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Gents,
having now built 2 of the softrock systems, I can
recommend them for use as grabbers. Being image cancelling systems they
interface directly with the PC soundcard and all the clever stuff is done by
Spectrum lab (or software of your choice that supports I & Q input). With a
bog standard soundcard you can get a display of +- 20 odd KHz from the centre
freq. There is no AGC problem, as observed on other grabbers, and current
consumption in minimal (about 35mA inc a preamp which I fitted when I had a
problem that turned out to be the antenna). I received my kit a few days before
Christmas, so a grabber can be set up in a reasonable timescale!
These units are available direct from Tony Parks
KB9YIG raparks%ctcisp.com $13
inc shipping if I recall, for the 455KHz version (you then simply
substitute a cheap 4MHz crystal for the one supplied) coverage is the
500KHz +- 20 KHz, I have chosen to display only 501 to 509 so as to be able to
distinguish the close spaced beacons around 505
These are kits and they do use some surface mount
components, but the end result is a compact and highly effective receiver
ideally suited to this application. Mine is even powered directly off the
computer 12V line
It would be great to see a grabber in the deep
south, and coverage of the 505 beacons included, which to me is perhaps the
most interesting aspect of the use for these things
substitute @ for % on Tony's email
address.
Cheers
Mark GM4ISM
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 11:58
PM
Subject: Re: LF: 500 grabbers
Chaps
On the subject of grabbers, I've swapped the
receivers over so the TS850 is on the 500k grabber at the moment which means I
can open up the IF a bit and display the whole band (at the request of Finbar
whose beacon was off the bottom before!)
73
--
G3YXM IO92BK Birmingham UK
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