UK radio amateurs have the chance to listen to Tim Peake GB1SS transmitting on 145.800 MHz FM from the International Space Station (ISS).

The dates of Tim’s planned UK school contacts are at https://amsat-uk.org/2016/02/03/all-uk-ariss-shortlisted-schools-are-now-scheduled/

All you need to hear Tim is a 144 MHz handheld radio, such as the popular £16 BaoFeng UV-5R VHF/UHF transceiver. If used outdoors you should be able to hear Tim with just the tiny antenna supplied with the handheld. If you have a 1/4 wave whip you will get better results.

In the UK we use narrow 2.5 kHz deviation FM but the ISS transmits on 145.800 MHz with the wider 5 kHz deviation used in much of the world. Most base station and mobile radios can be switched been wide and narrow deviation FM filters and for best results you should select the wider filter. Handheld radios all seem to have a single wide filter fitted as standard.

As a result of Doppler shift the 145.800 MHz ISS signal may vary by +/- 3.5 kHz during a pass going from 145.835 to 145.7965 MHz. Many FM radios can only tune in steps of 5 kHz, with such equipment you may get best results by selecting 145.805 at start of pass, then 145.800 and finally 145.795 MHz.

Not got a VHF radio or not in the UK ? You can tune-in to Tim Peake online from anywhere in the world using the SUWS amateur radio WebSDR receiver located at Farnham near London http://websdr.suws.org.uk/

There will be a live video webstream of Tim Peake’s UK school contacts at

https://principia.ariss.org/Live/

Video – Listening to the ISS on a handheld radio

https://amsat-uk.org/2016/01/10/listening-iss-on-handheld/

How to hear the ISS https://amsat-uk.org/beginners/how-to-hear-the-iss/

Get press publicity by receiving ISS school contacts

https://amsat-uk.org/2016/03/10/press-publicity-receiving-iss/