HackRF One Portapack H2+

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byndhlptom

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JoCo, KS (SoDak native)
I have acquired a HackRF One w/ PortaPack H2+(used). I have spent a lot of time trying to find basic operating instructions. As example, when I go to the Receiver/audio screen. What do the Icons and numbers refer to? All the instructions I am finding online do not show a screen shot with icon/numbers descriptions. I can adjust/change things, not sure what I am changing.... The instructions I am finding all seem to assume that I already know what the various icons/numbers are for what function....

Can someone point me in the right direction to instructions that explain screen operation/functions? Maybe some pictures? Obviously not using correct search terms....

Thanks in advance
 

radiosniffer

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Ontario
Anyluck? I am interested in buying one and have not spoke to anyone about how they are making out. Also need to find a legit place to get one.
 

byndhlptom

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Nov 1, 2005
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399
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JoCo, KS (SoDak native)
FreqNout the instructions are for the H1, H2 is enough different, not really addressing the original question, but thanks. H1 seems to be documented much better than the H2

Whiskey3JMC I had viewed the video already, he skips over/ does not explain any details on the different screens. As an example, on the audio screen, what do the numbers to the right of the frequency display do/indicate?

Appreciate the responses

tom
 

FreqNout

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Jul 23, 2021
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Chicagoland
FreqNout the instructions are for the H1, H2 is enough different, not really addressing the original question, but thanks. H1 seems to be documented much better than the H2
Okay, I now see you have an H2. I was not aware of the H2. Do you like the H2?
 

goldmyne99

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Joined
Jul 23, 2018
Messages
274

chris451rr

Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
66
Location
iowa
I have acquired a HackRF One w/ PortaPack H2+(used). I have spent a lot of time trying to find basic operating instructions. As example, when I go to the Receiver/audio screen. What do the Icons and numbers refer to? All the instructions I am finding online do not show a screen shot with icon/numbers descriptions. I can adjust/change things, not sure what I am changing.... The instructions I am finding all seem to assume that I already know what the various icons/numbers are for what function....

Can someone point me in the right direction to instructions that explain screen operation/functions? Maybe some pictures? Obviously not using correct search terms....

Thanks in advance

Here is my evaluation of the HackRF portapack H2 I just purchased this week(9/23/22). Looks like its been out for a year or two. Very impressed with it, much nicer than the usual laptop PC + USb method of using sdr's.



I have had a hackrf one for a couple of years. While looking at something else I came across the H2 portapack board on Ebay and some completed integrated units as well. After a little read about it this seemed like a very good idea to get one or two of these. Lots of interesting features and ability to perform most of the functions that can be done on a PC with the HackRF. Checklist: its a HackRF one, yes.
Plug in socket pin pattern matches. I ordered complete H2Portapack and
ordered a second add on to put with my existing hackRF. From what I've read you need to reflash the HackRF thats where the searial flash is located, to install the mayhem firmware.

This consists of the board and a battery and a speaker connector with wires. There was no speaker with this kit. There was no SD card. It will run without it but the ADSB map, aircraft database is there. I found a sample SD card contents on github.
Download as zip then extract it on a PC, and you will need to modify freq ranges for the bands that are of interest, keep a folder handy to work on it.
I found world_map.bin but it doesnt work right so I'll have to run the python script explaned in the docs to create it. It converts workd_map.jpg to a custom format.

Here are some basics I have not found documented:
Turning it off: double tap the rotary knob it goes left right and in, single tap to turn back on.
Took me a couple of days to find that, I was getting ready to put a switch on the battery.(H2) I never had an H1, I haven't found any open source on that board either.
Top row highlight using the 5 buttons and click center to turn on or off: Speaker, Stealth (blank screen while tx), screenshot, display sleep, bias tee, clock out, sd status.
RF in/out comes in or out of the top connector.
Amp 1: High band above UHF.
Amp 0: low band down to about 1 mhz.
DC bias for antenna preamps: 3.2 volts, active when receive is running.
Clock out: 3.3volts Peak to Peak defaults to 10mhz. There is 10mhz present on the clock in terminal at a lower amplitude.

When pulling the USB go to the top menu so there are no SD writes going on, this seems to reset everything.

