SDRplay Community Forum

Hi All,

I am having some difficulty getting SDRPlay to work. I been using a hand scanner for a while and can pick airband, but on the SDRPlay I can only get my local FM radio station on 107.600MHz. Any other signal is a constant tone and single line on the waterfall (unlike the local FM station)

I have tried using a random wire antenna and have just also bought a Moonraker SkyScan Antenna. I have been trying SDR-Radio, HDSDR, and SDR# and trying different gain settings, but still only one station. I have also reset default on EXTIO when using HDSDR.

I have noticed that with HDSDR I have also had to shift the Spectrum slider way down to see the 'graph' (at approx -115db).

Any ideas?

John

I have also noticed I only get a single tone across all frequencies even as I tune the radio. Added a screenshot..

Hi John
It's hard to tell from those shots, but it looks like you might have the settings all wrong for what you are trying to receive. In the first shot, you seem to be tuned to 236 KHz AM. That's LW radio. I'm not sure where you live, but do you have LW radio there? Also a Skyscan antenna won't be a lot of use down there.
In the FM shot, you are looking at a fairly narrow span of the FM band and you are in AM mode, not FM. When in FM mode, wind up the bandwidth to 200KHz or so.
I agree the whole thing looks rather 'deaf' - is your aerial connected properly? The SRP's connector is an SMA female - are you sure your aerial plugs are suitable (ie not reverse type)?
Sorry I can't be of more help, it's a while since I used HDSDR.

Andy.

Thanks for the help anyways.

I have been in contact with support and will be sending the unit back to be checked. We tried a few things with settings to gain and the like, but to no avail, there was a concern the unit may have been over stressed or loaded but I don't have a transmitter nor has there been any lighting where I am.

In my last test I tuned into radio Berkshire using a normal clock radio with its installed random wire, the SDRPlay unit would not pick up the same station using a random wire (same or much greater length + higher) or my Skyscan antennas. The unit does pick up my local station (Breeze FM).

Need to see what happens next...

John

Hello John

The signal you see in your first and third picture is the LO from SDRplay. This signal is generated inside the SDRplay.
Your local Radio Station seems to be very strong and can be received even without an antenna. If you would like to listen to it I would prefer the FM-demodulator and a large bandwidth.
There seems to a problem with your antenna or the cable inside the SDRplay is broken.

Wolfgang