[Dx-qsl] software defined radios

[DANNY DOUGLAS]

Man,  I have been playing with someone elses toys on the band, and am 
impressed. 
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/Multi-band%20WebSDR%20in%20JO32KF.htm

This gets you to a main page, from where you can pick out software defined 
radios in states and europe.  Click on one of them, and with a few settings 
(like bandwidth) you can hear exactly what that station is hearing at his 
location.  Im listening to the one in Virginia, not far from me. and on 160 
meters.  I am impressed with my own receive antenna, as I am hearing things 
on the air, that I am not hearing him hear and retransmitting via the 
internet connectiion.    It works the other way too.  I hear things in 
Europe (using one of the European SDR sites) and cant hear a peep on my 
radio here.  That figures of course, given props, locations, times of day, 
etc.

To figure out exactly where the freq is, you can even transmit on your own 
transmitter, and hear your own signal as heard at the SDR site.

What is even more impressive is what these guys are using for receivers. 
Some of them have the little 40 buck receiver, that is headlined in the QST 
just received today.    I gotta get me one of those, but sadly, there isnt a 
fully built one for 160.  Not sure I can solder such small pieces these 
days, to buy just the kit and put it together.

I played with it yesterday.  I could hear a 160 meter station on the rig, 
but noise was terrible, and so I used the multi European site where the 
signal was coming in smashing.  I called the guy, and after several calls he 
managed to get my call and give me a 339.  He was about the same here, on 
the rig, but 599 on the computer link.   Yeah I know.  We have had this 
discussion before about whether such a contact is ham radio- but it was two 
way on the air - and I have worked them before.

The capability of these SDRs is what is most impressive, especially for the 
costs.  They are single and units, and all of them dont quite  cover the 
whole band spectrum, but can be adjusted up and down when building, for the 
bandwidth spread you want to use them for.  Lots of these test sites, by the 
way, have just dipoles or simply verticals for antennas, so those receivers 
would be much better with a full blown receive antenna.

I can see their use here, as a second receiver.  Put the rig into simplex, 
listen to the DX on the SDR (thru the computer), see what the freq is on the 
screen, and move the rigs tuning knob to that freq, then call them.    If 
duplex, you could listen to their freq on the main rig, search around using 
SDR for the station who is working him, set your duplex transmit to that 
freq, and call away after the last caller signs.

Have been readisng the articles and ads for these SDR rigs but the full 
blown tranceivers are expensive, and figured never to have one.  These lil 
boards, hooked into your comupter sound card (you will need two sound cards 
if you plan to use digital ops) give you an excellent second receive.

SORRY RENE probably no joy with dialup.


Danny Douglas
N7DC
ex WN5QMX ET2US WA5UKR ET3USA SV0WPP VS6DD N7DC/YV5 G5CTB
All 2 years or more (except Novice). Short stints at:  DA/PA/SU/HZ/7X/DU
CR9/7Y/KH7/5A/GW/GM/F
Pls QSL direct, buro, or LOTW preferred,
I Do not use, but as a courtesy do upload to eQSL for those who do.
Moderator
DXandTALK
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DXandTalk
Digital_modes
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/digital_modes/?yguid=341090159