🛰 Work the Space Station and ham satellites
Live tracker and pass times for Lethbridge, the frequencies to use, and how to make your first satellite contact.
🛰 Ham satellite tracker for Lethbridge
Pick a satellite to see where it is right now and when it passes over Lethbridge. For radio you don’t need darkness, so every pass above 10° is listed, day or night.
Passes over Lethbridge
Working out passes…
Times you can also see the Space Station
Working out the next passes…
Before you key up: satellites get switched on and off, and some only work in sunlight, so check the AMSAT status page for recent reports first. AOS and LOS are worked out for the horizon; trees and buildings will shorten real passes, and the best contacts come on passes above about 30°. Times use the latest published orbits and are usually right to within a minute. “Use my location” stays in your browser and is never sent to us.
Orbit data: CelesTrak. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Frequencies for the two easiest FM contacts
These are the usual starting points: a dual-band handheld and a small handheld Yagi will do it. Satellites and the Space Station radio get switched on and off, so check the status links below before a pass.
| Satellite | You transmit (uplink) | You listen (downlink) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISS (NA1SS voice repeater) | 145.990 MHz FM, 67.0 Hz tone | 437.800 MHz FM | Tune the downlink a few kHz for Doppler: about 437.810 at AOS, 437.800 overhead, 437.790 at LOS. |
| SO-50 | 145.850 MHz FM, 67.0 Hz tone | 436.795 MHz FM | A short 74.4 Hz tone turns on its timer if it’s been idle. Tune the downlink for Doppler as above. |
The Space Station also has an APRS packet digipeater and holds slow-scan TV (SSTV) events from time to time. Those frequencies and dates are posted on the ARISS status page.
FM or linear?
FM satellites
Like a repeater in the sky: one conversation at a time, so keep it short. Give your call and grid square (Lethbridge is DO39), make the contact and let the next station in. The Space Station repeater and SO-50 are FM.
Linear transponders
RS-44, AO-7, FO-29, AO-73 and JO-97 relay a whole slice of spectrum, so many SSB and CW contacts fit at once. You’ll want full-duplex gear so you can hear your own signal coming back. The tracker above lists their passes; check AMSAT’s frequency charts and status page before you try.
Reading the pass table
AOS (acquisition of signal) is when the satellite rises over the horizon and LOS (loss of signal) is when it sets. The tracker works these out for a flat horizon, so trees, buildings and the coulees will cut real passes short. Passes that peak above about 30° are the best for a first try: more time, stronger signals and less fuss aiming the antenna.
Check before you key up
ARISS: current status of the Space Station radios · AMSAT: live satellite status reports
Want to see the Space Station with your own eyes too? Our sister site has a family-friendly version with the next visible passes over Lethbridge: Find the Space Station from Lethbridge. More on satellites is on our Amateur Satellites page, and on slow-scan TV on VE6DOK SSTV.
Frequencies checked November 6, 2026 against the ARISS status page and published AMSAT listings. Orbits from CelesTrak, worked out in your browser. “Use my location” stays on your device.