| Name |
Catalog Number |
COSPAR
ID |
Frequency MHz |
Modulation
|
Audio (kB) |
Notes |
| TRANSIT 5B5 |
965 |
1964-83D |
136.653 |
FM/AM |
118 |
Note 1. |
| SOLRAD 7B |
1291 |
1965-16D |
136.80 |
FM/AM |
157 |
Note 2. |
| ERS 15 | 2411 |
1966-77B |
136.44 |
AM | 466 |
1200-1300 Hz, approx. 8 sec
period
Note 4 |
| ERS 20 |
2768 |
1967-40D |
136.26 |
AM |
156 |
910 Hz, 4 sec period Note 5. |
| ISIS 1 |
3669 |
1969-9A |
136.41 |
CW only |
approx. 60s roll fading |
|
| EGRS 13 |
3891 |
1969-37B |
136.80 |
PM |
74 |
680 Hz SCO or PAM/FM. Note 3. |
| S69-4 (Poppy-6) | 4237 |
1969-82E |
137.41 |
CW only |
Note 8. |
|
| TIMATION-II |
4256 |
1969-82B |
137.383 |
FM/AM |
79 |
Note 6. |
| SHINSEI |
5485 |
1971-80A |
136.695 |
CW only |
Daylight only |
|
| NOSS (Poppy-7) |
5680 |
1971-110C |
137.08 |
CW only |
Note 9. | |
| TIROS-N |
11060 |
1978-098A |
137.77 |
CW |
4.5 sec on/1.5 sec off
unmodulated
carrier in daylight only, not
heard on 137.50 |
|
| NOAA-9 |
15427 |
1984-123A |
136.770
& 137.505 |
CW |
Note 16.
Intermittent operation. Not on
all passes or for all of a pass. |
|
| ECS-4 |
18351 |
1987-078B |
137.142 |
PCM/FSK/PM |
78 |
Note 15 |
| NOAA 15 |
25388 |
1998-30A |
137.35 137.50 |
PCM/PM AM/FM |
DSB Note 10 APT Note 11 |
|
| NOAA 16 |
26536 |
2000-55A |
137.77 |
PCM/PM |
DSB not always on before terminator, APT failed November, 2000 | |
| NOAA 17 |
27453 |
2002-32A |
137.77 137.62 |
PCM/PM AM/FM |
DSB APT |
|
| MIMOSA |
27841 |
2003-31B |
137.143 |
CW |
75 |
Falling tone. Note 13 |
| HAMSAT |
28650 |
2005-17B |
137.175 |
PCM/BPSK |
84 |
256 bps PCM/BiØ-Level/PM
plus unmodulated sub-carrier sidebands at ± 25.6 kHz |
| NOAA-18 |
28654 |
2005-18A |
137.35 137.10 |
PCM/PM AM/FM |
DSB APT |
|
| ORBCOMM |
various |
various |
137.2000 137.2250 137.2500 137.4400 137.4600 137.6625 137.6875 137.7125 137.7375 137.8000 & 137.5600 |
SDPSK OQPSK |
4800 bps PCM
Subscriber Communicator
downlink. Note 12. 41 spacecraft have been launched. These are Flight Model 1 to 41, FM 29 is Concept Demonstration Satellite 3 and FM 37 to FM 41 are Quick Launch 1 to 5. FM 1, 2, 3, 26, 28 & 33 are not working. Nil heard as yet from Quick Launch 1 to 5 or CDS-3 57.6 kbps, 16 slot TDMA, GES downlink. Note 12a. |
| 1 |
Launched on 13 Dec 1964 as the
second operational TRANSIT spacecraft, it should be more
correctly called OSCAR -2, O-2 or NSS 30020. Unfortunately, the
navigation
system failed within 2 weeks of launch. The telemetry beacon can be CW
or
modulated depending on lighting conditions. The PAM data is 37 steps
with a repeat cycle of about 12.5 seconds. Each step has a duty cycle
of about 75% data value and 25% return to centre frequency value. These
steps vary a 5400 Hz centre frequency sub carrier oscillator that then
amplitude modulates the RF carrier. Another SCO around 10 kHz is
sometimes present. It has a pattern of five pulses with gaps, followed
by a longer gap at about a 1.5 Hz rate. A SSB receiver will resolve,
separately, the carrier as a single tone and each of the sidebands as
"musical" tones. Also see Maik Hermenau's TRANSIT 5B5 page |
| 2 |
The telemetry is a multiplex of
six IRIG-106 7.5%
bandwidth sub carrier oscillators, linearly added and
amplitude modulate the RF carrier. IRIG 3 (730 Hz centre frequency) and
IRIG 4 (960 Hz cf) vary in step over 3.6 second with 8 periods of 450
millisecond each. IRIG 5 (1300 Hz cf), IRIG 6 (1700 Hz cf) and IRIG 7
(2300 Hz cf) are all fixed at their lower deviation limit of 1202 Hz,
1572 Hz and 2127 Hz respectively. IRIG 8 (3000 Hz) drifts from the the
lower limit, 2775 Hz, to the upper limit, 3225 Hz, over time. |
| 3 |
Sometimes has IRIG 3 SCO, 730 Hz
c.f., 16 segment, .67s per segment, PAM/FM/PM telemetry EGRS (Electronic & Geodetic Ranging Satellite or Experimental Geodetic Research Satellite) with a SECOR (Sequential Collation of Range) transponder. Also called S69-2. |
| 4 |
Called SECOR 7 by Space-Track.
