NR4 & Miscellaneous

[RadioSDR1]

First a big thank you to Simon for fixing NR4! While I had a workaround for this using Favorites, it is still VERY NICE to now switch modes and not have NR4 warble. I've been testing this fix and find no issues and frankly it makes shortwave listening a little more fun.

I've reported this before but worth mentioning again. Another nice someday fix would be to stop the behavior of the buttons for NR and audio AGC in the DSP Panel from toggling when the keyboard arrow keys are used. For instance if I fiddle with those buttons and then try to change frequency using the arrow keys, then not only does the frequency change but the buttons start toggling. This is a good segue for another nice someday fix...

It would also be nice if the arrow keys could change frequency when the mouse arrow is over the DSP, the ribbon bar, or Favorites window, etc. Right now if a change is made in the DSP and the mouse left there, the arrow keys will not tune unless the mouse is brought back over the spectrum or waterfall area.

One more nice someday fix would be for NR to work when the binural mode is enabled. Currently, the NR controls move but there is zero noise reduction when binural is on. If there is absolutely no way to make NR work with binural mode (and this would make me sad by the way), it would probably be better to disable the controls of NR so the user knows right off this function does not operate when binural is on. FYI it seems that NR doesn't work when the FM stereo mode is engaged either.

NR5 is also interesting. Works great with moderate to stronger signals particularly at getting rid of that SDR hissy white noise and amazingly lightning static crashes as well. However, it is not so good with weak stations. NR5 makes weak to moderate strength stations sound worse than not using any NR at all. The sound quality of NR5 is not good with music even on stronger stations but is excellent with voice on SSB if, again, the signal is strong enough.

But if the only thing fixed on my wish list is NR4, then I will gladly take just that and run as though I just stole something.

Thanks again Simon!!!!

[Max]

I've reported this before but worth mentioning again. Another nice someday fix would be to stop the behaviour of the buttons for NR and audio AGC in the DSP Panel from toggling when the keyboard arrow keys are used. For instance if I fiddle with those buttons and then try to change frequency using the arrow keys, then not only does the frequency change but the buttons start toggling. This is a good segue for another nice someday fix...

It would also be nice if the arrow keys could change frequency when the mouse arrow is over the DSP, the ribbon bar, or Favourites window, etc. Right now if a change is made in the DSP and the mouse left there, the arrow keys will not tune unless the mouse is brought back over the spectrum or waterfall area.

Thanks again Simon!!!!

When I originally requested frequency change via arrow keys some years back Simon did produce a version where the arrow keys were live at all time exclusively for frequency change and nothing else, just like the WebSDR interface. As far as I recall in that version the arrow keys then did not change any other function at all and were also active for frequency change AT ALL TIMES regardless of where the mouse cursor was resting.

I forget why, but I vaguely recall that Simon was not happy with the way this "broke" standard Windows functionality of the arrow keys. Maybe something to do with retaining accessibility features? But personally it was by far my most preferred version. I ONLY want arrow keys to change frequency and do absolutely nothing else at all in the keyboard interface when I am using SDRC. There is almost nothing at all I dislike about SDR but the one thing that irritates the hell out of me is when I, for example, click one of the NR buttons and then go straight to change frequency and it toggles the NR selection buttons. I HATE it! I also CURSE when I go to change frequency but the cursor is not hovering over the waterfall/spectrum so nothing happens.

For some reason this behaviour the irritating "cycling" behaviour only affects the grey action buttons (NR, audio out selection etc) and not the black buttons (DSP filter width, mode etc).

So yes, I too would love it if Simon gave EXCLUSIVITY to the arrow keys purely for frequency tuning and made it active at all times. I wonder if he will ever reconsider? Simon?! PLEASE!

Max

[jdow]

No, a googleplex times no. It violates way too much "what the user expects" and breaks functionality that if you discover it, and it's programmed in, is very nice to have. (vernier steps on the slider that is "active", for example.) I often use this as a save my ears tool when something comes up way too loud.

