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Node-Red / FRStack Satellite Tracking: Raspberry Pi Image Download

Member ✭✭✭✭
in Peripherals & Station Integration

I have decided to publish an image of my Raspberry Pi with all of my Satellite Tracking Flows. This is an “almost” ready made Satellite Tracking system.

The system works easily with any Flex client you choose, Windows, Mac, IOS, or Maestro. Multiplex capable, use two clients! (via a second Raspberry Pi). My personal favorite is the Maestro.

I can help with your specific configuration and showing you the features. There are too many interlocks, and dashboard display features to list them all. I built as much functionality into each button and tile to maximize the benefit and minimize the dashboard real estate used.

SatPC32 provides doppler correction and drives all other functions, including:

  • antenna selection
  • Loads the satellite’s Global configuration (I can provide a set of Flex Global Profiles built for each active Amateur Satellite).
  • Provides AZ and EL packet stream for rotor positioning via Node-Red. Many rotors supported via PST rotor app, or directly to Green Heron RT21 controller.

Here is a link to a video I made with Satellite RS-44.

iCloud

https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0Hj4_pjAnYlKOcrO7vHP1Z19Q#RS44
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Here is a link to download the Raspberry Pi Image File. Download, burn to a SD Card, install in your Raspberry Pi and run.

iCloud

https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0JfUIxGS_diZCMU0MRA55DG5w#Base_System
Sign in to iCloud to access your photos, videos, documents, notes, contacts, and more. Use your Apple ID or create a new account to start using Apple services.

The system is Flex Multiplex capable and is made possible by running FRStack REST commands from MKCM Software.

If you do not want a Satellite tracking system, but want an up to date FR Stack capable Raspberry pi, just remove the Satellite Flows and install your own.

Raspberry Info:

  • Login Name - pi
  • Password - raspberry
  • 32 bit Debian OS, v 10, Raspberry Pi Desktop
  • Supports USB boot
  • Burn backup, bootable image, to any USB storage device (SSD Drive or Thumb Drive) from the Raspberry Pi Desktop

Loaded software:

  • FR Stack v 3.1.15
  • Mosquito MQTT broker
  • VNC viewer
  • SSH accessible
  • MKCM Flex 6000 Flows (must be enabled to use)

Stellite Tracking Software:

  • SatPC32. Requires installation of a simple DDE Server on the same Windows PC running SatPC32. Links to the DDE server app download are on the “SatPC32 Listener” flow. Fully integrates SatPC32 into Node-Red.

Rotors:

  • Green Heron RT21 - Based on the original flow from Andreas, N6U. Directly connect and command a Green Heron RT21 AZ / EL rotor controller. I found using a Serial to TCP convertor worked best for getting the RT21 data packets to the Raspberry Pi running Node-Red.
  • PST Rotor Application - Based on the original from Dave, NO2X. Node-Red communicates with PST rotor via TCP. You must configure the TCP UDP nodes and PST Rotor UDP control per the PST rotor manual. PST Rotor will then interface with a large number of rotor controllers to move your AZ and EL antennas.

Antenna Sequencer

  • Pre-Amp / Antenna Sequencer for 2M and 70 CM
  • 2M pre-amp
  • 70CM pre-amp
  • 2M antenna select (vertical or yagi)
  • 1296 MHZ switching with 70CM included.

Relay Board

  • Set up for MQQT so you can use a second pi to remote locate the relays, or not.
  • Relay board flow included on this image, and will function independently, if copied to another Pi and configured to the same MQTT IP.

Other:

* W2 Wattmeter

Alan

WA9WUD

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Comments

  • Member ✭✭

    Just watched the video - sweet setup. Which vm software are you using to run the windows programs? Look good but the waterfall seemed to be a problem.

  • Member ✭✭

    Also could you publish a link to your flex profiles for the satellites?

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Lou - Thanks

    I am running Parallels VM in Coherance mode. This allow the OS X and the W-10 apps to co-exist on the same desktop.

    I have not noticed a water fall issue. Maybe I am not looking at it correctly???

    Uploaded Flex Sat Profiles to the iCloud, same directory as the Raspberry Pi image.

    iCloud

    https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0JfUIxGS_diZCMU0MRA55DG5w#Base_System
    Sign in to iCloud to access your photos, videos, documents, notes, contacts, and more. Use your Apple ID or create a new account to start using Apple services.


    Alan

    WA9WUD

  • Member ✭✭

    its the 440 waterfall never builds out, mostly empty black screen.

  • Member ✭✭

    Looks good Alan! Can you post your flows separate from the Pi image?

    Gary

    K6HN

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Lou - Thanks

    I am running Parallels VM in Coherance mode. This allow the OS X and the W-10 apps to co-exist on the same desktop.

    I have not noticed a water fall issue. Maybe I am not looking at it correctly???

    Alan

    WA9WUD

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Gary

    I was hesitant to just post the flows. The flows are tightly integrated and may not work as expected independent of the other flows.

    Per your request, I exported each flow, and put the collection into a zip file, uploaded to the same iCloud directory as the image file.

    iCloud

    https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0JfUIxGS_diZCMU0MRA55DG5w#Base_System
    Sign in to iCloud to access your photos, videos, documents, notes, contacts, and more. Use your Apple ID or create a new account to start using Apple services.

