Best Ham Radio Satellites for Beginners in 2026

If you've just got your Technician licence and heard that you can work satellites with a handheld radio, you heard right. Amateur radio satellites — called "birds" by operators — are orbiting repeaters you can access with basic equipment. The tricky part isn't the hardware, it's knowing which satellites are actually working right now and how to find them overhead. This post covers both.

What You Need to Get Started

The minimum setup for FM satellites is simpler than most new operators expect:

• A dual-band VHF/UHF radio — any handheld transceiver covering 2 metres (144 MHz) and 70 cm (430 MHz). Most modern HTs qualify. You can use a single radio in split mode.
• A small directional antenna — a handheld yagi like the Arrow II or a homebrew 3-element yagi for each band. The rubber duck antenna on your HT will work on strong overhead passes but a yagi dramatically improves your success rate.
• A satellite pass predictor — you need to know when a satellite will be overhead and what frequencies to use. Ham Sat Tracker gives you pass times, Doppler-corrected frequencies, and a sky view diagram for each pass, free.

That's genuinely all you need to make your first FM satellite contact. No expensive base station, no rotatable antenna array, no computer-controlled tracking. A 5-watt HT and a handheld yagi is the standard starting setup used by thousands of satellite operators worldwide.

The Best FM Satellites to Start With

SO-50 — The Classic Starter Bird

SO-50 (NORAD 27607) has been in orbit since 2002 and remains one of the most popular amateur satellites ever flown. It's an FM cross-band repeater — you transmit on 2m and receive on 70cm.

• Uplink: 145.850 MHz with 67.0 Hz CTCSS tone
• Downlink: 436.795 MHz
• Special note: If the satellite seems quiet, transmit a brief burst with 74.4 Hz CTCSS to activate the 10-minute on-timer

SO-50 works through eclipse (battery-backed) so you can use it any time of day. The CTCSS tone requirement catches many beginners out — make sure 67 Hz is enabled on your radio before the pass, not just programmed.

AO-91 — Simple Access, No Tone Required

AO-91 (Fox-1B, NORAD 43017) is a newer bird from AMSAT with no CTCSS tone required on the uplink — making it the simplest FM satellite to access.

• Uplink: 145.960 MHz (no tone)
• Downlink: 435.250 MHz
• Special note: Solar powered only — passes in eclipse won't work

AO-91 is ideal for your very first attempt because there's one fewer thing to configure. Choose a daytime pass with good elevation and just transmit on the uplink frequency.

ISS — The Most Famous Bird

The International Space Station carries an amateur radio FM repeater available to any licensed ham. There's something special about making a contact through a crewed spacecraft.

• Uplink: 145.990 MHz with 67.0 Hz CTCSS
• Downlink: 437.800 MHz
• Important: The repeater is not always active — check ariss.org before planning an ISS pass

When the ISS repeater is active it can get very busy — the satellite's large footprint means hundreds of stations can hear it simultaneously. Keep your transmissions short, give your callsign and grid square, and listen.

SSB Satellites for When You're Ready to Level Up

Once you're comfortable with FM satellites, linear transponder (SSB) satellites open up a whole new operating experience. These carry a full transponder passband where multiple QSOs happen simultaneously — much like HF operating, but in orbit.

RS-44 — Currently One of the Best SSB Satellites

• Uplink passband: 145.935–145.965 MHz (LSB)
• Downlink passband: 435.610–435.640 MHz (USB, inverting)

RS-44 is receiving excellent operating reports in 2026 and is one of the most active SSB satellites currently in orbit. The inverting transponder means you transmit LSB and receive USB — and tuning your uplink up moves your downlink signal down.

FO-29 — A Linear Transponder Classic

• Uplink passband: 145.900–146.000 MHz (LSB)
• Downlink passband: 435.800–435.900 MHz (USB, inverting)

FO-29 has been operating since 1996 and remains a go-to bird for SSB operators. The technique: tune the downlink to find your own signal, then adjust your uplink to keep it in position as Doppler shifts throughout the pass.

How to Find Passes Over Your Location

All of these satellites are included in Ham Sat Tracker. Enter your Maidenhead grid square (e.g. FN25 for Ottawa) or decimal coordinates, set your time range, and tap Calculate. You'll see every upcoming pass with:

• Exact AOS, TCA, and LOS times
• Doppler-corrected uplink and downlink frequencies at each point
• Maximum elevation so you can judge pass quality
• A sky view diagram showing the satellite's track across your sky
• CTCSS tones pre-filled for SO-50 and ISS

For your first attempt, look for a pass with maximum elevation above 30°. Higher passes give you more time in range and stronger signals — much more forgiving for a first attempt than a low 10° scraper that barely clears the horizon.

Your First Pass — What to Expect

Set up before AOS. Know the AOS azimuth from the sky view diagram and face that direction with your antenna at a low angle before the satellite rises. When it comes up you'll hear a brief squelch tail or other stations calling through — that confirms the satellite is working and in range.

Give a short call: callsign, grid square, listening. If someone comes back, complete the QSO quickly — give a signal report, get one back, say 73 and move on. Passes are short and there are often many stations trying to get through.

Don't get discouraged if you don't make a contact first time. Listening through a pass to get familiar with the Doppler shift and the pacing is valuable on its own. Most operators spend a pass or two just listening before they start transmitting.

73 de VE3AKK