Ezcap and SDR#... lost in static

[Govind Mukundan]

Hi,

I bought a dongle that seems to be the Ezcap one (based on VID/PID) combination. It came bundled with an application called Presto! PVR, and using that I was able to tune into the local FM stations. Then I installed drivers for SDR# using Zadig and was able to run the SDR#. However I was not able to tune into any of the FM stations using SDR#. All I hear is static. Any idea what could be wrong?

Govind

[Govind Mukundan]

I've fixed it, had to set the Configure > Tuner AGC option ON

[jdow]

Govind, it will work better for you, in my experience, if you leave AGC off
and raise the manual RF gain.

Set the gain to something in the 20-30 range.

Find a weak (some hiss on the signal) station to listen to that transmits for
long periods of time. (In the US the NOAA weather broadcasts near 162.450 MHz
are often useful for this and for a rough calibration.)

Move the RF gain control up and down looking for minimum audible noise. Of
course, this usually happens at maximum gain. Reduce gain until the noise
just barely gets worse. Back off one step, perhaps. This will give you an
optimum tradeoff between dynamic range on the signals and overload. These
dongles have very restricted dynamic ranges.

(With the NOAA broadcasts or anything else of known accuracy you can also
play with the PPM setting to calibrate the dongle to within perhaps 2 or
maybe 3 ppm. That's the best you can do easily in the US unless you play
with other tools than SDRSharp.)

{^_^} Joanne

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ultra
> Cheap SDR" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
> to ultra-cheap-s...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ultra-cheap-s...@googlegroups.com>.
> To post to this group, send email to ultra-c...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ultra-c...@googlegroups.com>.
> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/ultra-cheap-sdr.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[David J Taylor]

From: jdow

(With the NOAA broadcasts or anything else of known accuracy you can also
play with the PPM setting to calibrate the dongle to within perhaps 2 or
maybe 3 ppm. That's the best you can do easily in the US unless you play
with other tools than SDRSharp.)

{^_^} Joanne

===============================

.. or get one of the 2 ppm, TCXO dongles from Andy at Jetvision:

http://h2204566.stratoserver.net/SmartStore.NET/de/sdr-dongle-r820trtl2832u-with-tcxo-2ppm

73,
David GM8ARV
--
SatSignal Software - Quality software written to your requirements
Web: http://www.satsignal.eu
Email: david-...@blueyonder.co.uk

[jdow]

On 2014/03/15 11:41, David J Taylor wrote:
> From: jdow
>
> (With the NOAA broadcasts or anything else of known accuracy you can also
> play with the PPM setting to calibrate the dongle to within perhaps 2 or
> maybe 3 ppm. That's the best you can do easily in the US unless you play
> with other tools than SDRSharp.)
>
> {^_^} Joanne
> ===============================
>
> .. or get one of the 2 ppm, TCXO dongles from Andy at Jetvision:
>
> http://h2204566.stratoserver.net/SmartStore.NET/de/sdr-dongle-r820trtl2832u-with-tcxo-2ppm
>
> 73,
> David GM8ARV

I'm not silly enough to waste money on a TCXO for an 8 but 2.4 msps toy.

{^_-}

[David J Taylor]

From: jdow

>
> http://h2204566.stratoserver.net/SmartStore.NET/de/sdr-dongle-r820trtl2832u-with-tcxo-2ppm
>
> 73,
> David GM8ARV

I'm not silly enough to waste money on a TCXO for an 8 but 2.4 msps toy.

{^_-}

==============================

For narrow-band, rather than broadband, work it has its advantages, and is
still a lot cheaper than the FUNcube Dongle, for example.

Cheers,
David

[Larry Dighera]

On Sat, 15 Mar 2014 18:41:11 -0000, "David J Taylor" <sats...@gmail.com>
wrote:

>.. or get one of the 2 ppm, TCXO dongles from Andy at Jetvision:
>
> http://h2204566.stratoserver.net/SmartStore.NET/de/sdr-dongle-r820trtl2832u-with-tcxo-2ppm
>
>73,
>David GM8ARV

Thanks for the information. However I don't need three new RTL USB sticks at
six times the price of the original each.

Perhaps one of these may be a better solution:
<http://www.nelfc.com/pdf/0648a.pdf>.

[David J Taylor]

Thanks for the information. However I don't need three new RTL USB sticks
at
six times the price of the original each.

Perhaps one of these may be a better solution:
<http://www.nelfc.com/pdf/0648a.pdf>.

=======================

Your choice, Larry! The TCXO sticks I mentioned have a TCXO such as you
instanced already fitted. If you are capable of doing that and have all
the right equipment and facilities, of course you can save yourself money
over having someone else do the job and guaranteeing and supporting their
work.

Yes, the TCXO dongles are a little expensive, but I know that I don't have
the skill or equipment to do such a conversion myself, and for some
narrow-band applications being able to work in the knowledge that the offset
is 2 ppm or less, and doesn't drift with temperature, is rather helpful.

Your money, your choice.

Cheers,
David

[Siegfried Jackstien]

Larry

Do you know the costs and where to get these clocks?!?

Dg9bfc

Sigi



> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: ultra-c...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ultra-cheap-
> s...@googlegroups.com] Im Auftrag von Larry Dighera
> Gesendet: Montag, 17. März 2014 00:22
> An: ultra-c...@googlegroups.com
> Betreff: Re: [ultra-cheap-sdr] Re: Ezcap and SDR#... lost in static

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Ultra Cheap SDR" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an

> email to ultra-cheap-s...@googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to ultra-c...@googlegroups.com.

[jdow]

http://www.ebay.com/sch/?_nkw=TCXO%2028.8MHz&clk_rvr_id=603830279619
{^_^}

[Siegfried Jackstien]

No match

Tcxo ... found

Clocks with 28.8 megs ... found

Both in one (tcxo clock with 28.8 megs) ... nothing found

Dg9bfc

Sigi



> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: ultra-c...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ultra-cheap-

> s...@googlegroups.com] Im Auftrag von jdow
> Gesendet: Montag, 17. März 2014 09:33
> An: ultra-c...@googlegroups.com
> Betreff: Re: AW: [ultra-cheap-sdr] Re: Ezcap and SDR#... lost in static

[Larry Dighera]

Hello Sigi,

You might inquire here:

CRYSTAL OSCILLATORS
Rev. H
357 Beloit Street, P.O. Box 457, Burlington, WI
53105-0457 U.S.A. Phone 262/763-3591 FAX 262/763-2881
Email: nels...@nelfc.com
www.nelfc.com

I found this TXCO with a Google search. I'm sure you can do better than my
quick perusal with a little more effort.

Best regards,
Larry


On Mon, 17 Mar 2014 09:10:14 -0000, "Siegfried Jackstien" <dg9...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[jdow]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-TCXO-28-8MHz-28-800M-Ultra-precision-Crystal-Oscillators-DIP-0-5ppm-NT-/131129276731?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e87e9f93b

(Mind the wrap)
{^_^}

[Siegfried Jackstien]

Thank you sooo much :-)

Dg9bfc

Sigi



> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: ultra-c...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ultra-cheap-
> s...@googlegroups.com] Im Auftrag von jdow

> Gesendet: Montag, 17. März 2014 22:52
> An: ultra-c...@googlegroups.com
> Betreff: Re: AW: AW: [ultra-cheap-sdr] Re: Ezcap and SDR#... lost in
> static
>
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-TCXO-28-8MHz-28-800M-Ultra-precision-Crystal-
> Oscillators-DIP-0-5ppm-NT-

> >>>> To post to this group, send email to ultra-cheap-
> s...@googlegroups.com.