We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.

Author Topic: SDR recommendation......  (Read 8976 times)

Offline East Troy Don

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1371
  • "If you can't convince them, confuse them" Truman
    • View Profile
SDR recommendation......
« on: February 09, 2020, 2003 UTC »
....for an SDR compatible with MAC BOOK AIR running MAC OS HIGH SIERRA Version 10.13.6.  Just doing a little research there seems to be an extraordinary amount of problems with SDR/MAC capability.  I'm looking in the $200-$300 Range.
Thanks.
Primary: Yaesu FRG-7700  Secondary: ICOM R75 Tertiary: Grundig  750. Tecsun PL-990X, Tecsun PL-880 . Malahit DSP SDR V3,  Alpha Delta  SWL Sloper antenna. : Also, 1940 Mantola am/sw tube. CountyComm GP-5/SSB hand held, Tecsun PL-380 ,et al.  QTH: EAST TROY WI  USA.  Sea Level: + 320 meters .  75 miles (but not far enough) NNW of Chicago

Matt285

  • Guest
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2020, 2006 UTC »
I'm certain Chris will have an answer to this.

Offline JCMaxwell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 788
  • Central NC, USA
    • View Profile
IC-R9000L, FDM-S2, Belka DX, HF+ Discovery, RSPdx, IC-R30, BC125AT, PL-880 <- W6LVP Loop

eQSLs appreciated - johnnyclerkmaxwell@gmail.com

Offline ChrisSmolinski

  • Administrator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 31106
  • Westminster, MD USA
    • View Profile
    • Black Cat Systems
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2020, 2121 UTC »
I would strongly suggest getting an AFEDRI SDR, as it will work native with SdrDx on the Mac, and no need for special server software, even stuff I write  :)

I have an AFE822x, and it is a solid performer. It has dual RF inputs, and you can do phasing of MW stations right inside SdrDx.  Plus it is a direct sampling SDR, so no wonky issues with images due to a tuner IC and AGC.  Note it is a 0-30 MHz SDR, and does not do VHF/UHF.  I would say it is my most sensitive SDR, it picks up the weak pirate on 1620 AM, located a few miles away, when others won't.
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline East Troy Don

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1371
  • "If you can't convince them, confuse them" Truman
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2020, 0221 UTC »
Thanks for the input guys, its greatly appreciated.   
Chris, which antenna does you recommend for this SDR ?
Primary: Yaesu FRG-7700  Secondary: ICOM R75 Tertiary: Grundig  750. Tecsun PL-990X, Tecsun PL-880 . Malahit DSP SDR V3,  Alpha Delta  SWL Sloper antenna. : Also, 1940 Mantola am/sw tube. CountyComm GP-5/SSB hand held, Tecsun PL-380 ,et al.  QTH: EAST TROY WI  USA.  Sea Level: + 320 meters .  75 miles (but not far enough) NNW of Chicago

Offline JCMaxwell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 788
  • Central NC, USA
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2020, 0226 UTC »
Chris may disagree, but if you don’t want to add another antenna, it should work well with your swl sloper.
IC-R9000L, FDM-S2, Belka DX, HF+ Discovery, RSPdx, IC-R30, BC125AT, PL-880 <- W6LVP Loop

eQSLs appreciated - johnnyclerkmaxwell@gmail.com

Offline ChrisSmolinski

  • Administrator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 31106
  • Westminster, MD USA
    • View Profile
    • Black Cat Systems
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2020, 1116 UTC »
Chris, which antenna does you recommend for this SDR ?

Your choice of antenna is more about what you have the space/ability to install vs the radio/SDR type. Maybe describe what environment (size of land, tree's (height and spacing), etc) you have and what you're most interested in listening to?
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline East Troy Don

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1371
  • "If you can't convince them, confuse them" Truman
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2020, 0211 UTC »
5 acres of Southern Wisconsin farmland.   Nearest city of any size is 15 miles away.  Very tall trees about 30 yards away, thickly spaced and VERY malleable under even light to moderate winds. Although I try to stay active I'm 69 years old and I'm not climbing them suckers.  I DO have a Whistler WS 1098  scanner than i run off of an old TV directional antenna up in the attic (it was here when I bought the house) than works beautifully picking up the 5 surrounding counties due, in no small part because the house is on top of a hill.  Since that works so well I was toying with the idea of running the SDR through a 100' bare wire antenna kit I bought a year ago and have not done anything with.  I figured as long as I don't double back over the wire layout this may work.  My shack is in an exposed ,finished  basement.  Is this a viable possibility?
Thanks.
« Last Edit: February 12, 2020, 1933 UTC by East Troy Don »
Primary: Yaesu FRG-7700  Secondary: ICOM R75 Tertiary: Grundig  750. Tecsun PL-990X, Tecsun PL-880 . Malahit DSP SDR V3,  Alpha Delta  SWL Sloper antenna. : Also, 1940 Mantola am/sw tube. CountyComm GP-5/SSB hand held, Tecsun PL-380 ,et al.  QTH: EAST TROY WI  USA.  Sea Level: + 320 meters .  75 miles (but not far enough) NNW of Chicago

Offline Josh

  • DXing Phenomena
  • *******
  • Posts: 4322
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2020, 2001 UTC »
5 acres of Southern Wisconsin farmland?!?







