Re: [IRCA] WC Nov 5 snapshot - SDR shoot-out

[Mark Pettifor <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Another thing to consider, which you've heard myself and others talk 
about, is disk space needed if you make recordings.

I use mainly 3 different softwares for listening / recording: SDR 
Console, HDSDR, and the software that came with the ELAD, FDM-SW2. Each 
one has it's pros and cons, and lately I've been using SDR Console for 
the nice recording GUI.

I've noticed that these 3 consume disk space at different rates when 
recording. Here's what I've measured:

HDSDR:  41.3 GB/hr
FDM-SW2:  30.7 GB/hr
SDR Console:  22.1 GB/hr

I don't think there's any way to change this, but if someone knows 
otherwise, I'd love to hear about it!

So it looks like the recording winner would be SDR Console, right? Well, 
it depends. Do you want to be able to open your recordings in other 
software? Here's another chart I made up just yesterday:

Recording with HDSDR:
Playback in FDM-SW2 = No
Playback in SDR Console = Yes, if recording file is <2GB

Recording with FDM-SW2:
Playback in HDSDR = Yes
Playback in SDR Console = Yes

Recording with SDR Console:
Playback in HDSDR = Not really - it plays, but the display is all messed 
up, so you can't tell what freq you are on
Playback in FDM-SW2 = No

Not sure how the Perseus fits in that scheme. I think Perseus files play 
in lots of other software, but others here can weigh in on that if they 
want.

Final note about recording with SDR Console - the developer has spent a 
lot of time getting the software to work with just about every SDR radio 
out there (which is great!), but the recordings made with it won't play 
on anything but SDR Console (to my knowledge anyway).

Regarding sound quality, I've seen some great video clips of some pretty 
awesome DX on the Perseus, and I can get pretty close to the same 
quality on my ELAD. In the end, I think it's a combination of the 
hardware and the software, but the software is where you can really make 
the higher-end units (where it's apples to apples) shine. There's a 
software that the ELAD can use called Zeus Radio, written for the ZS-1 
SDR radio. It has the best sound quality of anything I've used, but the 
developer has other projects going and it's starting to look like a 
stagnant project. The software isn't free anymore (it used to be).

OK, Ive rambled long enough...

