Range Testing RF Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) for ADS-B data on RTL-SDR

Hi there, I hope you are all well and finding time to be productive and creative in this interesting year, I am sure there are ways to distract yourself from the craziness and also the mundane and what better way than helping yourself to discover all those niche projects that you always put to the back of the queue while you followed the buzz of 'A.i.' Robotics and UAVS.

One project that has interested me over the past few months has been finding some purposeful uses for my RTL SDR dongle. One of those generally straightforward ways is to capture and analyse ADS-B data of nearby aircraft flying overhead.

For my project I am using:

USB RTL SDR HF Box - I find this works ok for the price, it allows me to learn about both Broadcast FM frequencies, 2m HAM, and AM frequencies on the HF Band. Researching on the internet there are some reviewers claiming this box fails to function on HF but mine works fine, you just have to select to correct setting on your computer software of choice.

DIY 1090Mhz Quarter Wave Groundplane Antenna - I made my own, it is quick and easy to do and you will be surprised by the improved results using your new antenna which is made to the correct frequency of ADS-B 1090mhz, you can make an accurate calculation for your antenna here. I used 2mm copper wire from 240v Earth Wire. I designed and 3d printed the covers for the wire to keep them from gouging anyone, I figure it makes it look Sputnik-like too. Notice also, that I added a couple of Ferrite Chokes to the usb cable which plugs into the RTL SDR, i'm not sure how well they work as I have no way to test it but hey why not. The Coaxial cable I used is RG174.

As I don't have an Antenna Anlyzer I have to rely on the correct calculations and trust it.

Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) - I used a cheap one from ebay, there are multiple options of LNA, they can be had for cheap if you look around.

ADS-B Software - There are several options and they all are useful in their own way, depending on which operating system you are using. Generally I like to use Dump1090 on MacOS or Windows. For this test I used a simple option of my smartphone with an app called ADSB Receiver which will give you a maximum range circle for your range test. I connected the RTL-SDR box using a usb otg adapter.

DUMP1090 browser view

Dump1090 Command Line View

So, here we go, we have all of our equipment ready and connected, making sure you have the correct orientation of our LNA so as no to damage the RTL-SDR Box. Check it is correct before powering things.

First of all I tested with the standard antenna that came with the RTL-SDR box, I have no real knowledge of what frequency it is tuned to, I just plugged it in as it is the first port of call for most SDR users new to this.

Opening up Avare ADSB app on Android Phone, after some time I found a few Airplanes, and the app projected my maximum detection range as 18 miles. I thought this was not bad for a first try with just a smartphone and box. However, next I tried with the Homemade 1/4 wave groundplane antenna hooked up.

36 miles which is double the range than with the unknown included antenna. I felt quite pleased to capture aircraft data out at sea from just my bedroom window.

Onto the next step, I added the Low Noise Amplifier LNA to the chain, powered it up using +5v Usb

Far greater increase in range, I am almost receiving from Dublin Airport across the Irish Sea. I was quite excited by this improvement and began to wonder and consider how the LNA could be used for other experiments. Perhaps it will allow me to start receiving Weather Satellite data with a tuned QFH.

Next day I tried to use the LNA setup again, but unfortunately it appeared to have stopped working. I desoldered the metal cover plate to take a look at the components

LNA without cover

Closeup inspection shows a burn on the copper trace and possibly the SPF5189 module. I tested continuity using my multimeter and sure enough it seems there is a problem.

To fix this issue, I could buy another LNA, or I could order a SPF5189 and repair the board so Whatch this space. I really feel the LNA is a benefit to receiving ADSB data and it is not an expensive thing to obtain.

Thanks for reading and I hope you are all well.

How to enable USB 3.0 on a Macbook Pro 17" Late 2008

Hi there
I have an old Macbook Pro 17" Late 2008 model. It does things I need just fine but I have added some things to it over time. It has the following top-end specs:
- 2.5ghz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
- 4GB Ram
- 240GB SSD (I installed this by replacing the old hard drive)
- Nvidia Geforce 8600M GT 512MB Graphics (Up from 256MB on the lower models)
- Full HD 1920x1200 Display (The top model at the time)
- OSX El Capitan 10.11.6

I have to repair the power adapter every so often, The magsafe still works but wears out every two years it seems). I also added a USB mimo Wifi adapter after the internal wifi crapped out.  And I rarely use the Macbook without a fan cooler tray underneath it as it runs hot without.

Anyway, this week I set about adding USB 3.0 capability to it. I learned that you can get a USB 3.0 Expresscard for the macbook and slot it into the side, do some software changes and voila. So here is how I did it.

If you look at the image above of the card you will notice that it has BC628 in the lower right. It doesn't seem to be overly important with these cards. The cards are mass produced cheaply, and even though they have the same sticker they can have different chipsets inside. Take a look here:

even thought the two lower left cards look like ours with the BC628 sticker, they have different chips.

The one I received came with a driver CD with uPD720202 on it so I assumed mine had this chip inside.

