Anyone here running a software defined cb radio ??
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SDR CB
- Thread starter NDRADIONUT
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Most SDR radios are locked and blocked from transmitting on 11 Meters (CB) or General Coverage via factory software and firmware.
Only with special permission are they unlocked for General Transmit Coverage, like say if you were a member of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) or Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) Hence a common mod for standard ham radios also known as the "MARS CAP" modification.
The only SDR radio I heard that was hacked was the FLEX 1000, an early entry low power SDR from Flex Radio. The rest of them are Firmware locked and need to be sent back to Flex for modification with proof of need to do so. More information here: Flexradio Mods - a WWRF 'First' | WorldwideDX Radio Forum
So many SDR radios are coming on line now. The "holier-than-thou" SDR manufactures (Flex included) have lost out big time and I predict they will fail eventually IMO. So many folks have went the standard radio route for this very reason. I myself have purchased (3) Yaesu's, all easily modified by the way, after seriously considering the Flex rigs. Hows that working out for ya Flex?
Maybe some others are mod-able?? https://apache-labs.com/
Only with special permission are they unlocked for General Transmit Coverage, like say if you were a member of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) or Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) Hence a common mod for standard ham radios also known as the "MARS CAP" modification.
The only SDR radio I heard that was hacked was the FLEX 1000, an early entry low power SDR from Flex Radio. The rest of them are Firmware locked and need to be sent back to Flex for modification with proof of need to do so. More information here: Flexradio Mods - a WWRF 'First' | WorldwideDX Radio Forum
So many SDR radios are coming on line now. The "holier-than-thou" SDR manufactures (Flex included) have lost out big time and I predict they will fail eventually IMO. So many folks have went the standard radio route for this very reason. I myself have purchased (3) Yaesu's, all easily modified by the way, after seriously considering the Flex rigs. Hows that working out for ya Flex?
Maybe some others are mod-able?? https://apache-labs.com/
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prcguy
Member
My Flex 1500 is wide open and transmits from below 1MHz to about 55Mhz including CB if someone was so inclined. I've received some CB stuff and always find it amusing with all the screwed up radios people use that can be 100KHz wide or more on the spectrum display.
prcguy
prcguy
Hello All: I have looked the SDR Radios over and think they are the hot ticket, at least worth playing with and seeing how they work.
But I am not buying something that the nit noid "holier-than-thou" SDR manufactures are going to restrict me. Software guys follow orders from management, management should keep their ear to the ground on what sells. I just bought a new Icom 7600 radio after looking over the SDR radios.
Back in the 1980's I heard from one of the Yaesu Techs that Yaesu believed that 30 to 40 percent of their HF Transceivers were sold to other than the Ham community. Probably CB, Marine, Overseas, and other buyers.
I have used the Amateur HF Transceivers for a low power signal generator and a attenuator to align radios, and monitor what radios sounded like after repairs.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
But I am not buying something that the nit noid "holier-than-thou" SDR manufactures are going to restrict me. Software guys follow orders from management, management should keep their ear to the ground on what sells. I just bought a new Icom 7600 radio after looking over the SDR radios.
Back in the 1980's I heard from one of the Yaesu Techs that Yaesu believed that 30 to 40 percent of their HF Transceivers were sold to other than the Ham community. Probably CB, Marine, Overseas, and other buyers.
I have used the Amateur HF Transceivers for a low power signal generator and a attenuator to align radios, and monitor what radios sounded like after repairs.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
JayMojave -
Management has to follow FCC regulations re: what frequencies are accessible for transmitting. Unless a radio is being sold as an experimental device it cannot transmit outside the ham bands. My guess is that the FCC would levy some hefty fines to any SDR manufacturer marketing a wide open transceiver. The regulations go further to say that the radio cannot be easily modified to work outside the ham bands. Back in the "good 'ole days" it was as easy as cutting a diode leg to open up certain frequencies and/or features. These days, it's programmed into firmware so it cannot be easily hacked. So, don't blame the manufacturers, blame the lawmakers and/or the FCC. The manufacturers are just following the rules, as they should. While I'd love to have a SDR transceiver that can be easily modified, I'd hate to have one that has no support because the manufacturer went out of business due to FCC fines.
Management has to follow FCC regulations re: what frequencies are accessible for transmitting. Unless a radio is being sold as an experimental device it cannot transmit outside the ham bands. My guess is that the FCC would levy some hefty fines to any SDR manufacturer marketing a wide open transceiver. The regulations go further to say that the radio cannot be easily modified to work outside the ham bands. Back in the "good 'ole days" it was as easy as cutting a diode leg to open up certain frequencies and/or features. These days, it's programmed into firmware so it cannot be easily hacked. So, don't blame the manufacturers, blame the lawmakers and/or the FCC. The manufacturers are just following the rules, as they should. While I'd love to have a SDR transceiver that can be easily modified, I'd hate to have one that has no support because the manufacturer went out of business due to FCC fines.
K7MEM
Member
This is not directed at you, specifically, however you need to be a little careful when you are judging someones signal, when you are using a SDR. If the other station is too close or too strong it can give erroneous indications on the spectrum display. SDRs are easily overloaded, so try using some attenuation, when you see something that appears to be that bad.
