|
Alan K2WS
My 1st QSO with this setup was with VK2APG 27 April 2005 on 18.120mHz, running barefoot into a 4 element monobander at 85ft.
Later that evening I worked my “HiFi SSB” friends on 20 meters and received very good reports on audio quality.The SDR-1000 was driving an amplifier up to 800 watts PEP.
No RFI was observed.I hope this report is useful to the SDR community. Please e-mail me with questions or to make a sked.
73, Alan Davis K2WS
for more information, contact Alan at <k2ws@hotmail.com
Using the M-Audio Delta 66
After much frustration, I have gotten the Delta 66 to correctly operate in SSB transmit and receive using Beta v1.3.3.
I have an AC97 type sound chip on the motherboard of the Sony Vaio Computer and it is setup as the Primary soundcard and is used for XP sytem sounds, e-mail sounds, TeamSpeak2, etc. When the AC97 is disabled, I was NOT able to
use the Delta 66 successfully with the SDR software.
Unlike the Audigy 2 ZS soundcard, the Delta 66 does NOT appear to have the broadband noise that extended out about 200kHz either side of center.
Scroll down for pictures of the setup screens for M-Audio and the SDR
Using the SDR Beta v1.3.2 with the M-Audio Delta 44 or 66 soundcards.
By Alan Davis, K2WS
Make certain you do a Restore point save in XP to save your current working SDR system. Then remove all Audigy 2 ZS software by uninstalling it and using EasyClean or other utility to clean out the Registry etc., of
any Audigy stuff. Very important.
Enable your original soundcard. It should be used for everything EXCEPT the SDR.
Now install the M-Audio software after the card has been physically installed.
On the PowerSDR Setup <Audio> page, ‘Sound card selection’ = M-Audio Delta 44 (PCI). I have found for best SSB audio quality, use 2048 Buffer size! Note that most choices here are straight forward.
Line In Gain appears inoperative. In my case, the Sound card output voltage needed to be reduced from 3.8v to 2.2v to get reasonable output levels.
Next, Call up the M-Audio Delta Control Panel and examine it.
On the M-Audio <Monitor Mixer> screen, we see on WavOut 1/2 the audio output of the receiver. In SSB transmit, the WavOut 3/4 indicates the quadrature audio that drives the QSE, the transmitter
. The external microphone pre-amp output is displayed on H/W In 3 / 4 left-side only. Don’t drive the QSE with this signal or you will be DSB!
On the M-Audio <Hardware Settings>, the Variable Signal Levels need attention. To get full output from the transmitter, I set the Outputs to +4dBu. The power level drops nearly 10dB using “Consumer” and another
6-9dB on the –10dBV setting! These are approximate values only.
The Input settings are as follows:
In1 and In2 are set to +4dBu for best dynamic range on the receiver.
In3 and In4 are set to –10dBV gives highest output. ALC threshold becomes too high with the “consumer” or +4dBu settings.
You can Save & Restore all M-Audio settings and then name it, for easy retrival if you wish!
On the PowerSDR <Transmit> Setup , the Mic PreAmp control is the drive level and must be used to set the level when observing the ALC meter. Front panel Mic Gain is dead.
Unlike the rest of the world’s radio’s, this ALC meter reads more and more NEGATIVE as you drive the rig harder and harder! In SSB service, my advice is not drive the radio harder then –1 to –3dB and no more then 75
to 85 watts PEP out.
Wally, I hope this report is useful to you. Please e-mail me with questions or to make a sked.
73, Alan Davis K2WS in Wading River, Long Island NY
(click on this picture for full size image)
|
(click on this picture for full size image) |
Note: new -10db setting for
PowerSDR Console 1.3.4
(click on this picture for full size image)
|
(click on this picture for full size image)
|
(click on this picture for full
size image) |
|
|