There are many different guides online explaining how to add these cards and which software to run, some even suggest installing Multibeast to use it to download and install the drivers. I suggest treading carefully as the Multibeast method did not work for me and it borked my OSX completely and I had to remoe the drive and put back my backup drive and start over. Take a look at my Macbook specs at the beginning of this article, the following procedure is what I did to make it all work on my El Capitan Macbook:

1) Turn off your macbook
2) Slot in the Expresscard
3) Turn on your macbook while holding down the alt key until you get the option to boot into recovery
4) click the recovery drive
5) in the menu bar click >

6) in the terminal we are going to disable security.
7) type csrutil disable
8) press enter and you should get a message saying it is disabled
9) type reboot and press enter to reboot the mac into OSX
10) open a terminal and type nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1" and press enter and do your password
11) This bit is the magic to make it work. Remember, I am using El Capitan, it may be different for your version.
12) Download the zip file here>>>>>>>>>Click here
13) unzip it and open it up, the open the folder 'for OSX Yosemite 10.10' it works with El Capitan, the other version does not work.
14) Run USB 3.0 OSX Software 2.3.0.pkg and let it install
15) Next Run Kext Wizard and under the 'maintenance tab' select both repair permissions and rebuild cache in the System/Library/Extension part. Let it do it's think, it takes a few minutes.
16) Power off the Macbook, plug in a usb drive, switch it on.
17) All being well the USB drive is now working. Plug in a USB 3 stick, The USB drive should have it's led on if it is working and you can check via Launchpad > System Information > Pci
It will show 'USB Super-Speed Bus' in the list.

Overall I am happy with the $5 cheap improvement.

Good Luck!

DIY CNC Machine

So, it's been a long long long few months. Longer than I had hoped but I finally got the opportunity to be sat here right right now typing out this article on my laptop. It's been one of the longer projects I have undertaken to be sure.

Back in May 2019 I found myself with a mixture or spare time, and some spare money; a dangerous combination. So I thought a little about the ideas, wants, projects in the parts of my heart I have been hoping to approach before the day arrives that we can't approach projects anymore, our health, our families, responsibilities, whatever it may be that means you can't, might approach. But it's important to keep on going, keep creating, learning, designing, tools, ideas, things, just make them. What is important on your last day on earth? Is it having a big pile of money beside you? Or is it the knowledge, the experiences, the ideas, the places you have seen, the people you have met, hated loved?

Anyway, I decided to approach the idea of making a cnc machine. This was in May 2019 after departing one relationship, I needed to keep myself occupied, and to have a feeling of self pride again, I set about searching for ideas, and found that there are dozens and dozens of cnc projects out there and they all have their own slant on the idea.

I have been quite into using found materials lately. And I was drawn to one particular cnc design which uses readily available metal conduit pipe as a main material. It also uses a significant amount of 3D printed parts which reduces the reliance upon bought items.

I already had spare Ramps Board, Stepper Drivers and Arduino from previous 3D printer builds, so all I really needed was Nuts & Bolts.

I set about building.

I started out making a multi-function table, to allow me to cut and clamp wood just like the Festool and Kreg MFT tables. I thought the CNC can come afterward.

I quickly bounced from the completed MFT to the CNC without really pausing, I kinda had some good drive and I wasn't stopping.

I bought Conduit Tubing for $10 per 3 Metres and cut it up with a saw. I then went out and bought a pipe cutting tool after realising how stupid it is to hand cut pipe. Nice smooth cuts with a cheap pipe cutter, you won't regret it.

I pumped out the 3D printed parts one after one after one. I knew it was going to take a while, but oh momma does it take a while. I lost drive and motivation on this stage, I thought about giving up, especially when a 6 hour print failed and I had to figure out how to approach it again. I don't think I could go through printing an entire set of CNC machine parts again, I think it was over 200 hours of printing not including breaks, setups, fails, replacements, prep work, slicing. It was by far and away the bulk of the work.

But once I had the Conduit, and 3D printed parts, I found that I wasn't really following any sort of instructions and I was just making and figuring out. It was just frame work afterall. I really really wanted to get moving in anyway possible after the part printing marathon.

Gradually, I started to get a frame going.

Then it was onto attaching belts, bolts, arms, and skateboard bearings. Lots and lots and lots of skateboard bearings.

Stepper motors, wiring, circuitry, arduino programming, all these things went quick and first time. I feel comfortable if that area. I think I have built 6 3D printers from scratch, tons and tons of planes and drones, and well, It just gets easier until you don't even think about it anymore and you can solve errors in a minute.

Once I had it built, I sat back and admired for a while.

But now to test it, and to test it in the safest and least destructive way possible. I wanted not to damage it after all these hours. So, I started with a sharpie pen and pizza box cardboard. Also one hand on the off switch ready in case.

Fortunately, the test drawings went really well; it's quite hard to screw up plotter drawing.

It's great fun to watch.

I thought then, what next, let's level up.

