This morning using only my HT I was able to hear and decode APRS packets from the ISS as it made its pass at AZ 71 degrees. This is the first time that I have successfully picked up the ISS via APRS so I am a bit excited about it. Was not able to get in packets thru the ISS but I was not expecting it, just wanted to see that I could pick it up. Though what I i found odd was that according to www.n2yo.com when I did a 5 day pass search this pass was not listed in the Visible passes. When I selected show all passes I just happened to see this pass and found it odd how it was not listed as a visible pass. So for confirmation I went to www.heavens-above.com and it did not show this pass as visible either but showed a AZ 20 degree pass later on the 20th as the only visible pass for the next 10 days. Now, I used to work as a technician for a paging company and have installed, aligned, and realigned many one-way and two-way VSAT satelitte dishes which were around at AZ 42 degrees, so I know 71 degrees is pretty good elevation in the sky, why this pass was listed as invisible I do not know. As a side note my past couple of attempts with passes listed as good passes I did not hear/receive anything. But then I failed to check the status of the APRS station for those passes to verify it was actually active.
So for now I will not rely solely on the passes being shown/listed as good or not but check to see how close and high the passes listed are and make my own judgement call. I know I probably should have made a quick video of me doing this as I stood there in the parking lot at work hearing just bursts of static breaking squelch that eventually turned into barely audible APRS packets to near full quieting packets being decoded from statios being digi’ed through the ISS to actually seeing the ISS’s ID decoded on my HT. So now just got to wait for the next good pass to try again (and will try to video record that one) and see if I can get one of my APRS packets thru the ISS. Until next time….73s!