AMSAT-DL Operators Track Mars Probes

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Members of Germany’s AMSAT organization, AMSAT-DL, in cooperation with the Sternwarte Bochum Institute in Bochum, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, have been using the institute’s 20-meter (65.6-foot) diameter dish antenna to listen directly to signals from probes in Mars orbit.

Signals have been copied from the Chinese Tianwen-1 and the Hope Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) spacecraft now orbiting Mars and transmitting in the 8.4 GHz band.

Recordings of the signals can be heard on YouTube with regular updates by following @amsatdl on Twitter.

In 2003, radio amateurs added phase-locked receivers in the 2.3, 5.8, and 10.4 GHz amateur bands, as well as an 8.4 GHz receiver. There is also an S-band 2.4 GHz amateur transmitter running 250 W PEP (peak envelope power). In 2006, the dish was used to copy signals from Voyager 1 at a distance of nearly 15 billion kilometres (9.3 billion miles).

AMSAT-DL (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=413DdMua8ec&feature=emb_imp_woyt

NHS Lauds ‘Get on the air to care’

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A report about the hugely successful RSGB and NHS ‘Get on the air to care’ campaign has been publicised on the NHS Networks website this week.

We have committed to keep ‘Get on the air to care’ running as long as the restrictions exist, in order to support radio amateurs and to share the benefits of amateur radio with the general public.

We are about to launch a number of new initiatives and resources as part of the campaign, so look out for announcements shortly.

Get on the Air to Care Campaign - https://www.networks.nhs.uk/editors-blog/uk2019s-national-health-service-teams-up-with-the-radio-society-of-great-britain-to-improve-health-and-wellbeing/view

Icom Updates for the IC-705, IC-7300, IC-9700 to include Smoother FT8 Mode Operation

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Icom will be releasing new firmware for our IC-705, IC-7300 and IC-9700 transceivers. The updates are planned to improve the user experience and incorporate communication modes such as FT8.

The firmware is due to be released around the end of January 2021 starting with the IC-705 (Version 1.20 added 22/01/21) and followed shortly by versions for the IC-7300 (Version 1.40 added 26/02/21) and IC-9700 (Version 1.30 added 26/02/21).

Planned updates include

  • One-touch FT8 mode preset

  • Scroll mode automatically keeps the operating signal within the scope range

  • Multi-function dial items have been improved (New for IC-7300 and IC-9700)

  • Compatible with the AH-705 antenna tuner (for IC-705)

  • WLAN (Access point) function is added (for IC-705)

  • Other updates are planned for each model

Icom also plans to update the RS-BA1 Ver2 (Version 2.21 added 24/12/20), CS-705 (Version 1.10 added 22/01/21) and the CS-9700 programming software (Version 1.30 added 26/02/21).

More Information - https://icomuk.co.uk/categoryRender.asp?r=rssFeed&categoryID=2&cCID=2492