JoAnne,
I wonder if a bandpass filter might help with the performance of your RTL-SDR dongle? The built-in filters on these dongles are quite broad, so even a bandpass filter covering just the 2-meter band would help reduce noise.
Are you using the pre-amp with the SDRPlay or were you using it with the RTL-SDR dongle? My RSP2 has a pre-amp built in and I've used it to receive transmissions from satellites with no problem. From my experience the RTL-SDR dongles need a pre-amp and extra front-end filtering for many radio applications.
73,
Mac Cody / AE5PH
On 12/22/18 8:19 AM, JoAnne K9JKM wrote:
Good morning Ron,
Ideally I guess would be a small package with Fox Telem running on Raspberry Pi like processor, tied to a SDRPlay receiver, on an omni antenna.
A pre-configured SD Card for the Raspberry Pi with the Raspbian operating system and FoxTelem loaded is available in the AMSAT Store: https://www.amsat.org/product/fox-in-a-box-raspberry-pi-sd-card/ Just insert the SD card in your Raspberry Pi and FoxTelem starts when you boot up.
I run the Fox In A Box with an inexpensive $20 RTL-SDR dongle. It works but I've discovered a better receiver like the SDR Play will give better results. I'm using the pre-amp that used to be in the AMSAT Store - it was just laying around anyways. My antenna is a spare 2 meter vertical.
I have some work yet to do with the new Gpredict installation too, satellites need to be added.
GPredict will add satellites for you ...
From the main screen select 'Edit --> Preferences'
Then from that 'GPredict Preferences :: General' screen select the 'TLE Update' tab The TLE sources default to Celestrak, etc. I changed my TLE source to AMSAT: Make the TLE source http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/keps/current/nasabare.txt on some GPredict versions you make the source: http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ftp/keps/current/ and then make the file to retrieve nasabare.txt Check the option for 'Add new satellites to local database' box. You'll get all of the recent satellites and every time a new satellite is added to the Keps it will be added at your QTH when you update the Keps. Pick the new satellite from the configuration view.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
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