satx

SATx Quick Start Guide

Get your satellite detection system up and running in minutes!

Prerequisites

Python 3.8 or higher
RTL-SDR dongle (optional for testing, required for actual recordings)
Basic antenna (whip, dipole, or QFH)

Step 1: Install Dependencies

# Install Python dependencies
pip3 install -r requirements.txt

Note: If you run out of disk space during installation, the core dependencies (numpy, scipy, matplotlib, skyfield, pandas, flask, requests) should be sufficient to get started.

Step 2: Configure Your Station

Edit configs/station.ini with your location:

[station]
name = My-Station
latitude = 40.7128    # Your latitude
longitude = -74.0060  # Your longitude
elevation = 10.0      # Meters above sea level
min_elevation = 10.0  # Minimum elevation for passes

Step 3: Fetch Satellite Data

python3 scripts/fetch_tles.py

This downloads orbital data (TLEs) for thousands of satellites.

Step 4: Predict Satellite Passes

python3 scripts/predict_passes.py

You’ll see a list of upcoming satellite passes like:

1. NOAA 19 (NORAD 33591)
   Rise: 2026-01-01 16:34:44 UTC
   Max Elevation: 12.5°
   Duration: 4m 31s

Step 5: Start the Web Dashboard

python3 web/app.py

Open your browser to: http://localhost:8080

You’ll see:

📊 Real-time system statistics
🛰️ Active satellite tracking
📈 Analytics dashboard
📁 Recording library

Step 6: Record Your First Pass (Optional)

If you have an RTL-SDR connected:

# Record a 5-minute pass
bash scripts/start_recording.sh 25544 437000000 2400000 300 recordings/test.iq

Parameters:

25544 - NORAD ID (ISS in this example)
437000000 - Frequency in Hz (437 MHz UHF)
2400000 - Sample rate (2.4 MHz)
300 - Duration in seconds (5 minutes)
recordings/test.iq - Output filename

Step 7: Process Recording

python3 scripts/process_recording.py recordings/test.iq

This generates:

Spectrogram image (.png)
Signal candidates (.json)
CSV log entry

Automated Operation

For hands-free operation, use the scheduler:

python3 scripts/scheduler.py

The scheduler will:

Update TLEs daily
Predict upcoming passes
Automatically record satellites
Process recordings
Log all detections

Advanced Features

Spectrum Scanner

Scan frequency bands to discover active signals:

# Scan all configured bands
python3 scripts/spectrum_scanner.py

# Scan specific band
python3 scripts/spectrum_scanner.py --band 137.0-138.0

The scanner will:

Sweep configured frequency ranges
Detect active signals
Identify signal types (NOAA APT, Amateur, CubeSat, etc.)
Determine modulation types (FM, FSK, BPSK, etc.)
Save results to JSON file

Ghost Mode (Privacy Protection)

Enable maximum privacy for sensitive operations:

# Enable bulletproof privacy
python3 scripts/ghost_mode.py --enable --level maximum

# Check status
python3 scripts/ghost_mode.py --status

# Clean all traces when done
python3 scripts/ghost_mode.py --clean

Ghost Mode provides:

🚫 No external connections
🎭 Anonymous identifiers
🔒 Data encryption
💾 Memory-only operation
🗑️ Secure file deletion

Perfect for:

Security research
Privacy-conscious observation
Operating in sensitive locations
Research requiring anonymity

Troubleshooting

“No module named ‘skyfield’”

pip3 install skyfield numpy scipy matplotlib pandas requests flask

“No TLE file found”

python3 scripts/fetch_tles.py

“RTL-SDR not found”

For testing without hardware, you can:

Use the web dashboard to explore the UI
Run pass predictions
Create dummy recordings for testing

Web dashboard not loading

Check that port 8080 is available:

python3 web/app.py
# Access at http://localhost:8080

Next Steps

Hardware Setup: Connect your RTL-SDR and antenna
Antenna Optimization: Position for best sky view
Schedule Observations: Set up automated recording
Join Community: Share observations on SatNOGS
Decode Signals: Use gr-satellites for protocol decoding

Resources

Happy satellite hunting! 🛰️

This site is open source. Improve this page.