Since personal computers are so powerful and cheap these days, I wonder if
there is a wideband reciever whose tuning function can be controlled by PC,
then it would simply be a matter of writing the software (or finding
pre-existing shareware) to change the frequency that the radio is tuned to,
and monitor the output of the reciever for signals, and you would have
essentialy the same thing as a thousand dollar winradio but perhaps for a
fraction of the cost.
I know that VHF transcievers can be interfaced with a PC to create digital
transcievers and all (almost all) of the functionality stems from software
subroutines instead of hardware on the transciever --- a 'software'
implementation instead of a hardware one, if you will. Rather than
purchasing a hardware "Terminal Node Controller", you basically emulate the
Node controllers functions in software.
Could the same thing be accomplished with a reciever? Is there a reciever
out there that has solid state tuning that can easily be adapted to being
controlled by a PC? Or is there a really simple, clear-cut reason why this
is a bad idea, that I'm just not understanding (but should be)?

Google "SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO"

Here is one manufacture.

http://www.flex-radio.com/

The future is NOW.
It is as you described, functions previously preformed by hardware are now
done with software.

Consider Audio Filters versus Digital Signal Processing as an example.
DSP is now available as freeware for the PC and works wonderfully.
Radios will be cheaper, have more features and be more flexible.

"tom" wrote in message
news:AZLKd.202511$8l.31044@pd7tw1no...
Since personal computers are so powerful and cheap these days, I wonder if
there is a wideband reciever whose tuning function can be controlled by
PC, then it would simply be a matter of writing the software (or finding
pre-existing shareware) to change the frequency that the radio is tuned
to, and monitor the output of the reciever for signals, and you would have
essentialy the same thing as a thousand dollar winradio but perhaps for a
fraction of the cost.
I know that VHF transcievers can be interfaced with a PC to create digital
transcievers and all (almost all) of the functionality stems from software
subroutines instead of hardware on the transciever --- a 'software'
implementation instead of a hardware one, if you will. Rather than
purchasing a hardware "Terminal Node Controller", you basically emulate
the Node controllers functions in software.
Could the same thing be accomplished with a reciever? Is there a reciever
out there that has solid state tuning that can easily be adapted to being
controlled by a PC? Or is there a really simple, clear-cut reason why
this is a bad idea, that I'm just not understanding (but should be)?

See http://www.winradio.com .

Hope this helps! :-)

Geoff

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 13:13:04 GMT, "tom" wrote:

Since personal computers are so powerful and cheap these days, I wonder if
there is a wideband reciever whose tuning function can be controlled by PC,
then it would simply be a matter of writing the software (or finding
pre-existing shareware) to change the frequency that the radio is tuned to,
and monitor the output of the reciever for signals, and you would have
essentialy the same thing as a thousand dollar winradio but perhaps for a
fraction of the cost.
I know that VHF transcievers can be interfaced with a PC to create digital
transcievers and all (almost all) of the functionality stems from software
subroutines instead of hardware on the transciever --- a 'software'
implementation instead of a hardware one, if you will. Rather than
purchasing a hardware "Terminal Node Controller", you basically emulate the
Node controllers functions in software.
Could the same thing be accomplished with a reciever? Is there a reciever
out there that has solid state tuning that can easily be adapted to being
controlled by a PC? Or is there a really simple, clear-cut reason why this
is a bad idea, that I'm just not understanding (but should be)?

Hmm, interesting. I just read an article in CQ-VHF linked to from that
flexradio site you suggested, BLR. There's a whole new area there I didn't
know about. I'll just have to get one of these sdr's. Like the guy says,
it'll never get old, because you can simply reprogram it. If you have a new
idea you can program it and try it out instantly, try that with hardware.


"B L R" wrote in message
.. .

Google "SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO"

Here is one manufacture.

http://www.flex-radio.com/

The future is NOW.
It is as you described, functions previously preformed by hardware are now
done with software.

Consider Audio Filters versus Digital Signal Processing as an example.
DSP is now available as freeware for the PC and works wonderfully.
Radios will be cheaper, have more features and be more flexible.

"tom" wrote in message
news:AZLKd.202511$8l.31044@pd7tw1no...
Since personal computers are so powerful and cheap these days, I wonder
if there is a wideband reciever whose tuning function can be controlled
by PC, then it would simply be a matter of writing the software (or
finding pre-existing shareware) to change the frequency that the radio is
tuned to, and monitor the output of the reciever for signals, and you
would have essentialy the same thing as a thousand dollar winradio but
perhaps for a fraction of the cost.
I know that VHF transcievers can be interfaced with a PC to create
digital transcievers and all (almost all) of the functionality stems from
software subroutines instead of hardware on the transciever --- a
'software' implementation instead of a hardware one, if you will. Rather
than purchasing a hardware "Terminal Node Controller", you basically
emulate the Node controllers functions in software.
Could the same thing be accomplished with a reciever? Is there a
reciever out there that has solid state tuning that can easily be adapted
to being controlled by a PC? Or is there a really simple, clear-cut
reason why this is a bad idea, that I'm just not understanding (but
should be)?

