New features requests

[g1hbe]

That had crossed my mind, Gary. An SDRPlay-specific application, bundled with all the necessary files, plug-ins and DLL to make it work out of the box.

[w5ggh]

Smashing idea Andy, hope someone who is capable goes for it.....

Gary

[kc2rgw]

Please change PPM to PPB or at least allow two decimal places in PPM.

The default whole number increment for PPM is far too coarse and makes accuracy of UHF 6.25kHz scanning less than optimal. I don't have low band SSB capability here now, but it will also be quite far off for that use as well.

Getting down to at least one Hz resolution would be ideal.

Not sure if this is a hardware/chip limitation or just a simple tweak to the software interface?

[Tech_Support]

Dear Kc2rgw,
You should find it possible to use fractions of a PPM in the existing ExtIO control window. The native resolution of the synthesizer is approximately 20 PPB or 0.02 PPM.
Sincerely

SDRplay Tech_Support

[digitoils]

...
My request is also a modified rtl_tcp (sdrplay_tcp) because actual I´m playing just more with my RTL-SDR and Raspberry/Linux then with the much more better SDRplay.

[g1hbe]

Looking further into the future, it would be good if the next RSP could get rid of the spurious response to DAB which turns up in the milsat band around 255 MHz. I know this is a result of the particular conversion regime and the front end filtering, so perhaps a complete revision (perhaps even a whole new tuner) would be required.

[DaveB]

With the door to SDR# being (at present?) closed to new purchasers the most important new feature that SDR Play requires to make it competitive is for the interface to have the functionality of manually balancing the IQ phase/amplitude differences in order to eliminate images on the wrong side of the centre frequency. This may need the Mirics API to be updated - but I've no idea if that is actually possible to do. Having said that I noticed that DC offset correction has been added to the Mirics API and the control is in revision 3 of the ExtIO - so who knows what is possible within the power of the chipset. What I do know is that if HDSDR hadn't had the means to balance up the I/Q - I would have returned my SDRPlay within the first 14 days.

Others have suggested that SDRPlay should come with its own software - how much are you prepared to pay for this? Unfortunately, in my opinion, SDR is moving out of the 'non-commerical/hobbyist' category and us users can't rely on the indefinite availability of 'free' software. Somewhere along the line there is a cost to pay in one form or another. Given that the SDR Play originally cost £175 and is now around £125 inc shipping, the Funcube Pro+ is £150 and the Airspy £170 including shipping, a price of £160-170 inc UK shipping and fully functional software would seem reasonable - allowing £40-45 to go to cover the software. Existing users could be given a 50% discount?

If Simon Brown's SDR-console was to be chosen and further developed as the "software of choice" then for me the key additions to it are:
1. The I/Q balance issue as above but within SDR console
2. A raw MPX output at 192kHz sampling rate to be able to feed RDSSpy and other external decoders
3. A fast frequency scanner with database - logging each active frequency with date/time
4. In the IQ data analyser software - raw MPX output at 192kHz to feed RDSSpy and other external decoders

In terms of hardware - Separate HF and VHF aerial inputs - with a steep sided low pass filter and high pass filter respectively. Based on the local oscillator frequency the HF band should run up to 51 MHz - with the LPF cut off at 55 MHz, and the VHF LO should be a minimum of 51 MHz with the HPF filter having a cut off 47MHz. That way the 6m ham band can be covered completely on either input. There should also be a separate low pass filter for MW with a cut off at 2.0 MHz or thereabouts and at least 40 dB attenuation at 4MHz.

An external filter box would be a reasonable solution - controlled by its own USB port - but isolation would need to be better than 60dB between inputs for use at VHF. The only way I can achieve that at home for multiple aerials is a patch box using f-connectors and phono sockets - a slight but tolerable inconvenience.

Regards

David

[Flyingscot]

Dear Kc2rgw,
You should find it possible to use fractions of a PPM in the existing ExtIO control window. The native resolution of the synthesizer is approximately 20 PPB or 0.02 PPM.
Sincerely

SDRplay Tech_Support

I tried using decimal parts for the ppm, although the control window accepted and stored the value, it did not have any effect on the ppm. It seems to just use the integer value. Can you possibly test this again please.

Many thanks.

[Tech_Support]

Dear Flyingscot,
We have found a bug in the ExtIO plugin where fractions are not being accepted. This is being fixed and will be included in a new release that will be out shortly.

Sincerely

SDRplay Tech_Support

[Flyingscot]

It will be nice to have external osc input for multiple SDRPlay synchronization.

Thanks and 73

I vote for this as well. I have a nice GPS locked oscillator waiting to use as the reference.

Many thanks.