SWLing Post reader London Shortwave recently moved the Software Defined Radio (SDR) application SDR# (“SDR Sharp”) off of his MacBook Pro and onto a Toshiba Encore 8″ tablet PC. He recently posted this video of SDR# running his FunCube Dongle Pro+ on the Toshiba Encore tablet:
His reception of the Voice of Korea’s Spanish service is most impressive, especially considering the high level of RFI (radio noise) he must cope with at his home in London, England.
SWLing Post reader, London Shortwave writes with a remarkable story about the free SDR application, SDR#(or, “SDR sharp”). He writes:
“Two days ago, I emailed Youssef (SDR# developer lead) to ask if he would consider adding synchronous AM detection to his software at some point.
To my great surprise he e-mailed me back the same day and told me that it wouldn’t take him long to write the necessary code. A few hours later he sent me a preview copy of the software with the feature included (all I had to do was to swap one .dll file in the version I had installed at the time). The following day, he integrated it into the latest release!
With the new sync detector the software is rapidly becoming my favourite SDR application.
Here’s a demo video I made for Youssef (and everyone else!) to show how I’ve been getting on with it:
This is amazing–what’s especially impressive is that a first iteration of AM sync should be so well implemented. I love the way you can use the IF shift to block out interference within a sideband, much like USB/LSB selectable sideband. There are paid and OEM SDR applications that can’t do this.
London Shortwave: you’ve convinced me to see if SDR# will drive any of my receivers. Many thanks!
Yesterday, SWLing Post reader London Shortwave took his laptop, FunCube Dongle Pro+, and 6 meter long wire antenna to a local park where he tested SDR#‘s new IF noise reduction.
He made the following screencast/video where he toggles the IF noise reduction feature while receiving the BBC World Service’s Pashto language service on shortwave:
Most impressive! Indeed, I believe SDR#’s noise reduction might rival that of OEM applications. While I’m not the biggest fan of noise reduction for everyday use (due to inherent digital artifacts) it is a valuable tool when noise levels are high.
Click here to follow @LondonShortwave on Twitter.
If you would like to experiment with SDR#, click here to download your free copy. SDR# has a number of additional plugins and dedicated users/developers who communicate via this this Yahoo! Group.
Many thanks to @LondonShortwave.
Any other readers using SDR#? Please comment.
Each year, I attend the Dayton Hamvention and much of the QRP conference, Four Days in May. This year, I’ll be working our Ears To Our World table again, along with other volunteers, at booth 411 in the Ball Arena (BA411). Please stop by and introduce yourself!
What I love about the Hamvention (besides the massive outdoor flea market) is that it is a one-stop-shop for innovations appearing in our radio world.
Here are a few of the companies I’ll be following at the Hamvention this year:
Ten-Tec announced yesterday that it will merge with Alpha Amplifiers under the flag of RF Concepts. I plan to stop by Ten-Tec’s booth Friday and learn more about the merger. Personally, I believe the merger with Alpha Amplifiers is a good move. Both of these companies are known for great customer service and quality US-based design and manufacturing.
I know Ten-Tec is introducing a new open-source product to their line, the Patriot, because I’ve been beta testing one (check QRPer.com for details later this week).
Icom will showcase their new ID-5100 D-star, dual band, mobile with built-in GPS. While I’m more of an HF guy, this radio does intrigue me. You see, for almost one year now, I’ve been very pleased with my Icom ID-51A, dual-band, D-Star handie talkie (HT).
I find D-Star to be a very flexible digital mode and I’m amazed with how many interesting mom-and-pop companies have produced products for the D-Star mode. I’m surprised neither Yaesu nor Kenwood has adopted the D-Star standard (it’s not proprietary to Icom–indeed, read about the CS7000 below).
The new ID-5100 is a mobile version of my ID-51a. What I love about this radio is that it can store repeater frequencies and dynamically load them based on your geographic location. Perhaps my largest gripe with mobile VHF/UHF rigs is their inability to adapt to the repeater “landscape” when you travel. The ID-5100 may change this and push other manufacturers in the same direction.
In less than a year, Connect Systems has become a household name among ham radio enthusiasts who love VHF/UHF and digital modes.
This Connect Systems is developing an HT–the CS7000–which will be the first non-Icom radio to have the D-Star digital mode. Whatsmore, in addition to D-Star, the CS7000 will also pack DMR.
I don’t think Connect Systems will have a working prototype at the Hamvention (I could be wrong), but there is a possibility that they will be taking early orders.
I’ve been intrigued by the Elad line of Software Defined Recievers. This year, they will attend the Dayton Hamvention. I look forward to checking out the new FDM-DUO tabletop SDR. I plan to review some of the Elad product line in the near future.
Last year, Palstar showcased a prototype QRP transceiver with touch screen interface. To my knowledge, this would be Palstar’s first transceiver (though they’re well known for antenna tuners and their shortwave radio receiver, the R30A).
Last year, I was told that the new Palstar transceiver would be available this year and would retail between $1,600 – 2,000 US (a rather steep price for a transceiver with 20 watts output). One of the transceiver’s designers assured me that the receiver would “be worth the price.”
