Radio Hackers Newsletter: Aug 2024
As always, there’s been lots happening behind the scenes.
Monthly Update
We’ve been working away at producing new content and compiling tutorials to go with it. Because of this, the Raspberry Pi’s are running hot. One is running Dragon OS and set to produce some more SIGINT articles and the other is being configured to run as a SATNOGS receive station.
There’s going to be a whole series over the next few months focusing on how to set up a simple SATNOGS station of your own, complete with your own “homebrew” antenna. This will be an entry-level tutorial on how to get into space communications and we’re super excited to start sharing it with you.
Eventually, though, we’ll be retiring the Dragon Pi for a custom-built War Dragon. Based on a Lenovo mini PC, it’ll be a significant step up from the Pi for wardriving and research purposes and it’s perfect for putting together tutorials for the publication.
RF Fact of the Month
Did you know that some modern fighter jets have avionics that are purpose-built to dominate entire chunks of the radio spectrum? The EA-18G Growler is designed to do just this job.The Boeing EA-18 Growler has a sophisticated payload to help control the spectrum. Source: Wikipedia
Antenna of the Month
The Discone
A discone antenna is a wideband antenna designed to operate over a broad frequency range. Its name derives from its distinctive shape, which combines a disc (the horizontal element) and a cone (the vertical element) to form a structure resembling a disc and cone joined together.
The discone antenna can cover a broad frequency range, typically from 1 MHz to 1 GHz or more, making it suitable for applications requiring multi-band coverage.
It provides an omnidirectional radiation pattern in the horizontal plane, making it effective for receiving signals from all directions.
It’s commonly used in amateur radio, scanning, and general monitoring applications due to its ability to operate across various frequencies.
Featured Tool
Kismet
Kismet is a powerful open-source wireless network detector, sniffer, and intrusion detection system used in cybersecurity and network analysis. It enables users to identify and analyze wireless networks, detect hidden SSIDs, and capture detailed data about network traffic and associated devices. Kismet is a valuable tool for both network administrators seeking to optimize performance and security professionals conducting assessments or investigating potential vulnerabilities. However, it’s also a great tool for those looking to explore the world of wireless for learning purposes.
Spotlight on a Contributor
Thanks to GhostByte for joining the publication!
Their first contribution was a piece focusing on how SDR is reshaping modern cybersecurity via airborne attacks. It’s an interesting read if you want to check it out
Airborne Attacks: How SDR is changing the rules of Cyberwarfare
Introduction
medium.com
We also have Simon Field as a new joiner. He’s currently producing a new series on Python Radio. Article 9 dropped today and there’s plenty more where that came from.
Simon is an established author and amateur radio operator with plenty of experience to share. If you haven’t followed him yet, be sure to fix that when you’ve finished reading. In the meantime, here’s some of his work that was released this week.
Python Radio 9: A 40-meter CW transmitter
Using just the ESP32.
medium.com
Resource of the Month
Linux Basics for Hackers
A great guide for those looking to get established exploring the terminal or develop foundational skills. While terminal experience isn’t essential, you’ll find far more tools available if you’re willing to take the time to learn it. While this is an older book, it still has plenty to offer to those who are new to the world of the penguin.
In Closing
Don’t forget that if you have your own experiences to share we’d love to hear from you! We’re always looking for writers of all levels to submit articles, talk about projects or share parts of their learning journey. If this is you, you can find all the details you need to get started on the front part of the publication.
We also love tutorial suggestions and questions so if you’d like to read or learn about a specific topic then get loud in the comments so we can hear your suggestions.
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