HAB Tracker Station

Project HAB Tracker Station
Status	Completed
Contact	User:Costyn_van_Dongen, Maxell, Bertrik_Sikken
Last Update	2014-06-21

Project page for the high altitude balloon tracking/listening station have set up in the space. This information is processed for the spacenear.us map

Done

Hardware

• "ezcap USB 2.0 DVB-T/DAB/FM" dongle (RTL2838U, Fitipower FC0013 tuner) w/ input protection diode
• VK5QI HABAmp
• Antenna: Diamond X-50N Apparently not a Diamond, might be a Comet. We'll go with "collinear antenna for 70cm", N connector, three ground plane radials.

Software

• Windows XP, hostname "habtracker", IP 10.42.44.94 (MAC 00:21:70:02:62:0f)
  • Start the machine with a magic WoL packet: 'wakeonlan -i 10.42.255.255 00:21:70:02:62:0f; ping habtracker'
  • VNC: geheim ;-)

• Teamviewer ID: 675540724

Todo

Hardware

• Grab 5 volt power supply from the rtl-sdr dongle, so we don't need a separate usb connection for it.
• Metal box for shielding both the HABamp and the rtl-sdr dongle. (something like [1] or [2])

Pics

Current setup

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  The collinear antenna

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  Coax will leave/enter the building trough the little chimney

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  The ideal antenna mounting spot; the old zonnecollector

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  The magic pipe

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  Not sure what happened with the other hole there

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  The smell was't that bad

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  It pings!

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  Coax entering

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  oh hi

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  Look at the beautiful stainless steel bolts!

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  Oooooh!

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  The beauty

Old setup

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  First HAB decoding

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  We took out the Raspberry Pi. We still use the enclosure for the rtl-sdr dongle and HABamp