Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

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WB5AGF
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Location: Garland, Texas (north side of Dallas)

Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by WB5AGF » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:21 am

Am I correct in thinking that the SDRuno software does not provide an automatic feature which allows for continuously tuning ?

For example ... (I'm in the U.S.)
If I begin tuning near the bottom of our AM Broadcast Band (550 kHz to 1700 kHz) .... going up-and-up ... eventually I come to 1700 kHz.

If I want to keep tuning 'up' (just to see what's there) I believe that I must periodically click the 'Stop/Start' button so that the LO is reset to an appropriate frequency (and also the software recalculates calibration so that the indicated frequency is correct for the new chunk of spectra that is going to be covered).

As best I can figure there is no way to simply keep tuning 'up'.

Is this a correct understanding ?

(Thanks)

- Paul, WB5AGF
Texas
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g1hbe
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Location: Cheshire, UK

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by g1hbe » Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:55 am

AFAIK, there is no requirement to stop anywhere and re-calibrate. You can just keep tuning and the LO will position itself as you go.

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Andy

WB5AGF
Posts: 19
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2018 6:35 am
Location: Garland, Texas (north side of Dallas)

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by WB5AGF » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:20 am

Hello Andy;

Perhaps I am 'missing' something (being a new user that seems possible) but in my experience (using the U.S. AM Broadcast Band as a training ground) I find :

1.) For the frequency display to work correctly the LO must be locked

2.) When I tune to the upper end of the Broadcast Band (1700 kHz) my ability to tune further ceases (to tune higher in frequency requires that I unlock the LO and set it somewhere in the next 'chunk' of spectrum that I want to tune through ... then lock the LO and go through the Stop-Start sequence to cause the received display to be recalculated based on the new LO frequency)

Going back to '1' .... If I unlock the LO and then begin tuning the receiver I find that there is no actual tuning happening (though the display is changing). When the LO changes at the same rate (and in the sam direction) as the indicated receive frequency the net result is that the actual received frequkency is not changing.

I need to work with the software some more .... there may be 'something' that I am overlooking.

Regards;

Paul, WB5AGF
Texas
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sdrplay
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Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by sdrplay » Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:48 pm

If you are using a RSP, then the LO can tune between VLF and 2GHz without the need to press Stop/Start - if you are using other hardware with the ExtIO version of SDRuno, you will need to check with the hardware manufacturer on what their product allows/requires.

Best regards,

SDRplay Support

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g1hbe
Posts: 494
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Location: Cheshire, UK

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by g1hbe » Sat Feb 17, 2018 4:09 pm

Just leave the LO unlocked and tune up or down as required. You should be able to go anywhere without any locking or unlocking being necessary.

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Andy

Paul
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Location: SW UK

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by Paul » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:29 pm

G'day All
I must admit to being somewhat puzzeled as there seems to have been discussion "around" this topic before.
May I refer to an anomaly that I regularly experience and have on the current (1.22) and on previous versions of SDRuno.
What appears to happen, is that that although the LO is not locked, and indeed changes as one goes up and down in frequency, there comes a point where the signal level falls off (at either end of the range), dropping fairly abruptly off the display.
My workaround for this as it occurs is to simply make a considerable frequency "hop," generally by recalling a mmemory location in the band of interestand then go down the scale to start with.
Turning off uno and restarting at where the display disappeared off scale also works.
Of course the RSP is at he mercy of local "envoronment variables, but I note that others have previously experienced this in some form and have likened it to the LO being locked when such is not indicated.
If I recall correctly, this, or something very similar was said to have been addressed in this latest uno iteration.
My apolgies for perhaps not having explained this very well, but I find it a little difficult to make any clearer.
The best example that I can give is to start randomly tuning upward thru the NDB band, starting (in my case) at 277 Khz manually, with a fixed frequency step, dwelling occasionally, recalling a beacon from memory and continuing - eventually, the display will dive off-scale.
Phew!

