I use my dongle for a "virtual radar" system:
ADS-B (Automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast) will eventually replaced ground-based radar for tracking aircraft. With the dongle and FREE software, you can track aircraft in your area. In my case, I can track aircraft about 200 miles away. Kewl!
Details here: http://forums.radioreference.com/air...ual-radar.html. A lot has changed in the software since I made that post, but the concept is basically the same.
Last edited by n0iu; 03-31-2015 at 09:50 PM.
Scott - NØIU
President - National Sarcasm Society
"Like we need your support!"
I received my dongle ( that just sounds bad ... ) a couple of weeks ago.
I'm running mine with SDR# doing the HF software hack .... no soldering needed.
Works pretty good for my purposes ... Panadapter and all around receiver.
The big thing is the filtering ... YAY!
My radio is the Yaesu FT 101ZD with the IF coming out from the back of the rig to the antenna on the dongle.
Apparently, this with the software hf hack won't work in any other software, but I'm happy with what I've got.
Matt
grrrrr, arrrrgh
Gonna have to give that ADS-B a try, looks cool.
I am surprised at such a sudden deterioration in a woman whose only ailment was a lazy anus.
This is almost like the Gillette Razor trick, give me this Dongle cheap then, make the supporting gear expensive.
I paid five bucks and change to Amazon for an adapter to the MCX (Micro Coax) antenna in jack on my SDR Radio; shipping cost eight bucks!
I'm looking at the Ham-it-up frequency upconverter on ebay for $47.00, the cable I need to connect it to the dongle is also on eBay for ten dollars.
For some reason, the seller on eBay has all his sales / feedback as "Private". His listing says "Shipped from Niagara Falls, NY while his ebay ID lists him as Canadian.
link
Anybody else "Hamming It Up" yet?
BTW, the connector adapter was the wrong polarity (MCX "Female" looking connector on the Dongle is actually the "Male" connector). I also ordered a MCX to Male BNC adapter; I wonder what I'm gonna get sent from China, I'm sure they put it on a slow boat, how else could you afford "Free Shipping".
ETA: Because of noise restrictions, planes can land only on the North-South runway, all the planes must approach the airport from the north; even coming from the south, they overshoot the airport by ten miles or so and then do a "U-Turn" in to the final approach.Originally Posted by KC9ECI
It works good until the planes start their final approach then, I lose them to the control tower radar; same way with take offs, about 20 miles out (?) from the airport, the departing plans pop up on the map.
.
Last edited by koØm; 04-15-2015 at 01:53 PM.
I got one of those Hamitup whachamacallits and after getting the correct adapters, it actually worked fairly well. I found the SDR# software a bit easier to use than HDSDR. I eventually got bored with it and sold the Hamitup. I put it up for sale "over there" and someone snatched it up only a few hours after I posted it. (Can I say snatch over here?) Fortunately I only lost a few bucks in the process. Its not that it didn't work, it was because I already have an HF rig and it is much easier (for me!) to just spin the big dial than to drag a mouse across the screen looking for activity.
The one thing it did do was to make me more interested in perhaps looking into a real SDR from Flex (or someone like them) one day. I mean I kinda sorta like the concept of SDR, but I am still not ready to kick my HF rig to the curb just quite yet.
Well there is this pesky little thing called the curvature of the earth that causes this to happen. I live about 35 miles from the airport in St. Louis and can track planes down to about 1200 feet or so on approach. I suppose I could put the antenna up a little higher, but I don't think it would buy me much more in terms of tracking them any further. Besides, I just run the virtual radar once in a great while when I get really bored in the shack.
Last edited by n0iu; 04-16-2015 at 04:48 AM. Reason: speeling
Scott - NØIU
President - National Sarcasm Society
"Like we need your support!"
I'm wondering whether or not the beacons are shut off during final approach and take off; I have no problems with flights that are not stopping here, their data keeps coming in and they stay on the chart.
I don't know how far I'm gonna go with this SDR thing, sure it's a neat trick but, would you try to implement it on Field Day?
Maybe I haven't looked into it enough but, I would like to be able to share the same antenna with my transmitter but mute the receiver on transmit, some kinda plug-in for JT-65 etc.
.
Baofeng is gonna mess with it all with new SDR rigs.
Rumor has it.
"Where would we be without the agitators of the world to attach the electrodes
of knowledge to the nipples of ignorance?" ~ Professor "Dick" Soloman
Hmmm....Please tell me more about this software hack.......
"One man with courage makes a majority." ~ Andrew Jackson
Steve KA9MOT
Macomb, IL
Bump
Enquiring minds want to know!
.
ETA: I received my MCX to BNC adapter today from China and of course, they were the wrong polarity/sex. I'm tempted to cut the POS antenna off and solder the coax to a PL-259 then run it to a tuner and antenna.
Last edited by koØm; 04-25-2015 at 12:01 AM.
Bump and ......
Here is the direction I went. I'll update as things progress.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o00_s00
Here's a page FULL of useful information.
http://www.rtl-sdr.com/big-list-rtl-...rted-software/
I've enjoyed island life for 17 years. That's 13 years more than the Confederacy was around.
RIP Albi
When do you tell a woman you're a ham?
It's a jungle out there. Many EQ stupidly with poor articulation.
~TKX
YIAH
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W3WN
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