SDRplay Community Forum

Hi,

I'm about to pull the trigger on an SDRplay purchase. I'm considering this setup in a 2014 Toyota Prius:
- Either a 7 or 10-inch Android tablet
- Yaesu ATAS-100 screwdriver antenna
- Application of ferrite cores on antenna and USB cable

The hybrid environment is notoriously radio-unfriendly, so I welcome any and all comments on the above installation and especially any user experience with a Prius installation.

Also,what seems to be the best software package for Android use?

Thanks and 73,
Ken
WB4EJZ

astroguy321 wrote:Hi,

I'm about to pull the trigger on an SDRplay purchase. I'm considering this setup in a 2014 Toyota Prius:
- Either a 7 or 10-inch Android tablet
- Yaesu ATAS-100 screwdriver antenna
- Application of ferrite cores on antenna and USB cable

<snip>

Issues with hybrids and noise aside, have you considered a 7- to 10-inch Windows tablet instead of the Android tablet? You'd get more options for software, including SDRplay's new SDRuno package that appears to work fine on these inexpensive tablets.

I loaded SDRuno on a 10-inch Win10 tablet, and it looks good from the limited testing I did with it yesterday. My normal setup has an SDRplay with an 8-inch Win10 tablet running HDSDR. A 7-inch tablet made the on-screen icons and text too small, but an 8-inch tablet looked a little better. The 10-inch tablet I have is used more like a laptop or Microsoft Surface, but at a lower price.

73!

Hi Patrick,

Thanks much for the reply!

I really had not previously considered a Windows tablet, but it sounds like I should. I appreciate the advice, so I'll be scouting for one.

Regards,
Ken
WB4EJZ

astroguy321 wrote: I really had not previously considered a Windows tablet, but it sounds like I should. I appreciate the advice, so I'll be scouting for one.

I had hesitated on making that suggestion, since you had laid out your plans for the mobile station with an Android tablet. I just like having more options for software that there is with Windows vs. Android. The Win10 tablets usually run a little more in price than the Android tablets, and are available from many stores and online vendors.

As for tablets, I mostly use the WinBook tablets that were sold my MicroCenter last year. I also have an 8-inch HP tablet that does well with the SDRplay. These tablets will usually have 1 GB or 2 GB RAM, 16 to 64 GB internal storage (the C: drive in Windows), a micro-SD card slot, at least a micro USB socket that can also be used with external USB devices or for charging, and sometimes other sockets (full-size USB socket, mini- or micro-HDMI video output, maybe a separate coaxial charging port). If the tablet only has a single micro-USB socket, you can normally do one thing or the other with it - run the SDRplay (or another USB device) using an On-The-Go cable, or charge the battery. The WinBook tablets have micro- and full-size USB sockets, so I can do both with those. Others have the coaxial charging port, leaving the micro-USB socket for other stuff (again, when using an On-The-Go cable).

With any of these tablets, I find I am not able to use the full 8 MHz bandwidth from the SDRplay. Any of the bandwidth settings from 4 to 8 MHz overload my tablets. For my amateur satellite work, I'm usually running one of the smallest bandwidth settings like 200 or 300 kHz for those satellites. The bandwidth setting for 1.5 or 1.6 MHz in the ExtIO control panel from HDSDR is usually as high as I can go without overloading the tablet. If I need the larger bandwidths, I go to my Win7 laptop which has no problems with the full bandwidth from the SDRplay.

Good luck, and 73!

I too would recommend a Window tablet .
No way to receive DAB ,DRM,DVBT with an Android one software choice is too small.