fair 18° | NW | 14 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 12:01 PM Peak: 12:05 PM |
JO-97 | FM | Fair 18° | WNW | 9 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.910 ↓ PL 88.5 Hz |
📡 Frequency Reference — Saturday, September 12
- FO-29 (Linear SSB/CW): ↑ 145.900-146.000 MHz / ↓ 435.800-435.900 MHz
- AO-91 (FM): ↑ 435.250 MHz / ↓ 145.960 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- AO-123 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.400 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- RS-44 (Linear SSB/CW): ↑ 145.935-145.995 MHz / ↓ 435.610-435.670 MHz
- JO-97 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.910 MHz, PL 88.5 Hz
September 19 offers 6 passes during the 9 AM–3 PM window — 5 FM and 1 linear transponder opportunities. Top passes: AO-123 (excellent at 87°, 10:10 AM), JO-97 (excellent at 70°, 11:17 AM), AO-91 (good at 33°, 09:37 AM).
| Start (ET) | Satellite | Mode | Quality | Dir | Dur | Frequencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:10 AM Peak: 09:18 AM |
RS-44 | Linear 🎛️ | Low 13° | WNW | 16 min | 145.935-145.995 ↑ / 435.610-435.670 ↓ Linear SSB/CW |
| 09:37 AM Peak: 09:42 AM |
AO-91 | FM | ✅ Good 33° | W | 10 min | 435.250 ↑ / 145.960 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 10:10 AM Peak: 10:19 AM |
AO-123 | FM | ⭐ Excellent 87° | ESE | 18 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 11:17 AM Peak: 11:22 AM |
JO-97 | FM | ⭐ Excellent 70° | W | 10 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.910 ↓ PL 88.5 Hz |
| 11:55 AM Peak: 12:02 PM |
AO-123 | FM | Fair 17° | NW | 14 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 02:15 PM Peak: 02:20 PM |
SO-50 | FM | Low 15° | ESE | 11 min | 145.850 ↑ / 436.795 ↓ PL 74.4 Hz |
📡 Frequency Reference — Saturday, September 19
- RS-44 (Linear SSB/CW): ↑ 145.935-145.995 MHz / ↓ 435.610-435.670 MHz
- AO-91 (FM): ↑ 435.250 MHz / ↓ 145.960 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- AO-123 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.400 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- JO-97 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.910 MHz, PL 88.5 Hz
- SO-50 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 436.795 MHz, PL 74.4 Hz
| System | Frequency | Status |
|---|---|---|
| ISS APRS (RS0ISS) | 145.825 MHz | Check ariss-usa.org/ARISS_APRS/ for live packets |
| Crossband FM Repeater (NA1SS) | 145.990 ↑ / 437.800 ↓ (PL 67) | Check ARISS for current activation status |
| Voice (ARISS school contacts) | 145.800 MHz | See ariss.org for schedule |
ISS passes Saturday September 12 (9 AM–3 PM ET):
- No high-elevation ISS passes during Saturday operating window
RS-44 continues to offer cross-Atlantic DX opportunities on low-to-moderate eastern passes where the footprint covers both New Jersey and Europe simultaneously. Passes below ~55° from ENE/E/ESE favor cross-Atlantic geometry. All times ET, 8 AM–10 PM window only.
