Weekly Newsletter - July 20, 2025

Highlights

General

• ubabematrix asked about alternatives to Telegram accounts for MQTT login, as they are planning a TinyGS node workshop for kids and cannot ask them to create Telegram accounts. Stefan/OE6ISP suggested registering a Telegram account for themselves and assigning the kids’ stations to it, and mentioned having linked 10+ stations to a single account. G4lile0 mentioned that a new non-Telegram registration is ready and will provide details via DM. 🔗
• G4lile0 informed that the new non-Telegram registration is ready and that they will send a DM with the process to register by e-mail. 🔗
• G4lile0 mentioned that the new non-Telegram email registration isn’t publicly available yet, it’s initially for existing users to add their email to prevent duplicate accounts. 🔗
• Notsure7 relocated the 400mhz station indoors and got the strongest packet ever (+9db!). They added that a 20db LNA might benefit from one with less gain, but the important aspect is sensitivity and SNR. They think there’s room for improvement in sensitivity yet. They also mentioned that they usually check GitHub and that cutting edge versions have to be compiled. 🔗
  https://app.tinygs.com/packet/019807aa-0570-7059-b689-1c8e028594a1
• Stefan/OE6ISP commented on Notsure7’s strong signal, humorously suggesting using the station to generate electrical energy. Later, they suggested that less gain might indeed further improve the setup, mentioning they reduced the gain of their 800/900MHz preamp by 6dB by inserting an attenuator to reduce CRC errors at high elevations. They noted that the attenuator has two effects: lowering the signal level to avoid clogging the input stage and providing a clean 50Ohm termination for the 2m cable from LNA to the RX-board. Finally, they confirmed to F21467 that at least version 2506221 or newer offers improved frequency tracking. 🔗
• Helmi asked adamM_PL if a message was a first decode from the sat, then welcomed him to the community, expressing hope for hundreds of daily messages. 🔗
• SatEvent introduced themself as a new member who just discovered the platform and inquired whether it’s possible to track Cubsat from Morocco. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP responded to the question about tracking Cubsats from Morocco, mentioning that there are two Moroccan cubesats in orbit but with limited communication, and provided a link. 🔗
  https://db.satnogs.org/search/?q=um5
• Leonardo asked if the Heltec Wifi Lora32 v3.2 Node Sx1262 Esp32 s3 433-510MHz is suitable for TinyGS, since they know v1 and v2 are ok, but there is no info about v3. Later asked for antenna recommendations, but after Stefan/OE6ISP recommended building a groundplane, Leonardo said okay and thnx. 🔗
• SatEvent asked for advice on acquiring equipment and building a DIY Ground Station to view and receive data from satellites, inquiring about SDR-based stations versus dedicated Radio Transceiver Modules and antenna types. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP responded to SatEvent, mentioning that TinyGS is focused on LoRa satellites and some FSK using ESP32-boards and semtec sx12xx chips. Suggested subscribing to satnogs.org for other types of satellites and SDR-based solutions, noting the shared hardware usage between the networks. For TinyGS, an omnidirectional antenna is usually the best choice due to strong signals and no need for tracking, except for a few special satellites, and added that a dish doesn’t have sufficient gain on the frequencies used for LoRa (137/433/800/900), suggesting groundplane for most stations and yagis for 800/900 and weak satellites, and pointed to qrz.com/db/OE6ISP where setups are described. 🔗

Technical Problems

• G4lile0 addressed account access issues, advising against requesting web login through the Telegram bot for those who have lost access to their old accounts. Instead, suggested requesting web login directly within the Local dashboard to link their email address. If the old credentials are still available, they can be used; otherwise, the station name should be provided to update the total amount of received packets. 🔗
• Nypon reported being logged in with old MQTT credentials and having stations online, but needing guidance on using the local dashboard and reported issues with the !w command, receiving a message that the command is not supported in the web serial console. Later, after updating the firmware, the user encountered a problem where the weblogin page displayed incorrect stations and user IDs. 🔗
• G4lile0 provided assistance to users experiencing issues with web login, explained that for TinyGS updated to this year’s firmware, users can type !w to receive the weblogin. Advised the user to request the weblogin directly in their TinyGS local dashboard, shared photos to guide the user, offered to send the latest firmware that supports the command, and instructed to use the “Upload new version” option. 🔗
  
  
  
• Stefan/OE6ISP reported that Surveillance autotune-priority is taking over high passing ConnectaIot-8, preventing manual tuning and reception of packets. Stefan/OE6ISP also mentioned consistently getting only Surveillance despite other satellites passing high and later showed concern about missing track and circle indicators. Also, mentioned that latest betas require repartitioning, which needs upload via USB once. 🔗
  
