Available for pre-order
View Purchasing OptionsProject update 2 of 7
Thank you to all those who have backed us so far! In this update we want to provide a few manufacturing updates, firmware update news, an example of an alternative use case, and answer a few frequently asked questions.
Now that the campaign is underway, we are finalizing our manufacturing plan so that we can order remaining parts as soon as the campaign funds hit.
We continue to update the ESP32 firmware. Recently, we’ve improved the web UI, added a low torque smooth tracking option, and various other minor features.
We have been experimenting with an alternative use case for the Discovery Drive, which is an automated photography station for aircraft spotting.
In our testing, we connected a zoom camera to the mount and wrote a simple Python script to take ADS-B data from our local ADS-B station. A local ADS-B station is required, as API data from sites like ADSBExchange will be delayed by a few minutes. The script takes live ADS-B data from a tar1090 + readsb installation and converts it to rotctl compatible commands that the rotator can understand. The user can then click on an aircraft in tar1090, and the rotator will automatically rotate and point the camera towards the aircraft. We will upload this script to our Krakenrf GitHub repo for interested customers in the near future.
With this we were able to take videos of aircraft landing, taking off, and passing by automatically. This system could be improved by running a networked zoom camera that can be viewed and controlled remotely, as trying to control a DSLR on a moving platform proved to be tricky.
Can I use Discovery Drive with antennas other than Discovery Dish? What’s the max weight/size?
Yes! Discovery Drive supports the commonly used Wi-Fi grid dish as it uses a similar bracket to the Discovery Dish. The max torque that Discovery Dish can support is 125kg·cm and 5kg. The torque is calculated by the weight of your antenna, multiplied by the horizontal distance from the rotational plate’s center to the center of gravity of your antenna.
Can I use it without Wi-Fi (USB-serial only)?
Yes, the USB cable provides a USB-serial port that you can connect to and issue hamlib rotctl (Easy-Comm II) commands to.
What happens during a power outage, does it hold position or drop?
The position will be held by the locked worm gears. When power comes back, the rotator will automatically unwind and home itself.
What’s the tracking accuracy like in practice for fast LEO passes?
The 1.5 RPM Azimuth speed, 0.25 RPM elevation speed is fast enough for most of the fastest LEO satellite passes. For fast satellites, during a near zenith pass, there may be a short period of a few seconds near zenith where tracking drops, while the rotator azimuth catches up.
Can I run it from a battery or solar panel?
Yes, but you’ll need at least a stable 10 W supply. When idle, Discovery Drive uses about 1 W.
Are replacement parts available?
We have done service life testing equivalent to one year of nominal use* and not found any wear issues. However, we have designed Discovery Drive to be easily serviceable in the rare event of a failure. The motor can easily be unscrewed and replaced by the customer, and likewise, the sensor boards can easily be removed and replaced if necessary. In the very unlikely event of gearbox failure, we can send a replacement gearbox and a tool to help you remove and reinsert the shaft.
Can I use the rotator in a marine environment?
We do not recommend use in marine environments. The stainless steel parts use SS304, which is rated for outdoor, but not marine use. If you really want to use Discovery Drive in a marine environment, contact us, and we may be able to give you a quote to produce a custom model for you using SS316.
When will the side pod accessories be available?
The side pods tie into another of our upcoming product releases, which we aim to release this year. So keep an eye out!
What sort of weather can the Discovery Drive handle?
The Discovery Drive is completely weatherproof to heavy rain out of the box. While Discovery Drive has a feature that can automatically stow the dish during high winds, in the case of severe hurricane or cyclone-like weather, we strongly suggest removing any dishes, such as the Discovery Dish, that provide a strong wind loading surface. Remember that even gridded dishes like a Wi-Fi grid dish can present a significant loading surface in turbulent winds.
Is there an Ethernet connection to Discovery Drive?
No, the connections on Discovery Drive are a 12 V barrel jack and a USB-C female head (PD Supply compatible).
Ethernet has been presented in the campaign in reference to Power over Ethernet. We have made note that the Discovery Drive has relatively low power usage, so it could potentially be powered via PoE+ which has a 25 W power budget. You could run your own PoE+ splitter up to the rotator, and take 12 V from the splitter, leaving you with enough power to run a Raspberry Pi and RTL-SDR.
Discovery Drive is part of Qorvo RF Accelerator