For Beginners

AMSAT’s Venerable OSCAR-7

by Keith Baker, KB1SF / VA3KSF, [email protected]
(Portions of this article previously appeared as “Spotlight on AMSAT-OSCAR 7”
in the November, 2011 edition of Monitoring Times Magazine)

I
n previous columns I’ve discussed Telemetry beacons on 10 m and 2 m as well coming from a satellite. But which one?
how those interested in receiving (and as on 70 cm rounded out the satellite’s RF The beacon peaked at S9 and at times it took
if properly licensed) actually working suite. Unfortunately, AO-7’s 2304.1 MHz on a rough quality, wobbling in frequency
through our growing fleet of Amateur Radio experimental beacon was never activated then coming back strong and quite stable
satellites could do so with just modest radio due to international frequency allocation again. To his surprise, Pat later learned
equipment. In this edition, I’ll turn the issues. that the satellite he had been listening to
spotlight on one of our oldest satellites … Four antennas mounted at 90-degree was none other than our old AO-7 that had
one that’s been in orbit (and at least semi- intervals on the base and two experimental somehow come back to life!
operational) for going on 30 years now! repeater systems provided store-and-forward Jan King, W3GEY, AO-7’s original Project
Beginnings capability for Morse and teletype messages Manager, later noted that the satellite had a
AMSAT-OSCAR 7 (AO-7) was launched as it orbited around the world. The Mode- very good set of solar panels and the first
November 15, 1974 by a Delta 2310 B transponder was designed and built by Battery Charge Regulator (BCR) AMSAT
launcher from Vandenberg Air Force Base Professor Dr. Karl Meinzer, DJ4ZC, and ever flew. It was also the first spacecraft
near Lompoc, California as a secondary Werner Haas, DJ5KQ (SK). The Mode B AMSAT ever built that was capable of
payload along with ITOS-G (NOAA 4) transponder was the first such transponder actually overcharging the battery. As
and the Spanish INTASAT satellite. AO-7 using Dr. Meinzer’s “HELAPS” (High expected, when the battery failed one
was the second satellite in AMSAT’s so- Efficient Linear Amplification by Parametric or more of the individual battery cells
Synthesis) techniques … a technology that eventually failed “short”.
was painstakingly developed by Dr. Meinzer
as part of his Ph.D. dissertation. HELAPS However, what AO-7’s experimenters
was very effectively used on a number of hadn’t counted on was what would happen
AMSAT’s subsequent satellites. if any one of the failed cells lost its “short”
and the battery circuit became “open”.
The two transponders were operated Then, the entire power bus would become
alternately by means of a timer arrangement, “unclamped” from ground and the all
but transponder selection and output power spacecraft loads (including the transponders)
control could also be accomplished by could then draw power from the highly
Photo1: AMSAT’s satellites are often built in the ground command. Each of the transponders efficient solar arrays. At that point, AO-7
basements and garages of its experimenters. included a keyed telemetry beacon at the
H e r e D i c k D a n i e l s , W 4 P U G , s o l d e r s upper edge of the downlink passband to
components into one of AO-7’s electronic provide housekeeping data as well as a
modules. (Courtesy: AMSAT)
reference marker to assist amateurs in setting
called “Phase II” satellite series (Phase their uplink power level. The cross-band
II-B). That is, unlike their relatively short design of the two transponders were one of
lifetime predecessor satellites that only the first such arrangements that permitted
carried beacon transmitters, AMSAT’s amateurs to monitor their own downlink
Phase II satellites carried Amateur Radio RF signals so as to help them compensate for
transponders aboard. changing path loss, transponder loading and
Doppler shift. Photo 2: AO-7’s final assembly “Clean Room”
When it was launched into a relatively
consisted of stud lumber and plastic sheeting
circular, 1444 by 1459 km, 101.7 degree The Lost is Found installed in the basement of Dick Daniel’s,
inclination orbit, the octahedral shaped (360 AO-7 was operational for nearly 7 years W4PUJ, home in suburban Washington, DC.
mm high and 424 mm in diameter) satellite until a supposed battery failure caused it to Despite such sparse assembly arrangements,
weighed in at about 65 pounds. The antenna cease operation in mid-1981. Then on June AMSAT has never a satellite rejected by a
launch agency because of contamination.
array consisted of a circularly polarized, 21, 2002, Pat Gowen, G3IOR, stumbled onto (Courtesy: AMSAT)
canted turnstile VHF/UHF antenna system something he noted as “remarkable” when
along with an HF dipole. hunting for what he called “interlopers” on might have enough solar power to become
our 2 m amateur satellite band. During his a “daytime only” satellite.
Similar to its immediate predecessor
search, he came across a beacon sending slow, Indeed, this is precisely what has since
(AMSAT-OSCAR 6), AO-7 was built
8 -10 wpm Morse code on 145.973 MHz happened and what has miraculously caused
by a multi-national (German, Canadian,
that was also slowly drifting downward to AO-7 to come back to life after so many
United States and Australian) team of
145.970 MHz before fading out completely. years of being dormant. The only downside
radio amateurs under the direction of
The beacon sounded VERY familiar to him, to this now “daytime only” satellite is that,
AMSAT-North America. It carried both a
but, clearly, it was coming from none of the every time sunlight hits the spacecraft and
non-inverting Mode A (Mode V/A) and an
(then) current satellite fleet. And because of it powers up after exiting an eclipse, AO-7
inverting Mode B (U/V) linear transponder.
the Doppler shift, the signals were obviously

