My WEBSDr Is Now Online.

20-08-2017 9:29pm #1

[URL="emeraldsdr.ddns.net:8073"]emeraldsdr.ddns.net:8073[/URL]

The main Kiwi SDR Page.

http://sdr.hu/?q=kiwisdr

50 meter Loop/deltaloop connected to a Bonito FX Amp set to low gain.

Have to say I am very impressed with the signal and low noise , some noise on LW/MW due to switch mode power supplies which I will address in time.

Only one in Ireland of the Kiwi SDR but not many if any Web SDr's online in Ireland that I know of.

Let me know what ye think, there's a slight bit of overloading which I will address at some point.

Note to anyone on Three.ie, for some reason you will not be able to connect but can connect outside of the three network, I do not know if this is temporary, the SDR is using the mobile Three network.

Fred Swanson · 20-08-2017 11:58pm

This post has been deleted.

21-08-2017 11:15am

According to this site, http://www.mediumwaveradio.com/uk.php

I'm receiving BBC R cornwall on 630 Khz which is only 2 Kw ! not bad, they're playing good music too.

The noise on LW/MW is due to the switch mode power supplies, hopefully I'll swap them out for linears in a couple of weeks.

25-08-2017 9:52pm

So has anyone got any feedback on the SDR ?

I'm trying to get 2 Linear power supplies from a chap on Ebay in China, 12 V 2 amp for the Broadband router and 5V 2.5A for the SDR, that should get rid of the tearing interference especially on Lw,MW caused by those horrid dirty switch mode power supplies.

This antenna switcher can be hooked up http://www.ebay.com/itm/MS-S7-WEB-controlled-REMOTE-ANTENNA-SWITCH-7-POSITIONS-2-KW-PEP-Ready-for-use-/192286083889?hash=item2cc524cb31:g:m6YAAOSwcLxYJ5MU so eventually might get this done.

My antenna is about 45-50 meters connected to the Bonito FX amp which is over driving the SDR a little and it probably doesn't help with noise either but SW is actually very good and quiet above 41 Meters.

For the time being I might stick an attenuator on it , the Bonito is really designed for a 10 meter loop or I might disconnect it altogether.

dxhound2005 · 25-08-2017 10:07pm

Have a listen to the Dutch pirates just above the end of the MW band. You can hear them more clearly on the Twente receiver, but the one on 1655 kHz is stronger on yours so may not be Dutch.

They are hobby pirates very active in this part of the band.

25-08-2017 10:31pm

Yes I've heard them, I usually just click on the frequency that you listen to when you log in lol

I thought you were setting up something lol.

I'd kill to get that old 500 Kw 567 Khz transmitter from RTE since they don't want it.

28-08-2017 11:05am

2 Linear power supplies ordered, 5v 2.5 A and 12V 2A. This should greatly reduce the horrid interference caused by the switch mode power supplies, particularly from Lw up to the 49 Meter band. Hopefully have them by the end of September.

A 10 DB attenuator also on the way to reduce signal strength which should also help reduce noise.

01-09-2017 10:09am

In case anyone's wondering, I disconnected the Bonito FX Amplifier because it was overdriving the SDR big time. Noise has dropped on the SW bands but the higher bands, 90 Meters all the way to LW is plagued much worse from those filthy switch mode power supplies.

I've no idea how the Bonito amp was reducing the noise so much ? normally it's the other way around with amplifiers.

Hopefully it won't be too long before my linear power supplies arrive.

dxhound2005, you should find the 49 meter band much quieter now and probably especially so at night as the amp was really driving the SDR mad.

So it's just the loop connected direct to the SDR no impedance matching of any kind which isn't so important for receiving, yes ideally a proper length dipole etc for each band but I might get a couple of antennas up if I can figure out how to hook up the antenna switcher which the user will be able to use too.

01-09-2017 10:20am

At around 18 Mhz and above in placed that you'll see regular higher pitched noises showing up, that's actually the electric car charger plugged in, I've been planning on getting another one, unfortunately it causes this RFI even when the car is plugged in and not charging. Unfortunately it's also close to the antenna and it makes the charge lead and mains wiring act as a gigantic filthy RFI transmitting antenna...... I need to email ABL-Sursum over this as it's simply unacceptable, perhaps they can ensure future models do not suffer from this disastrous level of interference.

01-09-2017 10:41am

Actually strangely, I never noticed the EV charge point interfering with the Bonito Amp connected either.....

