Hi Phil,
I still have that LF softrock that you borrowed from me years ago. It is sitting in a drawer and I would be happy to send it along to you if you want it. No charge.
As far as overnight recording of the NDB band, I used the Elad S2 for years and now I use the S3. Both have a 384Khz bandwidth which covers the band pretty well. I get about 64GB per night.
Tony
AD0VC
________________________________
From:
[email protected] <
[email protected]> on behalf of Philip Atchley via groups.io <ko6bb@...>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2023 6:01 PM
To:
[email protected] <
[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [softrock40] Receiver availability?
Hi Zack,
Thank you for the info. Yes, I have a Airspy Discovery HF+, as well as
an SDRplay, both being good receivers. A couple problems for the task
I typically use them for though. Except when using a Perseus (I sold
it) my program of choice for overnight recordings of the NDB band
(~200-530KHz) is HDSDR (yes, I know it's old, but I'm used to it and at
80yrs old new software doesn't come as easy as it used to). Problem is
I've never been able to get a reasonable size recording from either of
those two receivers in HDSDR. A 2GB file only holds about 4.5 minutes,
meaning that an 8 hour night creates about 215GB of files, eating up
hard drive space rapidly (though I have about 120TB of drives on this
machine most of it is occupied by movies, TV shows, music, comics etc
(ALL Old) that I share on the hubs. I don't just record the NDB's and
then toss the files when the CLE (Coordinated listening session) is
finished, I archive them for posterity. I have files of NDBs going back
to 2016 (they are rapidly being decommissioned). The Softrock
recordings I have going way back (and used a 192K soundcard) would give
me about 43 minutes per 2GB file.
So, that's why I want to get another Softrock, seems like I go through
receivers about as often as some folks change their socks ;-)
<>< 73 From "The Beaconeer's Lair" ><>
Specializing in DXing NDBs (Longwave Beacons)
Phil, KO6BB,
(\__/)
(=’.'=)
(”)冲(”)
EQUIPMENT:
YAESU: FTDX-101MP Xceiver, Dual SDR Receivers (~2020)
YAESU: FTDX-3000 Xceiver, DSP IF, 300Hz Roofing filter (~2019).
Portables: Eton Elite 750 (2), AKA Grundig Satelite 750 (2020)
Sangean ATS-909X2 (2021), Tecsun PL-990 (2021)
SDRs: Airspy Discovery HF+, SDRplay RSPdx
Scanner: Uniden SDS200
ACC: MFJ-993B Auto Antenna Matcher.
HOMEBREW 4 Port Antenna Multicoupler, Feeds 4 RX's.
HOMEBREW Tunable LF-MF Pre-Amp.
Ratzlaff 440Hz, 6.5Hz BW Audio Filter
Autec Research QF1 Audio Filter.
ANTENNAS: 88 foot Long Ladder-line fed dipole, ~35 feet AGL for MW/HF.
Top Loaded Tee (Dipole fed as single element).
Butternut HF-6V 6 Band Vertical, ~12 Feet AGL for 75-10M
Ratzlaff Active whip, 5 Foot Long, ~22 Feet AGL For LF/MW/HF.
Wellbrook ALA1530LN Loop For LF/MW/HF at ~17 Feet AGL
Discone at ~35 Feet AGL For Scanner
QTH: Merced, California, 37, 18, 37N 120, 30, 6W CM97rh
On 9/28/2023 6:12 PM, Zack Widup wrote:
I have the HF and the LF Ensemble II and a third that I was going to build.
The HF version has one 74AC74 divider in it. The LF version has an
additional 74AC74 divider in it. If I remember correctly, the HF version
would tune down to about 900 kHz and the LF version would tune down to
about 180 kHz. An additional divide by 16 board was supplied by Tony on
request that would allow the unit to tune down to the tens of kHz range, if
I remember correctly. That's the one I was building but never got around to
finishing it.
By the way, the Airspy Discovery HF+ is an outstanding SDR receiver that
goes down to 5 kHz (!). It's the best I've seen in the LF/VLF range.
73, Zack W9SZ
<>
Virus-free.www.avg.com
<>
<#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>
On Thu, Sep 28, 2023 at 12:38?PM Philip Atchley via groups.io <ko6bb=
[email protected]> wrote:
Guy,
Thank you, I ordered the RX kit and the 16X board (16x board only
5.00). I seem to remember that the Softrock LF Receivers that I built
in the past all had the 16X divider already on the PCB, just had to use
different jumpers. Of course they came with toroid cores for the LF
bands instead of HF. Not sure what I'll do for that. . .
Now, I just hope I'll be able to build it well. I have built a
gazillion things since I first got interested in Electronics at age 10
(about 1953). But I have pretty severe "RA" (Arthritis) in my hands
now, especially the right one. Fingers are stiff.
By the way, I had an Uncle on my mother's side who was named "Guy" (last
name Surber). But we all just called him "Uncle Bud".
<>< 73 From "The Beaconeer's Lair" ><>
Specializing in DXing NDBs (Longwave Beacons)
Phil, KO6BB,
(\__/)
(=’.'=)
(”)冲(”)
Guy Mengel N1GMM