Computer set/monitors used up for scanning and RTLSDR

[RDCat]

just getting into RTLSDR on a laptop, doesnt seem like enough screen area/ do you guys add a separate monitor to do hobby stuff and say just laptop screen to do regular computer stuff.

wondering how you guys separate the two with 2nd monitor dedicated to rtlsdr monitoring?
thanks

 

[CanesFan95]

This might not be the right sub-forum, but running dongle software is usually gonna suck on a small laptop screen. Definitely would want a traditional wide-screen monitor or two. Windows 10 settings have some display choices if you add a 2nd monitor.

 

[RDCat]

anyone have ideas or set ups to share?

 

[bubbaearle]

anyone have ideas or set ups to share?

Are you looking for portable or stationary set up?

I have an Azulle Access 3 mini PC on my 55” TV in the living room for internet / streaming media. It cost around $150 (2018) and is a very capable Win10 machine that may work for you. I haven’t tried mine out yet, strange that I’ve not thought about it until writing this.

Lots more mini PC’s out there as well that are powerful for their size. Check out ETA Prime channel on YouTube, he does reviews on Pi stuff & mini PC’s mostly for gaming capabilities, but if they run that they ought to be well suited for SDR.

I've seen where folks are running Win10 on a Pi 4 8 Gb....

I have been building a portable Pi 4 4Gb rig with the Official Pi 7” touchscreen display (I had to edit a config file to get screen resolution right. I’m running it @ 1024x624). It’s mounted in a Smarti Pi Touch Pro case made for the Official 7” Pi display.

It can be powered by an external USB power brick & Bluetooth speaker/headphones. I’m waiting on more parts and I’ll post more pics in a separate thread when I get it complete.

I have it running Raspian OS with GQRX on an RTL-SDR v.3 dongle and it seems very usable so far.

I have an SDRPlay RSP1A coming and the plan is to mount it inside the case and add antenna connection (SMA / BNC), external audio jack and two USB ports to be a portable self contained unit for shortwave listening.

I also want to get OP25 working on it. Signals Everywhere channel on YouTube has some interesting development work on it, and if it comes to fruition, will be a very good alternative to a conventional scanner


Another use may be to have it monitor NOAA weather radio & have live local radar on the screen. We’ll put that to the test evening as we have storms forecast for late afternoon.

Good luck on your build & keep us posted on it’s progress.

 

[lwvmobile]

Even without using SDR stuff, I have a two monitor set up with an ultrawide montior and an older monitor in portrait mode. I really like my desktop workspace. For a single display though, you would probably benefit from using multiple desktop workspaces. In Windows you should be able to do it by taking a look at this article here:

A handy Windows 10 trick to make multitasking that much easier

This helpful Windows 10 feature lets you work on a bunch of different things all at once.

www.cnet.com

Windows is only recently incorporating multiple desktops, its something that Mac and Linux have done for ages now. Even with two monitors, I tend to have multiple layers of desktops all with different things open on them, but I don't have a real rhyme or reason to how I set up what I do, just usually have some windows open on one for one task or subject, and so on.

 

[RDCat]

Are you looking for portable or stationary set up?

I have an Azulle Access 3 mini PC on my 55” TV in the living room for internet / streaming media. It cost around $150 (2018) and is a very capable Win10 machine that may work for you. I haven’t tried mine out yet, strange that I’ve not thought about it until writing this.

Lots more mini PC’s out there as well that are powerful for their size. Check out ETA Prime channel on YouTube, he does reviews on Pi stuff & mini PC’s mostly for gaming capabilities, but if they run that they ought to be well suited for SDR.

I've seen where folks are running Win10 on a Pi 4 8 Gb....

I have been building a portable Pi 4 4Gb rig with the Official Pi 7” touchscreen display (I had to edit a config file to get screen resolution right. I’m running it @ 1024x624). It’s mounted in a Smarti Pi Touch Pro case made for the Official 7” Pi display.

It can be powered by an external USB power brick & Bluetooth speaker/headphones. I’m waiting on more parts and I’ll post more pics in a separate thread when I get it complete.

