# DIY Ground Station Network

***Team: Leo Grossman***

[TOC]

<h1 class="section">Motivation</h1>
Utilize old BEESAT to test an open source distributive network for satalite data collection.

### Problem
Sats take way to long to download rudimentary data packets like images.
Limited by 4800/9600bps Baud Rate on amateur radio frequencies (435.950 MHz)
Limited passes per day due to limited number of ground stations able to not able recieve but also transmit to satellite (to tell it to send data down; aka NOPS)

### Solution
Large network of simple and cheap ground stations, able only to recieve data
Utilizing existing open source software and projects, develop simple platfrom for communication with TUBSats

Allows anyone to become part of data collection network, without needing an amatuer radio license

**Possible Issues:** No way to confirm that data is received (not even checksums)
-> **solution:** utilize accurate pass over predictions to send data when over ground station. Data redundancy... transmit duplicate data to multiple stations (key to efficiency is scale)

**Goal:** Have sats transmitting data as often as possible, allowing for more data to be collected

**Ulterior Goal:** Open source data transmitter for all to recieve... (eg: news for warzones?)

<h1 class="section">Source Materials</h1>

## Links

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SatNOGS
* https://wiki.satnogs.org/Build
* https://wiki.satnogs.org/Introduction
* https://www.satblog.info/category/beesat/
* https://db.satnogs.org/search/?q=beesat

## Antenna

### Omnidirectional

* https://wiki.satnogs.org/Antennas
* https://ohai.libre.space

### Rotator Ground Station

* https://wiki.satnogs.org/SatNOGS_Arduino_Uno/CNC_Shield_Based_Rotator_Controller

## Hardware

| Component | Description | Price |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------- | ----- |
| [rtlsdr v3](https://www.rtl-sdr.com/buy-rtl-sdr-dvb-t-dongles/) | Radio Reciever | ~40€ |
| [antenna](https://www.reichelt.de/fpv-5725-5875-mhz-antenne-sma-stecker-delock-12573-p275277.html?PROVID=2788&gclid=CjwKCAjw7vuUBhBUEiwAEdu2pPTPHhb71btkiMJGML2__5u1yBGnNbKJgTO_rimQ4cK4pOILpLM2JhoClI4QAvD_BwE) |5725 - 5875 MHz Antenne | ~10€ |

### alternative components

* https://www.nooelec.com/store/nesdr-smart-xtr-sdr.html

<h1 class="section">Example Ground Stations</h1>

## Vertical (UHF); Ground Plane (UHF)

https://network.satnogs.org/stations/704/
> Nagoya UT-308UV on a 45 inch diameter Garden Treasures Davenport round outdoor dining table ground plane -> rtlsdr v3 -> rpi zero 2 w . Pictured with rpi 3b+. Was a drop in replacement.

https://network.satnogs.org/stations/1126/
> Nagoya UT-308UV on a 45 inch diameter Garden Treasures Davenport round outdoor dining table ground plane -> rtlsdr v3 -> rpi 3b+

## Prebuilt antennas
https://vinnant.sk/store?productlist-search=&productlist-sort=created-desc&productlist-categories=400-480mhz-uhf&productlist-tags=&productlist-it

#### 435 Mhz
https://vinnant.sk/store/product/tur4353-s-80w-version

#### 435 Mhz
https://vinnant.sk/store/product/fe435-p

## Papers

https://sites.ualberta.ca/~delliott/ece492/projects/2015w/g3%20Satellite%20Ground%20Station%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf

## other links

https://aws.amazon.com/ground-station/

https://alicja.space/blog/how-to-build-turnstile-antenna/

## forum thread on using satnogs for cubesat image recieving & decoding

https://community.libre.space/t/receiving-images-from-smallsat/5761/8