Whistler Catcher VLF Reception System

What is the Whistler Catcher VLF Reception System?

The Whistler Catcher VLF Reception System is a very low frequency software defined radio (VLF SDR) system. It utilizes an open hardware, open software, and open data design and philosophy to facilitate and promote citizen science in the study of VLF phenomena; including the Earth's natural radio emissions, VLF amateur radio transmissions in the 8270 Hz and 5710 Hz bands, and lightning stroke location.

The system consists of both hardware and software. The hardware consists of VLF Active Antenna along with a VLF interface box to supply power and interface the signal; a GNSS interface box to provide a pulse per second (PPS) signal for the purposes of frequency calibration and timestamping; a Behringer UMC202HD USB audio interface for data acquisition, and a thin client PC with serial port. The designs of the VLF Active Antenna, VLF Interface Box, and GNSS Interface Box are all open hardware. The software includes vlfrx-tools, an open source software toolkit primarily for the application of VLF signal capturing, calibration, timestamping, filtering, storage, live listening, retrieval, visualization, EbNaut amateur mode decoding, and other signal processing functions in over 30 individual program utilities. It was written by Paul Nicholson G8LMD [SK], a passionate VLF enthusiast to which the Whistler Catcher VLF Reception System is dedicated to.

HamSCI DASI2 Kit Installation

Install active antenna outside

Run feedline inside

Connect System Components

(TODO: Mermaid diagram)

architecture-beta
    group api(cloud)[API]

    service db(database)[Database] in api
    service disk1(disk)[Storage] in api
    service disk2(disk)[Storage] in api
    service server(server)[Server] in api

    db:L -- R:server
    disk1:T -- B:server
    disk2:T -- B:db

Loading

Power On

Software Setup

(Zenodo link for SD card image)

Calibration Procedure