LEO/MEO/GEO Satellite Groundstation

LEO/MEO/GEO-Satellite Groundstation

The goal was to install a satellite 2m/70cm Groundstation at home in order to make active radio contacts with the current and future LEO/MEO/GEO satellites and ISS.

There are currently a few LEO satellites in the space which you can work with SSB or FM.

The challenge is the operation with the short LEO SAT cycle (5-15 minutes) with the doppler shift. The footprint of a LEO satellite is quite small. The MEO satellite orbit is up for almost 1 hour per cycle and with a huge footprint.

I'm using the EA4TX ARS-USB to control my YAESU G-5500DC AZ/EL Rotator using the easy to use SatTrack Satellite Tracking software from Carsten OZ9AAR and for backup the SATPC32 software from Erich DK1TB.

LOTW DXCC Status

DXCC Satellite Status 11. April 2025: 161

In January 2024 I managed an IO-117 (Greencube) digital Packet-QSO from HB9 to Clipperton Islands (TX5S) and in January 2025 my first QO-100 SAT-QSO with Mount Athos (SV1GA/A).

Satellite QO-100 Presentation [11’001 KB] in German (Sept. 2022) and my Portable QO-100 [1’282 KB] SAT-Setup with a 35cm portable small camping dish.

My current LEO/MEO SAT Groundstation Overview including GreenCube IO-117 Digipeater [4’618 KB]
My Satellite Concept SAT Konzept in German [2’025 KB]

General Satellite Information and Links:
I'm using currently these satellites [120 KB]
Satellite Overview: Satellite Description [1’288 KB] by HB9RYZ
ISS: Current ISS ARISS status, Description of the ISS
AMSAT: Current AMSAT SAT Informations, current Satellite status, and planned Satellites
SAT-Match for a Satellite Sked
SatNOGS Satellite Tracking Project
SatBlog from DK3WN
N2YO Amateur Radio Satellites
SAT Live Tracking
Online DXCC SAT-Status

Great new and easy to use Satellite Tracking-Software "SatTrack" from OZ9AAR Carsten.

AMSAT-HB News (I'm Vice president of AMSAT-HB)

Whether you're on a DXpedition, a park activation, or just home in the shack, sometimes it can be hard to drum up a scheduled contact on the birds.
Great SAT activation site

This Windows Satellite Tracking App is a great software to track all known satellites including control of your Transceiver such as IC-9700 and AZ/EL Rotator such as the YAESU G-5500DC.

Satellite Products
ARS-USB Box for AZ/EL with Raspberry Pi from EA4TX Pablo
Microsoft Windows Satellite Tracking App
SATPC32 Tracking Software
remoteRotator Software from DH1TW Tobias
S.A.T. Box from CSN Technologies for SAT-Tracking
Sequence Controller FSC52000
ICOM IC-9700 PTT Multiplexer
Pstrotator Sat Tracking Software

Current LEO/MEO Satellite Groundstation at Home

Active Amateurradio Satellites by FG8OJ

DXCC Satellite Certificate No. 401 - June 2022

Es’hail 2 Geo-Satellite QO-100 / QRV since 6.3.19

Qatar’s Es’hail-2 Satellite 2019 - QO-100

Es'hail-2 - Successfully launched into orbit (15. Nov. 2018)
The eagerly awaited start of the Es'hail-2 took place on 15/11/2018 at 20:46 as planned and successfully. This is the beginning of a new era in satellite broadcasting for us radio amateurs.

OSCAR 100 (QO-100) is QRV since February 14. 2019.

Qatar’s Es’hail-2 satellite will provide the first amateur radio geostationary communications that could link amateurs from Brazil to Thailand. The satellite is positioned at 25.5 degrees East.

Es'hail-2 coverage areaEs’hail-2 will carry two “Phase 4” amateur radio transponders operating in the 2400 MHz and 10450 MHz bands. A 250 kHz bandwidth linear transponder intended for conventional analogue operations and an 8 MHz bandwidth transponder for experimental digital modulation schemes and DVB amateur television.

QO-100 with Heil Pro 6 Headset and EQ from UR6QW

Home QO-100 Setup (JN47FE)

QO-100 Home Configuration
- Gibertini 1.2m Offset Dish
- SDRPlay RSP2 for Downlink 739 MHz (LNB with 25 MHz Ref-In)
- SDR Radio Console v3.x
- VSPE (Virtual Serial Port Emulator, 64-Bit) with Omnirig v1.20
- IC-9700 as Transceiver for the Up-Link 431 MHz
- QO-100 duplex Transverter from PE1CMO max. 20 Watt
- VARA SAT and Winlink to send e-Mails over the QO-100
- JTDX to use FT8/FT4 over the QO-100

Omnirig RIG-INI File [8 KB] for the IC-9700 Transceiver
Where to buy the GooBay 67269 Single LNB?
You need to install the the ExtIO_SDRplay_RSP2.dll for the SDRPlay RSP2

Download [8 KB] [IC-9700-DATA-RIT.ini] the modified IC-9700 INI-File in order to use your IC-9700 as an external Radio within SDR Radio Console v3.0.x. with additional RIT feature from DL3HM.