I moved onto cardboard cutting

Then to Vinyl sticker making

Again, it seems to go pretty smoothly, The cutting might only fail if you don't set the Z axis height correctly. Too low and it digs into the vinyl and drags it, too high and the blade misses scoring out areas. You have to build a feel for the correct height.













A project I found useful to me was to design and create some stickers for my campervan to help me make it look on the outside more campervan-like.

I like that my CNC machine has a good cutting area. I have A2 size which is roughly 40cm by 60cm. Bigger than any home Printer.

Moving on I went to Level 3 and that is to start cutting into wood. I had scraps of plywood laying around so instead of buying special Brazilian rosewood, Teak Slabs, or Kiln dried Oak, I used mistake wood to make mistake ideas on.


I got myself a cheapie CNC Spindle and 3D printed a mount for the Aluminium clamp

Then I designed my first Wood cuts, I took it very slow.

Then I felt confident and familiar enough to use the right tools to make something more satisfying.

The good stuff can come later.

I had some leftover wood, and decided to make a quick easy Screen Printing Press.

I can make stencils to allow me to screen print posters and fabrics.

I also made a touch probe to help home the cnc simply.


Where next? Lasers, Plasma cutting, PCB etching.

Making Ultra Expensive Japanese Tea Tins on a Budget

I came home from Japan recently, and one of the motivating factors for me to go there was after visiting Japan House in Kensington, London. It is a beautiful building right in the heart of upmarket London, the items inside are exquisite examples of Japanese products made at the highest standards and of course with a price tag to boot. I remember my eye being particularly fond of some Japanese Tea Tins. I picked one up and almost dropped it on the floor when I saw the price sticker on the bottom. I figured then that I would save that money and just go visit Japan myself and pick up a tin somewhere for a few bucks. It kinda worked out like that.

Here are some of the examples I saw in Japan House London

These ones I really liked but the price tag put me off, I noticed they were standard Tea tins and carefully decorated in hand made paper. Beautiful but out of my budget.

I remember buying a small semi-affordable bottle of room scent and on taking it to the counter, I struck up a conversation with two Japanese ladies who were handling purchases. One was young, one was old, and I spoke to the older lady about the beautiful tins but being shocked by the price, she gave me the dagger eyes which I would later on see a lot more of during my time in Tokyo a few months later. I usually become gung-ho once I can sense disapproval towards me, in people, I tend to take a 'what the hell' approach after this, and I smiled at her, and told her that I prefer Daiso anyway. The old lady walked away from me bitterly, I smiled, and the young lady giggled. It was then I struck up conversation with the young lady, and explained about my Daiso experiences in South East Asia, how it is much more unique than other dollar stores in the western world. She helped me to feel happy to go visit Japan right there.

And that was my story. I of course visited Japan for a while and enjoyed lots, disliked some. I guess it's like that all around the world. But one thing I struggled to find was those damn tins. No exact match, no similar craft stores in all of tokyo. But I did find bare metal tins in Nitori for a few bucks, and I found some authentic Japanese paper in a craft store on Nakamise Shopping Street and I vowed to take them both home and do it myself.

I finally got motivated today, and picked up some glue paste to help me stick the paper to the tin. Here is my experience.

I got my tin, glue and cut some shapes.

The paper came from a book store, it was intended for book covering but I like the colour, pattern, and it was the right dimensions

I glued  a circle for the lid first, cutting the edges like a clock to allow me to stick down the sides neatly.

Then it was onto sticking the big sheet over the edges and main tube.

I let it all dry for an hour, then, with a fresh blade, I cut off the excess at the bottom.

Pressing it all down and smoothing it a bit, I get my Authentic Paper wrapped tea tin, hand picked from various places in Tokyo by yours truly

I don't mind so much that I didn't buy the ones in Japan house, I'm happy that I close my eyes and see the disapproving old counter lady, and I like that each part to it has a story, an adventure, I can recall the sounds and smells of the places in Tokyo as I pick each piece up. Priceless.

Thanks for reading :)

Kreg R3 Pocket Hole Jig Clamp Adapters

Update: Now Kreg R3 includes Vacuum Dust Attachment (No More Mess)

I have a cheap 12v Car Vac which I modified to use a 3s lipo

The hose adapter fits nice and snug with both the hose and Kreg R3

The Hose adapter Leaves no mess it all collects in the Vacuum Collector

Drilling pocket holes is easy, and also clean.

I have a 3D printer and I like to use it, if possible to help me from spending money. It can really help sometimes. For example, I own a Kreg R3 Pocket Hole Jig which I use for making angle joints in various types of wood cuts.

It is useful to also have the Kreg Face Clamps and Right Angle Clamps to help you line up and cut the holes without things moving around or having to hold two pieces of wood together with one hand while drilling with the other.

Unfortunately getting both these clamps will set you back around $60.

I found a suitable replacement clamp on ebay for around $7 - Search 9" Locking Clamp Welding Grip Pliers 23cm".

I designed little adapters and printed the parts using my 3D Printer and they turned out ok.

I uploaded them on Thingiverse should you like to give them a try for free.

Thanks For reading :)

Edit: I added a corner Clamp too