Introduction:

The SatNOGS project uses simple equipment to make a ground station (explain "ground station"). The ground station will be able to receive satellite data and/or voice communications. The satellite information is stored within the SatNOGS Database. The user connects the ground station to the network with the available Satnogs-client software, and will then use the SatNOGS Network to schedule observations. This could be a NOAA weather satellite image, telemetry or voice communication such as Amateur Radio International Space Satation (ARISS) contacts from the International Space Station (ISS).


What will be built:

In this project, we will be building a simple station that will not have rotating or moving parts. It uses a static antenna (antenna which does not move). We will make use of 'off the shelf' components and the SatNOGS software. The total build time should be in the region of 1 hour. (might want to correct the time required)


Parts Required:

There are only a few parts needed. This setup uses commonly available equipment, but you are encouraged to experiment, and find the right setup for your ground station. This might be a different antenna, receiver, coax or even computer. As well as including other bits and pieces like low noise amplifiers or filtering.  For now its just the basic setup. 

So you will need:

1off Raspberry Pi 3 (Rpi) and power supply
1off 16Gb Micro SD card - link to quality card -
1off RTL-SDR dongle - link to recommended dongles -
1off turnstile antenna (either 2m band or 70cm - your choice) - link to turnstile antenna construction -
1off length of coax (to go between the RTL-SDR and antenna, choose the correct one for you) - link to definition of coax and connectors -
1off USB extension (3m should be good) - link to quality USB extension of proper type -

Optional 

A case to suit the Raspberry Pi
A Low Noise Amplifier (Such as LNA4ALL) - link -
A filter [in case you live in a radio frequency (RF) noisy environment] - link to filter information -

Steps:

Before we start; I am going to assume that you have never used a Raspberry Pi , RTL-SDR, or any of these things. 

Initial Setup:

	1. Sign up for an account at SatNOGS (there are some detailed instructions here - link to setting up account -)
	2. Make a note of where the useful information is located and copy your API code, station ID, user name and password.  (specifically your API as this will be used to associate your ground station with your account)
	3. Download a copy of the Raspberry Pi Image - link to image -
	4. Burn the image to the Micro SD card. There is a great guide here - link to raspberry Pi page -
	5. Connect the Rpi to a monitor, keyboard and your internet home/local network (I recommend an ethernet cable to start with, but if you plan on using WiFi, then follow these setup instructions - link to other            instructions-
	6. Connect the RTL-SDR, coax and antenna  - link -
        7. Boot the Rpi  - link -
	8. Run  sudo raspi-config  - link to using command line on Rpi -
        9. After the interface appears on the monitor, choose the following by using the arrow keys.  - link -

		a. Set a new password
		b. Change localisation settings
		c. Set time zone
		d. Set keyboard layout
		e. Set wifi country
		f. Expand the filesystem
		g. Enable SSH (we can use this later - not essential but useful)

	10. Run    sudo satnogs-setup   (from the command line on Rpi) and choose from the menu the following by using the arrow keys and "Enter". Input the correct information into each selection.

		a. Set SATNOGS_API_TOKEN 
		b. Set SATNOGS_RX_DEVICE to rtlsdr
		c. Set SATNOGS_STATION_ELEV
		d. Set SATNOGS_STATION_ID
		e. Set SATNOGS_STATION_LAT
		f. Set SATNOGS_STATION_LONG
		g. Set HAMLIB_UTILS_ROT_ENABLED to False
                    (set RF gain)

	11. Choose "Apply settings" and "Enter".
        12. Use the right arrow key to select "back" and then "Enter" to save your selections.
	13. To check that all is ok, type - journalctl -u satnogs-client.service - on a command line and "Enter". You should see entries every minute.
	
If its running smoothly, (and why wouldn't it?), then move on to scheduling an observation - Link to setting up an observation page -. 

If something isn't working then check against the steps above. 

If you're stuck, then ask on the forums or IRC / Matrix. 

Common issues:

Occasionally there are things that don't go according to plan. It is not always something that you have done but a small issue that needs a tweak. If you find that you have connected to the network and that you are able to schedule an observation then there are a few things we can check. 

Here are a few things that might look a little off:

Follow the guide - link to other page - that helps to solve common issues.

Good practice:

In general, if you use this advice then you are likely to make the most of your station.

	1. Use good quality coax and keep the length as short as practical.
	2. Computers and PSU's can produce lots of radio frequency noise. Try to keep them away from the rtl-sdr.
        3. Provide some protection against RF with ferrites if it is an issue. - link -

More gain doesn't always mean more signal as you also will get more noise.