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Reviews For: RFSPACE SDR-IQ Software Defined Receiver and Spectrum Analyzer

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : RFSPACE SDR-IQ Software Defined Receiver and Spectrum Analyzer
Reviews: 31MSRP: $399
Description:
The SDR-IQ™ Software Defined Receiver and
Panoramic Adapter
500 Hz to 30 MHz FREQUENCY COVERAGE
AM, WFM, USB, LSB, N-FM, DSB, CW & More

Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.rfspace.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00314.4
W4RCY Rating: 2012-03-26
It is the most incrediable receiver that I have owned. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have owned this receiver for a couple of weeks. In performance it exceeds any rig I have ever owned. I am currently using it as my primary receiver, and my TS-590s as the the transmitter. Software is constantly evolving. This $500 receiver
gives $7000 performance.
KDMSKY59 Rating: 2012-03-18
re review Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is a re review of my post from a few months ago. The functionality of the SDR-IQ radio has been harmed by the RF Space's decision to align with the makers of SDR-Radio. SDR-Radio software is in a continuously evolving state where new versions and betas of the software are being issued before previous issues have been fixed.

Problems include using remote access, adapting SDR-IQ has a panadapter for transceivers, IQ data file recording, and others. The SDR-Radio Yahoo group attests to countless unfixed issues. Ironically everyone seems to heap praise on the software probably because it's free and you don't want to offend someone who may have the solution to your issues. In addition the control operators at the server have acted vindictively against users who do criticize the software.

For instance when using remote access I've been blocked from accessing my own server when I limited access to others who were accessing my radio excessively and listening to one frequency for hours at a time.

Another problem with the RF Space/ SDR Radio alignment is it may prevent new features from being added to HDSDR and Spectravue. HDSDR is a superb which I would use always if it provided remote access.

Otherwise the SDR-IQ is a great SDR for general purpose listening but not dx.



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Earlier 4-star review posted by KDMSKY59 on 2012-01-23

This is a re review of my original review of the SDR-IQ. After six months use and comparing it to the Perseus, the radios shortcomings have become evident. The radio needs external audio filtering due to white noise internally generated within the receiver. As such it is fine for general coverage listening but is far from a dx machine especially on medium wave.

Another particular issue is the SDR Radio software. It is made by the makers of HRD so the nice features it provides are offset by the number of technical issues that arise. Features such as remote access and using the radio as a panadapter become needlessly complicated as evident by the number of technical posts on the SDR-Radio Yahoo group. My wish is that the makers of SDR Radio would iron out problems in current versions instead of adding new features so fast.

My favorite software by far is the HDSDR without which I would sell the SDR-IQ and use the Perseus only. The Perseus software has a top notch noise blanker, and Perseus itself is far quieter eliminating the need for outboard filters. Also the Perseus can be used with HDSDR for those who have issues with the GUI screen size.

My rating is now a 3.5 out of 5 for the SDR-IQ.


OK8MP Rating: 2012-02-11
some reservations Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought the SDR-IQ from local ham who was selling it after owning for three months. If you live in Europe or near strong radio stations then you might want to look to other receivers. The SDR-IQ works well when signal levels are low, but here in Europe there are a lot of strong stations. The SDR-IQ overloads very easily and then you can't really use it in those cases. Other reviews on the internet has pointed out the SDR-IQ limited dynamic range. I wish I had seen them before buying.

Pros:
Not terribly expensive.
Works ok in low signals level environment.
Supported in different sdr softwares.

Cons:
Overloads very easily.
Insensitive at the high end of frequency coverage.
Limited dynamic range which even affects ham band performance.
Needs a preselector to overcome overload and dynamic range problems.
My icom IC-R75 works much better.
K8AC Rating: 2012-02-10
A panadaptor solution that works! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used the SDR-IQ and the associated SpectraVue software with a couple of different transceivers to provide a panadaptor function. Currently I'm using it with the IF output from my Orion II and it's been stable and reliable. I've tried all the other software and hardware available for panadaptor function and the SDR-IQ/SpectraVue combination has been the best so far.

