[NLRS] 2m-440 Rigs

[Duane - N9DG]

I too will echo Bill's comments about the HPSDR (Apache) Hermes. I have in just the last few weeks revamped all my 50-432 MHz bands to use all PC based SDRs. I now have one Hermes each for 50 and 144, and run my Flex 5K as my IF for 222 and then an HPSDR Metis/Mercury/Penelope board stack as my IF on 432.

The Metis/Mercury/Penelope is electrically and functionally equivalent to the Hermes, the Hermes was derived from them. Of my two Hermes one is a TAPR production run board, and the other is from Apache, they look a little different from each other, but function identically. The Hermes board is ideal for transverter IF use. It has both a low level transvter level output as well as the main output that will do up to 500 mW. I'm currently setup from the  main TX output port through a 10dB attenuator and then into my TX IFs of the Demi transverters.

Even though the Hermes is capable of working on 6M directly, I still route mine through the transverter. My testing revealed that the DEMI transverter has the sensitivity edge over the Hermes natively on 6M. The same is true for the Mercury RX and definitely the Flex 5K.

I did not pursue the Flex V/U module so I cannot comment about those. But I would heed Bill's advice based on what I read in many places. My 5K has performed well for everything that I've used it for. I have been using it for Transverter IF duties over the last year or so, and it has worked just fine. And it is a piece of cake to setup with transverters. But if I was to seek a radio specifically for use as a transverter IF radio I'd certainly go the Hermes route as my first choice. The Hermes being a direct digital sampling device avoids many of the spur problems that are more or less endemic to QSD type designs.

One key benefit of the radios that Run PowerSDR (Flex or HPSDR/Apache Hermes) is that they can be interfaced entirely within software to WSJT or other "sound card modes" using an a bridge app called VAC (about $25 IIRC). So no interface boxes and cables needed at all, and the signals stay in the digital domain the entire time. Getting that running is one of my future projects.

PowerSDR with the Hermes will easily allow running up to 3 RXs per PowerSDR session. Spawning additional RXs is just a couple mouse clicks. So keeping an ear on the calling frequency, and a rover's run frequency while you are also primarily working on a 3rd frequency, is really easy to do. Then of course you can see all this stuff on a nice wide 192 kHz display.Or even more than 192 kHz now with the most recent versions of PowerSDR for the Hermes that was released in the last couple months.

Another key advantage of the Hermes is that it uses a Ethernet connection to the PC. Ethernet is proving to be so much easier and flexible to work with than Firewire or USB is here in my shack. It also opens up the possibility of more easily remote locating the gear. And in my case I'm able to route the 3 Ethernet connected HPSDR radios through a gigabit switch which allows me to run two PCs for contesting use with two PowerSDr sessions per computer, or like I am right now all 4 radios running on one PC. Almost no hardware reconfiguration required to switch the running configuration. It becomes mostly just a matter of which machine I launch the instances of PowerSDR on since both PCs are plugged into the same Ethernet switch with HPSDR gear.

Duane
N9DG

--- On Sun, 3/24/13, Bill Ockert - ND0B <nd0b at ockert.us> wrote:

From: Bill Ockert - ND0B <nd0b at ockert.us>
Subject: Re: [NLRS] 2m-440 Rigs
To: nlrs at mailman.qth.net
Date: Sunday, March 24, 2013, 9:46 AM



Kirk,

I concur with Lloyd the Flex radios are not a bad choice but with some caveats related specifically to the 5k.

1.  I have lost the HF/6m finals in mine 3 times and the RF switching board twice.   That has added $1500 to the cost of ownership and lead to the radio being unavailable for about 1/2 out of the 2-1/2 years I have owned it.

2.  Stay away from the5k  V/U unit which adds 2m and 70cm to the base radio and instead do it with external transverters.   Flex screwed the pooch on this and you are as apt to get one
that goes all over the place in power output as one that is steady.   I had one that was stable then one time when I had it in for repair they apparently needed a v/u unit that was stable to fix another
radio... you can guess the rest of the story.  They have quit production instead of figuring out what the problem is which is too bad, I routinely work EME with a single 12 element beam and NO preamp,
it is one heck of a receiver.  For some reason Flex is unable to do what a mom and pop shop in Florida is able to do, get stable, rated output from a Toshiba power module.    If I had this to do over
again I would have ordered the DEMI transveters (at less cost) and foregone this pain.

3.  The 5k is deaf is a stone on 6m.   It took me a while to figure this out, an 18dB DEMI preamp was not adequate to make it work on 6m EME, I finally upped to an ARR 24db GASFET and now can hear
some of what is going on with an antenna that lets most folks here most of what is going on.  A chance conversation with W7CE got me straight on this.

That said the radio does work extremely well with transverters and the transverter table in the software may be one of the best implementations of how to implement support them in the industry.

A second choice in the SDR world that is just starting to gain traction is the Anan radios from Apache Labs.   I just got one of their Hermes boards, at TAPR project that is being built by Apache and think it will make a very good
base for my transverters.   As a mater of fact I am in the process of laying out a couple of circuit boards that will do the RF switching to support up to 14 transverters with a Hermes board or one of the Anan radios.  Apache's
latest radios are 100W on 160 - 6 and support transverters in the same way that Flex does.   The Flex and Apache radios run similar software, Flex runs PowerSDR which is a somewhat proprietary version of
the software which was originally developed under GNU.   They pulled development inhouse a couple of years ago.   Apache runs OpenHPSDR which is the open version of PowerSDR.   The both have their features and their
issues but both are fun to operate and once you use the bandscope you will wonder how you lived without it.

We live in interesting times.

73 de Bill ND0B




-----Original Message----- From: Lloyd Berg - N9LB
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2013 8:03 AM
To: nlrs at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [NLRS] 2m-440 Rigs



Hi Kirk!

The FLEX-Radio Software Defined Radios are fantastic.  I have the FLEX-5000A
and mate it with the current version Down East Microwave transverters  for
144-thru 2304.  ( I've also used the FLEX-1500, almost as good )

Highlights:
- dedicated transverter ports
- very sensitive receive
- very effective noise blanker
- excellent receive filtering - many choices 100 Hz - 10 KHz
- panafalls spectrum display

73

Lloyd - N9LB  EN52hv


-----Original Message-----
From: nlrs-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:nlrs-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of kp hpjr
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2013 7:25 AM
To: nlrs at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [NLRS] 2m-440 Rigs


Being newer to these freq's I'm wondering about the best radios for use
here.

Ive used IC-756PROIII's for many years and have recently sold them. (I love
trying new stuff)

So now I'm curious as to what the general consensus is as to what rig a
person should be using for hot receive.

My requirements are: Must do digital (love WSJT modes), Must have very good
HF abilities as well, DSP noise rejection.

Your thoughts please.

Kirk, N0KK