2 hours ago
Amazonia-1 pass on S-Band. Looks to be tumbling... maybe not so good for X-band :) https://t.co/FFLhvXeEAZ
23 hours ago
If you feel like crashing at 94 mph, be our guest. (Please turn off your electronic devices while sledding in the instrument zone so you don't disturb the other telescopes) https://t.co/30SsEa7a5C
1 day ago
Tianwen-1 mostly usual pattern. Did see some wide band data being transmitted. https://t.co/3VqVIuM9Tb
3 days ago
The Chang'e-3 moon lander called home last night. Some 10 min free drift after switch-on and then someone listened. It locked to a ground station and we see telemetry sidebands. https://t.co/daEabtnX19
4 days ago
Some interesting changes to Tianwen-1 signal last night. Possible orbital maneuver or maybe just taking some pictures?
LGA mode switch. Wide Band Data mode observed as well as a couple ground station locks. https://t.co/oyapCQylAu
XHRPT Ecosystem
There are many parts of operating a successful XHRPT station. In the diagram below you can see various radio options, demodulators, decoders, trackers and image processing options. Yes, there is some complexity, but that is part of the interest.
If you are interested in any of the following USA-Satcom software, please use the contact page for more info.
- XHRPT Decoder
- XHRPT Standalone Decoder (XSD)
- UltraTrack
- Various Streamers for SDRplay and Ettus Research SDRs
Please note that USA-Satcom does not export software to all countries.
Additionally, for GRC options you can visit TyNet.eu for community contributed GRC flow graphs.
Posted in POES
Mercury Transit of 2019
Got up way too early to capture this rare Mercury Transit. Mercury is small, about 1/3 the size of the Earth. Good thing there was no sunspots or Mercury would have been difficult to locate.
GOES-16 / 17 Setup Guide
Here is a great write up by Rodney AAA6RD, Region 6 Director for US Army MARS on his GOES-16/17 setup. The write-up includes what’s required, the setup details and the results.
GEOS-16_Receiver_Project-12022018
Posted in Uncategorized
XHRPT Update
Getting close to releasing XHRPT decoder. Upgraded to now decode MetOp-A/B, FengYun-3A/B/C in addition to the previously supported NOAA-18/19/15 and Meteor-MN2. Here is a short video of a typical pass of MetOp-B AHRPT. The video has been speed up, so the entire pass is just 26 seconds.
And here is the resulting image from this pass.
Posted in Satellites, Spacecraft
Tagged L-Band, Software
Cyberspectrum #20 (WX Satellites) Slides
Yep, better late than never… Here are the slides from my WX Satellite presentation at Cyberspectrum #20 in the Fall of 2016.
Warning, it’s a big (45MB) PDF file because it includes quite a few images. Good Luck!
Posted in GOES, Satellites
Tagged L-Band
XRIT Decoder for GOES Satellite
NOAA’s GOES-13 (East), GOES-15 (West) and now GOES-16 produce some amazing images. Both GOES-13 and GOES-15 broadcast weather images to users with suitable ground stations using a protocol called LRIT (Low Rate Information Transmission). GOES-16, a more advanced satellite does the same but uses a protocol called HRIT (High Rate Information Transmission). The parameters of each satellite are shown below.
In general, the LRIT and HRIT signals are not strong. There is not much room for a non-optimal setup. You need a good low noise figure LNA, a filter if you have nearby interference, high quality coax and a suitable antenna. Antennas can be a 1m or larger dish, a grid-style antenna or even a Yagi with suitable gain. The polarization from the satellites are Linear, so if you decide to use a circular feed just be aware that you will loose 3dB of the signal.
The latest version of the decoder software is shown below. It’s made up of two GUI panels. One for controlling demodulation and the other for controlling ingesting and image generation.
The ingesting portion of the application relies upon the Open Satellite Project parser that was developed by Lucas Teske. Other open source components are: Adaptive Entropy Coding library, Libcorrect, and SZIP.
Currently, there is support for the AirSpy, AirSpy Mini and SDRplay RSP2. The supported sample rates are 2.5 MSPS and 3 MSPS. IQ data flows from a dedicated streamer application over UDP to the demodulator.
If you have the proper equipment, are able to receive a high quality signal from any of the GOES satellite, and are interested in this software then please contact me for a demo package. Email me for current pricing using the address on the contact form.
Heat sink and shielding for HackRF One
The HackRF one PCB is manufactured with an option for a shield. This shield is available from NooElec. It’s a simple and quick addition, just some easy soldering. The hardest part is just removing the HackRF one from it’s plastic case.
Below you can see the shield framing installed.
Now with the lid installed and the job is complete.
Next up is adding a small (20mm x 20mm x 6mm) aluminum heatsink to the ARM processor. The ARM processor runs pretty hot on the HackRF and this heatsink will reduce the operating temperature, extending the life of the part. The heatsinks can be found for around $0.50 each on amazon. The most important item is the Arctic Alumina thermal *adhesive*, this ensures the heatsink makes good thermal contact and remains attached under high temperatures. The thermal adhesive can also be found in amazon for $7.99.
Below you can see my improvised method of ensuring good contact during the curing phase.
After about 1 hour the “delicate” process is now complete.
