Kraken Pro Cloud Mapper and Other Updates

In this update we'd like to share some of the KrakenSDR projects we've been working on, as well as various projects we've seen from our customers.

Kraken Pro Cloud Online Mapper Updates

Recently we've been working hard at improving the 'Kraken Pro Cloud' online mapper service at map.krakenrf.com. If you were unaware, this service is an online mapping application that can be used together with one or more KrakenSDRs to display their generated bearings on a map. This is useful if you have multiple KrakenSDRs at fixed sites spread out over a wide area, as it allows you to instantly triangulate. The features include:

• Multiple Kraken's displaying on a single map

• Display a Heatmap just like the Android App

• Ability to remote control the Kraken's individually, or all together from a single interface

• Ability to share your Kraken with other users

• Display log files collected from the Android App or Kraken Web GUI

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Recently we've added multiple new features and improved several points:

• Ability to plot multi-VFO (multi frequency) data coming from a KrakenSDR

• Ability to put Kraken's into groups

• Improved heatmap calculation and rendering speed

• Fixed a memory leak that caused the mapper to crash after several hours

• Improved the history feature (see further below)

• Improved the interface

We'd like to especially highlight the improvements to the history feature. The history feature allows you to look back in time and see what the bearings and heatmap at that time looked like. This is useful if you are tracking something, but don't know exactly when the transmissions occur, or are tracking a moving object, and want to be able to review data at a later time.

Currently, we are supporting up to a week of free history, but this may change depending on how much history affects server load. For full disclosure, we eventually plan on making longer history recording available, but this will likely be a paid subscription feature. The timeframe of free history provided may change in the future too.

We also added the ability to play back history at faster speeds, kind of like a timelapse. To do this the heatmaps for each interval need to be precomputed first so that the playback is smooth, and so a 'precompute' button has been added.

For full information about how to use the Kraken Pro Cloud online mapper, please consult the Wiki at https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_docs/wiki/11.-Kraken-Pro-Cloud-Mapper

We also want to note again that Kraken Pro Cloud is currently in beta, and there may still be some bugs. We also do not guarantee any uptime or privacy so please do not use the service for mission critical tasks. If you encounter bugs, please report them on our forums at https://forum.krakenrf.com, or via email to thekraken@krakenrf.com.

The gif animation below shows heatmap playback at 4x speed while the KrakenSDR was tracking the bearing towards a weather balloon.

KrakenSDR Core Updates

Since the last update we have made various bug fixes and a few minor changes to the core software. We highlight some changes below:

• Our images have been updated to include SignalMedic's TAK server. (More on this in a section below)

• (Beta feature) Added the ability to demodulate narrowband FM to audio files. This is in beta as the audio files don't come out particularly clean sounding, but it may be useful for some.

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With the release of the Raspberry Pi 5, we have now also added a Raspberry Pi 5 ready-to-use image as well. The Raspberry Pi 5 runs the KrakenSDR software very smoothly and makes the GUI very responsive. Performance is similar to the Orange Pi 5. If are are new and choosing a platform to run the KrakenSDR on, we would highly recommend the Raspberry Pi 5 now.

SD Card Images can be found in this Mega Upload Folder:

https://mega.nz/folder/8T1jiIzR#_1Ujs4Eoy0wdRib9eHCVSg

Alternative Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14NuCOGM1Fh1QypDNMngXEepKYRBsG--B?usp=sharing

KrakenSDR iOS App

Recently we have been working on getting an iOS version of the KrakenSDR app out. The app is close to completing development and should be out within about a month. Once released we will update our Wiki with links to the app, or you can simply search on the iOS app store for 'KrakenSDR'

KrakenSDR Crowdsupply Conference Workshop

One of the members of our team, Syed, recently ran a workshop on KrakenSDR. The workshop had attendees put together a KrakenSDR set on a large pizza pan and had teams go out into a local park to find a hand held radio transmitter. Photos of the day can be found here.

Highlights from Customers

KrakenSDR YouTube Tutorial from Skyler F

Over on YouTube user 'Skyler F' has uploaded a great video that demonstrates and shows how to set up KrakenSDR. In the video he demonstrates him finding some cellular phone towers.

KrakenSDR Talk by KO4CEQ

We've also seen a great talk by KO4CEQ about KrakenSDR which has been uploaded to YouTube. In the talk he discusses KrakenSDR and shows his very neat car based setup.

Elektor Review of the KrakenSDR

Online store and magazine Elektor has uploaded to their blog a great review of the KrakenSDR. In the review they explain the KrakenSDR specs, and how it can be used as a regular SDR, and then go out to show how they created an antenna array and used the DoA software.

Signal Medi's TAK Server

Thanks to 'SignalMedic' who had coded up a TAK server for KrakenSDR. TAK (Tactical Assault Kit) is software used by the military and other organizations for visualizing geospatial information such as enemy and friendly positions. Civilian versions of TAK also exist, such as ATAK for Android.

The TAK server allows for a KrakenSDR cursor to appear on a TAK map. TAK only allows for a single bearing line to show, so it's not as effective as our own mapping app, but this may be useful for customers who are only using TAK.

SignalMedic has made two implementations. One based on NodeRED, and the other based on Python. As mentioned previously, our image files now include the Python TAK server.

