dsp stuff

[K5IIA]

the rx'er i'm using right now is a nc-183. its not the d model. i was wondering if someone could get me started on doing like budly did if its possible on this rx'er. i already have a computer back here and would love to have the pan adapter i guess you call it screen to look at. i would just like to see what i would need to start looking for to get that project going. thanks. 

everytime i look that stuff up on the internet i get more confused then i was before. guess i just need to get a start.

thanks

[KA8WTK]

Probably the most basic setup for a panadapter would be:

A Windows XP computer with a sound card that has a line input.

Software (FREE!) from simple to complex: Rocky, SDRadio and Power SDR (there are others, but these are common) The more complex the software the more capability the computer needs.

A 455 kc output on the radio. Tap the IF through a small capacitor. The larger the more signal, but the smaller the less it loads down the IF.

Something to down convert the 455 kc RF into the audio range for your sound card.
   The simplest is the converter by Bill, KE1GF. The schematic is here: http://mysite.verizon.net/sdp2/id12.html
   A whole host of others from Softrocks through very expensive items.

  The IF goes to the converter, the converter goes to the sound card and the computer software displays the signals. Please remember, this is very basic. As you dive into one setup or another you can get more detailed information from the net.

Bill

[K5IIA]

ok thanks, i just want to get my feet wet with it and see how i like it.

[KA8WTK]

Once you try it, you will probably like it!
It's like the scope you have to watch your modulation, once you use one it seems you are blind without it.

[K4AAM]

 Didn't I read in a back post that the Soft Rock Lite kit was being offered again? Maybe someone can help. That may be an easy way to get started. Patrick

[K1JJ]

Brandon,

See my post under Buddly's Drake thread. If he says OK, I'll send you this 455khz SoftRock loaner to get you started. You'll love it and you might even move into a self contained SDR receiver board later on.
T

[flintstone mop]

This DSP stuff puts a different feel to the radio. The display lets you see the signals around you and you can quickly take care of interference by moving the IF around or activating various filters.

I started with the Softrock and it is a very nice way to see what this is all about.

Fred

[WD8BIL]

Hi Brandon,
Good to work you the last few days. And yes, Tom will be sending you the SR6.2 setup for 455kHz.
I'll be PMing you concerning the hookup for the 183. At first glance it looks pretty straight forward.

The panadaptor function is just the start. As I said last night, once you start playing around with the receive processing funtions you'll be hooked and the panadaptor becomes sort of a side show but still quite useful!

Buddly

[K1JJ]

As Buddly says, the RX functions will be a new whirl for you, Brandon.

As far as the pan adapter utility...  I run a split screen with the bandscope at the top and the waterfall scrolling down at the bottom.  Once the levels are set correctly, the waterfall is an excellent way to see your own transmitted bandwidth and the bandwidth of stations on the band.

Take a day to tune around and look at various ssb and AM stations from AM BC to hams - and you will soon see what a "normal" bandwidth looks like.   I have it down to where I can tell if someone is running a 2.4kc or 2.8khz ssb filters in their rig!  Once the RF input level to the board is set right, you can easily see the clean signals and not so clean, though it is more flexible on AM cuz we don't know if they are filtered at +-3kc or +- 6kc. But splatter will sometimes leap out of the normal upper power bands.

The good thang about the waterfall is you can talk for 10 seconds, then look back at the screen and see the whole bandwidth picture of what you just said. It gives confidence if anyone ever tells you you're splattering. There's a difference between running a wider bandwidth that is clean - or splatter.  One sounds nasty and ripping/tearing at the band edges and the other fades away in smooth wisps.

You'll have a blast with it, Brandon. I'll pack it up today and get it in the mail ASAP when the snow stops.

T

[n1eu]

Software (FREE!) from simple to complex: Rocky, SDRadio and Power SDR (there are others, but these are common)
 

Could someone please post the link to download "SDRadio" software?  I've used Power SDR and WinRad but didn't know about SDRadio.

Thanks,
Barry

[WA1GFZ]

Tom,I wonder if you looked at WTIC AM. They are WIDE. WBZ must be running the same rig because they have the same sidebands.
Off to the sides of the main signal they are about 20 KHz wide and the crud is only down about 30 dB

[WB2EMS]

Could someone please post the link to download "SDRadio" software?

The main page is http://www.sdr-radio.com/

Simon is the author of the very popular HamRadioDeluxe software suite. He's done a nice job with the sdr radio stuff as well.

The release package is out of date now (I don't know why it's still on the site) but the beta packages are working pretty well. Here's the link to the beta downloads.

http://www.sdr-radio.com/Downloads/BetaKits/tabid/320/language/en-US/Default.aspx

I'm running the server on my SDR-IQ, and once you download the client you can use it with a local SDR such as softrock, or can use other receivers like mine across the internet.

[K1JJ]

Tom,I wonder if you looked at WTIC AM. They are WIDE. WBZ must be running the same rig because they have the same sidebands.
Off to the sides of the main signal they are about 20 KHz wide and the crud is only down about 30 dB

Yes.