Looking glass: wide band spectrum sweeps.
You can set Low Noise Amp Gain, Variable Gain Amp Gain, preset which is selected with buttons then rotate the knob to select an item (freq range) in the lookinglass.txt file , set the marker to identify a signal line, and resolution, lower for fast changing signals like hoppers, slow for weaker signals that don't change.
Move marker near a signal of interest, press center button, this puts you into drill down receiver mode in that sub band.
Edit the preset file 'lookingglass.txt' on the sd card to edit ranges for your area. Edit on the pc then transfer to the SD card, at your convenience.

Microphone: There is a 3 pin 3.5mm connector on the bottom of the H2 board,
You can use a 3 pin headset 3.5mm to connect left, right and mic to the unit.
I used a pc type stereo earphone with microphone. I heard a click when plugging it in, indicating there is a dc bias for electret mics, on the third pin of the jack.
I set up the rx and tx frequencies in nbfm and tuned another transceiver to the channel, and it works! Both receiving and transmitting, you have to set up the receive and transmit frequencies separately, There is plenty of audio gain. If the source were to be a line input then it would feed into the third pin of this jack with a splitter cable for compact PC's that have only a headset jack.
When receiving I hear a zero crossing heterodyne (from the local oscillator?) meaning there is no offset between the local oscillator and the 'dc frequency' so it has that problem, in this case its a strong signal. When it receives in this mode I hear this as a buzz added to the audio at the sub audio tone rate.
This can transmit AM FM USB LSB and CW, on the tuned frequency, set via the menu on the tx page selects bandwidth and gain. Gain sets up output power 0 to 47. highlight the Tx button and press center to key, set up roger beep and sub audio tone as required.
If you set up a receive mode that is how the transmit mode is set.
That is pretty cool, an all mode transmitter exciter!!!

Range, very solid signal to a scanner at 200 feet, probably can go a lot farther than that with the 20mw or so of power. Next project sweep the frequency.

Battery: appears to charge whenever the USB is connected. Run time about 4 hours, some decrease on high cpu usage apps. The unit will not shut off when USB power is applied.
Hope that helps, I learned a lot just figuring this thing out.

I tried to pick up GOES satellites but found out they don't have analog downlinks anymore and the downlinks are much different, also noted some local ground signals getting through on that band from spurious. A big antenna was used but could not find the downlinks, not sure of the EIRP on this but an LNA or preselector filter will be required.
I tried it on a KU satellite IF and known signals can be seen on it but what you see on the FFT varies alot with many of the settings.
Most notable is averaging settings, in the receive mode, custom settings, there is an averaging number 0 to 63, the lower that is the faster the FFT will run, and small pulses can be found, though the gain has to be increased either in the LNA or VGA.
There is no amplitude calibration, so a signal generator reference would be needed, screenshot, then you have all the gain settings, then tune to the frequency in question and feed the signal generator in, start low and work your way up in amplitude until the level is matched. Sounds like a lot of work.
While tuning around I do see the spurious responses. The front end is wide open so the local oscillator harmonics seem to mix with strong cell band signals and wifi so these appear when tuned to 1/2 1/3 or 1/4 the frequencies such as 2.45ghz and 740, 880, 1950 wherever strong signals are found.
You can tell which ones are spurious because when tuning up the spurios may be going down or moving at a different rate then the real signals. I have a lot of this noise around the house even when I live 3 miles from the nearest cell towers.

Hope that helps -Chris
 

Dirk_SDR

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2022
Messages
323
Location
Germany
I found a sample SD card contents on github.
Download as zip then extract it on a PC, and you will need to modify freq ranges for the bands that are of interest, keep a folder handy to work on it.
I found world_map.bin but it doesnt work right so I'll have to run the python script explaned in the docs to create it. It converts workd_map.jpg to a custom format.
The actual firmware versions are Mayhem:
The contents of the SD-Card is in a Zip fitting each release.
 
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brcisna

Newbie
Joined
Apr 19, 2022
Messages
4
Here is my evaluation of the HackRF portapack H2 I just purchased this week(9/23/22). Looks like its been out for a year or two. Very impressed with it, much nicer than the usual laptop PC + USb method of using sdr's.



