SatNOGS Wiki - User contributions [en]

Get Started

2018-10-07T10:04:18Z

G7kse: included links to other pages

== Introduction ==

Welcome to the SatNOGS community! Here you can find all the info needed to get you started. If you can't wait then why not head over to the [[Omnidirectional_Station_How_To|Quick Start]] page where you find all the information need to get a fixed antenna ground station.

SatNOGS is a Hackaday Prize winning global project that consists of a network of ground stations that are used to receive voice, CW and data from satellites. As a user you can either build your own ground station and connect to the network or just simply use the existing ground stations to take what you need from the obersvation.

A [[Ground_Stations|ground station]] could be a simple fixed antenna with a Raspberry Pi through to a complex multi antenna steerable ground station running a much larger server. If you're new to this then the [https://community.libre.space/ community] can support and help.

The basic steps are below, beneath this is more detail on the individual aspects

== Who are you? ==

* '''Radio Amateur''': Most members of SatNOGS community are radio amateur operators licensed in may different countries around the world.
* '''Space enthusiast''': You love space and space data? SatNOGS is just the project for you! There are many learning opportunities around our community, and you can start easily with accessible projects, while you gradually become a space expert!
* '''Satellite operator''': You have your own satellite project? That's awesome! Many SatNOGS ground stations are built by satellite operators to gain extended access on their satellite telemetry and use the stations for telecommand and control.

== STEP 1: Join the community ==

First things first: make sure to get connected with fellow SatNOG-ers!

* Sign up for our [http://librespacefoundation.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=77c76098dbbebaa4de35d0746&id=29409b0533 newsletter].
* Join the [https://community.libre.space community forums] and [https://community.libre.space/t/new-users-welcome/29 announce yourself].
* Follow us on [https://twitter.com/satnogs Twitter], [https://www.facebook.com/satnogs/ Facebook], and [https://plus.google.com/+SatnogsOrgProject Google+].
* Join our live discussions over at IRC #satnogs on the Freenode network, or via [https://riot.im/app/#/room/#satnogs:matrix.org the Matrix #satnogs room].

== STEP 2: Choose and deploy your ground station ==

Learn about the different options for [[Build|ground stations and software]], and create your station. This choice will determine what type of ground station you have. The reference design of a Raspberry Pi, an RTL-SDR broadband SDR receiver and single antenna is deliberatly straightforward. However, the network is not limited to simple set ups. More complex multi antenna steerable ground stations are common but will need a greater investment in time and resources. They do offer superior performance though.

== STEP 3: Create an account on Network ==

SatNOGS runs a network instance at [https://network.satnogs.org/ https://network.satnogs.org]. It's used to operate various ground stations around the world, but it's also the right place for you to test your ground station. [https://network.satnogs.org/accounts/signup/ Sign up for an account]. Once you've verified your email address, log in and create a ground station entry and an API key. (Save the API key -- you'll need that when you install the SatNOGS client.

(And if you notice any bugs along the way -- [https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation/satnogs/satnogs-network/issues please let us know]!)

== STEP 4: Test your setup ==

In this step, you will install the SatNOGS client (if you haven't already), and ensure that it can connect to the Network. Once that's done, you can [[Operation|schedule your first observation]].

== STEP 5: Move your station out of testing ==

Once you feel confident with your observations, post your successful observations to [https://community.libre.space/c/observations the community]. When you feel ready and feedback from the community is positive, edit your station in Network and remove the "Testing" flag from it! Now continue scheduling observations!

== STEP +: Consider wider contributions ==

There are many ways to contribute to the SatNOGS project:

* [[Software contribution|Contributing to the software that runs SatNOGS]]
* [[Provide documentation|Improving the documentation for the project]]
* [[Satnogs DB|Improving the SatNOGS database]]

Build

2018-10-07T09:50:36Z

G7kse: /* Intro */

== Introduction ==

Building a ground station need not be complicated. There are a few things to consider when working out what it is you are going to do. Choices such as the desire to have a fixed or steerable ground station will play a big part in the amount of equipment needed and the time taken as well as the complexity of any build. If you are new to this and a little unsure then a fixed (no rotator) option is a good choice. If you fancy a challenge and want to pick out the weakest signals then the steerable ground station might be what you are after. There is more detail in the [[Ground Stations]] page

The illustration below sets out the various major components to give an idea as to what is commonly used.

== Options for Ground Stations ==

A satellite ground station is made up from different parts. The following diagram can help you select your setup based on your needs and/or your existing setup.

[[File:Satnogs_imagemap.png|center]]

Here are some links explaining the different options:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 auto;"
! Platform
! Controller
! Rotator
! Radio
! Antenna
|-
| [[Raspberry_Pi_3|Raspberry Pi 3]]
| [[SatNOGS Rotator Controller|SatNOGS Controller]]
| [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator]]
| [[Radio#SDR|SDR]]
| [[Antennas|Yagi]]
|-
| [[SatNOGS_Client_Ansible|Debian system]]
| [http://spid.net.pl/en/rot2prog-2/ Rot2Prog]
| [[SPID Big RAS]]
| [[Radio#HW Radio|Transceiver]]
| [[Antennas|Helical]]
|-
| [[Linux Desktop]]
| [[G-5500|lsf-g5500]]
| [[G-5500|Yaesu G5500]]
|
| [[Antennas|Vertical]]
|-
|
|
| [[No rotator]]
|
| [[Antennas|Cross-Yagi]]
|}

{{Message|Use the above table to select your setup. E.g. RPi3 > Yaesu G550 > SDR > UHF helical & VHF Cross Yagi}}

== How do I pick? ==

'''Client''': The Raspberry Pi 3 is the reference platform for SatNOGS, and is currently the option that has the best support from the community. Certain SDRs may benefit from a more powerful CPU, like what you'd find in a desktop machine; however, currently you'll need to set that up on your own.

'''Rotator''': A rotator, like the [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator v3]], will allow your antenna to follow satellites as they move across the sky, and thus pick up fainter signals. But if you want to get started quickly, or don't have the hardware skills to build your own, you can still pick up stronger signals (the ISS, NOAA and Meteor weather satellites) with a [[No_rotator|no-rotator]] setup. If you already have [https://github.com/Hamlib/Hamlib/wiki/Supported-Rotators a rotator supported by rotctl], you can use that.

'''Signal Reception''': The reference radio for SatNOGS is the [https://www.rtl-sdr.com RTL-SDR v3], but other latest-generation SDRs like the [http://www.nooelec.com/store/nesdr-smart-sdr.html NooElec NESDR SMart] should work as well. Higher-end SDRs should work as well, but can get a bit expensive. Alternately, [https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/wiki/Supported%20Radios/ any radio supported by rigctl] should work.

Amplification is generally done by a low noise amplifier, or LNA. There are multiple options:

* A wide-band LNA next to your SDR (see [http://lna4all.blogspot.com/ LNA4ALL] and similar)
* A band specific (or two) pre-amplifiers next to your antennas ([http://www.wimo.com/mast-preamplifier_e.html example])
* No amplification at all...just pump the gain of your SDR. (This is not recommended for the rtl-sdr.)

'''Antenna''': Stationary antennas (eg: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnstile_antenna Turnstile], [https://community.libre.space/t/parasitic-lindenblad-on-uhf/1128/2 Lindenblad]) will be easy to build and mount, as they won't require rotator hardware. They will let you receive stronger broadcasts, like NOAA weather satellites and ISS broadcasts, but may not work for receiving fainter cubesat broadcasts. Directional antennas (eg: Yagis, Helicals) can be more complicated to build, but will also require a rotator to track satellites across the sky. The advantage is that they will let you pick up fainter broadcasts from cubesats or ham radio satellites.

== Next steps ==

Once you have a ground station ready, you should go ahead and operate it! More info can be found on the [[Operation]] wiki page.