Actually, I can detect the crud easier just by tuning the band by ear. That hash has a distinct sound that stands out from the adjacent AM BC stations, whereas the bandscope hides it in QRM.

Either way, it's unbelievable that they can run so wide. Infant technology is one thang, but this is way over the top.  I pity the poor stations that have to run a biz next to those 50kw puking Godzilas.

Brandon, your package is stuffed, sealed and awaiting shipment.

T

[WA1GFZ]

You will see an interesting display on HPSDR

[K5IIA]

man alot went on today while i was at work hahaha. yea thanks for all the help and thanks for the information also. man that sounds great and yes that will be fine to keep it passing around. i just need to dive in and get started so i can learn it. Thanks for the sig report tom wish you would have joined in.

well thanks guys we are about to eat dinner. i dont know if i have emailed you bud but i will try to shoot you one and get the email thing started i am much better with email then the private messages on here.

man thanks again.

[W1AEX]

Either way, it's unbelievable that they can run so wide. Infant technology is one thang, but this is way over the top.  I pity the poor stations that have to run a biz next to those 50kw puking Godzilas.

T

WTIC is quite strong at my location, and when I use my receive loop that favors signals from the north - south directions, it pegs the s-meter on my receivers. Their analog signal always sounds very nice here when compared to just about eveyone else on the band. I think they've been dealing with a few issues over the past few weeks as their IBOC signal has been down during the late night hours, which usually means adjustments and maintenance are taking place. Lately, I have seen their analog sidebands extending beyond the data streams at the edges of the signal. In the little screenshot, you can clearly see them as low as 1.062 and as high as 1.098. Too bad for those little pipsqueak stations sitting on 1.060 and 1.100!

Their normal total bandwidth is 25 kc, which seems to be the same as WCBS on 880 and WBZ on 1030. That's very reasonable compared to a certain Viking Valiant that I saw (and heard) calling CQ on 7290 last fall. His sidebands were extending from 7260 to 7320 and he made lots of friends that day! That thing was definitely the most painful sounding AM transmitter I have ever heard...

Rob

[flintstone mop]

Many stations take their IBOC off the air coz it's useless at night and interferes with distant stations near the offending station's frequency. It's usually 30khz wide. So many complaints about this noise.
Fred
Sorry slightly off-topic

[K1JJ]

Interesting, Rob.

I was listening to AM BC last night to hear the Obama speech in the background. I tuned into a strapping WBAL on 1090 in Maryland.  They were maybe S9 +30.   With WTIC on 1080, I could barely make out what the WBAL guy was saying with all that hash. If I were the owner of that station, I would be very POed.. :-)

So I listened up the band instead.

I notice that the German amateurs are VERY clean signal minded.  I sometimes hear them talking about signal purity in the DX areas. It must be their technical nature and ethics. Most of them have very clean signals, and if not, their countrymen give them heck. Compare this to some of the other stations coming out of Europe.  Some might think this is being anal or picky but I feel if something can be done about our signals to improve, then by all means it is well worth striving for as clean a signal as possible.  Just "good enuff" is a cop-out.


Being "signal aware" is also a good thing. For example, being able to roll our audio back to +-3.5kc when the band gets crowded and guys are spaced out every 5kc is important. This means having full control of IMD/cleanliness AND audio response. It does no good to roll back highs when the transmitter is puking garbage...

I think for the most part signals have cleaned up a lot over the last few years. It may have something to do with the many bandscopes and higher quality riceboxes on the air. There was a time when we could tune 20M and every other ssb signal had audio distortion, RF in the audio or buckshot extending out. It's not that common anymore for whatever reason. The Amers have improved too.  More sophistication. We don't hear too many Valiants wide open anymore...

T

 

[W1AEX]

It's usually 30khz wide.

Oops! You are correct Fred. I forgot that I had the display set for 2kc divisions so their signal from left to right is 5kc + 20kc + 5kc. Normally, they run the IBOC stuff 24/7 and only have it disabled when there is maintenance or a crap-out occurs. They are strong enough that my HD receiver will lock onto the IBOC signal even with no antenna attached. I would agree with you that the digital streams make a mess of the BCB during late night reception. I can't imagine how that stuff works in a car radio, but they seem to be pushing them. Even though WCBS comes in quite well here at my location, my HD receiver has never been able to successfully lock to their IBOC signal because apparently S-9 +10 dB must not be enough to work with!

Tom, your comments about hearing WBAL - 1090 in the presence of WTIC are on the mark. The only way I can hear anything from that station is to use my East - West loop which drops 1080 by about 20 dB and then only listen to 1090's upper sideband. Very interesting about the German operators and their tendency to self-police. I think most guys in the US/Canada make a decent effort to keep things clean. When bad stuff happens, it usually seems to be a matter of not understanding what's going on. Then again, there's that 1% factor that advances all settings to full warp drive...

[WA1GFZ]

So why does the FCC allow these crap generators taking up so much BW.

[WD8BIL]

Follow da money!!!!

[WA1GFZ]

WTIC is very right wing so makes sense.
I'm surprised they even carried the speech

[WD8BIL]

I'm surprised they even carried the speech

Me too! What a waste of spectrum.