From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of wn4isx via groups.io
OK I am not pushing the SDRplay line of SDR (software defined radios) but I received a PM that prompted this post. Oh I?have no relationship with SDRplay then as a generally satisfied customer.

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I've owned several SDRplays and found then all adequate for general shortwave listening with the added benefit of reception up to 2GHz.

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There are people using SDRplay RSPxx receivers for police scanners, listening to aviation, listening to satellites, all sorts of VHF/UHF reception.

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I can't speak to VHF/UHF reception because I gave up listening to police and fire when they went to APCO25 digital.

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There are ways to receive APCO25 with the SDRplay RSPxx series, but, reading the "how to" it felt like a lot more trouble than it was worth to me.

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SDRplay bought the rights to a SDR control program and have made upgrades over the last decade or so to improve performance and to interface other software.

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Recently they offered a new program developed in house that offers vastly improved performance.

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From my perspective the fact this software only operates on Window 10/11 and that was a deal killer.

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However this program also supports the Raspberry Pi4, Pi5.

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Now I don't know anything about Raspberry or Linux but a friend's daughter does, she makes embedded control systems and this was a 10 minute project for her.

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My Raspberry Pi 5 is in a forced ventilation case. It supports a nice LCD screen, keyboard, mouse, and remote access/control via Ethernet.

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I use the RSPdx for MW DXing.

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I also use the RSP-1a as a panoramic adaptor, 'spectrum analyzer', for use with my tricked out Kenwood R-2000. I use the older SDRuno with a Windows 7 64 bit professional computer that also runs audio analytic software to figure out data formats. I also use a hardware FSK demodulator to drive software decoders that another friend wrote. [sorry he plans to sell them, so I can't share copies.]

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Sidebar as they said in the O.J. trial.

I've been into shortwave listening since I was 12. I saw my first panoramic adaptor later that summer at the ham shack of a friend of my father and fell in love with the idea you could see RF on either side of where you were tuned. It took about a minute to realize I could ID SSB, CW, AM voice or music, and FSK. I barely understood FSK but the waveform was crystal clear on a spectral display. It only took 50ish years to have a spectral display.

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NOTE: While I've found the RSP family suitable for my needs, others may find them lacking. I strongly suggest anyone ready to dip their toes in the world of SDR to do their research. SDRs range from simple USB thumb drive sized units, with what might be considered marginal performance to SDRs like the Perseus or WinRadio, both offer world class performance with different approaches.

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I've played with both and both are amazing radios and come at a premium price. I'd start with something more modest, SDRplay or Airspy are probably the best, decent, introductory SDRs. I have minimal experience, an afternoon, with an Airspy SDR, I wasn't overly impressed but the band could have been dead that day. It happens.

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NOTE 2: The thumb drive SDRs are considered little more then toys by many. I have zero experience with them so I don't have an opinion.