SDR# SDR# Plug-in: Frequency Scanner updated

[Andyjuk]

NFM but you can adjust the band width.

 

[morfis]

I'm thinking less than 1000 frequencies. Does the frequency manager sort the frequencies from lowest to highest or are they just left in the order they are entered?

Within the file they are sorted lowest to highest based on frequency. For display purposes you can have them low to high or high to low based on Label or frequency.

Which of the FM modes should be used for a FM frequency that has a 25Khz spacing,NFM or WFM? In SDRsharp there is no FM option.

WFM is for broadcast FM. Everything else is NFM (most receivers tend to label it as FM but it's the same thing) and you can adjust your bandwidth and step size to suit

 

[thewraith2008]

This is a update v2.2.0.0 to the great Frequency Scanner plug-in for SDR#.

This plug-in version adds/changes and fixes some items:

v2.2.0.0

Changed: Further tweaking to the Telerik UI detection and controls handling.

Fix: 'Start scan' button
- If plug-in control window (side panel) was closed when started radio in SDR#, the 'Start scan' button
   would stay disabled when window was shown again. 'Play' stop/start was required to enable again (with window visible).

Changed: Limit SDR# 'Step size' to a minimum of 5 KHz when using the 'Screen' range.

Changed: Logging improvements

Fix: If log file path was removed while scanner was running it would cause crash.
- When the defined log path cannot be found, it will default back to the SDR# root folder.

Changed: If the "Use audio mute" is enabled, the SDR# squelch will be disable for AM/FM while scanning.

Fix: Small spectrum view
- Reset buffer on scan start and check for out of bounds values when large BW used (>50000).
  These higher BW saw a glitch present when returned to using smaller BW.

Added: Indicate when the active frequency is not in the 'Frequency Manager' database.
- For scan modes 'Scan all with save new', 'Scan all without save new' and 'Scan only new - exclude memorized'
- In the channel analyser, the horizontal line under the active frequency label will be thicker and will be coloured 'OrangeRed'.

Change/Fix: Frequency activity list when double clicked
- This did not store the detector type and therefore would not switch detector type from what it currently is (if different).

Fix: 'Edit scan ranges'
- If edits where made and then decided not to keep them and then clicked 'Cancel'. The changes where not undone which may have
   caused unexpected behaviour or crash in the set-up of scanning.

Added: 'Edit scan ranges' - option to format displayed frequency values
- NOTE: When editing 'Start', 'End', 'Bandwidth' or 'Step size', using a value in Hz is still required.

Change: 'Debug info' formatting to stop text moving all over the place when variables changed length.

Changed/Fix: 'Channel bandwidth for signal level detection'
- This was not functioning as expected because of an incorrect calculation.
- This option will now only be available for 'Static noise floor'.
  'Static noise floor' should see an improvement when this is used.
  'Dynamic noise floor' was made less effective when this option was used at same time.

Updated: PDF Documentation
- Please read it

see changelog.txt for more details

Documentation has been created to help with it's installation and usage, please read it.
NOTE: Support is not guaranteed. Especially if the answers are contained in the documentation or on this forum.

I have tried to be as thorough as possible with the documentation to explain usage and features.
I believe any questions can be answered by reading this documentation.
This documentation most likely is not complete and may contain errors and is not laid out as good as it could be.

Testing has mainly been done with SDR# 1784.
Very limited testing has been done with SDR# 1766.
Limited testing has been done with SDR# 1700.
NOTE: SDR# has been going through some changes (1732+) and it's new features may see this plug-in play up.


Download
NOTE: Use 7zip or WinRAR to extract files from the .7z file and read the .PDF file for installation and usage of files with SDR#.

HASH: b15882d338f69621e11eae1c3aa4e574

 

[hamradionl]

I test

 

[thewraith2008]

Just a quick addition made from last update.

This is a update v2.2.1.0 to the great Frequency Scanner plug-in for SDR#.

This plug-in version adds some items:

v2.2.1.0

Added: Display 8.33 KHz 'channel name' on the main spectrum (Top center)
- Maps VFO frequency to a 8.33 KHz channel name.
- Enable option in 'Configure' > 'General' tab.
  Only works when tuned to 118-137 MHz and when enable 'Use 8.33 KHz selector' and set the SDR# step size to 8.33 KHz.
- Tracks with VFO changes
- Works also when scanning (when above options set)

The 8.33 KHz 'channel name' looks like a frequency value but it's not use as one.
The real frequency is shown in the SDR# VFO.
In a region that is using 8.33 KHz frequency allocation (i.e. EU), If controller says go to 118.105, they mean the channel not the frequency.


Updated: PDF Documentation
- Please read it

see changelog.txt for more details

Documentation has been created to help with it's installation and usage, please read it.
NOTE: Support is not guaranteed. Especially if the answers are contained in the documentation or on this forum.

I have tried to be as thorough as possible with the documentation to explain usage and features.
I believe any questions can be answered by reading this documentation.
This documentation most likely is not complete and may contain errors and is not laid out as good as it could be.

Testing has mainly been done with SDR# 1784.
Very limited testing has been done with SDR# 1766.
Limited testing has been done with SDR# 1700.
NOTE: SDR# has been going through some changes (1732+) and it's new features may see this plug-in play up.


Download
NOTE: Use 7zip or WinRAR to extract files from the .7z file and read the .PDF file for installation and usage of files with SDR#.

