Networking and Multiple SDRs

[kb1qzh]

Hey All,,
I'm looking to get back into SDRs and monitoring. I have a FCD, #211, but didn't use it much. I want to back to it and probably get a few of the RTL dongles.

My questions are:
1) Which software packages support remote receivers? Computer are cheap so it's easy to put a computer next to the antenna. (snagged a WinXP embedded thin client at a recent ham picnic). How do these work? Is the client machine doing all the processing? If that's so, then couldn't all these new single board computers be used as SDR dongle hosts?

2) Is there any way to run multiple SDRs at once?

thanks,
frank
kb1qzh

 

[voidxar]

Hi Frank,

My questions are:
1) Which software packages support remote receivers?

Right now the only SDR package that supports remote SDR receives out of the box is SDRRadio which can be downloaded at SDR-RADIO.com > Home . It does support the Funcube Dongle / SDR i/q and softrocks. If you want to use the RTLSDR dongles then you can use SDRsharp and have the dongle on a remote computer.

Computer are cheap so it's easy to put a computer next to the antenna. (snagged a WinXP embedded thin client at a recent ham picnic). How do these work? Is the client machine doing all the processing? If that's so, then couldn't all these new single board computers be used as SDR dongle hosts?

With thin clients it depends on which one you have most of the processing is done on the SSL server, but some of them can be hacked with a proper os so that they can be used as a sdr some like the hp t5325 can be made to run full versions of debian etc.

2) Is there any way to run multiple SDRs at once?

Yes you can I run a RTLSDR dongle and a softrock ensemble at the same time on the same computer but you do have to have enough processor speed.

Kelvin

 

[Token]

Right now the only SDR package that supports remote SDR receives out of the box is SDRRadio which can be downloaded at SDR-RADIO.com > Home . It does support the Funcube Dongle / SDR i/q and softrocks. If you want to use the RTLSDR dongles then you can use SDRsharp and have the dongle on a remote computer.

There is remote, and then there is remote. Remoting inside your own network is pretty simple, remoting when you have to access outside your network has fewer options.

For sure SDR-Radio is the most used SDR remote program right now for Internet access. One of my spare SDR-IQs is on that network 24/7, and I have been thinking of adding another RX or 2 to the network.

The Perseus software also supports remote SDR operation over Internet, although only with Perseus hardware at the remote sites. My Perseus is on the Perseus network 24/7 and has many users each day.

SpectraVue can also be used over a network with client/server operation, I have not tried this over Internet, only in a local network.

The WinRadio GUI does not support remote operation, but that does not mean you can’t remote it. I use Splashtop to remote the WinRadio inside my own network, typically to an iPad when I want to monitor while setting on the back porch sipping a tasty adult beverage. I have also used Remote Desktop to take any machine with any SDR software and hardware to any other computer in the house or network.

.

2) Is there any way to run multiple SDRs at once?

Yes you can I run a RTLSDR dongle and a softrock ensemble at the same time on the same computer but you do have to have enough processor speed.

I have run multiple RFSpace SDRs on a single machine, as many as 4 at one time, invoking a separate instance of SpectraVue for each. I think you would only be limited by the processing power of the machine as you can have as many instances of SpectraVue as you want open.

I have also run HDSDR with a SoftRock Ensemble II, a WinRadio Excalibur with the WinRadio GUI, a Perseus with its software, and an SDR-IQ with SpectraVue all on a single machine at the same time.

T!

 

[kb1qzh]

Thanks everyone.
1) Networking
I'll take a look at the mentioned packages

2) Multiple Receivers
So it sounds like you use a separate software instance for each dongle. What if you wanted to change one RX and have it affect the receivers? For instance: say you have three RTL dongles. you set the frequency one and have the rest automatically set themselves to +/-2Mhz from the first?

As for computer to run them on. I have an old multicore low-end server i'm fixing, would that do? Would my everyday use dual core Intel laptop work?

thanks
frank
kb1qzh