Using SDR sharp and a NooElec NESDR Mini+ dongle, I made several scans of the 945-952 STL band in a few of our markets.\u00a0 Using the scanner and frequency search plugin, the SDR software very quickly identified all of the in-use frequencies.\u00a0 One can also look at the frequency span in the spectrum analyzer, but this takes a lot of processing power.\u00a0 The scanner plugin makes this easier and can be automated.<\/p>\n I also listened to the analog STLs in FM Wideband mode.\u00a0 Several stations are injecting their RDS data at the studio.\u00a0 There is one that appears to be -1500 Hz off frequency.\u00a0 I’ll let them know.<\/p>\n Next, I have found it beneficial just to keep the dongle and a small antenna in my laptop bag.\u00a0 Setting up a new RDS subcarrier; with the dongle and SDR# one can quickly and easily check for errors.\u00a0 Tracking down one of those nasty pirates; a laptop with a directional antenna will make quick work.<\/p>\n Something that I found interesting is the waterfall display for the PPM-encoded stations:<\/p>\n Not only can you see the watermarking on the main channel, you can also see the HD Radio carriers +\/- 200 KHz from the carrier frequency.\u00a0 That is pretty much twice the bandwidth allotment for an FM station.<\/p>\n Those two stations are simulcasting.\u00a0 WPDA is not using Nielson PPM nor HD Radio technology.\u00a0 There is all sorts of interesting information that can be gleaned from one of these units.<\/p>\n Aiming a satellite dish at AMC-8 can be a bit challenging.\u00a0 That part of the sky is pretty crowded, as it turns out.\u00a0 Dish pointer is a good general reference (www.dishpointer.com<\/a>) and the Dish Align<\/a> app for iOS works well.\u00a0 But for peaking a dish, the RTL 2832 dongle makes it easy to find the correct satellite and optimize the transponder polarization.\u00a0 Each satellite has Horizontal and Vertical beacons.\u00a0 These vary slightly in frequency, thus, but by tuning to the correct beacon frequency, you can be assured that you are on the right satellite.\u00a0 All of the radio network programming on AMC-8 is on vertically polarized transponders, therefore,\u00a0 the vertical beacons are of interest.\u00a0 Here are the vertical beacons for satellites in that part of the sky:<\/p>\n![\"950](\"https:\/\/www.engineeringradio.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/helderburg_950u.jpg\")
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