If you want an always on tuning tool, which receiver does it diddle? Does it diddle only the center frequency? Does it do what? It's a Do What I Obviously Damn Well Mean issue for the programmer to sort out. And it becomes one size fits none solution to a non problem solvable by means of simple matter of MIDI and a small MIDI DJ controller within the DWIM caveats and frustrations above.

{o.o}

[RadioSDR1]

To Max, I could see how "Windows rules" might be an issue. For instance, when the Frequency Database is open, rhetorically, what is supposed to happen when the mouse is over that window? Should it move the Frequency Database window or change frequency? And there may be other issues like that elsewhere. Nonetheless, I suppose there could be the "default" SDRC where the behavior is exactly as it is now. But includes a new feature to map keys, such as the arrow keys, to frequency and perhaps other keys to move around in the Frequency Database, etc. Might be an approach to where one can have their cake and eat it too.

To Jo Ann, I am not sure you understand my point. When binural mode is on, NR does not work. Period. It's a dead function. Therefore, if it cannot be fixed, I argue that NR should be completely disabled so as to alert the user that this function is not usable when binural is on. But this disabling is only when binural is active. If not used, then NR works as it does now. I believe it is a self evident truth and principle that if a software function goes dead as a consequence of engaging another feature then that victim software function should be clearly disabled, removed, grayed out, so as to alert the user that the functionality is not available.

The above is a separate issue from the toggling while changing frequency issue with both NR and AGC and I do not advocate disabling either to address that. To reiterate, only automatically disable NR controls when binural mode (or FM stereo mode for that matter) is active.

If in a future SDRC release NR can be made to work in binural or FM stereo, then any interim disabling of NR while binural is on could be removed.

[Max]

No, a googleplex times no. It violates way too much "what the user expects" and breaks functionality that if you discover it, and it's programmed in, is very nice to have. (vernier steps on the slider that is "active", for example.) I often use this as a save my ears tool when something comes up way too loud.

If you want an always on tuning tool, which receiver does it diddle? Does it diddle only the center frequency? Does it do what? It's a Do What I Obviously Damn Well Mean issue for the programmer to sort out. And it becomes one size fits none solution to a non problem solvable by means of simple matter of MIDI and a small MIDI DJ controller within the DWIM caveats and frustrations above.

{o.o}

Which receiver does it diddle? Well, that would be the active/selected receiver surely, exactly as it is now? I'm not talking about changing the behaviour of the way that the cursor/arrow keys change the frequency in any way other than to make them permanently active while the radio "window" has the focus. Obviously if another window was highlighted/active/focused (like database table etc) then the behaviour of the cursor keys would revert to normal, just as it does now, but the frequency tuning would be active at all times when the when any "Radio/Receiver" window is has the focus. That's not a big issue I would not think? Maybe it's more involved that I think?

Joanne, you say you use those keys to adjust the sliders. How do you do that? There's no way I can get the cursor keys to adjust any of the the sliders on my copy of SDRC? I've tried every slider I can find. They are all only draggable by the click/hold/drag on the mouse? The slider only stays "active" (blue surround) while mouse pointer hovers over it.

Max

[jdow]

I suspect Simon has acceded to too many make the arrow keys do XXX requests from users. Normally, you use the slider and until you move the mouse over something else or click otherwise make something else active the arrow keys, page up/down, and (I believe) home/end have capabilities to step the slider in steps the developer specifies. I fiddled around once and made control and shift alter the step size by intercepting the command messages. I took that back out as it didn't add anything useful to that application. Actually for RF tuning that sort of behavior on a slider could benefit from control/shift/control-shift step size behaviors. My now superfluous ProII remote control tool used that for some of the side sliders. (The frequency slider was tuning speed, exponentially faster as I moved away from center. I also had a series of tiny step size buttons in several 1,3,5,10 sequences. I found I used the + and - 3kHz buttons most of the time. I had fun with the frequency readout. It scrolled like a time browned tape behind the frequency cursor part of the window. The magnification on that "tape" changed under SW control but I don't remember the cues I used to select it's step size. I think what I did was capture the mouse when it went down on the tuning tape and scroll forever. Yeah, step size was going off the frequency tape up or down using mouse gestures. I rather let my imagination run free.

{^_^}