http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 3:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 3:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
sorry guys, had to be done.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 5:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 5:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 10:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
because they go to Humber College.]]>Feb 4th 2009 2:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 3:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
"While school contacts with the space station are routinely made through the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station program, many of those contacts are made using a traditional ham radio."]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
Building a radio isn't that fancy. ]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
Still nifty though.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 6:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
This radio is "untraditional" in the sense that they built it themselves.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 6:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
http://mikewren.com/iss-21oct08

I used a mobile radio with only 10 watts, into a simple vertical antenna. Surprisingly low-tech gear is needed when you have good line-of-sight. In this case, it's a few hundred miles into the sky for up to ten minutes at a time.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 10:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 4th 2009 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
Man, that's totally awesome, wish I had that project when I was in college.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 3:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 3:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 3:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 6:11PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 4th 2009 3:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.operationfirstcontact.com/blog/episode16.htm

I'm not really sure what the big deal is about this...ham radio operators of many ages have been doing this kind of thing for years.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 3:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
The Polysat group (http://polysat.calpoly.edu/) has built their own satellites (from scratch, which means they designed the instrument boards, battery packs, and programmed the microcontrollers themselves) and then put together their own ground station to contact their satellites when they were able to get them launched. THAT is an achievement at the college level. Just putting together the ground station would be a middle school or high school project.

It's not that I don't think it's great that more people are getting involved in amateur radio, but it's being played up as some amazing achievement. While it's still cool, people have been doing this for a long time.

So, to conclude, good on them for getting involved, glad they had fun, and hopefully it will get more interested in amateur radio (for those in the US, visit http://www.arrl.org to learn how you can get licensed), but I wish the article had done at least a tiny bit of research on what they were talking about.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
"This is Mission Control... The air locks are failing! Evacuate Immediately!"

I would watch thru my telescope and laugh....]]>Feb 3rd 2009 3:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 5:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
Do satelittles usually orbit Governor Schwarzenegger?]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/No, but I bet he has his personal satellite in space called the Terminator so he can get internet anywhere he goes. (Pr0n ftw!)]]>Feb 4th 2009 1:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 6:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 4:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
but CENG still beats Com-tech w00t! lol jk]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.operationfirstcontact.com/blog/episode16.htm "Today, Mr. Rector, Paul, and I went out to Radioworld and purchased a transceiver. After much research, we decided to go with the ICOM Ic-V8000. For the cost, it has exactly what we need. On Friday, we're going to be integrating it into our setup, and doing all the necessary testing."

They put together an antenna and an AzEl rotator and used an off the shelf transciever.

What part of this is self-built? This seems like pretty standard amateur radio. Take away the AzEl rotator and get a handheld Arrow satellite antenna and anyone with a amateur radio license can do this for under a $1,000.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
The ARISS (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) program has been in existence for years. Contacts between astronauts and schools via amateur (ham) radio happen quite regularly, and there is usually a 1-2 year waiting list. The ISS is in a low-earth orbit, so it is only overhead and in "line of sight" VHF/UHF radio range for about 10-15 minutes. There is a published, well-known set of frequencies for casually contacting the ISS via amateur radio, though astronauts are rarely on the air except during these pre-scheduled school contacts. They usually use an unpublished frequency for the school contacts to avoid malicious interference.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 5:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 5:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 5:48PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
ANY HAM RADIO OPERATOR can do this. It's easy and does NOT take any special equipment at all.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 5:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
Scratch built radios and antennas are nothing new to the Amateur Radio community
as is contacting space stations

Most people these days have no clue to the origin of that stores name Radio Shack
although I must say I truly miss the days whan all RS employees actually KNEW STUFF
instead of the minimum wage morons of today (apologies to the few remaining RS Elmers) ]]>Feb 3rd 2009 7:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/you can build a functional but basic transmitter and receiver for less than US$20, especially if you only want to transmit and receive morse.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 7:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
1. They are at the community college level. Not university level.

2. Yes, ANYONE can use a HAM radio. These guys however did not use a HAM radio. They built all components from the ground up and were otherwise doing it entirely on their own.

3. These guys are community college level students. For them to have done this is simply incredible due to the lack of resources. This is not about building a HAM radio, this is about building all the separate components. Frankly, I highly doubt any of you could do it with a HAM radio. Personally, I know I can't.

I realize Engadget is a place filled with people bashing every any and every sort of achievement, but you are guys are simply assholes.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 8:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/
1. They are indeed community college students.
2. Only licensed hams can use ham radios. These students (at least some of whom are licensed hams) used a ham radio, which they purchased from Icom from a vendor known as Radioworld. They had assistance from their professors, from a mentor at ARISS, and several other people on the AMSAT mailing list, amongst others. They were not "doing it entirely on their own".
3. These guys were adult community college students. Considering that high school and even pre-high-school students have made contacts with Mir, ISS, and Shuttles using far less expensive setups, this was all about the hype. I imagine that just about anyone reading this could be taught how to use equipment costing one-tenth what these guys spent to make a contact.

Reality bites sometimes.]]>Feb 3rd 2009 9:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/03/college-students-contact-space-station-with-self-built-radio-sys/Feb 3rd 2009 9:20PM