Category: Applications

TechMinds: Detecting HF Interference from a VDSL Internet Connection

Over on YouTube user Tech Minds has uploaded a video showing how you can determine if you are getting HF interference from a VDSL internet connection going to your house or neighbors. VDSL or Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line is an internet connection technology that runs over old copper phone wires allowing for a fast broadband connection. The frequencies used by VDSL are between 25 kHz to 12 MHz, and for VDSL2 up to 30 MHz. Unfortunately the frequencies used can result in high amounts of radio interference from RFI radiating from the copper phone lines which is a major problem for HF amateurs and short wave listeners.

In his video Tech Minds uses an SDRplay RSPdx to record a short IQ file of the VDSL interference that he experiences in his home in the UK. He then opens the IQ file in a piece of software called Lelantos, which was developed by a member of the UK amateur radio organization RSGB. If a VDSL signal is present, this tool will determine various bits of information about the interference, and will give you enough information to make a complaint to OFCOM, the UK's radio communications regulator.

VDSL RFI Detection and how to report it to OFCOM

DragonOS KerberosSDR Tutorials: Setting up Networked Direction Finding, Monitoring Multiple Signals Simultaneously

DragonOS is a ready to use Linux OS that includes various SDR programs preinstalled. The creator Aaron also runs a YouTube channel that contains multiple tutorial videos for DragonOS. One of the latest videos he's released is a tutorial that shows how to use one of our KerberosSDR (4x Coherent RTL-SDR) units to set up networked direction finding. To do this he uses our core KerberosSDR DSP software, along with RDFMapper, a third party bearing visualization tool with the ability to display bearing from multiple networked direction finding units.

The tutorial goes through the KerberosSDR software install procedure, shows how to set up the various parameters in the software, and then demonstrates it providing data to the RDFMapper software via our open source pyRDFMapper-KSDR-Adapter program. With this setup, you could run multiple KerberosSDR units around a city and use them to locate a signal source rapidly.

KerberosSDR Uploading Bearing data to RDFMapper
KerberosSDR Uploading Bearing data to RDFMapper
DragonOS LTS/10 Direction Finding Bearing Server (KerberosSDR, RDFMapper)

In addition to the direction finding video he's got another video that shows how to use a KerberosSDR and HackRF to simultaneously monitor various signals like home gas meters, ADS-B data, and 433 MHz ISM band devices using programs like rtlamr, rtladsb and rtl_433. What's particularly interesting is how he uses a program called Kismet to manage each radio on the device.

DragonOS LTS/10 KerberosSDR + HackRF One (qspectrumanalyzer, kismet, rtl_433, rtlamr, rtladsb)

A Few GOES Reception Tips and Info on Receiving EMWIN Data

Thank you to Carl Reinemann for writing in and sharing his website that contains a few tips that he's learned when setting up an RTL-SDR based receiver for GOES 16/17 weather satellite image reception.  As well as the tips, he's uploaded a nice set of images that show his setup, and several of the images he has received.

In addition, he's also noted how the default config files provided by goestools do not download EMWIN (Emergency Managers Weather Information Network) images. EMWIN images are not photos, but rather weather forecast and data visualizations that may be useful for people needing to predict or respond to weather. Over on his Github he's uploaded a modified version of goestools which has config files for EMWIN and other image products that might be of interest to some.

If you're interested, Carl Reinemann also has various bits of information about building APT/Meteor satellite RTL-SDR receivers on his main site too. Of interest in particular is his notes on creating wide area composites of NOAA APT images with WXtoIMG which we have posted about in the past.

Some EMWIN Images Received by Carl Reinmann's GOES receiver.
Examples of some EMWIN Images Received by Carl Reinemann's GOES receiver.

YouTube Guide: Installing GQRX on Windows 10

GQRX is a general purpose GUI based SDR program that is typically used most often on Linux and Mac computers, however it is still possible to install and use it on Windows. Over on YouTube M Khanfar has uploaded a tutorial video that shows a step by step guide on how to get GQRX running on Windows 10.

The process is a little long as it involves an install of Windows GNU Radio, Python, pip and various Python dependencies required by GQRX, as well as setting up the Windows PATH. If you prefer a text guide, the full tutorial is also typed out in the YouTube video description.

