Weekly Newsletter - March 30, 2025

Highlights

General

• Bernd shared a link to the TinyGS personal bot. 🔗
• Juan Pablo stated that one user with many stations is not a problem. 🔗
• Lance asked about the frequency of TinyGS uploads to TinyGS.com and whether packets are stored and queued regardless of server load, or rejected under high load, also inquired if the TinyGS server project is open-sourced. 🔗
• Kim initially asked where to find the username and password for MQTT, and subsequently noted finding the information. 🔗
• Guillem suggested implementing an MQTT subscriber to directly receive messages sent to TinyGS, requiring a way to run it constantly. 🔗
• dj9fba_saar asked how to subscribe to MQTT from their station module connected to mqtt.tinygs.com. 🔗
• Guillem responded to dj9fba_saar, advising them to open a chat with @tinygs_personal_bot and suggested creating an mqtt-subscriber script in Python using paho-mqtt, and subscribing to their MQTT user and mqtt.tinygs.com. They also recommended using mqtt-explorer to see all the topics available for subscription. 🔗
• Wo asked if it’s possible to generate a second set of username/password for their second GS station, registered under a different name, since the /mqtt command provides the same credentials every time. megazaic clarified that it’s the same user/pass but with a different station name. 🔗
• Cole initiated a discussion on managing packets larger than 255 bytes for cubesats, inquiring about implementation of TCP-like protocols versus single-packet data strategies and tolerance for packet loss. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP responded to the query about managing larger packets for cubesats, emphasizing the necessity of splitting data streams into packets of 255 bytes or less and considering airtime limitations due to satellite spin. Further explained that simple methods are generally used for small, unstabilized satellites due to the difficulty of establishing stable bidirectional links. Suggested data transmission with repetition and merging to eliminate errors, or using a block of records with ACK/NAK for re-requesting missing records. 🔗

Technical Problems

• Mansi reported a ‘Board template issue’ while trying to integrate an ESP32wroom dev board with an E80-900M2213S module for a ground station. Mansi then inquired about using an LR1121 chip, describing it as an upgrade, and asked if an LR1121 based board could be used with ESP32. 🔗
• Stephen reported trouble getting the new lilygo t-beam supreme 433Mhz working on Tinygs, mentioning it uses sx1262 Lora chip. used the web flasher, it installed no problems. when connects to the dashboard to config, it only allows to select 2 boards (Heltec v3 and another t-beam). neither work, they are unable to operate the Lora radio and the screen is messed up with noise/pixels. asked if anyone successfully setup and got a t-beam supreme working with Tinygs and if so, would you be able to share your setup or template (assumes it’s a template/config issue)? 🔗
• Shiva asked for help with a setup issue, posting multiple photos of the configuration screen. reported tried it for like 100 times but still stuck at the same thing i erased and reinstalled the tiny gs too, and made re configurations. mentioned followed these steps: First i installed tinygs into the board, then i connected to Mytinygs wifi, changed the configurations and then disconnected wifi connected to my regular home wifi. added no its the name i have given in the tinygs configure parameters and that SSID of the router can only be in capital letters, Hey wait which SSID should i put there? of my home wifi???? Now it is connected to my home wifi, but found the same at station dashboard. Im sorry it is showing that connecting to… I’ll try re installing tiny gs to the board and reported ‘I’ve changed it but still the same issue’ 🔗
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Statistics

Antenna Building

• Notsure7 commented on a nicely constructed antenna and requested details. 🔗
• Pavlos mentioned a 4 element 868mhz on line antenna calculator. 🔗
• AntonioEQuesada mentioned that without a good antenna, the magic does not happen and asked what kind of antenna can offer better results for this project, based on their experience with Meshtastic. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP agreed that the antenna is the part of the system where you can win or lose the most, highlighting that the boards are all pretty much the same. Stefan/OE6ISP suggested a ground plane antenna for its ease of construction and good performance, recommending elements of 165mm length and a short, low-loss cable. Stefan/OE6ISP then directed Carbexalide to find connectors from the big A or Ali, suggesting N-connectors over PL connectors for the frequency and also said that SMA is electrically the best solution. 🔗
  
  
• megazaic posted an image and asked about using it for 2.4G.  🔗
  
• Helmi provided torque specifications for brass (0.5Nm) and steel (1Nm). Further commented that high torque is unachievable without tools. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP shared an experience where a loose connector resulted in a 1.5dB loss during VNA measurements, emphasizing the importance of tightening connectors. 🔗
• michaelgeorge001 suggested that finger tightening without tools should produce a torque of about 1.7 to 2.3 Nm. 🔗
• David shared his efforts to determine the most efficient QFH antenna for LEO satellites, comparing a basic QFH antenna to one with a base reflector, both tuned to 435MHz with a 1.1 SWR. Reported inconsistent satellite pass results between the two antennas despite identical setups and sought advice on whether TinyGS coordinates stations to listen for different passes. Noted that the QFH with a reflector receives almost double the packets compared to the basic QFH. 🔗
  
  

Share your setup

• DL7KJ asked if the Lilygo T-beam with an onboard GPS module automatically corrects the station’s position, or if manual input is still required. Helmi replied that TinyGS doesn’t use the built in GPS and manual location input is needed. DL7KJ acknowledged the response. 🔗
• Virgilioguerreiro inquired about solar panel systems (DIY) for powering the board. 🔗
• Notsure7 discussed power consumption and backup solutions for a TinyGS setup, estimating a need for about two 18650 batteries in parallel per day of intended backup, considering winter conditions and powerpath efficiencies. also, charger must support the panels high voltage (intended for 12 lead acid batteries), have powerpath from solar while charging the batteries, and also support partial charging while discharging, adding that TP4056 fail on this part, they never detect the signal to stop a charge if there is also a load. later, mentioned to ask the bot @tinygs_personal_bot and suggested to read the wiki for setup steps. 🔗

Events

New Satellites

• hamidiZ8M reported that the Hodhod is transmitting Tiny GS telemetry correctly, but stations are not automatically tuning to it and asked if there is a way to access old messages to download and analyze telemetry. 🔗
• megazaic confirmed that their stations have not been tuned to HOD-HOD in the last 24 hours, suggesting it may have been removed from the auto-tuning list on the server, but their device is catching several packets and added that someone is setting something up far from the target. 🔗
  
  
  
  
• megazaic commented on stations being tuned to two different frequencies, questioning if it’s an attempt to compensate for Doppler effect.  🔗
  

Learning Resources

Beta Firmware Testing

• Notsure7 suggested a feature to reduce server load by allowing users to “mute” Tianqings and strong satellites via a sat list in the config window, reporting them on the console but not sending data to the server, also added that this could be the default behavior. 🔗

Balloons

Space situational awareness

Where to buy

Announcements

Featured Conversations

• Antenna building remains a hot topic, with users sharing valuable insights on antenna types, connector selection, and torque specifications to optimize performance.
• Discussions around power management, especially solar-powered setups, are gaining traction. Users are sharing tips on battery selection, charging solutions, and overall power consumption optimization.
• Community members are actively troubleshooting setup issues, providing step-by-step guidance and sharing configuration tips to help new users get their stations up and running.
• Firmware improvements are being explored, with a focus on reducing server load through features like satellite muting, aiming to balance data contribution with resource efficiency.
• Packet management for cubesats sparked interesting discussions around data transmission strategies, with valuable insights on data splitting and error handling techniques for unstabilized satellites.

What’s next

Join the TinyGS community to share your knowledge, ask questions, and collaborate on building and improving ground station setups. Your contributions help expand our network and enhance satellite tracking capabilities!