Integrating gqrx with BitX40

[richard kappler]

I'm interested in building a panadapter for my BitX40 (40meter QRP transceiver project). I have found and read the April 2014 QST article on building a "Tiny Python Panadapter" but wonder if it would be possible to utilize, or add functionality to, GQRX to incorporate a panadapter to my project.

Please note, this is at present a thought exercise. I'm not asking for an immediate solution, just some opinions and thoughts at this point. N00b Ham, but professional Linux SysAdmin and Python programmer.

73, Richard
--

W2KAP

In any given circuit, the most expensive part will always sacrifice itself to protect the fuse.

[Alexandru Csete]

On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 4:04 PM, richard kappler <richk...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I'm interested in building a panadapter for my BitX40 (40meter QRP transceiver project). I have found and read the April 2014 QST article on building a "Tiny Python Panadapter" but wonder if it would be possible to utilize, or add functionality to, GQRX to incorporate a panadapter to my project.

Hi Richard,

Gqrx is a pandapter by its very nature but it sounds like you need
something more?
I am not familiar with the BitX40 and after a quick glance at the
website it is not clear to me how one would do the physical
interfacing and thereby also what functionalities might be needed. So
I will need more info before I can answer.

Alex

[richard kappler]

Alex,

I should have prefaced my query by saying I've been using gqrx for a few months now, and enjoy it immensely. BitX40 is a 'kit' 40 meter QRP transceiver (SSB). I noticed the following two projects:

http://bitxhacks.blogspot.com/2017/03/a-band-scope-for-bitx.html?m=1

https://www.aa6e.net/wiki/Tiny_Python_Panadapter

and wondered, as gqrx seems to already be doing all or most of this if it might be better to use/modify gqrx for the job. The hardware would be, I should think, fairly simple, a Raspberry Pi and a SDR dongle, with an upconverter, ought to do it. Display would be easy as well, just run gqrx as is on the pi and send out to a display. My thought, having had time to chew on it since sending the original email, would be how to use the tuner on the BitX to tune panadapter (set listening freq). Beyond that, I've been in engineering meetings at work all day, haven;t been able to flesh out the idea beyond that at this point.

"But why?" One might ask. It seems that the above two projects are reinventing the wheel and using gqrx might give better reliability and functionality out of the box with not much pain.

Thanks for the response Alex, love your software!

Back to my meetings.

73, Richard W2KAP

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[Alexandru Csete]

Richard,

If all you want is a band scope, then you can use gqrx as is. With demodulation off, gqrx runs with quite low CPU even on a Raspberry Pi 2. You can even turn on demodulation, tune within the received passband and use gqrx for receiving.

The only issue is that the frequency display in gqrx will not be in sync with the actual RX frequency of your BitX40. Syncing them would require some sort of CAT interface.

Alex

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/gqrx/CAG7edPEyg8F1CN_hs2pg%2Be9uxoPtPB413T4s7Fpf75LmESWmWQ%40mail.gmail.com.

[Simon Kennedy]

Hi Richard,

I *think* what you want is my software which will maintain gqrx in sync with another radio, see here and/or allow use of an RTL-SDR or similar tuned to a radio i/f as a panadaptor.

It might not exactly be what you need but looks close.

Good luck

Simon

G0FCU.

[Alexandru Csete]

I thought of your program Simon, but I'm not sure this radio has CAT
interface. I haven't looked closely, though.

Alex

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[Simon Kennedy]

I don't think the BITX has any sort of interface to anything given its pedigree as a low cost homebrew radio using easy and cheap to get parts in India. I didn't look closely either!

[Alexander Fasching]

It does have a serial port for debugging, but there's no CAT implemented.
https://github.com/afarhan/bitx40/blob/master/bitx40.ino

On 05/02/2017 10:18 PM, Simon Kennedy wrote:
> I don't think the BITX has any sort of interface to anything given its
> pedigree as a low cost homebrew radio using easy and cheap to get parts
> in India. I didn't look closely either!
>
>
> On 2 May 2017 at 20:24, Alexandru Csete <oz9...@gmail.com

> <mailto:oz9...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> I thought of your program Simon, but I'm not sure this radio has CAT
> interface. I haven't looked closely, though.
>

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[Simon Kennedy]

Ah, *that* BITX, I was thinking of the older/original version.

In that case I am sure it will be easy for someone to change the code to implement a few simple Hamlib commands.

[Alexander Fasching]

I didn't know that there are multiple versions, so it depends on which
version Richard is using.

On 05/02/2017 10:30 PM, Simon Kennedy wrote:
> Ah, *that* BITX, I was thinking of the older/original version.
>
> In that case I am sure it will be easy for someone to change the code to
> implement a few simple Hamlib commands.
>
>
> On 2 May 2017 at 21:23, Alexander Fasching <faschi...@gmail.com

> <mailto:faschi...@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
> It does have a serial port for debugging, but there's no CAT
> implemented.
> https://github.com/afarhan/bitx40/blob/master/bitx40.ino

> <https://github.com/afarhan/bitx40/blob/master/bitx40.ino>

>
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[Simon Kennedy]

Details of the original BITX are here.

[richard kappler]

The one I am using is the latest (BitX40 v.3) with the "Raduino" which is an Si5351 DDS VFO on an arduino nano.

73, Richard W2KAP

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[Simone Marzona]

Hello Richard,

have you a project homepage/feed that I can follow? I am interested.

as is a side note, following up on Simon Kennedy's post, if the device you are envisioning will provide an interface that is implementing rigctl protocol, then you may "enjoy" some more features "out of the box" from tools like rig-remote (https://github.com/Marzona/rig-remote) allowing you to focus on other parts of the project.

Does it make sense to you?

regard

On Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 9:53:27 PM UTC+1, richard kappler wrote:

The one I am using is the latest (BitX40 v.3) with the "Raduino" which is an Si5351 DDS VFO on an arduino nano.

73, Richard W2KAP

On Tue, May 2, 2017 at 4:45 PM, Simon Kennedy <si...@thekennedys.info> wrote:

Details of the original BITX are here.

On 2 May 2017 at 21:36, Alexander Fasching <faschi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I didn't know that there are multiple versions, so it depends on which version Richard is using.

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