RTL-SDR Based Itty Bitty Radio Telescope
On his website, David has posted a page showing his results with an “Itty Bitty Radio Telescope” connected to an RTL-SDR dongle. The Itty Bitty Radio Telescope is a small radio telescope that can be used for simple and educational radio astronomy experiments. The telescope consists of an 18 inch directv satellite dish with low noise block (LNB), a satellite finder and an RTL-SDR dongle connected to a laptop.
The LNB converts input frequencies of 12.2 GHz to 12.7 GHz down to 950 MHz to 1.45 GHz which is a range that the RTL-SDR can receive. In his YouTube video posted below David points his Itty Bitty Radio Telescope at the sun and shows the associated increase in the noise floor on SDR# due to solar radio emissions. More information and possible experiments with the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope can be found in this PDF.
I HAVE BUILT AN ITTY BITTY RADIO TELESCOPE ON A ROLLING STAND AND ATTACHED A RADIO WITH FM ANTENNA. NOW I USE IT AS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND WITH RADIO SIGNALS FROM MY FM/SW RADIO. I CAN TUNE IN TO THE SOUND OF PLASMA RADIATION IN OUR MAGNETIC FIELD AND HEAR WHISTLES AND CHORUS SOUNDS. I ALSO POINT MY IBRT TO AN OPEN SKY WHERE MOST OF THE SATELLITES ORBIT THE EARTH AND PICK UP MOVEMENT ON MY SATELLITE FINDER.
This is very interesting Terry. And through the plasma specific noise you can hear the voice of your very far cousin: Yves Barbin who I am. Best Regards
WOW, HOW INTERESTING IS THAT. I AM 72 YRS OLD AND THE SON OF TWYMAN BARBIN FROM HESSMER, LA. I DON’T KNOW ALL MY FAMILY, BUT IT IS GREAT TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A COUSIN INTERESTED IN ASTRONOMY. I HAVE BEEN STUDYING ASTRONOMY SINCE I WAS A KID, AND BUILD MY OWN 12.5 IN TELESCOPE THAT WAS FEATURED IN THE MARKSVILLE WEEKLY. I LOVE TO KNOW THAT I HAVE COUSINS WITH THE SAME INTEREST. MY YEARS ARE FEW, BUT YOU MADE ME FEEL GREAT, KNOWING THAT I HAVE COUSINS WITH THE SAME INTEREST,. GOD BLESS YOU, AND DON’T FORGET ME. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW THAT YOU DID YOUR RESEACH AND DISCOVERED AN ASTROMER AND MUSICIAN IN YOUR FAMILY.