[Boatanchors] My earlier post

[rbethman]

I managed to try doing too many things at the same time and left a hole 
square in the midst of my post.

So Here is where it got fouled up:

 >
 >I look at simple common sense and that hasn't done too bad for me.  
Any >manufacturer can indeed say that you "can" mount the above tubes in 
the horizontal >position, and tell you which pins to place in which 
position when you do so.  That >doesn't mean you "have" to.  I prefer to 
eliminate one additional
 >
Now I really meant to finish it with: " element of possible failure 
whenever I can.  That is my preference in my projects.

Regarding SDR and Raspberry PI and the other pieces, I do not see much 
sense in procuring or building some esoteric Spectrum Analyzer.  The 
"Raspberry Pi 2 Model B 1GB Starter Kit NOOBS Micro SD Case Power Supply 
Wifi" is an inexpensive step into that world at a grand total "Buy It 
Now" off E-pay price of $65.

I already have the SDRSHARP software, the"Keedox RTL-SDR, FM+DAB, DVB-T 
USB Stick with the RTL2832U & R820T ICs", also inexpensive, meaning 
under $15.

The Ranverter Kit is available through Hayseed Hamfest. It was designed 
by W9RAN and he has gotten in with Tom N0JMY to market it. It also is 
ridiculously priced at $39.95 w/o the above described "Dongle" or $49.95 
with one.

I'm going to take some RG-174U and run it outside, then tie it to 
something like #20 AWG enameled copper wire that is around 70 feet in 
length.  Feed it off the end or even in the middle, it doesn't take a 
great deal of antenna with one of these Dongles.  I've been piddling 
around with two of them stuck into a 7 port USB hub, and their dinky 
short antennas that I have altered to about 48" whips that simply sit 
inside the house tied to this laptop and are on the inside window sill.

I have been using the SDR# software off the Internet, and use it's 
interface.  It is a manual tuning interface, but gives a good spectrum 
display of a region that you center on, and I have received from the FM 
BCST band upwards into the ADSB aircraft transponders at 1.090GHz.

So tuning the antenna "system" isn't really critical.

I find it interesting to play with and learn more once more.

Cheers All!

Regards, Bob - N0DGN