Letter: For DX With SDRs, It’s Not the Same As It Was? OK, my take.

[ThaDood]

https://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/readers-forum/letter-for-dx-with-sdrs-its-not-the-same-as-it-was  Alright, Boomer FWR me to this RW article, and I even had to add my $0.02 worth. True, we now have that full capacity to monitor world-wide SDR stations, record them, and then pick another. BTW, this capability is something that the FCC, as well as other GOV agencies, have had for years to monitor YOU. Now, if you are stuck in a motel room, the bottom of an apartment complex, or even unlucky enough to live in an HOA, then having this on-line SDR ability is a nice alternative. However, it is something completely different to see what signals reach your QTH. There, you still need a decent antenna setup, a decent receiver, most likely some kind of noise reduction and filtering, etc. And, at your QTH you can pick whatever flavor of radio you want. You can use an SDR, a 30-some year old rig with some DSP and mostly analog circuits, PLL based rigs, analog hybrid rigs, (Tubes & solid-state.), all tubes, and even a REGEN receiver. You still can pick your flavor of radio at your place of receiving. Technology has just provided us with more options to do so. Just my take... What say you???

[John Poet]

I am more concerned now with being able to hear AND UNDERSTAND the radio signals,
(particularly pirate radio stations),
than with what radio signals are hitting my own location, and at what strength or intelligibility...
or whatever "DX skills" I might be able to "demonstrate",
by fiddling with the knobs of my personal receivers
from my ONE isolated location in the radio universe...


Now, via SDRs, being able to tune in and listen to signals as received
from different locations from all over the country, indeed, from all over the world,
is FAR superior to attempting to do it from ONLY my own ONE location,
with whatever receivers I could acquire, and whatever antennas I could raise---

---I would still be limited to this ONE location with whatever noise and other reception handicaps there may be....


With online SDRs, I can now literally follow the reception of any particular station
all across the country or portions of it, from east to west, as propagation conditions shift during an evening,
and listen to west coast pirates whom I would never have a chance to hear clearly,
via  west-coast SDRs who can receive them well....
and REPORT on their signal strengths at multiple locations from across the country,
rather than from only my one isolated QTH....

(As a former station operator interested in the signal levels of my station from various locations,
that would make an online SDR listener reporting on results from more than one SDR,
SUPERIOR to listeners reporting from ONLY their own physical location!)


The only downside I can see to SDRs is, there are "fewer knobs to play with"...

If that handicap becomes too frustrating,
I can always shove my hand into my 'junk box' while listening....

(see what I did there?   LMAO!)   
((Too bad Al Fansome has passed away-- he always had personal opinions about 'knobs'))


Thanks for posting this question, 'TheDood'!
In the past 7 months, I have become an "all-in" advocate for SDR reception,
changing from 'indifferent'... since I have lacked any physical antenna installation, and now a decent receiver--
but thanks to online SDRs, I hardly miss them now (except maybe for fiddling with the knobs)



---As for the Radio World "letter link"---
I don't think we are losing ANYTHING, by more people being able to hear more stations, more clearly!

(and if "DX skill" is your concern--- there is a certain level of knowledge about shortwave propagation necessary
in order to correctly choose the "best" SDR receiver to listen from,
and since radio propagation is not an 'exact science', there is STILL an element of "luck" to it,
when reception conditions can still change minute-by-minute!)

The letter writer also notes that 'in the old days', some listeners would embark on "DXpeditions" far afield,
even to the Arctic regions, gambling to hear certain signals---

Well, not everyone can afford to make such trips, and I myself wouldn't stand
the extreme low temperatures, nor the travel expense!

SDR  and particularly ONLINE SDR has done nothing but IMPROVE the radio listening hobby!

 

[NQC]

Hey All,

I will chime in with my 2 cents and
“ sad” story  .

I am DEFINITELY OLD SCHOOL when it comes to radio reception.

I want it to come and hit MY antenna, and play on MY receiver .

BUT… My BIG ham farm on the apt roof had to come down. ALL of it ( N1NQC / General, QRT/ expired).

And NOW I get hit with around 5 DIFFERENT types of building generated QRM.

Some of it is BIG.And at least one type ( “ Warble “ QRM on AM bcast ) can often not loop directionally null or tilt out .

If you are in a hot spot, it can be everywhere 3 dimensionally.

Again, you can sometimes move to other rooms and maybe lose it. But of course, it’s strong in the bedroom.

The UP side ( if there IS one) is that SOME types of noise can be reduced or eliminated by moving around in the apt.

Ex.it’s  very strong near the walls ( which of course is my bed side op position). But 5 or 10 ft out some of it sometimes can be tamed or even eliminated.

I could write more blah, blah / boo hoo details about noise, but I think you get it.

My only FIXED antenna is a 33 ft square  bedroom loop that doubles back and has both ends available at bedside.So it can be used end fed or as an actual loop.FWIW, the loop is stood up on ceramic insulators above the door /window  moldings. So it has a little bit of  free air.

But being horizontal, it’s at least 22 db down from AM bcast polarization.Marginal to crappy .Around 9 or 11 AM broadcast locals on a single tuned crystal set . Hoping to pump those numbers when ant tank , big litz , etc are done.
 
But just even NYC Dx (from here at Boston ) may be a crap shoot, even on a high end crystal.Again,22 db or more down .

The  indoor “ 40 M square “ is decent to good,at times , on 60 M and up.

 IF I can dodge the bldg QRM , which is spaced across most of HF .

Ex. 10 WWV , 40 M CW QRP frqs  and a number of others get crushed.In between can be fair to good. But if you are hit with it, you’re all done.

AM  broadcast loops and tilt
work “ variably” per propagation and dumb luck.Occasionally fairly well.

And yet after ALL of this sob story, I still only use SDR’s “ occasionally “.

I recently had a HUGE amount of domestic Chinese broadcasts along with other
 “ rare” broadcasts ( SE Asia, South Pacific, etc)  on SDR.

AWESOME, HUGE FUN , but still not MY QTH or rig.

So I DO like SDR’s and will use them in the future.

At times.

 And often just for quick checks rather than long sessions.

But I still like to squeeze out what I can on the pathetic remnant of what was once a very good station.

I love a challenge😜.

NQC