Simply while you suppose the Raspberry Pi group has performed all of it, one maker boldly goes the place no maker has gone earlier than. At this time we’ve bought an thrilling replace to share: Maker and developer Saveitforparts is utilizing his home made Raspberry Pi Tricorder to detect Starlink satellites. If you happen to’re questioning what a Tricorder is, these are handheld devices from the Star Trek universe used to scan the setting round them.
Saveitforparts does simply that along with his Tricorder, utilizing quite a lot of sensors to scan for issues like RF alerts and thermal our bodies. We first reported on it final yr, however at the moment we’re excited to share the challenge’s newest replace. There’s one thing fairly acceptable in utilizing a DIY Tricorder to scan for low-orbit satellites. On this case, he’s on the lookout for Starlink satellites that are run by SpaceX and used to supply web entry and meant to achieve world assist throughout the coming years.
The brand new improve is feasible due to an LNB module taken from an previous satellite tv for pc dish. This module is able to detecting KU-band radio beacons eminating from Starlink satellites. The system gained’t permit the Tricorder to connect with the web, however fairly simply detects the placement of the satellites as they go by, with a visible indicator of their trails displayed on the Tricorder’s LCD display.
The {hardware} is housed inside a water-resistant shell. It outputs visible representations of the information it collects for issues like its thermal digicam module, RF scanner and extra. The unit can be utterly moveable due to its battery pack, so it’s potential to take it with you on the go—excellent for away missions.
You’ll find a extra detailed breakdown of the challenge on the official saveitforparts weblog. A current replace showcases the Starlink detecting improve. If you wish to recreate this Raspberry Pi challenge, try the weblog submit and head over to YouTube to see it in motion. You will have a good bit of {hardware} to construct the challenge nevertheless it’s positively potential to duplicate at dwelling. That is considered one of many tasks created by Saveitforparts, so be sure you observe him for any extra Tricorder updates in addition to future tasks.
