Suggestions for HAMSATs or easy way to determine access to them?

Not sure I'm understanding... The HAMSAT I know, AKA VO-52, died back in 2014.

If you're looking for amateur radio friendly satellites in general, they're whizzing overhead all the time. Many PRA members use the Andriod app ISS Detector. Costs a few bucks but works great and helps greatly with yagi pointing. There's loads of websites that track passes too. I had this one bookmarked: https://www.n2yo.com/passes/amateur-radio.php

https://www.amsat.org/ is another great resource for "chasing the birds."

Hello Jeff,

Here goes to hopefully clarify the original questions.  There are tons of sources for data on existing and past satellites.  I can down load the data and use AMSAT or other prediction tools to see which birds can be worked from our slice of heaven here in Parker.  This method is extremely time consuming because there are tons of birds up there and you have to run your chosen tool for each specific bird.

My question is two part:

1-Has someone already determined which birds are usable for us here in Parker and willing to share this data?

2- Does anyone know of a tool that would run predictions for a list of satellites vice having to run an individual prediction for each specific bird?

I hope this clears things up.  Enjoy the Blue Moon and Halloween!!

73 de N0RDE Jon

Oops, thank you Jeff!!

Jon

Hopefully the links helped. Realize these satellites are not in geosynchronous orbit so they're usable in Parker for a few minutes whenever they pass overhead; sometimes even 2 or 3 times a day. There's only one geosynchronous amatuer radio satellite I'm aware of and the Saudis put it up so it's not visible from this side of the planet.

73, AB0L.

Hello Jeff,

Thank you for the links.  The problem is sorting through the gazillion (OK, gazillion/100) satellites available.  I hoped someone who is active in this part of the hobby had, and would share, a list of favorites.  Maybe I am reading some of the lists incorrectly because many of the lists I've found include satellites that have already burned in or have died.  AMSAT seems to be the worst offender in this regard and they are impossible to reach because their headquarters are not manned due to concerns (valid!) about COVID-19. 

Just returned from picking up the paper.  What a beautiful day outside!  Effects from chemotherapy last week are fading so Scooter (Australian Sheppard) will get a nice walk today!

73 de N0RDE 🙃 

PS-we need a generic ham and a specific PRA emoji!  Any artists in our group want to take this on...of course with the club's ok.

https://www.n2yo.com/passes/amateur-radio.php shows only active satellites. The C indicates birds that accept uplink in ham bands. This is the page I used to build my ISS Detector list. There's 40 or so I track:

Ham radio and astronomy friend turned me onto this website ya gotta check it out!  Has a function showing all hamsats to a lat/lng you enter in decimal format.  Output can be pasted into Excel for further research.

73 de N0RDE

Hello all,

I Love the AMSAT web but it has data on non-active birds and no easy way to list only active ones.  June QST has an article in Field Day section showing active FM birds.  3 of the units are S050, P0101, and the ISS.  Over the next week I will see which can be heard from my QTH.

73 de N0RDE

There is a quick and easy way to work with AMSAT pass predictions. 

1-Down load data from AMSAT site.

2-Copy data to an excel spreadsheet.

3-Use built in functions to add columns and create data such as converting AOS and LOS from Zulu to local.

4-name, reformat to larger font, print, then store store.

Hope this helps!

73 de N0RDE Jon