TINYGS — OPEN SOURCE GLOBAL SATELLITE GROUND STATION NETWORK
Flash one LoRa board and you can receive telemetry from satellites in orbit, feeding a global open network that already has 2,250+ stations listening.
Open-hardwareScience
- difficulty
- ●●○○○
- time
- an evening
- license
- GPL-3.0
- repo
- repo ACTIVE1,425 stars
●●○○○ · an evening · GPL-3.0 · 1,425 stars · repo ACTIVE
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Electronic parts — full list with part numbers in the repo BOM
- Dev board / microcontroller — runs the project firmware
Partner
COMPAREE VERDICT
TinyGS is one of the most accessible ways into satellite reception: you buy a single ESP32 LoRa board, flash the firmware from your browser, and you are live. The stock duck antenna works well enough to prove the concept, but every serious operator builds or buys a better antenna — and that is where most of the weekend goes. The firmware is stable, the web dashboard is live and free, and because the station only receives, there is no radio license involved in most jurisdictions. The single biggest trap is buying a board that is not on the supported list — the wiki names them, but clone boards with subtly different LoRa chips will not work. If you want to see real satellite packets on your first evening and you are willing to spend a second afternoon on an antenna, this is a genuine weekend win. If you expect plug-and-play long-range reception with the stock hardware, you will be disappointed.
IN THE REPO
NOT IN THE REPO
- —The firmware flashes directly from a Chrome web installer — no IDE or compiler required.
- —A complete bill of materials is in the wiki, covering every supported ESP32 LoRa board.
- —The documentation covers setup, but the antenna guides are scattered across community posts and third-party videos.
- —No PCB or enclosure files — you buy a commercial LoRa board off the shelf.
- —Licensed GPL-3.0 with no commercial restrictions.
- —The repo is active, with weekly newsletters and a large global community.
Can I build this?
Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.
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Gallery
Start here
Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.
- 1.Check the supported boards list in the wiki and buy one that matches exactly — clone boards with different LoRa chips will not work (The wiki lists every tested board; buying the wrong one is the most common first mistake.)
- 2.Flash the firmware using the web installer in Chrome — no IDE or build tools required (The installer detects your board and writes the firmware in under a minute.)
- 3.Connect to the board's temporary WiFi network, set your home WiFi and region, then register your station on the web dashboard (After this step, your station appears live on the map and you start receiving packets.)
- 4.Use the stock antenna to verify reception, then review the community antenna guides if you want to build a better one (A dipole or ground plane antenna built from wire transforms what you can receive, but the stock antenna is enough to prove the system works.)
KNOWN ISSUES
- Buying a board that is not on the supported list — clone boards with subtly different LoRa chips will not work, and the error messages are not always clear.
- Expecting long-range reception with the stock duck antenna — it works, but a proper dipole or ground plane antenna multiplies your packet count.
- Not checking the regional frequency settings before first power-on — the firmware defaults to a region, but using the wrong one means you will not hear local satellites.
- Placing the antenna indoors or near metal — satellite signals are weak, and even a single wall or metal desk can cut reception significantly.
- Assuming you need a radio license — the station is receive-only, so in most jurisdictions no license is required, but check your local rules if you are unsure.
- Not joining the community channels early — the Facebook group and Discord have real-time help, antenna tips, and satellite pass alerts that are not in the main docs.
Do I need a radio license to run a TinyGS station?
In most jurisdictions, no — the station only receives, never transmits. Check your local regulations if you are unsure, but receive-only operation is generally unrestricted.
Which board should I buy?
Start with the supported boards list in the wiki. The TTGO LoRa32 and Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 are the most common, but only buy a board that is explicitly named as tested — clones with different LoRa chips will not work.
Can I use this without building a better antenna?
Yes — the stock duck antenna works well enough to receive packets and prove the system is live. But every serious operator either builds or buys a dipole or ground plane antenna, because it multiplies what you can receive.
How do I know if my station is working?
Once registered, your station appears on the live map at tinygs.com. When satellites pass overhead, you will see packet counts increment in real time. If you hear nothing after an hour, check your antenna placement and frequency settings.
What can I actually receive?
TinyGS receives telemetry from LoRa satellites and cubesats — mostly amateur and educational missions. You will not receive imaging or voice, just telemetry packets that feed the global network. The dashboard shows which satellites are active.
Community builds
No community builds yet — be the first, we feature the best ones.
Discussion1
FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM
2,250+ stations are already listening — and the whole thing is receive-only, so there is no license involved. What would you point yours at first?
TinyGS community
TinyGS began as a single-person project and grew into a global network of over 2,250 active stations, receiving 65+ million packets from orbit. The repository moved to a dedicated organization account, and the project is now maintained by a distributed team with weekly newsletters and active Discord and Facebook channels.
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DISCLAIMER
- Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
- Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
- Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
CompareeTEAM1mo agoedited
Practical notes from our verification: the repo moved from the founder's account to the tinygs organization, there is no official YouTube channel — the good walkthroughs are community-made on channels like Tech Minds — and the single biggest upgrade is not the board, it is an afternoon spent on a better antenna. The web installer works exactly as advertised, and the live dashboard makes it immediately clear when your station is hearing satellites. The weekly newsletters are genuinely useful for catching new satellite launches and hardware tips.