| Date / Time (ET) | Max El. | Direction | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Sep 06, 09:40 AM | ✅ 33° | W | 21 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Sun Sep 06, 08:24 PM | ✅ 45° | E 🌍 | 20 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Sep 07, 08:10 AM | ⭐ 82° | E 🌍 | 23 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Sep 07, 10:04 AM | 21° | W | 19 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Mon Sep 07, 06:58 PM | 11° | ENE 🌍 | 14 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Sep 07, 08:47 PM | ⭐ 71° | E 🌍 | 21 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Tue Sep 08, 08:33 AM | ⭐ 68° | W | 23 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Tue Sep 08, 10:29 AM | 12° | WNW | 16 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Tue Sep 08, 07:20 PM | 20° | E 🌍 | 17 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Tue Sep 08, 09:11 PM | ⭐ 77° | W | 21 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Wed Sep 09, 08:57 AM | ✅ 45° | W | 22 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Wed Sep 09, 07:42 PM | ✅ 32° | E 🌍 | 19 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Wed Sep 09, 09:35 PM | ✅ 50° | W | 21 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Thu Sep 10, 09:22 AM | 29° | W | 20 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Thu Sep 10, 08:05 PM | ⭐ 51° | E 🌍 | 21 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Thu Sep 10, 09:59 PM | ✅ 32° | WNW | 20 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Fri Sep 11, 09:46 AM | 18° | W | 18 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Fri Sep 11, 06:39 PM | 13° | E 🌍 | 16 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Fri Sep 11, 08:28 PM | ⭐ 79° | E 🌍 | 21 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Sat Sep 12, 08:15 AM | ⭐ 61° | W | 22 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Sat Sep 12, 10:11 AM | 10° | WNW | 15 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Sat Sep 12, 07:01 PM | 23° | E 🌍 | 18 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Sat Sep 12, 08:52 PM | ⭐ 69° | W | 21 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Sun Sep 13, 08:39 AM | ✅ 40° | W | 21 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Sun Sep 13, 07:24 PM | ✅ 37° | E 🌍 | 20 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Sun Sep 13, 09:16 PM | ✅ 45° | WNW | 21 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Mon Sep 14, 09:03 AM | 26° | W | 20 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Mon Sep 14, 07:46 PM | ⭐ 58° | E 🌍 | 21 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Sep 14, 09:41 PM | 29° | WNW | 20 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
AMSAT’s StOTA Days are the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month — student-to-student satellite contacts encouraged. All satellite operators welcome to get on and make students feel welcome.
Upcoming StOTA Tuesdays — Woodruff Middle School (2:00–3:30 PM ET window):
| Date | Passes Available |
|---|---|
| Tue, Sep 08 | No FM passes in 2:00–3:30 PM window — check N2YO closer to date |
| Tue, Sep 15 | No FM passes in 2:00–3:30 PM window — check N2YO closer to date |
Equipment on site: Yaesu FT-991A (FM satellites). Good targets: JO-97, AO-123, SO-50, ISS FM repeater.
Hamvention 2026 — May 15–17, Xenia OH: AMSAT forum Saturday May 16, 1:50–3:10 PM, Forum Room 2. TAPR/AMSAT Banquet Friday May 15, 6:30 PM, $75, Kohler Presidential Banquet Center — purchase deadline May 11 at 5 PM EDT. AMSAT booth: Building 1, booths 1007–1010 and 1107–1110.
44th AMSAT Space Symposium — October 8–11, 2026 · Crowne Plaza JAX Airport, Jacksonville FL. Rooms $109/night. Watch AMSAT News Service for registration details.
W2MMD on SatNOGS: The clubhouse ground station is Station #223 — one of the most capable receiving sites in the Northeast. Schedule an observation at network.satnogs.org/stations/223.
Ten-Koh 2 (NORAD #68261, Nihon University 6U CubeSat, V/U linear transponder): Weak signals only — faint CW on 435.860 MHz. Okuyama Lab requesting SatNOGS reception reports. Upload a waterfall — null results are also useful data.
- SO-50: Arm with 2-second 74.4 Hz tone burst before transmitting (10-minute timer)
- AO-7: Mode B only when in sunlight — shuts down in eclipse (no battery)
- RS-44 & FO-29: Inverting V/u transponder — transmit LSB on uplink, receive USB on downlink
- AO-73 (FUNcube-1): Active in eclipse — inverting V/u: up LSB 435.130–435.150 / dn USB 145.950–145.970 MHz
- JO-97 (FO-118): Also has linear transponder: up LSB 435.100–435.120 / dn USB 145.855–145.875 MHz
- Pass predictions ±2 min — data from N2YO.com, coordinates 39.73°N 75.21°W
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