  
• dj9fba_saar reported an “update error: Not enough Space” issue during an update attempt. 🔗
• G4lile0 responded to the “not enough space” error, explaining that the new firmware version requires larger storage and suggested enabling ‘autoupdate’ in the station’s settings on tinygs.com to allow the server to automatically expand the device’s storage. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP provided feedback about ConnectaIot-6 missing from the map and suggested mouse-wheel scrolling functionality for the satellite list, even when the focus is on the list. 🔗
• G4lile0 responded to Stefan/OE6ISP’s feedback by enabling ConnectaIoT-6 on the map and indicating that they are considering changing the satellite list format, providing an example of the new format. 🔗
  
• R33UC4N asked if a configuration was ok, and then clarified that he was referring to the modem configuration after Helmi suggested his station wasn’t connected to the MQTT server and asked about the Radio status. 🔗
  
• Helmi told R33UC4N that his station wasn’t connected to the MQTT server and asked about the Radio status. 🔗
• Stephen said the website is working again and that he uses Firefox without a VPN. 🔗

Antenna Building

• Notsure7 shared a photo of an antenna build, noting it’s of similar shape to another QFH antenna for 1.6GHz. 🔗
  

New Satellites

• Stefan/OE6ISP reported an interesting phenomenon on the Connecta-QRG where a strong packet with CRC-error follows a normal packet, suggesting it could be a transmission using a different SF to separate data channels. 🔗
  
• Stefan/OE6ISP mentioned using LimeSDR for further analysis and having programmed standalone-receivers with easily changeable settings, but needing to rewire the tower to get the 800/900Mhz signals into the shack. Expressed certainty that something “useful” is behind CRC-errors, because a +2dB SNR signal can come in by accident, but not regularly every pass. 🔗
• K4KDR expressed interest in receiving quality I/Q recordings and speculated on EU LoRaWAN satellites potentially downlinking on 869.525 in North America, while remaining open to finding US915 LoRaWAN signals. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP mentioned the advantage of having 800MHz beacons across Europe and the challenges commercial satellites face in obtaining transmission permissions compared to amateur and research satellites, and requested software suggestions for I/Q recording, noting previous experience with SDR-console and SDRAngel. 🔗
• Stefan/OE6ISP observed a lot of radio traffic on 800MHz and is waiting for the next satellites to pass. Then, after a suggestion from Helmi, clarified these are terrestrial transmissions and that he is waiting for the connectas satellites to catch a signal, which he plans to record for Scott to analyze due to CRC errors, and added that they are LoRa and decodable with inverted IQ settings. Also mentioned SDR-console in 32-bit mode will be used for recording the sat-signals, but GQRX doesn’t work with the LimeSDR. 🔗
  
  
• Helmi mentioned that at 869.200MHz, there are emergency transmitters and that Lorawan is at 867.1 to 869.3 MHz. Later, expressed concern about using this frequency because it is reserved for emergency systems and questioned if it was a satellite transmission. 🔗

Balloons

• drrgriffiths used the /weblogin command and mentioned @tinygs_personal_bot. 🔗

Featured Conversations

• The community is actively assisting users with technical issues related to web logins and account management. G4lile0 is providing direct support, offering firmware updates and detailed instructions to resolve login problems and ensure users can properly access their stations.
• Discussions around antenna building continue, with members sharing their designs and comparing notes. Notsure7 shared their experience relocating a 400MHz station indoors, achieving a significant signal boost and optimizing LNA gain, sensitivity, and SNR.
• The TinyGS project is expanding its accessibility by developing a non-Telegram registration option, enabling workshops for kids and users who prefer not to use Telegram. This initiative aims to broaden participation and make the project more inclusive.
• Stefan/OE6ISP reported an interesting phenomenon observed on the Connecta-QRG, where a strong packet with a CRC error consistently follows a normal packet, suggesting the potential use of a different Spreading Factor (SF) to separate data channels.
• Users discussed issues with autotune priority, where Surveillance mode was taking precedence over other satellites, affecting packet reception and manual tuning capabilities. Reports of storage-related errors during firmware updates prompted a solution involving enabling ‘autoupdate’ to allow automatic storage expansion.

What’s next

Thank you for being part of the TinyGS community! Your contributions and collaborative spirit are what drive this project forward. Join the discussions, share your knowledge, and let’s continue to explore the world of LoRa satellites together. Stay tuned for more updates and exciting developments!