Education
LessonBeginner amateur radio · 40 min

Plan a Receive-Only Satellite Session

Find a candidate, calculate a pass for your location, and make a receive-only plan. Do not transmit from this lesson.

amateur-radiopassesreceivingtlesafety
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Overview

A pass prediction uses current orbital elements and your stated location. It is useful for planning, but it is not a guarantee that a signal will be active, receivable, or correctly identified.

This is a receive-only lesson. Transmitting requires the appropriate licence, current frequency information, local regulatory compliance, and operating practice. AMSAT’s beginner guidance stresses listening before transmitting.

At a glance

Learning objectives

  • Find a candidate object and distinguish a catalog pass prediction from a guarantee of reception.
  • Prepare a receive-only observation plan with time, location, and equipment notes.
  • State when an official current frequency and licensing source is needed before any transmission.

Prerequisites

  • A general interest in receiving. No transmitting equipment or licence is required.

Required software

  • OrbitalWiki radio catalog and pass predictor. A receiver is optional.

Dataset version

OrbitalWiki live catalog. Record the dataset-release label from /datasets when available, or the exact access date for a live lookup.

Student instructions

  1. 1Open /radio/satellites and select a candidate. Record its NORAD ID, any listed mode or frequency, and the source access date.
  2. 2Open /radio/passes. Enter the candidate NORAD ID and your own latitude and longitude. Record one pass start time, maximum elevation, and direction.
  3. 3Write a receive-only plan: observation location, UTC time, equipment you have, and what you will log if you hear a signal.
  4. 4List two uncertainties: element age, signal activity, local horizon, equipment, or interference. Do not state that a reception will occur.
  5. 5If you later consider transmitting, stop this activity and verify licence requirements and current operating guidance from the satellite operator or a recognised amateur-radio source.

Expected output

  • A receive-only observation plan with a date, UTC pass time, location, and two limitations.
  • No transmission instructions and no promise that a signal will be heard.
[teacher]

Teacher materials, not student-facing

Teaching notes

  • Keep this activity receive-only, including for unlicensed learners.
  • The pass tool says it is not for safety-critical use. Treat it as an educational planning result, not navigation or operational advice.

Answer key

Does a predicted pass prove a signal will be received?
No. It predicts geometry from available orbital elements, not transmitter status, propagation, equipment performance, or a clear horizon.
What should a beginner do before transmitting?
Verify licence requirements and current official operating information, and listen before transmitting.

How to cite

Cite the OrbitalWiki radio and pass URLs, NORAD ID, location precision appropriate for privacy, UTC time, and access date. Cite the current official frequency or operator guidance separately if used.

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