Main Page

2018-10-07T09:24:18Z

G7kse: Added link to quick start

__NOTOC__
SatNOGS is an integral part of the [https://libre.space Libre Space Foundation]. The project aims to build a global network of satellite ground stations. Designed as an open source participatory project based on the users operating a ground station that is accessed via a web page for all of the network users. A basic ground station can be made up of commercial off the shelf components that are commonly available with a static through to more complex stations with multiple movable antennas.
If you would like to build your own ground station and have limited knowledge then it is recommended that you follow a non-rotator build with a simple RTL-SDR dongle and a Raspberry Pi. This will get you on to the network quickly and allow you to start scheduling observations. There are a few choices to be made but he community are available to help if you need it. More complex, movable, antenna systems can be steered with either the SatNOGS designed rotator or a commercial unit such as the Yaesu GS5500, Spid XY or similar. It is recommended that these types of builds are for more experienced operators but there is no reason why these can not be put into operation, they just require more work.
The reference design uses a Raspberry Pi 3 + RTL-SDR dongle + either a VHF or UHF antenna. A Raspberry Pi image is available to make software installation simpler. Much of the decision making is down to personal choice but sometimes additional hardware is needed to help filter out local noise, such as strong broadcast stations. Both the community and Matrix / IRC offer support and assistance.
[[File:SatNOGS_explanation.png|center]]
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>What is SatNOGS?</h2>
[[Intro|Introduction to SatNOGS]]
[[Ground Stations|What is a ground station?]]
[[Glossary]]
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Build</h2>
[[Omnidirectional Station How To|Quick start]]
[[Get_Started|Learn how to get started]]
[[Build|Build a ground station]]
[[Rotators|Rotators]]
[[Antennas|Antennas]]
[[Radio|Signal Reception]]
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Operate</h2>
[[Network|SatNOGS Network]]
[[Operation|Scheduling your first observation and operating your station]]
[[Adjusting the SatNOGS Client|Tuning and adjusting your station]]
[[Satnogs DB]]
[[Decode Telemetry and Packets]]
[[Audio Editing Tools]]
[[Telemetry Dashboards]]
 
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Contribute</h2>
[[Software contribution]]
[[Provide documentation]]
[[Satnogs DB]]
[[Troubleshooting|Troubleshooting]]
[[Get_In_Touch|Get in touch and ask for help]]
 
</div>

Ground Stations

2018-10-07T09:16:07Z

G7kse:

<h2>Types of Ground Station</h2>
There are two main types of ground station. The first is a simple way to dip your toes into the SatNOGS pool. It uses simple parts and is relatively quick to set up. The second involves more work but can provide better results. It is recommended that newcommers with little or no experience go for the simpler fixed type to get themselves aquainted, some users have put up fixed stations to test their system up whilst building up the steerable station.
<h3>Fixed or Non Rotator Ground Station</h3>
A minimal station which consists of a way to connect to the network (typically a Raspberry Pi) a radio receiver (typically a RTL-SDR simple software defined radio) and an antenna (typically a Turnstile or eggbeater type antenna).
Whilst this might be considered a simple station they are more than capable of being used to receive Voice, CW or Data from satellites. The biggest choice is whether to go for a VHF (2m band) or UHF (70cm band) antenna.
There may be a need for additional hardware that helps remove local noise, such as band pass filters for the 88-108Mhz broadcast band or Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA's) but these are generally found out once the ground station has been set up and is in the testing phase.
Further information on the detail of what components are typically used in a fixed ground station are in the [[No rotator]] page
<h3>Steerable or Rotator Ground Station</h3>
Originally the defining part of the SatNOGS network was the home built rotator. It consists of a combination of 3d printed parts or commercial off the shelf items used in a way that lets the antennas follow a satellite. This type of build is more complex but will give better results.
There is no reason why you can't use the same receiver and computer combination to do the hard work but this option allows you to add in additional antennas to cover both the 2m and 70cm bands.
If more than one band is being served by a single receiver then additional hardware such as a diplexer will be required. Further information can be found at the [[Rotators|rotators page]].
<h2>Receiver</h2>
Typically, the receiver consists of an RTL-SDR dongle and a Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi has an Internet connection to the SatNOGS network. The RTL-SDR dongle connects to the antenna. Further information can be found in the [[Radio|radio page]].
<h2>Antenna</h2>
The type of antenna used depends on the ground station. Different satellites will have different uplinks and downlinks and the choice of antenna will affect the observation. See the [[Antennas|Antennas page]] for typical ground station set ups in detail. There are several main types being used with Turstiles and Eggbeaters being common with Fixed ground stations and Yagi, Helical and Quad antennas being commonly found on Steerable ground stations

Ground Stations

2018-10-07T09:01:09Z

G7kse: included a link to no rotator page

<h2>Types of Ground Station</h2>
There are two main types of ground station. The first is a simple way to dip your toes into the SatNOGS pool. It uses simple parts and is relatively quick to set up. The second involves more work but can provide better results. It is recommended that newcommers with little or no experience go for the simpler fixed type to get themselves aquainted, some users have put up fixed stations to test their system up whilst building up the steerable station.
<h3>Fixed or Non Rotator Ground Station</h3>
A minimal station which consists of a way to connect to the network (typically a Raspberry Pi) a radio receiver (typically a RTL-SDR simple software defined radio) and an antenna (typically a Turnstile or eggbeater type antenna).
Whilst this might be considered a simple station they are more than capable of being used to receive Voice, CW or Data from satellites. The biggest choice is whether to go for a VHF (2m band) or UHF (70cm band) antenna.
There may be a need for additional hardware that helps remove local noise, such as band pass filters for the 88-108Mhz broadcast band or Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA's) but these are generally found out once the ground station has been set up and is in the testing phase.
Further information on the detail of what components are typically used in a fixed ground station are in the [[No rotator]] page
<h3>Steerable or Rotator Ground Station</h3>
Originally the defining part of the SatNOGS network was the home built rotator. It consists of a combination of 3d printed parts or commercial off the shelf items used in a way that lets the antennas follow a satellite. This type of build is more complex but will give better results.
There is no reason why you can't use the same receiver and computer combination to do the hard work but this option allows you to add in additional antennas to cover both the 2m and 70cm bands.
If more than one band is being served by a single receiver then additional hardware such as a diplexer will be required. Further information can be found at the [[Rotators|rotators page]].
<h2>Receiver</h2>
Typically, the receiver consists of an RTL-SDR dongle and a Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi has an Internet connection to the SatNOGS network. The RTL-SDR dongle connects to the antenna. Further information can be found in the [[Radio|radio page]].
<h2>Antenna</h2>
The type of antenna used depends on the ground station. Different satellites will have different uplinks and downlinks and the choice of antenna will affect the observation. See the [[Antennas|Antennas page]] for typical ground station set ups in detail. There are several main types being used with Turstiles and Eggbeaters being common with Fixed ground stations and Yagi, Helical and Quad antennas being commonly found on Steerable ground stations

Build

2018-10-07T08:58:41Z

G7kse: /* Intro */ - include link to Ground Stations page

== Intro ==

Building a ground station need not be complicated. There are a few things to consider when working out what it is you are going to do. Choices such as the desire to have a fixed or steerable ground station will play a big part in the amount of equipment needed and the time taken as well as the complexity of any build. If you are new to this and a little unsure then a fixed (no rotator) option is a good choice. If you fancy a challenge and want to pick out the weakest signals then the steerable ground station might be what you are after. There is more detail in the [[Ground Stations]] page

The illustration below sets out the various major components to give an idea as to what is commonly used.

== Options for Ground Stations ==

A satellite ground station is made up from different parts. The following diagram can help you select your setup based on your needs and/or your existing setup.