Mark
Goshen, IN

On 2016-11-06 9:56 am, Keith wrote:
> My point was that for recording (capturing) large amounts of bandwidth
> for FM you need something more powerful.  When I ran the Perseus on a
> netbook it worked fine for MW captures (up to the max) but suffered
> badly when trying to make FM captures.
>
> Keith
>
> On 11/6/2016 8:24 AM, Mark4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > I'm with you on this one Chuck.  I've been running Perseus for years
> > with old garden-variety dual-core machines with nary a hiccup.
> >
> > Mark Durenberger
> >
> > -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Hutton
> > Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2016 10:09 PM
> > To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America
> > Subject: Re: [IRCA] WC Nov 5 snapshot - SDR shoot-out
> >
> > Yet my cheapo ($60) Atom Z3735F tablets run Perseus SW with no 
> > problems.
> >
> > Chuck
> > ________________________________
> > From: IRCA <irca-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Keith
> > <longwave@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Saturday, November 5, 2016 7:57 PM
> > To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America
> > Subject: Re: [IRCA] WC Nov 5 snapshot - SDR shoot-out
> >
> > http://shop.elad-usa.com/sdr-radio/fdm-s2/
> > [http://shop.elad-usa.com/images/products/fdm-s2.jpg]<http://shop.elad-usa.com/sdr-radio/fdm-s2/>
> >
> >
> > Elad FDM-S2<http://shop.elad-usa.com/sdr-radio/fdm-s2/>
> > shop.elad-usa.com
> > FDM-S2 is the second device born in our line ELAD SDR Samplers. Direct
> > sampling receiver based on 122.88MHz 16bit single channel ADC 
> > converter
> > covering HF 6m and ...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > I found that you need to have a quad core running at least 2.5 ghz or 
> > so
> > to avoid any stuttering issues at full bandwidth of 2 mhz for MW.   
> > Each
> > setup has it's own issues (I had mine early on with both the Perseus 
> > and
> > ELAD) and it takes time and patience.  But that being said I'll never 
> > go
> > back to desktop receiver like the Drake.  In fact I'll be putting my
> > Drake R8A, Grundig Sat 800 and a couple of others up on EBAY soon.  I
> > will keep my Eton E1 which comes very very close to the Drake in
> > performance.
> >
> > I did use a Lenovo Ideapad (can't tell you which model right 
> > now...gave
> > it to my son earlier this year) but now I use an MSI G72 gaming laptop
> > (this was a little more money LOL..around $1100).  It has a high end 
> > i7
> > quad core processor running Win 10.  I upgraded mainly due to the fact
> > that in the summer I run the ELAD for FM captures during Eskip 
> > Openings
> > (6 mhz capture) and the Airspy SDR (for 8 mhz captures).  Running both
> > at the same and recording (to external drives) has been pretty 
> > flawless.
> >
> > Keith
> >
> >
> >
> > On 11/5/2016 10:40 PM, R. Colin Newell wrote:
> > > On the Elad Store I was sure it was around 500EU or more... Will look
> > > again.
> > >
> > > Don't get me wrong - open to new things - the ELAD sample I'm using
> > > just doesn't compete with the R8 or the 7030+. Maybe they are just 
> > > hot
> > > examples of 2 great receivers.
> > >
> > > Products I'm using the Elad with:
> > > QuadCore Lenovo T250, Toshiba netbook (chatters when anything other
> > > than the Elad is running...) and a Dell AIO 7440 (worth $1400)
> > >
> > > Colin Newell - CoffeeCrew.com - VA7WWV - Victoria - BC
> > >
> > > > On Nov 5, 2016, at 7:25 PM, Keith <longwave@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Ok...Love my ELAD.  Live in a very RF rich area (just south of 
> > > > Boston
> > > > MA).  Had a Drake R8A and loved it.  Got the Perseus and it beat the
> > > > R8A by a decent margin imho.  Then I bought the ELAD mainly for its
> > > > wide band FM capture capability.  Found that in most cases it's the
> > > > equal to or better than the Perseus especially in audio quality 
> > > > which
> > > > I find to be much softer on these aging ears than the Perseus.  The
> > > > one area I'd give the Perseus a big plus on was NDB dxng.
> > > >
> > > > Also if you are only dxng MW (or NDB's and SW) and not FM then a
> > > > middle of the road laptop will suffice.  I purchased a refurb Lenovo
> > > > quad core a few years back for about $350 and it worked fine for
> > > > everything and wasn't too bad at handling the load for FM captures.
> > > > Also the ELAD is $519.00 USD ($695 Canadian) and not $1000.  A lot
> > > > less than the Perseus. The great part about the ELAD if you are an 
> > > > FM
> > > > dxer is that no external downcoverter is needed (like you need for
> > > > the Perseus) so no additional cost.
> > > >
> > > > Keith McGinnis
> > > > Hingham MA
> > > > ELAD SDR with 50x100 switched termination superloop running NE/SW 
> > > > and
> > > > a Wellbrook 1530LNP Imperium along with a DX Engineering NCC1 Phaser
> > > > for LW, MW and SW.          2 Innov 11 element antennas with Bolin
> > > > Phase Box for FM
> > > >
> > > > > On 11/5/2016 9:19 PM, R. Colin Newell wrote:
> > > > > There is a noticeable difference with audio quality between Laptops
> > > > > and work stations.
> > > > >
> > > > > Consider this: $1000 Elad + $1000 laptop gives you a decent set 
> > > > > up...
> > > > > But a 2nd hand Drake at $700 mops the floor with the Elad. Do the 
> > > > > math.
> > > > > I know SDR's are the future but the Elad or Perseus are paper
> > > > > weights without a solid PC desktop or laptop.
> > > > >
> > > > > If you run the Elad with the ATT off, there is "ADC" clipping,
> > > > > whatever that is -- and I'm in a low signal area. The only choice 
> > > > > is
> > > > > clicking ATT ON. But no mention anywhere I could find what the
> > > > > attenuation is.
> > > > >
> > > > > No passband tuning with the Elad and without a high quality wheel
> > > > > mouse or gaming mouse, actually operating the Elad is a two handed
> > > > > operation.
> > > > >
> > > > > Still going to keep the comparison going. Gotta know.
> > > > >
> > > > > Colin Newell - CoffeeCrew.com - VA7WWV - Victoria - BC
> > > > >
> > > > > > On Nov 5, 2016, at 4:13 PM, Walter Salmaniw <canswl@xxxxxxxxx> 
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I can't comment on the Elad, but the Perseus is superb.  Every bit
> > > > > > as good
> > > > > > as any of the best classic receivers mentioned.  There is a real
> > > > > > learning
> > > > > > curve, though, to use them optimally.  Audio is perfect, but very 
> > > > > > much
> > > > > > dependent on your sound card.  My high end Dell produces wonderful
> > > > > > audio..
> > > > > > I have been told that the Elad should be as good as the Perseus.
> > > > > > Wonder
> > > > > > what the issue is.  Doesn't sound right to me.   Walt (At the
> > > > > > Glistening
> > > > > > Waters, PEI DXpedition, and listening to almost armchair copy of
> > > > > > Nigeria on
> > > > > > 917 kHz).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 9:13 PM, R. Colin Newell
> > > > > > <coffeecanuck@xxxxxxxxx>
> > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > SDR's are like digital cameras...
> > > > > > > The closer you look, the less they look like film.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Great for spectrum analysis and for portable operation when you 
> > > > > > > are
> > > > > > > traveling.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hard to beat the warmth of a well designed receiver.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Colin Newell - CoffeeCrew.com - VA7WWV - Victoria - BC
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > On Nov 5, 2016, at 12:21 PM, Richard N Allen
> > > > > > > > > <richarda@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > > > > > wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Colin:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Thanks for the review.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > I tried a Drake R8 many years ago when it was first released.
> > > > > > > > It's an
> > > > > > > outstanding receiver.
> > > > > > > > I've been pondering a new SDR but think I'll stick with my old
> > > > > > > WR-G313e.  I'm sitting here now at mid-day hearing "Jack Rabbit"
> > > > > > > football
> > > > > > > from WNAX-570, Yankton SD (S7 @ 726 km/451 mi), on the WiNRADiO
> > > > > > > hooked to a
> > > > > > > long wire.  It's an easy to use receiver and still works on
> > > > > > > Windows 10.  It
> > > > > > > simply need a better aerial and I have an ALA1503LNP-NA on order.
> > > > > > > > I also have a R75 which is going back to ICOM soon for repairs.  
> > > > > > > >  It
> > > > > > > just quit and I don't know why.
> > > > > > > > Good DX.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Richard.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Sent from my iPad
> > > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > > This message has been scanned for viruses and
> > > > > > > > dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
> > > > > > > > believed to be clean.
> > > > > > > >
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