QO-100 (Eshail-2) Satellite transceiver options.

QO-100 (Eshail-2) Satellite transceiver options.

Click on Image to enlarge

SDR Options

And here is a more conventional way

Conventional MIXER upconverter

Link to http://www.giga.co.za

How to Create a Linear Transponder using a RTL Dongle and HackRF with Gnu Radio.

How to Create a Linear Transponder using a RTL Dongle and HackRF with Gnu Radio.

I wanted to test the concept of a linear Transponder and how difficult would it be to build it with conventional components.

Hardware Configuration

Hardware required to build the Transponder.

1. SDR IQ demodulator with rtl dongle (RF In)
2. SDR IQ DSP processing system. Gnu Radio (DSP processing)
3. SDR IQ Modulator. HackRF (RF Out)
4. Background management system. (OBC) for additional telemetry.

Software required for Transponder.

1. SDR IQ demodulator. rtl dongle (RF In)
2. SDR IQ DSP processing system. Gnu Radio (DSP processing)
3. SDR IQ Modulator. HackRF (RF Out)
4. Background management system. (OBC)

Video of working Transponder.

Gnu Radio.

Transponder Block Diagram

RTL SDR Block.

RTL-SDR Source

Low Pass Filter Block.

 

Low Pass Filter Block

AGC Block.

AGC Block

Power Squelch.

Power Squelch

Osmocom Sink. (HackRF)

Osmocom Sink (HackRF)

FFT. (Spectrum View of input)

FFT Spectrum View

REF: Power point Slides at AMSAT SA

Ref:Source code is available on Github Version 4

SDR Comparison

SDR Comparison

Name	Type	Frequency range	Band with	Channel	Host Interface	Windows	Linux	Mac	Estimated price
AirSpy	Pre-build	24-1750 MHz	20 MSPS MSps ADC sampling, up to 80 MSPS	1	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes using ports	US$199
SDRstick UDPSDR-HF1	Pre-built	0.1–30 MHz	80 Msps	1	1G Ethernet via BeMicroCV-A9	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$169
Apache Labs ANAN-10E	Pre-built	10 kHz – 55 MHz	122.88 Msps (14 bit ADC)	2	Gigabit Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$995
Apache Labs ANAN-10/100	Pre-built	10 kHz – 55 MHz	122.88 Msps (16 bit ADC)	4	Gigabit Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$1,649-US$2,449
Apache Labs ANAN-100D/200D	Pre-built	10 kHz – 55 MHz	122.88 Msps (16 bit ADC)	7	Gigabit Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$3,299-US$3,999
SunSDR2	Pre-built	10 kHz – 160 MHz	160 MSPS	3/4	10/100 Ethernet, WLAN (embedded)	Yes	Yes	?	US$1,960
bladeRF	Pre-built	300 MHz - 3.8 GHz	80 kSPS - 40 MSPS RX/TX (12-bit ADC/DAC)	?	USB 3.0 SuperSpeed	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$420
FLEX-6700	Pre-built	0.01–73, 135-165 MHz	245.76 MSPS (transceiver)	8/8	Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$7,499
FLEX-6700R	Pre-built	0.01–73, 135-165 MHz	245.76 MSPS (receiver)	8/8	Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$6,399
FLEX-6500	Pre-built	0.01–73 MHz	245.76 MSPS (transceiver)	4/4	Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$4,299
FLEX-6300	Pre-built	0.01–54 MHz	122.88 MSPS (transceiver)	2/2	Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$2,499
FLEX-5000A	Pre-built	0.01–65 MHz	48, 96, 192 kHz (transceiver)	2/2	1394a Firewire	Yes	No	No	US$2,800
FLEX-3000	Pre-built	0.01–65 MHz	48, 96 kHz (transceiver)	1/1	1394a Firewire	Yes	No	No	US$1,700
FLEX-1500	Pre-built	0.01–54 MHz	48 kHz (transceiver)	1/1	USB	Yes	No	No	US$650
Perseus	Pre-built	10 kHz – 40 MHz (87.5–108 MHz using FM down-converter)	80 MSPS	?	USB	Yes	Yes	?	US$1,199
SDRplay: Radio Spectrum Processor	Pre-built	0.1–2,000 MHz	0.5-12 MS/s and up to 8 MHz bandwidth	0/1	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$149
ISDB-T 2035/2037	Pre-built	50–960 MHz	0.5-12 MS/s and up to 8 MHz bandwidth	0/1	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$25
Soft66AD / Soft66ADD / Soft66LC4 / Soft66RTL	Pre-built	0.5–70 MHz	External ADC required (I/Q output)	0/1	USB	Yes	Unofficially	?	US$20
FUNcube Dongle	Pre-built	64–1700 MHz	96 kHz	0/1	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$160
FUNcube Dongle Pro+	Pre-built	0.15–240 MHz, 420-1900 MHz	192 kHz	0/1	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$200
FiFi-SDR	Pre-built	200 kHz – 30 MHz	96 kHz (integrated soundcard)	0/1	USB	Yes	Yes	?	€120
SDR-IQ	PnP	0.1 kHz – 30 MHz	66.666 MHz	1/1 ?	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$525
WinRadio WR-G31DCC	Pre-built	9 kHz – 50 MHz	100 MSPS	3/3	USB	Yes	No	No	US$950
USRP B200	Pre-built	70 MHz to 6 GHz	56 Msps	?	USB 3.0	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$675
USRP B210	Pre-built	70 MHz to 6 GHz	56 Msps	?	USB 3.0	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$1,100
USRP N200	Pre-built	DC to 6 GHz	25 Msps for 16-bit samples; 50 Msps for 8-bit samples	?	Gigabit Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$1,515
USRP N210	Pre-built	DC to 6 GHz	25 Msps for 16-bit samples; 50 Msps for 8-bit samples	?	Gigabit Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$1,717
USRP X300	Pre-built	DC to 6 GHz	200 Msps	?	Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, PCIe	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$3,900
USRP X310	Pre-built	DC to 6 GHz	200 Msps	?	Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, PCIe	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$4,800
Cross Country Wireless SDR receiver v. 3	Pre-built	472–479 kHz, 7.0–7.3 MHz/10.10–10.15 MHz, and 14.00–14.35 MHz	External ADC required (I/Q output)	1/1	Crystal controlled two channels	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$80
Realtek RTL2832U DVB-T tuner	Pre-built with custom driver	24–1766 MHz (R820T tuner) (sensitivity drops off considerably outside this range, but can go 0–2,200 MHz (E4000 tuner with direct sampling mod))	2.4 MHz (can go up to 3.2 MHz but drops samples)	?	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$8 - US$10
SoftRock-40	Kit	7.5 MHz	48 kHz	1	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$21
SoftRock RX Ensemble II	Kit	180 kHz – 3.0 MHz, and 1.8–30 MHz operation	External ADC required (I/Q output)	1	USB	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$67
ZS-1	Pre-built	300 kHz – 30 MHz	10 kHz, 20 kHz, 40 kHz, 100 kHz	3	USB 2.0	Yes	No	No	€1,399
HackRF One	Pre-built	1 MHz - 6 GHz	8 Msps - 20 Msps	1	USB 2.0	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$299
HiQSDR	prebuilt modules & kits, pcbs	30 kHz - 62 MHz	48 - 960 kHz	?	10/100 Ethernet	Yes	Yes	No	US$650 US$1,400
KiwiSDR	Pre-built	0.1 - 30Mhz	30Mhz	4	Beagle black	yes	yes	yes	USD 99
LimeSDR	Pre-built (full Open Source / Hardware)	100 kHz to 3.8 GHz	61.44 Msps (12 bit ADC)	?	USB 3.0, PCIe	Yes	Yes	Yes	US$299(USB) US$799(PCIe)

