These two frequencies are coherent in the ratio 8:3. Both the Soviet Union and the USA chose the pair for their navigation satellites, driven partly by space available in the worldwide radio spectrum. Latterly, some of the ex-Soviet frequencies are still used by the ongoing Parus satellite series and the US navsats still transmit. Latterly The Formosat/Cosmic satellites use these two frequencies as part of a triple coherent frequency set with 1066 MHz. There is more on these satellites in the "Coherent Frequencies" page (see the left hand menu).
The USA's Transit navigation satellites and their derivatives found their way here. The Transit system no longer operates but some of the later, Transit-O (OSCAR) vehicles still transmit, though their function was changed in 1996 to acting as ionospheric research beacons under the US Navy's Ionospheric Monitoring System (NIMS).
A coherent pair also exists for use by the US military for Doppler tracking and orbit measurement under the RadCal programme. Signals from the satellite are used for precise orbital measurement and the results can be cross-corellated with radar tracking..
The Soviet Union's 'Tsikada' navigation satellites, later 'Nadezhda' also operated here also but have now been switched off.
Another former Soviet system currently operated by Russia also transmits here. The 'Parus' transmissions are Tsikada-like in content but they hide another purpose. They may have included a navigation function originally but they carry a second, clandestine, payload for communications. The 'navigation' transmissions are probably more about allowing the user to calculate where to point the transmitting aerial rather than working out their location on the Earth's surface.
Occasional launches of 'Cometa' recoverable spacecraft can be found in these bands too.
| Freq (MHz) |
Satellite |
Payload |
Signal Type |
Notes |
| 149.910 |
Cosmos 2341
(Parus)
1997-017A
24772 |
Comms |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Transmission contains an almanac for all active satellites in the constellation - Use for navigation has probably ceased but is still supporting whatever other system requires reasonably precise positional information for the satellites - Coherent transmission at 399.920 MHz |
| 149.910 |
Cosmos 2398
(Parus)
2003-023A
27818 |
Comms |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Transmission contains an almanac for all active satellites in the constellation - Use for navigation has probably ceased but is still supporting whatever other system requires reasonably precise positional information for the satellites - Coherent transmission at 399.760 MHz |
| 149.940 |
Cosmos 2378
(Parus)
2001-023A
26818 |
Comms |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Transmission contains an almanac for all active satellites in the constellation - Use for navigation has probably ceased but is still supporting whatever other system requires reasonably precise positional information for the satellites - Coherent transmission at 399.840 MHz |
| 149.940 |
Cosmos 2454
(Parus)
2009-039A
35635 |
Comms |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Transmission contains an almanac for all active satellites in the constellation - Use for navigation has probably ceased but is still supporting whatever other system requires reasonably precise positional information for the satellites - Coherent transmission at 399.840 MHz |
| 149.970 |
Cosmos 2336
(Parus)
1996-071A
24677 |
Comms |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Transmission contains an almanac for all active satellites in the constellation - Use for navigation has probably ceased but is still supporting whatever other system requires reasonably precise positional information for the satellites - Coherent transmission at 399.840 MHz |
| 149.970 |
Cosmos 2389
(Parus)
2002-026A
27436 |
Comms |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Transmission contains an almanac for all active satellites in the constellation - Use for navigation has probably ceased but is still supporting whatever other system requires reasonably precise positional information for the satellites - Coherent transmission at 399.920 MHz |
| 149.979 |
Oscar 29
(Transit/NIMS)
1987-080B
18362 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
Modulated CW carrier |
Maintenance frequency - Coherent transmission at 399.944 MHz (has been heard to transmit tones similar to the other OSCAR satellite but 2003 December 28 - this frequency was occupied by a modulated 'buzzing' signal - No longer transmitting as of 2008 Feb 1 |
| 149.979 |
Oscar 31
