Rough Dressler Antenna

I have been using an RTL-SDR to listen for meteors and other signals for a while. With just the supplied little stick antenna. A few efforts to make a DISCONE  and a cheap YAGI failed to complete.

So, when I saw this design,( active-wideband-receiver-antenna-for-sdr article) originally built with copper foil. I tried to make one out of 0.5mm sheet aluminium. I added a 20mm fold point on the long end and 50mm tab on the bottom of the short end. The fold helps to lock in the sheet for a good roll on the 80mm inner tube. The tab folds under the tube and lock the bottom section down. A crimp connection can be made using the tab to attached the cable lead.

I tried it only with a connection directly to the RTL-SDR ( NOOOLEC GREEN NANO) which was connected to the PC using an USB powered 5M extension. Signal and noise levels all rose quite a bit. Next to find a good LNA and see if things get any better,

  

Pluto

New Horizon will make closest approach in next six hours, so download some of the LORRI images from the JPL web site. And used ImageJ to make some features visible....

Update - 20150715 11:00 am local AEST
New horizons has survived it's flyby of Pluto, now waiting for all the good data to slowly download.
Heading for the home of the comets.......

Comet Master

This new comet is finally rising in my evening skies. So, a small effort to recorded it from my backyard....A faint tail is seen...

20150519

Update 20150519 -  A colorful comet.....

My southern skies

As good as it gets...

And then the moon does this.....20150404....

Kerbal Space Program

I don't think I will ever qualify for NASA, so the next best fun and easy thing is KSP.
Kerbal Space Program, lets you build, launch, operate, and launch into planetary orbits you own space craft. Lots of fun going through the learning curve to a stable orbit. I made a little shuttle transport, that does not land well...crash landing... and a small space station to dock with.  Great for those cloudy days and nights.

That's me waving in the lower left image...8)

My heavy lift configurations

A wheely rover heavy landed at MUN...

a Very heavy lander at Min.....

Duna...no return...?

Wheely rover Bigdog-1 arrives and lands at Duna.....

Mun base cluster of landers....

Another wheely....

Star Ships small and big....

Small is goood.....a three part probe gets to orbit, I think this is the smallest craft that works. Also a lander that launches from the KSC pad and gets to Mun landing with juice to spare..

Helped Bob Kerman make a servo controlled telescope...

Flex-O-Rings......

UFO's.......

More UFO's and SMIGS (SMall Is Good Ships)....

An eclipse of the Kerbal Sun by Mun...??

Bob Kerman records and Solar eclipse by mun...

Made it to Plock and back only just....

DALEK - MECHJEB.....!!!

Some rovers and a big wing that can fly around Kerbal nonstop with fuel to spare...

A new mother ship for lander....

Refined the design to deliver 4 land pods....

Miner One - first mobile rover miner not efficient but works..

OOOHH!!   Asteroid mining.....

Playing with small mono powered lander....

more mining tests...

The ASTAR mining company completed initial tests on MUN....

The history of flight.....a Classic Shuttle .... and  more....

Mono powered stunt plane.....

A bigger miner that relocates...

My first sub ...a bit of a sinker.....

Sub II  a better swimer with ore ballast...got to -900m before touching the bottom and blow a ballast tank..

Big Blue long distance sub...does not sink 8( 

Deep dive and new mini sub with variable thrusters....

Space Planes..

My first proper-propeller plane a new fligth trainer, and the best a Helicopter that files great...but slow

Speedy boats and Sea Search and rescue ....