4 The AMSAT Journal  September/October 2011  www.amsat.org

 modest satellite antenna arrays.
However, it takes a bit of patience to
determine which mode the satellite is in
when it first pops over the horizon. I do
this by first setting my downlink frequency
in the middle of either passband (at, say
29.450 MHz or 145.950 MHz) and then
send a few widely-spaced CW “dits” on the
uplink while tuning the frequency of my
uplink signal around. Once I hear my own
“dits” coming back to me on the downlink, I
Photo 5: AO-7 is shown here mated to the upper
immediately know which mode the satellite
stage of its Delta rocket. AO-7 is shown at the
Photo 3: Members of the AO-7 project team pose is in, and I then start looking for a contact. bottom right, next to the much larger main payload.
with the fruits of their labor. From left are Dick (Courtesy: AMSAT)
Daniels, W4PUJ; Jan King, W3GEY; “hired hand”
Operating Tips
Marie Marr and AMSAT Founding President Perry Because of its relatively high power (2 - 8
Klein, W3PK. (Courtesy: AMSAT) watt) downlink transmitters, you should be
comes up randomly in either Mode V/A able to hear very weak signals from AO-
(the old Mode A) or Mode U/V (the old 7 without needing a lot of uplink power.
Mode B). Remember, this satellite was never intended
to be an FM bird! Indeed, I’ve successfully
Current Status
worked through AO-7 with 5 watts or less
Subsequent analysis has revealed that, even
to my eggbeater antennas. You may need to
after almost 30 years in orbit (and with
increase power if the satellite is at a distance,
but be sure to reduce power as the satellite
approaches.
Unfortunately, AO-7’s mode B uplink is
also in the middle of the informal, 70 cm,
so-called “weak signal” terrestrial band
that was established after AO-7 first went
silent. Excessive uplink power may interfere
with other services in that band, and may be
considered by some to be a spurious, out of
band emission.
Photo 4: Jan King, W3GEY, prepares the AO-7 Also, if you hear your downlink signal
satellite for vibration testing. (Courtesy: AMSAT)
start to rapidly change frequency (indicated
the notable exception of the now “open” by a “warbling” sound) this means you Photo 6: AO-7 was successfully launched on
battery), AO-7 remains in surprisingly are putting too much power into the bird. November 15, 1974 by a Delta 2310 launcher
good shape. The solar arrays, the BCR, Reduce power and the situation should from Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc,
the Instrumentation Switching Regulator, correct itself. What’s more, as the strongest
California (Courtesy: NASA)
along with the Mode B and Mode A signals are in the middle of the passband, you
transponders appear to all be working will therefore need less power to hear your
beautifully. What’s more, the Morse code downlink there. Remember, too, that, voice
telemetry encoder and voltage reference signals strain the power system on AO-7 the
circuitry and other onboard electronics least. So, if you are using CW, please be extra
are all still providing useful data to AO-7’s vigilant about the amount of uplink power
ground handlers. And what a testament you are using. Hopefully, with reasonable
AO-7 has since become for a satellite that care from all of us, AO-7 has many years of
was built (quite literally) by a group of “semi-operational” life still left in it.
“amateurs” in their basements and garages Photo 7: An artist’s concept of how AO-7 might
and launched into Earth orbit almost 30 Wrap Up appear in orbit today. (Courtesy: AMSAT)
years ago! That’s all for this time. In future columns,
I’ll once again focus on another series of AO-7 FREQUENCY AND MODE DATA
When and Where to Listen Amateur Radio satellites now in orbit and MODE UPLINK (MHz) DOWNLINK (MHz) BEACONS (MHz)
Since it sprang back to life, AO-7 has I’ll bring you up to date on other happenings
once again become one of AMSAT’s most in this fascinating aspect of our radio hobby.
V/A (Mode A) 145.850 - 145.950 29.400 - 29.500 29.502

popular linear (analog) satellites. Indeed, See you then!

U/V (Mode B) 432.125 - 432.175 145.975 - 145.925 145.975

when AO-7 is in full sunlight, it provides 435.100

surprisingly strong (albeit somewhat
“chirpy”) downlink signals … even using

The AMSAT Journal  September/October 2011  www.amsat.org 5