You've heard the story before - "HOA" and Shortwave (receiving) options.

[merlin]

@dlwtrunked One of my wants was a wide bandwidth, and the RSP1's is 10 MHz wide which will make it easier to find stations. How wide is it on the the AirSpy HF+Discovery? That case is pretty small too, did they eliminate the overheating problem on this model? I seem to recall some messages a while back about some AirSpy products overheating. I'm still keeping an open mind, but I will tell you, that software looks pretty mature and the ease of installation is inviting.

I have a fairly new Airspy HF+discovery. It has sat on a couple frequencies for days at a time and never had an overheating problem.
It does get quite warm, but never any failure.
Besides, it is easy enough to sandwich the device between a couple small heatsinks to dissipate heat.

 

[merlin]

Quite a few years back, an SWL buddy was showing off his listening post. Rather impressive, and noted there were no noticable antennas on his house. When I quized him how he got such good performance with no real antenna, he showed me what he used.
Basically a very modified folded dipole with each leg around the perimiter of the roof. From the feed, the far ends terminated with a resistor in a small (blend in) box. the feed and balun likewise, with coax running into attic vent.
If that antenna was never pointed out, no one would ever know it existed.
An article in a back issue of QST describes this as a "broad band butterfly" antenna.
Usual downsides of course are picking up noise from the usual household sources. His equipment though, he could tune out the noise and select the desired signal.
I have tried the passive loops indoors, they work, but no better than the wire I have strung across the ceiling.
Cheers.

https://tlarc.groups.io/g/main/topic/29612750

 

[Omega-TI]

I have tried the passive loops indoors, they work, but no better than the wire I have strung across the ceiling.

Yeah, I was thinking about that and figured I'd try something like that on two walls in the den and if it worked, I could very easily hide it with some crown moulding. It looks like there is plenty of room to hide the wires.

 

[WB5UOM]

If you dont have a metal roof, why not a loop on the roof? maybe on back side of house....small wire....pulled tight at corners...1 inch or less off roof...or layed ON a asphalt roof...
or if you have Dormers....got to be a way to get it outside..without being noticed

 

[Omega-TI]

If you dont have a metal roof, why not a loop on the roof? maybe on back side of house....small wire....pulled tight at corners...1 inch or less off roof...or layed ON a asphalt roof...
or if you have Dormers....got to be a way to get it outside..without being noticed

Nice thoughts. but I'm on the 3rd (top floor) of a retirement condominium complex with rather stringent HOA's regarding antennas. There is no way the old biddy's on the board would allow me to put anything on the roof, let alone have access to it.

 

[ka3jjz]

Even better; if you have a balcony, stringing an antenna as the articles I posted earlier suggest, would be nigh impossible to see, particularly if you use clear speaker wire.

Mike

 

[Omega-TI]

Even better; if you have a balcony, stringing an antenna as the articles I posted earlier suggest, would be nigh impossible to see, particularly if you use clear speaker wire.

Mike

I do have a balcony and I think I could run the speaker wire far enough back to the wall and hook it up to some coax. Of course I'd have to drill a hole in the wall into the living room, then another into the den, and then run the coax under the window sill from behind the bookcase to the SDR on the other side of the room. This would also have to be a summer project when the next door neighbor (on the board) is not home to hear the drilling. I will DEFINITELY keep this one in mind. I used to have an 18" drill bit for just this purpose, I still might.

 

[Omega-TI]

Even better; if you have a balcony, stringing an antenna as the articles I posted earlier suggest, would be nigh impossible to see, particularly if you use clear speaker wire.

Mike

I did a quick reference of the floorplan, it's even better than I thought. It'll work just fine!

