[amsat-bb] Outernet experiences

[N6RFM1 gmail]

Bob and fellow AMSAT tinkerers,

 

I also have the system up and running using the patch antenna, LNA/BPF and
an E4000 based dongle sourced from Outernet. 

 

It’s was very straightforward to get it running using the Raspberry Pi (3)
and their rxOS.  Burn an SD card, and fire it up.   This makes changing back
to another OS as simple as swapping out the SD card. 

 

The E4000 RTL-SDR Outernet provides appears to be modified so that bias-T is
passed to the LNA out of the box.  Otherwise another means to power an LNA
may be necessary.  

 

As an alternative to the R-Pi, they also support the CHIP computer.  This
device is not much bigger than a credit card, and ~ ¼” thick.  If sourced
from Outernet, it comes flashed with their rxOS software.  It took me some
time to appreciate that the CHIP’s wifi RX is a bit deaf.  So, to log onto
the system with any wifi enable device (such as my iPhone), I had to be
within a few feet.  

 

The CHIP is however fun to play with.  It can also be flashed with a Debian
based OS and used as stand-alone computer.   It seemed a bit slow (heck,
what do you expect for a $9 computer) but was serviceable to surf the web,
email, etc.  That said, flashing back to the rxOS for Outernet
reception/decoding from the Debian OS is clunky and requires getting under
the Linux hood in terminal mode.  

 

Outernet has a pretty active user forum, with technical support often coming
from the founder.  For me it was a fun way to do some RX at 1.5 GHz, learn
some more Linux and play with some interesting hardware.  Now I need to
build a WX tight radome to allow 24/7 RX.

 

Lastly, shout out and thanks to Scott K4KDR and Darren G0HWW for advice and
encouragement.

 

GL,

 

Bob N6RFM  FN41iq

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Message: 5

Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2016 18:51:52 -0400

From: Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu <mailto:bruninga at usna.edu> >

To: amsat-bb at amsat.org <mailto:amsat-bb at amsat.org> 

Subject: [amsat-bb] Global Geo SATCOM system?

Message-ID: <f01b67a22bb2d9715501485f61941d18 at mail.gmail.com
<mailto:f01b67a22bb2d9715501485f61941d18 at mail.gmail.com> >

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

 

AMSAT tinkerers?

 

 

 

OUTERNET is a free worldwide Geostationary Satellite downlink system

designed to bring content to remote areas all over the globe.  They have

six geostationary birds covering the entire globe EVERYWHERE.  All you need

is a small 18? (or 36? in some very remote areas) to receive content via

your own home-made receiver based on a TV dongle and Rasberry Pi.

 

 

 

Is there anyone on AMSAT-bb that is already receiving this content?  We?d

like to hear about how easy it is to set up a receiver.

 

 

 

We have some ideas on how this can be used to augment Ham radio in our

Emergency Response and remote operations missions.  See

http://aprs.org/outnet.html

 

 

 

Bob, WB4APR