How can Amateur Radio Operators Participate?
The broadcast beacon frequency for the Mars Relay is 437.1 MHz (the signal will be Doppler shifted). Signal strength should such that amateurs with capable equipment should be able to detect the beacon signal even at distance of as much as 10 million kilometers. Amateurs from around the globe will be asked to monitor the signal and measure its strength as a function of time (the spacecraft rotates every 100 minutes). This information will help JPL establish the functionality and performance of the Mars Relay prior to its use at Mars. Interested amateurs should register and subscribe to the Mars-Net list server. When is this experiment? On 1996 November 24, the beacon will be turned on for approximately three days. The spacecraft will be between 5 – 6 million km from earth This period is the time which the amateur radio experiment will be conducted. The exact time will be announced on the e-mail reflector and on this page. After an initial period in the CW mode, the beacon will be switc