HASH: fdd96fb28820ce64f2de45bbccddad76

 

[morfis]

V2.2.1.0

Added: Display 8.33 KHz 'channel name' on the main spectrum (Top center)
Documentation:
Might be worth noting that this display will only work if that part of the screen is not occupied by the bandplan display

Possible bug:
Number of hits during the session is no longer showing in the analyser window

 

[morfis]

Related to previous:
Shut down scanner and 2020_12_20_session_activity_hits.txt is empty apart from start and stop time info.

 

[thewraith2008]

V2.2.1.0

Added: Display 8.33 KHz 'channel name' on the main spectrum (Top center)
Documentation:
Might be worth noting that this display will only work if that part of the screen is not occupied by the bandplan display

Isn't that on the bottom?
I normally disable or delete bandplan as it is just wrong in my region, that's why I didn't notice.
This is an unfortunate side effect of plug-ins that have no idea what the other is doing.
You will have to decide to use either or I guess.

Possible bug:
Number of hits during the session is no longer showing in the analyser window

Related to previous:
Shut down scanner and 2020_12_20_session_activity_hits.txt is empty apart from start and stop time info.

It's working here for me.
Are you sure both options are enabled in 'Configure' - 'Channel Analyser' tab?

 

[morfis]

Isn't that on the bottom?

It can be placed top, bottom or whole area. Bottom is the default. Your display works with all three but is obscured if the bandplan is at the top.
In my case I use the bandplan - the bandplan.xml is heavily modified to make it accurate and informative for UK use.
The channel display isn't something I'd use

My comment was that it might be worth mentioning in your documentation so that others are aware.

It's working here for me.
Are you sure both options are enabled in 'Configure' - 'Channel Analyser' tab?

Both options are enabled...nearly included a screenshot earlier but decided it was too trivial.
No hits logged, no csv created during two sessions of usage.

 

[thewraith2008]

What SDR# version you using (not that it should matter)
I'll try and test with that here. (I'm testing with 1784)

 

[morfis]

In this instance it was 1784. Clean install with only the scanner plugin plus my own* bandplan.xml and frequencies.xml files added


* - which were copied from the previously working copy of 1784/scanner plugin 2.1.1.0

 

[thewraith2008]

How about this for 8.33 KHz channel label, an offset

 

[morfis]

How about this for 8.33 KHz channel label, an offset

I thought mentioning it in the docs would be sufficient I don't need the channel name
For users of the 'FreqMan' frequency manager would this affect display of labels on the spectrum? That seems to be one of the features people use that for?

 

[thewraith2008]

I thought mentioning it in the docs would be sufficient I don't need the channel name
For users of the 'FreqMan' frequency manager would this affect display of labels on the spectrum? That seems to be one of the features people use that for?

Probably? If it's at top, FreqMan labels don't go that high in frequency spectrum.
This feature would save having to manually enter the 8.33 channel name in the frequency name field.
Not everyone uses FreqMan, that's why it's optional.
Use it, don't use it. User choice based on setup used.

 

[morfis]

Not everyone uses FreqMan, that's why it's optional.
Use it, don't use it. User choice based on setup used.

Quite - that's the reason I mentioned it but did not call it a 'bug'. Also why I asked the question despite it having no relevance to my usage of sdrsharp or the scanner plugin.

I still don't have working logging.
Tried copying the new dll to a working directory of 1784/2.1.1.0, no change to the working config and logging doesn't work on restart
Created another new instance from the archives and set up scanner with a single search range 117.5-136.975 6000k bandwidth, 25000k steps, original bandplan in it's deafult position, no frequencies.xml created. Checked login directory and logging boh correct and enabled. Still no entries logged despite scanner stopping correctly on hairband activity.

 

[thewraith2008]

I will need to try a fresh install and try that here.

 

[thewraith2008]

Just installed fresh 1784 and Frequency Scanner plug-in v2.2.1.0 + FreqMan v1.1.1.0 and all worked as expected.


Here is configuration used:

GIF will show all tabs:

 

[morfis]

sdrsharp 1784, scanner plugin 2.2.1.0, airspy R2
Search range set as before, 117500000 136975000 AM 6000 25000

Search run for approximately five minutes and almost constant activity picked up due to the location. Full search range is being covered correctly, audio from detected transmissions is fine, frequency is shown

No csv file was created.
session hits text file:
20/12/2020 13:44:54 Session started

Scan mode: Scan all without save new
Selected ranges: Airband - Civil


20/12/2020 13:49:48 Session ended


Same setup but with with scanner plugin 2.1.1.0 shows number of hits in the analyser window when running, creates the csv and shows frequencies with number of hits in the session txt summary.

 

[PatrickPierre73]

Hi there,

In your GIF above, I notice the "8.33 kHz selector is not ticked.
Does it mean it's no longer necessary now that SDR# provides a 8.3333 step ?

 

[thewraith2008]

sdrsharp 1784, scanner plugin 2.2.1.0, airspy R2
Search range set as before, 117500000 136975000 AM 6000 25000

Search run for approximately five minutes and almost constant activity picked up due to the location. Full search range is being covered correctly, audio from detected transmissions is fine, frequency is shown

No csv file was created.
session hits text file:
20/12/2020 13:44:54 Session started

Scan mode: Scan all without save new
Selected ranges: Airband - Civil


20/12/2020 13:49:48 Session ended


Same setup but with with scanner plugin 2.1.1.0 shows number of hits in the analyser window when running, creates the csv and shows frequencies with number of hits in the session txt summary.

Can you turn ON option in Configure > Channel Analyser > "Show debug info" and try again.

I will need to look into this further later if this fixes that issue.