Ham Radio on the ISS - Getting Started with APRS, Voice, SSTV

This is a video covering broad topics about ham radio communication with the international space station. It's here to let you know whats operational, and how to get started communicating with it. We even take a look at a few operators communicating with an astronaut on board the ISS.
If you'd like to see any of my videos talking with the iss you can see the below links:
Decoding ISS SSTV with a Baofeng Radio:
• Receiving ISS SSTV ima...
Sending APRS Packets To/From the ISS:
• Send APRS Packets From...
The video I talked about above was here:
• NA1SS - We Talked to a...
By Ham radio World.
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[@AI4QT]

REALLY appreciate your videos. You're a natural born teacher. 73 de AI4QT

[@ModernHam]

Glad you like them!

[@TheNoCodeTech]

I dig this. Super cool

[@rajeevshagun7409]

Thanks for the informations , It was helpful regarding differencing between how to use repeater only and how to talk to astronauts. Such a detail .

[@theoview]

Thx. info HAM communicate the ISS. Decoding ISS SSTV with my Baofeng UV 5R , Q: what antenne is your advise? QTH The Netherlands / Europe. Q2: what ISS tracking app for the iPhone or Windows 10 PC ? Greta video you made! Thanks for all! 73 Theo PA0HTY.

[@nativetexan9776]

Most don't realize that there is a short window to contact and chat as they cross the horizon.

[@ManuelPinner]

I have both a PRS HTs, D75 and a FT5D,

[@robertopreatoni]

To receive SSTV from the ISS you actually' DON'T need a Ham license.

[@ModernHam]

Yup, only to get a QSL card.

[@keesvanoosbree5911]

How's the Tesla coil coming along?

[@ModernHam]

Going out to power it up this weekend if the weather permits.. I'm pretty sure it's good to go. Just need to find a place to turn it on without the police being called (It's very loud)

[@rightpedaldown9346]

@@ModernHam LOL That would break the internet!

[@danielpereira8584]

Your videos are great. Please keep them up.

[@timharris2141]

Great Info! Thank You!!!

[@ModernHam]

Glad I could help!

[@andrewhamop6665]

Heh, what a coincidence. I recently just started messing with ISS packet, not using anything special really. I have my 2 meter Base radio hooked up to an old TNC, an MFJ-1274 IRCC, this setup is then hooked up to a quarter wave vertical for 2 m. I can't receive the ISS super well, but I can regularly hit the digipeater and get my packets into the network. Great video, super excited for when the live streams start back up. 73 de W8IJC Edit: Oh I forgot to mention, I've also gotten a qsl card from the sstv before. All you have to do is send your qsl report along with the images and an envelope, and include a self addressed stamped envelope with them. Then in a few weeks to a month, you will receive your qsl card if you filled everything out properly. That was one awesome day!

[@ModernHam]

Yeah that is still one of my favorite QSL cards. I really want that contact with an astronaut though. One of my biggest goals in radio. I'm thinking about doing a stream this sunday. Don't want to make any promises though.

[@andrewhamop6665]

@@ModernHam Yeah, same here. I'm sure we'll both get it one of these days. Don't worry about the live stream, do it if you can, don't worry about it if you can't. I'll try my best to be around if you do have one.

[@rightpedaldown9346]

Thanks for the info! Ham radio is so interesting. I learn a lot from each of your videos. I really do appreciate your efforts .

[@ModernHam]

I'm really glad I could help!

[@remingtonkevin65]

144.490, is the tone still 67.0 when trying to make contact with the astronauts?

[@williamtillman8323]

How come, in the example snippet, he was TX=144.490 and RX=145.800? Not exactly U/V cross banding like it’s supposed to be. (Never mind, I played it forward and you explained it. But “comms with astronauts” rather than “ISS as a repeater” is never advertised anywhere.)

[@ModernHam]

He is talking directly to the space station here which is not cross band repeat. As per 6:20 of the video I go over the frequencies used for direct contact with them.

[@williamtillman8323]

@@ModernHam I picked that up later, sorry I jumped the gun. All the freq charts I always see for ISS are the U/V splits, or the Orlon spacesuit. Have never seen published where the inhabitants monitor incoming on 144.490.

[@williamtillman8323]

@@ModernHam Now that I am being proven to be misguided by at least a couple of videos, I looked to see where I went wrong. Looking at frequency charts for ISS over at least 8 years, the 144.490/145.800 is always listed as V/V FM (crew) which I took to mean “Crew comms only.” Didn’t think they wanted ground amateurs transmitting on 144.490, getting in their way. Now I’m finding that’s what it is actually for, if you get a crew member interested and has time (they are kept busy nearly every minute) I’ll go away now. Thanks for the video!

[@gjgp225]

How close does ISS need to be for comm? I'm grid FN43EE

[@andrewhamop6665]

Anywhere from perfect 90° overhead, till about 10 to 12 degrees is workable in my experience. It really depends on your location, weather, and obstructions.

[@ericwalker3368]

I believe, receive, agree and prayed.

[@ethanPi]

This is interesting af.