Can only pick up my local radio station

Post your feedback here
Post Reply
TK421
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 1:47 pm

Can only pick up my local radio station

Post by TK421 » Tue May 24, 2016 2:05 pm

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
Attachments
Capture3.JPG
Capture3.JPG (92.1 KiB) Viewed 18077 times
Capture2.JPG
Capture2.JPG (255.68 KiB) Viewed 18077 times
Capture1.JPG
Capture1.JPG (193.5 KiB) Viewed 18077 times
Last edited by TK421 on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: No reason

TK421
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 1:47 pm

Re: Can only pick up my local radio station

Post by TK421 » Tue May 24, 2016 5:11 pm

I have also noticed I only get a single tone across all frequencies even as I tune the radio. Added a screenshot..
Attachments
Capture3.JPG
Capture3.JPG (202.08 KiB) Viewed 18068 times
Last edited by TK421 on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: No reason

g1hbe
Posts: 494
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2015 3:28 pm
Location: Cheshire, UK

Re: Can only pick up my local radio station

Post by g1hbe » Tue May 24, 2016 9:25 pm

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.
Last edited by g1hbe on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: No reason
Andy

TK421
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue May 24, 2016 1:47 pm

Re: Can only pick up my local radio station

Post by TK421 » Wed May 25, 2016 8:54 am

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
Last edited by TK421 on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: No reason

DF1KZ
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2015 1:37 pm

Re: Can only pick up my local radio station

Post by DF1KZ » Wed May 25, 2016 1:21 pm

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
Last edited by DF1KZ on Thu Jan 01, 1970 12:00 am, edited 0 times in total.
Reason: No reason
SDRplay (RSP1, RSP1A, RSP2pro) with:
RFsystems DX-10 (14kHz to 50MHz), resistive splitter 1/4, 1:16 transformer on Hi-Z of RSP2
ICOM Discone AH-8000 (10MHz to 2GHz)
12m above ground

Post Reply