HDSDR?

I see most on this forum run SDR#. I have a lot of luck with HDSDR and it seems a less complicated setup and navigation. Any HDSDR users out there and what is your experience? '73 kc0nzm

HDSDR - great program, runs OK on Win8.1/Win10 tablets too

Hi!

enduser56 said:

I see most on this forum run SDR#. I have a lot of luck with HDSDR and it seems a less complicated setup and navigation. Any HDSDR users out there and what is your experience? '73 kc0nzm

Click to expand...

I have tried HDSDR, SDR#, and SDR-Console. I have all 3 installed on my laptop (Win7 Pro) and tablets (an 8- and 10-inch tablet, both with Windows 10). For general listening, I will make use of all 3. For amateur satellite operating, I prefer HDSDR. I like how everything is in one window, and this is a program that doesn't require lots of memory and CPU to run. I'm able to use HDSDR, hear the signal I want to work in the waterfall, and even write an RF recording of the bandwidth I am receiving from the SDR device - without hiccups from the software or tablet. An 8-inch tablet with HDSDR and the SDRplay, along with a Yaesu FT-817ND as a transmitter, makes a nice portable station for my satellite work (an Elk Antennas handheld 2m/70cm log periodic is not pictured).

Good luck!

Hi again!

One more thing... no matter which SDR device I use with my Windows 10 tablets, I usually have to keep the input/IF bandwidth to no more than 2 MHz. My Dell laptop, with a more powerful CPU and more memory, has no problems with higher bandwidths. The tablets, even a tablet with USB 3.0 port, can't keep up with higher bandwidths from the SDRplay (up to 8 MHz), RTL-SDR dongles (sometimes the 2.8 MHz bandwidth causes issues), and HackRF (definitely not hearing up to 20 MHz bandwidth on the tablets). Just like with the SDR devices, I will use the laptop if/when I have a need to hear more spectrum at one time than I'm able to do with the tablets.

For my satellite work, I'm usually going with 200 kHz bandwidth from the SDRplay, or up to 600 kHz as I monitor the XW-2A through -2F satellites just launched last weekend. Once SDRplay released the most-recent update to the Windows API, it has worked very well with my tablets - and works well with signals coming from amateur satellites.

I haven't spent a lot of time with HDSDR so far, just once or twice I installed it and fired it up but (almost) immediately moved back to SDR# (my primary tool on Windows) and also SDR-Radio aka SDR Console (which I do love, seriously, that thing is amazingly packed with potential).

Guess I will spend some time getting into HDSDR over the next few days so I can keep abreast of things overall.

Can you use it with DSDplus?

I use HDSDR as my primary software for my SDRPlay for working HF bands. I used SDR# in the past, but I love the fact that almost every function in HDSDR has a keyboard command. If anyone is on Facebook, feel free to join our HDSDR group page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/823348054430207/

Moonbounce, I dont see why you couldn't. I dont use DSDplus however I run multipsk (and some other software) daily for HF utility decoding. You can pipe the audio with something like Virtual Audio Cable just as you would with SDR#. On the main HDSDR window you can quickly change your sound card selection. Take 2 seconds to switch from speakers to VAC.

May I ask how users of HDSDR (or SDR# or other similar applications) are interfacing with their radios? I have an FT-857D, and it was my understanding that I would need to do an internal modification / IF tap to be able to interface the unit with something like HDSDR.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Some radios have taps built-in. If it's capable of 9600 packet operation, it likely has a discriminator tap you can use.

Well, not really keen on breaking open my brand new 857D to solder in a tap. Guess I'll look at other options.....

I haven't looked indepth, but the specs seem to list 9600 packet, so you're sure it doesn't have the output already there and you just need to plug in a cable?

Good question. There's a 6-pin DIN style port on the back, next to the CAT port, and one of the pins is designated as 9600bps data out. Now, what to do with that is my brick wall. In other words, beyond my level of knowledge.

That is very likely your discriminator tap. Odds are high you need the CT39A (I think that's the cable number). Google it and see if that is the one that fits the connector. If so, you will need to connect to pins 2 and 4 and connect that to your PC. In some cables, that is the orange and white wires, but google the pinouts for the cable you buy or look at the info that comes with it.

With my Elad FDM-S2, preference in order:

FDM-SW2 - Perfect, fits my needs, database of stations show on the spectrum, great fro ID'in signals
HDSDR - Near perfect and great recorder interface
SDR# - Too many changes happening (almost daily), too many plugins and heavier CPU usage
SDR Console - Way too busy an interface, difficult to organise a useful GUI, waiting for v3

Michael
hfaero.com
New Zealand

Thanks for the clues. I think I'll need to find someone much more knowledgeable than I to figure it out.

I'm good with the "mechanical' aspects, ie.. identifying a pin and making a cable, but what to do with that data (where does it go? how is it interfaced to the pc? what needs to be configured in the software?) etc, is beyond me.

Sigh... just wanted a panadapter / bandscope style display, didn't think it would be so hard. Maybe I should just sell the 857D and get a unit that supports all this.

Voyager said:

That is very likely your discriminator tap. Odds are high you need the CT39A (I think that's the cable number). Google it and see if that is the one that fits the connector. If so, you will need to connect to pins 2 and 4 and connect that to your PC. In some cables, that is the orange and white wires, but google the pinouts for the cable you buy or look at the info that comes with it.

Click to expand...

I would use SDR# only with my Airspy, but there is one plugin that I don't want to do without. If somebody can get the alternative software to store and display channel labels on the graph, then I would be more likely to switch.

Do any other the others have:

DSD Interface
CTCSS Decoder
CDCSS Decoder
Scanning of Groups

?

I think the complaint about frequent updates is hilarious. If you update something too often, you're criticized. If you don't update it often enough, you're criticized. I guess you can't win when you write software. Personally, I would much prefer frequent bug fixes and feature additions over letting them linger or letting progress stagnate.

HDSDR installation

First attempt at RTL2832 dongle and HDSDR download. Seemed OK but there are no sound card options at all on the "select" pop-up window. What might be the problem?
Thank you