Perhaps I'll set up the Bonito FX with it's supplied 10 meter loop next week.

It was amazingly quiet when I was using it with the SDR play and the bonito powered by battery Lw and MW was incredibly quiet.

05-09-2017 9:13pm

Went back to the Bonito FX 10 meter Loop, turned the preamp down to min which greatly helped with the noise.

Not sure yet when the SW bands are like yet, didn't get time to listen , had to do lots of gardening.

ancl · 08-09-2017 8:29am

Thanks for putting this online - sitting in work listening to some CW on 40M

08-09-2017 10:05am

Welcome, it's a work in progress.

The Linear Power Supplies are arriving today but I might not get time to connect them until next weekend, this should greatly clear up the buzzing on Lw/Mw and some of the other bands too.

I'm back using the original 10 meter loop on the Bonito FX preamp and the gain set to minimum which makes a big difference to picking up the noise from the switch mode power supplies but at the expense of signal gain. The 50 meter loop was over driving the preamp altogether but when I connected it straight to the SDR the noise was awful.

On battery only and battery radio the Bonito FX is amazingly quiet.

One thing on Lw/Mw is that you can't null out interfering stations because you can't rotate the loop as easy as you could a wellbrook for instance (mounted on a rotator), however you can get a rigid 5 meter loop for the Bonito also.

The difference with the wire loop is that you can take it pretty much anywhere.

Ideally sometime in the future I will have multiple antennas on a switch that the user can select.

13-09-2017 10:37am

Finally got the 2 Linear power supplies connected, the difference is simply amazing, see for yourselves and let me know what ye think, particularly the LW/MW and higher SW/Amateur bands, it's so quiet now that I turned the Preamp gain back up to Max and the general noise only marginally increased, the RFI didn't drive it nuts ! :-)

I got the Linear Power Supplies from Seller sep_store on Ebay from China, very good to deal with and the PSU's are very good quality !

I have the original 10 meter loop from Bonito connected , it's 10 meters, I might connect the 50 odd meter loop back without preamp at some point now that the horrid RFI from the switch mode supplies is gone.

I have just noticed some RFI, sort of sounds like a hairdryer, a high pitched ringing more noticeable from 1100 Khz on the MW band, unfortunately that's from the Electric car charge point which I hope to get rid of early next year and get a new charge point. I'm working tonight so listen in and that noise should be gone.

However, overall the difference is amazing now.

Let me know what ye think.

13-09-2017 10:52am

I'm hearing some RFI now wondering what it is, wasn't there a while ago, will need to investigate, could be something that switched on in the house.

Still not nearly as bad especially with the preamp set to max gain.

13-09-2017 11:25am

SDR offline now since rebooting it all, networking issues, need to investigate but need to sleep before night shift tonight !

13-09-2017 6:24pm

Back online.

14-09-2017 2:47pm

Found some more RFI tearing sound today on the MW band, funny it's not that noticeable at times but anyway turns out that the SDR is picking up the PSU from the satellite receiver and it's a good distance away !

The Satellite receiver is an Edision Optimuss OS 3 Plus.

It's really sad that there are so many filthy unfiltered power supplies these days and there's completely no regulation or quality control and all power supplies by law have to be switch mode, I expect there may be some circumstances where there is an exemption from this.

I've binned some aftermarket Iphone chargers which were unbelievably filthy and some LED light bulbs !

MW sounds fantastic during the day, at night there's far too much interference from Spanish stations , MW is really very crowded.

Though some good quality MW radios might be better at night for nulling out interfering stations by having the ability to adjust the radio's internal antenna.

...__... · 15-09-2017 11:53pm

That is brilliant thank you for this I get to listen to sw in my new qth till I get set up

15-09-2017 11:58pm

Welcome, what are you setting up ?

...__... · 20-09-2017 8:44am

I am renovating an old cottage on a few acres Once i am there full time Ill get my dipole up and long wire.
I am a bit of an old stalker on this forum not a newbie as well

I've 2 frg7700 that I love plus my kenwood ts850
The bit of land will mean I wont have any neighbors moaning like I had in my last qth.

20-09-2017 9:47am

...__... wrote: »

I am renovating an old cottage on a few acres Once i am there full time Ill get my dipole up and long wire.
I am a bit of an old stalker on this forum not a newbie as well

I've 2 frg7700 that I love plus my kenwood ts850
The bit of land will mean I wont have any neighbors moaning like I had in my last qth.

