For SDR DXers faced with going through many gigabytes of recordings of the band, there are visual tools which can help spot interesting time & frequency segments of the recordings.
For example, the Data File Analyzer tool in SDR-Radio Console V2 <http://v2.sdr-radio.com/Home.aspx> (which supports Perseus among others) lets you visually scan large blocks of frequencies over time in your recordings. As you learn the colors and intensities of signals in your chosen color palette, you'll become familiar with the visual clues that equate to signals rising above the noise floor at an audible level. This applies particularly to DXers chasing overseas signals on split frequencies. I'm sure domestic DXers can make use of tools like the Data File Analyzer to assist uncovering interesting DX, but in my opinion it's the often-brief appearances of split frequency DX which make these tools worthwhile. Besides the color (signal strength) changes you can quickly identify in a time-vs-frequency plot, you can also easily see when split frequency traces (carriers) have appeared. Once you see something interesting at particular "place in time" (recorded frequency), you can click on the trace and listen to the audio at that point. Especially for the DXer looking for splits, you do NOT have to listen to *every* frequency on *every* time slot. Just look for sections of the plot where it appears propagation has allowed the DX to rise up to audible levels, based on the color and intensity. You can just ignore, if you want, the weaker colors & intensities that indicate carriers only. Here's a link for the manual for the Data File Analyzer in SDR-Radio Console V2 software: http://v2.sdr-radio.com/Portals/0/Download/SDR%20Data%20File%20Analyser.pdf <http://v2.sdr-radio.com/Portals/0/Download/SDR%20Data%20File%20Analyser.pdf> I'm aware of even more sophisticated visual analysis tools for the MW DXer in a privately-developed SDR program. Hopefully the MW DXer who uses SDR receivers will have more tools and utilities in the future to help them manage large amounts of recorded files. The bottom line is-- you don't have to plod through listening to *every* time slot and *every* frequency. Appropriate softwave can display an entire evening's worth of recordings in a visual format, ready for study and point-and-click listening to interesting portions. 73, Guy Atkins Puyallup, WA _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