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-074B
19420 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
FM telemetry (tones) +/- 2.4 kHz from carrier |
Maintenance frequency - Coherent transmission at 399.944 MHz - Occasionally changes between this frequency and the operational one - Sometime between 2007 Dec 21 and 2008 Feb 7, the normal transmissions at both frequencies were replaced with a highly unstable CW carrier (wandering frequency + variations in strength) |
| 149.988 |
Oscar 27
(Transit/NIMS)
1987-080A
18361 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
FM telemetry (tones) +/- 2.4 kHz from carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 399.968 MHz - Occasionally changes between this frequency and the maintenance one) - No longer transmitting as of 2008 Jan 1 |
| 149.988 |
Oscar 23
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-033A
19070 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
FM telemetry (tones) +/- 2.4 kHz from carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 399.968 MHz - Occasionally changes between this frequency and the maintenance one) |
| 149.988 |
Oscar 32
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-033B
19071 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
FM telemetry (tones) +/- 2.4 kHz from carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 399.968 MHz - Occasionally changes between this frequency and the maintenance one) |
| 149.988 |
Oscar 25
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-074A
19419 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
FM telemetry (tones) +/- 2.4 kHz from carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 399.968 MHz - Occasionally changes between this frequency and the maintenance one) |
| 150.000 |
Nadezhda |
Navigation - plus Search and Rescue monitoring |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Several satellites - the system is no longer operational, has been silent since 2003 November 26 - Coherent transmission at 400.000 MHz |
| 150.000 |
Tsikada |
Navigation - plus Search and Rescue monitoring |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Several satellites - the system is no longer operational, has been silent since 2003 November 26 - Coherent transmission at 400.000 MHz |
| 150.012 |
Unknown |
Not known |
'Wandering' CW |
Satellite in GEO, possibly graveyard orbit, also transmits 400.032 MHz |
| 150.012 |
Geosat
1985-021A
15595 |
Oceanography - wave height measurement |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Detected being switched on and off over Europe, not continuously active. Sometime around 2007, transmissions ceased to be detected but Geosat was subsequently determined to be transmitting continuously while in sunlight. Coherent transmission at 400.032 MHz |
| 150.012 |
RADCAL
(STEP P92-1)
1993-041A
22698 |
Radar calibration |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Radar Calibration satellite - Coherent transmission at 400.032 MHz, operation is intermittent |
| 150.012 |
GFO
1998-007A
25157 |
Oceanography - wave height measurement |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Geosat Follow On satellite - Coherent transmission at 400.032 MHz and also transmitted at 2207.5 MHz. Ceased to transmit 2208 November. |
| 150.012 |
ARGOS
(STEP P91-1)
1999-008A
25634 |
USAF space experiments |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 400.032 MHz - Ceased to transmit 2003 |
| 150.012 |
USA 147
(DMSP F-15)
1999-067A
25991 |
RADCAL secondary payload aboard US military metsat |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program - Also transmits at 2237.5 MHz and 2252.5 MHz, and 400.032 MHz - Post-launch testing revealed interference with other equipment from the 150/400 MHz transmitters so they remained inactive (apart from further testing) until 2006 Aug 14 |
| 150.012 |
Picosat 9
(STEP P97-1)
2001-043B
26930 |
USAF Space Test Program (STEP) |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 400.032 MHz - Ceased to transmit late-2004 |
| 150.012 |
Formosat 3A
(Cosmic FM-6)
2006-011A
29047 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 400.032 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 150.012 |
Formosat 3B
(Cosmic FM-1)
2006-011B
29048 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 400.032 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 150.012 |
Formosat 3C
(Cosmic FM-5)
2006-011C
29049 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 400.032MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 150.012 |
Formosat 3D
(Cosmic FM-3)
2006-011D
