This station's ham computer currently runs CentOS Linux. AX25-utils with the AX25 packet radio kernel option is connected to a kiss KPC3+ termial node controller on the 2 Meter band. An interactive shell script is used to enable options for packet repeating or sending an e-mail message through the International Space Station. The interface has a dedicated radio on the ISS's amateur radio frequency for packet operations.
Linux sound card software is used for most digital modes. The modes are Slow Scan TV running the QSSTV program and PSK31 with the Fldigi program, usually on the 20 Meter band. The PSK31 protocol allows terminal typing to other amateur radio stations around the world. The HF radio is either a Kenwood TS-440S or a Yaesu FT-847 transceiver. The HF antenna is a Hygain Hustler 5BTV Vertical with tuned radials operating on the 40, 30, 20, 15, and 10 Meter bands.
SatTrack V3.1.4 and Predict 2.2.3, among other satellite tracking programs, are used for orbit predictions and tracking. Contacts have been made through the close ones like the International Space Station and Radio Sputnik 12/13. AX25 packet radio is used in unproto mode in order to have message strings retransmitted back to earth by the International Space Station and previously by Mir station.
Voice contact was accomplished with the French cosmonaut ( Jean-Pierre Haignere ) using the call sign R0MIR aboard Mir at 2:12 PDT in the morning of July 4th 1999. Also received slow scan television pictures from Mir when the station was in orbit. The picture on the right is a slow scan image sent down from Mir on subsequent passes by Jean-Pierre. It's believed to be a shot of the amateur radio equipment aboard Mir.
Accesses to Radio Sputnik 12/13 were on SSB voice and CW by both 2m and 15m uplinks to the 10m downlink when that satellite was operational. The rigs used were a Kenwood TR-751A and Kenwood TS-440S transceivers. Other satellites I have received signals from or worked include: AO-40 AO-13 AO-10 AO-27 STS-93 FO-20 FO-29 LO-19 AO-16 AO-7.
The radio for satellite communication is the Yaesu FT-847 transceiver that can be computer controlled. The HamLib computer control software is used with the Predict satellite tracking software and the Gsat graphical world display client. The tracking gain antennas are an 18 element circular polarized beam for 435Mhz, KLM 18C, and a 14 element circular polarized beam for 144Mhz, KLM 14C. Antenna azimuth/elevation is with a Yaesu G-5500 antenna rotator and the GS-232A computer controller. Predict's Gsat graphical world display client is enabled with a homebrew C code plugin for antenna to satellite tracking.