Re: [Flexradio] Schematics
Schematics and ECOs found by using Knowledge Base search. Why to make it so difficult? I could not even use the same user name that I earlier registered for Forum. Ahti OH2RZ On 07/11/06, Ahti Aintila [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Eric, I miss the schematics and all ECOs. Why not put them downloadable as they were earlier? Actually, the schematic diagrams should be updated to reflect the present situation with all the ECOs included. At the same time the resolution should be increased so that the component values and finer details of the circuitry would have better legibility. 73, Ahti OH2RZ On 07/11/06, Eric Wachsmann [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Jon, I'll contact you off-list with the information. Eric Wachsmann FlexRadio Systems -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] radio.biz] On Behalf Of K6JEK Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 6:10 PM To: 'FlexList' Subject: [Flexradio] Schematics Where are the schematics? My esteemed and Flex-famous friend Jeff, K6JCA, has a nice set of schematics. Now that I've toasted something in my Flex I'd like to get a set to in the hopes that I can do some untoasting here instead of sending the box back to Texas. But I can't seem to locate the schematics on the web. Where are they? What's toasted you ask? Something in the X2 driver. I built my own UCB (why did I do this?) and in the process of trying it out I got something wrong. Now pin 7, PTT out, goes from O.L. to 5M on transmit, hardly sufficient. I enabled pin 1 on transmit thinking dang I've toasted the driver for pin 7 I'll use pin 1 as a substibute. Guess what it does once enabled. Yes, O.L. to 5M on PTT. How interesting. Jon, K6JEK ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Schematics
I second that, save any scrap of schematics I can find in fear of not finding it next time. I like to know and understand (and measure) what I am playing with. BTW trying to understand some of the software allso, not easy to start with. 73 peter pa0pvn groeten Peter petervn(a)hetnet.nl mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ; pa0pvn(a)hetnet.nl mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ; pa0pvn(a)gmail.com ; pa0pvn(a)amsat.org . Van: [EMAIL PROTECTED] namens Ahti Aintila Verzonden: di 7-11-2006 11:43 Aan: Eric Wachsmann CC: FlexList Onderwerp: Re: [Flexradio] Schematics Schematics and ECOs found by using Knowledge Base search. Why to make it so difficult? I could not even use the same user name that I earlier registered for Forum. Ahti OH2RZ On 07/11/06, Ahti Aintila [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Eric, I miss the schematics and all ECOs. Why not put them downloadable as they were earlier? Actually, the schematic diagrams should be updated to reflect the present situation with all the ECOs included. At the same time the resolution should be increased so that the component values and finer details of the circuitry would have better legibility. 73, Ahti OH2RZ On 07/11/06, Eric Wachsmann [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Jon, I'll contact you off-list with the information. Eric Wachsmann FlexRadio Systems -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] radio.biz] On Behalf Of K6JEK Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 6:10 PM To: 'FlexList' Subject: [Flexradio] Schematics Where are the schematics? My esteemed and Flex-famous friend Jeff, K6JCA, has a nice set of schematics. Now that I've toasted something in my Flex I'd like to get a set to in the hopes that I can do some untoasting here instead of sending the box back to Texas. But I can't seem to locate the schematics on the web. Where are they? What's toasted you ask? Something in the X2 driver. I built my own UCB (why did I do this?) and in the process of trying it out I got something wrong. Now pin 7, PTT out, goes from O.L. to 5M on transmit, hardly sufficient. I enabled pin 1 on transmit thinking dang I've toasted the driver for pin 7 I'll use pin 1 as a substibute. Guess what it does once enabled. Yes, O.L. to 5M on PTT. How interesting. Jon, K6JEK ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com http://www.flex-radio.com/ ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com http://www.flex-radio.com/ ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com http://www.flex-radio.com/ -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20061107/24ac83d2/attachment.html ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Reverb or echo in audio.
