This is a simple ‘get you started’ glossary. A more advanced version can be found in part two of the book.....when hopefully...the reader will be more able to comprehend the terms used.
AFSK - Audio Frequency Shift Keying.
ALLIGATOR - ‘All mouth and no ears’...(self-explanatory).
ALTITUDE - The distance between the satellite and the point
on the Earth's surface directly below it. Same as height.
AMSAT - The Amateur Satellite Corporation.
AOS - Acquisition of signal. - when the satellite comes into range of your QTH.
APOGEE - The point in the satellite orbit when it is furthest
from the earth.
ATTITUDE - The way the satellite is orientated in space.
AZIMUTH - The ‘direction’ of the satellite in degrees in the
horizontal plane.
BEACON - The reference frequency of the satellite.
BIRD - Slang for ‘satellite’.
BPSK - Binary Phase Shift Keying.
DOPPLER - Change in frequency due to motion.
DOWNLINK -The frequency from the satellite to the groundstation.
EIRP - Effective Isotropic Radiated Power.
ELEVATION - The ‘direction’ of the satellite in degrees in the
vertical plane.
EPOCH - A specific date and time.
EQX - Equator crossing time.
FOOTPRINT - The circle of radiation of the satellites antennas on the surface of the earth.
GEOSTATIONARY ORBIT -A special type of orbit where a satellite has a velocity such that when the earth rotates...the satellite appears to be 'fixed' in space. Used particularly for TV satellites where an antenna can remain fixed at a certain azimuth/elevation.
GROUND STATION -Term used for stations that communicate via satellite.
INCLINATION - The ‘angle’ of an orbit in relation to a perpendicular line drawn from the equator.
One of the classic Kepler Elements
INVERTING TRANSPONDER - LSB on the Uplink gives USB on the Downlink. (Fully explained in the Procedure chapter).
KEPLERIAN ELEMENTS - Angles and
distances used to determine the position of a
satellite in space.
LNA - Low Noise Amplifier.
LOS - Loss of signal. (When the satellite passes out of the ‘footprint’).
MOLNIYA ORBIT - Special type of high elliptical orbit.
(See Part 2...ORBITS).
NODE - Point where the ground track and equator intersect.
OSCAR - Acronym for: Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio.
ORBITAL ELEMENTS - The same as KEPLERIAN elements.
PASS - The time the satellite is within view of your QTH.
PASSBAND - The band of frequencies the satellite operates in.
PERIGEE - The point in an orbit closest to the earth's surface.
PERIOD - The time taken for the satellite to make one complete revolution of the earth.
POLAR ORBIT - An orbit that passes over (or close to) the North and South Pole.
RANGE CIRCLE - The area in which any station can communicate with any other station for a given satellite.
SAREX - Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment.
SLANT RANGE - The shortest distance from the satellite's antennas to the receiving antenna.
SUB SATELLITE POINT - The point on the earth's surface immediately beneath the satellite.
TELEMETRY - Data sent from the satellite to the earth.
TLM - Abbreviation for Telemetry.
TRANSPONDER - Transmitter/receiver combination on board a satellite.
UOSAT - A family of satellites built at the University of Surrey.
UPLINK - The frequency from the ground station to the satellite.
WINDOW - Where two range circles overlap...allowing communications between stations within those circles
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