[[File:Satnogs_imagemap.png|center]]

Here are some links explaining the different options:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 auto;"
! Platform
! Controller
! Rotator
! Radio
! Antenna
|-
| [[Raspberry_Pi_3|Raspberry Pi 3]]
| [[SatNOGS Rotator Controller|SatNOGS Controller]]
| [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator]]
| [[Radio#SDR|SDR]]
| [[Antennas|Yagi]]
|-
| [[SatNOGS_Client_Ansible|Debian system]]
| [http://spid.net.pl/en/rot2prog-2/ Rot2Prog]
| [[SPID Big RAS]]
| [[Radio#HW Radio|Transceiver]]
| [[Antennas|Helical]]
|-
| [[Linux Desktop]]
| [[G-5500|lsf-g5500]]
| [[G-5500|Yaesu G5500]]
|
| [[Antennas|Vertical]]
|-
|
|
| [[No rotator]]
|
| [[Antennas|Cross-Yagi]]
|}

{{Message|Use the above table to select your setup. E.g. RPi3 > Yaesu G550 > SDR > UHF helical & VHF Cross Yagi}}

== How do I pick? ==

'''Client''': The Raspberry Pi 3 is the reference platform for SatNOGS, and is currently the option that has the best support from the community. Certain SDRs may benefit from a more powerful CPU, like what you'd find in a desktop machine; however, currently you'll need to set that up on your own.

'''Rotator''': A rotator, like the [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator v3]], will allow your antenna to follow satellites as they move across the sky, and thus pick up fainter signals. But if you want to get started quickly, or don't have the hardware skills to build your own, you can still pick up stronger signals (the ISS, NOAA and Meteor weather satellites) with a [[No_rotator|no-rotator]] setup. If you already have [https://github.com/Hamlib/Hamlib/wiki/Supported-Rotators a rotator supported by rotctl], you can use that.

'''Signal Reception''': The reference radio for SatNOGS is the [https://www.rtl-sdr.com RTL-SDR v3], but other latest-generation SDRs like the [http://www.nooelec.com/store/nesdr-smart-sdr.html NooElec NESDR SMart] should work as well. Higher-end SDRs should work as well, but can get a bit expensive. Alternately, [https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/wiki/Supported%20Radios/ any radio supported by rigctl] should work.

Amplification is generally done by a low noise amplifier, or LNA. There are multiple options:

* A wide-band LNA next to your SDR (see [http://lna4all.blogspot.com/ LNA4ALL] and similar)
* A band specific (or two) pre-amplifiers next to your antennas ([http://www.wimo.com/mast-preamplifier_e.html example])
* No amplification at all...just pump the gain of your SDR. (This is not recommended for the rtl-sdr.)

'''Antenna''': Stationary antennas (eg: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnstile_antenna Turnstile], [https://community.libre.space/t/parasitic-lindenblad-on-uhf/1128/2 Lindenblad]) will be easy to build and mount, as they won't require rotator hardware. They will let you receive stronger broadcasts, like NOAA weather satellites and ISS broadcasts, but may not work for receiving fainter cubesat broadcasts. Directional antennas (eg: Yagis, Helicals) can be more complicated to build, but will also require a rotator to track satellites across the sky. The advantage is that they will let you pick up fainter broadcasts from cubesats or ham radio satellites.

== Next steps ==

Once you have a ground station ready, you should go ahead and operate it! More info can be found on the [[Operation]] wiki page.

Glossary

2018-10-06T20:19:01Z

G7kse: Included some common terms. Ran out of time, will pick up later and complete the missing items. More to follow

This is a list of common terms and abbreviations used in the satellite community. __NOTOC__
RTL-SDR - A cheal USB 'dongle' based on a commonly available chipset that can be used as a broadband VHF and UHF receiver. There are a huge variety of dongles with a price ranging from $3 to $30+
Azimuth - The azimuth is the angle between the north vector and the perpendicular projection of the satellite (or star) down onto the horizon. Azimuth is usually measured in degrees (°). The concept is used in navigation, astronomy, engineering, mapping, mining and artillery. 
Elevation - The elevation is the angle above the horizon. Elevation is normally measured in degrees (°).The concept is used in navigation, astronomy, engineering, mapping, mining and artillery.
Observation - The scheduling and vetting of a particular satellite through a specific ground station. Observations are scheduled using the SatNOGS Network
Satellite - In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an artificial object which has been intentionally placed into orbit. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as Earth's Moon. Satellites are used for a large number of purposes. Common types include military and civilian Earth observation satellites, communications satellites, navigation satellites, weather satellites, and research satellites. Space stations and human spacecraft in orbit are also satellites. Satellite orbits vary greatly, depending on the purpose of the satellite, and are classified in a number of ways. 
SatNOGS DB - A database of all of the satellites that can be observed through the SatNOGS system. The database contains a brief explanation fo the satelitte, its transmitters and TLE's required to conduct an observation.
SatNOGS Network - The infrastructure based around a client and server that handles observations and the results of the obervations.
SatNOGS Client - Software used to handle scheduling and controlling observations at the ground station
Ground Station - A hardware and software combination that comprises primarily of a receiver, SatNOGS client and antenna. There are two main types. Fixed and Steerable.
Fixed Ground Station - A ground station that uses fixed antennas that wait for the satllite to pass overhead. There are no moving parts in this system.
Steerable Ground Station - A ground station that makes use of a rotator to point antennas at a satellite as it passes overhead. This set up will require a rotator.
Rotator - The Rotator is the mechanism that points the antenna at a satellite, and follows it as it passes overhead. There are multiple versions of the SatNOGS Rotator: * [[SatNOGS Rotator v1|Version 1]] * [[SatNOGS Rotator v2|Version 2]] * [[SatNOGS Rotator v3|Version 3]]
Yagi Antenna -
Helical Antenna -
Turnstile Antenna -
Decoder -
Demodulator -
Dashboard -
Glouton -
Altitude - Sometimes referred to as elevation, is the angle between the object and the observer's local horizon. For visible objects it is an angle between 0 degrees to 90 degrees
Attitude - 
TLE -
Horizontal Co-ordinate System - Sometimes also called the az/el system, the Alt/Az system or the altazimuth system (from the name of the altazimuth mount for telescopes, whose two axes follow altitude and azimuth) is a celestial coordinate system that uses the observer's local horizon as the fundamental plane. It is expressed in terms of altitude (or elevation) angle and azimuth.

Ground Stations

2018-10-06T19:55:12Z

G7kse: A general sort out and added in some furtehr explanation of the types of ground station

<h2>Types of Ground Station</h2>
There are two main types of ground station. The first is a simple way to dip your toes into the SatNOGS pool. It uses simple parts and is relatively quick to set up. The second involves more work but can provide better results. It is recommended that newcommers with little or no experience go for the simpler fixed type to get themselves aquainted, some users have put up fixed stations to test their system up whilst building up the steerable station.
<h3>Fixed or Non Rotator Ground Station</h3>
A minimal station which consists of a way to connect to the network (typically a Raspberry Pi) a radio receiver (typically a RTL-SDR simple software defined radio) and an antenna (typically a Turnstile or eggbeater type antenna).
Whilst this might be considered a simple station they are more than capable of being used to receive Voice, CW or Data from satellites. The biggest choice is whether to go for a VHF (2m band) or UHF (70cm band) antenna.
There may be a need for additional hardware that helps remove local noise, such as band pass filters for the 88-108Mhz broadcast band or Low Noise Amplifiers (LNA's) but these are generally found out once the ground station has been set up and is in the testing phase.
<h3>Steerable or Rotator Ground Station</h3>
Originally the defining part of the SatNOGS network was the home built rotator. It consists of a combination of 3d printed parts or commercial off the shelf items used in a way that lets the antennas follow a satellite. This type of build is more complex but will give better results.
There is no reason why you can't use the same receiver and computer combination to do the hard work but this option allows you to add in additional antennas to cover both the 2m and 70cm bands.
If more than one band is being served by a single receiver then additional hardware such as a diplexer will be required. Further information can be found at the [[Rotators|rotators page]].
<h2>Receiver</h2>
Typically, the receiver consists of an RTL-SDR dongle and a Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi has an Internet connection to the SatNOGS network. The RTL-SDR dongle connects to the antenna. Further information can be found in the [[Radio|radio page]].
<h2>Antenna</h2>
The type of antenna used depends on the ground station. Different satellites will have different uplinks and downlinks and the choice of antenna will affect the observation. See the [[Antennas|Antennas page]] for typical ground station set ups in detail. There are several main types being used with Turstiles and Eggbeaters being common with Fixed ground stations and Yagi, Helical and Quad antennas being commonly found on Steerable ground stations

