Using a Raspberry Pi 3, USB Soundcard, Speclab and Exagear to Detect SAQ VLF Transmissions

Thanks to DE8MSH for writing in about his project that involves using a Raspberry Pi 3 and cheap 7€ USB sound card connected to an old Grahn GS1 VLF antenna to detect the SAQ VLF station. Standard PC or USB sound cards can be used as a narrowband VLF capable SDR simply by connecting an antenna to the sound inputs. SAQ (aka Grimeton Radio Station) is a heritage VLF transmitter in Sweden that transmits CW at 17.2 kHz, normally only on Alexanderson Day and Christmas Day, but can sometimes unofficially transmit without announcement due to maintenance, training or local events.

In terms of software running on the Pi 3 DE8MSH uses Spectrum Laboratory (speclab) to monitor the sound card waterfall, and has written a Python script that uploads the processed images from speclab to a Twitter account every 20 minutes. This way he hopes to be able to detect any unannounced SAQ transmissions from his station in Sweden. 

Spectrum Laboratory is actually a Windows and x86 only program, however as shown in one of our previous posts, it is possible to use a special compatibility emulator called Exagear which allows you to run x86 programs on ARM hardware. Together with Wine you can then run x86 Windows programs on single board computers like the Raspberry Pi 3 which run Linux on ARM hardware.