SDRplay RP1A ~ SDRuno

SDRuno

SDRuno

SDRuno is a software which is working with SDRplay and a PC will be a receiver.   The software can be download from a web site and it works on Windows.  I just tried this software on Windows 10 PC.  There are pre-configured setups for Amateur bands which are covered with SDRplay.   We can see entire each band in a single display to see if there is any signal in the band.   So we do not have to scan frequency to see if there is any station in a band.   This is pretty nice for me.

Antenna

 Since this is just a receiver, I just using a copper wire in a room as a temporary antenna to check each amateur band.  I cannot receive really weak signals, but I still can see some activities.   Due to sun-spot number is really low now.  Higher HF bands are really quiet.  I cannot see much activities on 20m / 15m and 10m.   I still see some activities on 40m and 80m with the temporary antenna.

I guess if I have a better antenna out side of my house, then I could hear more stations.  Probably, I will set a better antenna some time soon.

Since the current antenna is not very good one, therefore I only hear very strong signals which are probably coming from somewhere not far.  Even though, I think there could not be so many station I expected.   When I did amateur radio, there are so many stations on 40m band.

Anyway, this is really nice device to listen amateur bands, what each band looks like. 

Software Defined Radio (SDR) ~ SDRplay RSP1A

SDRplay RSP1A

Software Defined Radio (SDR)

A several weeks ago, I mentioned this in a posting.  Finally, I bought RSP1A.

After I resumed Amateur Radio, one of things I am really interested in is "Software Defined Radio".  This is really a new thing that did not exist when I was really actively doing Amateur Radio more than twenty years ago.   That days, a general coverage receiver was so expensive and I did not have one when I was student.  However this product is a little above USD $100 ($119.95 is my purchase price) and it will cover 1kHz to 2GHz with all mode (AM/FM/CW/SSB ...).  This is really reasonable price to play!

The basic idea is using A/D converter to sample RF signal to digital and all rest of signal processing is done by a computer (PC) through USB interface.  Then the PC will be a nice receiver.   Actually, many Amateur Radio from major vendors are using this technology nowadays.

Good to know what the other amateur bands look like 

Although I resumed amateur radio, I only have a cheap Chinese radio "BAOFENG" which only can cover FM on 2 m / 70 cm bands.   I do not hear many stations in my local area.  I just wonder if there are many stations in the other bands.   When I was active in Japan about 30 years ago, there are so many stations in any bands.  I really want to know which band would be better band to find out many stations here.   However to buy HF radio and set up a large antenna require a lot of money.  So that I want listen some bands before I actually setup them.  That is one of motivation.

The other interesting area is to see spectrum and water fall display with this.   Some of nice HF radio has this feature.  However all radio I tried in the past did not have such feature.  I am really interested in what it looks and how it works.  The software for this product has this feature.

I just got it.  So I will post something related this product!  I think it will be fun!

SDRplay ~ Software-Defined Radio

SDRplay RSP2

   I usually post a similar contents both in Japanese version and English version.   However, I post different contents here.   Since the post in Japanese is just talking about amateur radio life here in Dublin / California comparing with my old amateur radio life in Japan about 40 years ago.

   It's been for 3 months since I got a license in the US.   Since it might be hard to have HF antenna and radio in a short time.   I just bought a cheap transceiver BAOFENG.   Originally, I thought there might be many stations in V/UHF bands because it is very limited usage in HF for Technician class.   However, I watch 2m / 70cm bands daily, I cannot hear a lot of activities.   I guess very limited stations on some specific repeater are talking daily.

   Anyway, therefore, I really want to see what the other amateur bands look like.  Also I am interested in SDR (Software-Defined Radio).   Based on my research on the internet, SDRplay might be one I try to get.   There are some different model and I have not decided which one I will buy.  But I am thinking this might be my next project to get it and report what it looks like.   In a short time, I will try to get it and try to have a simple antenna for HF.