Using a one meter offset dish, a modified DB6NT LNA, a GPS locked downconverter and an SDR-14 software defined radio, Paul Marsh was able to receive signals from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). According an an updated report this Tuesday on www.UHF-Satcom.com, the MRO signal was received when MRO was 53,258,740 miles from Earth. On the SDR-14 receiver, the CNR was 24.7 dB/Hz.
AMSAT news said that MRO transmits on Deep Space Network channel 32, which is 8439.444444 MHz, which is reduced to around 8439.031 MHz by Doppler shift. The MRO has a three meter diameter dish driven by a 100-watt X-band TWTA, resulting in an ERP of approximately 4.2 megawatts.
Information on the equipment, spectrum displays of the signal and other links for more information are on the UHF-Satcom Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Web page.
