[Lowfer] Basic Argo settings?

Eric Smith esmithmail at gmail.com
Sat Sep 11 17:46:30 EDT 2021


Gee you guys are starting early.  It’s not Halloween yet.

Eric kd5uwl

> On Sep 11, 2021, at 4:25 PM, Frank O'Donnell <lfr at inkbox.net> wrote:
> 
> 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
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>>>> Lowfer mailing list
>>>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
>>>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>>>> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>>>>>> Post must be less than 50KB total for message plus attachment!
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>>>> 
>>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>>> Lowfer mailing list
>>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
>>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>>> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>>>>> Post must be less than 50KB total for message plus attachment!
>>>>> 
>>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>>> 
>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>> Lowfer mailing list
>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>>>> Post must be less than 50KB total for message plus attachment!
>>>> 
>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>> 
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> Lowfer mailing list
>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>>> Post must be less than 50KB total for message plus attachment!
>>> 
>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Lowfer mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
>> Post must be less than 50KB total for message plus attachment!
>> 
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> Lowfer mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/lowfer
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Lowfer at mailman.qth.net
> Post must be less than 50KB total for message plus attachment!
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html


More information about the Lowfer mailing list