Launch ExpertSDR2 from a shortcut in Ubuntu

So, i'm running Ubuntu 20.10 and have installed ExpertSDR2. It runs fabulous!

But to start ExpertSDR2 i have to go into terminal and navigate into the folder where ExpertSDR2 is installed. In my case that's ~/SunSDR2. There i have to enter the command ./ExpertSDR2.sh to launch. 

Now i would rather have an icon in my launcher that i can also add to my favorites. And the good news is; That's actually pretty simple. We just would need to install a small program to create menu items. This is even useful to create other shortcuts.

Here are the steps for that.

1. Open a terminal and type the following command to install the gnome panel:

  $ sudo apt install gnome-panel

2. When that's finished exit out of Terminal and open the launcher and start "Main menu" 

3. In the Main menu program click on "New Item" 

4. Give it a name and click "Browse". 

5. Find the ExpertSDR2.sh file and select it.

6. If you want you can click on the Icon and select a different one.

You can use this one if you like.

7. Click "OK" to save the properties.

8. Close the Main menu app and you're ready!

CW key connected to a serial port - External key for SunSDR2 and ExpertSDR2

Ever since i got my SunSDR2  transceiver i loved it for it's quality and versatility. The main mode for me is CW and it's a great rig for that. 

Since the software (ExpertSDR) uses your local area network (LAN) to connect to the radio it's possible to work the bands form another location that the shack. You can even use a wide area network (WAN) so you can basically work from anywhere in the world. But that is for another blog.

Working SSB is pretty simple when you’re not in the shack. Just use the speakers and mic from your laptop. Although not ideal but it works. Better to use a proper headset.
Next comes CW, my favorite. How to hook up a CW key (straight or paddle) to the computer instead of the radio? Actually that’s also pretty simple. It’s just making and breaking contacts, right?  
In this article i'll explain how i've setup my CW key to use on a serial port of my laptop. ExpertSDR2 has options to use a serial port as an input for an external CW key.

Hardware

USB to Serial converter

To hook up a CW key you need a serial port on your computer. I have an old laptop lying around that has a serial port so I started with that one. <<image of serial port on old laptop>> Once that worked, I purchased a USB to serial converter to use on my current laptop.

I got this one on Amazon.

Prolific PL-2303RA

Next is creating a CW-to-Serial converter. And for that I used this scheme from the Instructables website.

Link to Amazon

Link to Amazon

I used a chassis mount stereo plug 3,5mm because that's what i had lying around. Next on my list is to 3D-print a case for the D-Sub connector with room for
the stereo plug.

Software

Windows

The USB to serial converter I ordered came with an actual CD. But In these days we don’t use CD’s anymore. So to get the latest drivers I went to the Prolific website since they are the manufacturers of the chip used in the converter. Follow the instructions that come with the driver. After it is installed check your device management to find the corresponding COM-Port. To start Windows Device management click Start (Win key) type compmgmt.msc and hit enter. Under the Ports section you should see the Prolific USB-to-Serial port.

Next, go into Options in ExpertSDR2.

You're all set.

Linux

For Linux no drivers are needed. It works out of the box. If it’s your first USB device it’s probably /dev/ttyUSB0. 

There is one thing though you need to do and that is to give yourself access rights to the USB to serial converter. 

sudo adduser <username> dialout

Replace <username> with your logon name in linux.

You can find it by typing ls -l /dev/ttyUSB* when the converter is plugged in. And then again after you’ve removed it. The one that’s missing is your converter.

With the command lsusb run from a terminal session you can check if the adapter has successfully loaded. 

Then select the device in the Options and don't forget to enable it.

 Mac OSX

In Mac OSX no drivers are neccessary. Just select the new port as shown in the image below.

Issues

Running in Windows I noticed a slight delay between the CW key and the generated tone on the radio. This can make it hard to send CW. It’s like keying when hearing your own echo. Under Linux and OSX there’s no problem, the sound is instant. The delay might be caused by the windows driver for the USB to Serial converter. I have ordered another converter with a different chip inside (the PL-2303HXD). And I’ll post my findings here.

Wrapping up

Thanks for visiting my blog. I've done my best to create a clear and concise article. Please let me know if it was of any use to you. If you have questions or just want te leave a remark, don't hesitate. Just leave a comment or find my contact details on QRZ.

I hope we'll meet on some band in the near future.

 73

Pieter

Receiving NOAA weather satellite images - fully automated

In this post I'll show you my satellite receiving set up. It's based on a raspberry pi computer and a cheap SDR dongle.

The software I use on my Raspberry Pi is from this GitHub repository by reynico. 

My setup (still have to build a nice case for it)

	Nooelec SAWbird+ NOAA LNA-module	Link to Amazon
	distill: FM barebones – broadcast FM bandstop Filter	Link to Amazon
	Nooelec SMA DC-Block	Link to Amazon
	Andoer Mini-tv-USB-tuner Type 1	Link to Amazon

The USB memory stick in the picture is for storage. More on that later...

The antenna is an Eggbeater antenna for 2m. Because of its omnidirectional properties it is very good for satellite reception. It doesn't need an Az/El rotor. 

I got this antenna from ANjo antennen. But you should have similarly good results with simple DIY project antennas such as the V-Dipole or a Quadrifilar Helix Antenna.

The Software...

After installing the software from the GitHub repository i had to modify some config files as described in the installation guide. This was very easy so I started receiving my first images pretty fast.

After booting the Pi, it connects to my WiFi and starts scheduling the satellite passes for the day. It does that again at midnight. Then it waits for the next pass, receives the audio, processes it,c the images, tweets them out and waits for the next one. Easy does it!

I wanted to store all received images on my (Synology) NAS so i've mounted a shared drive onto the Pi and changed the .noaa.conf file to point into that direction. For METEOR reception it records the audiofiles and also stored them on my NAS. But because my NAS' shared drive is also synced with my OneDrive i noticed sync conflicts made the METEOR reception fail. Therefor I used an external USB drive for recording and processing of the METEOR audio. The resulting image will still be stored on my NAS and synced to my OneDrive. 

The software is able to tweet out every image it receives so if you want to check that out I invite you to take a look at my twitter feed over at @ON6PH 

I am happy to receive comments and will do my best to answer any questions.