Video demo: receiving HF with transverter

[Balint Seeber]

Hi members,

I did a quick test last night where I sent HF signals through a +60 MHz transverter and then into the dongle. Seemed to work surprisingly well (broadcast AM, OTH RADAR, RTTY, HAM).

Check it out if you wish: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y2XMvrlmiA

[Factor Mystic]

What was the purpose of the transverter? To put the recieved frequency range within the capabilities of the dongle?

[Balint Seeber]

Yep, that's it! That transverter is actually designed to be used with the Yaesu FRG-9600 VHF/UHF receiver.

Same thing I did with the USRP (as I used the WBX daughterboard, which does 50-2200 MHz). If you're looking at one of these, you could also try the LFRX, which is ideal for HF (0-50 MHz, requires a pre-amp though). There's also the Basic RX too.

[Adam Nielsen]

>> What was the purpose of the transverter? To put the recieved
>> frequency range within the capabilities of the dongle?
>

> Yep, that's it! That transverter is actually designed to be used with
> the Yaesu FRG-9600 VHF/UHF receiver.

I've been wondering whether it would be possible to use the LNB on an
old satellite dish as a cheap way of using the RTL to receive satellite
signals. Has anyone got any experience with this?

It seems that you would need a dish, LNB and a 12-18V power supply with
injector to run the LNB, but it would then put a chunk of satellite
spectrum in the TV band right where the RTL is capable of tuning.

Since old dishes and LNBs can be had pretty cheaply it would certainly
suit the low budget RTL crowd I'm sure, if it would work!

Cheers,
Adam.

[Balint Seeber]

Yes, this is certainly possible.

However, there is important issue to consider: cheap LNBs have cheap oscillators. Therefore any narrow-band signal can drift terribly.

Cheap LNBs have been mass-produced because they work well with DVB-S and other wide-band signals - the demodulators can cope with the drift.

You may wish to look at more expensive LNBs with better oscillators (e.g. +/- 5 kHz). Of course, going down that road leads you to a quick exit from the domain of cheap SDR. However, if you can cleverly account for the drift in software...

[Alexandru Csete]

Adam,

What do you wish to receive on Ku-band?
A typical DVB-S/S2 transponder is 36 MHz wide and the narrowest I have seen is 8 MHz. There may be data downlink channels that would fit in the rtl-sdr bandwidth, but I don't know how much fun it is to watch encrypted data transmissions on an FFT plot.

Alex

[Adam Nielsen]

> What do you wish to receive on Ku-band?

I don't know! But then I don't know what is broadcast other than TV...just
curiosity I guess.

> A typical DVB-S/S2 transponder is 36 MHz wide and the narrowest I have seen is
> 8 MHz. There may be data downlink channels that would fit in the rtl-sdr
> bandwidth, but I don't know how much fun it is to watch encrypted data
> transmissions on an FFT plot.

Would they all be encrypted? What about weather satellites? Or do they use
lower frequencies? There's also the possibility of combining multiple rtl-sdr
devices to widen the available bandwidth, which I assume is just a
mathematical problem.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Miguel A. Vallejo]

A LNB can be used (if its DRO permits) to receive narrowband 10GHz
amateur signals around 10368 MHz (downconverted to 618 MHz).

Works nicely with analog receivers.

[Alexandru Csete]

You can receive weather satellites on 137 MHz and 1.7 GHz. The VHF transmissions on 137 MHz are analog and very easy to receive. There is free software to decode pictures, e.g. http://www.wxtoimg.com/
The ones on 1.7 GHz  are digital and more tricky t receive. They use higher bandwidth (2 MHz if I recall correctly) and I don't know how much software is available for decoding the images.

Alex
 

[JustAn Amateur]

For everybody who wants to use the cheap dongle for HF receiving...

Here is a simple scheme for 30kHz to 30MHz

http://www.george-smart.co.uk/wiki/FunCube_Upconverter

Have fun building it!

JustAn Amateur

[imo]

The mixer output shall see 50ohm as well, what is probably not the case here. Seeing 50ohm will help with 100MHz leakage too.

Inductors - air inductor for HF filter - I would rather use amidon toroid cores ie T25-6 (yellow) 7turns.

