Thank you to "Double A" for submitting his latest YouTube tutorial video that shows how to use an RTL-SDR together with the Spektrum software to optimize TV reception by comparing TV antennas, repositioning antennas and detecting interference.
Double A's video first shows how to setup the RTL-SDR and how to install and use the Spektrum analyzer software. He then compares a popular highly rated phased array TV antenna against cheaper log periodic TV antenna, with the results showing that the phased array works a lot better at most TV frequencies even with accurate positioning. He goes on to show how he scans for FM, 5G and local electronics interference and the effect of an FM filter can help.
Improve Antenna TV Reception and Detect Interference using the RTL-SDR USB as a Spectrum Analyzer
In her latest video Sarah from the SignalsEverywhere YouTube channel describes how it is possible to use an RTL-SDR to measure RF filters when combined with a noise source and the Spektrum SDR software. In the video Sarah comprehensively explains how to set all the various parameters in Spektrum, before demonstrating a filter measurement with a noise source. Sarah explains how the power measurements may not be entirely accurate, however it is enough to get some idea about the shape of a filter.
Measuring Filters With RTL-SDR and Noise Source. Spektrum SDR Spectrum Analyzer
Thank you to Steve Cox, creator of the Gorizont Linux distribution for letting us know that is has now been updated to the 2022.1 Edition. Gorizont-linux is an RTL-SDR focused Linux distribution based on Xubuntu 20.04 LTS. It comes in a bootable .iso image for easy installation. Steve writes:
[Gorizont-linux] is still an Xubuntu 20.04 LTS based bootable .iso image for RTL-SDR only, but I've put a lot more work into writing instructions in simple English, refining things and freshening everything up to the latest available release. Here are some highlights:
gqrx 2.15.8 SigDigger 0.3.0 Universal Radio Hacker 2.9.0 gqrx-scan Welle.io 2.4 for all your DAB and DAB+ needs. guglielmo v0.3 for simple FM radio and DAB reception - fast, quick and light. Baudline fldigi fmsg Due to multiple issues with linux versions of Dream DRM, Dream DRM is now installed as a Win 32 .exe running under wine. It works! w-scan for creating DVB-T/ATSC/etc. scan files for DVB TV viewing using VLC.
Various extra utilities in home folder and command line path Much clearer instructions and scripts in simple English.
NOTE: Due to current events, gorizont linux now ships with networking disabled on boot. To use internet in a trusted environment, left-click on networking icon to the left of the battery indicator and click 'Enable Networking'.
If I was about to have to flee my home with little more than a laptop and a rtl dongle, this would be my distro of choice for staying in touch with the outside World - fast and easy to use, yet packed with (other people's) good software.
With the rising cost of computing hardware like Raspberry Pi's, Jaime Badillo decided to instead make use of one of a cheap old router, and set it up as an RTL-SDR server. To do this, Jaime took his old router and installed on it the free open source firmware OpenWRT, which is essentially a Linux operating system. Once this was completed, he was able to SSH into the router and install the RTL-SDR drivers and rtl_tcp software just as he would with a Raspberry Pi 4.
Jaime has uploaded a tutorial document that shows how to installed OpenWRT, how he configured the network settings and how he installed the RTL-SDR drivers and connected to rtl_tcp remotely via SDRSharp. The tutorial is written in Spanish, however we have uploaded an English Google translated version here. Jaime has also uploaded a YouTube video showing the router server in action.
SDR# receiving data from rtl_tcp running on an old router.
Open-weather is an art project made up of a community of volunteers who capture NOAA weather satellite images with RTL-SDR or similar devices. The images are then collected and stitched together to form a snapshot of the planet, and to be used in various art projects. We have previously posted about some related art projects that the team behind open-weather have done in the past.
Receiving NOAA satellite images may now be run of the mill for many of us technically minded people who have been in this hobby for a while, but one of the ideas behind open-weather is to reach out and inspire people from any background to try and receive satellite weather images. This includes people and communities in the arts that may not be technically minded at all. To achieve this the team has created easy to understand guides, hosted workshops, and created artwork and performances based around the reception of these satellite images.
