LignoSat Mission

[K4KDR]

Greetings.

Reports indicate that LignoSat has been delivered to the ISS for future deployment.

Coordination particulars show that it will be listening for AX.25 packets at 4800 baud on 435.820 MHz.

https://iaru.amsat-uk.org/finished_detail.php?serialnum=847

… there is also a document with ‘some’ information about the format required:

LignoSat_Amateur_Radio_Mission_Plan.pdf

… however, all required information has not been provided, so I post here to see if that information can be located.

#1, does the required AX.25 uplink packet use the same format as a standard APRS packet?

#2, what TO callsign should be used. And is a specific ‘VIA’ (digipeater) call sign required as well?

In the event that we get lucky and the format ends up matching our standard APRS packets, I’ve done an over-the-air test transmitting from the UISS app through one of the UZ7HO SoundModem variations that includes 4k8 FSK and that decoded fine on a separate receiver:

But now we need answers to the questions above to know how to proceed. I tried to email the contact listed on the IARU Coordination (after removing the ‘no-spam’), but that address was not valid. Does anyone have a contact in Japan that might be able to fill in the missing details here so that we can be ready before this sat is deployed?

Thanks!

[dl7ndr]

By accident, I noticed that Direwolf is also capable of transmitting and decoding at G3RUH scrambled 4k8 FSK.

Looking at the help of Direwolf, the option “-B 4800” is explained as 4800 bps uses 8PSK based on V.27 standard.
And if you enter
direwolf -B 4800 -r 48000
this will be displayed:

Channel 0: 4800 bps, 8PSK, TUVW, 48000 sample rate.

That sounds not good.

However, if you enter
direwolf -B 4800 -r 48000 -g
you will get

Channel 0: 4800 baud, K9NG/G3RUH, +, 48000 sample rate x 2.

[K4KDR]

The particular .conf details that I used for Direwolf in my over-the-air decode test shown above are:

k4kdr@3010i5:~$ cat 4800.conf
ARATE 48000
ACHANNELS 1
MODEM 4800 0:0
TXDELAY 60
TXTAIL 120
KISSPORT 4000

[dl7ndr]

The output of your reception window looked very familiar to me, like Direwolf (:

You started direwolf with option -g, right?

[K4KDR]

Let’s see - I use scripts to run all my Direwolf variations; here is the one I’d put together some time ago for 4800 baud… no option “g”.

k4kdr@3010i5:~$ cat 4k8-direwolf.sh 
#!/bin/bash

clear

mkdir -p log

direwolf -c 4800.conf -dup -t 0 -qd | ts '[%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S]' | tee -a log/$(date +%Y-%m-%d--%H%M)

[dl7ndr]

Got it.
In your config file you are using

MODEM 4800 0:0

This is equivalent to option “-g”.

[dl7ndr]

Satellite and transmitters added to the database.

[deckbsd]

Any news about LignoSat ? I can’t find any deployment date anywhere. Also there are no information about the telemetry frame format yet

[dl7ndr]

On November 15th I sent emails to sotsuka.motoki.76s@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp (from IARU coordination) and to spacewood@mail2.adm.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
The first returned undeliverable due to non existing mailbox and from the second I’m still waiting for a response.

[K4KDR]

Looks like deployment is scheduled for 9-Dec !!

[dl7ndr]

According to JH3BUM Masa (LignoSat support team) a web page for LignoSat is coming soon as well as an application for decoding the CW telemetry data.

The CW beacon will have the format:

LIGNOSAT JP3ZPD HK Data

.-.. .. --. -. --- ... .- - .--- .--. ...-- --.. .--. -.. HK Data

[dl7ndr]

English translation from JH3BUM’s jamsat-news thread 3920 (K4KDR’s screenshot of JM3LGF’s post on X).

---

Information on Kyoto University’s wooden CubeSat/LignoSat

LignoSat deployment information from ISS

Deploy date and time: 2024-12-09 20:30 JST/11:30 UTC +/- 90 minutes
CW beacon downlink frequency: 435.82MHz +/- Doppler
Please track the satellite using the ISS orbital elements (TLE) for a while after the release.
It will gradually start flying ahead of the ISS.
The expected 1st pass in Japan is around 06:30 JST on December 10th.
The antenna is scheduled to be deployed 30 minutes after the launch, so if the launch can be completed sooner,
You may be able to receive it during the 1st pass in eastern North America (around 12:20 UTC).
If the release is delayed, the EU will be able to receive it during the 1st pass (around 12:37 UTC).
It may be.
A release event is scheduled to take place on the day on the JAXA YouTube channel.
Everyone, please send your reception reports to jamsat-bb.

Kyoto University LignoSat Support Team/JH3BUM/AJ7MM

Masaji Ishihara JH3BUM
SAGANO KYOTO CITY JAPAN
E-mail: jh3bumagmail.com (please change “a” to @)
AJA #220108 G.LOC PM75UA

[fredy]

I’ve created a thread for the deployment, let’s keep this thread for details for the LignoSat mission.

[dl7ndr]

Please send your reception reports to jh3bum@jamsat.or.jp

ANS-343 AMSAT News Service Weekly Bulletins

[K4KDR]

67° ISS pass just ending here over the Eastern U.S. around 2038utc; unfortunately nothing seen around 435.820 MHz

[dl7ndr]

No signal on passes on 2024-12-10 at 07:0x, 08:3x, 10:1x and 11:5x.

[yo4dft]

I’ll have two good passes tomorrow morning, 07:50 UTC and 11:00 UTC. Let see.
Cristian - YO4DFT

[dl7ndr]

No signal on passes on 2024-12-11 at 07:4x, 09:2x, 11:0x, 12:3x and 14:1x.

[yo4dft]

Yesterday I had the impression that I could see on the watefall of a reception the traces of a transmission, somewhere at its end, but offset by + 5khz.
https://network.satnogs.org/observations/10743321/

Today I saw 2 bursts of data at the end of the next reception,with same 4-5 khz offset
https://network.satnogs.org/observations/10742919/

Let’s try again, maybe we can hear him,
Cristian -YO4DFT

[fredy]

I’ve noticed them too and similar signals in other observations but I don’t think they are from the LignoSat.

Given that they are in start/end of the observation means that the satellite was in low elevation (theoretically as we don’t have accurate TLE but good ones), so I wouldn’t expect from a satellite without other clear transmissions to be received in these low elevations. Additionally I think that the signals don’t match the expected GMSK4k8 mode.

Anyway it could be me to be wrong, it needs some further analysis for checking if these other satellites. As you said, let’s keep watching!