Pros:
1. Software is robust and stable - never aborts or hangs the system
2. SpectraVue window can be adjusted to display just the spectrum area to minimize screen space
3. No Windows drivers to worry about as with soundcard based solutions
4. RFSpace support and maintenance is good
5. SpectraVue gets the IF offsets right - particularly for the Orion.
6. Used units hold their value very well
7. Excellent two way communications with the transceiver - mouse on observed signal, instantly tune transceiver to that frequency
8. SDR-IQ is a complete receiver and has capabilities far exceeding those required of a panadaptor

Cons:
1. SpectraVue function related to panadaptor is limited and there appears to be no plans for enhancement. For example, there's no capability to display a VFO-B marker on the screen.
2. Current RFSpace emphasis for software appears to be on SDR-Radio, with SpectraVue fading. SDR-Radio isn't totally there yet for someone interested only in panadaptor function.
3. SpectraVue screen layout requires you to increase the windows size in order to adjust FFT parameters, scan width, etc. If you use different parameters for SSB vs. CW, this is a minor pain.

I switched from the LP-Pan to the SDR-IQ because of instability in the associated software with LP-Pan. On my Win 7 32 bit system, TRX-Pan wouldn't run, PowerSDR/IF regularly hung the system requiring reboot of the PC. The new NaP3 software that works with LP-Pan appears to solve those problems and provides VFO-B support missing in SpectraVue.
N9VV Rating: 2012-02-09
Outstanding SDR Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had the privilege to use an SDR-IQ Receiver in my shack for a month. It is a great and pleasant surprise. I thought such a small radio would suffer from all the I/Q balance and Image Rejection deficiencies of the QSD gear. But to my delight, the SDR-IQ is a Direct Down Conversion design using specialized chips from Analog Devices. It is very well designed and constructed. The SDR-IQ is powered from my USB port so no messy or RFI noisy "wall wart" is ever needed. The SDR-IQ has some really amazing software already written for it by Simon HB9DRV "SDR-CONSOLE" and the "Remote Console" for operation across the Internet. Then there are OpenSource programs like QtRadio by John Melton, and CuteSDR by Moe Wheatley AE4JY that work on both Windows-7 and WindowsXP *and* Linux. I especially like SpectraVue by Moe Wheatley. RFSpace is a company with many more expensive and more sophisticated receivers like the NetSDR and SDR-IP, however for my style of listening, the SDR-IQ is simple to operate and delivers maximum pleasure. If you haven't visited their webpage, please take time to read through the l-o-n-g list of features:
http://www.rfspace.com/RFSPACE/SDR-IQ.html
Perhaps the ability to easily add it to an existing transceiver as a spectrum analyzer will appeal to you. I enjoy it for the breadth of software, features, and RFSpace support and multi O/S (Win/Lin/MAC) usage. I am sharing my SDR-IQ on the Internet every day: on Windows:
http://sdr-radio.com/
and Linux:
http://qtradio.napan.ca/qtradio/qtradio.pl
There are loads of YouTube movies showing how well the SDR-IQ preforms around the world. The unit is FCC/CE certified and there are a host of Retail sellers and dealers like Ham Radio Outlet, and Universal Radio. The .gov/.mil/.edu customer list is a tightly guarded secret, but I am sure it is quite an impressive list of highly discriminating Scientists and end-users.
This is an SDR that has REAL value and performance you can count on. You won't be all tied up in knots with technical jargon and Engineering mumbo-jumbo. Those articles are available (from Moe SpectrVue and CuteSDR pdf), but are not necessary for daily enjoyment of this receiver. Don't let the sales and marketing guys baffle you with BS. The SDR-IQ delivers HiFi quality audio from a host of enjoyable programs.
This SDR receiver is worth your attention and investigation. Listen to mine on the Internet and "try before you buy" :-)
73 de Ken N9VV
http://www.n9vv.com
TURBO68 Rating: 2012-02-04
Great Radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Iv had the SDR-IQ for a few weeks when took it out of the box first thing to my mind is not going to be good at all however hooked up to my Wellbrook-ALA1530 active loop mainly monitor hf aero around the world do have other receivers to compare at the end of the day if u havent got a decent antenna u are not going to get any where on hf top notch performance..

