Fox telemetry software question
I have the telemetry software up and running on my Mint (latest version 19) Linux machine. It only provides tracking for AO-85, and I read the note on the first pages of the manual about tracking other satellites about the file names. I'll take another look at the manual tomorrow, but I would like to have the tracking info on the screen for the other satellites listed. The .tle file I did find was named Fox1.tle (as I recall), I added others under AO-XX.tle where AO-XX is the name listed on the GUI control panel, but apparently it isn't recognized as there is no change. No doubt there is a quick fix.
Another question, would the occassional telemetry upload to amsat from my QTH grid square DP22 be of any use?
The receivers at the moment are a FT-726R, or an Icom R-7000 using the recorder audio output. When I get the software sorted out for an SDRPlay 1A I may use that instead.
63 Ron VE8RT DP22
Hello Ron,
It only provides tracking for AO-85, and I read the note on the first pages of the manual about tracking other satellites about the file names.
This page helped me to add Fox-1Cliff AO-95 into FoxTelem: http://www.g0kla.com/workbench/2018-11-11.php
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
Ron,
DP22 telemetry would be fabulous!! Holler if you need more help getting more sats enabled
On Fri, Dec 21, 2018 at 8:47 AM JoAnne Maenpaa k9jkm@comcast.net wrote:
Hello Ron,
It only provides tracking for AO-85, and I read the note on the first pages of the manual about tracking other satellites about the file names.
This page helped me to add Fox-1Cliff AO-95 into FoxTelem: http://www.g0kla.com/workbench/2018-11-11.php
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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. I have the components, but little time or skill. So for now I can manage occasional monitoring using my FT-726R on a manually pointed 2M quad.
Thanks for the offer of help, I may take you up on it.
73 Ron VE8RT
On Fri, 21 Dec 2018 10:11:28 -0500 Burns Fisher burns@fisher.cc wrote:
Ron,
DP22 telemetry would be fabulous!! Holler if you need more help getting more sats enabled
On Fri, Dec 21, 2018 at 8:47 AM JoAnne Maenpaa k9jkm@comcast.net wrote:
Hello Ron,
It only provides tracking for AO-85, and I read the note on the first pages of the manual about tracking other satellites about the file names.
This page helped me to add Fox-1Cliff AO-95 into FoxTelem: http://www.g0kla.com/workbench/2018-11-11.php
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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
I was going to say nearly the same thing as JoAnn, but let me add a bit Raspberry Pi info by pointing you to http://burnsfisher.com/AMSAT/FoxInABox/ This includes the documents that go with the "Fox-in-a-Box" SD card in the store as well as a readme.txt file to help. Notice that you can also download the SD card image for free although it is quite large! Also note that "parts list" includes an inexpensive 2-band J-pole (Fox-1E will have a UHF downlink) and an inexpensive phantom-power preamp that can be powered by a FunCubeDongle or RTL-SDR (I think). I don't know anything about SDR-play but if that works too, great!
Good luck and thanks in advance for any telemetry you send!
Super, really good news JoAnne!
when I first got back on the sats (was active from FP as FP/VE1KM and FP4EK, then FP5EK in the 1990's) I used Gpredict but added the satellite data by hand. I'll follow your instructions.
Ron VE8RT
On Sat, 22 Dec 2018 08:19:56 -0600 "JoAnne K9JKM" joanne.k9jkm@gmail.com 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
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
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
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Hello Mac,
True, the RSP2 does quite well with satellites. Over the past couple of years I've likely used the RSP2 more than my FT-857D for getting the downlinks.
I wonder if a bandpass filter might help with the performance of your RTL-SDR dongle?
It very well may. The RTL-SDR.com site has a choice of filters for sale. But how much more money should be thrown at a $100 experimental Fox Telemetry receiver designed to be an inexpensive, deployable unit. The goal of making a $10,000 super satellite station is not part of the system requirements for this project. Nor is the expectation that it is a primary satellite station in the shack.
It is a fun project though!
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
On 12/22/18 12:44, JoAnne K9JKM wrote:
I wonder if a bandpass filter might help with the performance of your RTL-SDR dongle?
It very well may. The RTL-SDR.com site has a choice of filters for sale. But how much more money should be thrown at a $100 experimental Fox Telemetry receiver designed to be an inexpensive, deployable unit. The goal of making a $10,000 super satellite station is not part of the system requirements for this project. Nor is the expectation that it is a primary satellite station in the shack.
It is a fun project though!
Ah, you've hit on it, JoAnne-
A cheap filter can be made very easily, and one has a lot of the test equipment to show/tune the response right in the shack!
"Paint can" style helical filters:
http://www.pa0nhc.nl/IMDfilter/EN/IndexEN.htm
Fancy combline filters, which use probably hard-to-get miniature air variable capacitors:
http://www.w1ghz.org/filter/Combline_Filters_for_VHF_and_UHF.pdf
Or, call on Andrew Jackson to solve the problem (cheaply):
https://www.hobbypcb.com/products/uhf-vhf-radio/144mhz-band-pass-filter
--- Zach N0ZGO
Ah, you've hit on it
Yup, good suggestions and interesting discussion.
But my point of this project is how little does it take for $100 or less. The point isn't about spending more and more money for half-dB or tenth-dB performance increments.
What can be done with less and with mostly software ... I haven't needed to find a hardware 9600 baud pin without low pass filtering all week either ;-)
My main station with the multi-core laptop, RSP2 running with SDR Uno, yagi, etc. has uploaded about 600 frames this week with casual use whenever I'm in the shack. The Raspberry Pi, SDR-RTL dongle, and 2M vertical has accomplished around 60 frames in a week just as experiment with mostly spare parts.
It will be interesting to hear how much less might have worked ... with appropriately scaled expectations, of course.
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
Thanks JoAnne,
very big help! I have some work yet to do with the new Gpredict installation too, satellites need to be added.
73 Ron VE8RT
On Fri, 21 Dec 2018 07:47:40 -0600 "JoAnne Maenpaa" k9jkm@comcast.net wrote:
Hello Ron,
It only provides tracking for AO-85, and I read the note on the first pages of the manual about tracking other satellites about the file names.
This page helped me to add Fox-1Cliff AO-95 into FoxTelem: http://www.g0kla.com/workbench/2018-11-11.php
-- 73 de JoAnne K9JKM k9jkm@amsat.org
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
participants (6)
-
Burns Fisher -
JoAnne K9JKM -
JoAnne Maenpaa -
Mac A. Cody -
Ron VE8RT -
Zach Metzinger