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Re: Calibration curve using RSP1B

 

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Dear Alfi and Larry, and all,

?

? Thanks for the great information. Alfi, your calibration curve looks excellent, and I will try

those settings for my backyard setup.

?

? To be clear, calibration is a very useful way to make your data more scientific. It allows you to determine

a background level for your observing site (i.e., how radio quiet is your site). Also, your data can then be

directly compared with data from other observers. This is an advanced project, but a worthy one. We are

hear to help you, so please ask questions.

?

? For those interested in a calibrator, we have plans to build-it-yourself. See the

Wiki page:? /g/radio-jove/wiki/36273. The Build-it-yourself Calibrator Manual is attached.

?

Happy Observing!

?

Chuck

?

?

Chuck Higgins

The Radio JOVE Project

Middle Tennessee State University

1301 E. Main St., MTSU Box 412

Murfreesboro, TN ?37132

?

?

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Alfi Hasan via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2025 9:16 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [Radio JOVE] Calibration curve using RSP1B

?

[Edited Message Follows]

I would also like to show the calibration results with RSP1B receiver and Jovecal 1, I think the results can be considered linear. Hopefully the settings I gave look correct.

?

?

?

?

?

?

?


Re: Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

 

Sabine,ALL,
It is not the calibrator, nor SDRc2RSS, nor SDR Console. It is the difference between a consumer product and a scientific grade instrument. Highly accurate circuit design, quality parts, and an effort to achieve linearity are the difference. Here is the calibration plot from my $5k receiver..
Plot using Jim Sky's DIY Calibrator, Winradio WR G655DDCe receiver, SDR Console, SDRc2RSS, and RSS 2.9.80.

The RSP1B is a suitable SDR for Radio JOVE Citizen science studies and is affordable for many young students.
Thanks.
Larry K4LED

On 5/20/2025 12:28:55, Sabine Cremer via groups.io <sc@...> wrote:

On Sun, May 18, 2025 at 01:12 PM, Huub Hameleers SWL/JO21JN wrote:
Not the most pretty curve I have to admit but I guess that's how the RX888 MKII behaves.
When I look at the calibration curve that Chuck created with the RSP1B, I would suspect that the curve is messed up somewhere in SDRconsole or SDRc2RSS.
?
Sabine
--

Germany
Standard time: UTC +1 hour


Re: Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

 

Sabine,
It is not the calibrator nor SDRc2RSS nor SDR Console. Below is a plot from my $5k receiver.? It is the difference between a low cost consumer product and a scientific grade product with high quality linear parts and quality circuit design. The RSP1B is fine for Radio JOVE Citizen Scientist work given its reasonable cost many young students can afford.
Plot using Jim Sky DIY Calibrator,?Winradio WR G65DDCe, on?SDR Console, SDRc2RSS, RSS 2.9.80.
Thanks.
Larry K4LED

On 5/20/2025 12:28:55, Sabine Cremer via groups.io <sc@...> wrote:

On Sun, May 18, 2025 at 01:12 PM, Huub Hameleers SWL/JO21JN wrote:
Not the most pretty curve I have to admit but I guess that's how the RX888 MKII behaves.
When I look at the calibration curve that Chuck created with the RSP1B, I would suspect that the curve is messed up somewhere in SDRconsole or SDRc2RSS.
?
Sabine
--

Germany
Standard time: UTC +1 hour


Not mutch recieved on our latitude

 
Edited

Hi All,
?
A weak signal from Io-B - not mutch but a signal - I think !?
--
Aloha - john s,


SunBurst Europa

 

Hi All,
?
A minor sunburst over denmark latitude 55!
Not much but it?s there
--
Aloha - john s,


Re: The FFT and nuclear weapons

 

Dave,
That's a very good history of the DFFT. I think you sent that video to me before and it's excellent. Thanks. It’s amazing to me that current discoveries are actually based on work by others decades?ago. Gauss, Maxwell, Einstein, Hawking, Penrose (Roger is 93) and others had/have a gift of understanding far beyond anyone else. Why were they so gifted?? Einstein was rejected by every?university he applied to for professorship. Had to do humble work in a patent office to feed his family.?

