Using the Raspberry Pi as a DVB-S modulator & transmitter without extra hardware

• Using the Raspberry Pi as a DVB-S modulator & transmitter without extra hardware
  Posted by Bicurico on 21 Oct, 2017 08:58
• Hi,
  
  I came across this:
  
  
  
  (Immediatly ordered the ADALM-Pluto, of course, but now the waiting begins... Backorder should arrive Dec, 5th)
  
  From here I "discovered" this:
  
  https://github.com/pabr/leansdr
  
  And then I ended up here:
  
  https://github.com/F5OEO/rpidatv
  
  Of course, I spent two days figuring things out until I managed to get the first result:
  
  http://vma-satellite.blogspot.pt/2017/10/can-it-be-real-dvb-s-modulator-and.html
  
  Perhaps this is old news for you guys, but if so, WHY didn't you tell me? 
  
  Cheers,
  Vitor
  
• #1 Reply
  Posted by denverpilot on 21 Oct, 2017 10:57
• Heh. I think that using the GPIO pins as a nasty modulation source has been done for a while now. Bunch of broadcast FM range projects doing that.
  
  The square waves make for some evil splatter all around the thing though. Most folks recommend a good output filter to get rid of the hash.
  
  Of course the super low power helps keep the nastiness pretty much localized to your shack unless you hook the thing to a big outside gain antenna. Then watch out who you’re blasting with it.
• #2 Reply
  Posted by denverpilot on 21 Oct, 2017 10:58
• P.S. But yes. It’s still wicked cool anyway. And I hadn’t seen the ATV hack. That’s a new one on me! Like.
• #3 Reply
  Posted by Bicurico on 21 Oct, 2017 11:30
• I knew about the previous hacks like RF radio transmitter (https://github.com/F5OEO/rpitx), but actually producing a DVB-S signal is quite cool!
  
  Now, while I wait for the Pluto SDR, I am setting up a whole Raspberry Pi image for SDR...
  Also, beefing up my Ubunto virtual machine.
  
  I really want/need to learn more about GNUradio. It is amazing what people put together and it makes me aware that I don't know sh*t about any of this... 
  
  Regards,
  Vitor