Regards Lino..
OLLIEOXEN27 Rating: 2011-10-05
Fine unit Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the SDR-IQ for medium wave dx (the king of radio hobbies hi). Before purchase I also considered a Perseus or QS-1R but decided I didn't need the 2 megahertz plus of frequency coverage. I did a lot of reading about SDRs and concluded noise level is the greatest delimiting factor in getting the most out of a unit so why spend a grand? Right now my home qth is a noisy apartment and even here using an indoor loop the SDR-IQ has been impressive. I have a weekend cabin with a 70 foot long wire and I can't wait to set up the server - client option using SDR Radio and be in business. Regarding the software SDR Radio, HDSDR, and Spectravue all work with the SDR-IQ, the first having the most feature and the second being easiest to use. Spectravue is weird - if you hit a wrong button you literally have to uninstall and reinstall it to get it back.

I've owned FRG-7, R75, R1000, and an assortment of portables and medium grade communications receivers and the SDR-IQ rivals and probably exceeds the R75 in my limited tests up to date. The only issue I have with the SDR-IQ is no on off button - instead I unplug the USB cable to and from my computer. Final rating 4.75

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Earlier 4-star review posted by OLLIEOXEN27 on 2011-08-12

This is a re review of my first post regarding the SDR Console software. Once I got the audio going it appears to work well. There is a tiny little box on the upper left screen where you need to check your sound card in the very small drop down box. Once working it was fun to listen to European MW stations which I always tried to listen to in vain stateside using receivers from portable to large table tops. The only downside now is the audio occasionally freezes a fraction of a second probable due to the speed of my internet connection.

The audio background is amazingly clear and the audio crisp. Now I just need to decide whether it is worthwhile to invest $500-$1000 in a new type of radio. I suspect eventually the price will go down. That will be nice.
K6ZF Rating: 2011-09-13
Not ready for Win 7-64 bit OS Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
At first this receiver looked good, although I found the audio excessively noisy with a lot of white noise underneath all signals. After a short time the receiver went quiet then crashed and locked up. I had to un-install and re-install to get it back to running but this time the F-12 function button remained greyed out and nothing was going to revive it. I also installed it into the Win 7 Virtual XP Machine OS but it failed to operate in this mode as well. I re-packed it and have returned it to the seller for refund. Apparently there is a known USB driver problem that has not been solved in the 64 bit OS.
KB2EOQ Rating: 2011-05-23
Amazing Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought an SDR-IQ in 2010 and sold it after a few months, intending to buy another SDR that also had transmit features. I missed the SDR so much, I bought another one in May 2011.

THE HARDWARE: Displays up to 190 Khz of continuous spectrum (cannot monitor segments of DIFFERENT bands at same time). 0-30 Mhz. Powered by USB from a computer. One antenna port, BNC connector. The receiver is very good , under most circumstances what I can hear on my TS2000, I can hear on the SDR-IQ. Many users report a higher level of background "hiss" than they experience with conventional receivers. Suggestions for this include a good ground, adjusting the various settings for the SDR-IQ, and trying various software packages. For example, the Noise Reduction features in SDR-Radio Console does a superb job.
Essentially, the SDR-IQ will do what an SDR is supposed to do... let you see a wide segment of a band and visually see the signals on a "waterfall" or spectral display provided by software. It is VERY useful for spotting stations that you may wish to work as a ham, or shortwave/medium wave stations the SWLer might wish to find. DRM signals can also be decoded with the correct software. In addition to the viewing of received signals, the software makes it easy to invoke many sophisticated filter settings . The settings can be essential for digging out weak signals or eliminating QRM.
190 Khz of display is very useful, especially for WARC bands where you can see the entire band. I considered a Flex 1500 but I decided being able to see only 48Khz was too limiting. The SDR-IQ's 190 kHz lets me easily see the whole CW and digital portions of each band, my main interest. Mind you, being able to view the phone sections of a band has made me use SSB phone a bit more!
Using the SDR-IQ in perfect synchronization with my Kenwood TS-2000 (see below) allows me to have 100 watts ouput when transmitting, not the 5 watts that the Flex 1500 provides.