I have had a hackrf one for a couple of years. While looking at something else I came across the H2 portapack board on Ebay and some completed integrated units as well. After a little read about it this seemed like a very good idea to get one or two of these. Lots of interesting features and ability to perform most of the functions that can be done on a PC with the HackRF. Checklist: its a HackRF one, yes.
Plug in socket pin pattern matches. I ordered complete H2Portapack and
ordered a second add on to put with my existing hackRF. From what I've read you need to reflash the HackRF thats where the searial flash is located, to install the mayhem firmware.

This consists of the board and a battery and a speaker connector with wires. There was no speaker with this kit. There was no SD card. It will run without it but the ADSB map, aircraft database is there. I found a sample SD card contents on github.
Download as zip then extract it on a PC, and you will need to modify freq ranges for the bands that are of interest, keep a folder handy to work on it.
I found world_map.bin but it doesnt work right so I'll have to run the python script explaned in the docs to create it. It converts workd_map.jpg to a custom format.

Here are some basics I have not found documented:
Turning it off: double tap the rotary knob it goes left right and in, single tap to turn back on.
Took me a couple of days to find that, I was getting ready to put a switch on the battery.(H2) I never had an H1, I haven't found any open source on that board either.
Top row highlight using the 5 buttons and click center to turn on or off: Speaker, Stealth (blank screen while tx), screenshot, display sleep, bias tee, clock out, sd status.
RF in/out comes in or out of the top connector.
Amp 1: High band above UHF.
Amp 0: low band down to about 1 mhz.
DC bias for antenna preamps: 3.2 volts, active when receive is running.
Clock out: 3.3volts Peak to Peak defaults to 10mhz. There is 10mhz present on the clock in terminal at a lower amplitude.

When pulling the USB go to the top menu so there are no SD writes going on, this seems to reset everything.

Looking glass: wide band spectrum sweeps.
You can set Low Noise Amp Gain, Variable Gain Amp Gain, preset which is selected with buttons then rotate the knob to select an item (freq range) in the lookinglass.txt file , set the marker to identify a signal line, and resolution, lower for fast changing signals like hoppers, slow for weaker signals that don't change.
Move marker near a signal of interest, press center button, this puts you into drill down receiver mode in that sub band.
Edit the preset file 'lookingglass.txt' on the sd card to edit ranges for your area. Edit on the pc then transfer to the SD card, at your convenience.

Microphone: There is a 3 pin 3.5mm connector on the bottom of the H2 board,
You can use a 3 pin headset 3.5mm to connect left, right and mic to the unit.
I used a pc type stereo earphone with microphone. I heard a click when plugging it in, indicating there is a dc bias for electret mics, on the third pin of the jack.
I set up the rx and tx frequencies in nbfm and tuned another transceiver to the channel, and it works! Both receiving and transmitting, you have to set up the receive and transmit frequencies separately, There is plenty of audio gain. If the source were to be a line input then it would feed into the third pin of this jack with a splitter cable for compact PC's that have only a headset jack.
When receiving I hear a zero crossing heterodyne (from the local oscillator?) meaning there is no offset between the local oscillator and the 'dc frequency' so it has that problem, in this case its a strong signal. When it receives in this mode I hear this as a buzz added to the audio at the sub audio tone rate.
This can transmit AM FM USB LSB and CW, on the tuned frequency, set via the menu on the tx page selects bandwidth and gain. Gain sets up output power 0 to 47. highlight the Tx button and press center to key, set up roger beep and sub audio tone as required.
If you set up a receive mode that is how the transmit mode is set.
That is pretty cool, an all mode transmitter exciter!!!

Range, very solid signal to a scanner at 200 feet, probably can go a lot farther than that with the 20mw or so of power. Next project sweep the frequency.

Battery: appears to charge whenever the USB is connected. Run time about 4 hours, some decrease on high cpu usage apps. The unit will not shut off when USB power is applied.
Hope that helps, I learned a lot just figuring this thing out.

