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Author Topic: Portable SDR listening station advice needed  (Read 311 times)

W4AJA

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Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« on: March 21, 2023, 06:42:33 PM »

I've been having a reoccuring thought that I want to put together an SDR listening station that I can use at home or take to various places both near my home or on vacation. For example, I work with a guy who's living with his elderly father. I think this guy's father might enjoy the visual listening experience of SDR, so I'd like to take a SDR setup there and let him try it for a bit.

I'd probably go with a RSPdx.

I know a laptop is probably the most efficient computer for SDR, but I hate the compact keyboard and would use a mouse anyway, so I'm wondering about a mini-PC. You know, one of those PCs in a square box about the size of an adult hand. I know I'd have to haul a monitor if I go with a mini-PC. Probably Windows. I was hoping a Raspberry PI would be an option but I've read they still don't have quite enough horsepower for a great SDR listening experience. A mini-PC running linux would be an option too.

I'm least clear on the antenna options for multi-band listening. Easy to transport and easy to temporarily set up are important.

Any thoughts or advice welcome.
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G4AON

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2023, 05:52:22 AM »

I use a home brew PA0RDT active antenna with my RSPDX. You need to place the antenna outside and use an earth rod, but they produce outstanding results. Trying to use indoor, or end fed wires, is likely to result in a lot of noise pickup.

An outdoor loop antenna is another option. The Wellgood loop is good value, see: https://www.george-smart.co.uk/projects/wellgood-loop/

My active antenna is described on my site: qsl.net/g4aon

73 Dave
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N6YWU

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2023, 08:31:11 AM »

I would use a Hermes Lite 2 with a large iPad (or other mobile tablet). Ether plug the radio into a spare port on a home network, or use an Ethernet adapter dongle with the iPad. For the antenna in RFI noisy urban settings, I might try a transformer isolated loop-on-ground, 20M of scrap wire.  Just throw it on the ground or floor anywhere people won’t trip over it, with as large a capture area as you have room for.
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HAMHOCK75

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2023, 03:14:46 PM »

If you want a convenient solution, I wonder why you are considering a solution that is married to a computer? Much of the success of the Icom 7300 is that it moved away from the computer attached SDR concept.

There are quite a number of SDR receivers all in a box that looks like a radio with a spectrum/waterfall display to choose from today.
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VK6HP

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2023, 09:00:07 PM »

Hamhock75's comment is worth considering: when you're toting things from place to place the single box has a lot going for it.

I have an RSPdx and, whilst it's OK, it's finicky to get the RF/IF levels set optimally and it's no star performer in large signal environments.  And, if you want to use the LF/MF filters you'll need to use SDRuno - other applications apparently lack the mechanism to turn these on. Still, in expert hands results can be good.  With Paul, KM5SW, I recently set an Oceania - North America 136 kHz DX record using VK6MJM (see QRZ); Paul was using an RSPdx, along with a high K9AY loop.

Depending on your listening interests and RFI environment, it'd also be worth trying a small loop.  My 1 m diameter Wellbrook LN variety, mounted on a TV antenna rotator about 1.5 m above ground, is excellent from <100 kHz to above 10 MHz, and very usable to >30 MHz.

73, Peter.
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N2HUN

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2023, 05:44:44 AM »

For an elderly person (talking from experience hihi) a large display such as what you'd find on a regular size laptop would be best.  I've always used laptops both inside and outside and a large display is preferable, especially if you are using software like Airspy (formerly SDR#) which takes up quite a bit of real estate on the display.  Have fun setting up your station and 73's.
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N6YWU

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2023, 02:38:13 PM »

For an elderly person (talking from experience hihi) a large display ... is preferable, ...

For a really large display, if you run an SDR app on a MacBook, iPad, or iPhone, and have a large screen TV connected via AppleTV, you can project the full SDR display (waterfall, etc.) to the large display.
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HAMHOCK75

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2023, 02:50:42 PM »

Standalone SDR receivers can be viewed on large screen displays too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpvfmTBi2nQ
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W4AJA

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Re: Portable SDR listening station advice needed
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2023, 05:28:31 AM »

I appreciate all the posts/suggestions. Gives me some things to think about.

I'd like to leave any ability to transmit at home only because I might leave the setup for an unlicensed person (or family) to play with.
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