THE SOFTWARE: It comes with SpectraVue. Also works well with WINRAD, CW Skimmer,and SDR-Radio. SpectraVue looks a little "geeky" when first used but once you get to use it, you discover that it is a very useful and well thought out application. Allows you to receive LSB, USB, CW AM, FM (wide and narrow)and wide USB for things like DRM. Great for digital mode use. SDR-Radio by HB9DRV is MUCH nicer looking , none-geeky, than SpectraVue. It has a very useful server application that easily can be configured to allow others to connect and use your SDR-IQ over the Internet. SDR-RADIO also has a very useful shortwave broadcast database, and much more. The application.. "CW Skimmer" , once connected to the SDR-IQ, can monitor up to 190 kHz of spectrum at once and alert you to CW signals by displaying the callsigns (and a few other things) of stations you are hearing over the entire 190 khz range! Multipsk, when used with an SDR-IQ AND SpectraVue will monitor and decode digital mode signals over 190 kHz. This includes the detection of any station using Reed-Solomon identification. Rigsync and DX Lab's "Commander" are additional free software that interface with the SDR-IQ and SpectraVue to enable you to "sync" the SDR-IQ with another radio. I often sync my SDR-IQ with my Kenwood TS-2000, so that when I click on the SpectraVue waterfall to listen to a signal detected by the SDR-IQ, my TS-2000 can automatically move to the same frequency allowing me to transmit and "work' the station if it is a ham signal. I can also click on DX Cluster spots via applications like Spot Collector (part of DX Lab Suite)and have my TS2000 AND SDR-IQ move to the spotted station's frequency.
Customer Service
The SDR-IQ developers have a Yahoo Group and an email address to their company for customer support. I have not had a need to email the company , but have used the Yahoo group a lot. Other SDR-IQ users will respond with friendly advice .

Caveat: The SDR-Rookie that intends to use the SDR-IQ (or other SDRs) close to a transmitting station should be aware SDRs can be damaged by even lows levels of RF from a nearby station. Most users of the SDR-IQ and other SDR radios build protection circuits or buy professionally made devices that protect the SDR's "front end". This includes "RX/TX switches" that you can build inexpensively . You can also buy various commercial devices like the " DEO Receiver Guard", "KD9SV Front End Saver", MFJ-1708, Dow-Key 60-220442, Tohtsu CX-600M, or the Elad Switchbox. These devices can add between $40.00 to $175 to your SDR budget. Many report good success with the DEO Receiver Guard at the low end of the price range, and atthe higher end the Elad Switchbox is also rated highly.
KI2K Rating: 2010-12-29
Great unit- the program used makes a huge difference Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been learning the unit's capabilities for the last few days. Wonderful receiver- is certainly a whole new way of listening and the visual component's benefits can't be overstated.

I do find the IQ to be very susceptible to nearby noise, like from wall-wart power supplies, and I cannot use it with my laptop if power cord is plugged in- just too much rf hash. But if you can find an electrically quiet location or are better grounded than evidently I am, the fun is enormous.

To talk about the IQ's capabilities is really as much a discussion on what software you run it with (which is what SDR is all about, after all).

So far, I count as keepers Sigimira, Winrad, SDR-Console, and Spectravue. Am playing with CW Skimmer, but am not sold on it yet but I do know that others are quite taken with it. Once you master each program and learn how to properly manipulate signals for reception and analysis, you realize what a gem this unit is.

Other reviews cover the technical oohs and ahs as good as I can, so I'll close by saying that I'm glad Santa left the SDR-IQ under my tree.

Lee
KI2K