Opinion on the Perseus SDR ?

Nehaxak

Hi folks

Looking for a bit of professional opinion if you wouldn't mind.

I'm going to be made redundant in the next month and looking to buy myself a little something radio wise that will keep me interested in the hobby end of things. I don't have a license to Tx (though I may study in my soon to be new found spare time) so am looking more on the reception end of it all.
I have an Ic-R20 scanner and find myself mostly listening to (very poor quality) HF rather than anything else. Have an old AOR 8000 that I used to knock great fun out of with receiving SSTV and Fax etc., to my soundcard in years gone by.

So I'm looking at something fairly decent for HF reception really.

One unit that caught my interest is the Microtelecom Perseus software defined receiver, it's a fair bit pricey though at 750 pounds sterling from ML&S in the UK. Here's a link which also has some youtube videos of it in operation... http://www.hamradio.co.uk/perseus.shtml

So, I am really tempted to buy it and start getting interested in just the hobbiest end of reception only for now - Do any of you have one or even do you have any opinion on it at all ?

It's got good reviews from what I've read around about it and it's software all looks pretty good.

Thanks.

watty

The most important thing for HF is good aerials for the bands you want, and choice of vertical or horizontal (dipole, end fed etc). Mostly this is just cheap wire the right length.

You need an ATU (Aerial Matching box). While mandatory on transmit, it does make a huge difference on receive.


The Perseus seems like an excellent top of the range SDR, but needs a PC/ Laptop. Some make a lot of HF noise, but good outdoor aerial, ATU and screening plus loads of ferrite clamp chokes on all cables helps.

If you want cheaper there are some conventional dual conversion receivers and Transeivers with all band receive available new and second hand.

If you want to have cheaper SDR (and even run the SAME PC software) there is all band Softrock using a USB DDS as local oscillator for the zero IF conversion under €80. Virtually same performance in many cases as Perseus.

Spending more money at top of range SDR "ready out of box" with the PC SDR built in is
Jupiter Transceiver. Icom/Yaesu/Kenwood equivalent is over 5,000
http://radio.tentec.com/amateur/transceivers/538/

and RX-340 HF DSP Receiver (no PC needed)
http://radio.tentec.com/amateur/receivers/


I can also recommend the FT817ND as the smallest decent full coverage receiver (+ most Amateur bands TX when you get a licence) at about same price or less than Perseus. I don't recommend the pocket 100kHz to 1300MHz radios for serious HF, though the Yaesu VR500 is best. Any of the pocket radios need external aerial tuner, attenuator/preselector and real aerials for decent HF reception which sort of makes them pointless

I have an old Sony ICF-2001D and it out performs older "professional" communications receivers and older Amateur sets such as Collins or Yaesu FRG-7700 (which tends to go for €150 to €200).

Actually with real aerial and ATU the VR-500 outperforms the FRG-7700

Some newer receivers have a 12.5KHz or 22kHz IF out for PC based DRM reception on HF. I have a freeware DRM decoder on PC, but none of the SDR I have looked at have DRM built in. I use "Virtual Audio Cable" to connect the output of the SDR program to input of DRM or MixW data modes software without a sound card out and in.

I don't know if the Perseus does DRM. But it can be added that way.

So, in balance the Perseus probabily does what it claims (I've had two Softrocks, poor man's Perseus) but if you are studying for a licence (which is pretty easy) you might want to go a different HF route.

Also you might want operation with out a laptop. All 3 of mine are noisy, wiping out R4 198kHz and even interfere with VHF Rx and amazingly VHF TX, if a handheld is used within about 0.5m of the screen!

I've picked up USA amateurs on the whip on the Sony ICF 2001D on 80m but can't get broadcast HF if the laptop is on. In the Radio shack is OK with laptop because I use a outdoor 22m long wire with matching transformer and balun then an ATU. The soldering iron needs attention as it produces HF S2 noise level 100kHz to 7MHz even with external aerial.

Have fun. Experiment lots with aerials and home made aerial tuners/match units. Note that you need a manual ATU, "auto" ATUs only work on transmitters.

Nehaxak

Thanks Watty, that's brilliant. I'll digest all that in work tomorrow during lunchtime and have a good read up of the kit in the links you posted.