QO-100 Portable Station (2022)

QO-100 Portable SAT-Station

35cm Camping Dish
Pluto SDR TCXO modified by DG9BFC
Modified LNB with 0.2 ppm and POTY Antenna
SG-LABS 20W PA V3
PA-Driver TQP 3M9008 (+ 20dB)
DC-DC Step Up Converter (12V > 24V)
DC-DC Step Down Converter (12V -> 5V/3A)
LTE 800 MHz Blocking Filter (RX)
SDR Console v3.1.x with the beacon synchronization
USB Sennheiser Headset for Notebook

QO-100 Audio Test with 35cm Dish 1st Set

First QO-100 Portable Kit sold to 8Q7QC (2020)

First QO-100 Portable SAT-Station with 35cm Camping-Dish

The QO-100 portable SAT-Station is approx. 9kg incl. travel case and 11kg incl. tripod.

MEGASAT Camping dish 35cm
Pluto SDR TCXO modified and in metal case by DG9BFC
Patch-Antenne and LNB TCXO modified by DG9BFC
10-15W Amplifier with skyworks 65017 as preamp (20 dB gain)
mw4ic2230 (30-31 dB gain) as amplifier
old Notebook Power Supply 19V and 4.74A
DC-DC Step Down Converter (19V > 5V) for the Pluto SDR
SDR Console v3.0.22 with the beacon synchronization
No GPSDO necessary to stabilize the frequency
USB Sennheiser PC3 Headset for Notebook
Griffin PowerMate USB VFO Knob
4-Port USB Hub

Thanks to SIGI DG9BFC, who built the main parts and helped me to setup the solution with SDR Console v3.0.22 via a Teamviewer session online.

Complete Documentation [3’988 KB] of the QO-100 portable SAT-Station

8Q7AO, Maldive - Vilamendhoo 2021, South Ari Atoll from Jan 25th - Feb. 7th 2021 by HB9WDF. I'm happy that I was able to hand over my portable QO-100 SAT kit to Michi for his Scuba Diving and QO-100 DX-Expedition. The portable QO-100 station will stay in the Maldives at 8Q7QC Ibrahim, thanks to Charly (DK3ZL).

Next SAT & ISS flight over Hünenberg (JN47FE)

Lens Test

Download LNB Lens Test 1 May 27. 2019 Results [881 KB]
Download LNB Lens Test 18. November 2019 Results [1’151 KB]

First OSCAR 100 Beacon Contact (March 2019)

Launch of es'Hail 2 Satellite SpaceX (Nov. 2018)

OSCAR 10 1984-1986

Oscar 10 Satellite Operation 1984 - 1985

These are some impressions from my OSCAR 10 SAT-Operation between 1984-1985. I used the ICOM IC-211 E for 2m (10 Watt) for the Downlink and the KENWOOD TR-9500 70cm (10 Watts) with a Home-Made Amplifier (50W) for the Uplink. I used the 14-element Yagi antenna from Tonna for (2m) and the 23-element Yagi for (70cm).

A self developed Commodore C64 application was managing my home built automatic SAT Antenna-Moving solution which was able to follow the OSCAR 10 at any time. A home made Pre-Amp controller unit for 20m and 70cm was managing the RX/TX flow for SAT operation.

OSCAR 10 Satellite QSO Samples - Recorded 1986 by HB9RYZ
Uplink 70cm (438 MHz) and Downlink 2m (144 MHz)

List of all OSCAR Satellites
OSCAR 10 Information and live Tracking
Video - Integration and Start of OSCAR 10
Video - Die OSCAR 10 Story

AO-10 CQ Call 1986

AO-10 CQ-Call 1986

AO-10 QSO with UB5MGW

AO-10 QSO with G1DMV

Some of the OSCAR 10 Satellite QSL Cards between 1984 and 1985

Some useful SAT Links:
Satellite Information from DK3WM
Amateurradio Satellite Real-Time Tracking by n2yo
Satellite Tracking Software Index
AMSAT Organisation
AMSAT SAT Tracking Software Overview
SAT Blog from DK3WNOSCAR 10 Realtime-Information