New user Multiband question

[G3WGN]

Hi,
I'm using SDRConsole for the first time. Setup is W10 PC with SDRPlay RSPdx. All working fine with single band display.
When I select Multiband and, for example, Amateur CW, I get the full matrix on screen of the expected bands, but only one waterfall display is active. How do I get simultaneous display of all the bands in the matrix?
Probably missed a setting somehere...
73, David G3WGN

[Peter]

G'day David,

SDR Console is not a scanner - it can only display signals inside the bandwidth of your selected receiver.

Amateur CW Multiband covers from 160m to 10m ... you would need a radio like the RX888 to cover all the bands simultaneously.

Your RSPdx has a maximum bandwidth of 10 MHz - not enough for a live display of all the bands in Multiband display.

Hope this helps.

73, Pete.

[G3WGN]

Well understood Pete, but this page: https://www.sdr-radio.com/multi-band clearly shows multiple waterfalls simultaneously. Watch the short video for confirmation. The overall10MHz banwidth will limit the band selection, but monitoring e.g. all the HF amateur CW allocations will only add up to a MHz or two.
Has anyone successfully set up mutiple band waterfalls as per Simon's Multiband page, with SDRPay as RX? If so, I'd appreciate pointers on how to do it.
73, David G3WGN

[Max]

Well understood Pete, but this page: https://www.sdr-radio.com/multi-band clearly shows multiple waterfalls simultaneously. Watch the short video for confirmation. The overall10MHz banwidth will limit the band selection, but monitoring e.g. all the HF amateur CW allocations will only add up to a MHz or two.
Has anyone successfully set up mutiple band waterfalls as per Simon's Multiband page, with SDRPay as RX? If so, I'd appreciate pointers on how to do it.
73, David G3WGN

For 95% of SDRs (that is, the ones that do not allow the running of multiple simultaneous independent receivers, or "slices" as they are sometimes called), then if the radio has a bandwidth of 10MHz, then that has to be 10MHz of continuous spectrum. So in the case of the SDR Play models like yours, if the centre frequency is set to 7MHz, and the bandwidth is set to 10MHz (good luck with that regarding performance on HF with an SDR Play receiver!) then you will be able to see, on the multiband display, any/all bands between 2MHz and 12MHz, i.e. 7 minus 5MHz and 7 plus 5MHz.

So think of the 10MHz bandwidth being a 10MHz wide "window" on the spectrum. Most of the time SDRC will auto centre the hardware on the frequency that you are currently listening to, although there is a feature on the Multiband mode of operation that centres the hardware bandwidth in the middle of the range of selected bands in the multiband display (see description on the web page you referenced).

Regarding the "slice" receivers, i.e multiple different and totally independent receivers anywhere in the covered operating spectrum of the rig, relatively few radios will do this. AFAIK it may only apply to the HPSDR derived radios, so Hermes Lite 2, Anan etc. So for vast majority of SDR rigs, it will operate as per my previous description, and anyway, SDRC does not yet support any "slice" style receivers, even though it does support one receiver on those rigs brilliantly.

73

Max

[Max]

Simon - Possible bug on the Multi-Band feature, although I guess it's possible (but unlikely?) that you intend it this way........

Say you select "Amateur Low" multiband definition . Centre frequency is set to 4.5MHz. Say you then press "Lock Radio" button, and then click on one of the other bands that are within the active bandwidth of the radio. All well and good so far, and the hardware centre frequency stays "locked" as you would expect, and stays locked for every subsequent click within that newly selected band. HOWEVER, as soon as you click a on another of the bands in the multiband display, the radio re-centres on the new frequency you just selected, even though the "Lock Radio" button was still selected. So in other words the "Lock Radio" button only last for one band change even when it is left selected in the "on" state, when logic dictates it should stay locked where it was centred when the user pressed "Lock Radio".

Just for info, no, I did not have "Auto Center" selected. Also (just me being pedantic) why not use the UK spelling of "Centre"!

Max

[jdow]

That sounds like a DWIM issue. It did what it decided you had asked it to do, select a new band of active frequencies saving you some button pressing. It could, also, have decided not change bands and left you with a receiver that is receiving nothing. In your case, you want it to do nothing, should (can?) get back to your original setting by selecting a receiver within your original setting. Does that work?

