It's all about the Software

Suddenly my S3 has broadcast FM breaking through from long wave up to the actual FM broadcast band (87.5MHz). I was listening on MF when it started. I have not changed anything on the S3. I have a Wellbrook loop and a high gain FM antenna connected to the Elad. The breakthrough is present on both SDR Console and the Elad software. Has anyone else experienced this?

In the screen grab you can see that signals are so strong I get full RDS! Of course I would normally be using AM or SSB on HF. Using WBFM is just for illustration.

I have tried rebooting the PC, the software and the Elad. Nothing changes. There is no FM breakthrough on Airspy Discovery +. I wonder if my Elad has become faulty.

Thanks for any advice.

Have you tried disconnecting the VHF antenna and see if the breakthrough stops?

Also try the other HF port and see if you still get breakthrough.

If you have not done so, disconnect the power from the S3 and reconnect (not just using the on/off switch).

Other than that, not sure what to suggest....

Have you added any optional filters - if so, maybe one isn't seated correctly?

What about GNSS lock - LEDs on?

Thanks for the replies. The only front panel light that is lit up is the ON light, I am not using any antenna bias. I have not fitted any filters, in fact I have never even opened the case. And I don't have GNSS enabled. There is no FM breakthrough if I disconnect the FM antenna, which of course I can do when I want to listen on HF. I am just surprised that a quality product like the Elad S3 would suffer from such breakthrough. I have not read any comments about this from anyone else who is using a high gain FM antenna with the Elad and I don't know anyone else locally who has an Elad, so I can't make any comparisons.

I bought the Elad primarily for FM DX, and it is very good on the BC FM band, with very little overload unlike other cheaper SDR's. Using it on HF is just a bonus, but I not expect this issue. I will probably just have to live with it!

What you are seeing is wrong, I've just tuned to 33 MHz etc. and do not see this. I would report it to ELAD.

Would be interesting to see a screenshot on 88 - 108 so I can see how strong signals are.

What is your location? six-letter grid would be handy

G0OFE wrote: ↑Fri May 07, 2021 2:45 pm What is your location? six-letter grid would be handy

QRZ.com says 'WS12 2RN'.

Dave,

What does adding attenuation do?

Have you try with the original Software SW-2?

73
Fenu

Dave_G7WBH wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 2:34 pm Suddenly my S3 has broadcast FM breaking through from long wave up to the actual FM broadcast band (87.5MHz). I was listening on MF when it started. I have not changed anything on the S3. I have a Wellbrook loop and a high gain FM antenna connected to the Elad. The breakthrough is present on both SDR Console and the Elad software. Has anyone else experienced this?

In the screen grab you can see that signals are so strong I get full RDS! Of course I would normally be using AM or SSB on HF. Using WBFM is just for illustration.

I have tried rebooting the PC, the software and the Elad. Nothing changes. There is no FM breakthrough on Airspy Discovery +. I wonder if my Elad has become faulty.

Thanks for any advice.

I am in IO92AQ (Cannock)

I have attached a screenshot of the FM band. The antenna is an 8 element Triax (horizontal) beaming south, and I use a TGN ULNA to compensate for splitting the antenna to feed 4 RX's. Yes, signals are strong. I am approx 17km from Sutton Coldfield which is to the south east. If I attenuate the signal then the the breakthrough becomes correspondingly weaker. Results are the same whether I use SDR Console or the native Elad software. By the way, I don't have SDR Console's pre-amp turned on.