On a sad note I just read where USA sold our latest AI technology to the Arabs for a few $$$$. Scary thought. AI in unethical hands is dangerous to humanity. Same with Quantum computing technology. Those two technologies are set to change human life drastically.?
Larry

_______________________



On Mon, May 19, 2025 at 10:20?PM Dave Typinski via <davetyp=[email protected]> wrote:
Here's a very interesting explanation of how and why the modern FFT came to
exist in the 1960s, then we discover that Gauss had already invented it, but
never published it.

Veritasium - The Most Important Algorithm of All Time


--
Dave








Re: Calibration curve using RSP1B

 
Edited

I would also like to show the calibration results with RSP1B receiver and Jovecal 1, I think the results can be considered linear. Hopefully the settings I gave look correct.
?
?
?
?
?
?
?


Re: Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

 

On Sun, May 18, 2025 at 01:12 PM, Huub Hameleers SWL/JO21JN wrote:
Not the most pretty curve I have to admit but I guess that's how the RX888 MKII behaves.
When I look at the calibration curve that Chuck created with the RSP1B, I would suspect that the curve is messed up somewhere in SDRconsole or SDRc2RSS.
?
Sabine
--

Germany
Standard time: UTC +1 hour


The FFT and nuclear weapons

 

Here's a very interesting explanation of how and why the modern FFT came to exist in the 1960s, then we discover that Gauss had already invented it, but never published it.

Veritasium - The Most Important Algorithm of All Time


--
Dave


Re: Calibration curve using RSP1B

 

Chuck, All,
Chuck, yes that is not bad given that we are using consumer grade receivers, not scientific instruments.?
\Foe receiving Jupiter's weak signals we want to emphasize the left bottom weak signal end of the calibration plot.
On any receiver, if you want to hear the very weakest signals, turn the RF gain all the way UP to maximum. Sometimes even a small amount of low noise RF antenna preamp might help.

SDR Console Settings: RF Gain 9 MAX? IF gain -45? Visual Gain -40

SDRc2RSS Settings As Shown.? Notice that the FFT Window is set to None and the dB Threshold is set to -150? Gain to 2

Typical RSS Calibration PLOT.? Not perfect but not bad. It could be improved with more adjustment time.

RSS
v
Hope this helps.
Larry K4LED


On 5/19/2025 20:23:19, Chuck Higgins via groups.io <chuck.higgins@...> wrote:

Hi folks,

?

? I too am having trouble getting a good Cal curve. Using the standard Radio JOVE

setup with the RSP1B receiver. I managed to get a decent Cal curve using these settings:

?

RF Gain = 9

IF Gain = -45dB

Visual Gain = -40 dB

SDRc2RSS Gain = 2.0

?

Not quite linear, but not too bad. I did not adjust the Visual Gain per Richard’s comment below,

but maybe I don’t understand it either. See screenshot below.

?

Chuck

?

?

?

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Richard Gray via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2025 6:55 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [Radio JOVE] Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

?

Hi Larry,

?

Our RX-888s run a bit warm to the touch, but not hot.?? We could certainly get some small fans that run from a USB port.?? Are you thinking that if we cooled the RX-888s that that would bring the bottom of the curve down to the bottom of the graph?? That seems a rather large effect.? We got our RX-888 MK IIs from the source you recommended, not off of eBay or Amazon.? They appear to be the real thing and operate almost identically.? Unfortunately, that source is no longer selling RX-888s into the US market because of the tariffs on Chinese goods.

?

We managed to push the curve down by lowering the "visual gain" to -30dB.? That was surprising to me because from what I have read, the visual gain should only affect the display on SDRconsole and not the output from the SDR, but it had a very clear effect on the RSS spectrogram and the calibration curve as well.? It is not possible in SDRconsole to lower the visual gain below -30dB.?? One can get the curve lower by lowering the "HF gain" in SDRconsole.? In both cases it is then necessary to raise the gain in SDRc2RSS to get the top of the curve back up to the top of the graph.?? However, I feel that I am twiddling knobs without fully understanding their function.

