[Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
My comments preceded with ## -- Message: 28 Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:04:40 -0700 From: Lyle Johnson k...@wavecable.com Subject: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist To: wayne burdick n...@elecraft.com, 'Elecraft Group' elecraft@mailman.qth.net Message-ID: 4c48c078.3000...@wavecable.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed I just received my FLEX-1500. snip PowerSDR is a screen hog. The -1500 does not support VOX. It doesn't even have a speaker amplifier. ##PowerSDR has also been evaluated for sensitivity in weak-signal work and found wanting Etc. Here is my thought: Elecraft makes a box about the size of the -1500. It has a basic 10W transceiver ===snip We'd fall a bit short with no external reference input. We could do a frequency locked system with the Si570, but not a phase-locked one. Then again, how many people are really doing moonbounce and need that additional stability and accuracy? ## About 2500-3000 eme'rs world-wide and don't forget the microwavers...no idea how many there are? The K3 is very popular in both groups. The last radio that was snapped up by eme was the FT-847. The rest is interesting read. I am hoping the development will go into the existing K3 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 == BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 144-QRT*, 432-100w, 1296-QRT*, 3400-fall 2010 DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubus...@hotmail.com == *temp __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
Steve Ellington wrote: You're right about PwrSDR being a resource hog. I had to get a dual core cpu just to run LP Pan smoothly. LP-Pan is not the hog...PowerSDR is the hog (a.k.a. dog). I much prefer CW Skimmer's waterfall and run it directly from LP-PAN without the HRD/PowerSDR garbage attached. Using an old 1 GHz P3, I've run the N1MM/Skimmer combo in several contests over the past 2 years with no CPU overload problems. Skimmer's waterfall is the best I've ever used and is legal for Unassisted categories using Blind Mode. Here are some comments from one of the world's top contesters (6 CQ WW World wins in the past 10 years): http://lists.contesting.com/pipermail/skimmertalk/2008-November/000191.html Note that his comments about no knobs apply only to SP mode...not running mode. 73, Bill P.S. José now uses two K3s in his SO2R setup. -- View this message in context: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/SDR-with-a-Twist-tp5327485p5330801.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
[Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
I just received my FLEX-1500. I think they have shipped 1,000 of these in the last few weeks, erasing their backlog dating about 12 months. It has a transmit problem and is going back to the factory for repair, but examining the unit got me to thinking once more about PC based SDR, Elecraft and our unique place in Amateur radio. Please bear with me. The Flex is a dual Eurocard box, so it measures about 4 x 6 x 2. It has a 5W Tx with band coverage limits, and a 1 mW transverter side with no band limits. It covers 160m - 6m continuously ,using a DDS. It accepts a 10 MHz reference and a lot of the focus of the radio is toward microwave and VHF/UHF folks. But they are also trying hard to break ground into the QRP community, as witnessed by their blitz at Dayton last year at the QRP hotel. An almost universal complaint with the Flex products, including the -1500, is less-than-stellar CW performance. The internal keyer is rough, it doe snot do QSK, it uses T/R relays, etc. PowerSDR is a screen hog. The -1500 does not support VOX. It doesn't even have a speaker amplifier. Etc. Here is my thought: Elecraft makes a box about the size of the -1500. It has a basic 10W transceiver, space for internal battery (option), space for an internal ATU (option). Rather than leverage PowerSDR we enter an agreement with Alex, VE3NEA. He was written Rocky which has an elegant, eminnently uncluttered UI. Rocky is freeware, but he could tailor it to our new product. It is not open source. He'd get a royalty or some upfront engineering payment. Alex is the author of CW SKimmer, so this opens more markets for that software for him. ROcky woudlnt' need much to be a great user program for us. And -bing! - it uses little screen real estate, so our portable unit is Netbook compatible. PowerSDR is a hog on a netbook, and you have to use an expanded screen so you can;t even see the minimum PowerSDR screen all at once, never mind trying to run some logging program, or skimmer, or digimode stuff. Oh, and it already supports the Si570 :-) Netbooks are cheap, $300 typical, and have long-enough lasting batteries for a day in the field. If you've never played with Rocky, you should. Get a $19 softrock from KB9YIG and fire it up with Rocky. You'll be impressed with what Alex has done. Our SDR woudl have a K1EL WinKeyer (or similar) to get around the iambic keyer propblem and windows lantency that Flex has been fighting for years now. With our 10W PA and PIN diode T/R switching, we beat FLex hands down for our groupies, the QRP CW operators of the