No waterfall upload (not found) after update to client 2.1.1 (Docker and HackRF One)

SatNOGS Software
1

Hi, I updated my satnogs station 2830 docker installation and now it is not uploading waterfall data, or to be more exact it seams missing. I run the satnogs-setup several times and also rebooted the RPI. And of course, everything worked OK before the upgrade.

From the logfile after an observation:

INFO     satnogsclient.observer.observer Start gnuradio thread.
usage: flowgraph_dispatcher [-h] [--antenna ANTENNA] [--baud BAUD]
                            [--bb-freq BB-FREQ] [--bw BW]
                            [--dc-removal DC-REMOVAL]
                            [--decoded-data-file-path DECODED-DATA-FILE-PATH]
                            [--dev-args DEV-ARGS]
                            [--doppler-correction-per-sec DOPPLER-CORRECTION-PER-SEC]
                            [--enable-iq-dump ENABLE-IQ-DUMP]
                            [--file-path FILE-PATH] [--framing FRAMING]
                            [--gain GAIN] [--gain-mode GAIN-MODE]
                            [--iq-file-path IQ-FILE-PATH]
                            [--lo-offset LO-OFFSET] [--mode MODE]
                            [--other-settings OTHER-SETTINGS] [--ppm PPM]
                            [--rigctl-host RIGCTL-HOST]
                            [--rigctl-port RIGCTL-PORT] [--rx-freq RX-FREQ]
                            [--samp-rate-rx SAMP-RATE-RX]
                            [--soapy-rx-device SOAPY-RX-DEVICE]
                            [--stream-args STREAM-ARGS]
                            [--tune-args TUNE-ARGS]
                            [--udp-dump-host UDP-DUMP-HOST]
                            [--udp-dump-port UDP-DUMP-PORT]
                            [--waterfall-file-path WATERFALL-FILE-PATH]
flowgraph_dispatcher: error: argument --dc-removal: invalid int value: 'False'
netrigctl_close: done
INFO     satnogsclient.observer.observer Observation 13255480 finished.
ERROR    satnogsclient.observer.observer No waterfall data file found

And:

{
    "versions": {
        "satnogs-client": "unknown",
        "satnogs-ansible": "unknown",
        "satnogs-flowgraphs": "unknown",
        "gr-satnogs": "unknown",
        "gr-soapy": "unknown",
        "gnuradio": "unknown",
        "satnogs-config": "1.1"
    },
    "state": {
        "is-applied": false,
        "pending-tags": null
    },
    "system": {
        "date": "2026-01-23T12:05:15.774150+00:00",
        "platform": {
            "system": "Linux",
            "node": "satnogs-config",
            "release": "6.12.47+rpt-rpi-v8",
            "version": "#1 SMP PREEMPT Debian 1:6.12.47-1+rpt1~bookworm (2025-09-16)",
            "machine": "aarch64",
            "processor": ""
        },
        "memory": {
            "total": 3981299712,
            "available": 3612508160,
            "percent": 9.3,
            "used": 287105024,
            "free": 2133491712,
            "active": 635924480,
            "inactive": 978112512,
            "buffers": 71176192,
            "cached": 1489526784,
            "shared": 10002432,
            "slab": 166637568
        },
        "disk": {
            "total": 30631604224,
            "used": 7730118656,
            "free": 21326000128,
            "percent": 26.6
        }
    },
    "configuration": {
        "satnogs_antenna": "TX/RX",
        "satnogs_api_token": "[redacted]",
        "satnogs_artifacts_api_post_interval": "60",
        "satnogs_artifacts_enabled": true,
        "satnogs_dc_removal": false,
        "satnogs_dev_args": "bias_tx=true",
        "satnogs_gain_mode": "Settings Field",
        "satnogs_log_level": "INFO",
        "satnogs_network_api_post_interval": "60",
        "satnogs_network_api_query_interval": "120",
        "satnogs_other_settings": "AMP=0,LNA=40,VGA=28",
        "satnogs_ppm_error": "0",
        "satnogs_rx_samp_rate": "8e6",
        "satnogs_soapy_rx_device": "driver=hackrf",
        "satnogs_station_elev": "7",
        "satnogs_station_id": "2830",
        "satnogs_station_lat": "59.453",
        "satnogs_station_lon": "17.890",
        "satnogs_waterfall_min_value": "-90"
    }
}

sudo docker container list

CONTAINER ID   IMAGE                             COMMAND                  CREATED        STATUS       PORTS     NAMES
503ec299355f   librespace/satnogs-client:2.1.1   "satnogs-client"         46 hours ago   Up 2 hours             satnogs_satnogs-client
b3805a600944   librespace/hamlib:4.5.4           "/docker-entrypoint.…"   46 hours ago   Up 2 hours             satnogs_rigctld
2

The variable SATNOGS_DC_REMOVAL can only have an integer value, so change it to 0

SatNOGS Environment variables — SatNOGS Client 2.1.1 documentation

Jan | PE0SAT

1 Like
3

In satnogs setup → radio settings it is only possible to set false or true (boolean)

image
image250Ă—173 1.59 KB

4

check
SATNOGS_WATERFALL_AUTORANGE

if it false, try test to true.

or if it true try change to false:

SATNOGS_WATERFALL_AUTORANGE=FALSE
SATNOGS_WATERFALL_MIN_VALUE=-90
SATNOGS_WATERFALL_MAX_VALUE=0

try also another number :slight_smile:

SATNOGS_WATERFALL_AUTORANGE=FALSE
SATNOGS_WATERFALL_MIN_VALUE=-130
SATNOGS_WATERFALL_MAX_VALUE=0
5

Looking at the error: error: argument --dc-removal: invalid int value: 'False' and the settings

"satnogs_dc_removal": false,

Maybe it changed to int with the latest version and is now set to 0

Jan | PE0SAT

1 Like
6

if this the caused, need to edit config manually. without satnogs-setup

7

No, just change the value and check the config.

8

Hi,

I noticed this observation SatNOGS Network - Observation 13264122 with waterfall but gain appears to be not set / zero.

Don’t know if that helps but just to inform you

Ben

9

So, after some testing today I note the following - this is with HackRF as SDR:

  • satnogs_dc_removal set to “false” will not work, only satnogs_dc_removal = true
    This must be a bug in the configuration somewhere
  • If you set satnogs_waterfall_autorange to false and then list the configuration in /var/lib/docker-bindmounts/ansible/etc/ansible/host_vars/ansible you only see satnogs_waterfall_min_value. The max value is never displayed and the question is if this setting is working correct?

But anyway, my station is now back in service but this should be an important notice to all users using HackRF One during an upgrade to 2.1.1

1 Like
10

image
image765Ă—560 14.5 KB

An observation from 11:02 local time still shows your gain is not set ?

11

An observation from 11:02 local time still shows your gain is not set ?

I’m sorry, but where do you see that the gain is not set? The waterfall is set to show between -90 and -50 dB so when no signal present the waterfall will become dark.

If you look at the following observation you see a signal, it is not a satellite signal but some local interference but you see it in the waterfall.

12

My big mistake Lars, I assumed “Overall” but you set clearly “Settings Field” and the necessary gain fields.

2 Likes