I’ll stop by Bonito’s booth to check out their new AntennaJet ASM300. I’m curious how it works and what the Hamvention price will be.
Though pricing is a little steep, I might bring one home as I often would like to share one antenna with two receivers simultaneously.
The only new product I know of from Elecraft is the PX3 Panadapter for their Kx3 transceiver. Reviews of the larger P3 Panadapter for the Elecraft K3 are excellent, so I imagine this will be a great product. I hope to check out the PX3 at the Elecraft booth–I believe they’ll have a prototype on display.
For the past three years, the market for software defined radios has been growing rapidly. I’ll be on the lookout for anything new–especially improvements on current 3rd generation SDRs.
Please comment if there’s something you’d like me to check out at the Hamvention–I’ll try to include it!
Again, if you’re attending the Hamvention, please stop by and introduce yourself at our booth: 411 in the Ball Arena (BA411).
The CCW HF Upconverter (Photo: Cross Country Wireless)
(Source: Southgate ARC)
Cross Country Wireless have just released a HF Upconverter. This will allow HF or VHF SDR receivers such as the RTLSDR dongles, Funcube or our own SDR-4+ receiver to work on HF, LF and VLF.
Unlike other upconverters currently available we have added the RF protection features from our SDR-4+ receiver including an antenna isolation transformer and RF over-power protection. This protects the SDR receiver or dongle and the attached PC from damage caused by static electricity charges on the antenna or nearby high power transmitters.
There are two versions of the Upconverter. One has a 125 MHz local oscillator and the frequency range is 12 kHz to 45 MHz. This is intended for use with the RTLSDR and Funcube dongles.
The other version has a 10 MHz local oscillator and is designed for use with the SDR-4+. This has a frequency range of 12 kHz to 1.6 MHz.
Here are some of the specifications Cross Country Wireless has published for the HF Upconverter:
Technical data – 125 MHz version for RTLSDR and Funcube dongles
Technical data – 10 MHz version for SDR-4+ receiver
Also, from CCW on YouTube:
“This is a video of a Cross Country Wireless HF Upconverter used with a CCW SDR-4+ receiver to listen to VLF and LF transmissions using a half wave dipole cut for the 80m amateur band.”
(Click here if you are unable to view the video above.)
There are 20 second samples of the following stations:
- BBC Radio 5 Live on 693 kHz AM
- BBC Radio 4 on 198 kHz AM
- GYN2 Skelton on 81 kHz FSK
- MSF Anthorn on 60 kHz time signal
- GQD Anthorn on 22.1 kHz Anthorn
- GQD Anthorn on 19.6 kHz
This version of the Upcoverter uses a 10 MHz local oscillator so the frequency displayed is 10 MHz higher than that received i.e. 10.693 MHz = 0.693 MHz = 693 kHz.
(Source: HamRadioNow via the Southgate ARC)
“Need that title decoded? MDSR = Modulator/Demodulator Software Radio. DIY = Do It Yourself (DOH! I knew that), and SDR… can you guess? Yes! Software Defined Radio. OK?
So, in this episode, Alex Schwarz VE7DXW will tell you about doing SDR on the cheap, using stuff you already have (a conventional SSB radio and your computer), plus their inexpensive interface. You pull RF out of your radio’s IF (some are easier to get into than others), run it thru their board, and into your computer for demodulation, filters… all the usual SDR stuff. And they’re just introducing the Transmit side of the equation.
Their web site is: http://users.skynet.be/myspace/mdsr
Watch HamRadioNow Episode 116 from the DCC: MDSR (DIY SDR)”
In response to our post on inexpensive SDRs based on the RTL2832U, Jeff Benedict writes:
Here’s a website that has a lot of info on cheap SDR gear. They have a write-up on an external board which adds HF capabilities. I have one but haven’t done anything with it yet.
http://www.hamradioscience.com
Jeff KB7AIL CN88
Thanks, Jeff! Has anyone tried HF with any success? I’m curious how well this über-cheap receiver will cope with adjacent signals and blowtorch stations within the HF spectrum.
Meanwhile Neil, blogger on Fofio, commented:
I have an RTL-SDR system up and running. I have done 2 demonstrations for my local Ham Radio club. One on the basic setup and use of the dongle, using both SDR# and HDSDR. The other presentation showed the remote receiver capability using a Raspberry Pi as the receiver with the dongle attached and a remote SDR# computer decoding the stream over a network connection. Once I compensate for some minor frequency discrepancies it’s a pretty good receiver. The only issue I have noticed with mine (one of the early E4000-based models) is a tendency to overload in the presence of a strong signal. We have a pretty powerful 2 Meter repeater less than a 1/4 mile from our home, and when it’s active it causes some strange results with the RTL-SDR setup.
I have yet to try one of the HF converters they make for these. I hope to do that soon.
Another project I was reading about today that I may try out is using 2 of the dongles at once to create a trunk-tracker scanner.
Wow! Two $20 USB SDRs and a little PC magic could yield a trunking scanner? I want to hear more about this. Trunking scanners tend to be both expensive and complicated. If a web-updated database could be downloaded and used to control this sort of rig, the possibilities would be most impressive!
Neil, keep us informed!