Introduction

2018-10-06T19:25:10Z

G7kse: Changed the explanation to follow the headings in the graphic

SatNOGS project is a complete platform of an Open Source Networked Ground Station. The scope of the project is to create a full stack of open technologies based on open standards , and the construction of a full ground station as a showcase of the stack.
SatNOGS provides the basis for:
<ul>
<li>Bulk manufacturing and deployment of affordable Satellite Ground Stations</li>
<li>Modular design for integration with existing and future technologies</li>
<li>A platform for a variety of instrumentation around Satellite Ground Station operations</li>
<li>A firm platform for a Ground Station collaborative network (one to one, one to many, many to many)</li>
<li>A community based approach on Ground Station development</li>
<li>A solution for massive automation of operator-less Ground Stations based on open standards</li>
</ul>
There are a number of elements to the project that integrate hardware and software in a way that allows multiple observers to be connected to multiple ground stations so that tracking and monitoring satellites from multiple locations is possible. The data that is collected is publically available through the production environment.
[[File:SatNOGS explanation.png|center|center]]
At the centre is the global management network consisting of:
<h3>Users:</h3>
A user is any validated member of the SatNOGS system. All you need is to sign up and with a bit of familiarity you will be able to use the system.
<h3>Global Management Network:</h3>
SatNOGS Network – Our observations, scheduling and discovery server. SatNOGS Network is a web application for scheduling observations across the network of ground stations. It facilitates the coordination of satellite signal observations, and scheduling such observations among the satellite ground-stations connected on the network.
SatNOGS Client – An embedded system that receives the scheduled operation from Network, records an observation and sends it back. SatNOGS Client is the software to run on ground stations, usually on embedded systems, that receives the scheduled observations from the Network, receives the satellite transmission and sends it back to the Network web app.
SatNOGS Ground Station – The actual ground station instrumentation with tracker, antennas, LNAs and connected to Client. SatNOGS Ground Station is an open source hardware ground station instrumentation with a rotator, antennas, electronics and connected to the Client. It is based on 3D printed components and readily available materials.
<h3>Ground Stations:</h3>
A ground station is considered to be exactly as the name suggests. It is a receiver and antenna combination connected to the SatNOGS Global Management Network with some form of computer. There are two main types of ground stations, these are:
Fixed or Non-Rotator - i.e. their antennas wait for the satellites to pass over them (These are simpler types and commonly have a Raspberry Pi and RTL-SDR combination coupled to an antenna like a Turnstile, Eggbeater or other similar fixed antenna type) or
Steerable or Rotator  - i.e. they point a yagi antenna at the satellite and track it as it passes overhead. These stations can use the simpler Raspberry Pi and RTL-SDR combination but need a rotator such as the SatNOGS rotator or a commercial alternative
<h3>Satellites:</h3>
Simply any satellite in the SatNOGS Database. This is a growing record of educational, amateur and commercial satellites commonly referred to as the DB.
SatNOGS DB – Our crowd-sourced suggestions transponder info website. SatNOGS Database is a crowd-sourced application allowing its users to suggest satellite transmitter information for currently active satellites. Its data are available via an API or via a web application interface, allowing other project to use its satellite transmitter information.
<h3>Presentations on SatNOGS</h3>
Pierros Pappadeas presented [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGv-S1F-hQo "Going to space the Libre way"] at the AmSAT UK RSGB 2017 convention. *
Scott Bragg presented [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKULw0NXhyI "Decoding Satellites with SatNOGS"] at linux.conf.au in 2017. *
Manolis Surligas presented [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs_J1wlIpMs "SatNOGS: An SDR-based Satellite Networked Open Ground Station"] at FOSDEM 2017. *
Dan White presented ["SatNOGS: Satelllite Networked Ground Stations"] at the Digital Communications Conference in 2015.
Academic papers on SatNOGS [[Academic Papers]]

Main Page

2018-10-06T19:05:59Z

G7kse: Updated main text and changed image to simpler view used elsewhere.

__NOTOC__
SatNOGS is an integral part of the [https://libre.space Libre Space Foundation]. The project aims to build a global network of satellite ground stations. Designed as an open source participatory project based on the users operating a ground station that is accessed via a web page for all of the network users. A basic ground station can be made up of commercial off the shelf components that are commonly available with a static through to more complex stations with multiple movable antennas.
If you would like to build your own ground station and have limited knowledge then it is recommended that you follow a non-rotator build with a simple RTL-SDR dongle and a Raspberry Pi. This will get you on to the network quickly and allow you to start scheduling observations. There are a few choices to be made but he community are available to help if you need it. More complex, movable, antenna systems can be steered with either the SatNOGS designed rotator or a commercial unit such as the Yaesu GS5500, Spid XY or similar. It is recommended that these types of builds are for more experienced operators but there is no reason why these can not be put into operation, they just require more work.
The reference design uses a Raspberry Pi 3 + RTL-SDR dongle + either a VHF or UHF antenna. A Raspberry Pi image is available to make software installation simpler. Much of the decision making is down to personal choice but sometimes additional hardware is needed to help filter out local noise, such as strong broadcast stations. Both the community and Matrix / IRC offer support and assistance.
[[File:SatNOGS_explanation.png|center]]
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>What is SatNOGS?</h2>
[[Intro|Introduction to SatNOGS]]
[[Ground Stations|What is a ground station?]]
[[Glossary]]
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Build</h2>
[[Get_Started|Learn how to get started]]
[[Build|Build a ground station]]
[[Rotators|Rotators]]
[[Antennas|Antennas]]
[[Radio|Signal Reception]]
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Operate</h2>
[[Network|SatNOGS Network]]
[[Operation|Scheduling your first observation and operating your station]]
[[Adjusting the SatNOGS Client|Tuning and adjusting your station]]
[[Satnogs DB]]
[[Decode Telemetry and Packets]]
[[Audio Editing Tools]]
[[Telemetry Dashboards]]
 
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Contribute</h2>
[[Software contribution]]
[[Provide documentation]]
[[Satnogs DB]]
[[Troubleshooting|Troubleshooting]]
[[Get_In_Touch|Get in touch and ask for help]]
 
</div>

Main Page

2018-10-04T19:44:32Z

G7kse: minor edit to increase box size

__NOTOC__
SatNOGS is an integral part of the [https://libre.space Libre Space Foundation]. The project aims to build a global network of satellite ground stations. Designed as an open source participatory project, the hardware is straightforward to build using commonly available parts and some 3D printed elements. A ground station is built to interact with a website that holds key satellite information. The web interface allows a user to schedule a satellite observation of any of the networked ground stations.
Here you can find more information on how to get started with SatNOGS, building and operating a satellite ground station and joining the SatNOGS Network.
A SatNOGS ground station can be made in a variety of ways. The reference design uses a Raspberry Pi and RTL-SDR dongle with either stationary antennas, or a rotator (either a SatNOGS rotator or a commercial amateur radio rotator). It is also possible to use amateur radio transceivers or alternative SDR technology.

