Gonets / Strella constellation Monitoring:
Updated (29/07/2007 22:44:47 +0100)
| 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 the #hearsat monitoring network (counterstrike, xBr, pjm,
gonzo, Kodar, KJN, Freq).
(updated 27/7/2007 tnx to Counterstrike)
Satellite: Designator: Freq MHz: Idle beep: Updated:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D1-1 96-009A 264.8250 minute+20s 14/04/07
D1-2 96-009B 262.9125 minute+25s 14/04/07
D1-3 96-009C 265.1375 minute+34s 14/04/07
D1-4 97-006D 264.550 minute+03s 14/04/07
D1-5 97-006E 264.4000 minute+43s 14/04/07
D1-6 97-006F 264.9000 minute+09s 14/04/07
D1-7 01-058D 263.0875 minute+08s 29/07/07
D1-8 01-058E - - 14/04/07
D1-9 01-058F 262.9125 minute+52s 14/04/07
GONETS-D1M 1 05-048A 262.9125 minute+42s 14/04/07
Cosmos-2416 Rodnik 05-048A 265.9500 minute+45s
COSMOS 2353 244.5125 MHz (minute +29) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2384 244.5125 MHz (minute +20) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2385 244.5125 MHz (minute +19) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2386 244.5125 MHz (minute +58) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2390 244.5125 MHz (minute +08) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2391 244.5125 MHz (minute +33) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2400 244.5125 MHz (minute +12) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2401 244.5125 MHz (minute +03) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2408 244.5125 MHz (minute +45) 6/4/07
COSMOS 2409 244.5125 MHz (minute +48) 6/4/07
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.
Update 23/12/2005 08:30
During this mornings pass of the new Gonets - Objects ABC as per the TLE's, 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.
295.945MHz |
262.914MHz |
Updates and corrections to xBr@uhf-satcom.com or pjm@uhf-satcom.com
