I did a presentation to my club a few months ago about SDR. I had the
same problem about people thinking their more conventional radios were
"software defined".
I handled it like this: If ALL the processing is done by a computer
working with a digital stream the radio puts out, then it was an SDR.
If the processing was done inside the radio by dedicated hardware, then
it wasn't.
The key point I made was that a *true* SDR isn't locked down to a
specific piece of hardware, or chipset, inside the radio that couldn't
be changed.
You could update the *firmware* that controlled the chipset, but you
were stuck with whatever the OEM soldered in there.
A *true* SDR does not have those limitations since the "radio" part is
just an RF-to-Digital converter, and the brains are in the software
running on the computer.
Most people understood the difference (as *I* perceive it), and the
presentation went smoothly.
Of course some people will think that just because they can connect
their radio to a PC to control it, or update the firmware in it, they
have a "Software Defined Radio", and refuse to believe otherwise.
I think it's a case of "Radio Envy"!
73, Jim KQ6EA
On 12/11/2011 05:54 PM, Robert Costa, KB6QXM wrote:
All,
There are many hams that swear up and down that their K3's are software
defined. I try to explain to them that their k3 rigs are software enhanced, but
not truly software defined.
Many hams including some very bright engineers that are in the club still think
that their k3's are SRD.
I try to explain it that it is not srd as it can be run standalone, where a
Flex cannot.
I still get that glazed deer in the headlights look when I try to explain SDR.
Any suggestions?
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