New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

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DaveB
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New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

Post by DaveB » Sat Oct 10, 2015 5:19 pm

Well - it installs and runs OK - but SDR# build 1404 does not have auto I/Q correction. It is not a case of the "Amplitude = 1.000 Phase = 0.000" - the top header just gives the build number. It was there in build 1368 (post net 4.6). So that has well and truly sabotaged SDRPlay as it means that mirror images of strong stations appear eg set centre freq to 102.0 and a very strong station on 102.8 will appear on 101.2 as the Mirics chip only has at best 50dB suppression of the mirror signal.

Of course Airspy doesn't require this I/Q correction - as it uses a low IF architecture.... Do you ever get the feeling......?

I've tried the low IF mode of SDRPlay - 1.536 MHz bandwidth and that has no problem with the mirror image - but of course not a lot of spectrum available to see if you are into FM DX.

I've yet to explore how FMSuite works with the SDRPlay in low IF mode - [fast scanning plug-in]

One can only hope that the SDRPlay team can come up with a manual gain/phase optimiser in a similar vein to that of HDSDR that is part of the native interface/driver, or develop an SDR plug-in to do the same job as it something that is really essential for this hardware. Either that or the collaborative work with Simon Brown and SDR-console will end up with this functionality.

Meanwhile you can search this forum for "build 1361" and find the links that take you to the version that works - unless of course you've migrated to Windows 10!
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CaptainNemo
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Location: Genoa - Italy

Re: New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

Post by CaptainNemo » Sat Oct 10, 2015 8:23 pm

In a short time SDR# team released many versions.
At the moment I see build 1408, that is not working with the new sdrplay native plugin v. 2.1
(It seems to that 1408 has problems also with other hw front end e.g. I see a strange behavior with FCDPP).
I suppose Sdrplay tech team is trying to catch up with all those changes.
That all to say: we appreciate the big work software developers are doing in these moments.
tnx team!
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Tech_Support
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Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2015 7:00 pm

Re: New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

Post by Tech_Support » Sat Oct 10, 2015 8:50 pm

Dear Captain Nemo,
It seems our friends at Airspy are releasing new changes to the native Radio interface on a daily basis, each of which unfortunately breaks the plugin for the RSP. it is their software and we respect the fact that they have a right to do as they please.
In the meantime, we will continue to do our best to support our community.

Sincerely

SDRplay Tech_Support
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Flyingscot
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Re: New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

Post by Flyingscot » Sat Oct 10, 2015 10:47 pm

Might be best to stop wasting time and effort on SDR#, and develop something yourselves, of course making sure that Airspy doesn't work with it ;)

Seriously, I find HDSDR much nicer anyway, at least it doesn't change every half hour.
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ziptaco
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Re: New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

Post by ziptaco » Sun Oct 11, 2015 12:04 am

It is true that the sdr# team has released a lot of updates lately and the last few were purposely done to remove support for SDRPlay users. If you follow their twitter account you will notice this. What you should also notice is and take action on is who and how negotiations are getting handled on behalf of your company and your customers. While the Facebook group is a great resource and has been of help to a lot of people it should not be them (unless they are employed by SDRPlay) handling any negotiations for sdr# to support SDRPlay.

"You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar". I do not think throwing curse words and threatening with "leaving the with no choice but, to reach out to their resources". While I understand is upsetting and also a great effort on their part to try to negotiate this on their own but, there a huge lack in people skills and business skills.

While this sounds more like a rant than a suggestion hopefully, someone will take note and make the right decision to benefit the majority of the paying customers.
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DaveB
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Re: New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

Post by DaveB » Sun Oct 11, 2015 7:27 am

The most 'damning' thing about it all is that there is no warning on the airspy.com web site that the software no longer supports other devices. I found this notice on rtl-sdr.ru just now
Currently (version 1408) SDR # only works with Airspy and RTL tuners. Support for other tuners may be added in the future.
So there you have it. It is extremely disappointing that a whole community of people have worked with the sdr# team from the time they first started to develop the program - way before airspy became available - only to be cut off at the knees so to speak for whatever reason. Maybe they need to get their NET 4.6 version into a fully stable form before even considering supporting other hardware. But whatever the reason they should have a notice on their web-site that the software only works on airspy / rtl-dongles.

And it happened just after SDRPlay developed a new plug-in. But don't fell sorry just for ourselves - what about all those Funcube dongle owners who will blissfully try and update to the latest build and find themselves completely screwed. Especially as the Funcube was for satellite work and there were specific satellite oriented plugins in sdr#.

David
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wd9ewk
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Re: New Native plug-in for SDR# - "big" image problem

Post by wd9ewk » Sun Oct 11, 2015 3:02 pm

DaveB wrote:So there you have it. It is extremely disappointing that a whole community of people have worked with the sdr# team from the time they first started to develop the program - way before airspy became available - only to be cut off at the knees so to speak for whatever reason. Maybe they need to get their NET 4.6 version into a fully stable form before even considering supporting other hardware. But whatever the reason they should have a notice on their web-site that the software only works on airspy / rtl-dongles.

And it happened just after SDRPlay developed a new plug-in. But don't fell sorry just for ourselves - what about all those Funcube dongle owners who will blissfully try and update to the latest build and find themselves completely screwed. Especially as the Funcube was for satellite work and there were specific satellite oriented plugins in sdr#.
I have a FUNcube dongle, an SDRplay, a few RTL-SDR dongles (not including the $200 Airspy RTL dongle), and HackRF (One, and Blue). I have different uses for each It is interesting to follow this, seeing how many versions of SDR# have come out in the past week or so. It appears to me that the release of a non-ExtIO SDRplay plug-in for SDR# has something to do with this. Are the guys at Airspy that insecure about their hardware product, that they are willing to mess with what had been a nice software package in SDR#? I see the comments in different places, trying to denigrate the SDRplay, calling it a "TV tuner" and other things. That may be what its chipset started out as, but that's also what the RTL dongles are. The SDRplay now has unbroken coverage from MF to 2 GHz, without the need of an additional bit of hardware to hear most of the HF spectrum like the RTL dongles (including the Airspy) need.

I use HDSDR most of the time, as it works better for me when I am using amateur satellites. I had kept SDR# on my laptop and tablets, and occasionally updated it - until the recent spate of activity to take SDR# to .NET 4.6, and continual efforts to break its compatibility with the SDRplay. Seeing comments like this on the Airspy download page today:
sdrsharp-comment.jpg
sdrsharp-comment.jpg (42.22 KiB) Viewed 23094 times
along with what has been streaming from the "sdrsharp" and "airspy_com" Twitter feeds, it seems like Airspy is determined to keep SDRplay from being used with SDR#. To break compatibility with the SDRplay, their efforts with SDR# are breaking other functionality and plugins, requiring still more updates. For those who like SDR#, no matter what hardware is being used with it, this is sad.

Yes, those guys can do what they want with SDR#, as it is their software. I'm going to continue using HDSDR, as it meets my needs, and hope that someone can do something with the SDR# source code that I've read about on here. Maybe we can end up having a stable program that has the functionality SDR# used to have. I will continue using my SDRplay, and think about purchasing a second SDRplay - either from a local Ham Radio Outlet store, or (if the store can't keep any in stock long enough for me to get one) ordering it directly from SDRplay.

Thanks!
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Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/ - Twitter: @WD9EWK

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