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Re: LimeSDR USB Output Power drops 30dB
Hi Fred I’ve just done some tests on Lime Tx using SDR Console V3.0.7, Computer Asrock B250M with G4560 processor, Windows 7 Ult x64
Transmit Frequency set to 52MHz Mode USB, Drive 100% Spectrum analyser DSA815TG set to 52MHz, span 1MHz with 20dB attenuator between Lime TX1 and input Press Transmit I see a clean signal 52.25MHz at -25dBm Press Tune I see three clean signals 51.75MHz at -45dBm, 52MHz at -6dBm, 52.25MHz at -42dBm Press Tune and I see just 52.25MHz at -25dBm Press Transmit to revert to Receive mode and no RF output.
The SDR display shows a 52MHz signal only when Transmit is pressed followed by Tune. Level displayed is -43dBm with noise base at about -105dBm
If I use LSB I see much the same results. Transmit and Tune, 3 clean signals 52.25MHz at -42dBm, 52MHz at -6.6dBm and 51.75MHz at -44dBm Switch off Tune and I see just 52.25MHz at -32dBm
Once in Transmit and Tune the signals are all stable with no obvious change in amplitude. I’m powering the Lime from its twin USB3 connectors. If I plug in a 9 volt PSU I see no difference in performance.
Is this similar to what you see? Allan G3PIY From:
main@SDR-Radio.groups.io [mailto:main@SDR-Radio.groups.io] On Behalf Of Fred Caswell
My screenshots were all using TX1/Band1. I tested all 4
channel/antennas. Same results using TX2/Band1. Similar results
using TX1/Band2 and TX2/Band2...just lower power levels. _._,_._,_
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Re: LimeSDR USB Output Power drops 30dB
I had similar results to you Fred. I’ll try and repeat them later if I have time. Allan G3PIY
From:
main@SDR-Radio.groups.io [mailto:main@SDR-Radio.groups.io] On Behalf Of Fred Caswell
My screenshots were all using TX1/Band1. I tested all 4
channel/antennas. Same results using TX2/Band1. Similar results
using TX1/Band2 and TX2/Band2...just lower power levels. |
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Re: LimeSDR USB Output Power drops 30dB
Fred Caswell
My screenshots were all using TX1/Band1. I tested all 4 channel/antennas. Same results using TX2/Band1. Similar results using TX1/Band2 and TX2/Band2...just lower power levels.
Fred |
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Re: Exact frequency not locked to mouse pointer
And... fixed.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Problem was that 8.333kHz should actually be 8.333 recurring which blew up my logic. This will be in 3.0.9. Simon Brown, G4ELI www.sdr-radio.com -----Original Message-----
From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io <main@SDR-Radio.groups.io> On Behalf Of Simon Brown Sent: 02 May 2019 12:33 To: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io Subject: Re: [SDR-Radio] Exact frequency not locked to mouse pointer Hi, I'll check this now. Simon Brown, G4ELI www.sdr-radio.com -----Original Message----- From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io <main@SDR-Radio.groups.io> On Behalf Of fyler@... Sent: 01 May 2019 20:59 To: SDR-Radio@groups.io Subject: [SDR-Radio] Exact frequency not locked to mouse pointer I'm using SDR Console v3.0.7 with the Icom IC-R8600 If I set the Bandwidth Span to its maximum which is 2.5MHz (or at any Span) and make the center frequency display 120.000.000 and have a Step Rate of 8.33kHz, when I forward scroll the mouse wheel just once, the displayed frquency is now 120.008.333 -- which is correct. A few more forward scrolls of the mouse wheel and the displayed frequency is now 120.025.000 -- again, this is correct. However, if I hover the mouse pointer as close to spot on the exact frequency of 120.000.000 the information that is displayed adjacent to the mouse pointer shows me that the nearest frequency I can select by clicking the left mouse button is 119.995.200 or 120.003.553 -- meaning if I see a transmission on frequency 120.000.000 exactly; I'm unable to click the mouse to that exact frequency. I have to click on either 119.995.200 or 120.003.553 and then manually adjust whichever frequency to be spot on for 120.000.000 -- by which time I've missed the transmission. Whatever the Step Rate is set at i.e. 5kHz, 8.33kHz, 25kHz etc ... shouldn't there be a way so that wherever I click, the displayed frequency will be exact to the Step Rate. |
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Re: Version 3.0.8 Available
Ton Bru
Simon thanks for the 3.0.8 release. I installed it and the squelch setting of my SDRPlay is as it was in version 3.0.3 and before. (de-emphasis) Ton
On Thursday, May 2, 2019, 1:27:17 PM GMT+2, Simon Brown <simon@...> wrote:
Hi All,
More info: https://www.sdr-radio.com/Blog/PostId/60/release-308
Enjoy!
