[Spooks] SDR Questions By KD7JYK - DRM

[WD8ARZ]

After providing feedback to KD7JYK on his SDR question (disclosure - I 
dont sell or represent this product), I downloaded the latest version 
SpectraVue http://www.rfspace.com/RFSPACE/SVDownload.html (disclosure - 
I dont sell or represent this product)  and installed it on my Samsung 
i7 Windows7 64bit Laptop (disclosure - I dont sell or represent this 
product). It installed well and operates great. Currently using it in 
dual VFO stereo mode. From the information off the rfspace site, it gave 
me the impression it supported DRM (disclosure - I dont sell or 
represent this product) natively. I was wrong and kinda as I expected, 
it will require an external program configuration to do dream, but that 
is not hard to do.

Information below has been provided a number of times over the last few 
years on various forums and I have verified / updated all the links as 
needed.

Bill
=================
[Disclosure - I dont sell or represent any of the products or links 
shared below]

Here is a method to get DRM to work with your SDR-IQ ... or other radio
in many cases.
Have a working SDR-IQ system and software such as SpectraVue.
http://www.rfspace.com/RFSPACE/SpectraVue.htm

Install Virtual Audio Channel (VAC).
http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm

There are license free Dream (DRM) of various versions out there on the 
net to download, but many of the newer versions with 1.17 and up dont 
have audio supported. Have in the past compared version 1.12b and 1.13. 
Version 1.17 is by far the better version and has a wider selection of 
options. Sourceforge current  version dream-2.1.1win32-svn808-df.zip is 
available for download at the time of this message. DRM Receiver that is 
free to download and use are http://sourceforge.net/projects/drm/ 
Install Dream and go to the next step.

Once the correct dll is put into the same directory that Dream DRM is 
installed in, there will be audio on DRM signals. I have verified today 
with all current versions of VAC, SpectraVue, and Dream that this is a 
functional Digital Radio Mondale system as done on my 64bit WIN7 laptop. 
Am confident this will also work with XP and VISTA.

To get a working dll file to support the audio, do the following:

Download the Software Radio program file named SoDiRa
http://www.dsp4swls.de/sodira/sodiraeng.html

Inside that program zipped file is a dll named libfaad2.dll. Save this file
some where, and make a copy that you will rename to faad_drm.dll.
It is 232 kb in size. Put the rename file into the root folder with Dream
version 1.17 and you will have a full functional program with audio.

Here is where that info is available, but it is all over the web.
http://yyz-swl.blogspot.com/2012/07/dream-and-libfaad2.html

Have found that audio doesnt always work the first time those files are 
installed. They will once you have powered off your computer and 
restarted. Once back up and running:

Start VAC control panel. Default settings are fine. Minimize after running.

Start SpectraVue to run the SDR-IQ and configure the output audio to use
Line1 (virtual audio cable) for example. Select WUSB and set it to no 
more than 15kHz width, but most of the time I find 12kHz is fine. You 
can change any modes by using Setup available in lower left hand portion 
of the mode panel.

Start Dream. Configure Dream to use Sound Card - Signal Input - Device
- Line 1 (virtual audio cable).

Tune in a strong DRM settings in SpectraVue. Better than S7 if you can.
Put DRM wave pattern in to right of center in bandwidth marker guides.

In Dream under View, open the view tab and choose evaluation dialog.
That separate panel will give you the options and displays on how well
it working.

To view and update the station schedule list, under dream panel, select
view tab and choose Stations dialog. That will give you either a old list,
or the option to down load a current list. The panel for the Station
Schedule List will have an update option.

Enjoy and 73 from Bill
[Disclosure - I dont sell or represent any of the products or links 
shared above]