29050 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 400.032 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 150.012 |
Formosat 3E
(Cosmic FM-4)
2006-011E
29051 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 400.032 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 150.012 |
Formosat 3F
(Cosmic FM-2)
2006-011F
29052 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 400.032 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 150.030 |
Cosmos 2361
(Parus)
1998-076A
25590 |
Navigation (+ comms?) |
FM time and position information - sidebands at 3 kHz, 5 kHz and 7 kHz |
Coherent transmission at 400.080 MHz |
| 150.300 |
Cosmos 2373
(Yantar-1KFT11Ф660 №20, Kometa)
2000-058A
26552 |
Yantar/Cometa' recoverable satellite - photographic mapping |
AM telemetry - wide bandwidth |
Coherent transmission at 400.800 MHz - Cameras and film recovered after mission running between 2000 September 29 and 2000 November 14 - no longer in orbit |
| 150.300 |
Cosmos 2415
(Yantar-1KFT11Ф660 №21, Kometa)
2005-034A
28841 |
Yantar/Cometa' recoverable satellite - wide-area photographic reconnaissance |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 400.800 MHz - Cameras and film recovered after mission mission running between 2005 September 2 and 2005 October 14 - transmissions heard over the USA - no longer in orbit |
| 399.760 |
Cosmos 2341
(Parus)
1997-017A
24772 |
Comms |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 149.910 MHz |
| 399.760 |
Cosmos 2398
(Parus)
2003-023A
27818 |
Comms |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 149.910 MHz |
| 399.840 |
Cosmos 2378
(Parus)
2001-023A
26818 |
Comms |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmisiion at 149.940 MHz |
| 399.840 |
Cosmos 2389
(Parus)
2002-026A
27436 |
Comms |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmisiion at 149.940 MHz |
| 399.840 |
Cosmos 2454
(Parus)
2009-039A
35635 |
Comms |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmisiion at 149.940 MHz |
| 399.920 |
Cosmos 2336
(Parus)
1996-071A
24677 |
Navigation |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 149.970 MHz |
| 399.944 |
Oscar 29
(Transit/NIMS)
1987-080B
18362 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
Modulated CW carrier |
Maintenance frequency - Coherent transmission at 149.979 MHz (known to change between this frequency and the operational one) - No longer transmitting as of 2008 Jan 1 |
| 399.944 |
Oscar 31
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-074B
19420 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
Modulated CW carrier |
Maintenance frequency - Coherent transmission at 149.979 MHz (known to change between this frequency and the operational one) - Sometime between 2007 Dec 21 and 2008 Feb 7, the normal transmissions at both frequencies were replaced with a highly unstable CW carrier (wandering frequency + variations in strength) |
| 399.968 |
Oscar 27
(Transit/NIMS)
1987-080A
18361 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
Modulated CW carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 149.988 MHz (known to change between this frequency and the maintenance one) - No longer transmitting as of 2008 Feb 1 |
| 399.968 |
Oscar 23
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-033A
19070 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
Modulated CW carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 149.988 MHz (known to change between this frequency and the maintenance one) |
| 399.968 |
Oscar 32
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-033B
19071 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
Modulated CW carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 149.988 MHz (known to change between this frequency and the maintenance one) |
| 399.968 |
Oscar 25
(Transit/NIMS)
1988-074A
19419 |
Ionospheric modelling for US military (NIMS) |
Modulated CW carrier |
Operational frequency - Coherent transmission at 149.988 MHz (known to change between this frequency and the maintenance one) |
| 400.000 |
Nadezhda |
Navigation - plus Search and Rescue monitoring |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 150.000 MHz - no longer active (see 150 MHz note) |
| 400.000 |
Tsikada |
Navigation - plus Search and Rescue monitoring |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 150.000 MHz - no longer active (see 150 MHz note) |
| 400.032 |
Unknown |
Not known |
'Wandering' CW |
Satellite in GEO, possibly graveyard orbit, also transmits 150.012 MHz |
| 400.032 |
Geosat
1985-021A
15595 |
