HFU HF Underground
Technical Topics => SDR - Software Defined Radio => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on March 15, 2021, 1129 UTC
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There's a brand new feature to the KiwiSDR receivers that will very useful, especially for users of popular KiwiSDRs that are often busy - Camping Mode. I've written this brief explanation of what it is and how to use it:
KiwiSDRs support up to four independent receivers, each with audio and a waterfall. There is also an eight channel mode that is audio only, without a true independent waterfall, and a 20 kHz wide audio option with only three receivers. These limits are due to hardware constraints. Two or more listeners tuned to the same frequency still use one receiver for each user. This means that popular KiwiSDRs can "fill up", this is often the case evenings and weekends when there are lots of listeners, and pirates on the air.
Camping Mode has just been added to the KiwiSDR. In this mode, additional listeners can tune into the audio stream of one of the KiwiSDR receivers and listen. They do not have a waterfall or control of the receiver settings. This is possible as they are just getting a copy of the existing audio stream, so the additional resources required are minimal.
When a KiwiSDR is full, new connections will instead go to a page informing the user of this, and telling them they can either enter a queue to wait for the next available receiver to open up, or they can camp out on an existing receiver and listen to the audio stream. Some KiwiSDRs (mine included) are configured to instead redirect users to another page when they are full. You can directly enter camping mode on any KiwiSDR (even if it is not full) by ?camp to the URL, for example: http://sdr.hfunderground.com:8073/?camp
In the case of the KiwiSDRs here, you are sent to this page: http://www.blackcatsystems.com/kiwi.html
(https://i.imgur.com/Sb5JJkD.png)
Click on one of the "Camp on this SDR" links and you will be taken to the following page:
(https://i.imgur.com/pnbLcKf.png)
You can click on the green Enter Queue button if you want to wait in line for a receiver to open up. Otherwise, click on one of the receiver links, and you can then listen to the audio streaming from that receiver:
(https://i.imgur.com/xecrtMD.png)
Camping mode will be very useful when there is a lot of activity on weekends. It may also be fun to hear what others are listening to. Give it a try!
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Great information, Chris.
Thank you!
Curt - N6ATC
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This is ironic to me because just last Friday night I was working very late (after midnight here) in my home office and listening to the the Saturday morning AM ham nets on 3615 KHz on an SDR in the UK. I noticed that all four receivers on this SDR were occupied with people listening to the same net and I thought to myself that in some way it's a bit of a waste of resources.
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Great!
Thanks Chris for spreading!
André