Simon Brown, G4ELI
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Re: Audio recording
Hi,
That’s a Data recording, you must play it with my software or (maybe) other consoles. It isn’t an audio recording even though the file format is WAV (or WAV RF64).
Simon Brown, G4ELI
From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io <main@SDR-Radio.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allan Isaacs
Sent: 02 May 2019 12:31 To: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io Subject: Re: [SDR-Radio] Audio recording
The recorded file ends in .WAV Simon and works fine in your program It plays back a one minute recording plus the radio display Allan G3PIY From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io [mailto:main@SDR-Radio.groups.io] On Behalf Of Simon Brown
Audio recordings are in WAV / MP3 / WMA format, plenty of programs support these formats.
Are you getting confused with IQ recordings?
Simon Brown, G4ELI
From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io <main@SDR-Radio.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allan Isaacs
Can I play a recording made by SDR Console Version 3.0.7 with anything other than this? I tried a few (VLC, Potplayer etc) but all fail to find a suitable codec. Allan G3PIY |
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Re: Audio recording
The recorded file ends in .WAV Simon and works fine in your program It plays back a one minute recording plus the radio display Allan G3PIY From:
main@SDR-Radio.groups.io [mailto:main@SDR-Radio.groups.io] On Behalf Of Simon Brown
Audio recordings are in WAV / MP3 / WMA format, plenty of programs support these formats.
Are you getting confused with IQ recordings?
Simon Brown, G4ELI
From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io <main@SDR-Radio.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allan Isaacs
Sent: 02 May 2019 12:12 To: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io Subject: [SDR-Radio] Audio recording
Can I play a recording made by SDR Console Version 3.0.7 with anything other than this? I tried a few (VLC, Potplayer etc) but all fail to find a suitable codec. Allan G3PIY |
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Re: Exact frequency not locked to mouse pointer
Hi,
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I'll check this now. Simon Brown, G4ELI www.sdr-radio.com -----Original Message-----
From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io <main@SDR-Radio.groups.io> On Behalf Of fyler@... Sent: 01 May 2019 20:59 To: SDR-Radio@groups.io Subject: [SDR-Radio] Exact frequency not locked to mouse pointer I'm using SDR Console v3.0.7 with the Icom IC-R8600 If I set the Bandwidth Span to its maximum which is 2.5MHz (or at any Span) and make the center frequency display 120.000.000 and have a Step Rate of 8.33kHz, when I forward scroll the mouse wheel just once, the displayed frquency is now 120.008.333 -- which is correct. A few more forward scrolls of the mouse wheel and the displayed frequency is now 120.025.000 -- again, this is correct. However, if I hover the mouse pointer as close to spot on the exact frequency of 120.000.000 the information that is displayed adjacent to the mouse pointer shows me that the nearest frequency I can select by clicking the left mouse button is 119.995.200 or 120.003.553 -- meaning if I see a transmission on frequency 120.000.000 exactly; I'm unable to click the mouse to that exact frequency. I have to click on either 119.995.200 or 120.003.553 and then manually adjust whichever frequency to be spot on for 120.000.000 -- by which time I've missed the transmission. Whatever the Step Rate is set at i.e. 5kHz, 8.33kHz, 25kHz etc ... shouldn't there be a way so that wherever I click, the displayed frequency will be exact to the Step Rate. |
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Re: Audio recording
Audio recordings are in WAV / MP3 / WMA format, plenty of programs support these formats.
Are you getting confused with IQ recordings?