?

Richard


Solar Events 19 May 2025, Prospect, ME

 

Good evening....two weak events....maybe
A lot of strong, local lightning recently.
?
Off-topic...many evenings after submitting an events' report I'll turn on my ham radio and spend some time using FT-8
(digital mode) on the various bands starting at 10m (28.0 Mhz) then 12 m (24.9 Mhz), 15m (21.0 Mhz),....18Mhz, 14Mhz...down to 3.6Mhz.
The last few evenings here from 28 to 18 Mhz? I have heard & contacted almost no stations ANYWHERE....quite unusual.
Fun with radio.


Re: Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

 

Richard
Inexpensive enough so worth a try,.20 dB may be too much and it might need a variable attenuator so you have control.
Larry

On 5/19/2025 20:28:50, Richard Gray via groups.io <grayro@...> wrote:

Hi Larry,
?
Adding a low-noise RF preamp sounds like an idea that would bring up the weaker signals.? I found this one on Amazon:
?
?
what do you think?
?
Richard


Re: Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

 

Hi Huub,
?
That looks better, especially setting the attenuation to zero.? It would be nice to get a more linear curve, but maybe that is what RX-888 gives.? My curve is more linear than yours, but does not get down to the bottom of the graph, so I am not utilizing the full dynamic range.
?
Best wishes,? Richard


Re: Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

 

Hi Larry,
?
Adding a low-noise RF preamp sounds like an idea that would bring up the weaker signals.? I found this one on Amazon:
?
?
what do you think?
?
Richard


Re: Calibration curve using RSP1B

 

开云体育

Hi folks,

?

? I too am having trouble getting a good Cal curve. Using the standard Radio JOVE

setup with the RSP1B receiver. I managed to get a decent Cal curve using these settings:

?

RF Gain = 9

IF Gain = -45dB

Visual Gain = -40 dB

SDRc2RSS Gain = 2.0

?

Not quite linear, but not too bad. I did not adjust the Visual Gain per Richard’s comment below,

but maybe I don’t understand it either. See screenshot below.

?

Chuck

?

?

?

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Richard Gray via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, May 18, 2025 6:55 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [Radio JOVE] Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

?

Hi Larry,

?

Our RX-888s run a bit warm to the touch, but not hot.?? We could certainly get some small fans that run from a USB port.?? Are you thinking that if we cooled the RX-888s that that would bring the bottom of the curve down to the bottom of the graph?? That seems a rather large effect.? We got our RX-888 MK IIs from the source you recommended, not off of eBay or Amazon.? They appear to be the real thing and operate almost identically.? Unfortunately, that source is no longer selling RX-888s into the US market because of the tariffs on Chinese goods.

?

We managed to push the curve down by lowering the "visual gain" to -30dB.? That was surprising to me because from what I have read, the visual gain should only affect the display on SDRconsole and not the output from the SDR, but it had a very clear effect on the RSS spectrogram and the calibration curve as well.? It is not possible in SDRconsole to lower the visual gain below -30dB.?? One can get the curve lower by lowering the "HF gain" in SDRconsole.? In both cases it is then necessary to raise the gain in SDRc2RSS to get the top of the curve back up to the top of the graph.?? However, I feel that I am twiddling knobs without fully understanding their function.

?

Richard


Re: Solar and RF fadeout North Tasmania, Australia

 

Hi Sabine,

For those inflicted with RFI -- i.e., most of us -- sadly, windowing is absolutely necessary.

As you said, FFT leakage is a concern for coherent emission -- like radio stations and radar.

However, for emission made up of noise -- all cosmic emission so far discovered -- a rectangular window (i.e., no window) works quite well. In fact, it's preferred not to use windowing for noise emission because use of a window function on emission made of noise does nothing but attenuate the signal.