{^_^}

[G3WGN]

Max, I understand all that, but it still doesn't explain why Simon's page recommends (amongst others) the SDRPaly for the multiband job and clearly shows simultaneous 'live' waterfalls, for all the selected band segments.
73, David G3WGN

[G3WGN]

Max, I understand your comments (that's how I thought SDRs work too) but they are in direct contradiction to the 'Multi-Band' page on the SDRConsole website https://www.sdr-radio.com/multi-band
The page is headed 'all at once' and refers to receiving multiple bands simultaneously. The accompanying short video also shows multiple bands visibly active simultaneously.
So what am I missing?
73, David G3WGN



>>>For 95% of SDRs (that is, the ones that do not allow the running of multiple simultaneous independent receivers, or "slices" as they are sometimes called), then if the radio has a bandwidth of 10MHz, then that has to be 10MHz of continuous spectrum. So in the case of the SDR Play models like yours, if the centre frequency is set to 7MHz, and the bandwidth is set to 10MHz (good luck with that regarding performance on HF with an SDR Play receiver!) then you will be able to see, on the multiband display, any/all bands between 2MHz and 12MHz, i.e. 7 minus 5MHz and 7 plus 5MHz.

So think of the 10MHz bandwidth being a 10MHz wide "window" on the spectrum. Most of the time SDRC will auto centre the hardware on the frequency that you are currently listening to, although there is a feature on the Multiband mode of operation that centres the hardware bandwidth in the middle of the range of selected bands in the multiband display (see description on the web page you referenced).

Regarding the "slice" receivers, i.e multiple different and totally independent receivers anywhere in the covered operating spectrum of the rig, relatively few radios will do this. AFAIK it may only apply to the HPSDR derived radios, so Hermes Lite 2, Anan etc. So for vast majority of SDR rigs, it will operate as per my previous description, and anyway, SDRC does not yet support any "slice" style receivers, even though it does support one receiver on those rigs brilliantly.

73

Max
[/quote]

[Max]

Max, I understand your comments (that's how I thought SDRs work too) but they are in direct contradiction to the 'Multi-Band' page on the SDRConsole website https://www.sdr-radio.com/multi-band
The page is headed 'all at once' and refers to receiving multiple bands simultaneously. The accompanying short video also shows multiple bands visibly active simultaneously.
So what am I missing?
73, David G3WGN

Hi David

My comments are not in contradiction. Suggest you read my first paragraph again. All of the bands that you want to see running in the multiband display MUST fall within (in your case) the 10MHz bandwidth "window" of your hardware. If you want to receive a wider range of bands then you need an SDR that spans a wider hardware bandwidth. This costs more money.

For example, the RX888 direct sampler SDR can display (with some pretty powerful hardware required) a total span of 60MHz, so in one go you could display, simultaneously, the whole of the HF bands 0 kHz to 30 MHz in the first half of the available bandwidth of the receiver. In your case the maximum you can receive with RSP receiver is one continuous "chunk" of 10MHz, so for example, you could choose to display all bands between 0 MHz and 10 MHz, or all bands between 10MHz and 20MHz, or all bands between 20MHz and 30Mhz, but only one of those options (or any other 10MHz "chunk").

SDR Console is very capable software, but it will only ever work within the limitation of your available hardware. It's the hardware that is always the compromise.

As an aside with the RSP you would be hard-pushed to get anything very sensible in terms of performance over a whole 10MHz span at HF. The analogue parts of the receiver are just not up to it I'm afraid. On that receiver the 10MHz bandwidth is only really of much use at VHF/UHF frequencies where the dynamic range requirements are generally much less demanding than at HF. I have an RSP2Pro (almost never used at HF due to poor performance). In my location, with an AM broadcast TX about 8 miles away, I can only really get anything sensible at all out of it (and even then not great) with the hardware bandwidth set to 500kHz. Admittedly the RSPdx is somewhat improved on the RSP2Pro due to better front wend filtering, but almost certainly not at 10MHz bandwidth because you will be effectively sacrificing the front end banded filtering in order to see the wider bandwidth.

Hope that makes some sort of sense?

Max

[G3WGN]

Max, it makes some sense, but does not explain the use of 'all at once' and a video showing several bands simultaneously showing live waterfalls on the Multi-Band web page, along with a recommendation to use the ANAN, RX888 or SDRPlay. Please take a look and tellme what I misunderstand there.
Thanks & 73, David G3WGN