Drift on R820T

[joeuser]

Bingo. TRUNK88 users never have this problem. It tracks drifts of 10, 20, whatever kHz. I used to be able to tell when the cat decided to take a nap on the dongles as the RX would crap out, but no more. Stupid cat...

Other software should be able to do the same; it's just a matter of implementing the logic.

Trunk88 you say? Been using it long? Worth checking out?

 

[SCPD]

I removed the enclosure, cut off the end of a USB mouse, wired it to a computer fan, and stuck it next to the dongle, powered by the hub. I was having problems with weather fax constantly doing a horizontal shift. Now it rarely happens, so I think this made it better.

 

[rbm]

I changed the USB drives to be continually on, and I ran the R820T after being out of SDR for a couple of hours and no drift. It hit every frequency as if it was running for hours. Thanks again Rich.

Moonbounce

Moonbounce, Glad to hear that helped.

That same problem drove a friend crazy for weeks!
I guess it's common on laptops especially.

Rich

 

[Envoys]

Trunk88 you say? Been using it long? Worth checking out?

slicerwizard is i believe the creator of trunk88. it's been around for a long time and yes it is worth checking out. Uses next to no cpu usage and you can do the exact same as unitrunker. At first it might be overwhelming, but after you get the hang of it, it's awesome.

I just wish it has separate audio output for digital and analog.

 

[joeuser]

Thank you!

 

[Kingmobileaudio]

slicerwizard is i believe the creator of trunk88. it's been around for a long time and yes it is worth checking out. Uses next to no cpu usage and you can do the exact same as unitrunker. At first it might be overwhelming, but after you get the hang of it, it's awesome.

I just wish it has separate audio output for digital and analog.

For Unitrunker? Look at the updates for the new out puts.

 

[Boatanchor]

Or, if you really want to see what decent SDR performance is like, order a FuncubedonglePro+.

The FCDP+ incorporates a TCXO, so virtually no drift.

Also, you have no idea how bad (noisy and insensitive) the cheap RTL tuners really are until you use a good, low noise front end like the FCDP+.

Obviously, if you need >2Mhz receive bandwidth, the FCDP+ is not for you, but for emission bandwidths of anything narrower than 100Khz, for my money, it cant be beat (at the moment).

The AirSpy is another low cost SDR product that looks promising, but we are still Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...

 

[SCPD]

Or, if you really want to see what decent SDR performance is like, order a FuncubedonglePro+.

True, but it is >10x the price. Which is why the RTL-SDR is so popular. For half the price of a FCDP+ you can get a whole club involved in SDR.

 

[Envoys]

For Unitrunker? Look at the updates for the new out puts.

No, for TRUNK88. I know about Unitrunker, I use it all the time now due to this feature, but find myself going back to trunk88 sometimes.

 

[Kingmobileaudio]

No, for TRUNK88. I know about Unitrunker, I use it all the time now due to this feature, but find myself going back to trunk88 sometimes.

Oh I thought Trunk88 was a SDR. My mistake. I'll go back to the shadows and watch

 

[Flatliner]

Or, if you really want to see what decent SDR performance is like, order a FuncubedonglePro+.

The FCDP+ incorporates a TCXO, so virtually no drift.

Also, you have no idea how bad (noisy and insensitive) the cheap RTL tuners really are until you use a good, low noise front end like the FCDP+.

Obviously, if you need >2Mhz receive bandwidth, the FCDP+ is not for you, but for emission bandwidths of anything narrower than 100Khz, for my money, it cant be beat (at the moment).

The AirSpy is another low cost SDR product that looks promising, but we are still Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...

I agree with this completely. I have a FCDP+ running exclusively in it's intended purpose, as a telemetry receiving station for the Funcube satellite, with data uploaded to AMSAT-UK. I tried a cheap RTL dongle, for interest, but it just wasn't worth the bother.

 

[ka3jjz]

While browsing the RTL-SDR website, I came across this bit of news - evidently someone is modding these USB sticks with a TCXO instead of a drift prone oscillator that it currently uses...

New USA Source for Modded TCXO RTL-SDR Dongles - rtl-sdr.com

I'm no expert on these by any means, but USD65 seems a fair price for one of these gadgets, with the modification...Mike

 

[SCPD]

There are several competitors selling modded RTL sticks.

NooElec's model includes an aluminum case.

Nooelec Nesdr Mini USB Rtl SDR Receiver with TCXO RTL2832U R820T Tuner MCX | eBay

A model from Japan includes TCXO, heat sinks, shielding, drilled holes for airflow, and extra fittings.

Of course, for the price of one TCXO model, you can buy a 5 pack of the consumer model.

 

[Flatliner]

It's probably worth remembering that those TV dongles, at just a few dollars each, are actually ridiculously cheap for what we're using them for. A proper shielded stable SDR at $65, is still a veritable bargain. Go back a couple of years and see what we were expected to pay for a "made for purpose" SDR back then. I'm glad that those days are over.