UHF-Satcom.com - Gonets downlinks

Status = Work In Progress.

Gonets is a Russian low earth orbit, store and forward data communications system. It uses satellites which downlink in the 259.5-265.2 MHz, 387-390 MHz and 1541.0-1541.9 MHz. Uplinks are (from sources on the Internet) 312-315 MHz and 1624.5-1643.4 MHz. The satellite orbits are 1,400 km high inclined at 82.5°, with only some of the satellites carry digital store and forward payloads. Data rates are 2.4 Kbps for the uplink and 9.6 Kbps for the downlink, with GMSK modulation. Strella satellites are basically the military equivalent of Gonets.

Maik at SatelliteWelt has a page listing some Gonets downlink frequencies here

The table below was created by Hans Oeben - previous work by xBr and #hearsat members (counterstrike, r00t, pjm, gonzo, Kodar, KJN, Freq).

Object Satellite Catalog Constell. Freq. Beep Freq. Information and name: Designator: nr.: group: 1: sec.: 2: Remarks: Cosmos 2341 1997-017A 24772 Parus 149.9100 n/a 399.9200 No activity heard Cosmos 2398 2003-023A 27818 Parus 149.9100 n/a 399.7600 No activity heard Cosmos 2279 1994-024A 23092 Parus 149.9400 n/a 399.8400 Cosmos 2454 2009-038A 35635 Parus 149.9400 n/a 399.8400 Cosmos 2366 1999-045A 25892 Parus 149.9400 n/a 399.8400 No activity heard Cosmos 2378 2001-023A 26818 Parus 149.9400 n/a 399.8400 No activity heard Cosmos 2336 1996-071A 24677 Parus 149.9700 n/a n/a No activity heard Cosmos 2389 2002-026A 27436 Parus 149.9700 n/a 399.9200 No activity heard Cosmos 2407 2004-028A 280380 Parus 149.9700 n/a 399.9200 Cosmos 2414 2005-002A 28521 Parus 149.9700 n/a 399.9200 Cosmos 2346 1997-052A 24953 Parus 150.0300 n/a 400.8000 No activity heard Cosmos 2361 1998-076A 25590 Parus 150.0300 n/a 400.0800 No activity heard Cosmos 2429 2007-038A 32052 Parus 150.0300 n/a 400.0800 Cosmos 2353 1998-036B 25364 Strela-3 244.5125 29 261.0350 Cosmos 2384 2001-058A 27055 Strela-3 244.5125 n/a 261.0350 No activity heard. Cosmos 2385 2001-058B 27056 Strela-3 244.5125 07 261.0350 Gonets D1-8 2001-058E 27059 Strela-3 244.5125 54 261.0350 Changed Cosmos 2386 Cosmos 2390 2002-036A 27464 Strela-3 244.5125 12 261.0350 Cosmos 2391 2002-036B 27465 Strela-3 244.5125 22 261.0350 Cosmos 2400 2003-037A 27868 Strela-3 244.5125 31 261.0350 Cosmos 2401 2003-037B 27869 Strela-3 244.5125 45 261.0350 Cosmos 2408 2004-037A 28419 Strela-3 244.5125 17 261.0350 Cosmos 2409 2004-037B 28420 Strela-3 244.5125 37 261.0350 Cosmos 2437 2008-025B 32954 Strela-3 244.5125 50 261.0350 Cosmos 2438 2008-025C 32955 Strela-3 244.5125 04 261.0350 Cosmos 2439 2008-025D 32956 Strela-3 244.5125 35 261.0350 Cosmos 2451 2009-036A 35498 Strela-3 244.5125 08 261.0350 Cosmos 2452 2009-036B 35499 Strela-3 244.5125 n/a 261.0350 No activity heard Cosmos 2453 2009-036C 35500 Strela-3 244.5125 33 261.0350 Gonets D1-1 1996-009A 23787 Gonets 264.400 17 n/a no Gonets D1-2 1996-009B 23788 Gonets 263.000 32 n/a no Gonets D1-3 1996-009C 23789 Gonets 265.1375 49 no After 04/11 ID-beep change from 33sec --> 49 sec. Gonets D1-4 1997-006D 24728 Gonets 264.7500 33 no Gonets D1-5 1997-006E 24729 Gonets 261.0375 n/a no "No ID-Beep, only databeeps in range of USSR" Gonets D1-6 1997-006F 24730 Gonets 264.900 47 n/a no Gonets D1-7 2001-058D 27058 Gonets 263.000 43 n/a no Cosmos 2386 2001-058C 27057 Gonets 264.900 58 n/a no Gonets D1-8 Gonets D1-9 2001-058F 27060 Gonets 262.9125 n/a no "No ID-Beep, only databeeps in range of USSR" UNID UNID Unid Unid 261.0375 n/a no "No ID-Beep, only databeeps in range of USSR"

Gonets and Strella transmissions are relatively short and finding them is difficult. #hearsat members use SDR-14 receivers to watch 1MHz of spectrum in order to locate the transmission bursts from the satellites, these bursts when out of range of a ground station are 300-500mS long. The pictures below show two waterfall plots of the frequencies in use by Gonets, as can be seen, the bursts are short, but the GMSK modulation sidebands can clearly be seen. There is no doubt that without the SDR-14 these signals would take a lot longer to locate. Even with a commercial spectrum analyser, because the lack of waterfall display functions, the signals would only appear for <1 second, and would be impossible to catch.

User terminals for Gonets. On the left is a typical antenna, on the right is the modem / interface unit.

2 distinct transmissions were heard, one on 265.945MHz with short PSK bursts, and 262.914MHz with GMSK as per the other Gonets in the series.

Please contact uhf-satcom.com if you have any updates or corrections to the info on this page.