Digital Satellites

Digital satellites receive and transmit computer-generated messages over the radio similar to modem communication over a telephone line. The amateur digital satellites have store and forward messaging capability and/or digital repeaters (called digipeaters). Most amateur digital satellites require a specialized Terminal Node Controller (TNC) to correctly modulate the digital signal. An excellent source of information on satellite TNCs (and digital communications in general) is the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio (TAPR) Web page.

Note that the digital satellites each have their own unique call sign required to establish communications.

Satellite ID	Call Sign	Uplink Freq. MHz	Uplink Mode	Downlink Freq. MHz	Downlink Mode	Type
AO-16	PACSAT	145.900, 145.920, 145.960	FM	437.0513	SSB	1200 Baud PSK
DO-17	DOVE	-	-	145.825	FM	1200 Baud AFSK
DO-17	DOVE	-	-	2401.2205	SSB	1200 Baud BPSK
FO-29	8J1JCS	145.850, 145.870, 145.890, 145.910	FM	435.910	FM	1200 or 9600 Baud PSK
GO-32	Techsat	145.850, 145.890, 145.930, 1269.700, 1269.800, 1269.900	FM	435.325, 435.225	SSB	9600 Baud BPSK
IO-26	ITMSAT	145.875, 145.900, 145.925, 145.950	FM	435.822	SSB	1200 Baud PSK
KO-23	HL01	145.850, 145.900	FM	435.175	FM	9600 Baud FSK
KO-25	HL02	145.870	FM	436.500	FM	9600 Baud FSK
LO-19	LUSAT	145.840, 145.860, 145.880, 145.900	FM	437.1528	SSB	1200 Baud PSK AX.25
PO-28	POSAT	145.975	FM	435.2777	FM	9600 Baud FSK
PO-34	PANSAT	TBD	SS	TBD	SS	9600 Baud DSSS
SO-35	SUNSAT	436.290	FM	145.825	FM	9600 FSK 1200 AFSK
SO-35	SUNSAT	145.825	FM	436.250	FM	9600 FSK
SO-35	SUNSAT	145.900	FM	436.250	FM	1200 AFSK
TO-31	TMSAT1-12 TMSAT1-11	145.925, 145.975	FM	436.925, 436.900, 436.950, 436.975	SSB	9600 Baud BPSK
UO-11	-	-	-	145.825	FM	1200 Baud PSK
UO-22	UOSAT5	145.900, 145.975	FM	435.120	FM	9600 Baud FSK
UO-36	UOSAT12	TBD		437.025, 437.400
WO-18	WEBERSAT	-	-	437.104	SSB	1200 Baud PSK AX.25

Digital satellites let you communica te data messages and pictures over radio links

Many digital satellites have data file store and forward Bulletin Board System (BBS) capability, allowing you to upload and download files as the spacecraft passes overhead