Where I keep up with amateur satellites: what I have worked, where to listen, which frequencies they use, which ones are alive and when new launches happen.
Passes in the next 24 hours
RS-44, FO-29, ISS, SO-50, JO-97 and other satellites with an amateur transponder, for the locator you choose (default IN51uk, Guimarães). Computed in your browser right now.
Local time (Portugal), for the chosen locator (default IN51uk). AOS = satellite rises above the horizon; Max = highest point; LOS = sets. Azimuths: 0° = North, 90° = East. Computed in your browser (SGP4) from CelesTrak TLEs; theoretical 0° horizon, no obstructions.
My satellites
Generated from my logbook: the satellites I have made contacts through.
| Satellite | QSOs | last QSO | ↑ / ↓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| RS-44 | 728 | 2026-10-23 | 2m → 70cm |
| QO-100 | 649 | 2026-10-22 | 13cm → 3cm |
| IO-117 | 318 | 2024-07-06 | 70cm → 70cm |
| ARISS | 252 | 2026-10-23 | 2m → 70cm |
| FO-29 | 229 | 2026-10-22 | 2m → 70cm |
| UO-14 | 107 | 2003-03-09 | 2m → 70cm |
| RS-12 | 40 | 1997-02-14 | 15m → 10m |
| AO-27 | 36 | 2022-11-12 | 2m → 70cm |
| CAS-4B | 30 | 2022-11-20 | 70cm → 2m |
| AO-91 | 26 | 2023-03-28 | 70cm → 2m |
| SO-50 | 25 | 2023-09-29 | 2m → 70cm |
| XW-2A | 25 | 2022-11-22 | 70cm → 2m |
Show the other 24 satellites
| JO-97 | 23 | 2026-10-22 | 70cm → 2m |
| AO-51 | 18 | 2009-08-03 | 2m → 70cm |
| CAS-4A | 13 | 2022-11-07 | 70cm → 2m |
| FO-118 | 13 | 2023-02-20 | 2m → 70cm |
| VO-52 | 13 | 2007-03-04 | 70cm → 2m |
| AO-7 | 12 | 2022-10-29 | 2m → 10m |
| XW-2C | 8 | 2022-10-30 | 70cm → 2m |
| TEVEL2 | 7 | 2023-09-25 | 2m → 70cm |
| FO-20 | 6 | 2001-07-10 | 2m → 70cm |
| TEVEL6 | 6 | 2023-08-12 | 2m → 2m |
| PO-101 | 5 | 2023-02-19 | 70cm → 2m |
| CAS-3H | 4 | 2023-02-04 | 2m → 70cm |
| AO-10 | 3 | 1997-03-01 | 2m → 70cm |
| AO-92 | 3 | 2022-10-30 | 70cm → 2m |
| EO-88 | 3 | 2022-11-18 | 70cm → 2m |
| AO-85 | 2 | 2016-11-14 | 70cm → 2m |
| FO-99 | 2 | 2023-02-19 | 2m → 70cm |
| NO-44 | 2 | 2002-05-05 | 2m → ? |
| AMSAT-OSCAR 123 | 1 | 2026-02-01 | 2m → 70cm |
| CAS-5A | 1 | 2022-12-28 | 2m → 70cm |
| HO-113 | 1 | 2022-11-03 | 2m → 70cm |
| QMR-KWT-2 | 1 | 2026-02-01 | 2m → 70cm |
| TO-108 | 1 | 2022-09-23 | 70cm → 2m |
| XW-4 | 1 | 2022-12-24 | 2m → 70cm |
What kinds of satellites there are
Each kind calls for different equipment and technique. The examples are satellites I have worked; the current status is on AMSAT Status.
| Type | Examples | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| FM | SO-50, AO-27, AO-91, UO-14 | A dual-band handheld and a directional antenna (an Arrow type). One contact at a time |
| Linear | RS-44, FO-29, CAS-4B, XW-2A | An all-mode rig on 2 m and 70 cm, SSB or CW, and Doppler correction. Many contacts at once |
| Digital | IO-117 | A packet digipeater in orbit, with its own software |
| Geostationary | QO-100 | A fixed dish: uplink on 2.4 GHz, downlink on 10 GHz |
| Crewed | ISS (ARISS) | FM on 2 m and 70 cm; school contacts arranged by ARISS |
Listen and receive
QO-100 (Es’hail-2) is geostationary: no passes, the dish stays fixed. The BATC WebSDR, hosted at Goonhilly, lets you hear the transponder in the browser without any equipment.
Satellite status
Amateur satellites fail, go silent or only work in sunlight; it is worth checking the status before trying a contact.
Reference frequencies
| Satellite | ↑ Uplink (MHz) | ↓ Downlink (MHz) |
|---|---|---|
| QO-100 (narrowband) | 2400.050–2400.300 (USB) | 10489.550–10489.800 (USB) |
| Geostationary (25.5°E). AMSAT lists 2400.000–2400.500 / 10489.500–10490.000 for the whole transponder. | ||
| QO-100 (wideband) | 2401.500–2409.500 | 10491–10499 |
| Digital transponder (DVB-S2, DATV). | ||
| RS-44 | 145.935–145.995 (LSB) | 435.610–435.670 (USB) |
| Inverting linear. CW beacon on 435.605. | ||
| FO-29 | 145.900–146.000 (LSB) | 435.800–435.900 (USB) |
| Activated by schedule. CW beacon on 435.795. | ||
| AO-7 modo B | 432.125–432.175 (LSB) | 145.925–145.975 (USB) |
| Works in sunlight only. Beacon on 29.502. | ||
| AO-7 modo A | 145.850–145.950 (USB) | 29.400–29.500 (USB) |
| Works in sunlight only. | ||
| AO-73 (FUNcube-1) | 435.130–435.150 (LSB) | 145.950–145.970 (USB) |
| BPSK telemetry on 145.935. Transponder active in eclipse. | ||
| TO-108 (CAS-6) | 435.270–435.290 (LSB) | 145.915–145.935 (USB) |
| Intermittent (about 2 s on, 5 s off). | ||
| MO-122 (MESAT1) | 145.910–145.940 (LSB) | 435.810–435.840 (USB) |
| FoxTelem BPSK beacon on 435.800. | ||
| ISS (voz) | 145.200 (FM, só Região 1) | 145.800 (FM) |
| ARISS school contacts and occasional operation. | ||
| ISS (repetidor) | 145.990 (FM, PL 67 Hz) | 437.800 (FM) |
| VHF/UHF repeater, when active. | ||
| ISS (APRS) | 145.825 | 145.825 |
| APRS packets. Occasional SSTV on 437.550 (Robot36). | ||
Source: AMSAT, ARISS. Check the current status at AMSAT Status.
On low-Earth-orbit satellites there is Doppler shift: the receive frequency moves by about ±10 kHz on UHF during a pass, so you need to correct it over time. Inverting linear transponders swap the sideband between uplink and downlink.
Tracking and passes
Launches
The launches and events below are read live from a public API.
Upcoming launches
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CubeSats and rideshare
Missions carrying small satellites (CubeSats, smallsats), such as SpaceX's Transporter and Bandwagon flights. Amateur satellites often fly on these launches.
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Events in space
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Data source: Launch Library 2 (The Space Devs). Times are in your local time; hover over a time to see UTC.