SDR-IQ Not Playing

[W4RLS]

My RF-Space SDR-IQ does not seem to like SDR Console or vice-versa! I'm posting to see if anyone has any ideas. The radio works just fine with the manufacturer's SpectraVue software, yet it will not play under SDR Console.

Here is the radio playing under SpectraVue:


In SDR Console I am able to successfully add the radio. The software does see the radio and allows me to add it.


However, and this might be a clue, a serial number is not shown. I cannot recall if it did show the serial number when it was working before or not.


When I select the SDR-IQ from the dialog, SDR Console does nothing. I do not get an error. Trying the START button results in the hourglass showing for a second or two, then it goes away. It's pretty much like the SDR-IQ is a phantom radio, not doing anything but haunting me with its presence.

This is not an urgent matter. The RF-Space SDR-IQ is an old SDR radio. I've had the radio since 2011, but I've pretty much moved onto newer and better SDRs. I only noticed this recently after moving some radios on my shelf, seeing the SDR-IQ, and feeling guilty for not having used it for so long. Plus I can always use the SpectraVue native software to use it. I've also tried swapping out USB cables, the USB hub, etc. I also have my AirSpy HF+, my SDRConsole RSP1, and my WiNRADiO G31DDC attached to the same USB hub; all of them work in SDR Console. It's just the RF-Space SDR-IQ that doesn't work. It's not a USB bandwidth issue as I've never actually run more than one of these radios at a time. While SDR Console can handle multiple radios, my ears cannot take the cacophony!

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks again, Simon, for a wonderful piece of software!

Bob, W4RLS

[KA1GJU]

Good afternoon Bob,
Yes, there should be a serial number associated with the SDR-iq. I have had numerous SD-iq's over the years, but many have been destroyed by lightning hits (they were all operating as SDRC Servers).

My guess is the driver(s) are horked and probably want to remove the current one(s) and rebuild them. Then rebuild the definitions for it.

It's a great little SDR, little dated... but has real mechanical filters (I can hear them click as users scroll though the bands) and is a workhorse. I have three left on SDRC Servers, one on SDR Anywhere Server, and one spare sitting on bench out of the countless ones I've owned.

I have to admit, I'm now partial to the Airspy HF+ units due to wider bandwidth, small footprint on the bench, and capable of VHF/UHF on the same unit.

73 Kriss KA1GJU
Home of the Super Station SDRC Servers in NH, USA!

[W4RLS]

The first thing that I did was to reinstall the drivers as well as try it out on other USB ports and even another PC. I am not sure that there is a driver issue. In addition to the native SpectraVue software working, other programs work too. SDR Console is the program that's having difficulty.

The click-click of the mechanical filters is indeed a telltale indicator of the SDR-IQ. I get the clicks with other programs, but not SDR Console. This is just peculiar.

I'll just have to continue experimenting to see if I can get it to work. Thanks for your assistance.

Bob


SDR# Works:


HDSRD Works:


sodiraSDR Works:


winrad Works:

[KA1GJU]

I do know, for the past year or so... the SDR-iq is rather slow to boot up with SDRC. Something in Simon’s coding changed about a year or more ago. The Airspy units boot up and are ready for use instantly, either via the server or direct use. The SDR-iq takes about 10 seconds or so to boot up and be ready both as used via a server or directly.

Try removing the definition and reloading it and see what happens.

Good luck!

73 Kriss KA1GJU

[Simon G4ELI]

How about attaching the logfile?

[KA1GJU]

Simon, got the same issue here on a test setup. W7 Pro 64bit HP Netbook. Tried to load an SDR-iq and no serial number, but works fine under Spectraview.
Log file attached....
BTW, I erased log, then attached SDR-iq, built a definition for it, then attempted to use it, and then saved the logfile.
Hiked down to the house, plugged same SDR-iq into Super Station #1 and built a definition, serial number is 100% and runs just fine! So SDR-iq works, just doesn't want to play with this Netbook.

Hope this helps!

73 Kriss KA1GJU
Home of the SDRC Super Station Servers in NH, USA!

[Simon G4ELI]

From the logfile: "Opening SDR-IQ # (location -1), status = Device not found". This smells like the driver to me, it just doesn't see the device, maybe Windows has borked this somehow. I'll try with my SDR-IQ...

The fact that Spectravue works isn't very interesting, it's a 32-bit app.

[KA1GJU]

I just let Windoze install the driver, USB Serial Converter I believe is what it came up with. Never had good luck with forcing location to search for drivers. Does SDRC have the proper drivers in the directory some where? As I recall from previous battles with the SDR-iq drivers, it would never load them from C:\Program Files\SDR-Radio.com (V3)

What is the 'proper' way and location to load SDR-iq drivers once the unit is plugged into a USB jack for ALL of us to know and learn?


73 Kriss KA1GJU

[Simon G4ELI]

I just let Windoze install the driver, USB Serial Converter I believe is what it came up with. Never had good luck with forcing location to search for drivers. Does SDRC have the proper drivers in the directory some where? As I recall from previous battles with the SDR-iq drivers, it would never load them from C:\Program Files\SDR-Radio.com (V3)

What is the 'proper' way and location to load SDR-iq drivers once the unit is plugged into a USB jack for ALL of us to know and learn?


73 Kriss KA1GJU

https://www.sdr-radio.com/rfspace

"December 25th, 2016: SDR-IQ seems to be very much plug-and-play with Windows 10. As part of a debugging exercise a SDR-IQ was plugged into the development Windows 10 64-bit system, the drivers were downloaded and installed automatically, the SDR-IQ was found and started first time."

I wonder whether this may be a Windows 10 permissions issue, similar to that with the microphone?

When the driver can't find a device then it's really not a SDR Console problem.

[KA1GJU]

The issue is on a w7 64bit machine, not W10. Worked as it should when plugged into a W10 machine (Super Station #1 Server).

Kriss