Explore the radio sky.

Explore the modules

Browse a topic or search every lesson. Optional designs and advanced projects can wait.

1. Horn Construction

   Foil-faced insulation board, aluminum tape, dimensional lumber, and a paint-thinner can for the throat. The finished stand is 75 cm across, so it fits through a classroom door.

   5 lessons

2. Receiver Electronics

   The amplifier affects telescope sensitivity. Take time to choose and assemble it carefully. Compare the DSPIRA board with ready-made options before ordering parts.

   5 lessons

3. Software Setup

   Ubuntu, GNU Radio, and the DSPIRA blocks. Review compatibility before choosing an installation route for your computer.

   11 lessons

4. Observing

   Set up and calibrate your telescope, record spectra, and analyze observations of the Milky Way.

   8 lessons

5. Digital Signal Processing

   Six labs build a GNU Radio spectrometer one block at a time. Topics include sampling, Fourier analysis, filters, and correlation. Correlation turns two horns into an interferometer.

   8 lessons

6. Astronomy

   The part it is all for. Learn where to point and how hydrogen appears at 21 cm. Use a rotation curve to investigate dark matter.

   8 lessons

7. Community Labs

   Schools, clubs, and students extend the curriculum with their own hardware. Projects cover cosmic rays, motorized mounts, and comparisons with published measurements.

   4 lessons