    Enjoy. Let me know if you need any help or questions. I am on Eastern time.

    Alan - WA9WUD

  • Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    Alan,


    how did the WSJT-X to MAC Logger DX with Sat32PC integration work? When I built it using inject nodes it seemed to build the adif packets correctly.


    73

    Dave wo2x

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Lou - Thanks

    I am running Parallels VM in Coherance mode. This allow the OS X and the W-10 apps to co-exist on the same desktop.

    I have not noticed a water fall issue. Maybe I am not looking at it correctly???

    Alan

    WA9WUD

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Dave

    Thanks for your help with logging the Satellite name. Yes, I do have the prototype working. I decided to not publish it for now. The end result was less of an enhancement than I was hoping for.

    As you can see in my screenshots, I am using the full MLDX Log on my satellite screen. I have come full circle to prefer this way of entering log information.

    Alan

  • Member ✭✭

    Thanks Alan, I enjoy looking at different methods of solving problems and understand the code may not port over to another system.

    One more request, could you share the DDE server info here so I don't have to go searching through your flows to get it?

    Thanks, Gary

    K6HN

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Lou - Thanks

    I am running Parallels VM in Coherance mode. This allow the OS X and the W-10 apps to co-exist on the same desktop.

    I have not noticed a water fall issue. Maybe I am not looking at it correctly???

    Alan

    WA9WUD

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Gary - DDE Server/Client Info for SatPC32 Interface.

    DDE Information:

    The DDE server is "DDE Network Server Bridge V2.0"

    Chris Oldwood's Freeware Win32 Stuff

    http://www.chrisoldwood.com/win32.htm
    Chris Oldwood's freeware Win32 stuff

    The Node-Red DDE Client Node:

    node-red-contrib-dde

    https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-dde
    A Node-RED talk to DDE endpoints over the network


    SatPC32 DDE Config Info, from SATPC32 manual, under "Hints-DDE". Enter these DDE config settings via the Node-Red DDE Client Node:

    ==================================

    The DDE interface is constantly active. The setting of the control "R" ("R" for "Rotor") in the SatPC32 main window is meaningless. Additional rotor functions, for example the park function, are not supported but have to be done by the client program. 

    To establish the DDE link with SatPC32 the Client has to set the DDE parameters as follows:

      Server name: SatPC32,

      DDE Topic: SatPcDdeConv,

      DDE Item: SatPcDdeItem.

    ===================================

    Alan WA9WUD

  • Member, Super Elmer Moderator

    @Alan WA9WUD

    ok on using MAC Logger DX. At least we have a solution to build custom ADIF log packets based on using several sources.


    Dave wo2x

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    I added zip files for: 1) full set of Flex Global Profiles for common Amateur Satellites, and 2) a SatPC32 configuration directory.

    See the Ham Radio Node-Red site for more information and the zip files.

    Log In

    https://groups.io/g/nodered-hamradio/files/Satellite%20Tracking%20Node-Red%20Based%20System.
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    Here are the Global Profiles. Remember to unzip the file before use:

    Screen Shot 2020-11-22 at 5.48.21 PM.png

    Here is how you select the desired SatPC32 Configuration. Configuration 2 is what you use with my Node-Red Satellite Control System. Also, you use Smart SDR CAT, Downlink is Slice A and Uplink is Slice B. Path to the "SatPC32" directory is "c/Users/<your user name>/AppData/Roaming/". Remember to "unzip" the file before use.

    Screen Shot 2020-11-22 at 5.45.37 PM.png

    Alan. WA9WUD

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    I added a new file containing three flows to add Satellite Information as spots to your Flex Client's Display.

    Displays current SatPC32 selected satellite name, satellite position, and rotor position. Spots will appear whenever a satellite Flex global profile is selected (when used with my pre-configured satellite global profiles). Spots clear when other global profiles are selected.

    Must use along with my Satellite Control Flows, SD Card Image available as above, and my pre-configured Flex satellite global profiles. Or prefix your global profiles with "SAT..."

    Sat Spots Screen Shot.png

    Alan WA9WUD

  • Member ✭✭✭✭

    Here is a screen shot of me working XE1HG, Tlaquepaque Jalisco, Mexico using my Flex/Node-Red/FRstack/SatPC32 station. I am in Michigan.

    Everything worked great with one push of the "big button" to select full Doppler control, to set XIT Uplink TX Freq Correction and to engage Rotor Track Control.

    You can see the doppler freq shift starting to accelerate. SatPC32 controlled the Flex in full up and down CAT control to keep the frequency at the satellite constant.

    Screen Shot 2020-12-05 at 12.50.58 PM.png

    And, here is a screenshot with the satellite passing its highest velocity and now slowing down (relative velocity between the satellite and the observer, i.e. doppler frequency shift). Still tracking true... Note, I have lost the signals with the satellite going low to the horizon (trees in my yard).

    Screen Shot 2020-12-05 at 12.59.45 PM.png

    Alan WA9WUD

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