SWLing Post reader, Eleanor White, writes:
[I] have a short article I put together for those interested in disaster preparedness, to give non-techies the basics of tuning an SSB signal.s
Here’s the link:
Many thanks for sharing your article, Eleanor!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Guy Atkins, who shares the following video demonstrating how the Elad FDM-S2 can be controlled with the $99 HP Stream 7 Windows 8.1 tablet PC:
You can read more about Guy’s FDM-S2/HP Stream 7 setup in his previous post.
The HP Stream 7 Windows 8.1 tablet
Regarding the Elad FDM-S2, Guy Atkins comments:
“This week I bought an HP Stream 7 tablet from the local Microsoft Store for $99, and it runs my Elad FDM-S2 receiver great! This recently introduced tablet is the perhaps the lowest priced new computer with Windows 8.1. I can even record the entire MW band, and play back the WAV files without audio stuttering. CPU load is an impressive 11-12%. Once you add a small OTG USB adapter you can plug in a USB hub and attach a wireless mouse receiver, the SDR’s cable, and other stuff. I was recording to a micro SD card (the slot is a bit of a pain, as you need to remove the back cover of the tablet. Recording to a USB external HD or SSD may also work). I also had an AC adapter powering the USB hub, as the tablet’s micro USB port cannot supply enough current for the Elad SDR.
This will be a neat, very portable setup for camping DXpeditions and when I want to take the SDR right to the termination of a phased loop array antenna for adjusting nulls. I do that now, but it’s more of a hassle with a regular laptop.
I presume I’ll be able to run the Afedri SDR-Net in “LAN mode” also but I’ll need to attach a USB-to-LAN adapter to the tablet first. A LAN rather than a USB connection is required for this particular SDR to have the bandwidth to handle all of medium wave at once.
Here’s a review of the 7-inch, Win 8.1 tablet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoPNzx8bcVQ. Also, when you buy it for $99 USD it includes a one-year subscription to MS Office 365, that can be used on two different devices. That’s worth $70 in itself.”
Wow–thanks so much for sharing this, Guy.
I’m very impressed you can record the entire MW band to an SD card and playback without stuttering. The quad core Atom processor must have enough horsepower to cope with the incoming data.
This setup would be ideal for field recording then taking the SD card back to the PC for analyzing later on a larger screen.
As you use this set-up, Guy, please keep us informed about any tips or quirks you discover along the way!
I found the Stream 7 at the following places online:
Update: Check out Guy’s video demonstration of the Stream 7/FDM-S2 combo.
SWLing Post contributor, Mike (W5RST), writes:
This is a follow-up to my mini-review of the new Radio Shack model 2000669 receiver.
Overall, I continue to be quite happy with this receiver, however, I think the loss of memories and time when replacing batteries is annoying.
So, I did a simple mod to the radio to help prevent having to re-program everything after installing new batteries.
I found that there was enough space within the case to tack a 220 µF 6.3 V electrolytic capacitor across the pads on the PC board where the battery leads are attached [see the photo below]. Adding a series resistor to limit current flow might be better, but this simple change seems to be OK.
Click to enlarge
The mod won’t prevent long-term memory loss, but it will keep enough voltage on the circuit for a quick battery change (especially if you change one battery at a time). The radio is not actually altered, and the mod can be easily removed if desired.
Close-up of added capacitor.
Many thanks for creating and documenting this simple mod, Mike!
On a side note, I remember when RadioShack used to pride themselves on having a full line of products that could maintain memory if batteries were removed or in case of power outage. RadioShack badged VCRs, receivers, radios and clocks all had this feature in the 1990s, at least.
Again, Mike, many thanks!
My good buddy, Dave Richards (AA7EE), has just posted videos of his home-brew regenerative receiver–nicknamed “The Sproutie.” [You may recall an earlier post about this very receiver.]
Below, you’ll find a video where Dave tunes in broadcasters with The Sproutie–she certainly has ears!
Dave, that’s a simple, beautiful little radio you’ve built there. I love the HRO knob–form and function at its best.
Readers: be sure to check out Dave’s full post about the Sproutie along with another video. If you haven’t yet, bookmark Dave’s blog–it’s a good one!
I have owned the Tecsun PL-380 for years now. When my buddy Mike (K8RAT) recently asked if the temperature display could be switched from Celsius to Fahrenheit, I gave him a firm “no” as a response.
A few hours later, Mike wrote back:
“Just found out that the PL -380 will toggle between F and C temperature reading. Push and hold the “3” button with radio turned off. Cool!”
I just tried it and, as you can see, it works brilliantly. Thanks, Mike!
(Note to self: Start responding to this sort of inquiry with a softer “no” in the future!)
London Shortwave, a regular contributor to the SWLing Post, lives in London, England and copes with serious amounts of radio noise (QRM) at his home. Unlike many urban radio listeners, the QRM didn’t chase him away from the hobby, rather he looked at it as a challenge. Besides taking his radio kit outdoors to escape the noise, he also has a noise mitigation set-up at his home which has been refined over the years.
London Shortwave shared this video demonstration earlier this year on his YouTube channel. Here’s his description:
In this video I demonstrate an improvement to indoor radio reception quality, which is possible to achieve in an urban environment.
I compare using a Tecsun PL-390 portable receiver to a radio set-up that combines Lowe HF-150’s sync detector, the Wellbrook active loop antenna and real-time noise reduction software.
I recently told London Shortwave that he’s a QRM-fighting Samurai; I believe he certainly deserves the title!
Any other QRM Samurai’s out there?
