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Radio Astronomy Software Defined Radio (Rasdr)

131 points by zeristor 1y ago

Alpi 1y ago
Anybody has experience using rasdr4? What is it capable of?
- 0xEF 1y ago
  It's a bit niche in the radio hobby, but very cool. That said, it is marketed to a very specific type of radio hobbyist which is probably best explained by looking at the first few sections of the manual, specifically around section 2a if you want to get a better sense of who this is for User Manual: https://rasdr.org/release/1.2.4/RASDR-Users-manual-v1.7.5.pdf https://rasdr.org/release/1.2.4/RASDR-Users-manual-v1.7.5.pd...
  - SiempreViernes 1y ago
    I feel like 2a just says "It's for radio astronomy", is that what you mean?
    - 0xEF 1y ago
      Sort of. We have to understand what a SARA project is, how and where DSP would be employed, etc...hence why I mentioned its pretty niche. Radio astronomy, from my outsider understanding, is not something a newbie just walks in the door and picks up on. You have to have some experience with typical SDR use, data collection, etc.
      - pfdietz 1y ago
        > Radio astronomy, from my outsider understanding, is not something a newbie just walks in the door and picks up on. Unless you're Grote Reber. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote_Reber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote_Reber
        lotrjohn 1y ago
        Awesome read. Ty for sharing. >For nearly a decade he was the world's only radio astronomer.
teleforce 1y ago
Great stuff, imagine doing radio astronomy with this more capable RFSoC SDR platform with 50% discount for academics at around USD2K [1]. It also has free textbook to go with it [2]. [1] RFSoC 4x2 Kit: https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/university-program/aup-boards/rfsoc4x2.html https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/university-program/aup-boar... [2] RFSoC book: https://www.rfsocbook.com/ https://www.rfsocbook.com/
westurner 1y ago
Are there Rydberg antenna SDRs for radio astronomy? What sensitivity (?) is necessary to navigate by the EMF of stars? FWIU this is called astronometry? There's probably a better word than "astral"?: From https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44054783 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44054783 : > How many astral signals does a receiver need to fix to determine lat/long/altitude given the current time? > How many astral signals does a receiver need to fix to determine to infer the current time, given geometrically-impossible triangulation and trilateration solutions given the known geometry of the cosmos and the spherical shape of the earth?

131 points by zeristor 1y ago

Alpi 1y ago

Anybody has experience using rasdr4? What is it capable of?

0xEF 1y ago
It's a bit niche in the radio hobby, but very cool. That said, it is marketed to a very specific type of radio hobbyist which is probably best explained by looking at the first few sections of the manual, specifically around section 2a if you want to get a better sense of who this is for User Manual: https://rasdr.org/release/1.2.4/RASDR-Users-manual-v1.7.5.pdf https://rasdr.org/release/1.2.4/RASDR-Users-manual-v1.7.5.pd...
- SiempreViernes 1y ago
  I feel like 2a just says "It's for radio astronomy", is that what you mean?
  - 0xEF 1y ago
    Sort of. We have to understand what a SARA project is, how and where DSP would be employed, etc...hence why I mentioned its pretty niche. Radio astronomy, from my outsider understanding, is not something a newbie just walks in the door and picks up on. You have to have some experience with typical SDR use, data collection, etc.
    - pfdietz 1y ago
      > Radio astronomy, from my outsider understanding, is not something a newbie just walks in the door and picks up on. Unless you're Grote Reber. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote_Reber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grote_Reber
      - lotrjohn 1y ago
        Awesome read. Ty for sharing. >For nearly a decade he was the world's only radio astronomer.

teleforce 1y ago

Great stuff, imagine doing radio astronomy with this more capable RFSoC SDR platform with 50% discount for academics at around USD2K [1]. It also has free textbook to go with it [2]. [1] RFSoC 4x2 Kit: https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/university-program/aup-boards/rfsoc4x2.html https://www.amd.com/en/corporate/university-program/aup-boar... [2] RFSoC book: https://www.rfsocbook.com/ https://www.rfsocbook.com/

westurner 1y ago

Are there Rydberg antenna SDRs for radio astronomy? What sensitivity (?) is necessary to navigate by the EMF of stars? FWIU this is called astronometry? There's probably a better word than "astral"?: From https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44054783 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44054783 : > How many astral signals does a receiver need to fix to determine lat/long/altitude given the current time? > How many astral signals does a receiver need to fix to determine to infer the current time, given geometrically-impossible triangulation and trilateration solutions given the known geometry of the cosmos and the spherical shape of the earth?