The image below illustrates the system:
[[File:Satnogs_imagemap.png|center]]
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
__NOTOC__
<h2>What is SatNOGS</h2>
[[Intro|Intro to SatNOGS]]
[[Ground Stations|Intro to ground stations]]
[[Glossary]]
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Build</h2>
[[Get_Started|Learn how to get started]]
[[Build|Build a ground station]]
[[Rotators|Rotators]]
[[Antennas|Antennas]]
[[Radio|Signal Reception]]
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Operate</h2>
[[Network|SatNOGS Network]]
[[Operation|Scheduling your first observation and operating your station]]
[[Adjusting the SatNOGS Client|Tuning and adjusting your station]]
[[Satnogs DB]]
[[Decode Telemetry and Packets]]
[[Audio Editing Tools]]
[[Telemetry Dashboards]]
 
</div>
<div style="border-radius: 3px; width: 16%; height: 400px; background-color: #f6f6f6; float: left; display: block; margin: 1.5%; border: 1px solid #A7D7F9; text-align: center; padding: 2.5%; padding-top: 0px;">
<h2>Contribute</h2>
[[Software contribution]]
[[Provide documentation]]
[[Satnogs DB]]
[[Troubleshooting|Troubleshooting]]
[[Get_In_Touch|Get in touch and ask for help]]
 
</div>

Build

2018-01-10T20:48:29Z

G7kse: /* Options for Ground Stations */ included external link to Rot2Prog

== Intro ==

Thanks for your interest on building a satellite ground station!

First things first: you need to understand all the different components of a ground station. Read on to learn more about ground stations. Once you have familiarized yourself with all the components, you need to make a selection on what you are going to be building (and/or buying).
== Options for Ground Stations ==

A satellite ground station is made up from different parts. The following diagram can help you select your setup based on your needs and/or your existing setup.

[[File:Satnogs_imagemap.png|center]]

Here are some links explaining the different options:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 auto;"
! Platform
! Controller
! Rotator
! Radio
! Antenna
|-
| [[Raspberry_Pi_3|Raspberry Pi 3]]
| [[SatNOGS Rotator Controller|SatNOGS Controller]]
| [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator]]
| [[Radio#SDR|SDR]]
| [[Antennas|Yagi]]
|-
| [[Linux Desktop]]
| [http://spid.net.pl/en/rot2prog-2/ Rot2Prog]
| [[SPID Big RAS]]
| [[Radio#HW Radio|Transceiver]]
| [[Antennas|Helical]]
|-
|
| [[G-5500|lsf-g5500]]
| [[G-5500|Yaesu G5500]]
|
| [[Antennas|Vertical]]
|-
|
|
| [[No rotator]]
|
| [[Antennas|Cross-Yagi]]
|}

{{Message|Use the above table to select your setup. E.g. SatNOGS Network > SatNOGS Client > RaspberryPi > Yaesu G550 > Kenwood TS2000 > UHF helical & VHF Cross Yagi}}

== How do I pick? ==

'''Client''': The Raspberry Pi 3 is the reference platform for SatNOGS, and is currently the option that has the best support from the community. Certain SDRs may benefit from a more powerful CPU, like what you'd find in a desktop machine; however, currently you'll need to set that up on your own.

'''Rotator''': A rotator, like the [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator v3]], will allow your antenna to follow satellites as they move across the sky, and thus pick up fainter signals. But if you want to get started quickly, or don't have the hardware skills to build your own, you can still pick up stronger signals (the ISS, NOAA and Meteor weather satellites) with a [[No_rotator|no-rotator]] setup. If you already have [https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/wiki/Supported%20Rotators/ a rotator supported by rotctl], you can use that.

'''Signal Reception''': The reference radio for SatNOGS is the [https://www.rtl-sdr.com RTL-SDR v3], but other latest-generation SDRs like the [http://www.nooelec.com/store/nesdr-smart-sdr.html NooElec NESDR SMart] should work as well. Higher-end SDRs should work as well, but can get a bit expensive. Alternately, [https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/wiki/Supported%20Radios/ any radio supported by rigctl] should work.

Amplification is generally done by a low noise amplifier, or LNA. There are multiple options:

* A wide-band LNA next to your SDR (see [http://lna4all.blogspot.com/ LNA4ALL] and similar)
* A band specific (or two) pre-amplifiers next to your antennas ([http://www.wimo.com/mast-preamplifier_e.html example])
* No amplification at all...just pump the gain of your SDR. (This is not recommended for the rtl-sdr.)

'''Antenna''': Stationary antennas (eg: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnstile_antenna Turnstile], [https://community.libre.space/t/parasitic-lindenblad-on-uhf/1128/2 Lindenblad]) will be easy to build and mount, as they won't require rotator hardware. They will let you receive stronger broadcasts, like NOAA weather satellites and ISS broadcasts, but may not work for receiving fainter cubesat broadcasts. Directional antennas (eg: Yagis, Helicals) can be more complicated to build, but will also require a rotator to track satellites across the sky. The advantage is that they will let you pick up fainter broadcasts from cubesats or ham radio satellites.

== Next steps ==

Once you have a ground station ready, you should go ahead and operate it! More info can be found on the [[Operation]] wiki page.

Build

2018-01-10T20:43:19Z

G7kse: /* How do I pick? */ link to turnstile antenna

== Intro ==

Thanks for your interest on building a satellite ground station!

First things first: you need to understand all the different components of a ground station. Read on to learn more about ground stations. Once you have familiarized yourself with all the components, you need to make a selection on what you are going to be building (and/or buying).
== Options for Ground Stations ==

A satellite ground station is made up from different parts. The following diagram can help you select your setup based on your needs and/or your existing setup.

[[File:Satnogs_imagemap.png|center]]

Here are some links explaining the different options:

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 0 auto;"
! Platform
! Controller
! Rotator
! Radio
! Antenna
|-
| [[Raspberry_Pi_3|Raspberry Pi 3]]
| [[SatNOGS Rotator Controller|SatNOGS Controller]]
| [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator]]
| [[Radio#SDR|SDR]]
| [[Antennas|Yagi]]
|-
| Linux Desktop
| Rot2Prog
| [[SPID Big RAS]]
| [[Radio#HW Radio|Transceiver]]
| [[Antennas|Helical]]
|-
|
| [[G-5500|lsf-g5500]]
| [[G-5500|Yaesu G5500]]
|
| [[Antennas|Vertical]]
|-
|
|
| [[No rotator]]
|
| [[Antennas|Cross-Yagi]]
|}

{{Message|Use the above table to select your setup. E.g. SatNOGS Network > SatNOGS Client > RaspberryPi > Yaesu G550 > Kenwood TS2000 > UHF helical & VHF Cross Yagi}}

== How do I pick? ==

'''Client''': The Raspberry Pi 3 is the reference platform for SatNOGS, and is currently the option that has the best support from the community. Certain SDRs may benefit from a more powerful CPU, like what you'd find in a desktop machine; however, currently you'll need to set that up on your own.

'''Rotator''': A rotator, like the [[SatNOGS_Rotator_v3|SatNOGS Rotator v3]], will allow your antenna to follow satellites as they move across the sky, and thus pick up fainter signals. But if you want to get started quickly, or don't have the hardware skills to build your own, you can still pick up stronger signals (the ISS, NOAA and Meteor weather satellites) with a [[No_rotator|no-rotator]] setup. If you already have [https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/wiki/Supported%20Rotators/ a rotator supported by rotctl], you can use that.

'''Signal Reception''': The reference radio for SatNOGS is the [https://www.rtl-sdr.com RTL-SDR v3], but other latest-generation SDRs like the [http://www.nooelec.com/store/nesdr-smart-sdr.html NooElec NESDR SMart] should work as well. Higher-end SDRs should work as well, but can get a bit expensive. Alternately, [https://sourceforge.net/p/hamlib/wiki/Supported%20Radios/ any radio supported by rigctl] should work.

