It's all about the Software

Dear,

A setup is made with an AOR-AR8600 with 10.7MHz IF Out connected to an RTL-SDR.
The AR8600 is setup as external radio with Rigctl
The RTL-SDR is radio 1
In External Radio options, SDR frequency selection, the IF output with an offset of 10.700.000 is selected for the SDR radio.
What I would expect: the external radio is tuned to a frequency, the same frequency is displayed for the RTL-SDR, yet in reality the RTL-SDR is tuned to 10.700.
In this case the sensitive external radio is used to filter & pre-tune and the RTL-SDR as spectral display on 10.7MHz

What I noticed: the external radio is tuned to a frequency, the same frequency is displayed for the RTL-SDR, the RTL-SDR is tuned to the displayed frequency.
In this case the sensitive external radio is NOT used to filter, the RTL-SDR is tuned NOT the IF of 10.7MHz, but to the target frequency and as such has a significant lower sensitivity. (as its connected to the IF out, not the antenna)

I assume that this noticed behavior is a bug. In this setup the RTL-SDR should NOT be tuned to the target frequency but to the IF out of around 10.7MHz.
This seems to be the same issue as reported by ON3PDM in viewtopic.php?f=67&t=1719

Kind regards,
K

kdeke wrote: Mon Mar 06, 2023 3:33 pm Dear,

A setup is made with an AOR-AR8600 with 10.7MHz IF Out connected to an RTL-SDR.

Have you read this for correct implementation of the setup you describe?

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

Max

Max,
Yes, I've read it like a zillion times and applied the settings.
The SDR is still tuned to the displayed Freq iso the IF freq.
Same behavior was noticed with an RSP Duo.
Build in use is v3.3, build 2870
Rgds,
Koen

How do you know what frequency the RTLSDR dongle is tuned to. There is no readout on SDRConsole, when in panadaptor mode, that shows the dongle frequency.
{o.o}