Aaron (aka cemaxcuter, aka creator of DragonOS) has also uploaded a video showing the TAK server in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRU4gTaeH8s

Adrian's 3D Printed Antenna Spacer Arm

In the past we've highlighted Adrian's excellent 3D printed antenna spacer. The files for the 3D printed antenna spacer are available on Thingiverse.

Adrian has recently created a modified version of the arm that is significantly longer and should be able to cover 150 MHz to 1766 MHz. He also notes that he's updated the original arm to include files for laser cutting.

Dbvanhorn 3D Printed Antenna Spacer

We've also seen another 3D printed antenna spacer uploaded to Thingiverse. This file is based on OpenSCAD and allows you to customize the length to be printed.

The antenna spacer was also discussed on our forums.

3D Printed KrakenSDR Chassis for Sale

Finally 'canaryradio' has started selling a 3D printed KrakenSDR chassis that can be used to store the KrakenSDR, cables and antennas.

September Updates

Over the past few months we have released two new demonstration videos, and there have been some user uploaded videos demonstrating the KrakenSDR in action as well.

Low Power FM Transmitter Hunt

In this first video from us, we used a KrakenSDR to determine the location of a low power FM transmitter that was not complying with the rule that says the station must periodically broadcast contact information. Without that information it was not known where the station was broadcasting from.

The KrakenSDR was able to find the station easily, pinpointing it to within a few meters.

GSM Multi-VFO Demonstration

In the second video from us we used a KrakenSDR and the multi-VFO feature to simultaneously collect bearing data on multiple GSM towers. Simultaneously collecting data made finding each transmitter successively faster.

KrakenSDR and DF Aggregator connected over a one kilometer 802.11ah WiFi Link

In the next video Aaron (creator of DragonOS), and [@VibesGoon](https://twitter.com/VibesGoon) on Twitter/X teamed up to test a KrakenSDR connected to a SteamDeck device, which transmitted bearing data to a PC via a long range 802.11ah WiFi link. The 802.11ah worked well at up to a kilometer away.

Image Credit: https://twitter.com/VibesGoon/status/1667603757549383680, https://twitter.com/VibesGoon/status/1672441902400929793

AREG Fox-Hunt

In this video Mark Jessop used a KrakenSDR and his custom LED HUD to locate an amateur radio fox hunt beacon.

Radiation pattern tests on KrakenSDR antenna from antennatestlab.com

Antenna Test Lab (antennatestlab.com) have kindly provided us with radiation pattern tests for our KrakenSDR antennas.

The graph below can be useful for determining what antenna length to use for what frequency, especially as the KrakenSDR antennas contain a loading coil to improve the lower frequency response, so they are not exactly 1/4 wavelength antennas.

Software Updates

Android App Updates

The Android App will be soon updated to a new version in order to comply with Google Play API level requirements. This also requires the MapBox API to be updated to the latest version too, so you may notice some minor changes to the UI.

The new version of the app also includes some improvements such as significantly faster heatmap generation times (now even large log files load quickly), night maps mode, outdoor/terrain map tiles, and improved auto-zoom mode, the ability to hold the heading when the speed drops below a certain value and the ability to avoid toll roads and highways when turn by turn navigation is being used. Some convenience features like being able to copy the lat/lon and open a location up in Google Maps (for example to access Google Street View) has been added to the long press menu as well.

KrakenSDR Web Mapper Updates

The cloud mapper at [map.krakenrf.com](https://map.krakenrf.com) has also undergone several significant updates since our last posting. The UI has been improved and made significantly faster and more responsive, and minor annoyance issues like the heatmap constantly flashing in previous versions have been fixed. An issue with heatmap decay not working correctly sometimes has also now been fixed.

There is also now the ability to share data from your KrakenSDR's within a group. This allows groups of users to work together to determine the location of an unknown transmitter.

The cloud mapper is reaching a more stable status, so if you haven't checked it out yet please do!

Orange Pi 5 Image Released

We have also now released a ready to use image file for Orange Pi 5 devices. The Orange Pi 5 is an excellent device that runs the KrakenSDR very smoothly due to it's fast processor. A link to download the image file can be found on our Wiki https://github.com/krakenrf/krakensdr_docs/wiki/02.-Direction-Finding-Quickstart-Guide#burn-sd-card-image

Core Software Updates

Thanks to third party contributors on GitHub our core software has been updated to add an auto squelch feature which should work in most situations. Squelch is used to prevent random bearings being generated when an intermittent signal stops transmitting. Setting the right squelch level can be challenging especially if the noise floor is changing in different environments, so auto squelch is a welcome improvement.

Finding Multiple GSM Base Station Transmit Towers with the Multi-VFO Feature

In this video we're using KrakenSDR to find the location of GSM base station transmit towers for four frequencies. We're also using the multi-VFO feature to capture the bearing data of these four frequencies simultaneously which can save us some search time.

Once we've found the first transmit tower, we already have some logged bearing data that can be used to help us find the second tower faster. Then the third and fourth towers are even faster to find due to even more data having already been collected.

Interestingly, it also turns out that the first frequency we search for is actually being used by another tower that we pass along the way back. The location of this tower was picked up on the drive back to the first tower. It's possible that these two towers which are a few kilometers apart are covering different areas with directional antennas.

Also note that the first two transmitter searches use the "auto-zoom" map camera feature, which will automatically zoom the screen to show both the vehicle and estimated transmitter location. The second half uses the standard free camera mode.

This is on a new build of the App which is currently in testing, so some things may look slightly different to the currently released version. The new app version will have some minor feature improvements.