Amplification is generally done by a low noise amplifier, or LNA. There are multiple options:

* A wide-band LNA next to your SDR (see [http://lna4all.blogspot.com/ LNA4ALL] and similar)
* A band specific (or two) pre-amplifiers next to your antennas ([http://www.wimo.com/mast-preamplifier_e.html example])
* No amplification at all...just pump the gain of your SDR. (This is not recommended for the rtl-sdr.)

'''Antenna''': Stationary antennas (eg: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnstile_antenna Turnstile], [https://community.libre.space/t/parasitic-lindenblad-on-uhf/1128/2 Lindenblad]) will be easy to build and mount, as they won't require rotator hardware. They will let you receive stronger broadcasts, like NOAA weather satellites and ISS broadcasts, but may not work for receiving fainter cubesat broadcasts. Directional antennas (eg: Yagis, Helicals) can be more complicated to build, but will also require a rotator to track satellites across the sky. The advantage is that they will let you pick up fainter broadcasts from cubesats or ham radio satellites.

== Next steps ==

Once you have a ground station ready, you should go ahead and operate it! More info can be found on the [[Operation]] wiki page.

Antennas

2018-01-10T20:35:55Z

G7kse: /* Non-Rotator Ground Station */ - Added in some commercial suppliers for antennas

__NOTOC__
The type of antenna largely depends on the type of ground station. A no rotator ground station will benefit from a different type of antenna to a rotator based ground station. The two different approaches are explored below. In addition to the choice of antenna the choice of location for the ground station will have an effect on the quality of observations.

==Non-Rotator Ground Station==

This type of ground station will require an antenna that will give a broad coverage from its fixed position. It is therefore not just the antenna that needs to be considered but also the proximity of buildings, geography or metallic structures that might be in the path of a line of sight between the ground station and satellite.

Typical ground stations have had success with simple wire antennas that can be commercially bought or made at home. Colinear or ‘white stick’ antennas are vertically polarised omnidirectional antennas. These have anecdotally been used for successful satellite work but should be avoided. The following are considered suitable choices:
 
<ul>
<li>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnstile_antenna Turnstile Antenna]. The SatNOGS design is [https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation/satnogs/satnogs-antennas/tree/master/Turnstile here].
</li>
<li>[http://www.g4ilo.com/qfh.html Quadrafila Helix Antenna (QFH) ]</li>
<li>[http://www.amsat.org/articles/w6shp/lindy.html Lindenblad]</li>
</ul>

Suppliers for the various antennas are wide and varied, some of the better known European suppliers are [http://www.wimo.com/scanner-antennas_e.html Wimo], [https://shop.amsat-uk.org/FUNCube_TLM_Receive_Antenna/p3815740_15628535.aspx AMSAT-UK] and [http://www.winklerantennenbau.de/sonst.htm Winkler]

==Rotator Ground Station==
A rotator based ground station is able to make use of directional antennas. These will have a directional gain, meaning that you will need to point them in the direction of the satellite but the signal you receive will be stronger and for longer. They will allow much lower to the horizon passes to be received and more successful observations. These are not complex antennas but the choice will depend on the type of satellite and there are variations on the main types. Yagi, helical and quad.
<ul>
<li>Yagi antennas. – A common type of antenna that is either horizontally or vertically polarised. Simple to construct and suitable for a large number of satellites. Designs for the SatNOGS versions for VHF and UHF are here [https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation/satnogs/satnogs-antennas/tree/master/Yagi here].</li>
<li>Helical antennas – A less common type that are ‘handed’. The antenna looks a bit like a corkscrew and can be either LHCP (Left hand circular polarisation) or RHCP (right hand circular polarisation). The SatNOGS designs are [https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation/satnogs/satnogs-antennas/tree/master/Helical here].</li>
<li>Quad antennas – This type of antenna has a square appearance and have electrically switchable polarisation, some types will be horizontal, vertical or circularly polarised. No SatNOGS designs currently exist for this type of antenna.</li>
</ul>

For reference the NEC files for modelling of the antennas is also available from [https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation/satnogs/satnogs-antennas/tree/master/NEC The Git Repository].

==Constructing the SatNOGS antennas==
Guides are available for construction the SatNOGS designs. The Yagi antennas are simpler and require no specialist tools whilst the helical antenna will need access to milling and turning equipment.
<ul>
<li>Yagi construction guide (Construction guide required)</li>
<li>UHF helical antenna construction guide – [https://ohai.satnogs.org/project/helical-antenna-v5/hardware/ V5 Design]</li>
</ul>

A radome design is available from SatNOGS. This will protect the ground station from the elements in all but extra ordinary conditions. The design can be found [https://gitlab.com/librespacefoundation/satnogs/satnogs-radome/blob/master/satnogs-radome-v1-bom.ods here] and construction guide [https://ohai.satnogs.org/project/satnogs-radome-v1/hardware/ here]. 

==Commercial Antennas==
An alternative to home made antennas is to buy a commercial type. These can be expensive and will, in general, not offer significant improvements over well constructed homebrew antenna. Bothe the Arrow [http://www.arrowantennas.com/arrowii/146-437.html Arrow II Satellite Antenna] and Elk antennas [https://elkantennas.com/product/dual-band-2m440l5-log-periodic-antenna/ Log Periodic] are commonly used for ground stations as well as the [http://www.wimo.com/xquad-antennas_e.html Wimo X Quad Antenna's]

SatNOGS Network

2017-12-07T12:05:23Z

G7kse: Created page with "==What is the purpose of the production environment== The production environment is the natural successor to the Development Environment. Once a station has been effective..."

==What is the purpose of the production environment==
The production environment is the natural successor to the [[Development Environment]]. Once a station has been effectively commissioned and has gone through a necessary confidence period it can be moved to the production environment. This network is a place to be considered the place to move a station once you are comfortable with its performance and reliability.

==Getting onto the production environment==
The production environment needs reliable ground stations that perform within the constraints that would be expected. This means that for static, non rotator ground stations would not be expected to perform as well as rotator based systems. A ground station should perform in a way that is comparable to its peers and it line with the constraints of the geography, antenna type, location and the other aspects which will make a ground station different to another.

The ground station should also be reliable. This does not mean that it should be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Downtime is expected, it should however, not be unduly off line or unreliable. If you're ground station fits within these guidelines then it is good to have a conversation about if it is ready for the production environment.

===Requesting inclusion===
Because the production has constraints to it and by virtue restricted. Ground stations operators are required to request an 'invitation'. This can be done via the [https://community.libre.space/ community].

Server Development Environment

2017-12-07T09:33:37Z

G7kse: Created page with "==What is the purpose of the development environment?== Like many innovative projects, there needs to be a bit of testing. The development environment is a place to iron out a..."

==What is the purpose of the development environment?==
Like many innovative projects, there needs to be a bit of testing. The development environment is a place to iron out all the creases in your system before it is moved to the [[Production Environment|Production Environment]]. The production environment is essentially fully developed ground stations that only require deploying. Access to it is limited, this is not the case with the development environment.

==How do I get access and create a ground station?==
The [https://network-dev.satnogs.org/ Development Network] has the usual sign up buttons, create your account and await confirmation.
[[File:Development network.png|center|800px]]

===Creating a ground station===
There is some essential information that is required for the ground station, mainly:
<ul>
<li>Where is the station, including the height above ground level and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maidenhead_Locator_System maidenhead locator]?</li>
<li>What is the set up? Static or rotator?</li>
<li>What type of antennas does the station have?</li>
</ul>
All this information is then held on the network to help determine which satellites can be received by your station and are therefore available for all users to schedule passes on your ground station. For example, you would like to receive the latest [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_picture_transmission NOAA APT weather images] which are VHF transmissions. You could schedule an observation with your ground station or multiple ground stations in order to determine if your set up has comparable performance. Without the station detail this would not be possible. The image below is a typical ground station
[[File:Dev_ground_station.PNG|center|800px]]

===Observing a pass===
The centre point of the system is the ability to schedule a pass. You'll find all the information about scheduling and how to assess the quality of the observation as part of [[Operation|scheduling your first observation]].

