Just over £193 pays for a 5W all mode SDR transceiver. You pay a little more for shipping. This is a lot less than an equivalent Japanese transceiver.
There is a shake-out coming. Expect the Japanese to be facing stiff competition from low cost manufacturers.
China may not be the source in the future as Chinese wages creep up and costs become higher. Canny manufacturers will be on the look-out for countries that can make things for less.
Once again this is via AliExpress.
It was connected up briefly yesterday after downloading the software, which was very straightforward. It is good being able to cover 1kHz to 2GHz with the SDR.
I think there may be some noise from the PC getting into the RX, so I may add some ferrite chokes to the USB cable later. Watch this space!
UPDATE 1142z: I am surprised by the number of artifacts. Adding chokes made no difference to LF/MF noise floor, so noise must be external. I tried several antennas. Next thing to try is a sensitivity test on various bands using the FT817ND and the same antenna each time.
UPDATE 1232z: Tested 70cm sensitivity comparing the strength of the Leicester beacon. On my 2m big-wheel omni antenna this is just on the noise level on the FT817ND. It was much the same on the RSP1B with the same antenna. This suggests the 70cm sensitivity is similar. Next is to try the Kent beacon on the two rigs on 2m.
For a very long time, I have owned an SDR dongle. One of the things I really must do this next few weeks is to get this set-up.
My birthday is just before Christmas and my XYL (well actually me!!) got me a manual QRP ATU. I shall use this to try WSPR or FT8 on some different bands.
One of my aims today is to get my software defined radio (SDR) installed and working on my shack PC. I have to install drivers and suitable SDR software.
UPDATE 2200z: Did not do the SDR drivers. Maybe tomorrow?
Until recently CDARC (Cambridge Club) had an HF web SDR at the QTH of G4AWP who is moving to York. It has now been relocated. Web SDRs can be very useful for amateurs that have a high noise floor.
Many months ago I bought an SDR dongle that plugs in a USB socket on the PC. I have still not tried it out! One of the things I must do in the next few days is try it out! I also have a NanoVNA that I must try.
When you are retired there is always tomorrow....
It is over 20 years ago that Yaesu introduced the revolutionary FT817. Since then, absolutely nobody has introduced another handheld for HF/VHF. The nearest were the IC-705 from ICOM and the Elecraft KX2 and KX3. In the meantime we have seen several VHF/UHF FM and digital handhelds come and go. I guess these attract a better return on investment, although I am surprised.
We are overdue a multimode, multiband true handheld. In my view they could do a handheld covering 10m, 6m (with 4m in Europe), 70cm and maybe 23cm. With the right features, this could be a real winner. 10m will be good for several years and the VHF bands could do with a shot in the arm.
Both ICOM and Yaesu have SDR receivers. Can we expect a new multimode/multiband rig?
About a week ago I bought an Neoelec SDR (highly rated) from Amazon. For various reasons, I have not been able to set this up.
It seems incredibly difficult to install the driver. In my view, the instructions were useless. I have now installed the driver, but it no longer recognises the SignaLink USB, so I cannot, at present, operate FT8. I am sure the solutions are relatively easy, but I was expecting this to be dead easy.
Although I have installed the recommended SDR software I have still not got it working.
It is all not helped by having brain fog as a result of my 2013 stroke. It is like wading through treacle and I cannot think clearly.
Most of the day, I have been busy and I have not got around to testing the SDR. Unless I get it tested tonight, it will have to wait until the weekend.
As I did not get around to trying my SDR yesterday, my main aim is to get this going. If time allows, I hope to be on 10m QRP WSPR TXand 8m QRP FT8.
See https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01HA642SW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1.
Later this morning I will be on 8m WSPR doing a test with G8JNJ. Brief tests last evening were unsuccessful, but I want to monitor the web SDR to see if I can see any sign of the signal.
UPDATE 1539z: No spots of my 8m 2.5W WSPR today on the WessexSDR. Checking on the WessexSDR there was no sign at all of my signal, I was expecting a tiny trace at least. The WessexSDR is picking up EI1KNH and G8JNJ.
See http://wessex.zapto.org:8060/#freq=40681500,mod=usb,secondary_mod=wspr,sql=-150
Steve G1KQH has just sent me an eBay link to yet another multi-band HF SSB SDR transceiver from China. This retails for about £115! How do they do it and make money?
A reminder that there are lots of web SDR RXs on the air, so you can see what shape the bands are in in other places. If you have a high local noise level, these are also useful.
See http://www.websdr.org/ .
My very first post was about the web SDR at Twente in the Netherlands. That was in 2008! It is still there.
One example is the Ailunce product that retails at £389.99 with free post and packing from the Far East. The price drops even further if you buy more than one.
What has always bothered me is what happens when it goes wrong?
At this price, even if you add import duties and VAT it is way below the price of Japanese made products. When the Chinese really get into the amateur radio market (assuming they do) we can expect to see the big Japanese manufacturers really getting a shock.
I gather the UK designer did not register the design, hence the clones.
Every few weeks I take a peek at the narrowband activity on Oscar 100, the geosynchronous satellite. My own view is activity is patheticall...
