OTHER Minitiouner Express DVB-S2 receiver.

[KC9SGV]

Hi All,
Has anybody here been playing with the Minitiouner (sic) Express sat TV tuner/analyzer ?
I am using the Minitioune V.9 software for the European QO-100 ham GEO sat downlink.
Wonder what FTA stations in the U.S. I would be able to tune into and test the receiver from Chicago ?
Frequencies would be appreciated.

Bernard,
KC9SGV

 

[Brct203]

Welcome to Satellite Guys!

I had never heard of this device but it sounds interesting

what type of satellite dish do you have access to? Looks like this device might be limited to Symbol rates below 10 MS/s. If you have access to a Ku FTA dish (11.7 to 12.2 GHz), there are a few transponders worth trying:

KBS World on 123 W
Patient Channel on 87W
Canal 8 Mar Del Plata on 30W
(see Lyngsat.com for the frequencies, adjust for your LNB LO)

on C-Band, there are many more choices. An easy target with a very strong signal would be The Word network on 91W

Does this device have the capability of changing the voltage supplied to the LNB? That would be necessary if using an LNBF. Alternatively if you have access to an older-style satellite receiver with a loop-back, you could use that receiver to drive the LNBF voltage and plug your minitiouner on the loop connector (that's what I do with my SDR dongle)

 

[KC9SGV]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Old Direct TV dish about 30 dB
Octagon 3 Green PLL LNB
Input 10.7 to 12.75 GHz
L.O. 9.75 and 10.6 GHz
Gain 60 to 65 dB

I use a commercial $10 bias T.
12 V and 18 V for polarization. (Or turn the dish 90 degrees.)l

https://www.datv-express.com/uploads/UserGuide/MiniTouner-Express User-Guide-draft16.pdf

 

[KC9SGV]

This is in support of our own future ham transponder GEO satellite.
We lack the funding, but we hope some benefactor will come foreward, to enhance STEM opportunities for kids all over South and Noth America.
An oil sheik paid for the European and Qatari QO-100 ham transponder GEO satellite sitting over Africa.
We will also go for renting bandwidth on an older TV GEO sat....in the interim...

 

[KE4EST]

to SatelliteGuys KC9SGV!!

 

[Brct203]

Hi, thanks for the reply.
Old Direct TV dish about 30 dB
Octagon 3 Green PLL LNB
Input 10.7 to 12.75 GHz
L.O. 9.75 and 10.6 GHz
Gain 60 to 65 dB

I use a commercial $10 bias T.
12 V and 18 V for polarization. (Or turn the dish 90 degrees.)l

https://www.datv-express.com/uploads/UserGuide/MiniTouner-Express User-Guide-draft16.pdf

ok that dish is on the small side but should be ok for 123W for KBS World at last during decent weather. You will need the 22 kHz tone so that the LNBF used the 10.6 GHZ LO

 

[Titanium]

Welcome to Satelliteguys. I've been looking at the SDR based transceivers with the developing DVB options and curious if anyone was currently leasing FSS spectrum over the Americas.

A major issue for hobbyist uplinkers to address sharing the FSS spectrum is the potential for same and adjacent satellite interference. Seems like the potential for sidelobes or cross-pol with undersized or non-optimized feedhorn/reflectors would present a major hurdle. Guess I need to read up on how they are addressing this on the European QO-100 ham GEO system.

sathint.com is a good resource of current service listings of suitable SCPC / MCPC transponders and should be easy to identify ones with with reduced bandwidth.

 

[KC9SGV]

Uplink power is limited with a LEILA siren on your downlink.
Self policing by WebSDR helps to identify out of band transmissions.
A spare transponder is used.

QO-100 PowerPoint here:
https://www.datv-express.com/uploads/UserGuide/MiniTouner-Express User-Guide-draft16.pdf

Monitor the sat via WebSDR here:

 

[KC9SGV]

Click on the images.
iPad, iPhone - drag the waterfall.

QO-100 / Es'hail-2 Web Receiver Project

 

[KC9SGV]

Sorry.
PowerPoint
https://ukamsat.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/qo100_eshail2_m0eyt_frars_2019-08-11.pdf

 

[KC9SGV]

Minitioune Version .9 is optimized for QO-100.
It is Beta without the dependancies.
I switched to version .8, a generalized version software with all the dependancies.
Some hardware mods are required, as described in the User Guide above.