[ARC5] BC-221-WWV-sound card

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 5 Mar 2015 at 14:11, Bill Cromwell wrote:

> Hi Ken,
> 
> If you don't use any of the computer software with your station and none 
> of the digital you probably don't have a computer connected to your 
> radio.

Actually, yes I do....all of the above. I do quite a bit of digital work 
here, and use Spectran, and Argo too. I even bought another package some 
time ago (which I really need to renew) named SpectrumLab.

And I also bought another package named Radio Operations Center, which is 
very interesting software, but it is being changed to something which is 
going to be included in the latest version of HRD...which may end up too 
expensive for me to use.

I use all this stuff with my upgraded PK-232MBX "modem", mostly PACTOR I, 
but also most other digital modes.

WINMOR for another.

Also, I wanted to talk with you about another related matter: my shack 
computer (in fact, TWO computers) died recently, so I built another one 
over the past week. I installed three HDs in it, and am triple-booting 
XP-Pro, Win 7 Ultimate, and PC-BSD.

I installed WINE on the PC-BSD box, and am trying to run all my station 
software through that, since I really want to get away from WinDOZE asap.

I have run into several "interesting" problems, but will eventually get 
those sorted out.

I will talk with you about some of those off list.

> I you do have a computer connected then this approach is just a 
> click-click away - not very complicated. No need to get a scope near the 
> radio and no need to fuss much with signal levels to get it to work.

Yes. I know. I am using Spectran and this computer, and also an SDR setup 
I have here, to DF the RFI around here. Using Spectran, I can make copies 
of both what I hear, and what a particular noise "looks" like. Nice. 
Valuable too. Later in April, I am supposed to give a presentation to the 
local ham club on RFI, how to recognize it and what one can do about it. 
I'll use files I have from Spectran to illustrate a lot of it, and to let 
the group hear what specific RFI sounds like.

> I sometimes forget how many complaints i see here about digital methods 
> and computers connected to radios. I won't annoy anybody here any more 
> with this stuff

Oh, I most certainly am not annoyed by it. I simply think, in my case at 
least, that method is a bit overly complex.

I am a simple sort who really likes simple things. ;-)

BTW, my BC-221-AKs both need their crystals realigned with WWV every time 
I use them. Over the long term, they are not all that stable. They are 
usually off by several cycles each time I check...but then again, I don't 
let them warm up for an hour before I use them either....

I suppose I should get one of my Textran Model 500 VLF Phase Tracking 
Receivers set up and in operation some day. ;-)

But I have never yet needed that sort of precision...

vy 73,

Ken W7EKB