Simon Brown, G4ELI
From: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io <main@SDR-Radio.groups.io> On Behalf Of Allan Isaacs
Sent: 02 May 2019 12:12 To: main@SDR-Radio.groups.io Subject: [SDR-Radio] Audio recording
Can I play a recording made by SDR Console Version 3.0.7 with anything other than this? I tried a few (VLC, Potplayer etc) but all fail to find a suitable codec. Allan G3PIY |
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Version 3.0.8 Available
Hi All,
More info: https://www.sdr-radio.com/Blog/PostId/60/release-308
Enjoy!
Simon Brown, G4ELI
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Audio recording
Can I play a recording made by SDR Console Version 3.0.7 with anything other than this? I tried a few (VLC, Potplayer etc) but all fail to find a suitable codec. Allan G3PIY |
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Re: SDR FM DXing
I modified both my RSP1A's insides with copper tape. Few solder spots on the overlaps (DMM said there was a connection between the two despite the adhesive backing) to keep all sections of tape electrically connected.
73 Kriss KA1GJU |
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Re: SDR FM DXing
Crystal clear!
Thank you very much to all of you. Fortunately I live in a very quiet valley whit no RF transmitters in the vicinity. Some near mountains even block the closest MW Txer at 15 km in straight line, allowing me to get other MW signals 400 km away in the same frequency. No FM Txers, close neither! My AirSpy HF* performs very well (with Console V3) even on FM band with a superb sensitivity! An RSP1A or R2 would be complementary units for FM. I'll try one of these. Are still RSP1A metallic cases for sale? I do not like a plastic cover for such a device! Saludos! Jorge |
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Re: SDR FM DXing
Bjarne Mjelde
I did some FM DX-ing last summer with the RSP1A/SDR Console combo with very good results. I used 6 MHz bandwidth at the time. It's very sensitive but probably not the heftiest front end, it depends on your local FM RF level I suppose. In Norway that's a non-issue.
-- Bjarne Mjelde arcticdx.blogspot.com Remote rx: arcticsdr.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/ |
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Re: SDR FM DXing
Leif Asbrink
Hi Jorge,
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Show quoted text
The compromise between bandwidth and dynamic range is non-trivial. In the first place various tuner chips are used. Those are all designed for the reception of a single channel. Could be a very wide channel of digital TV, but generally they all apply analog filters that fit the bandwidth of the signal to be received. Performance can be excellent!!! For FM DX-ing we need a large in-band dynamic range. For this there is no commercial interest. We can use a good tuner chip and combine it with an A/D converter having many enough bits. In case you want the entire FM band, have a look at the BladeRF with the B200 converter. Performance is not super, but maybe it is fully adequate in your location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xSgbKPkhE4 There is the PCIe 9842 that gives a 100 MHz bandwidth. For FM DXing one would need a 88 to 108 MHz filter and a converter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxkd8e_ijw8 You can find many videos comparing receivers here: http://sm5bsz.com/linuxdsp/videos.htm As I see it, the optimum hardware today would be a PCIe card sampling 14 bit at 80 MHz. A simple card without a front end, sending raw data directly to the PCIe bus. The user would have to supply band pass filters for the HF bands of interest. Also 88 to 108 MHz would be received by undersampling. The bands would be: 0-40 40-80 80-120 120-160 160-200 With realistic filters it is a little different: 0-35 45-75 85-110 130-150 170-190 In the range 0-35 MHz one would probably like to have half-octave filters to improve dynamic range while receiving a much smaller bandwidth. To my knowledge nobody is interested in supplying this kind of optimum hardware. The PCIe card, the different filter options, the software (Linrad is designed for this, but too complicated for the masses.) We have to wait for such a sampler to be designed for general purposes like the PCIe 9842 which was VERY expensive when I bought my unit. (And it was originally buggy. It took me several months to explain what was wrong and to make Adlink, the manufacturer to supply an FPGA code that made the card behave correctly.) In the past I spent quite some time on these problems, but today I am no longer following the market. Surely new and better equipment is possible:-) I now spend my time on technical details for nerds. How to produce LO signals with VERY low sideband noise. You can find my latest experiences here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClmNy6VRE1YqOeBHwb3o0Yg 73 Leif Hi,Having different SDR receivers in the market and regarding FM DXing... Is there any opportunity to have an AirSpy HF+ with a wider spectrum for FM DX? The actual 768 Khz bandwidth is not very productive for I/Q... |
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Exact frequency not locked to mouse pointer
fyler@...