For  HF switchable filter unit see for example - softrock sdr radios have it - http://www.wb5rvz.com/sdr/ensemble_rx_ii/05_bpf.htm

imo

[pb0aog]

Op vrijdag 27 april 2012 03:31:34 UTC+2 schreef Alexandru Csete het volgende:

I think this should be a challenge to recieve the weather satellites on 1.7GHz, also because the much higher resolution then the APT-pictures! However you have to follow these satellites with some accuracy.

The datarate of these signals are 664Kb/s , that should not be a problem. Decodingsoftware is available more for Win then Linux.

Maybe if more people are interesting in this to give it some change?

 

Luc

[Simon Wood]

> The datarate of these signals are 664Kb/s , that should not be a
> problem.

What about Doppler compensation, do we need to retune and can we do so quick enough to avoid interruption?

Simon

[Miguel A. Vallejo]

1.7 GHz weather satellites are geostationary, like the Meteosat.

No doppler problems!

[pb0aog]

Op zaterdag 5 mei 2012 00:03:26 UTC+2 schreef EA4EOZ het volgende:

EA4EOZ:

 

Besides the geostationary, you do have polar satellites transmitting on 1,7GHz (the same NOAA`s as on 137MHz, also don’t forget the Chinese birds.

As far as I know, and speaking for this side of the world, Meteosat broadcast, apt,  have stopt transmissions some years ago. However Meteosat still transmitting (retransmit) like PDUS but this is decoded.

 

 

Simon:

Concerning the Doppler, this is a subject to take in consideration, when design/building a receiver for reception of signals from moving objects. If you are interested I can send you a link or document about this subject.

 

 

pb0aog

[JustAn Amateur]

After building a simple up-converter (xtaloscillator 60Mz, two ferrite rings trifilair wound and 4 Germanium Diodes - LINK HERE: http://www.qrp.pops.net/xmfr.asp) WITHOUT any lowpass, bandpass or highpass filtering and using a 10mtr antenna-wire, I can say that the receiving capacity is more than satisfying (-120dB background signal)!

But... than i heard many CW (morsecode) and digital signals (SSTV/PSK) on the amateur bands..
How to decode those....

Well, that wasn't to difficult!
Install the nice program called Virtual Audio Cable (on a windooze box that is). Setup at least 2 virtual cables.
Redirect the sound in HDSDR to one of the Virtual Audio Cables...
Download the appropriate program like CWGET for CW decoding.
Set the soundinput in CWGET to that Virtual audiocable en the soundoutput to your audio-card/headset-thingie...
Find a CW-signlal and tune the filters! CW will be decoded!

Good luck!

JustAn

On Wednesday, April 25, 2012 6:44:48 AM UTC+2, Balint Seeber wrote:

[Alain De Carolis]

I confirm: it works great. Here is my test:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_hHiPysZrw

73's de Alain K1FM (ex WW3WW)

On Wednesday, April 25, 2012 12:44:48 AM UTC-4, Balint Seeber wrote:

[Benoit]

Excellent !

What is your antenna?

[Alain De Carolis]

Its a portable magnetic loop (1 mt diameter). You can see the antenna being used outdoor in my other videos...

Alain

[Hal Hubschman]

Where did you buy your CT1FFU Upconverter ?

 

W4hal -

[Antonio Matias]

Tha is a very nice Video Alain.

Appreciate it a lot.

Very clear what we can get with this toys. Good fun..

Hal, converter still available here:  http://www.ct1ffu.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=178&Itemid=104 

best 73

many tnx

Tony

2012/7/28 Hal Hubschman <halhub...@gmail.com>

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António Matias

CT1FFU - CR5A 

www.dxpatrol.com 

QRV: HF, 6m, 4m,2m,70cm,23cm

SSB, CW, MGM

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POBOX-38

2504-909

Caldas da Rainha

Portugal

[Amy]

Hi,

I am new here. I am working on a satellite project, and I was wondering if there is any software on the GNU Radio platform that can be used to process signals received via DVB-S/S2 card? For example, to send the received stream to be displayed on a computer? Or send the received (video) stream to be processed further (e.g. in the frequency domain)?

Thanks in advance.

Amy