Lyle Johnson wrote:
Whatever you do, please don't assume we can dedicate the machine to the
SDR console. We already aren't.
Why not?
Just to play Devil's advocate, let's assume you were using a
traditional radio with a front panel, knobs and controls. It has a PC
interface, and you run your MixW, logger, DX spotter, whatever on the PC.
Life is good.
You add the SDR-1000 to the mix, the PC display is crowded.
But what if you tried to add the logger, MixW etc. onto your old
radio's front panel and not use the PC display? Make the radio
display all the PC screen information? It wouldn't fit! Even if the
radio is an FTdx9000 or IC-7800.
The problem is that the PC is now a *part* of the radio, and the
SDR-1000 is *part* the radio. Many people think of the SDR-1000 as
being the radio; it's not. It's only half of the radio.
To be fair, you should be using a *dedicated* PC for the SDR-1000.
Sorry, my shack does not have the room for that luxury.
Besides, some of us multi-task a bit.
I suspect the dominant style is *not* to have a dedicated PC for any
number of reasons. This is so even given the PowerSDR console is a
dominant app when it runs.
I don't think of the SDR as being the radio -- I'm really committed to
the visual paradigm, so I think of the console as the radio almost all
the time. I mean, the rig is just this black box, right?
But, I also think of the SDR as one of many *peripheral devices*, sort
of like a fancy printer, perhaps, when I'm using it. The rest of the
computer stuff is available and, in fact, used. Just like any other
important computer application.
Larry WO0Z
