Ezekiel Wheeler
7th Grade, Homeschool
Portland, OR
Zeke was eight years old when he decided he wanted to contact the International Space Station (ISS) using ham radio. Of course, since a ham radio alone isn鈥檛 enough to contact the ISS, Zeke would need to track it. He built his own satellite tracker with a 10-foot-long antenna, and two more small trackers out of Legos. 鈥淚 wanted to provide a fun, hands-on way to teach students about mechanical and electrical engineering,鈥� he says, so he decided to 3D print a desktop satellite tracker.
An Affordable, Portable Orbital Desktop Satellite Tracker
Project Background
In his previous models, Zeke had used a potentiometer to measure the position of his antenna to track the ISS. But they require calibration, and can鈥檛 always rotate as much as he needed. So he decided to see if an accelerometer 鈥� a device measuring acceleration 鈥� and a magnetometer 鈥� which measures magnetic field 鈥� could do it instead. He designed and 3D printed his parts and programmed a microcontroller and an LCD screen with a list of stars, satellites and planets to track.
He was able to track objects to within 7.1 degrees of error. 鈥淭hat means when I try to get a signal from satellites, I should be well within the beam width of my antenna.鈥� His proposal to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station was accepted this year, and he is excited to guide students as they speak to an astronaut on the ISS using his ham radio and tracker.
Beyond the Project
Zeke has always been excited by engineering. 鈥淲hen I was one year old, I had a battery, switch and a lightbulb drilled to a piece of wood that I made with my dad. Once I figured out how it worked, I would run around the house with it, saying 鈥楤attery, switch, lightbulb!鈥欌�� he says. But he also loves horseback riding, survival skill training, making primitive tools, and piloting small planes.