Larry, Are you using balanced or unbalanced microphone input? Any external changes , cables, audio gear ? The FA-66 has higher gain than the D44, keep MIC sensitivity to below 12 o'clock position. If you need more gain increase MIC level within PowerSDR software. RFI may be your problem. RFI beads on the MIC 1 input should help. 73, John -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark Amos Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 6:00 AM To: 'L. Malone'; FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz Subject: Re: [Flexradio] Reverb or echo in audio. Larry, The only time I've had echo problems in the past was because of excessive RF in the shack. I solved them by reducing the RF in the shack and putting ferrite filters on all of the audio cables. I did this before installing the FA-66, though; I had these issues with the Delta 44... Maybe someone else on the list has some better suggestions. Mark -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of L. Malone Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 8:03 AM To: FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz Subject: [Flexradio] Reverb or echo in audio. I could use some help here. I recently installed a Edirol FA-66 and now I got reverb or echo on the signal. I have done about everything I can think of, but no luck. Anybody have any ideas? I had the Delta 44 and had no problem. Thanks, Larry Malone W4LJM -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20061107/a00a6a25/attachment .html ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Frequency calibration, measurement of unknowns with SDR1000Re: Question regarding commercial AM broadcasters' carrieraccuracy
Mike, Thanks! I figured there must be at least one station engineer on the list! Mark -Original Message- From: Mike Naruta [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 1:42 PM To: Jim Lux Cc: Eric Wachsmann; 'Mark Amos'; flexradio@flex-radio.biz Subject: Re: [Flexradio] Frequency calibration, measurement of unknowns with SDR1000Re: Question regarding commercial AM broadcasters' carrieraccuracy When I was chiefing, I think the AM tolerance was 20 Hertz. To tweak it, I would have to shut down a transmitter, open the door, and adjust the trimmer. They did not like me taking the station down, or switching to the auxiliary transmitter, so I just checked frequency occasionally. We also had quarterly, third party measurements, just to be sure that we complied. Let's see, 20 Hertz off at 1000 KHz is 200 Hertz off at 10 MHz. You're better off using WWV. They're fastidious about frequency. Mike - AA8K Jim Lux wrote: At 01:30 PM 11/6/2006, Eric Wachsmann wrote: For AM broadcast stations, something like a 10 MHz oscillator divided down to make a 25 kHz marker generator might work well. You'd be able to capture the BC station of interest, as well as more than one marker, in the same recording bandwidth. ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
[Flexradio] Is CW emission at legal quality? Bug 655
I've been trying to get my SDR-1000 ready for transmission and I think I'm hitting the effects of Bug 655 - there is no CW image control for TX. What I see on my SoftRock watching the SDR-1000 CWL signal (into a dummy load, of course) has the image at 1200Hz above the desired signal and an audio second harmonic or intermixing at 600Hz below and 1800Hz above the desired signal, using a 600Hz nominal CW tone. All three of these spurious signals are ~20-25db below the main signal, which seems to me to constitute a signal that it would be illegal for me to put on the air. According to observation and Bug 655, there seems to be no way to adjust things to make them better. Is this particular to my system or is it seen by others? My worry from the Bug description is that this may be affecting all SDR-1000 CW users. Chris - AE6VK -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20061107/530f7f4f/attachment.html ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
[Flexradio] The NonTransportable SDR 1000 (was Was this answered?)
I have, reluctantly, concluded that my SDR 1000, except for repairs and ECOs, will never again leave my base station. Period. It just isn't a very good idea. The problem is the Rosanne Rosannadanna effect -- It's always something. Disturbing the cabling on the existing SDR 100 product leads to problems. Many more than when you move a traditional rig. I am not, I discover, alone in this assessment. I will not name names (not my story to tell), but I am not the only owner of this radio who has reached this conclusion by now. In Belize, we did a very good job making it all work, but there were lots of mysteries. Not a little of this is caused by the ASIO4ALL software we were using with the sound card (then and, for me, still, the Creative Audigy card), but it all counts against transportation of the rig. It magnifies the physical problems. The other mystery often had relates to the parallel cable. It has various unobvious failure modes where it can do things like trigger key down to the CW keyer (rendering CW mode useless) and a host of other things we all can remember by scanning this listserver archive. It just seems to never quite be