SDR# plugin for airband

[sonm10]

I have not used SDR# much other some casual browsing around. I have read in these forums that scanning airband with SDR can be superior than a traditional scanner. I do have a few questions, though.

1) What plugins are needed to scan VHF airband, both for a couple frequencies, and a spread of frequencies?
2) Can someone please explain the process of installing various plugins into SDR#?
3) I have read in these forums that older versions of SDR# work much better than newer versions. Can Someone recommend an older version that works and provide an install file?
4) How do you setup scanning a) a couple CTAF frequencies b) a range of frequencies
5) A majority of my monitoring is when I'm not at home, does SDR# have a recording function?
6) What gain settings do you'll recommend for monitoring airband both for Airspy and RTL, Nooelec devices?

Bonus question: I may sometime try the simple DMR plugin, what is the process for finding and installing this plugin?
Thanks in advance

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

6) What gain settings do you'll recommend for monitoring airband both for Airspy and RTL, Nooelec devices?

There's no "one size fits all" answer to this. Everyone's RF environment is different. Experiment and find the right settings for your environment.

Bonus question: I may sometime try the simple DMR plugin, what is the process for finding and installing this plugin?

Read here

2) Can someone please explain the process of installing various plugins into SDR#?

See here. The installer packages typically come with Readme files that explain how to install

 

[dave3825]

scanning airband with SDR can be superior than a traditional scanner.

It is by far.

What plugins are needed to scan VHF airband, both for a couple frequencies, and a spread of frequencies?

I use freq manager and freq scanner.

What gain settings do you'll recommend for monitoring airband both for Airspy and RTL, Nooelec devices?

This thread is from 2015 and plug in links may be dead but @mancow , who documented scanning 225 to 400 in a second and a half, details it and many settings used in his setup.

225-400 in 1.5 seconds. The best MilAir setup I've encountered yet.

This is the overall best setup for MilAir monitoring I've come up with yet. It's a TACO 225-400 antenna with 225-400 filter then Angle Linear low noise preamp. This feeds an Airspy operated by SDR Sharp with the Frequency Scanner plugin Сканер + поиск новых частот. by Vasili Beliakov. Each...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[sonm10]

Thanks Dave and Whiskey, I will be looking at those links tonight

 

[dave3825]

2) Can someone please explain the process of installing various plugins into SDR#?

Not sure how its done now as they are up it 19xx something and I stuck with 1742. Plug in is just a dll file and a string of text known as "magic line" that gets pasted into the xml file in the SDR# directory.

For the two plugins I use, this is the pasted text.