Ideally I'll have a dipole cut for 40 and 20 meters connected to antenna switch, have the Loop then for LW/MW and SW receiving. I'm rather impressed with it to be honest. It can pull in signals a lot quieter than some dipoles on other sdr's but the signal might be lower so is the noise.

I've put getting my ham license on hold for now just don't have a lot of time.

icom · 21-09-2017 1:52am

Thanks for this.

Listening to some HF ATC on 5.616 USB and the narrow CW on 40 metres is fantastic.

Can't hear much below 20 metres on my 756 Pro2 because of local qrm, nice to be able to listen on 40 and 80 again.

...__... · 21-09-2017 9:23am

I always wanted to go down the sdr route but I like the websdr much better than glsdr its way more easier to use.
The original Glsdr was ok but the latest version you need to be a programmer to get it going!!
Keep it simple is key to success.

Yea ill be doing similar have the dipoles cut for 20 and 40 I have amassed a lot of bits so Ill be able to have the antenna farm haha nearest neighbouurs are about a mile away

21-09-2017 11:42am

I have to figure out how the antenna switch works with the SDR and I don't have much time for it all working shift and having to mind my 1 year 8 month old and 3 year 4 month old when I'm off, I wouldn't have it any other way though great to spend time with them best thing in the world.

21-09-2017 11:46am

icom wrote: »

Thanks for this.

Listening to some HF ATC on 5.616 USB and the narrow CW on 40 metres is fantastic.

Can't hear much below 20 metres on my 756 Pro2 because of local qrm, nice to be able to listen on 40 and 80 again.

You could try getting a loop antenna such as the Welbrooks or the Bonito FX 10 meter like I have, if noise is that bad it won't eliminate it but might greatly reduce it. If you need to transmit then use an antenna switch.

dxhound2005 · 25-09-2017 10:17pm

If anyone is around in the wee small hours you could check this receiver to see if any trans Atlantic DX on medium wave is coming in. I heard a few stations last night on my JRC NRD525 with the Wellbrook loop. Conditions get better from this time of year normally, but it is very variable. Some nights nothing can be heard. I heard stations on 590, 750, 930, 1400 and 1510 kHz.

Rotating the loop does not seem to make much difference to signal levels, but it is useful if there is a strong European nearby to null some of the interference. Using LSB or USB can also help greatly. The European broadcasters are on 9 kHz spacing starting at 531 kHz and the Americas are 10 kHz channels. That puts them 4 kHz away from a European at some points of the dial. 930 kHz is good because there are no high powered stations on 927.

Mark Borthwick in Scotland has posted lots of videos with amazing reception, good enough to listen to the actual programmes. My setup would not be anywhere close to that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv8AsISh-_Y

https://www.youtube.com/user/MARKGM20877/videos

25-09-2017 10:59pm

Unfortunately my 10 meter loop isn't rotatable, it would be awkward anyway because it's not a solid loop but a wire loop. But it would be cool to be able to rotate it to null out these stations.

The MW band is very crowded in Europe at night and lots of interfering stations can be heard.

I'll be in bed soon but I'll be working nights from Thursday and will have plenty of opportunity to listen in.

Even my Tecsun S-2000 doesn't null out these interfering stations too well because they're so strong.

Using my An-200 Loop also doesn't help much, but for indoor reception the AN-200 offers a cheap way to effectively boost signal.

I do live in a pretty quiet area free from electrical equipment interference, though some sources of noise still come from my house I'm working on eliminating them for the WebSdr. Worst is the power supply for the Edisson Optimuss OS3+ , this power supply is filthy !

dxhound2005 · 26-09-2017 12:40am

Your receiver is hearing the Canadian stations on 590 and 1400. The signals should get better later.

26-09-2017 2:26pm

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Your receiver is hearing the Canadian stations on 590 and 1400. The signals should get better later.

Wow amazing, how were they sounding ? I had to head to bed.

dxhound2005 · 26-09-2017 5:59pm

VOCM on 590 was like a local at times on the JRC. Canadian station on both 750 and 1400 very clear at times. Other stations on 600, 1380, 1390 and 1500.
Around 6 to 7 in the morning can be particularly good this time of year.

If you want to try them it can help to tune to say 591, 751 kHz using Wide AM to lessen European interference.

My WEBSDr Is Now Online.

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