 

[ka3jjz]

OK looks like you have the beginnings of an idea. Now it's time to gather materials and plan what kind of antenna you want out there. I'll be dipped if I can remember where I saw it, but I saw a plan recently that used a vertical loop strung around the front of the balcony and using either a resistor or a balun - I can't remember which - at the top. Or you can use the entire square footage of the balcony. Just be aware that most SDRs don't have as rugged a front end as, say, a good HF ham transceiver. Overloading is a common issue, and can be solved with a filter or a passive preselector, depending on your situation (everyone's different). Become aware of the MW, FM and TV stations that are nearby ;and might give you an issue if you go too long. I would also be aware that depending on the balcony's construction, you might have some interaction issues here with the materials. Whenever we build something like this, it's always something of a compromise. This will take some fiddling to get it to be the way you want. Time for a little homework first.

I would also construct (or get) a YouLoop as a 2nd antenna. Why you say? You will have something to play with during the winter, and it's always handy to have a 2nd antenna at the ready. What is not coming in well on one, might come in better on another. Propagation can be finicky.

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Some SDRPlay links for you.....

https://www.youtube.com/c/SDRplayRSP

Applications and Support Catalogue - SDRplay

SDRplay Limited

www.sdrplay.com

SDRPlay

SDRPlay. 6,278 likes · 9 talking about this. SDRplay produces Software Defined Radio (SDR) products such as the Radio Spectrum Processor (RSP)

www.facebook.com

SDRPlay Independent Community Forum - SDRplay Users Independent forum

Welcome to the SDRPlay independent user forum, a place to ask questions to share your knowledge and discuss SDRPlay devices and related software This forum is not for direct support from SDRplay – for support, go to www.sdrplay.com/support FORUM RULES- BY JOINING OR USING THE FORUM YOU ARE...

sdrplayusers.net

SDRPlayUsers groups.io Group

Welcome *to the SDRPlay Users forum here at groups.io. We are here to enjoy the world of SDR radio. If you are new to SDR radio please let us know. We can answer your questions or find out where your questions can be answered. We are a growing group. The more people we have the greater depth of...

groups.io

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

And for filters of various kinds...

Improving HF Reception - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

and if it's FM stations that are bothering you, read this...

FM bandstop filter comparison

I rolled some numbers on the RTL-SDR FM bandstop filter and the HPN-30118 AM/FM filter using a VNA. The results are interesting compared to the ZBSF-95+, especially when you hit VHF Air voice at 118 - 137 MHz. The ZBSF-95+ numbers come from their spec PDF as I do not own that yet. There are...

forums.radioreference.com

Mike

 

[UTE-GE]

So much for getting away on the cheap, huh ,Omega. I was going to tell you earlier your going to want to get a part time delivery parts or pizza to feed the addition once you pulled the trigger at HRO. I have a Youloop I would gladly send you just because this is such a great hobby and I'm also land locked and certain you can catch some really interesting listening where you are. And 3 stories up! Who need a tower!??

You got it whipped. Just out think the old bitties. Good old American ingenuity....😁

 

[WB5UOM]

Ham Radio Outlet .. Comet -ncg
thru window coax jumper $59.95
no drilling

 

[Omega-TI]

OK looks like you have the beginnings of an idea. Now it's time to gather materials and plan what kind of antenna you want out there. I'll be dipped if I can remember where I saw it, but I saw a plan recently that used a vertical loop strung around the front of the balcony and using either a resistor or a balun - I can't remember which - at the top. Or you can use the entire square footage of the balcony. Just be aware that most SDRs don't have as rugged a front end as, say, a good HF ham transceiver. Overloading is a common issue, and can be solved with a filter or a passive preselector, depending on your situation (everyone's different). Become aware of the MW, FM and TV stations that are nearby ;and might give you an issue if you go too long. I would also be aware that depending on the balcony's construction, you might have some interaction issues here with the materials. Whenever we build something like this, it's always something of a compromise. This will take some fiddling to get it to be the way you want. Time for a little homework first.

I would also construct (or get) a YouLoop as a 2nd antenna. Why you say? You will have something to play with during the winter, and it's always handy to have a 2nd antenna at the ready. What is not coming in well on one, might come in better on another. Propagation can be finicky.