I'm using SDR Console v3.0.7 with the Icom IC-R8600
If I set the Bandwidth Span to its maximum which is 2.5MHz (or at any Span) and make the center frequency display 120.000.000 and have a Step Rate of 8.33kHz, when I forward scroll the mouse wheel just once, the displayed frquency is now 120.008.333 -- which is correct. A few more forward scrolls of the mouse wheel and the displayed frequency is now 120.025.000 -- again, this is correct. However, if I hover the mouse pointer as close to spot on the exact frequency of 120.000.000 the information that is displayed adjacent to the mouse pointer shows me that the nearest frequency I can select by clicking the left mouse button is 119.995.200 or 120.003.553 -- meaning if I see a transmission on frequency 120.000.000 exactly; I'm unable to click the mouse to that exact frequency. I have to click on either 119.995.200 or 120.003.553 and then manually adjust whichever frequency to be spot on for 120.000.000 -- by which time I've missed the transmission. Whatever the Step Rate is set at i.e. 5kHz, 8.33kHz, 25kHz etc ... shouldn't there be a way so that wherever I click, the displayed frequency will be exact to the Step Rate. |
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Re: LimeSDR USB Output Power drops 30dB
Fred Caswell
I noticed this morning that LED8 is solid green when I power the Lime. Once the software starts it extinguishes. I'm using a powered USB3 hub (2A per socket)...I thought maybe it wasn't providing enough power so I attached a 9V 1.7A power supply. Same results.
I attached a new logfile with screenshots of SDR console. I also added spectrum analyzer screenshots - sweep and phase noise for each scenario. The spectrum analyzer screenshots have timestamps in the lower right corner. My process: 1) Power Lime 2) Start console, choose Lime 12:40:27 3) Click "tune", set gain to 80 12:42:09 4) Check output power -5.5dBm 12:42 5) Check phase noise -108 dBc/Hz at 1kHz 6) Stop transmit 12:42:58 7) re-start transmit 12:44:02 8) Check output power -40.7 dBm 12:44 9) Check phase noise -80dBc/Hz at 1kHz 12:44 10) Stop transmit 12:44:43 11) Stop radio 12:44:55 12) Start radio 12:45:05 13) Start transmit 12:46:02 14) Check output power -5.6dBm 12:46 15) Check phase noise -107dBc/Hz 12:46 16) Stop transmit 12:46:34 17) Start transmit 12:47:03 18) Check output power -40.4dBm 12:47 19) Check phase noise -76.5 dBc/Hz 12:47 20) end I appreciate your help. Fred |
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Re: Something new for IC-7300 owners who SDR
? This connects to the narrow bandwidth IF AND you STILL need an external $25 SDR to see a 10MHz bandwidth if you want a big slice. It will also zoom down to a small slice.
I have found my RSP2 /SDRUNO to have ALL the filtering, etc features needed and a couple times it was a tiny bit MORE sensitive. -- Bo W4GHV since '54 |
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Re: Lime SDR transmit spurii
I’ve been experimenting further with a Lime SDR-USB in Transmit. In AM or NFM Tx mode I always see three main signals f0 +/- 250KHz which read S9 and S6/S6 on a monitor receiver (and as spikes on the SDR display). There are others at +/- 500KHz etc but weaker. I use the drive setting to conveniently set S9 on the monitor receiver and the extra signals are present at all drive settings. This is consistent from 30MHz to 1GHz and the S meter readings tally exactly with dBm readings on a spectrum analyser. Has anyone else noticed this? Allan G3PIY
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Re: SDR FM DXing
EB4APL
Hola Jorge, The AirSpy HF+ bandwidth is limited by the hardware inside, the same for the frequencies covered.Its cousin, the AirSpy R2, covers from 24 to 1700 MHz continuously and the bandwidth is 10 MHz. Do not confuse with the TV dongles, the AirSpy has a much better A/D converter, local oscillator and so. I think that is a very good option, I own one from the first batch. 73 de Ignacio, EB4APL
El 01/05/2019 a las 13:14, Jorge Garzón
Gutiérrez via Groups.Io escribió:
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