Detecting Satellite Beacons With PC Software

M

moonbase

Small Dish Man
My Satellite Setup
.
My Location
UK
Hi,

Are the popular software packages such as EBS Pro or CrazyScan able to detect official satellite beacon frequencies or is there any other software package for a windows PC that can be used to detect official beacon frequencies?

I have tried to detect 37.5W using the beacon frequencies of 11199V, 11198H, 11699V and 11698H using EBSPro but failed to get a signal. I know I am on the satellite as I can scan the data channels that it transmits into EBSPro OK.

Rgds
 
The beacons usually have too narrow bandwidths for domestic DVB tuners to find them. Crazyscan can sometimes show a spike, but you really need fast spectrum scanners such as those in high-end spectrum analysers.
 
I think you might also be able to tap the LNB IF range into a RTL dongle, which might show a beacon or two...
 
Llew said:
The beacons usually have too narrow bandwidths for domestic DVB tuners to find them. Crazyscan can sometimes show a spike, but you really need fast spectrum scanners such as those in high-end spectrum analysers.
Click to expand...


Llew,

Thank you for your reply, the info about the beacon bandwidth is useful, it explains why I got nothing using EBSPro.

Rgds
 
Llew said:
I think you might also be able to tap the LNB IF range into a RTL dongle, which might show a beacon or two...
Click to expand...

Llew,

You lost me with that reply. How do I tap the LNB IF range and what is an RTL dongle

Rgds
 
A check online reveals this -

Code: 
http://goughlui.com/2013/11/10/rtl-sdr-a-tool-for-visualizing-broadcast-satellite-signals/
 
There are a few plots from SDR# here - Satellites Community - Beacon Levels & Spectra
They include some waterfall displays. I used an Airspy which has the same front end as the RTL-SDR. The monochrome plots are from a spectrum analyser.
You can see what beacons look like using Crazyscan in this thread www.satellitescommunity.de/thread.php?threadid=455

If you are not using a PLL LNB, you will need to know the actual LNB LO frequencies since you are looking for narrow band signals and will probably only scan a small frequency range. My Invacom LOs are at 9749MHz and 10595MHz and it drifts by over 1MHz with temperature. I calibrated it against a known signal before trying to find the beacons. Consumer PLL LNBs can also be a few hundred kHz off sometimes.

The problem with the RTL-SDR (and Airspy) is that the upper frequency is limited to around 1650-1800MHz depending on the actual R820 chip and its temperature (they stop working at higher frequencies when hot).

There's a lot of info related to using the SDR on the IF of a C band LNB here - The Aero Thread..

Edit: qwer's Crazyscan plots of 37.6W are at the end of this page
 
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