Mike

I'll tell ya, HRO is not giving me much time to gather those materials! I just got a notification on my phone saying the unit has already arrived in town and expected delivery is today. The power cable on the other hand is not set to arrive until the 12th... but I think the computer interface cable on my UPS is compatible...

Yeah, there is an AM radio transmitter less than 1/4 of a mile from my location that puts out 5KW in the day and 83 watts at night. As I understand it, this unit has some filtering that may help, unlike the cheap model I've been using.

Good advice, that homework. It's one of the the things I love about this hobby, it helps keep an old mind active. It'll be spring at the earliest before I install an exterior antenna, so I have plenty of time to learn and make that decision.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Later I suggest you buy an AirSpy R2 and compare. Anyway, you can actually use a second SDR if not just to spot other signals will listening with the other.

 

[Omega-TI]

Later I suggest you buy an AirSpy R2 and compare. Anyway, you can actually use a second SDR if not just to spot other signals will listening with the other.

That's probably not going to happen.

 

[PDXh0b0]

My brother from another mother has a
GOOZEEZOO K-180WLA Shortwave Radio Active Loop Antenna 100KHz-180MHz Full Band Radio Antenna LW/MW/SW/FM/VHF 20dBi Magnetic Loop Antenna（10 Meters Feeder https://a.co/d/6iPtyM9
He has been using it in the house hanging off a chandelier getting great results

 

[PDXh0b0]

He is not testing them right despite his claim other are not. My tests and those by others show that. His video shows he *really* does not know what he is doing with the AirSpy. He makes no mention of using decimation in SDRsharp to increase dynamic range making his appraisal at best inept. My tests and those of the World Radio television Handbook both say the AirSpy HF+ Discovery has better dynamic range contrary to his unsubstantiated claims. He needs to show what software he is using and the setting--I strongly suspect he does not know what he needs to do to get the best performance from the AirSpy HF+ Discovery. Calling AirSpy unfair is garbage. Note the end of the video. He clearly resents AirSpy by controlling the software they wrote. He is one of a group he continuous attack AirSpy as they do not like the software writen by the company for its own product controlling which hardware can use it. It is true the company acts somewhat arrogant but their product is great.
(20123 WRTH gives the following:
Airspy HF+ Discovery SEL ***** DR ***** OV *****
SDR Play RSP1A SEL **** DR **** OV ****
and I would agree.)
Note how he does not even show an actual test in the video.

See also the post by rlwsdr in

Airspy Dynamic Range Improved in the Latest SDRSharp

In a previous post we posted about how SDR# had been updated to vastly improve on the CPU usage. The author has been hard at work once again, and has now released a new update which significantly improves the dynamic range with the Airspy SDR. The new update gives a boost of up to 12dB in...

www.rtl-sdr.com

Only the mini & r2 have "decimation" in sdr#
hf+ discovery is just sample rate, which people keep yelling at me is the same thing... always been a fan of sdr# , just got the hf+

 

[ka3jjz]

My brother from another mother has a
GOOZEEZOO K-180WLA Shortwave Radio Active Loop Antenna 100KHz-180MHz Full Band Radio Antenna LW/MW/SW/FM/VHF 20dBi Magnetic Loop Antenna（10 Meters Feeder https://a.co/d/6iPtyM9
He has been using it in the house hanging off a chandelier getting great results

Unfortunately the OP says he has a 5kw daytime AMer less than 1/4 mile from his home. An active loop is probably not the right choice for him, at least not without additional filtering, using a SDR., even though it says there's a '3 level' switch for the gain. Mike

 

[PDXh0b0]

Unfortunately the OP says he has a 5kw daytime AMer less than 1/4 mile from his home. An active loop is probably not the right choice for him, at least not without additional filtering, using a SDR., even though it says there's a '3 level' switch for the gain. Mike

Sdrplays have great mw filtering