Itty Bitty Radio Telescope

Itty Bitty Radio Telescope
Observing the Sun at 12 GHz

Itty Bitty Radio Telescope YouTube Video

NooElec DVB-T+DAB+FM (R820T) SDR receiver with SDR# V1.0.0.500 showing the solar radio emission.
SDR is at 1.2 GHz center frequency and 2 MHz capture bandwidth.
The yellow band in the bottom blue spectrogram window is the 6 dB rise in signal strength as the radio dish is moved across the Sun.
The blue bottom spectrogram window vertical axis is time and the horizontal axis is frequency.
The Satellite Finder and power supply is connected to the first LNB output.
The NooElec DVB-T+DAB+FM (R820T) SDR receiver is connected to the second LNB output
Click on the above screen for full resolution screen capture.
The above screen capture was the first time test of the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope with the SDR.

Itty Bitty Radio Telescope Parts

Amazon DirecTv 18-Inch Satellite Dish LNB 18
- LNB Needs power from the receiver to work
- Dual output for two receivers
  - LNB output 1 to the Satellite Finder Meter For Directv
  - DC power is provided to the LNB output 1.
  - LNB output 2 to the DVB-T+DAB+FM (R820T) SDR receiver
    - Tuning range 950 MHz to 1.45 GHz
    - 2+ MHz capture bandwidth
    - Center frequency set to 1.2 GHz
  - LNB output 2 does not have DC voltage on it.
  - Therefor, no need for DC blocking adapter to the SDR receiver
- LNB input frequency: 12.2 to 12.7 GHz
- LNB output frequency: 950 to 1.45 GHz
- Noise Figure: 1.1 dB, Max
- Gain: 50 to 62 dB
- LO frequency: 11.25 GHz, +/- 2 Mhz

Amazon Satellite Finder Meter For Directv
- Needs power from the receiver input to work: 13 ~ 18 VDC
- Light behind meter in on when powered
- Sound and meter for signal detection
- Frequency range: 0.95 GHz ~ 2.15 GHz
- Input level Max: -10 dBm
- Input level Min: -40 dBm
- LNB Gain: 52~60 dB
- Meter scale 0 to 10
- Finder adjustment control
  - The finder is adjusted to 1 for the sky overhead
  - The finder reads ~2 for the Sun
  - The finder reads ~5 for the ground & trees
  - The finder reads ~5 for hand over LNB

Power Supply for LNB and Satellite Finder
- Two 9 V batteries or
  - 14 V DC wall power supply with "M" connector or
  - Eight 1.5 VDC batteries in plastic holder with "M" connector
- Power Supply box with two connectors
  - Radio Shack 273-0102 RF Choke, 100 microhenries
    - Blocks the RF from being shorted in the DC power source
  - Radio Shack 274-1582 Size M Panel-mount Coaxial Power Jack w/Switch
  - Radio Shack 278-0212 Panel-Mount F-61 Jack (2-Pack)
  - Radio Shack 270-1801 Project Enclosure (3x2x1")
  - The power for the Satellite Finder and the LNB is delivered by the RG6 coax. I made a small box Radio Shack 270-1801 Project Enclosure (3x2x1") with a F connector Radio Shack 278-0212 Panel-Mount F-61 Jack (2-Pack) and a M connector Radio Shack 274-1582 Size M Panel-mount Coaxial Power Jack w/Switch. DC power is connected to the M connector. The F connector is connected to the Satellite Finder to power it and the LNB. Inside the box the center of the M connector is connected to one end the Radio Shack 273-0102 RF Choke, 100 microhenries. The other end of the RF Choke is connected to the center of the F connector. The choke blocks the RF signal from the power source (two 9 volt batteries).
- "F" male to "F" male connector
  - Attach power box to satellite finder receiver "F" connector
Two 3 feet RG-6 coaxial cable with "F" connectors
- One cable attaches the LNB output one to Satellite Finder LNB connection
- Second cable attaches the LNB output two to the DVB-T+DAB+FM (R820T) SDR receiver
Camera tripod with quick release plate and geared head

Drift scan of the Sun across the antenna beam

Antenna Temperature of the sky is ~4 Kelvin.
- Antenna Temperature by Wikipedia
- Noise Temperature by Wikipedia
- Antenna gain-to-noise-temperature by Wikipedia
- Antenna Temperature by DG7YBN
- Effect of the Sun Upon Antenna Temperature by Giddis, Albert R.
Top window is SDR# Software v1.0.0.1193
- With Level Meter Plugin
Virtual Audio Cable (VAC) by Eugene Muzychenko
- VAC input is SDR#
- VAC output is Radio SkyPipe
Bottom window with the red plot is Radio SkyPipe v2.6.5 by Jim Sky
- The red plot is the amplitude of the audio output.
- The plot time duration is from 20:49:21 UT to 21:27:54 UT on April 20, 2014.
- The high peaks at the beginning of the plot is adjusting the audio gain.
- The increase in the middle of the plot is the Sun moving across the antenna beam.
Windows 7 Dell Latitude E6400 laptop

Itty Bitty Radio Telescope

NRAO What is it? What can it do?
NRAO Procedure for Making the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope
JPL Telecon: Make an Itty Bitty Radio Telescope
JPL How to make an IBT or Itty Bitty (Radio) Telescope
"Itty Bitty" (Radio) Telescope Telecon by Sue Ann Heatherly

Amateur Itty Bitty Radio Telescope

Itty Bitty Radio Telescope Basic Assembly
An Introduction to the Itty Bitty Telescope by Mark Gibson
Itty Bitty Radio Telescope by Rosliston Astronomy Group
Very Simple, Simple, and Other Approaches by Joachim Koppen Strasbourg
YouTube My itty bitty radio telescope first field test! by CosmicFissure
IBT Radio Telescope AKA our Lil' GBT by Galactic Stickman
YouTube LNB Alignment Check by Radio Astronomy (NRARAO)

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Itty Bitty Radio TelescopeObserving the Sun at 12 GHz

Itty Bitty Radio Telescope
Observing the Sun at 12 GHz