<sharpPlugins>
<add key="DSD Interface" value="SDRSharp.DSD.DSDPlugin,SDRSharp.DSD" />
<add key="Frequency Manager" value="SDRSharp.FreqMan.FreqManPlugin,SDRSharp.FreqMan" />
<add key="Frequency Scanner" value="SDRSharp.FrequencyScanner.FrequencyScannerPlugin,SDRSharp.FrequencyScanner" />
<add key="LevelMeter" value="SDRSharp.LevelMeter.LevelMeterPlugin,SDRSharp.LevelMeter" />
<add key="RTL_433" value="SDRSharp.Rtl_433.Rtl_433_Plugin,SDRSharp.Rtl_433" />
<add key="APCO" value="SDRSharp.APCO.APCOPlugin,SDRSharp.APCO" />
<add key="DMR" value="SDRSharp.DMR.DMRPlugin,SDRSharp.DMR" />
<add key="IF DNR" value="SDRSharp.DNR.IFNoiseReductionPlugin,SDRSharp.DNR" />
<add key="AF DNR" value="SDRSharp.DNR.AFNoiseReductionPlugin,SDRSharp.DNR" />
<add key="DigitalIfProcessor" value="SDRSharp.DigitalIfProcessor.DigitalIfProcessorPlugin,SDRSharp.DigitalIfProcessor" />
<add key="DigitalAudioProcessor" value="SDRSharp.DigitalAudioProcessor.DigitalAudioProcessorPlugin,SDRSharp.DigitalAudioProcessor" />
<add key="Baseband Noise Blanker" value="SDRSharp.NoiseBlanker.BasebandNoiseBlankerPlugin,SDRSharp.NoiseBlanker" />
<add key="IF Noise Blanker" value="SDRSharp.NoiseBlanker.IFNoiseBlankerPlugin,SDRSharp.NoiseBlanker" />
<add key="Demodulator Noise Blanker" value="SDRSharp.NoiseBlanker.DemodulatorNoiseBlankerPlugin,SDRSharp.NoiseBlanker" />
<add key="AudioRecorder" value="SDRSharp.AudioRecorder.AudioRecorderPlugin,SDRSharp.AudioRecorder" />
<add key="Zoom FFT" value="SDRSharp.ZoomFFT.ZoomFFTPlugin,SDRSharp.ZoomFFT" />
<add key="Band Plan" value="SDRSharp.BandPlan.BandPlanPlugin,SDRSharp.BandPlan" />
<add key="AuxVFO-1" value="SDRSharp.AuxVFO.AuxVFOPlugin,SDRSharp.AuxVFO" />
<add key="AuxVFO-2" value="SDRSharp.AuxVFO.AuxVFOPlugin,SDRSharp.AuxVFO" />
<add key="CTCSSDecoder" value="SDRSharp.CTCSSDecoder.CTCSSDecoderPlugin,SDRSharp.CTCSSDecoder" />
<add key="DCSDecoder" value="SDRSharp.DCSDecoder.DCSDecoderPlugin,SDRSharp.DCSDecoder" />
<add key="DAP" value="SDRSharp.DAP.DAPPlugin,SDRSharp.DAP" />
<add key="XmlBeautifier" value="SDRSharp.XmlBeautifier.XmlBeautifierPlugin,SDRSharp.XmlBeautifier" />
<add key="Plugin Manager Suite" value="SDRSharp.PluginManager.PluginManagerPlugin,SDRSharp.PluginManager" />
</sharpPlugins>

 

[sonm10]

Ok, got it working for Airspy. Just waiting for activity.
Why is RTL-SDR not showing up in SDR#? When I select RTL(USB), the radio is greyed out. How to bring back?
Also have several Nooelec SDRs, will they show up in SDR#?
Tried v1732 and v1919

 

[PDXh0b0]

Latest sdr# 1920 next
Been running great, less resource usage

https://airspy.com/downloads/sdrsharp-x86-next.zip

Run the install-rtlsdr.bat, put your plugins in the plugin folder(no need to edit plugins.xml), start sdr#, top left menu button, sources, rtl-sdr usb

 

[jimmid]

I just installed the 192 community download and I am having the same problem. Nothing on the waterfall and frequency display above.

Is there a fix?

 

[jimmid]

I just installed the 192 community download and I am having the same problem. Nothing on the waterfall and frequency display above.

Is there a fix?

That should say 1920 community

 

[morfis]

I just installed the 192 community download and I am having the same problem. Nothing on the waterfall and frequency display above.

Is there a fix?

Almost certanly, yes.

Throw us a bone here and help us help you.

What type of device are you using the software with? I don't use the ultra-bloat version - does it run the Did you run the batch file for you to download the unpackaged dll file? Does it include that dll (which it probably ought not to)? IF it does get the dll is it the correct one for the device you are using (as the batch file didn't - may now though? - fetch the correct one for rtl-sdr.com V4 rtl device). Does bloat# install the rtl device drivers (if needed for your device)? If it doesn't, have you done so? Have you actually set an input device?

 

[jimmid]

I just downloaded the. exe install file and ran it. Ran zadig and reinstalled the drivers and selected rtl-sdr usb.
However, I have discovered a work around. I downloaded the ordinary one from the website and it ran but no plugins, so copied all the ones from the community version to the plugins folder and all working OK now 👍