I really like the project as far as I read though the website and the community here.
I am ham radio operator and I have almost everything which is needed to participate. And I would love to do that.
I guess several other hams would to, if it was a “lil” easier.
My main Problem is:
as many other hams I use Windows - I have a windows based logbook, rotor and radio controll software etc.
In my case the main software I use is HamRadioDeluxe (the 5.2x last free Version, as well as a payed 6.x version).
Than there are several other tools like orbitron, sdr#, n1mm logger (controls the rotors too!) and pstrotator.
It took a lot of try and error and hours to get the system and all components working like a charm.
Now I would LOVE to participate on your network and let my running station recieve satellites and transmit to your network automatically, especially when I am not using it (maybe while I am at work or at nights when I sleep).
But I don`t want to set up a raspberry pi, and unplug all my cables from the windows - machine and than kook it to the pi every time.
So the basic needs seem to be, that your software client should be able to use APIs of existing and well running tools which exist a lot in windows world
I think the simplest and easiest way would be, that
a windows client should be published
this client should be able to work with pstrotator, HamRadioDeluxe (HRD), orbitron, SDR#, SDR-Radio, wx2img and others.
maybe a 3. audio capture could get send to your network over theese nice tools or
the client should capture the data from theese tools and send it right into your network.
I guess many many hams would participate if they don`t have to change hardware (raspberry etc),switch the antennas to that device etc. But if they just have to open 1 tool that works with there already installed tools together they would do it.
I tried to find out if there is any way to let (maybe a raspberry with your image on it) control the radio and the rotator via network, as HamRadiDeluxe offers several TCP/UDP Server Services for remote control - but I did not find any solution yet.
Anoybody knows a way to use the client via LAN/remote existing radio/rotor controller software?
73 and all the best in 2018
Steffan, DO6DAD from germany
DK3WN has several programs available for download that will let you receive telemetry on windows and submit it to the SatNOGS DB. As you can see, many hams already do that and they contribute very useful data.
As for your “simplest and easiest” solution, I’m sure it makes perfect sense from a windows user’s point of view, but…
It’s a lot of work and I mean a LOT!
It seems counteractive to interface to proprietary software when the project is trying to be all open source
You know, there is actually a way to share your rotator between a satnogs client running on a RPI and PC applications, and it is readily based on TCP/IP. So, perhaps your windows software can implement that interface instead
thank you for your message. I know the programs of DK3WN - I tried to install 2 or 3 of them, with the result, that one dll-Missing-Message appeared after the other… I downloaded 2 or 3 DLL files and got the next missing dll. Than I stopped because I had no time left for “try and error”. But I will give it another try someday.
There is a lot “open source” software available for windows - so this is no reason not to bring it up to windows.
Yes I know that there is a lot of work. And I absolute honor the work the guys here did!! great work - the windows client would just make it better and easier for many people.
My main OS is OSX, I am fine in using Linux and I HATE Windows. But there are often useful and easy to work (better GUIs) tools just released under windows - thats why I use it for the ham radio hobby - it`s just easier to find applications for windows than for osx and linux.
I did not know the tcp/ip tool for the rotor, I guess than there may be a way for the radio link too - but this still will have me to add my antennas to the PI.That`s one step which should not be required.
I have a rtl on my win machine, I have everything hooked up and working together. So why not building a possibility to use this already existing and working hardware.
It “just” needs a tool with communicates with already existing stuff and maybe use its data-stream or just a wav-file? I know that this is a lot of work too but I am absolutely convinced, that many peaple would install such a tool and just let it run, than hooking up and down several cables each time they want to operate. You know what I mean? Its just my opinion - but its nearly always the same: ONE Person or a team hast a lot of work. But the benefit is, that others (maybe 1000people) dont have work. So everyone participates from the work of the developer(s) and the main project participates from the new clients which send there data.
I would advise setting up a raspberry pi with an SDR dongle (about £50 in total), then when you want to offer up the station for observations bring it online and plug in the rotator.
Alternatively there maybe be a way to use hamlibs via your network to talk to the rotator. It’s possible that the rotator plugged into a com port on windows can listen to a port number with rotator commands sent via rotcl from the RPi, for example if the windows was on 127.168.0.5 then allows it to listen to port 3553 (or whatever it is), in the RPi advanced settings send commands to 127.168.05:3553 rather than to itself.
Why build a specialized Linux computer and periferals when there are thousands of Windows computers already working/hearing the sats and those computers sitting idle?
Amateur radio ops are volunteers and carry the burden of being totally responsible for their amateur stations… Why ask them to purchase anything and spend countless hours just for the pleasure of volunteering their time and resources to someone/some group that they do not know or understand their intentions.
