🛰️ GCARC Satellite Report
July 18 offers 8 passes during the 9 AM–3 PM window — 5 FM and 3 linear transponder opportunities. Top passes: JO-97 (excellent at 63°, 10:54 AM), AO-123 (excellent at 56°, 09:21 AM), RS-44 (excellent at 56°, 02:27 PM). Note: AO-123 and AO-91 at 09:21 AM overlap — assign two operators.
| Start (ET) | Satellite | Mode | Quality | Dir | Dur | Frequencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:21 AM Peak: 09:30 AM |
AO-123 | FM | ⭐ Excellent 56° | E | 17 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 09:27 AM Peak: 09:34 AM |
AO-91 | FM | ⭐ Excellent 54° | W | 12 min | 435.250 ↑ / 145.960 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 10:00 AM Peak: 10:07 AM |
SO-50 | FM | Fair 23° | NW | 12 min | 145.850 ↑ / 436.795 ↓ PL 74.4 Hz |
| 10:12 AM Peak: 10:20 AM |
AO-7 | Linear 🎛️ | Fair 16° | NW | 17 min | 432.125-432.175 ↑ / 145.925-145.975 ↓ Linear Mode B SSB/CW |
| 10:54 AM Peak: 10:59 AM |
JO-97 | FM | ⭐ Excellent 63° | E | 10 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.910 ↓ PL 88.5 Hz |
| 11:06 AM Peak: 11:14 AM |
AO-123 | FM | Fair 25° | NW | 15 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 12:34 PM Peak: 12:43 PM |
RS-44 🌍 | Linear 🎛️ | Fair 27° | ENE | 19 min | 145.935-145.995 ↑ / 435.610-435.670 ↓ Linear SSB/CW |
| 02:27 PM Peak: 02:37 PM |
RS-44 | Linear 🎛️ | ⭐ Excellent 56° | W | 20 min | 145.935-145.995 ↑ / 435.610-435.670 ↓ Linear SSB/CW |
📡 Frequency Reference — Saturday, July 18
- AO-123 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.400 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- AO-91 (FM): ↑ 435.250 MHz / ↓ 145.960 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- SO-50 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 436.795 MHz, PL 74.4 Hz
- AO-7 (Linear Mode B SSB/CW): ↑ 432.125-432.175 MHz / ↓ 145.925-145.975 MHz
- JO-97 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.910 MHz, PL 88.5 Hz
- RS-44 (Linear SSB/CW): ↑ 145.935-145.995 MHz / ↓ 435.610-435.670 MHz
July 25 offers 10 passes during the 9 AM–3 PM window — 7 FM and 3 linear transponder opportunities. Top passes: ISS-FM (excellent at 71°, 02:30 PM), RS-44 (excellent at 70°, 01:26 PM), AO-123 (excellent at 60°, 09:27 AM).
| Start (ET) | Satellite | Mode | Quality | Dir | Dur | Frequencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:27 AM Peak: 09:36 AM |
AO-123 | FM | ⭐ Excellent 60° | E | 17 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 09:42 AM Peak: 09:48 AM |
AO-91 | FM | ✅ Good 37° | W | 12 min | 435.250 ↑ / 145.960 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 10:21 AM Peak: 10:26 AM |
JO-97 | FM | Fair 21° | E | 9 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.910 ↓ PL 88.5 Hz |
| 10:43 AM Peak: 10:50 AM |
AO-7 | Linear 🎛️ | Low 10° | NW | 14 min | 432.125-432.175 ↑ / 145.925-145.975 ↓ Linear Mode B SSB/CW |
| 11:12 AM Peak: 11:20 AM |
AO-123 | FM | Fair 24° | NW | 15 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.400 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
| 11:33 AM Peak: 11:42 AM |
RS-44 🌍 | Linear 🎛️ | Fair 22° | ENE | 18 min | 145.935-145.995 ↑ / 435.610-435.670 ↓ Linear SSB/CW |
| 11:54 AM Peak: 11:59 AM |
JO-97 | FM | Fair 19° | WNW | 9 min | 145.850 ↑ / 435.910 ↓ PL 88.5 Hz |
| 01:26 PM Peak: 01:36 PM |
RS-44 | Linear 🎛️ | ⭐ Excellent 70° | W | 21 min | 145.935-145.995 ↑ / 435.610-435.670 ↓ Linear SSB/CW |
| 01:52 PM Peak: 01:57 PM |
SO-50 | FM | Low 11° | NE | 11 min | 145.850 ↑ / 436.795 ↓ PL 74.4 Hz |
| 02:30 PM Peak: 02:36 PM |
ISS-FM ⭐⭐ | FM | ⭐ Excellent 71° | SE | 10 min | 145.990 ↑ / 437.800 ↓ PL 67.0 Hz |
📡 Frequency Reference — Saturday, July 25
- AO-123 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.400 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- AO-91 (FM): ↑ 435.250 MHz / ↓ 145.960 MHz, PL 67.0 Hz
- JO-97 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 435.910 MHz, PL 88.5 Hz
- AO-7 (Linear Mode B SSB/CW): ↑ 432.125-432.175 MHz / ↓ 145.925-145.975 MHz
- RS-44 (Linear SSB/CW): ↑ 145.935-145.995 MHz / ↓ 435.610-435.670 MHz
- SO-50 (FM): ↑ 145.850 MHz / ↓ 436.795 MHz, PL 74.4 Hz
- ISS-FM (FM): ↑ 145.990 MHz / ↓ 437.800 MHz, PL 67.0 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 July 18 (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 Jul 12, 01:58 PM | ⭐ 53° | E 🌍 | 20 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Sun Jul 12, 03:52 PM | 27° | W | 18 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Mon Jul 13, 12:29 PM | 14° | ENE 🌍 | 16 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Jul 13, 02:22 PM | ⭐ 84° | ENE 🌍 | 20 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Jul 13, 04:16 PM | 16° | W | 16 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Tue Jul 14, 12:52 PM | 24° | ENE 🌍 | 18 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Tue Jul 14, 02:46 PM | ⭐ 63° | W | 20 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Wed Jul 15, 01:16 PM | ✅ 38° | E 🌍 | 19 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Wed Jul 15, 03:09 PM | ✅ 39° | W | 19 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Thu Jul 16, 11:47 AM | 9° | NE | 14 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Thu Jul 16, 01:39 PM | ⭐ 60° | E 🌍 | 20 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Thu Jul 16, 03:34 PM | 24° | W | 18 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Fri Jul 17, 12:11 PM | 16° | ENE 🌍 | 17 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Fri Jul 17, 02:03 PM | ⭐ 87° | W | 20 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Fri Jul 17, 03:58 PM | 14° | W | 15 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Sat Jul 18, 12:34 PM | 27° | ENE 🌍 | 19 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Sat Jul 18, 02:27 PM | ⭐ 56° | W | 20 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Sun Jul 19, 12:57 PM | ✅ 43° | E 🌍 | 20 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Sun Jul 19, 02:51 PM | ✅ 35° | W | 19 min | Domestic / high-elevation |
| Mon Jul 20, 11:29 AM | 11° | ENE 🌍 | 15 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Jul 20, 01:21 PM | ⭐ 68° | E 🌍 | 20 min | Cross-Atlantic DX geometry |
| Mon Jul 20, 03:15 PM | 21° | W | 17 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, Jul 14 | No FM passes in 2:00–3:30 PM window — check N2YO closer to date |
| Tue, Jul 21 | 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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