[Boatanchors] [Glowbugs] ARRL level of construction articles - SDR disappointments

Sat Jan 6 11:45:53 EST 2018

Seems to me that what you did is what ham radio is all about...experimentation. The fact that it doesn't meet your desires is an acceptable conclusion.

Tom k3tvc

Get Outlook for Android

On Sat, Jan 6, 2018 at 11:34 AM -0500, "Bill Cromwell" <wrcromwell at gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Bob,

I have discovered disappointments with "SDR" too. I have backed away to 
consider how we might take advantage of whatever good features are there 
and avoid the disappointments. I don't see how letting a computer do all 
the heavy lifting is ever going to cut the mustard. I have a vacuum tube 
regen that outperforms the SDR gear I have seen so far (two regens in 
fact). But that is using the SDR gear "as intended", "as designed", and 
"as promoted". I have started "abusing" SDR and there are some benefits. 
But not with SDR as publicized.

In the meantime I AM using DSP and computer software to wring more out 
of my legacy gear. I have also used some of the SDR software (namely 
quisk) in the same kind of role. When I try to use is as publicized it 
fails miserably. But it can be adapted to a real radio with benefits. 
And it is mostly *free*.

I have no immediate plans to try transmitting with SDR. I see the 
signals generated by SDRs and - no thank you. Perhaps later we can find 
a way to adapt SDR TX features to legacy gear for benefit - if we can 
find any benefit.

Having said all of that - and SDR really IS disappointing - I am not 
ready to poor-mouth SDR enthusiasts. Maybe we can find a way to "improve 
the breed". More later.

73,

Bill  KU8H

On 01/05/2018 09:51 PM, K5MYJ wrote:
> I got a SDR to see how they worked. It does work but it's no like using
> a real radio!
>
> Bob Macklin
> K5MYJ
> Seattle, Wa.
> "Real Radios Glow In The Dark"
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob Atkinson" 
> To: "Howie WA3MCK" 
> Cc: "Boatanchor group" ; "Hubert Miller"
> 
> Sent: Friday, January 05, 2018 5:21 PM
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] [Glowbugs] ARRL level of construction articles
>
>
>> It's become very apparent over the past several years that there are
>> two ham radios:  the ham radio we all know and love which you could
>> call flea market ham radio, and the plug and play, no code,
>> entertainment center ham radio, which you could call the indoor
>> commercial vendor ham radio.
>>
>> I don't think anyone homebrews to sell (okay I guess a few do), but
>> rather for the satisfaction and also to get something that's just the
>> way they like it.
>>
>> I guess the commercial rig level of sophistication with bells and
>> whistles and the SDR stuff is making the distinction between my kind
>> of ham radio and the indoor vendor ham radio more obvious.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Rob
>> K5UJ
>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Jan 5, 2018 at 16:07 Hubert Miller  wrote:
>>>
>>>> The edition I have, 1967, says it is less expensive, in the
>>>> longterm, to
>>>> buy commercial manufactured equipment than to build HB - because, get
>>>> this,  the trade-in value will be higher. Now who expects HB gear to
>>>> have
>>>> any substantial trade-in value at all ?
>>>> It also says that when you build the 2 tube regen receiver, "...most of
>>>> the parts can be used later in other equipment."
>>>> Like you are going to do all that metal work, assembling the coils
>>>> and so
>>>> on, and in a year or so, take it apart. Hmmm, makes good sense to me.
>>>> -Hue
>>>
>>>>
>>>> My copy of that booklet contains the following regarding component
>>>> values
>>>> for a regen receiver: "...There is no need to buy new parts either. A
>>>> considerable saving might be made by using parts from a discarded TV
>>>> set,
>>>> or from items picked up at a ham auction or swap-shop..."
>>>>
>>>> There are three major categories of hams: Appliance operators, kit
>>>> builders*, and build-from-scratch folks (with overlap between these
>>>> groups). The ARRL pubs had to contain articles that appealed to all
>>>> three
>>>> -- quite a challenge.
>>>>
>>>> *Kit-builders can include those who build from schematics but want
>>>> to use
>>>> factory-made components -- they won't wind an inductor.
>>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Boatanchors mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
>>
>> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
>> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>>
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Boatanchors mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
>
> List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
> ** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **
>
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>

-- 
bark less - wag more
______________________________________________________________
Boatanchors mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net

List Administrator: Duane Fischer, W8DBF
** For Assistance: dfischer at usol.com **

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html