OnAirDecode TV sat beacon decoder with an SDR
TV sat beacon decoder: carrier level, offset and drift, with telemetry frames and a decoded view when the beacon carries data.
- Group
- TV
- In the mode list
- Carrier, drift, telemetry frames
What TV sat beacon decoder is
TV satellite beacon decoder: the narrow carrier of a geostationary satellite (a Ku or Ka band beacon through an LNB), found anywhere in the capture and followed in frequency and level (C/N0, offset, drift per minute), the other narrow lines and a second reference carrier listed with their spacing. A phase-modulated beacon is demodulated too: the telemetry tones are found, the BPSK bits recovered….
Frequencies and settings
OnAir takes any frequency you type; the numbers above are the mode's starting point and the range its table describes. In the app the shortcut label is Carrier, drift, telemetry frames.
What OnAir shows
TV satellite beacon decoder: the narrow carrier of a geostationary satellite (a Ku or Ka band beacon through an LNB), found anywhere in the capture and followed in frequency and level (C/N0, offset, drift per minute), the other narrow lines and a second reference carrier listed with their spacing. A phase-modulated beacon is demodulated too: the telemetry tones are found, the BPSK bits recovered at the detected bit rate, and the frame length, frame start and the bits that never change learned from the repetition; frames are listed in hex, their words classified (constants, counters, a clock, a checksum, commutated words, samples) and shown in a decoded view that can be exported as CSV or JSON; the satellite is estimated from the frequency against a table of published beacons. The frame layout of a given satellite is not decoded. Needs a radio that sees the beacon (an LNB and a dish, 2 Msps or more).
Limits and what it was checked with
Checked with generated signals and impairments; recordings of real signals welcome.
Which radio you need
Any radio that tunes this range works. An RTL-SDR covers roughly 24 MHz to 1.7 GHz, and every other radio in the radio guide reaches it too. Antenna height and a clear view of the transmitter matter most.
Receiving and the law
Questions about TV sat beacon decoder
Can I decode TV sat beacon decoder with an RTL-SDR?
No: wide TV channels need a radio that samples faster than an RTL-SDR, which reaches about 2.4 Msps. See the radio guide.
Is it legal to receive TV sat beacon decoder?
Receiving free-to-air broadcasts is legal in most countries. OnAir cannot decode encrypted or scrambled services, and does not try to.
Can I try TV sat beacon decoder in OnAir without a radio?
Yes. Most modes include a built-in synthetic test signal, so you can open the screen and try the controls before you own a radio.