Concerning Winradio as an SDR:

See the November 2004, December 2004 and January 2005 issues of MONITORING
TIMES.
Dr. John Catalano did a series on Software Defined Radios.
The Winradio is a "software CONTROLLED radio"

A "SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO" could have it's frequency coverage and mode
of operation redesigned by software! A traditional PC controlled radio
could NOT.
As an appliance operator, the distinction makes no difference to me.

But in the big picture of things, it matters to all of us Radio Consumers
because radio specifications
will not be designed by the manufacture but by third party software
programmers.

It means lower cost, feature rich, flexible radios.
Imagine a radio doesn't do what hobbyist wants it to do so hobbyists
alter it's specifications. Mods are no longer in the realm of
the hardware hacker but in the software writer.

A bold concept. POWER TO THE PEOPLE! The future of our hobby is exciting.

Bruce
N9WTG





"Geoff Burginon" wrote in message
news:41fc1d89.2657046@news-server...
See http://www.winradio.com .

Hope this helps! :-)

Geoff

On Sat, 29 Jan 2005 13:13:04 GMT, "tom" wrote:

Since personal computers are so powerful and cheap these days, I wonder if
there is a wideband reciever whose tuning function can be controlled by
PC,
then it would simply be a matter of writing the software (or finding
pre-existing shareware) to change the frequency that the radio is tuned
to,
and monitor the output of the reciever for signals, and you would have
essentialy the same thing as a thousand dollar winradio but perhaps for a
fraction of the cost.
I know that VHF transcievers can be interfaced with a PC to create digital
transcievers and all (almost all) of the functionality stems from software
subroutines instead of hardware on the transciever --- a 'software'
implementation instead of a hardware one, if you will. Rather than
purchasing a hardware "Terminal Node Controller", you basically emulate
the
Node controllers functions in software.
Could the same thing be accomplished with a reciever? Is there a reciever
out there that has solid state tuning that can easily be adapted to being
controlled by a PC? Or is there a really simple, clear-cut reason why
this
is a bad idea, that I'm just not understanding (but should be)?

What a fabulous idea, everything from a 40 meter CW rig, to a 2 meter rig
transmitting single side band, all in one piece of hardware. And on the
weekends, when you get bored, you can click on an icon of Jupiter and
monitor jovian emissions on 200 meters. One thing though, how will "they"
(you know ---THEM) prevent us from clicking on an icon that looks like a
padlock which reconfigures our little magic box to an absloutely secure,
spread spectrum system?

Now, if they can only mass market it to the same degree as with the PC and
get the price down. This $1200 USD per unit price is a little high.

On Sun, 30 Jan 2005 02:11:36 GMT, "B L R"
wrote:

Concerning Winradio as an SDR:

See the November 2004, December 2004 and January 2005 issues of MONITORING
TIMES.
Dr. John Catalano did a series on Software Defined Radios.
The Winradio is a "software CONTROLLED radio"

Sorry, this is not exactly correct. Winradio make a lot of PC-based
radios, which include Software-Controlled (the 1000, 1500 and 3000
range) *and* Software-Defined (G303, G313).

The Winradio G303i was the first Software-Defined Radio on the
consumer market.

A "SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO" could have it's frequency coverage and mode
of operation redesigned by software!

Sorry, this is correct only in terms of the mode of operation, but not
frequency coverage. I refer you to:
http://www.sdrforum.org/tech_comm/definitions.html,
in particular to the sentence (under the Tier 2 definition of
Software-Defined Receivers) "This front-end equipment represents a
constraint on the frequency coverage of the system,".

In order not to have any such frequency coverage constraint, you would
need to have the antenna connected directly to the A/D converter
(which would need an infinitely fast conversion rate with a huge
resolution). The current state-of-the-art A/D converters, if
connected directly to the antenna, would not provide you with a very
good radio at all. That's why all present-day SDRs must have some form
of a frequency-constraining hardware front-end.

As an appliance operator, the distinction makes no difference to me.

But in the big picture of things, it matters to all of us Radio Consumers
because radio specifications
will not be designed by the manufacture but by third party software
programmers.

It means lower cost, feature rich, flexible radios.
Imagine a radio doesn't do what hobbyist wants it to do so hobbyists
alter it's specifications. Mods are no longer in the realm of
the hardware hacker but in the software writer.

Indeed. This opportunity is already available with the Winradio SDRs.
There is nothing stopping any knowledgeable software writer from
writing his own IF filtering processor and an entire demodulator.
Winradio make the programming information available:
http://www.winradio.com/home/developer-g303.htm
Go for it! :-)

Geoff

I stand corrected.
A Teir 2 SDR has freqency range that is limited by hardware.
No one could legitamatly disagree with the cold reaility that you pointed
out.

But let us not leave out the exciting sentence that follows

....."Except for those constrainst, however, the system is fully capable
of covering a substantial frequency range and executing software to
provide a variety of demodulation techniques...

Have fun with radio--------------