File:Dev ground station.PNG

2017-12-07T09:01:39Z

G7kse:

2017-12-04T13:06:53Z

G7kse:

SatNOGS project is a complete platform of an Open Source Networked Ground Station. The scope of the project is to create a full stack of open technologies based on open standards , and the construction of a full ground station as a showcase of the stack.
SatNOGS provides the basis for:
<ul>
<li>Bulk manufacturing and deployment of affordable Satellite Ground Stations</li>
<li>Modular design for integration with existing and future technologies</li>
<li>A platform for a variety of instrumentation around Satellite Ground Station operations</li>
<li>A firm platform for a Ground Station collaborative network (one to one, one to many, many to many)</li>
<li>A community based approach on Ground Station development</li>
<li>A solution for massive automation of operator-less Ground Stations based on open standards</li>
</ul>
There are a number of elements to the project that integrate hardware and software in a way that allows multiple observers to be connected to multiple ground stations so that tracking and monitoring satellites from multiple locations is possible. The data that is collected is publically available through the production environment.
[[File:SatNOGS explanation.png|center|center]]
At the centre is the global management network consisting of:
SatNOGS Network – Our observations, scheduling and discovery server. SatNOGS Network is a web application for scheduling observations across the network of ground stations. It facilitates the coordination of satellite signal observations, and scheduling such observations among the satellite ground-stations connected on the network.
SatNOGS DB – Our crowd-sourced suggestions transponder info website. SatNOGS Database is a crowd-sourced application allowing its users to suggest satellite transmitter information for currently active satellites. Its data are available via an API or via a web application interface, allowing other project to use its satellite transmitter information.
SatNOGS Client – An embedded system that receives the scheduled operation from Network, records an observation and sends it back. SatNOGS Client is the software to run on ground stations, usually on embedded systems, that receives the scheduled observations from the Network, receives the satellite transmission and sends it back to the Network web app.
SatNOGS Ground Station – The actual ground station instrumentation with tracker, antennas, LNAs and connected to Client. SatNOGS Ground Station is an open source hardware ground station instrumentation with a rotator, antennas, electronics and connected to the Client. It is based on 3D printed components and readily available materials.
 
Presentations on SatNOGS
Pierros Pappadeas presented [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGv-S1F-hQo "Going to space the Libre way"] at the AmSAT UK RSGB 2017 convention. *
Scott Bragg presented [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKULw0NXhyI "Decoding Satellites with SatNOGS"] at linux.conf.au in 2017. *
Manolis Surligas presented [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs_J1wlIpMs "SatNOGS: An SDR-based Satellite Networked Open Ground Station"] at FOSDEM 2017. *
Dan White presented ["SatNOGS: Satelllite Networked Ground Stations"] at the Digital Communications Conference in 2015.
Academic papers on SatNOGS [[Academic Papers]]

G7kse:

Proposal for changes to wiki

2017-11-23T14:13:54Z

G7kse:

'''Main Page'''
The current front page with obvious links is fit for purpose. Therefore, no significant difference is proposed. A change to the linking will be required to align to the proposed structure. Other changes such as including mechanical drawings of the rotator and other visual improvements will not harm but are not crucial for now.

'''Purpose'''
A new page to explain what SatNOGS is and how it fits in with the overall Libre Space organisation. Some detail on the Hackaday prize and some history / development of mechanical and web stuff.

Libre Space
What is libre space?
Why are they doing it?
How does SatNOGS fit in?
Academic research – current page with links could be consolidated into a section. Links as before but with a more appropriate referencing (Harvard?)

'''Build'''
Software

Database
Explain the database and where it gets it data from
Contributing – how to do it and what needs doing
API – what it does and doesn’t provide
Installation
Client
o Preferred platform – RPi 3
o Image
o Installation
o Initial setup
o Updating
o Testing
Hardware
Antennas
o Type – helical vs yagi vs turnstile etc – some basic antenna theory
o Helical design –explaining RHCP & LHCP / refer out to Wikipedia pages
o Yagi design – as above
o Turnstile design – as above
Electronics
o PCB – fabrication and population
o SDR – RTL dongles, Pluto SDR, SDR play i.e. what hardware works and what doesn’t
Rotator
o Basis of design
o Parts make / buy
o Mechanical assembly
o Final assembly and offline testing (Generally referred to as setting to work – i.e. a script to test system. Travel , limits etc)
o Online testing

'''Operate'''
Development environment
Scheduling and verifying observation
o Current page is great, may benefit from a few additional images
Production environment
o Moving from a development to a production ground station

'''Support'''
Troubleshooting
o Common assembly issues
o Common client issues
o Common observation issues

Other places for help
o Community
o Matrix

Notes:
1. This proposal is only my opinion. Not based on much other than trying to find stuff. So no reason why alternative solutions wouldn’t be better.
2. This does not intend to break links or completely re-write pages, there is some good stuff in there that needs to be preserved.
3. I have no idea what language is used in wiki so forgive me if the terms are not correct.

Proposal for changes to wiki

2017-11-23T14:12:28Z

G7kse: Created page with "'''Main Page''' The current front page with obvious links is fit for purpose. Therefore, no significant difference is proposed. A change to the linking will be required to ali..."

'''Main Page'''
The current front page with obvious links is fit for purpose. Therefore, no significant difference is proposed. A change to the linking will be required to align to the proposed structure. Other changes such as including mechanical drawings of the rotator and other visual improvements will not harm but are not crucial for now.

'''Purpose'''
A new page to explain what SatNOGS is and how it fits in with the overall Libre Space organisation. Some detail on the Hackaday prize and some history / development of mechanical and web stuff.

Libre Space
o What is libre space?
o Why are they doing it?
o How does SatNOGS fit in?
Academic research – current page with links could be consolidated into a section
o Links as before but with a more appropriate referencing (Harvard?)

'''Build'''
Software
Database
o Explain the database and where it gets it data from
o Contributing – how to do it and what needs doing
o API – what it does and doesn’t provide
o Installation
Client
o Preferred platform – RPi 3
o Image
o Installation
o Initial setup
o Updating
o Testing
Hardware
Antennas
o Type – helical vs yagi vs turnstile etc – some basic antenna theory
o Helical design –explaining RHCP & LHCP / refer out to Wikipedia pages
o Yagi design – as above
o Turnstile design – as above
Electronics
o PCB – fabrication and population
o SDR – RTL dongles, Pluto SDR, SDR play i.e. what hardware works and what doesn’t
Rotator
o Basis of design
o Parts make / buy
o Mechanical assembly
o Final assembly and offline testing (Generally referred to as setting to work – i.e. a script to test system. Travel , limits etc)
o Online testing

'''Operate'''
Development environment
Scheduling and verifying observation
o Current page is great, may benefit from a few additional images
Production environment
o Moving from a development to a production ground station

'''Support'''
Troubleshooting
o Common assembly issues
o Common client issues
o Common observation issues

Other places for help
o Community
o Matrix

Notes:
1. This proposal is only my opinion. Not based on much other than trying to find stuff. So no reason why alternative solutions wouldn’t be better.
2. This does not intend to break links or completely re-write pages, there is some good stuff in there that needs to be preserved.
3. I have no idea what language is used in wiki so forgive me if the terms are not correct.

