[Lowfer] Basic Argo settings?
Frank O'Donnell
lfr at inkbox.net
Sat Sep 11 17:25:25 EDT 2021
Thanks, Mike -- that's a big help. I'll see how it goes with setup, and
will keep those tips in mind.
As far as operating systems go, I run a little of almost everything here
-- in the Linux realm mostly using Ubuntu and Raspbian currently. I'll
have to take a look at Lopora and Qrsspig.
73,
Frank
On 9/11/21 1:59 PM, N8OOU wrote:
> Frank
>
> There are many ways to use Argo. The way I do it is to set the
> receiver to USB mode, then tune the next 1000+ Hz lower. So to listen
> to my beacon which is at 185300, I tune the receiver to 184000. Then I
> go to the Argo Setup - Calibration menu and put 184000 in the OFFSET
> input box and click ok. Also to watch for 1750m beacons, go to Mode
> and click on Qrss30 or Qrss60. The Speed menu selection can be of
> your choice. Normal is fine. Now use Setup - Save Settings as.. to
> store this configuration. Multiple configurations are handy, to go
> between Part 15 lowfer, Hifer, Part 97 Hambands, and other.
>
> There are valid reasons to use the CW mode or other narrow filter
> options over USB, I like to have the additional bandwidth to be able
> to slide the Argo screen up or down without re-tuning the radio.
>
> Other points to be aware of are that slow modes like Qrss30 or higher
> require a very stable receiver. Low audio level input to Argo is
> critical. To monitor my beacon locally, where it is 40 to 60 over S9,
> I must reduce the PC audio gains, reduce, the RF gain on my radio to
> almost nothing, click the "Hi" Visual Gain button on Argo, and slide
> sensitivity and contrast to low levels to get the thin trace on the
> Argo screen.
>
> Lopora and Qrsspig are two other programs that I have used in Linux. I
> don't do windows. Good Luck, there is a learning curve to Argo.
>
> Mike N8OOU 73
>
> 73 de N8OOU - Mike Meek
>
> On 9/11/21 3:18 PM, Frank O'Donnell wrote:
>> Thanks, Steve. As far as BFO goes, I'd have to launch a search of SDR
>> Console's fairly elaborate menus to determine if it has this feature.
>> I was thinking of going with the option suggested by Lyle Koehler in
>> his 2003 post to use USB and tune, say, 1 kHz down. But I could try
>> to sort this out in order to use CW.
>>
>> If frequency precision is a top priority, I might want to use our
>> most precise (GPS-controlled) local AM BC station rather than WWV.
>> The former is accurate to a very small fraction of a Hz, but WWV has
>> a way of going through much larger swings due to Doppler at various
>> times of day.
>>
>> Another consideration is that the SDR I was thinking of using may be
>> a Hz or two off. I have a couple of others that take external
>> frequency references, but would have to dig them out.
>>
>> Re it being a long time since you've used Argo, are there other
>> options that might be worth looking at for lowfer rx?
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Frank
>>
>>
>> On 9/11/21 12:46 PM, STEVE MCDONALD wrote:
>>> Frank you may want to just try tuning in WWV on any frequency (rx in
>>> CW mode) and see where it is displayed on the Argo screen. You’ll
>>> probably need to crank the levels down so its strong signal becomes
>>> a narrow line on the display. If your BFO offset is, say 600Hz,
>>> then you will see the WWV signal at the 600Hz line. That point,
>>> effectively, is ground-zero for signals that are tuned in on the rx.
>>> You can also see how far accurate your rx is since you know that WWV
>>> is accurate to XX.0000. If you intend to use Argo only on the lowfer
>>> band, you can also recalibrate the display so that instead of the
>>> waterfall displayed as audio frequencies it will display the radio
>>> frequency that you have set the rx dial at. Without touching the rx,
>>> you can then scroll up or down in the Argo screen for other signals,
>>> but only within the passband of your rx filter (usually set to a
>>> wider one in CW mode)
>>>
>>> I seem to recall a help menu in the software but may be thinking of
>>> another spectrum viewer as it’s been a long time since I used Argo.
>>>
>>> Steve 73
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks, Steve, found the thread in the archive. Will see how it works
>>> out tonight,
>>>
>>> On 9/11/21 11:31 AM, STEVE MCDONALD wrote:
>>>> Frank ..
>>>> I can see it was a thread on the Lowfer forum from Feb 2003. All
>>>> of their stuff is archived and the complete thread is here. Look
>>>> for the ‘rx setup’ thread.
>>>>
>>>> http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/lowfer/2003-February/thread.html
>>>>
>>>> There’s likely a lot of other Argo info there as well but would
>>>> require searching. I found the quickest way to learn about Argo was
>>>> to just play with it on HF and see what it does! I love its
>>>> simplicity and reliable performance but don’t use it much anymore
>>>> now that QRSS modes are rarely seen on LF.
>>>>
>>>> Steve
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: Steve Ratzlaff <ratzlaffsteve at gmail.com>
>>>> To: STEVE MCDONALD <ve7sl at shaw.ca>
>>>> Sent: Sat, 11 Sep 2021 12:05:43 -0600 (MDT)
>>>> Subject: Re: [Lowfer] Basic Argo settings?
>>>>
>>>> And too bad you have to have a paid subscription to see the whole file
>>>> there. :( I guess you're a paid member; I'm not.
>>>>
>>>> 73,
>>>>
>>>> Steve
>>>>
>>>> On 9/11/2021 11:02 AM, STEVE MCDONALD wrote:
>>>>> Frank you may find something helpful here:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.scribd.com/document/205707180/Argo-
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: Frank O'Donnell <lfr at inkbox.net>
>>>> To: LowFER (US European <lowfer at mailman.qth.net>
>>>> Sent: Sat, 11 Sep 2021 12:26:25 -0600 (MDT)
>>>> Subject: Re: [Lowfer] Basic Argo settings?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, Steve.
>>>>
>>>> Is there any way to get that document without giving a credit card
>>>> number to scribd.com for a "30-day free trial" account?
>>>>
>>>> On 9/11/21 11:02 AM, STEVE MCDONALD wrote:
>>>>> Frank you may find something helpful here:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://www.scribd.com/document/205707180/Argo-Tuning
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: Frank O'Donnell <lfr at inkbox.net>
>>>>> To: LowFER (US European <lowfer at mailman.qth.net>
>>>>> Sent: Sat, 11 Sep 2021 11:50:40 -0600 (MDT)
>>>>> Subject: [Lowfer] Basic Argo settings?
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi, total LowFER and Argo newbie here.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm interested in setting up a receiver using an SDR controlled by
>>>>> SDR
>>>>> Console software, virtual audio cable, and a copy of Argo v1 build
>>>>> 149a
>>>>> newly downloaded from weaksignals.com. I've set SDR Console to
>>>>> 185.3 kHz
>>>>> in CW mode with a 1 kHz bandwidth. In Argo, I've filled in my
>>>>> callsign
>>>>> and grid, and set the soundcard input to the virtual audio cable that
>>>>> the SDR outputs to.
>>>>>
>>>>> Anything else I need to configure? I see Argo defaults to QRSS 3
>>>>> -- any
>>>>> tweaks to that and/or frequency desirable?
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd seen a post to the effect that a basic user guide comes with
>>>>> Argo,
>>>>> but I haven't been able to find it.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks much,
>>>>>
>>>>> Frank K6FOD
>>>>> DM04wc
>>>>> Southern California
>>>>>
>>>>>
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