I tried to pick up GOES satellites but found out they don't have analog downlinks anymore and the downlinks are much different, also noted some local ground signals getting through on that band from spurious. A big antenna was used but could not find the downlinks, not sure of the EIRP on this but an LNA or preselector filter will be required.
I tried it on a KU satellite IF and known signals can be seen on it but what you see on the FFT varies alot with many of the settings.
Most notable is averaging settings, in the receive mode, custom settings, there is an averaging number 0 to 63, the lower that is the faster the FFT will run, and small pulses can be found, though the gain has to be increased either in the LNA or VGA.
There is no amplitude calibration, so a signal generator reference would be needed, screenshot, then you have all the gain settings, then tune to the frequency in question and feed the signal generator in, start low and work your way up in amplitude until the level is matched. Sounds like a lot of work.
While tuning around I do see the spurious responses. The front end is wide open so the local oscillator harmonics seem to mix with strong cell band signals and wifi so these appear when tuned to 1/2 1/3 or 1/4 the frequencies such as 2.45ghz and 740, 880, 1950 wherever strong signals are found.
You can tell which ones are spurious because when tuning up the spurios may be going down or moving at a different rate then the real signals. I have a lot of this noise around the house even when I live 3 miles from the nearest cell towers.

Hope that helps -Chris


@chris451rr
Chris,

Just cutting to the chase.
Am wanting to maybe purchase a Hackrf One to try and learn on the 4G LTE antenna design,,and tell if the antennas have bought recently are doing good or lousy in the scenario here. We finally got out of the stone age from a local mom & pop wireless ISP,,,to now having souly cellular internet for home internet.
Would i actually need two hackrf one's to use as a generator signal.and second hackrf one as the scanner spectrum analyzer. Can't really get my head around this work flow...

Would the H2 Portapak,,,be the way to go,,versus the old standard Hackrf One?

Thanks.
 

ronenp

Member
Joined
May 8, 2002
Messages
595
for antenna testing but NANOVNA or one of its clone it is much better way to test antennas with it rather with Any SDR unless what that needed you is a signal reception compair between various antennas
 

brcisna

Newbie
Joined
Apr 19, 2022
Messages
4
for antenna testing but NANOVNA or one of its clone it is much better way to test antennas with it rather with Any SDR unless what that needed you is a signal reception compair between various antennas

@ronenp

Thanks.
The NanoVNA's only go up to about 900mhz the affordable ones. I need to get up to at least the 2.6 ghz range.
As matter of fact just learned a few days ago the FCC has OK'd for cell carriers to start using higher frequencies as well. First have heard of this.
Was hoping there was a model of the nanoVNA to go up this high in range,,but i sure have not found one.
Am wanting to compare multiple antennas to see what each are doing compared to other,
 
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brcisna

Newbie
Joined
Apr 19, 2022
Messages
4
@ronenp

Ate my ow words,,,Did find a VNA that goes to 3 ghz so ordered one of these,
Thanks for the tip on the nanoVNA
 
Last edited:

chris451rr

Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
66
Location
iowa
I have two the HackRFone in a portapack H2. Search Github for hackrf one mayhem firmware for this hardware. Update on firmware: I have used hackrf_spiflash.exe to upload this to the Hackrf one,
with the unit in hackrf mode, after this version you can use the SD card mode to copy new firmware
to the SD card.
Important features added in n_230623 firmware
File manager
USB SD access via USB, use a pc to copy new firmware versions to the SD card then use the built in flash
utility to change firmware.
RF preamp and output amp keep getting blown out. These are SiGe with very low breakdown voltages.
I've replaced these six lead MGA815 twice on one unit and once on the second unit.
I use a set of tweezers, hi temp tape over adjacent areas, layout from Kicad and dig up the master files from github, parts from Digikey or Mouser.
How can you tell? When turning on the preamp the signal drops. Or, very low output power in TX mode.
How it happens? Any voltage transient on the RF in that exceeds 8v is passed through the skyworks switch to the RF preamp/RF postamps, so in this case I had it on a satellite receiver IF and the coax got loose. AC ground loop cound have been more than 5 volts.
In another case static discharge to the antenna seems to occur if a bare metal antenna is used.
I have been running a 10dbm limiter external to the unit but it still got zapped.
Input has an 8v TVS then a bias inductor, then a skyworks switch. The switch is always OK but the preamp postamp blows. Possible fix being tested: Schottky diode between +3v source and the capacitor going into the skyworks switch. Prevents input voltage from exceeding 3.5volts, protecting the MGA-815 input and output from breakdown.
Need air reflow station, stainless tweezers, solder flux to perform this repair.
If you use the portapack and hackRF on any RF source that could have static discharge, or any source where the AC voltage can exceed 5 volts, it will take out the input/output amps.
Using some kind of band pass or high pass and attenuators/limiters will prevent damage.
I read that a lot of the wide band chinese made SDR radios have problems with input damage, they started selling them with built in limiters and add-on limiters.
Key is to prevent the transients from getting to this input.
Part list
Diode Schottky 4v 100mw sod323-2 Bat1503we6327htsa1.
MGA-815 from old stock - ebay.
I bought some Skyworks switches but since it started working again just by replacing the preamp postamp, they did not get used.
Other radios where the RF amp chip gets blown easily:
Icom R3, Icom R20, you really notice poor reception on the WIFI and CellTell bands, compared to a radio thats not blown. The Silicon Germanium are super low noise low voltage amps, but the limiter circuit is critical.

