Hi,
For the <30 MHz "stuff", anyone have any thoughts on the
the WinRadioG31 Excalibur vs the SDRPlay RSP-2 (or the new RSPdx) ?
Or, the AirSpy ? I think there is a new one just out ?
Even though they are similar and cover some common frequencies, they are simply different tools and are difficult to compare. It is tempting to say that the Excalibur is simply better, but then you have to compare cost points. The RSP2 is much less expensive.
The Excalibur is a good bit more expensive than the RSP-2. So you expect it to perform better, and it does. But, the RSP2 (no longer made) is 8 or so years newer than the Excalibur, and you would expect it to benefit from advances in that time, and it does.
I have both the G31 and the G33 (and use the G35 and G39 also, but don't own those two). The G31 is very good, and I would favorably compare the G33 to the best receivers I have ever used, including pro and mil gear. All of the G3X series are good, very good, but not inexpensive.
At the most basic level, the G31 or G33 have higher sample rates and bit depth, this means all other things being equal they have the potential to perform better. Higher dynamic range, better sensitivity, etc.
The RSP2, with the software provided, can use up to 16 slice receivers in a given 10 MHz span. The G31 can only do 3 receivers in a 2 MHz chunk. This is very useful, but to be honest I seldom find myself using more than 2 at a time, sometimes 3, from a given receiver. The audio becomes difficult to keep track of with much more than 2 channels from a given source. I often have 5 or 6 (or as many as 10) SDRs running at one time from 30 MHz down, each with 1 to 4 receivers active, so in theory 2 or 3 RSP2's would cover those freqs as well (ignoring performance differences) as my common 5 or 6. But I think it would be too chaotic and the recordings would become unusable. Even with the RSP2 I think I would still limit myself to 2'ish receivers per piece of hardware.
However, this slice receiver functionality is a function of software vs hardware. The G3X software only allows for 3 RX's, it is not a hardware limitation. More on software limitations later.
The Excalibur will display up to 30 or 50 MHz (depending on user selected settings) in real time, the RSP2 only 10 MHz. This means you can watch the entire HF spectrum, from 30 MHz down to 10 kHz, at one time with the G31/33. With the G3X you can also zoom in and out on that wideband display without loosing any waterfall data, other softwares re-write the wideband display as you zoom in and out. This is a huge advantage in searching for signals. Again, this is a software thing, not a hardware thing. But, for these reasons alone (30 MHz real time waterfall and the ability to zoom in and out without loosing data) I would say the G3X is better than the RSP2, or almost any other SDR on the market.
The WinRadio software is static, with few updates or changes over the years. The software available today, while in my opinion very good, is basically the same software that was released 8 or 9 years ago, with only a few minor bug fixes, and no added capabilities, in all that time. The software for the SDRPlay, in fact for most other SDRs, has evolved over time, not only fixing problems but also adding features. And with the WinRadio hardware you have a very limited set of third party software that will work, the field is much larger for the SDRPlay stuff. This is not WinRadios fault, they have made the information available for software authors to support the G3X series, but it just has not happened.
With that said, I like the WinRadio software, I like it a lot. I think it does everything I need, and very well, working from 30 Mhz down. But that is opinion and not everyone agrees with me. Without a doubt you are more likely to see new and improved features using any other major SDR software on the market today vs the WinRadio software. I would have to give the RSP2 the advantage in this area, however, I find it not particularly important.
If the cost of the Excalibur does not scare you away, if you download the demo of the software and do not find it objectionable, and if you really are only going to want 50 Mhz and down, I think the G31 is significantly the better choice than the RSP2. Better yet, if you can afford it, the G33, it is fantastic. Remember you will be stuck with that software. If the software does not set well with you or you think you might really be interested in above 50 Mhz, pick something other than the G3X.
I think I have covered the major basses here. Obviously, there are lots of other things that can be discussed, but this should be the "lite" version of a comparison.
T!