right the first time I plug it in. Something happens, I wiggle or reseat, and it eventually goes away. Not something you want to be doing 3,000 miles from home. And, there are also mysteries related to the audio cables, especially if they are anything but perfectly placed. If they wiggle out, even a little (and they tend to do this once in a while), various problems and mysteries result, some surprisingly subtle. I remember getting added mixing products all over 80 meters one time. I had a great deal of this when I took the SDR mobile to show off to the students of the North Dakota State University ham radio club for CQ WW SSB a week or so back. Fortunately, none of these things showed up with the students were in the room. We got it worked out, first. While they were there, it performed flawlessly and was its usual impressive self. That part was great! But, it also just failed solid the next day (I will never know why) and me and my partner just packed up the rig and went home. My heart should have been in my throat (it often has been at home when these things happen), but somehow, I just knew it would go away. Plugged it in at home and, after a glitch or two (parallel port again) it's all been fine. Needful changes: 1. A D shell for the audio cabling. Forget the 1/8 inch plugs. The D44 card has proven a D shell is well accepted and would be a tighter, more transportable/reliable connection. Yes, we'd need a short audio cable, but we could then pick between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch plugs. 2. The poor man's UCB supprted by Flex. Great little gadget. Might need a few revisions to ensure everyone's parallel cables fit and a grounded box to surround it (I don't need that, but I can imagine someone doing so). 3. Simple, small, microphone amplifier for the D44 (other sound cards?). 4. My SDR 497/1497 idea. The 497 version would be a 500 dollar caboose to eliminate the sound card and random parallel cables with one, screw it down tight, well shielded parallel cable. USB in the front, of course. Anyone know of a good DXpeditioning rig? I've got the DXpedition bug, even if it is North Dakota or maybe a lighthouse, I am liking to spend some of my hamming time away from home. I have a QRP rig for the backpacking piece of it, I just need a 100/150 watt HF rig that runs off of 12v and is rugged enough to pack in plane, trains, and automobiles (well packaged, of course). The SDR, regretably, is not going to be that rig. Larry WO0Z ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
[Flexradio] [KB] A new Knowledge Base article has been posted
A new Knowledge Base article, Q10308 - Getting a SteppIR to Work with PowerSDR by Joe, AB1DO has been posted. The article is also available as a PDF file. You can use the following URL to access the article http://kb.flex-radio.com/article.aspx?id=10308 -Tim Integrated Technical Services www.itsco.com Apex, NC USA Cell: +1 919 215 6375 Skype: kg4rzy -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20061107/017dec6c/attachment.html ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] The NonTransportable SDR 1000 (was Was this answered?)
If your QRP rig works well, look for a small linear that can be driven with it. I agree the SDR 'as is' is not transportable. Perhaps some already recommended changes will solve those issues in the next hardware release. If I take it mobile, it will be permanently attached never to be moved again. Mine stays under my desk for now, gets switched on and off and there it has always worked just fine. Jerry [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have, reluctantly, concluded that my SDR 1000, except for repairs and ECOs, will never again leave my base station. Period. It just isn't a very good idea. The problem is the Rosanne Rosannadanna effect -- It's always something. Disturbing the cabling on the existing SDR 100 product leads to problems. Many more than when you move a traditional rig. I am not, I discover, alone in this assessment. I will not name names (not my story to tell), but I am not the only owner of this radio who has reached this conclusion by now. In Belize, we did a very good job making it all work, but there were lots of mysteries. Not a little of this is caused by the ASIO4ALL software we were using with the sound card (then and, for me, still, the Creative Audigy card), but it all counts against transportation of the rig. It magnifies the physical problems. The other mystery often had relates to the parallel cable. It has various unobvious failure modes where it can do things like trigger key down to the CW keyer (rendering CW mode useless) and a host of other things we all can remember by scanning this listserver archive. It just seems to never quite be right the first time I plug it in. Something happens, I wiggle or reseat, and it eventually goes away. Not something you want to be doing 3,000 miles from home. And, there are also mysteries related to the audio cables, especially if they are anything but perfectly placed. If they wiggle out, even a little (and they tend to do this once in a while), various problems and mysteries result, some surprisingly subtle. I remember getting added mixing products