Posts by DM5TU - sTef

  • Pluto Plus - Usage / Experience / Price & Value ?

    Pluto Plus 70MHz - 6GHZ AD9363 SDR Radio Empfänger/Sender 2x RX/ 2x TX Kompatibel mit ADI ADALM-PLUTO PLUTO +


    Hi all,


    since May 2021 the Pluto Plus is online available.


    Is someone among us already using the SDR Pluto Plus?

    If yes, what is your experience?


    Basis infos can be found here:


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=higdhj46aUk


    https://www.rtl-sdr.com/tech-m…sting-the-pluto-plus-sdr/


    https://qrznow.com/pluto-plus-sdr-an-adalm-pluto-upgrade/



    Pricing and shipment infos can be found on all big electronic sales platforms.


    Thanks for your feedback.

  • SAT Controller SDR Nano

    Hi Martin,


    yes, could be way to try...

    I will have a look at it. Maybe its a good way to get more in touch with the Pi4 and its boot loader.


    Yes we are HAMs!


    Have a nice sunday and hope to meet again on the 660, sn.


    72/3 de sTef

  • SAT Controller SDR Nano

    Hi Frank,


    thanks for your reply and time.

    This text is basically the same as posted on the very first page of this thread.

    I read it several times and still found it unclear to me, sorry.


    >

    1. Lock to master signal

    First, the system must be set to a reference signal (menu item "Lock" ). This is used to calculate the actual LO frequency and as master signal for the software drift correction. Default setting is the engineering beacon of Es'hail-2 (menu item "Master"). With the preset RF frequency you have to adjust the peak in the audio spectrum to 1.5 kHz.

    <


    The menu itself is hardly found by a beginner. So here we should start:


    The "menu" is hidden in the SAT Controller app.

    Mouse hoover over the button "Drift correction".

    Then right mouse click over button "Drift correction" and keep it pressed.

    Than the "menu" pops up.



    Q1: The first step is to adjust to a "master signal", right? Which signal on which QRG could that be?


    Q2: Which beacon do you mean by "engineering beacon of Es'hail-2" ? 10.489.500 / 10.489.750 or 10.489.900 ?


    Q3: After I choose a "master signal" and corrected it to the audio spectrum to 1.5KHz, than I press "Lock", right?



    The next steps I will try after we proceeded with the ones above.


    Thanks for your feedback and your time. Sorry for my "look from the outside" questions, Frank!


    so, 73 from JO50PX de DM5TU - sTef

  • SAT Controller SDR Nano

    Hi all,


    just to give Frank, DL3DCW some feedback on his work.

    THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE NICE TOOL!!!


    I was totally new to the Raspberry Pi. I ordered a Pi3+B and I was not over stressed with the headless installation of the Pi in my local network.

    As well I had no big problems installing the SATCONTROL image provided by the SATCONTROL side.


    For unzipping Franks image I used the Raspberry Pi Imager.

    With this tool you are able to pick, unziped and copy the file to the SD card by just using one tool. This will than do all the jobs for you.


    The SAT RECEIVER program in combination with the SAT CONTROLLER program was a bit challenging to use.

    The needed positive feedback, if the SAT CONTROLLER is working or not is a bit tricky in the beginning. I still get nor fcorrection of the tool showing on the display. But it seems to work.

    I still do not found my own procedure to get the beacon correction working straight away every time I start the program new.

    I needed some more feedback. That for I used the NB WebSDR to compare frequencies.


    The planned usage for my setup is to have a low power consuming tool for field operation to setup the RX of the dish to its maximum.

    As well to monitor the band while using an analogue field setup.


    Setup:

    Pi3+B

    Resued 10“ laptop screen with external controller board

    Reused Logitech BT keyboard 7“ (ipad mini)

    Reused BT mouse

    Power supply: 12V for screen and DC/DC dwn convtr 12 - 5V for the Pi3

    Headphones with the Pi3 (is a bit weak)


    So let us hear what your experiences are with Franks program and how you are able use it.

    Especially your feedback on your usage of the beacon correction tool is of interest.



    so, 73 from JO50PX de DM5TU - sTef

  • Patch Array Antenna from OK2AQ

    Hi everybody,


    the CuClad217 base material is from Rogers.

    The material specification are the following:


    Rogers Part No.: 217 DH=2.17 18X12 H1/H1 0620+-002/DI

    Item Number 3064270

    DI 2.17

    Copper lamination 35um/35um

    Size 18x12 inch


    Minimum order USD $300

    The cost of the first 9 pcbs is approx. 500 $ US

    Lead time 20-30 days

    Stock location: Delaware USA


    The base material is coming without any photo positive lacquer for etching.


    Due to the cost we are not following the project for now.

    If someone wants us to follow that project ideas let us know.



    DM5TU - sTef and DH4YM - Dirk


    Non commercial PCBA-Service for RADIOHAMS

  • RX sig strength 7 db lower with POTY

    Dear all,


    I needed to open that topic, because:


    • that topic was missed in the forum
    • I might not be the only one with that issue
    • and it is always good to get new opinions


    As I thought, all of your very helpful feedback is now giving me the confidence I was looking for. And I was right up to here with my ideas.


    Thanks, Volker, Mike, Johannes, Wilfried and Ed !


    It is like in real life.... Focus always focus :-) I will work on that. Now the duty for the very hot afternoon will not be hocus pocus, no it will be focus POTY.


    And yes the dielectrical lens is not installed right on purpose.

    Even the correctly installed lens is giving a gain of about 1-2 db. This is what my tests were showing.


    So here my ToDos:


    • Finding the dish focus for the POTY.
    • Will it be the entrance of the 10GHz feed horn - the dielectric lens/beginning of the copper pipe?


    Stay tuned for my reports.


    Thanks for now. 72/3 de DM5TU - sTef

  • RX sig strength 7 db lower with POTY

    Hey all,


    I mounted my RX-TX (Diavolo Twin LNB and POTY) combination in my 80cm offset dish today.




    The RX signal strength of the CW beacon with that RX-TX combination is about -84 db.


    The RX signal strength with just the RX LNB mounted is about -76db at the CW beacon. So there is a loss from about 6-7 db with the POTY mounted.


    Unfortunately mechanical wise I can not push the 10GHz feedhorn more further to the back due to the LNB mount.


    Is anybody having the same issue and how did you overcome that signal loss?

    • Different LNB mount?

    Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.


    72/3 de DM5TU - sTef

  • SDR CONSOLE: No waterfall on drift controll

    No waterfall on drift controll using the internal Geostationary Satellite Beacon add in


    Hi everybody,


    I am trying to use the drift correction in SDR Console without any luck.

    The setup up is as follows:

    • SDR Console V 3.0.9
    • SDRPlay DUO
    • The geostationary satellite beacon add in is activatied inside SDR Console

    Following the step by step console configuration described by Simon, G4ELI on his website, I am not seeing any waterfall of the upper beacon.

    Could it be that this is caused because my RX f in SDR Console is 739.850 MHZ instead on the expected f of 10.489.800.000 Hz?


    I already put in the converter offset as Down 9.750.000.000 but the f is not been adapted inside the SDR Console software.


    Can someone please give me some ideas what to do to get it working?

    Plase see the attached pictures.


    Vy tnx es 73/55 de DM5TU - sTef

  • minimum RX station

    Hi Achim,


    this is what I like most. A minimalistic approach. Could you please give me an info oon how you powered the Golden Media GM-201 LNB? Did you use a power upconverter? If yes which one did you use.


    Thanks a lot from sTef (Stefan) DM5TU ..... as you a paragliding ham.... happy landings es 73/72