I have it running Raspian OS with GQRX on an RTL-SDR v.3 dongle and it seems very usable so far.

I have an SDRPlay RSP1A coming and the plan is to mount it inside the case and add antenna connection (SMA / BNC), external audio jack and two USB ports to be a portable self contained unit for shortwave listening.

I also want to get OP25 working on it. Signals Everywhere channel on YouTube has some interesting development work on it, and if it comes to fruition, will be a very good alternative to a conventional scanner
View attachment 101272

Another use may be to have it monitor NOAA weather radio & have live local radar on the screen. We’ll put that to the test evening as we have storms forecast for late afternoon.

Good luck on your build & keep us posted on it’s progress.

Portable so that i can take to work, out and about look for unknown nxdn dmr ect freqs

 

[RDCat]

Even without using SDR stuff, I have a two monitor set up with an ultrawide montior and an older monitor in portrait mode. I really like my desktop workspace. For a single display though, you would probably benefit from using multiple desktop workspaces. In Windows you should be able to do it by taking a look at this article here:

A handy Windows 10 trick to make multitasking that much easier

This helpful Windows 10 feature lets you work on a bunch of different things all at once.

www.cnet.com

Windows is only recently incorporating multiple desktops, its something that Mac and Linux have done for ages now. Even with two monitors, I tend to have multiple layers of desktops all with different things open on them, but I don't have a real rhyme or reason to how I set up what I do, just usually have some windows open on one for one task or subject, and so on.

am looking at that option as well, thanks for your insight!

 

[a417]

Windows is only recently incorporating multiple desktops, its something that Mac and Linux have done for ages now.

False. Windows 98 was the first to support multiple monitors. It's been done for 20+ years.

 

[jonwienke]

I was using dual monitors with Windows 2000 back in 2000.

 

[bubbaearle]

Portable so that i can take to work, out and about look for unknown nxdn dmr ect freqs

That's why I built my Pi set up. Also wanted a shortwave set up as well.

I have an old Win7 laptop I run Pro96 Com on but ya need a scanner to feed signal to it.

 

[lwvmobile]

False. Windows 98 was the first to support multiple monitors. It's been done for 20+ years.

Multiple desktops, as in workspaces, not a physical monitor.

 

[spongella]

I've always used laptops with my RTL-SDR receivers and was always very pleased. One of the advantages of the laptop is it's portability - I gave a few presentations of RTL-SDRs over the years and a laptop was the way to go. Plus I've used them outside to test antennas and do field shortwave listening. Used mostly Dell computers with a minimum of 3 USB ports.

 

[a417]

Multiple desktops, as in workspaces, not a physical monitor.

...which allow multiple windows to be placed on multiple monitors, independant of each other. Nearly functionally identical to a virtual desktop, which was a feature of windows XP powertools, IIRC.

 

[krokus]

...which allow multiple windows to be placed on multiple monitors, independant of each other. Nearly functionally identical to a virtual desktop, which was a feature of windows XP powertools, IIRC.

Yup. My friend and I setup three monitors on his XP machine, in 2002 or early 2003.

 

[lwvmobile]

How's this for multiple monitor and multiple workspace management lol

For reference, I am using 2 monitors, an LG Ultrawide 29" at 2560 x 1080 resolution, and a Dell 19" rotated into portrait mode at 1280x1024. My main OS is Pop!_OS with GNOME and dash-to-panel and in the video I am demonstrating using workspace switching and how handy it is, as well as showing my remote connection to my server running all my SDR stuff, which runs on LM 20 XFCE with a workspace for different SDR applications and so on.

 

[merlin]

For a workable setup, you really don't need all that lab equipment display stuff.
Just what runs the dongle like frequency, modes, and functions.
Most of the time, beside that, all I use is the IF and audio spectrum display.
The FFT display I shrink down to just usable.
The waterfall makes for nice histogram if you need it.
The scope I hardly use other than making for a poor man digital radio test set.
Most people don't know what a constellation even is.
Doing the 2 separate monitors, at least laptops have provisions for that, and base bound, a 32 inch TV works very well. Plenty of real estate there, add dual USB/dongles and flip back and forth.