Unfortunately, the use of a rectangular window requires that one have very quiet observing conditions, otherwise any RFI -- which is mostly coherent emission --
will splatter into neighboring bins, as you said.

For example, Richard's station is very quiet. I bet he could run with no windowing at night -- i.e., when terrestrial propagation is not present.

More here on why this is so for noise vs coherent emission:
,%20Typinski%20(RJ,%202014)%20Slides%20and%20Notes.pdf

--
Dave

On 5/19/25 10:23, Sabine Cremer wrote:
Larry,
shortly after sending the message, I felt like I'd already started this
discussion before. Sorry if I'm annoying.
By the way, windowing can't really be turned off. Without one of the windows
with the evocative names (Tukey, von Hann, Blackman, etc.), a rectangular window
acts on the FFT wave train, producing familiar artifacts such as excessive
leakage of signals with high magnitudes into neighboring bins.
Sabine
--

Germany
Standard time: UTC +1 hour


Re: Solar and RF fadeout North Tasmania, Australia

 

Sabine,
Yes your technically correct the FFT window is always on but you can select or deselect the various filter algorithms.
Thanks.
Larry

_______________________
?


On Mon, May 19, 2025 at 10:23?AM Sabine Cremer via <sc=[email protected]> wrote:
Larry,
?
shortly after sending the message, I felt like I'd already started this discussion before. Sorry if I'm annoying.
?
By the way, windowing can't really be turned off. Without one of the windows with the evocative names (Tukey, von Hann, Blackman, etc.), a rectangular window acts on the FFT wave train, producing familiar artifacts such as excessive leakage of signals with high magnitudes into neighboring bins.
?
Sabine
--

Germany
Standard time: UTC +1 hour


Re: Solar and RF fadeout North Tasmania, Australia

 

Larry,
?
shortly after sending the message, I felt like I'd already started this discussion before. Sorry if I'm annoying.
?
By the way, windowing can't really be turned off. Without one of the windows with the evocative names (Tukey, von Hann, Blackman, etc.), a rectangular window acts on the FFT wave train, producing familiar artifacts such as excessive leakage of signals with high magnitudes into neighboring bins.
?
Sabine
--

Germany
Standard time: UTC +1 hour


Re: Views of the Solar "Storm" from the Dark Sky Observatory May 13, 2025

 

Hi Richard,
?
I've done some more testing today.?
?
Moving the band-scope ?lower or higher didn't make any difference. Same calibration curve everywhere. That's a good thing I guess.?
?
Then I fiddled a bit more with the controls and got a reasonable result. Attenuation is now set to zero in sdrconsole. See attached images for the settings.
?
Regards,
Huub
?
?


Re: Solar and RF fadeout North Tasmania, Australia

 

开云体育

Yes, windowing was not selected for that spectrogram.

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Larry Dodd via groups.io
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2025 2:17 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Radio JOVE] Solar and RF fadeout North Tasmania, Australia

?

Sabine,

Luke is using SDRc2RSS. It has a pull down list of “Windowing” like filters. While using these filters can remove certain artifacts in a spectrograph they do so based on the fixed filter parameters. There is no operator control over what artifacts are removed other than knowing what the selected fixed filter filters. This is why I recommend turning Windowing or Filtering off especially when calibrating the system because they slightly alter the spectrograph signal. Perhaps eventually a smart AI filter could be more intelligently effective than current fixed filters. In the meantime finding and avoiding RFI, while unfortunate and difficult, is the best solution.?

Thanks.?
Larry K4LED

_______________________

?

?

?

On Sun, May 18, 2025 at 10:16?AM Sabine Cremer via <sc=[email protected]> wrote:

Luke,

?

a quick side note: Your spectrogram looks like the FFT is working without windowing. If this is SDRPlay2RSS generating the spectra, please enable "Windowing" in the "Integrate" menu. You'll get a much clearer spectrogram then.

?

Sabine

--


Germany
Standard time: UTC +1 hour


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