world. With the battery option and internal ATU option, we've got a portable radio station that is inexpensive, powerful and highly portable. With Alex doing the Rocky code, our support issues are reduced. We're not trying to appeal to an open-source religious community, We'd fall a bit short with no external reference input. We could do a frequency locked system with the Si570, but not a phase-locked one. Then again, how many people are really doing moonbounce and need that additional stability and accuracy? Using the TI PCM2900 series CODEC (I suspect FLex uses this as well, I haven't opened my -1500 and it is now in the hands of UPS to get repaired.replaced). But this CODEC is recognized by all sorts of computer OSes. We could open up the radio's API so anyone who wanted to could port another SDR app to run our radio (like PowerSDR, or WinRad, or LinRad, or... :-) This would gives us a very competitive radio, open a new audience to Elecraft, provide another I gotta have it product for our existing customers, catapult us to the front of the line for QRP SDR, leverage our existing designs and expertise, have low risk, we need to write ZERO DSP code and ZERO UI code. We just need to manage T/R switching and enforce band limits, implement a keyer with a standard protocol (hence the Winkey). The case is simple: ON|OFF and a couple of LEDs on one side. A USB connector, expansion/accessory connector (similar to Flexwire), mic jack, keyer jack, phones jack. Low risk way to evaluate a lot of the technology for the KX2 and possibly the K4 IF section (QSD/QSE, no tune BPF and LPF, Si570 Synth, switching regulator). We can use the foundation and add a front panel (top panel?) section and etc. and create the KX2, or at least the functional equivalent. The limited DR of the TI CODEC would require intelligent use of a preamp and multi-stage attenuator, but Alex is clever and would manage that quite well, I think. Leverage, leverage, leverage. Could have it by Dayton 2011 in spite of the setbacks this summer from component issues. Basic 10W radio: $699 (Flex 1500 is 5W and $649) Internal ATU: $149 (superset of T1?) Battery pack: $129 (Li-Ion with charge controller) If we never market it, it is a good development vehicle for the KX2 (all but the DSP and FP). IF we do market it, it is a great product and helps
Re: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
Lyle Johnson wrote: I just received my FLEX-1500 Nothing like a little intrigue for our list members :) Sorry to burden everyone with our internal dialog. I'm sure it isn't news to anyone that we talk about prospective products constantly (doesn't everyone?). In any case, back to our regularly-scheduled program 73, Wayne N6KR __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
Lyle Johnson wrote: I just received my FLEX-1500 Nothing like a little intrigue for our list members :) Gawd, I Love/Hate you guys... Keep the ideas flowing, I'll keep buying the results. Signed, N1RX Confirmed Elecraft groupie... (we may need some kind of 12-step program...) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
Gosh I though someone had filed for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. But whatever, this sounds like a good scheme. You're right about PwrSDR being a resource hog. I had to get a dual core cpu just to run LP Pan smoothly. And yes, Flex's QSK will never fly. Which reminds meAny progress on QSK mode and RIT both running at the same time (K3)? Steve N4LQ - Original Message - From: Bruce Beford bruce.bef...@myfairpoint.net To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2010 7:10 PM Subject: Re: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist Lyle Johnson wrote: I just received my FLEX-1500 Nothing like a little intrigue for our list members :) Gawd, I Love/Hate you guys... Keep the ideas flowing, I'll keep buying the results. Signed, N1RX Confirmed Elecraft groupie... (we may need some kind of 12-step program...) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
Lyle wrote: Low risk way to evaluate a lot of the technology for the KX2 and possibly the K4 IF section (QSD/QSE, no tune BPF and LPF, Si570 Synth, switching regulator A K4 in the worksPlease tell me more :-) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
Re: [Elecraft] SDR with a Twist
Dan wrote: Lyle wrote: Low risk way to evaluate a lot of the technology for the KX2 and possibly the K4 IF section (QSD/QSE, no tune BPF and LPF, Si570 Synth, switching regulator A K4 in the worksPlease tell me more :-) - Show quoted text - Uh Ohthis is gonna get real interestingnow what what was that I read about cat's and bags N stuff? H I'm gonna lay down, I feel a headache coming...:-)) Gary On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 9:24 AM, Dan Copeland n...@mchsi.com wrote: Lyle wrote: Low risk way to evaluate a lot of the technology for the KX2 and possibly the K4 IF section (QSD/QSE, no tune BPF and LPF, Si570 Synth, switching regulator A K4 in the worksPlease tell me more :-) __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html -- Gary VK4FD - Motorhome Mobile http://www.qsl.net/vk4fd/ K3 #679 For everything else there's Mastercard!!! __ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
