[Elecraft] (OT) It finally died...

[Jim Brown]

HI Phil,

I suggest that you take a look at various SDR RX options and the 
half-dozen or so software programs written to control them. I have an 
SDR-Play RSP 1, about $130 from HRO, and a FunCube Dongle ProPlus, about 
$175 from the UK.  These are both VERY versatile products, and have 
surprisingly good performance. There's a brief outline of their 
performance for chasing RFI in k9yc.com/KillingRXNoiseVisalia.pdf that 
is focused on their usefulness as spectrum displays to identify types of 
RFI, and to chase RFI. But they are good for FAR more than that.  Here's 
a better summary of what's available.

http://www.rtl-sdr.com/roundup-software-defined-radios/

http://www.rtl-sdr.com/big-list-rtl-sdr-supported-software/

ND0B, who has a serious VHF/UHF station and is one grid away from 
completing the FFMA award for working all 6M grids in the continental US 
(see his qrz.com page), says that he would not have worked our 
expedition to the very rare CM79 grid without an RTL dongle and Simon 
Brown's SDR Console software!  He says it outperforms his Flex 6700 for 
sensitivity and noise.  Simon, G4ELI, is a fine programmer, and was the 
author of the original Ham Radio Deluxe software, and a digital mode 
TX/RX program to go with it.  He sold that software several years ago 
because support was pulling too much time away from programming.

http://www.nn4f.com/SDR-Console-SDRPlay-RSP_QuickGuideTips.pdf

http://sdr-radio.com/

I've been busy with other projects, so haven't gone beyond loading 
software and verifying that everything works. I'd be willing to bet that 
there's free software to do damn near anything with these radios!  
There's software to trace aircraft beacons, decode broadcast TV in 
various formats, SWL, and ham operation.  To use them as a SWL RX, 
simply plug the SDR into a USB port and listen on computer speaker, 
headphones, or a stereo rig connected to an audio output of the computer.

73, Jim K9YC

On 7/2/2017 1:44 PM, Phil Kane wrote:
>   32 years ago I acquired a Kenwood R-5000 Communications Receiver
> (LF-MF-HF) that had been used as a SWL RX and traded in by the original
> owner.  It must be nearly 40 years old and it finally died - synthesizer
> and display quit and I have neither the facilities nor the dexterity or
> visual acuity to make any repairs in it.  (Sometimes we reach that point...)
>
> Now I need to replace it.    My K2 has a great receiver but limited to
> ham bands - I do quite a bit of monitoring on HF outside of the ham
> bands (SSB, RTTY, SITOR).  I've used a Ten-Tec RX320D SDR but it was
> made for SWL use and doesn't have the necessary sensitivity to do the
> job and TT abandoned it years ago.
>
> Anyone have a suggestion for replacement?  Something like the receive
> section of a K3s would be nice... :)