Re: [linrad]: Linrad data contribution.

[w3sz <w3sz@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The page that Rein has put together should provide an excellent means of 
storing our collective experiences ( positve and negative ) with various 
hardware / software combinations.  

I would encourage everyone who has tried to get Linrad running to go to 
the URL and provide your information.  Its OK if you don't fill in all 
of the blanks.  While more data is better, even a little bit is better 
than none!

Browsing the previous responses should be very helpful.  If we get 
enough data, then it may be worth making a spread sheet or more formal 
database.

Thanks for the great job, Rein!~

73,

Roger
W3SZ

PS this weekend I used 90 KHz wide I/Q Linrad receiver for spotting 2304 
MHz activity during the ARRL VHF/UHF/microwave contest.  I was able to 
make contacts with guys I would have never known were there without 
Linrad.  And with the new FT1000 frequency control from Linrad, it was 
no problem to "Q"SY to where the station was to transmit.  In the past I 
used the DSP-10 for this, but Linrad gives me 90KHz of spectrum and I 
find that I prefer the display and the DSP processing of Linrad.

Since all of my transverters for 1296 and above convert to 144 MHz as an 
intermediate stage, and since therre is always plenty of RF out of the 
receive converters at 144 MHz, I just put a splitter on the 144 MHz 
Receive IF output of the 2304 transverter.  I fed one output to the 144 
MHz-->28 MHz transverter--> FT1000 MP so I could monitor signals the 
conventional way, and the other output went to the 144 MHz Linrad receiver.

I found that I tended to find the signals with Linrad, and then listened 
to them on the FT1000MP.  On the microwaves there is no pulse noise, etc 
so the Ft1000 did perfectly well at this task.  But without LInrad, it 
would not have been likely that I would have found many of the signals. 
One or two were 10 KHZ OFF frequency!!  

I am thinking of incorporating such a Linrad bandscope for all of my 
microwave bands.  It is far superior to anything that comes on the 
commercial transceivers.  The cost of monitors will probably prevent it, 
but it would be simple to have a 90 KHz display of every microwave band 
showing 90 KHz of that band at all times, whether or not the main IF rig 
was tuned to that band.  TO save on costs I'll probably switch the 144 
MHz signal to the Linrad receiver from among the different transverters 
instead of having fully separate Linrad monitor receivers.  But if I 
were doing a multiop contest station the added expense would be well 
worth the information, I think...

To work a signal seen on a given band with this technique involves:
(1) clicking on the signal on the Linrad screen with the mouse
(2) typing Q to QSY the FT1000 to the appropriate IF frequency
(3) throwing the switch to engage the appropriate microwave transverter.

Simple, and lots of fun ;)

73,

Roger
W3SZ


Rein A. Smit wrote:

>   Hi Guenther, DL4MEA
>
>   Thank you so much for submitting your Linrad install data through:
>
>   http://www.nitehawk.com/linrad_dat/
>
>   I am sure all people thinking about Linrad, and potential Linrad users 
>   appreciate your input to a considerable amount.
>
>   73 Rein W6/PA0ZN
>
>  

--
Roger Rehr
W3SZ
2 Merrymount Road
Reading, PA 19609
http://www.qsl.net/w3sz





LINRADDARNIL