GNU Radio , GQRX in Win10 installation Guide

SignalsEverywhere: How to set up an RTL-SDR SpyServer on Windows

Over on YouTube SignalsEverywhere/Harold is back with a new video tutorial that shows users how to set up a SDR# SpyServer with an RTL-SDR dongle. SpyServer is a program included with SDR# that allows you to access your Airspy or RTL-SDR dongle remotely through the internet or local network connection. Thanks to it's compression techniques and that it does most processing on the server side, it requires significantly less network bandwidth compared to a raw IQ server like rtl_tcp.

In the video Harold first shows how to access the SpyServer network in SDR# which consists of many remote SpyServers that have been made accessible to the public for free. He then goes on to explain how you can set up your own SpyServer by simply editing a text config file. He notes that you may need to perform port forwarding on your router if you wish to make the server publicly accessible.

RTL SDR Spyserver Remote SDR Setup Tutorial (on Windows)

PiSDR Ready to use SDR Raspbian Image Updated to V4.0

It's been a good time for ready to use SDR Linux OS images recently, as we've seen the release of two new images, DragonOS and gorizont-rtlsdr over this lock down period. And now the already popular and mature PiSDR image has also been updated. 

PiSDR is a ready to use Raspbian based operating system for Raspberry Pi's which comes pre-loaded with many programs for software defined radios. It currently supports the RTL-SDR, LimeSDR, PlutoSDR, Airspy, and Airspy HF+ and has preinstalled software such as SDR Angel, Soapy Remote, GQRX, GNURadio, LimeUtil, and LimeVNA.

The latest update includes various bug fixes as well the following new features:

  • Three times smaller.
  • HackRF Support.
  • Verified Compilation on GitHub Actions.
  • New Software: Quisk, CygnusRFI, rpitx, rtl_433, acarsdec, gpredict, multimon-ng, and leansdr
PiSDR Running a SDRAngel with a LimeSDR
PiSDR Running a SDRAngel with a LimeSDR

TechMinds: Demonstrating the QT-DAB Digital Audio Broadcast Decoder

Over on YouTube TechMinds has uploaded a video where he explores the QT-DAB software (formerly known as SDR-J), which is a program capable of decoding Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) signals. QT-DAB is compatible with several SDRs including the RTL-SDR, HackRF, Airspy and SDRplay units. 

DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcast and is a digital broadcast radio signal that is available in many countries outside of the USA. The digital signal encodes several radio stations, and it is considered a modern alternative or future replacement for standard analog broadcast FM.

In the video TechMinds explains how to download, install and use the software on a Windows machine. He goes on to demonstrate some DAB decoding in action with various SDRs and then shows how to connect QT-DAB to a remote RTL-SDR via rtl_tcp.

DAB Radio Decoder For SDR (RTL_SDR - HACKRF - AIRSPY)

Broadcastify Calls: Radio Call Archiving + Incentives for SDR Software Developers

Broadcastify is a large scanner audio streaming site which provides live audio streams of Fire, Police, EMS, Aircraft and Rail communications across the USA and in many other countries. These streams are all provided by volunteers running scanners and software defined radios like RTL-SDRs in their local areas.

Recently Broadcastify have announced the beta of their "Calls" platform. This allows them to provide not only live streams of audio, but also an archived history of every radio call received. We believe that this is a technology similar to Radiocapture. The service advertises 30-day call retention, duplicate call handling, live call playback, playlists playback, tight integration with the RadioReference database and detailed statistics of the call and source.

Currently you can contribute received calls to Broadcastify via the Trunk Recorder software. However, Broadcastify recently wrote in and wanted our readers to know that they are providing incentives to SDR software developers to adapt their software in order to allow calls to be ingested into the Broadcastify Calls platform. 

We're announcing developer incentives for the Broadcastify Calls Platform.

If developers adapt their SDR based application to function as a call ingest platform for Broadcastify Calls, Broadcastify will pay them up to $2,500 for their efforts. Here are the details:

  • To qualify for incentives, developers must apply and have an approved agreement with RadioReference.com/Broadcastify. Developers can request to be part of the incentive program by contact us at [email protected]
  • When first system comes online in production on Broadcastify Calls, developer receives a $500 USD check
  • When 5 systems come online in production on Broadcastify Calls, developer receives an additional $2,000 USD check

Documentation for the API can be found here:

https://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Broadcastify-Calls-API

Broadcastify Calls
Broadcastify Calls