I’m really interested in contributing to the SatNOGS network, but I’m facing some challenges with my setup.
I live in a snowy region in northern Japan, so it is difficult to install an outdoor antenna. Currently, I am using a mobile whip antenna hanging from my second-floor window, connected directly to an SDR dongle (as shown in the attached file “unnamed (18).jpg”).
I am concerned that this setup might not be sufficient to contribute effectively to the SatNOGS network.
Is it possible to contribute with this kind of indoor/window-mounted setup?
Do you have any recommendations for small improvements I could make, considering the harsh weather conditions here?
I would love to hear any advice or suggestions from the community. Thank you so much for your time and help!
if you put antenna indoor, and on one side direction (behind window), maybe you can try change your antenna to directional antenna (high gain), like yagi or helical uhf antenna. or maybe simple omni: v-dipole (pretty good for high elev sat, and easy to make), 1/4 GP (good for low elevation, but maybe more noisy in city environment)
Thank you so much for your kind advice and for sharing these photos!
The examples you provided are very helpful. Since I am in a snowy region in northern Japan, I have been hesitant to install anything outdoors, but seeing these setups motivates me to think about how I could build something similar that can withstand the winter.
I will definitely look into the V-dipole and Yagi options as my next step. Thanks again for your encouragement!
If you have a bigger window i would recommend you move your antenna or station to it so you have a better field of view for your antenna but your current setup should work good enough. Also if you choose to use a directional antenna and you want something relatively easy to build I would suggest this 3D printed moxon antenna here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1379081-433-mhz-moxon-antenna-1-1-swr#profileId-2964615 assuming you have a 3D printer.
Thank you for your advice and for sharing the link! I will look for a better window to improve the field of view. Unfortunately, I don’t have a 3D printer, so I probably won’t be able to build the Moxon antenna for now, but I really appreciate the suggestion. I think I will start by trying to build the V-dipole antenna that was suggested earlier. Thanks again! yukio
Subject: Quick question: Horizontal or Vertical for my window-mounted Yagi?
Hi everyone,
Following your advice, I’ve upgraded to a Yagi antenna for 144MHz and 430MHz and mounted it near my window.
I have a quick question regarding polarization: Should I mount the antenna vertically or horizontally for SatNOGS satellite tracking? I’m currently using a standard Yagi, and I want to make sure I’m getting the best signal reception possible for the satellites I’m targeting.
There might be a small advantage to horizontal polarization if you live in an urban environment in terms of lower noise and less chance of multipath fading due to reflections from tall buildings.
Thank you for the valuable insight! I didn’t realize that horizontal polarization could help with noise and multipath issues in an urban setting. I will definitely try mounting my Yagi horizontally and see how it performs with satellite signals. I really appreciate the help!
