On 05/03/15 20:27, Michael Black wrote:

THings called SDRs seem to vary. There are shortwave radios out there
that use very flexible ICs, which requires a computer to set up, but I'm
not sure how much you can define. There's the Eton/Grundig G8. One
could modify it for your own microprocessor and get more steps of
selectivity, for instance, but I don't think you can do anything to get
SSB on the receiver, it's not about programming the whole thing.

SOmething like those DTV dongles seem to be more programmable, I don't
know if the A/D conversion is in there or what. But, one now has to
learn so much to program them, and be able to make them do other things.

I think for most, many SDRs are about letting someone else define things.

Checkout gnuradio. You can literally write your own radio. It will work
with those "DTV" dongles, the FCD dongles, as well as the Ettus range
of USRPs when you are ready to "graduate" (they are not cheap), as well
as many other hardware devices

A Pi 2, a soundcard, a 60k-ish receiver, and gnuradio could easily be
used to receive MSF, DCF, WWVB etc. (and the 60kHz receiver is only
needed if the wolfson board filters above audio frequencies, I must
acquire one to test that, my onboard PC's doesn't so it does LF duties)

A HF upverter added to the front end, and you are all set.


73s

Iain