How to install SDR# SDRsharp on Windows

How to install SDR# SDRsharp on Windows

 

Please note you need the Zadig driver for the RTL dongle to work.

Goto this url to download the SDRSharp application by selecting the

SDR Software Package  http://airspy.com/download/ 

If you want to install the the RTL USB Zadig driver here is the link http://rtlsdr.org/softwarewindows

I also have added a google drive link with driver and SDR# software https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5zipGz4ccuASC1Cd0RQMGx6Qm8

Please note you will need internet access when installing the SDR# software as it install the dependency files itself.

Select the SDR# RTLSDR Plugin to download.

Browse the directory where you have downloaded the sdrsharp-x86.zip file and unzip the file.

Unzip the file SDR-install.zip

You should have new directory next to the sdrsharp-x86.zip file called sdrsharp-x86.

Browse inside the directory sdrsharp-x86 and tun the bat file install-rtlsdr.bat
(see screenshot below)

Black DOS console. (you need internet connection during this bat instillation as more files get download during this procedure)

Install.bat console installing application

The console will close when its complete.

There should be a new directory called sdrsharp.

If you use the latest SDRSarp the procedure is a bit different see screenshot below.
Run the Install-rtlsdr.bat to install the drivers.

Goto this directory and run the application called SDRSharp.exe (double clicking on it)

goto sdrsahap directory and run SDRSharp.exe

The SDRSharp application should be started.

Depending on how you connect to the RTL dongle you should select the correct option in the "Other sound card" pull down menu next to the play button.

There should be two options.

1)RTL-SDR/USB (This option is if you have the USB driver installed and the rtl dongle is connected directly on to PC or laptop port) zadig usb driver http://rtlsdr.org/softwarewindows

2)RTL-SDR/TCP (This option is when you want to connect to a remote RTL_TCP server and you then need to enter the server IP and Port) default is the same server 127.0.0.1:1234

If all went well you can now hit the Play button and you should here sound.

Mite have to set the volume in you sound mixer properties.