all over 80 meters one time. I had a great deal of this when I took the SDR mobile to show off to the students of the North Dakota State University ham radio club for CQ WW SSB a week or so back. Fortunately, none of these things showed up with the students were in the room. We got it worked out, first. While they were there, it performed flawlessly and was its usual impressive self. That part was great! But, it also just failed solid the next day (I will never know why) and me and my partner just packed up the rig and went home. My heart should have been in my throat (it often has been at home when these things happen), but somehow, I just knew it would go away. Plugged it in at home and, after a glitch or two (parallel port again) it's all been fine. Needful changes: 1. A D shell for the audio cabling. Forget the 1/8 inch plugs. The D44 card has proven a D shell is well accepted and would be a tighter, more transportable/reliable connection. Yes, we'd need a short audio cable, but we could then pick between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch plugs. 2. The poor man's UCB supprted by Flex. Great little gadget. Might need a few revisions to ensure everyone's parallel cables fit and a grounded box to surround it (I don't need that, but I can imagine someone doing so). 3. Simple, small, microphone amplifier for the D44 (other sound cards?). 4. My SDR 497/1497 idea. The 497 version would be a 500 dollar caboose to eliminate the sound card and random parallel cables with one, screw it down tight, well shielded parallel cable. USB in the front, of course. Anyone know of a good DXpeditioning rig? I've got the DXpedition bug, even if it is North Dakota or maybe a lighthouse, I am liking to spend some of my hamming time away from home. I have a QRP rig for the backpacking piece of it, I just need a 100/150 watt HF rig that runs off of 12v and is rugged enough to pack in plane, trains, and automobiles (well packaged, of course). The SDR, regretably, is not going to be that rig. Larry WO0Z ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com -- next part -- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: /pipermail/flexradio_flex-radio.biz/attachments/20061107/d20c06df/attachment.html ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Forward Power Meter
Hi Eric, Many thanks for the explanation! No problem here on this end as I have an external meter that lets me know I actually have power out. I'm just glad to know it wasn't something I was doing wrong! Thanks again for the info. 73 Joel W5ZN -Original Message- From: FlexRadio - Eric [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 8:09 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz Subject: RE: [Flexradio] Forward Power Meter Joel, This is an unfortunate side effect of having the CW process processed differently than the rest of the DSP. It should be stated that ALL of the power readings in the 1W mode are based on the input to the DSP (as opposed to a hardware readout). Because of this dependency, in modes where we are not using the DSP in the normal fashion, the meter does not read power. These modes are TUN and CW. This has been on the list for some time to fix, but it has just never gotten to the top. A quick solution would just present a N/A in those modes. Just to be clear, this is only an issue with the 1W radios as the 100W PA has hardware that allows us to read both the forward and reflected power. Eric Wachsmann FlexRadio Systems -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] radio.biz] On Behalf Of Joel Harrison Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 9:11 PM To: FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz Subject: [Flexradio] Forward Power Meter I have no power output indicated on the forward power meter during transmit on the PowerSDR console while in CW and Tun. The correct amount of power out is occurring and has been verified on an external in-line power meter. The forward power meter on the PowerSDR console works fine in all other modes and indicates power out correctly (USB, LSB, AM, FM, etc) it just doesn't indicate any power out in CW or tune and just reads 0. The same thing is occurring on two separate SDR-1000's, two separate computers and does the same thing whether it is 1.6.2 or Beta 1.6.3. What am I not doing right? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 73 Joel W5ZN ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] Was this answered?
It was not answered so far as I can remember? Bob Ross Stenberg wrote: Question: Is there going to be a SDR hardware offering for the amateur radio market that is in quality and features, in between the SDR-1000 and the SDR-X ? If so what would be the major differences in the hardware from the SDR-1000 and what is the estimated price range? 73 Ross K9COX ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com -- AMSAT Director and VP Engineering. Member: ARRL, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats, NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. ARRL SDR WG Chair You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Einstein ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] SAM Improved - Thanks!
