SkyRoof v.1.30

[Alex VE3NEA]

New in this build: support of transverter offset. 

Note that I was unable to properly test the new function because I do not have a transverter. The users who requested this feature, please find the time to test it and report your results in this forum.

Here is the documentation that explains how to set up and use SkyRoof with a transverter:

https://ve3nea.github.io/SkyRoof/users_guide/setting_up_transverter.html

[Marcus PY2PLL]

Hi Alex:

Upgraded and performed an initial simple test: moved the RTL connection to the UHF xverter output and made SDR offset enable = true. And worked as expected, no issues so far. Here's an small unlisted video:

https://youtu.be/unp2jur2A2o

Not SkyRoof related but I tested TX on 2M (15W) and no de-sense at all without the traps I've been using when RTL is connected direct to the RX antennas.

Now I have some homework: add the SDR source signal selector to RTL input (V or UHF xverters).

Thans Alex ... let's have fun!

73 Marcus PY2PLL

[Alex VE3NEA]

Thank you Marcus! Great video. If you find any glitches, or any omissions in the docs, please let me know.

[Thomas Schuessler]

I would still love to be able to run SkyRoof with my FunCube Dongle Pro+ device.

I know it does not have the wide bandwidth of some of the other SDRs supported by SkyRoof, but it is the only one I've got that does not desense horribly like my SDRPlay RSP1a does.  I guess I need to try a RTL-SDR Blog 4 and see if I can have better success.

I can use HDSDR and run the FCDPro+ there, but that is not as customized as SkyRoof is.

I guess it would take somebody with Soapy SDR knowledge to try and support the plain jane windows drivers that are used to make the device work, or grab support from available extIO DLL files.

Again, I will try and see if I can have success with an RTL-SDR device but I can tell you, that they built great filtering into the FCD device, way back when in 2010.

I still champion Alex's software, even if for now, I can't use it as I would like.

73, Tom, N5HYP

[Marcus PY2PLL]

Hi Alex:

I had time now to do a few more tests. Let me ask you a question:

- I saw in the Settings.json file the section where the SDRs are defined and configured. To the RTL V4, after some definition lines came those one that I'm assuming they're the "current settings":

"SampleRate": 2500000.0,
        "MaxBandwidth": 1900000.0,
        "HardwareBandwidth": 2090000.0000000002,
        "Frequency": 145962683.42313707,
        "Gain": 49.599998474121094,
        "Name": "Generic RTL2832U OEM :: 00000001",
        "Ppm": 0.0

Is there any "table" from where I can pick up right values and manually reduce the BW or Sample Rate to 256KHz for a local test? I explain why: due to some V4 hardware characteristic (may be V3 too) seems that the way the hardware enables HF range creates a huge artifact around 29.8MHz. Here its image, antenna / converters disconnected, SDR offset enabled:

I did a test with the V4 using an extio.dll + HDSDR and checked a few sample rates on the fly: 3.2MHz, 2.4MHz, 2.048MHz, 1.024 and all of them have the same hump around 29.8MHz if the center frequency is the one that is used to fit ~435-438 (3MHz on screen). But if I limit myself to the transponders BW, choosing the satellites from the Groups or Timeline, I guess 256KHz BW can handle any low orbit bird. So the 256KHz sample for example will show only those frequencies around the selected sat. The video I did yesterday was using some random sats that was way to far from this portion of the IF spectrum (29.8MHz).

 May be this can be a transverter / IF only limitation, because I agree that one of the nice aspects is the waterfall that allow us to inspect a wide portion of the spectrum, clicking to tune any signal that shows up on the screen. Personally I don't bother to edit config files manually.

Later I comment a test with the other hardware I have (AirSpy Discovery).

73 Marcus PY2PLL