Provide documentation

2017-11-23T14:09:16Z

G7kse:

SatNOGS Rotator v3

2016-02-25T11:46:26Z

G7kse:

{{Template:Rotator
|Rotator-Name=SatNOGS Rotator v3
|image=V3.jpg
|type= Az/El
|status= Beta
|latest-release= https://github.com/satnogs/satnogs-rotator/releases/tag/v3.0
|latest-release-name= Torx Flathead (v3.0)
|source-repo= https://github.com/satnogs/satnogs-rotator
|documentation= http://satnogs.dozuki.com/Guide/SatNOGS+Rotator+v3+Mechanical+Assembly
}}

== Intro ==

v3 marks a major re-haul of the SatNOGS Rotator design, with learnings from [[SatNOGS Rotator v2|v2]] applied. You can see a lot of the thinking and background research that was conducted prior to v3 development in this [https://community.satnogs.org/t/satnogs-rotator-version-3/226 thread].

==Specifications==

{| {{table}}
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|''''''
| align="center" style="background:#f0f0f0;"|'''SatNOGS v3 Rotator'''
|-
| Plastic Parts || 26
|-
| Non Printed Parts approx.||345
|-
| Cost||~ $220
|-
| Controller Electronics|| [[SatNOGS Rotator Controller]]
|-
| Type||Az/El (possible X/Y)
|-
| Motors||2x NEMA 17 Stepper or 2x DC Motors
|-
| Frame Material|| Aluminum T-slot 20x20
|-
| Pro||
|-
| Con||
|-
|
|}

== Sourcing ==

3d Printing at a Fab Lab- If you don't have your own 3d printer then a local Fab Lab may be able to do it for you. Fab Labs are places that have invested in the machinery and you can take the designs to them. Generally they need .stl files to import into the software that runs the machines but this should be discussed with the Fab Lab. You then pay for the colume of material or tme or a combination of the two for each of the parts [http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/]

'''T Slot''' - If you don't want to cut the pieces yourself then here is a UK supplier[http://www.kjnltd.co.uk/]
Hidden corner connectors - AliExpress gave the cheapest supplier

'''Stepper Motors''' - eBay

'''Belts''' - eBay

'''Fixings / Pipe''' - eBay

'''Antenna Hardware''' - The yagi antenna is suited to the novice builder but there are many types. Each satellite has an uplink and a downlink so it is necessary to have an antenna that will work on the downlink side for receiving and one for the uplink if you are transmitting to the satellite (Transmitting requires a licence - an amateur radio licence normally suffices fr most countries).
Antennas have a gain associated with them that is related to the number of elements. Simply the greater the number of elements the greate the gain, however the more directional they become and the greater accuracy is needed. So a trade off between gain and beam width is required. Nominally a 3 element beam for 145Mhz (2m band) and a 7 element beam for 432MHz (70cms band) will suffice for most applications.
Some satellites need a different type of antenna that has circular polarisation and these are helical to look at. The satNOGS helical design should be followed. A simple to build antenna can be sources from Nuxcomm [http://www.nuxcom.de/en]

'''Receiver''' - The RTL-SDR dongle used for the reciver is a broad band software defined receiver (SDR) that uses a common IC for the receiver and simple filtering. Its intended use is for TV, FM and DVB reception. It can be hacked, using the right drivers to be a very capable and cheap receiver. Fot further information see here[http://www.rtl-sdr.com/]. eBay will be able to offer you good value.

== Build Tips ==

T slot and corner fixings -
Alignment of worm gear and spur gear -
PCB's -

== Test Sequence ==

Test sequence needed

== Documentation ==

Build

2016-02-24T19:30:39Z

G7kse:

== Bill of Materials (BOM) ==

The following items will be needed in order to complete the v3 build. They are split into the Azimuth and elevation sections

Azimuth
''Need link to spreadsheet''

Elevation
''Need link to spreadsheet''

== Build Sequence ==

For the v3 build sequence go here[http://satnogs.dozuki.com/c/SatNOGS_Hardware]

== Sources for parts ==

3d Printing at a Fab Lab- If you don't have your own 3d printer then a local Fab Lab may be able to do it for you. Fab Labs are places that have invested in the machinery and you can take the designs to them. Generally they need .stl files to import into the software that runs the machines but this should be discussed with the Fab Lab. You then pay for the colume of material or tme or a combination of the two for each of the parts [http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/]

'''T Slot''' - If you don't want to cut the pieces yourself then here is a UK supplier[http://www.kjnltd.co.uk/]
Hidden corner connectors - AliExpress gave the cheapest supplier

'''Stepper Motors''' - eBay

'''Belts''' - eBay

'''Fixings / Pipe''' - eBay

'''Antenna Hardware''' - The yagi antenna is suited to the novice builder but there are many types. Each satellite has an uplink and a downlink so it is necessary to have an antenna that will work on the downlink side for receiving and one for the uplink if you are transmitting to the satellite (Transmitting requires a licence - an amateur radio licence normally suffices fr most countries).
Antennas have a gain associated with them that is related to the number of elements. Simply the greater the number of elements the greate the gain, however the more directional they become and the greater accuracy is needed. So a trade off between gain and beam width is required. Nominally a 3 element beam for 145Mhz (2m band) and a 7 element beam for 432MHz (70cms band) will suffice for most applications.
Some satellites need a different type of antenna that has circular polarisation and these are helical to look at. The satNOGS helical design should be followed. A simple to build antenna can be sources from Nuxcomm [http://www.nuxcom.de/en]

'''Receiver''' - The RTL-SDR dongle used for the reciver is a broad band software defined receiver (SDR) that uses a common IC for the receiver and simple filtering. Its intended use is for TV, FM and DVB reception. It can be hacked, using the right drivers to be a very capable and cheap receiver. Fot further information see here[http://www.rtl-sdr.com/]. eBay will be able to offer you good value.

== Build Tips ==

T slot and corner fixings -
Alignment of worm gear and spur gear -
PCB's -

== Test Sequence ==

Test sequence neede

Build

2016-02-24T19:27:38Z

G7kse:

Build

2016-02-24T19:25:48Z

G7kse:

== Bill of Materials (BOM) ==

The following items will be needed in order to complete the v3 build. They are split into the Azimuth and elevation sections

Azimuth
''Need link to spreadsheet''

Elevation
''Need link to spreadsheet''

== Build Sequence ==

For the v3 build sequence go here[http://satnogs.dozuki.com/c/SatNOGS_Hardware]

== Sources for parts ==

3d Printing at a Fab Lab- If you don't have your own 3d printer then a local Fab Lab may be able to do it for you. Fab Labs are places that have invested in the machinery and you can take the designs to them. Generally they need .stl files to import into the software that runs the machines but this should be discussed with the Fab Lab. You then pay for the colume of material or tme or a combination of the two for each of the parts [http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/]

'''T Slot''' - If you don't want to cut the pieces yourself then here is a UK supplier[http://www.kjnltd.co.uk/]
Hidden corner connectors - AliExpress gave the cheapest supplier

'''Stepper Motors''' - eBay

'''Belts''' - eBay

'''Fixings''' - eBay

'''Antenna Hardware''' - The yagi antenna is suited to the novice builder but there are many types. Each satellite has an uplink and a downlink so it is necessary to have an antenna that will work on the downlink side for receiving and one for the uplink if you are transmitting to the satellite (Transmitting requires a licence - an amateur radio licence normally suffices fr most countries).
Antennas have a gain associated with them that is related to the number of elements. Simply the greater the number of elements the greate the gain, however the more directional they become and the greater accuracy is needed. So a trade off between gain and beam width is required. Nominally a 3 element beam for 145Mhz (2m band) and a 7 element beam for 432MHz (70cms band) will suffice for most applications.
Some satellites need a different type of antenna that has circular polarisation and these are helical to look at. The satNOGS helical design should be followed.

'''Receiver''' - The RTL-SDR dongle used for the reciver is a broad band software defined receiver (SDR) that uses a common IC for the receiver and simple filtering. Its intended use is for TV, FM and DVB reception. It can be hacked, using the right drivers to be a very capable and cheap receiver. Fot further information see here[http://www.rtl-sdr.com/]