I have heard a ham on the air, with a new SDR, completely berating another hams signal, saying it was 100 KHz wide and was splattering all over his display. As it turns out, both hams were within 20 miles of each other. And from my area, several hundred miles away, there was nothing wrong with that hams signal. It was clean and didn't interfere with a QSO that was only 4 or 5 KHz away.
Martin - K7MEM
The FCC has evidently told flex something that has them scared stiff about letting people unlock the wide band HF transceivers they sell….
Yet I can go to amazon.com and buy a “Ham” rig that will TX from 130Mhz to 176Mhz, and 400Mhz to 520Mhz right out of the box, for only $25.
No physical modification needed.
Or a quad band that covers 26 to 33MHZ, 47 to 54MHZ, 134 to 174Mhz, and 400 to 480Mhz…..
Again, right out of the box, for only $225
No physical modification needed.
Something tells me it’s not potential operation on the CB band , or higher bands, that they are worried about.
The FCC, and the government behind it probably does not want the possibility of those unlocked transceivers bothering with military communications in the HF bands. They do not worry about interference from traditional narrow band transceivers that may be running around. But the bandwidth the flex radios have could possibly cause havoc with spread spectrum communications links down in the lower portions of the HF bands.
Other possibility they may be worrying about is those flex radios being used for undetectable clandestine communications by potential enemy agents inside the US.
My money is on the enemy agent problem...
Token
Member
What specific regulation says this with regards to ham radio gear? The closest I can think of is when some radios designed for 11 meters were sold as 10 meter radios, but easily converted to 11 meters, they added those to a specific OET list of illegal to import radios.
As far as I know, and I am perfectly willing to admit I may be wrong if someone can point to the relevant regs, a ham radio does not have to be anything but Part 15 compliant.
T!
Hello All: Dsalonom yes I see your point, but I have never heard of a manufacture going out of business over something like this. Other manufactures have ways to modify the radios, and most radio guys can easily modify the radios when a hardware change is made.
I am sure the attorneys and nit noid administrators may have an input in the software configuration. But again its management that has the finial call. In our this society we have more and more nit noid administrators, hand wavers, suits, committees, and such. I have had the pleasure of having some of them leave the work area, and told them to adhere to the chain of command.
Any way yes there are selling Ham Radios and they need the CB band covered, just like all the rest of the other Ham Radios.
Any way until SDR Radios have a CB or Mars mod I am out.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert..... just down the road ah ways from the fillin station
No International Airport yet, No freeway off ramp yet, No high speed internet yet, but we did get a local tax hike...
I am sure the attorneys and nit noid administrators may have an input in the software configuration. But again its management that has the finial call. In our this society we have more and more nit noid administrators, hand wavers, suits, committees, and such. I have had the pleasure of having some of them leave the work area, and told them to adhere to the chain of command.
Any way yes there are selling Ham Radios and they need the CB band covered, just like all the rest of the other Ham Radios.
Any way until SDR Radios have a CB or Mars mod I am out.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert..... just down the road ah ways from the fillin station
No International Airport yet, No freeway off ramp yet, No high speed internet yet, but we did get a local tax hike...
Not knocking SDRs as they are the future. I will own one at some point in the future.
Just waiting for the right features at the right price point without he need to be CAP or part of the MARS community
One has only to look at the new Icom 7300 direct-sampling/DUC SDR transceiver to see the direction the industry is headed. Oh, what do we have here? The end of Flex?
A ROMANIAN RADIOAMATEUR'S BLOG: ICOM IC-7300 MARS?CAP Extended TX modification
http://radioaficion.com/cms/ic-7300-wide-band-modification/
Flex forum has noticed:
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/new-icom-7300-sdr
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/ic7300
Just waiting for the right features at the right price point without he need to be CAP or part of the MARS community
One has only to look at the new Icom 7300 direct-sampling/DUC SDR transceiver to see the direction the industry is headed. Oh, what do we have here? The end of Flex?
A ROMANIAN RADIOAMATEUR'S BLOG: ICOM IC-7300 MARS?CAP Extended TX modification
http://radioaficion.com/cms/ic-7300-wide-band-modification/
Flex forum has noticed:
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/new-icom-7300-sdr
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/ic7300
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bill4long
Member
Icom 7300
Icom 7300 does MARS TX mod with one diode removal
Icom 7300 does MARS TX mod with one diode removal
K7MEM
Member
The older ICOMs were much more complicated. For my IC-735 you have to remove two diodes!
Martin - K7MEM
There are current production non-SDR transceivers that a simple diode(s) removal, jumper cutting, or power-on keypress combinations will open up RX and TX restrictions. With SDR based transceivers, it is even easier to not close up exploits in the code. It has even more plausible deniability than leaving an obvious jumper to cut or diodes to remove.
All three groups are to blame.
They are often white knighting for government. The hardware based radio manufacturers generally no longer seem to do it. Even moreso, software based radio products only have to perform due dilligence and there can still be exploits in the code without legal issues for the manufacturer. I also avoid purchasing from dealers that "go above and beyond" by requiring a callsign to purchase hardware.
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