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g1hbe
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Location: Cheshire, UK

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by g1hbe » Sat Feb 17, 2018 7:43 pm

That's interesting, Paul. I do a LOT of scudding around the NDB band and lower, but I've never had this happen!

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Andy

Paul
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Location: SW UK

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by Paul » Sat Feb 17, 2018 10:30 pm

https://photos.google.com/search/_tra_/ ... -Tt56szogh
I hope this works (screenshot) of upper frequency limit being reached.
However, tuning only stops when scrolling the mouse wheel; if using up/down keys tuning continues

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WB5AGF
Posts: 19
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Location: Garland, Texas (north side of Dallas)

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by WB5AGF » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:04 pm

(I'm not familiar yet with this Forum's software so my responses will lack sophistication .... sorry.)

The SDRsupport people have said (back 'up' this thread) :

"If you are using a RSP, then the LO can tune between VLF and 2GHz without the need to press Stop/Start "

(my response)
The receiver I am using is the RSP1A.

(my 'test environment')
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For training purposes I am listening to the U.S. AM Broadcast Band (550 kHz to 1700 kHz)

For an antenna (when needed on the AM Band) I have a CCrane Twin-Ferrite unit.

My home is 4.3 miles from the transmitting towers of KRLD AM (50 kW on 1080 kHz) and
I use that station as a test subject.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will now describe the steps which have led me to believe that having a locked LO is required to be able to use the receiver.

1.) I start the SDRuno software (even though, during the previous session, I had the receiver tuned to 1080 kHz, and the 'MW' (medium wave) setting had (previously) been selected, when starting SDRuno anew I see that the baseband noise floor shows a predisposition to spectrum between 820 kHz and 1450 kHz .... beyond these limits the noise floor falls off .... at this point the receiver is still tuned to 1080 kHz (from the previous session running SDRuno) as I can hear the audio from KRLD)

2.) I go to the Rx Control Panel group of controls .... press 'Bands' (under the S-meter) and select 'Broadcast' (the other two choices being 'Ham Lower' and 'Ham Upper') .... then I press the 'MW' (medium wave) button. When I do that the noise floor changes and shows a generally uniform response between 530 kHz and 1710 kHz.

3.) When I had pressed 'MW' (in step '2') the displayed frequency (which had been on 1080 kHz from the previous session running SDRuno) changed to 1120 kHz .... the LO shows as being on 1120 kHz and 'Locked'. At this point I can tune the receiver down to 1080 kHz (with the LO remaining on 1120 kHz since it is locked) and hear the audio from KRLD.

4.) With the receiver tuned to 1080 kHz (I can listen to KRLD's audio) ..... if I then unlock the LO and then begin to (apparently) tune the receiver to some other frequency .... while the displayed frequency changes (and the LO changes also since it is not locked) I continue to hear KRLD's audio indicating that the receiver is not actually changing frequency.

5.) The only way that I have (so far) been able to actually tune to different frequencies is to have the LO locked (which gives me access to frequencies above-and-below the LO frequency). Once I get to the end of a given range of frequencies (plus/minus the LO) I have to set the LO to a new (call it the 'center') frequency and double-click the 'Stop/Start' button (this appears to 'tell' the software that there has been a change in the LO frequency and that it .... the software .... needs to recalculate the appropriate displayed receive frequency).

6.) If I tune to the 'top' (or 'bottom') of a given band of frequencies (plus/minus the LO) my ability to tune past those limits is inhibited ... tuning stops.

(signed)

- Paul, WB5AGF
. Texas
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g1hbe
Posts: 494
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Location: Cheshire, UK

Re: Does SDRuno Software Allow For Continuous Tuning ?

Post by g1hbe » Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:41 pm

I can't make that link work, Paul. But I tend to hover my mouse over the required digit and click to tune and then use the mouse wheel to move up & down. Maybe that's the difference.

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Andy

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