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Sure! To talk to a satellite you need an antenna, a receiver, a transmitter, and maybe a computer—not for voice, but for text modes.

Arrow will sell you a great antenna: http://www.arrowantennas.com/arrowii/146-437.html , or you can google "tape measure yagi" and build an okay antenna.

Then you can get the transmitter and receiver together, in a package like the regrettable BaoFeng UV-5R: https://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-Dual-Radio-Black/dp/B00... . This is a terrible radio. Their quality control is so bad that you sometimes commit a federal offense by pressing the transmit button—and for $100, you can't afford the test equipment to tell! So maybe use it as the receiver in a two-radio setup, and transmit with something like a Wouxun KG-UV9D.

A Kenwood TH-D72A is an excellent choice to do the transmitter and receiver jobs, but hundreds of dollars. A Yaesu FT-60 is a great choice too, but it won't have full duplex—so you can't be sure your signal is getting out without help.

To listen to a satellite you need even less: a crappy antenna and an RTL2832 USB software-designed radio: https://www.adafruit.com/product/1497

For all of these, you'll end up wanting miscellaneous coaxial cable and a bunch of ends. Hams tend to build up a library of crimpers and spare ends and such, so look to borrow from a friend or a club as you get started. The 75 Ω cable that's ubiquitous for television signals will totally work, but you'll have much less loss and much much less stress on components if you buy 50 Ω cable.

Why not try the tutorial at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-tutorial-receiving-noaa-weat... ? If that works, you can expand from there: the tutorial teaches you a huge amount about aiming at satellites and the physical work necessary to capture signals from space.




Thank you! This really comprehensive. I'll probably start with the NOAA weather tutorial, and go from there.




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