I'd head straight for the rhombic rosette and/or a wullenweber!
https://www.hilomast.com/antenna-systems/hf-antennas/rhombic-antenna/
https://ece.illinois.edu/about/history/wullenweber.asp


If afraid of heights one might consider a rosette of beverages.
https://www.w8ji.com/beverages.htm
We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations.

Offline nickcarr3151

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 75
  • Bellevue, WA
  • The only easy day was yesterday...
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2020, 2003 UTC »
5 acres of Southern Wisconsin farmland.   Nearest city of any size is 15 miles away.  I was toying with the idea of running the SDR through a 100' bare wire antenna kit.  Is this a viable possibility?

For receive just about anything is possible.  With that kind of land I'd strongly suggest a 1m amplified loop (or your own custom loop) into the Afedri. You should get mega-signals with that setup.  The random wire antenna would still work for a cheap, temporary solution.  The nice thing about the loop is that it just needs space.  It doesn't require height.  The cost is modest.  There's one from China that is like $50 online.  There's a USA-made model called W6LVP Loop and it's around $250.  Then there's Wellbrook but they're a tad more expensive.

W6LVP:  https://www.w6lvp.com/product/amplified-receive-only-mag-loop-antenna-with-power-inserter/
« Last Edit: February 12, 2020, 2007 UTC by nickcarr3151 »
Perseus SDR + Wellbrook ALA100LN (60m loop), Wellbrook 1530S+
ICOM 7000 + Zero-Five 10/40 GP Vertical
Xiegu G90
Motorola XPR/XTS Portables, Uniden scanners, Whistler Scanners
Airspy Mini SDR + DSDPlus + Diamond D3000N Discone

Offline ChrisSmolinski

  • Administrator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 31106
  • Westminster, MD USA
    • View Profile
    • Black Cat Systems
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2020, 2055 UTC »
I'm a big fan of passive antennas over active. For general purpose receive, a sky loop is hard to beat. That's my primary HF antenna. I'll let my logs speak for themselves :)

You have plenty of room. It doesn't need to be very high anything from 20 to 50 ft is fine. Exact dimensions are not critical.  So you don't need to climb trees, just launch some ropes over branches in various locations. Feed with a 4:1 balun and coax antenna. Done.
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline nickcarr3151

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 75
  • Bellevue, WA
  • The only easy day was yesterday...
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2020, 2117 UTC »
I'm a big fan of passive antennas over active. For general purpose receive, a sky loop is hard to beat.

If it's so good then why do you have 17 antennas?  ;)

I have two HF antennas. One is for Rx and the other is for Tx.  My Rx loop is about 60m but hey no one is perfect. :D
Perseus SDR + Wellbrook ALA100LN (60m loop), Wellbrook 1530S+
ICOM 7000 + Zero-Five 10/40 GP Vertical
Xiegu G90
Motorola XPR/XTS Portables, Uniden scanners, Whistler Scanners
Airspy Mini SDR + DSDPlus + Diamond D3000N Discone

Offline ChrisSmolinski

  • Administrator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 31106
  • Westminster, MD USA
    • View Profile
    • Black Cat Systems
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2020, 2215 UTC »
I'm a big fan of passive antennas over active. For general purpose receive, a sky loop is hard to beat.

If it's so good then why do you have 17 antennas?  ;)

Band specific antennas always work best. But the sky loop is an excellent performer overall.

Plus I've also got about 17 receivers  :)
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline NJQA

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 322
  • Virginia
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2020, 1245 UTC »
I'm a big fan of passive antennas over active. For general purpose receive, a sky loop is hard to beat.

If it's so good then why do you have 17 antennas?  ;)

I have two HF antennas. One is for Rx and the other is for Tx.  My Rx loop is about 60m but hey no one is perfect. :D

All practical antennas have nulls and lobes.  The DX is always in a null on the antenna you are using.  Having choices means another one might have the DX in a lobe.

You can never have enough antennas.

Offline East Troy Don

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1371
  • "If you can't convince them, confuse them" Truman
    • View Profile
Re: SDR recommendation......
« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2020, 1427 UTC »
Lots to digest and research here - Wonderful stuff guys and thanks again.

Don
Primary: Yaesu FRG-7700  Secondary: ICOM R75 Tertiary: Grundig  750. Tecsun PL-990X, Tecsun PL-880 . Malahit DSP SDR V3,  Alpha Delta  SWL Sloper antenna. : Also, 1940 Mantola am/sw tube. CountyComm GP-5/SSB hand held, Tecsun PL-380 ,et al.  QTH: EAST TROY WI  USA.  Sea Level: + 320 meters .  75 miles (but not far enough) NNW of Chicago