In a recent article on theconversation.com, the team describe how they collected 38 images from 29 volunteers, across 14 countries and six continents on the first day of the COP26 climate conference. By involving more people in the process of essentially watching the earth from afar, they hope to inspire climate responsibility and to put some thought behind how we are affecting and being affected by the changing environment. An excerpt from the article is pasted below:
This snapshot included a cyclonic weather system curling around the UK, dust clouds sweeping the Indian subcontinent, and the glaciers of the Patagonian Andes, which have been shown by geographer Bethan Davies to be rapidly receding and thinning in response to global warming.
...
These satellite images and field notes demonstrate that the climate crisis feels different depending on who you are and where you live. In some places, dry seasons are expanding. Elsewhere, it’s clouds of dust, increasingly volatile storms, or health effects triggered by the air that we breathe.
As politicians fail to respond to the climate emergency, a growing community of Earth-watchers has practical and political potential. Together, we might learn to be collectively responsible for, and accountable to, the environments we are changing.
Sasha Engelmann of Open-Weather receives a NOAA Satellite Image.
With Russian missiles now falling in the Ukraine it seems that the worst has occurred and a full scale invasion has started. We wish for the safety of all Ukrainian citizens and to that end we wanted again to reiterate our safety warning to all SDR owners and amateur radio operators in the Ukraine that we put out three weeks ago. Please remember that last year a Crimean resident was arrested and is currently imprisoned by Russian forces for using RTL-SDR and scanner radios to listen to the airband. Crimea was a previous territory of the Ukraine annexed by Russian forces in 2014.
Along with Ukraine's declared state of emergency, one of the conditions is that all transmitting radio amateur activities must cease. We would also strongly recommend ceasing any public facing receiving activities, including ADSB and WebSDR feeds etc.
We are also hearing reports that 8131 kHz is supposedly being used by Russian Strategic Bombers for voice communications and it has been very active within the last few hours. The WebSDR linked in the tweet is already at capacity, but you may be able to hear from KiwiSDRs stationed around Europe.
Russian Strategic Bomber Voice HF active on 8131 Kilohertz USB at 0215 GMT. Aircraft passing short figure messages to ground control. Very busy!
You can monitor the frequency online at the following receiver in Europe.
Version 2.4 of the RTL-SDR compatible DAB/DAB+ decoder called welle.io has recently been released for download on GitHub. The main changes include various bug fixes, the addition of Windows 11 support, and the return of the Android APK (but only with rtl_tcp support).
The author has also released a new YouTube video tour, demonstrating the software in action, and explaining all the features.
KrakenSDR is our 5-channel coherent RTL-SDR product that we have successfully crowdfunded for over on CrowdSupply. KrakenSDR is the successor to our previous 4-channel product called the KerberosSDR and will begin shipping to initial supporters within the next few months. Along with the new hardware developments, KrakenSDR comes with a new opensource codebase that is also compatible with the KerberosSDR.
With a coherent SDR like KrakenSDR or KerberosSDR, interesting applications such as radio direction finding and passive radar become possible.
Unlike the newer KrakenSDR, the KerberosSDR is unable to automatically calibrate without manual intervention on the hardware. However, it is possible to upgrade the KerberosSDR with some third party hardware switches provided by Corey Koval of Lakeshore Labs. With these switches and the new software the KerberosSDR can be made to automatically calibrate like the KrakenSDR.
Corey also has created DF-Aggregator, which is open source software that allows users to plot bearing data from one or more KerberosSDR, KrakenSDR or other radio direction finding devices on a map.
Recently, Corey has demonstrated some changes to our codebase that allow the new KrakenSDR software to directly upload to DF-Aggregator. Over on his YouTube channel, Aaron who runs the DragonOS channel has uploaded a video that shows exactly how to set this up. In the future we plan on integrating support for DF-Aggregator directly into our core code.
