TCPIP radio

[Opcom]

I'd like to have a shortwave radio receiver I could leave on in the shack and access from my computer in the house via the 100BT LAN here. I should be able to easily tune it by some kind of up/down controls and set modes with some easy to use GUI and it would be nice if it has a spectrum display but not necessary. What simple models are around that can do that, and are fairly cheap?

The house has serious intractible noise issues because of the ancient burglar alarm wiring where I can't get at it, and its slow clock and scanning. So a remote receiver and a PC for a front panel seems best.

The only modern-ish radios here are an IC706 (plain model), Alinco DX-70 (plain model) and Kenwood TS430. These seem too old to be used in this manner even with adapters.

[N2DTS]

I would think you would want an sdr with an IP interface, great receivers and you can access it anyplace there is internet.

http://rfspace.com/RFSPACE/NetSDR.html

One of the best receivers around.

http://www.afedri-sdr.com/
A 12 bit unit, not the best but cheap.


I would get rid of the alarm system or upgrade it.

Also, one of these might fix your problem:
http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-012539

They get really great reviews.
I would love to have two, set up at right angles, what one does not get, the other will, with no rotors needed.

[KX5JT]

A very cheap alternative would be to use and RTL TV dongle and a Raspberry Pi setup as a server.

Here are some links for more info.... (I'm working on mine this week!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU0dgV7VX2o

http://www.hamradioscience.com/raspberry-pi-as-remote-server-for-rtl2832u-sdr/

http://zr6aic.blogspot.com/2013/02/setting-up-my-raspberry-pi-as-sdr-server.html

[KD6VXI]

http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=37430.0

Problem solved.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[Opcom]

wow, as much price spectrum as RF spectrum! I think the AFEDRI-SDR @ <300$ would be a good starting place for me. The purpose is to monitor the favorite frequencies to see what's going on or just do some SWL without having to go fire up the shack to find out.

[w3jn]

You can just plug the Afedri into a wireless router (with a bit of config) and yer done.  No computer needed on that end.  The spectrum width you want to look at will be limited by the wireless rate.  I think the best I got using 80211b was about 500KHz, vs 2 MHz or so using ethernet.

[KD6VXI]

If I was having to  go over wifi (which I do),  I'd use a rtl-sdr dongle.

Can also be plugged into a router,  and if the router runs a posix compliant os  (Linux,  etc),  you can run the host software and a server on the router.   Meaning,  more than 1 pc can connect and listen in.

Search Ham It Up for the up converter.

This solution is about 15 dollars to go from 24 mhz to 2 ghz.   Add another hundred or so for an up converter.  Or,  build your own.   Or,  perform the direct sampling modification on the 2nd I/Q input to the chip,  and have a 100khz to 2400 mhz receiver for fifteen bucks.   Shipped to your door.

No,  they aren't lab grade.   Yes,  they do have their problems (notably their crystal runs in the middle of ten meters ).

There are mods or improvements to get around all of the above.

You can also run SDR# on these dongles.   Someone posted a script a few months ago to use these as a mod monitor,  with seperate pos and neg mod percentages shown.

Yeah,  probably the best 15 bucks I spent.   Accessible off my router from anywhere my wifi stretches,  or across the Internet as well.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[KX5JT]

http://www.nooelec.com/store/ham-it-up.html   45 bucks... works great I own one!

[AJ1G]

Interesting thread...my son gave me a bunch of stuff to make up a Raspberry Pi microcomputer last Christmas, perhaps sometime soon I will be able to build it up, my main goal is to build an SDR that uses it as the computer.  Will the 16 bit one described above work with it?

[N2DTS]

The new Elad fdm-s2 looks very good, a 16 bit unit, its only drawback is its USB based and powered.
Delay through USB is bad on many computers.