Tag Archives: FUNcube Dongle

Apr 1 2013

Amateur Radio Satellite at 15th European Interparliamentary Space Conference

FUNcube-1 flight model - Image credit Wouter Weggelaar PA3WEG

FUNcube-1 – Image credit PA3WEG

The European Interparliamentary Space Conference (EISC) workshop on small, micro, nano and CubeSat missions took place on March 25 in Redu, Belgium.

AMSAT Belgium and the UBA took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate the engineering model of the AMSAT-UK FUNcube-1 satellite along with the FUNcube Dongle SDR for telemetry decoding.

Jan Poppeliers ON7UX has released this video of the event which also covers the European Student Earth Orbiter ESEO satellite, ALMASat-1, and the QB50 project:

Continue reading →

Mar 25 2013

NOAA-19 received with FCD

Roland (py4zbz) recently posted within the FUNcube & FUNcube Dongle Yahoo group – http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/funcube/ his received  NOAA-19 image using the AMSAT-UK FUNcube dongle

03251705_NOAA19

py4zbz NOAA-19 iamge

For more information or to order a FUNcube Dongle visit http://www.funcubedongle.com/

Join AMSAT-UK today here-http://amsat-uk.org/2012/10/03/join-amsat-uk/

Mar 25 2013

British Interplanetary Society KickSat Sprite programming and planning day

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

KickSat 437 MHz Sprite Satellite

Members and non-members are invited to a BIS KickSat 437 MHz Sprite satellite programming and planning day.

The event takes place on March 30, 2013, 11am-4pm at 27/29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ and has these aims:
• Developer kit: setup and programming tests
• Souvenir Sprite: soldering and programming tests
• Radio testing: receive test signals
• Other: agree next steps, owners and dates

Participation is encouraged, but not required.

The following equipment will be available on the day:
• KickSat Sprite developer kit
• Souvenir sprite, wires, soldering equipment and a launchpad
• FUNcube dongle and aerial (tbc – they are in the post)
• Laptop, projector and Wi-Fi

Bringing a laptop will be helpful. Also, if anyone can bring portable equipment to receive the test signals, this will also be much appreciated.

Further information at
http://www.bis-space.com/2013/03/24/9482/kicksat-programming-and-planning-day

KickSat Sprite Technical Summary
http://www.bis-space.com/2013/03/09/9301/kicksat-technical-summary

The KickSat Sprites from both the BIS and London Hackspace are planned to launch, with 198 others, on the ELaNa 5 / CRS 3 mission in mid to late Summer.

KickSat to deploy 200 Sprite satellites
http://amsat-uk.org/2012/09/21/kicksat-to-deploy-200-sprite-satellites/

FUNcube Yahoo Group http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube

Mar 19 2013

You can ring my bell! Adventures in sub-GHz RF land…

AMSAT-UK_FUNcubeDongle 640In this article Adam Laurie from London describes how he used his AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio (SDR) to decode the signal from a 433.920 MHz doorbell.

Read the article at http://adamsblog.aperturelabs.com/2013/03/you-can-ring-my-bell-adventures-in-sub.html

Join the FUNcube Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube

Further information on the FUNcubeDongle Software Defined Radio is at http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/

Feb 26 2013

STRaND-1 received by radio amateur in Cuba using FUNcube Dongle SDR

Hector Martinez CO6CBF - 640

Hector Martinez CO6CBF

On the AMSAT bulletin board Hector Martinez, CO6CBF, reports receiving the smartphone satellite STRaND-1 using a FUNcube Dongle Software Defined Radio (SDR).

He posted:

On the 22:36 UTC pass both STRaND-1 and AAUSAT3 have been heard in Cienfuegos city (EL92sd). I was running a FUNcube Dongle with SDR-Radio V1.5 and a homebrew ARROW antenna with a homebrew preamplifier. The STRaND-1 beacon has a great signal (S9+).

Congratulations to the STRaND-1 and AAUSAT3 teams for the great job!

Information on the STRaND-1 smartphonecsatellite is at http://amsat-uk.org/satellites/strand-1/

Join the FUNcube Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FUNcube

Further information on the FUNcubeDongle Software Defined Radio is at http://www.FUNcubeDongle.com/

Nov 23 2012

Review of FUNcube Dongle Pro+ in Radio User Magazine

Radio User December 2012

Mike Richards G4WNC was lucky enough to get serial number 0046 from the first batch of the AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle Pro+ LF/MF/HF/VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio.

He has written a four page review of the SDR that has just been published in the December issue of Radio User magazine on sale now from UK High Street newsagents such as W.H.Smith.

Postal copies of Radio User can be purchased using a Debit or Credit card by ringing +44 (0)1202 751611 Monday – Thursday 8.30am – 4.00pm.

The FUNcube Dongle Pro+ SDR was developed for educational outreach as part of the ground segment for the FUNcube satellite.

A proportion of the FCD-Pro+ sales goes to support the AMSAT-UK FUNcube satellite project.

Continue reading →

Nov 23 2012

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Tested with NOAA 19

Dave Mellor G4EWK tested his new FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Software Defined Radio by receiving the NOAA 19 weather satellite.

The FUNcube Dongle Pro+ LF/MF/HF/VHF/UHF SDR was developed for educational outreach as part of the ground segment for the FUNcube satellite.

A proportion of the FCD-Pro+ sales goes to support the AMSAT-UK FUNcube satellite project.

Continue reading →

Oct 26 2012

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ SDR Presentation in Orlando

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Presentation at AMSAT Symposium in Orlando – Image Credit Mark Hammond N8MH

Howard Long G6LVB travelled to Orlando, Florida to give a presentation on Friday, October 26 about the AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle PRO+ software defined radio.

The video of a similar presentation Howard gave to the AMSAT-UK Colloquium can be seen via
http://www.uk.amsat.org/?page_id=10953

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ LF/MF/HF/VHF/UHF Software Defined Radio Video http://www.uk.amsat.org/?p=10573

FUNcube Yahoo Group:- http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fcdproplus/

Oct 18 2012

FITSAT-1 5840.0 MHz downlink received with FUNcube Dongle

Reception of FITSAT-1 5840.0 MHz downlink using FUNcube Dongle SDR

This video by radio amateur Tetsurou Satou JA0CAW shows reception in Japan of the 5840.0 MHz downlink from the FITSAT-1 (aka NIWAKA) CubeSat that was deployed from the ISS on October 4.

He used a 38cm dish with a down-converter to an IF of 1284 MHz, a BGA2717 LNA and the AMSAT-UK FUNCube Dongle SDR with HDSDR software.

Continue reading →

Oct 7 2012

Assembled Amateur Radio 2m Filtered Pre-Amps Now Available

This is the completely assembled version of the 2m filtered preamplifier from G0MRF. The connectors supplied are a high quality PTFE insulated reduced flange Ntype for the connection to the antenna and a chassis mounted female BNC for the RF output to the receiver, this also carries the 5 V DC input from a FUNcube Dongle or the DC supply from an external bias tee or radio. *** LIMITED AVAILABILITY *** When they are gone, they are gone!

Read the Measurement Report here.

Buy the assembled 144 MHz pre-amp from the AMSAT-UK shop at
http://shop.amsat.org.uk/shop/category_11/G0MRF-Filtered-PreAmps.html

The pre-amp is also available in kit form, read the Construction Notes here.