SignalSpan is a new, hands-on initiative born out of Gigabyte Grove, our rural technology and sustainability lab in South Georgia. This project focuses on collecting, analyzing, and sharing radio and satellite signal data from remote and underserved areas — using affordable, donated, and often retired equipment.Our mission is simple: bring real-time signal science to rural America. We believe that the sky belongs to everyone — not just large universities and government agencies. With a few well-placed satellite dishes, radio receivers, antennas, and the right mindset, we can observe and learn from the invisible infrastructure all around us: radio waves, satellite telemetry, radar echoes, and environmental data feeds.
What SignalSpan Aims to Do
SignalSpan is dedicated to passive signal reception, environmental monitoring, and educational outreach. It is not a commercial venture — all data is intended for open research, STEM education, and community benefit. Our long-term goals include:
- Capturing satellite imagery and weather telemetry from GOES and other open satellite sources
- Running Software Defined Radios (SDRs) to collect data, telemetry, and more
- Creating visual dashboards and alerts for weather, aviation, and emergency signal patterns
- Deploying antenna arrays and low-power nodes to test radio propagation across rural terrain
- Documenting builds and discoveries for YouTube, GitHub, and educational partners
What We Need Right Now
To grow SignalSpan, we’re currently seeking donations of used or surplus hardware. These items don’t need to be pretty or modern — we specialize in breathing new life into equipment most people have forgotten.
🔌 Priority Equipment Requests
- Satellite dishes (6 to 12 ft+, mesh or solid)
- SDRs like RTL-SDR, Airspy, HackRF, or similar devices
- Analog Radio Scanners (old police scanners)
- Ham radio towers, tripods, masts, or antennas (any band)
- Retired servers or desktops capable of running Linux for data logging
- Coax, rotators, LNBs, weather instruments, and signal accessories
Where Your Donations Go
All donated equipment is cataloged and used for the advancement of open rural science. Whether it’s mounted to a tower, buried in a field enclosure, or decoding space signals from a barn roof — we’ll make it count. We also aim to feature builds and results on our Gigabyte Grove YouTube channel, so contributors can follow their donations in action.
We’re currently able to pick up donations anywhere in Georgia, Northern Florida, South Alabama, and surrounding areas. If you’re farther away, we’re happy to explore freight or shipping options — especially for high-value items like towers or large dishes.
How to Get Involved
If you have gear to donate, want to partner, or are just curious about what we’re doing — reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
SignalSpan is what happens when you combine passion, open data, and a willingness to experiment. Let’s build something meaningful — one signal at a time.
