It's all about the Software

Damn website keeps making me sign in again after typing… so now a copy n paste to add to my prior post… if it will work this time. Grrrrrr

Max,
I think it’s at 19. Mostly Airspy HF+ Discoveries, a few SDR-iq’s, two Airspy Mini’s for those VHF/UHF users, one SDR-IP that gets locked up frequently (has to be power cycled to get it back online), and one SDRPlay RSP1A.
Unfortunately there are many that appear online, but after wasting all the time searching, highlighting, saving, etc, you find out the SDR is no longer connected. Usually due to the OP having issues setting the server up a they give up. The server app, by default, is run as a Windows Service in the background. So even though they thought the gave up, the PC is still pinging Simon’s server saying, “I’m here, waiting for a connection…”. Another issue is the antenna in use at the server. A piece of wire inside a building is not my idea of a QRM free setup. Most of mine are long inverted L’s, located far away from humans and their RFI generating devices.

If you go here, at all hours of the day, you will get an idea of those that actually work and make a mental note of those that are in use.
http://onairv3.sdrspace.com/onair.htm
Unfortunately, many of the good servers have either no time limit, or one that’s set for many hours. Lately there’s been users parking on a server for multiple hours at a time. Usually on FT-8 , CB (Children’s Band), or listening to the rubbish on 7200kHz, so nobody get a chance to play. I’ve been having issues in the past week with a select group of individuals occupying numerous SDR’s, all tuned to the exact same frequency. I think I got my router setup properly to block select blocks of IP’s, at the cost of collateral damage for honest users that happen to have an IP within the range blocked.

I've noticed that effect. It is annoying indeed. I bet it led to you posting to this message by mistake, too.
{^_-}

Thank you for your kind advice, jdow. Would you happen to know the noise figure of the HF+?

I’ve been doing direct A/B comparisons with the HF+ and other SDRs with an Elecraft K3S. Same antenna, RX Out of the K3S to a Minicircuits splitter. One side feeds the K3S RX IN and the other feeds the SDR. Exact same coax type and length on both sides of the splitter so both radios should be seeing the same signal.

I’m not ruling out operator error but, so far the HF+ doesn’t even compare with the K3S on weak signals, even though the published specs are similar. A used SDR IQ does a little better but, it also has IF and RF gain controls in SDR Console. I also tried a Hermes Lite 2. It was close to the K3S on 20m but, quickly fell behind on higher bands. I haven’t tested bands lower than 20m yet.

Last week I ordered a replacement HF+ with expedited shipping. It should arrive by Friday and I’ll resume testing when it arrives.

Dave - WA7F

No, I don't. It is apparently very low. But, I've never used it on a deaf antenna. Show me a full size uncompressed screen shot of SDRC with the settings for the dongle showing. It can be attached to the message here. You very much want AirSpy's AGC on for best sensitivity (and forget about any illusions of spectrum scale accuracy.)

{^_^}

Problem solved! The RX IN & OUT on the Elecraft K3S is selected on a “per band” basis. It wasn’t selected on bands above 20m.

Thanks for the support everyone! FYI, I plugged in the new HF+ yesterday and found the missing gain control. However, AGC seems to do well enough now that the HF+ is seeing a good signal on all bands.