Oceanography - wave height measurement |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Detected being switched on and off over Europe, not continuously active. Sometime around 2007, transmissions ceased to be detected but Geosat was subsequently determined to be transmitting continuously while in sunlight. Coherent transmission at 150.012 MHz |
| 400.032 |
RADCAL
(STEP P92-1)
1993-041A
22698 |
Radar calibration |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Radar Calibration satellite - Coherent transmission at 150.012 MHz, operation is intermittent |
| 400.032 |
GFO
1998-007A
25157 |
Oceanography - wave height measurement |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Geosat Follow On - Coherent transmission at 150.012 MHz and also transmittedat 2207.5 MHz. Ceased to transmit 2208 November. |
| 400.032 |
ARGOS
(STEP P91-1)
1999-008A
25634 |
USAF space experiments |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 150.012 MHz - Ceased to transmit 2003 |
| 400.032 |
USA 147
(DMSP F-15)
1999-067A
25991 |
RADCAL secondary payload aboard US military metsat |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program - also transmits at 2237.5 MHz, and 150.012 MHz - Post-launch testing revealed interference with other equipment from the 150/400 MHz transmitters so they remained inactive (apart from further testing) until 2006 Aug 14 . |
| 400.032 |
Picosat 9
(STEP P97-1)
2001-043B
26930 |
USAF Space Test Program (STEP) |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Detected being switched on and off over Europe, not continuously active - Coherent transmission at 150.012 MHz - Ceased to transmit late-2004 |
| 400.032 |
Formosat 3A
(Cosmic FM-6)
2006-011A
29047 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 150.012 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 400.032 |
Formosat 3B
(Cosmic FM-1)
2006-011B
29048 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 150.012 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 400.032 |
Formosat 3C
(Cosmic FM-5)
2006-011C
29049 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 150.012 MHz and 1066.752 MHz, during 2007 December, Formosat 3C appeared to be about 5 kHz lower than the nominal frequency - the other frequencies may be shifted pro-rata
|
| 400.032 |
Formosat 3D
(Cosmic FM-3)
2006-011D
29050 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 150.012 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 400.032 |
Formosat 3E
(Cosmic FM-4)
2006-011E
29051 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 150.012 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 400.032 |
Formosat 3F
(Cosmic FM-2)
2006-011F
29052 |
Atmospheric studies using CW beacons at coherent frequencies |
CW |
Switched on when observation required, European observations usuall 08:00-17:00 UTC Mon-Fri, also transmits 150.012 MHz and 1066.752 MHz |
| 400.080 |
Cosmos 2361
(Parus)
1998-076A
25590 |
Navigation |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Non operational but still transmitting 2000 December 13 - Coherent transmission at 150.030 MHz |
| 400.100 |
Orbcomm |
Mobile telephony |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Several satellites - Also transmitting digitised telephony signals at various frequencies 137-138 MHz (see individual entries) |
| 400.450 |
Akebono
(EXOS-D)
1989-016A
19822 |
Studies of Magnetosphere and Ionosphere - Japan |
CW modulated |
Carrier with data modulation - appears as a tone modulated by a buzz |
| 400.550 |
Resurs-O1
(#4L)
1998-043A
25394 |
Remote sensing |
CW Spread Spectrum |
Signals from Little LEO ranging between 400.318 and 400.787 MHz - Piggy-back 'store and forward' communications payload carried by Russian satellite - Transmitter not heard since 2001 February - The meteorological payload transmitted at 137.85 MHz - no longer active |
| 400.552 |
Munin
2000-075C
26621 |
Auroral research - Sweden |
AM - modem-type databursts |
Telemetry but silent since 2001 Feb 12 (shortly after launch) probably due to onboard computer failure - no longer active |
| 400.800 |
Cosmos 2373
(Yantar-1KFT11Ф660 №20, Kometa)
2000-058A
26552 |
'Yantar/Cometa' recoverable satellite - photographic mapping |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 150.300 MHz - Cameras and film recovered after mission running between 2000 September 29 and 2000 November 14 - no longer active |
| 400.800 |
Cosmos 2415
(Yantar-1KFT11Ф660 №21, Kometa)
2005-034A
28841 |
Yantar/Cometa' recoverable satellite - wide-area photographic reconnaissance |
CW - Doppler tracking beacon |
Coherent transmission at 150.300 MHz - Cameras and film recovered after mission running between 2005 September 2 and 2005 October 14? - no longer active |