I am a big user of SAM. I am proud of how good the core is at doing it. We need to increase the capability and flexibility and that will come. I accidentally made the wider tuning bandwith the PLL bandwidth (OOOPPPSSS). The PLL bandwidth was so large than it was eating all of the low end modulation. Thanks for all of the comments from everyone. Thank you Jeff for your input and support. Bob KA5MIR wrote: Thanks, Bob/N4HY, for working on the SAM tuning. No more flutter. The upcoming dual bandwidth should be a big help in speed and staying on lock. If it could hold for 1 second or so after losing lock before switching wide, that would be great. That would accomodate a carrier fading into the noise momentarily without looking elsewhere for a signal. I'm sure this is a small thing in the overall scheme of things with version 2 in the works. Thanks very much for working on it. Jeff/KA5MIR ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com -- AMSAT Director and VP Engineering. Member: ARRL, AMSAT-DL, TAPR, Packrats, NJQRP, QRP ARCI, QCWA, FRC. ARRL SDR WG Chair You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. - Einstein ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
Re: [Flexradio] The NonTransportable SDR 1000 (was Was this answered?)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have, reluctantly, concluded that my SDR 1000, except for repairs and ECOs, will never again leave my base station. Period. It just isn't a very good idea. The problem is the Rosanne Rosannadanna effect -- It's always something. Disturbing the cabling on the existing SDR 100 product leads to problems. Many more than when you move a traditional rig. I am not, I discover, alone in this assessment. I will not name names (not my story to tell), but I am not the only owner of this radio who has reached this conclusion by now. In Belize, we did a very good job making it all work, but there were lots of mysteries. Not a little of this is caused by the ASIO4ALL software we were using with the sound card (then and, for me, still, the Creative Audigy card), but it all counts against transportation of the rig. It magnifies the physical problems. The other mystery often had relates to the parallel cable. It has various unobvious failure modes where it can do things like trigger key down to the CW keyer (rendering CW mode useless) and a host of other things we all can remember by scanning this listserver archive. It just seems to never quite be right the first time I plug it in. Something happens, I wiggle or reseat, and it eventually goes away. Not something you want to be doing 3,000 miles from home. And, there are also mysteries related to the audio cables, especially if they are anything but perfectly placed. If they wiggle out, even a little (and they tend to do this once in a while), various problems and mysteries result, some surprisingly subtle. I remember getting added mixing products all over 80 meters one time. I had a great deal of this when I took the SDR mobile to show off to the students of the North Dakota State University ham radio club for CQ WW SSB a week or so back. Fortunately, none of these things showed up with the students were in the room. We got it worked out, first. While they were there, it performed flawlessly and was its usual impressive self. That part was great! But, it also just failed solid the next day (I will never know why) and me and my partner just packed up the rig and went home. My heart should have been in my throat (it often has been at home when these things happen), but somehow, I just knew it would go away. Plugged it in at home and, after a glitch or two (parallel port again) it's all been fine. Needful changes: 1. A D shell for the audio cabling. Forget the 1/8 inch plugs. The D44 card has proven a D shell is well accepted and would be a tighter, more transportable/reliable connection. Yes, we'd need a short audio cable, but we could then pick between 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch plugs. 2. The poor man's UCB supprted by Flex. Great little gadget. Might need a few revisions to ensure everyone's parallel cables fit and a grounded box to surround it (I don't need that, but I can imagine someone doing so). 3. Simple, small, microphone amplifier for the D44 (other sound cards?). 4. My SDR 497/1497 idea. The 497 version would be a 500 dollar caboose to eliminate the sound card and random parallel cables with one, screw it down tight, well shielded parallel cable. USB in the front, of course. Anyone know of a good DXpeditioning rig? I've got the DXpedition bug, even if it is North Dakota or maybe a lighthouse, I am liking to spend some of my hamming time away from home. I have a QRP rig for the backpacking piece of it, I just need a 100/150 watt HF rig that runs off of 12v and is rugged enough to pack in plane, trains, and automobiles (well packaged, of course). The SDR, regretably, is not going to be that rig. Larry WO0Z ___ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com Larry, This is a very interesting post. First of all the 1/8 inch connectors are a disaster. If I was going to move my SDR, I would replace all those connectors with another better connector like miniature SLRs or hardwire the existing cables in and let them dangle. I know that isn't very elegant, but those 1/8 connectors are going to continue to plague us. I believe the control cable whether it is patallel or USB is not very robust in an RFI sense. By placing ferrites on both ends of the cable, I believe most of that can be alleviated. If you decide not to take your SDR on the road here is what I do. I use a Yaesu FT-857 with a small Astron SS-18 switching power supply. That is about 6 pounds total. I have recently constructed a 600 watt, solid state amplifier that is 12 x 12 x 5 inches and weighs 30 pounds including the power supply. I fit the amplifier, transceiver, and Astron supply into a carry on bag with wheels that will fit under the seat on a Canadian regional jet. All