The
telemetry is random levels of about 8 seconds duration each, on a 1300
Hz centre frequency SCO that amplitude modulates the RF carrier. The RF
exhibits short term frequency instability. |
| 5 |
ERS-20
aka OV5-3,
sounds like a "moan". OV5 series. Unstable carrier (± 100 Hz), amplitude modulated with 910 Hz tone with approx. 4.6 second period. It can be heard about an hour earlier every 2 days for up to 12 hours over a 3 to 4 week period with a repeat cycle of about 7 weeks. Acquisition of Signal (AOS) time series (pdf) An updated TLE was derived by Greg Roberts and Mike McCants in September 2007 |
| 6 |
Called OPS 7613 P/L 1 by
Space-Track.
Telemetry is PAM/FM/AM. 3 SCOs (Ch 6, 1700 Hz, Ch 7, 2300 Hz and
Ch 8
3000 Hz centre frequencies). PAM is 30 levels plus a min and max
calibration/sync pulses over 4 secs. Ch 6 & 7 are repeating
patterns, Ch 8 is a 4 Hz clock. |
| 7 |
NIMBUS 4 4362/1970-25A 136.50 MHz PCM/PM Failing or intermittent telemetry is either CW or data modulation, depending on sunlight. The PCM data is from the Versatile Information Processor (VIP) at 4000 bps. Split phase coded PM. Carrier and two pairs of sidebands. |
| 8 |
POPPY program declassified 12 Sept 2005 by NRO. Preliminarily called POPPY-6B, also known as OPS 7613 P/L 4 or NRL PL162. Historically but incorrectly called S69-4 |
| 9 |
POPPY program declassified 12 sept 2005 by NRO. Preliminarily called POPPY-7. also known as OPS 7898 P/L 2, previously thought to be US Navy Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS), Sub-Satellite Unit C (SSU-C). TLEs from Mike McCants' classified section. |
| 10 |
DSB -
Direct Sounder Broadcast - 8320 bps TIROS Information Processor (TIP)
data, Bi-phase-level encoded (Manchester), ±67°
PM
modulation, 250 mW, linear polarization. 1W, changed to RHCP from
NOAA-15. 104
8-bit words/minor frame. 20 bit sync code (EDE20 hex) + 4 bit S/C ID. |
| 11 |
APT -
Automatic Picture Transmission - 120 line/min Visible and Infrared
video (1600 Hz BW) amplitude
modulates a 2400 Hz carrier that then frequency modulates the 5W RF
carrier, deviation is ±17 kHz. RHCP, ½ turn, ½
wavelength resonant quadrifilar antenna (boom deployed VRA on TIROS-N
series spacecraft) |
| 12 |
ORBCOMM spacecraft are frequency agile and may, can and do vary their downlink frequency on a orbit by orbit basis. |
| 12a |
A Gateway Earth Station (NCC ID
120 (78 hex)) opened
early 2007 at Rutherglen, Australia, about 250 km North of my location.
125 msec bursts, 1 sec apart, on 137.56 MHz |
| 13 |
Project
and Technical
Details |
| 14 |
COMPASS-2 29152, 2006-19A,
137.35 MHz, Audio file 50 kB spacecraft recovery reported 16 November. Subsequently, telemetry not heard at this location. Previously the signal was 3 to 6 bursts, each ½ to 6 sec long, 10 to 15 seconds apart with these groups 100 to 140 seconds apart . Modulation produced sidebands at ± 64 kHz at 137.286 & 137.414 MHz. More here Last heard 6-10 April 2007. |
| 15 |
ECS-4
(EUTELSAT
1F4) re-orbited
above geostationary orbit December 2002, now drifting westward at
approximately 5° per day. Telemetry is 160 bps NRZ TDM PCM data, Bi-Phase-L coded, BPSK on 2560 Hz subcarrier, PM on 137.1420 MHz at 8 Watts. On for 41 seconds, off for 72 seconds, approximately, as spacecraft rotates solar panels periodically into sunlight. Next period of visibility in Melbourne, Australia is 11 September 2008 to 8 October 2008, 59° peak on 25 September 2008. |
| 16 |
NOAA-9 reported on again by Mike
Piper in Douglas Dean's Weather Satellite Report of 25
February 2008. Northbound Evening passes at this location exit
spacecraft eclipse with varying results. The 136 and 137 MHz carriers
may come for all of the pass (25% of passes), some of the pass (25%) or
not at all (50%). Some passes coincide with NOAA-15, causing RFI when
the NOAA-9 137.505 MHz carrier is on. NOAA-9 was previously last heard
in December 2005. |
| Spacecraft no longer heard but still monitored occasionally |
Frequency |
Last Heard |
| TIROS-10 |
136.235 |
30
January 2008 |
| NIMBUS-4 | 136.500 |
14 April
2007 Note 7 |
| PROSPERO | 137.560 |
November
2003 |
| NOAA-6 | 137.500 |
De-activated
31 March 1987 Not heard since |
| METOP-A | 137.100 | 25
January 2007 Turned off 26/1/2006 1407 UTC |
| COMPASS-2
(14) |
137.350 | 10 April
2007. Note 14 |