I'll compare sensitivity for each unit one with schottky and one without...tbd.
Capacitance of the diode is 0.25pF at -3.3v.
Docs: what to replace, clipper diode mod, overall view, layout.
 

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chris451rr

Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2008
Messages
66
Location
iowa
@chris451rr
Chris,

Just cutting to the chase.
Am wanting to maybe purchase a Hackrf One to try and learn on the 4G LTE antenna design,,and tell if the antennas have bought recently are doing good or lousy in the scenario here. We finally got out of the stone age from a local mom & pop wireless ISP,,,to now having souly cellular internet for home internet.
Would i actually need two hackrf one's to use as a generator signal.and second hackrf one as the scanner spectrum analyzer. Can't really get my head around this work flow...

Would the H2 Portapak,,,be the way to go,,versus the old standard Hackrf One?

Thanks.
The hack RF is not leveled and has a power of +10 near the WIFI band but this drops 10-20db over the rest of its range. Maybe a better 'antenna range test' setup would be a spectrum analyzer and signal generator intended for sweeping screen rooms, Latinex spectrum analyzer and RF Explorer signal generator, both can be run via USB and are set up to step across bands, This could be done with the HackRF one and portapack, but the software is already provided for the Latinex/RF Explorer, it can run both of them through serial port emulated over USB, key is the relativly good calibration on the RF Explorer and the Latinex spectrum analyzer.
I tried this with the NanoVNA but the spectrum on that is pretty noisy with sidebands and harmonics.
Also the dynamic range of the sig-gen and Spectrum analyzer are far better 'make a scalar measurement' vs a locked s parameter measurement.
The nanoVNA is great for filters, except duplexers that go down 110 db.
I use the sig-gen and spectrum analyzer or HackRF for antenna testing, for relative gain and beamwidth, there it works great.

For the 3-6 ghz band those two do not go that far, you would need the HackRF to get 3-6 ghz.
I use the RF explorer on the 2nd harmonic to test LNB's in the Ku band. 5850x2=11700, the bottom of the band, then use SDRsharp with offset approx 10,750 to read out the actual frequencies within 1 khz. The 2nd harmonic is pretty strong on the RF explorer but not much on the HackRF, can't pickup much of a 2nd harmonic through a satellite antenna.
I got two of the HackRF so 'range testing' could be done. One negative about the portapack is it reveals a big flaw of the HackRF, that the preamp chips get blown easily. I fixed both of my units for this problem. Replaced the amp chips and the output 'PA chip' (same type).
Then obtained a 10dbm limiter to put on the input. Also am testing another mod, a schottky diode, to protect from positive voltages of more than 3.5 volts. Even with the limiter one of the HackRF frontend amps blew. The switch chip is protected adequately but the front end amp chips can not take more than 5 volts (spike transient or RF power). The front end frequency range goes down to 1mhz and thats how the spikes get into the front end. See modification posting in this topic. I'll let you know how well the schottky diode mod works after its been used awhile.
 
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