Software Defined Radio: for Amateur Radio Operators and Shortwave Listeners

This book is intended for Amateur Radio Operators, Shortwave Listeners, and anyone interested in radio as a hobby. It includes sections on how different types of software defined radios work, the advantages of using them, and how they are tested. It also covers future trends including the development of Direct Fourier Conversion. There is a big section with tips for PowerSDR users and sections about other commonly used SDR software, plus a comparison of the basic specifications of 65 different SDR receivers and transceivers. The book is not a textbook or a reference book. It is written in an easy to read conversational style. I explain the basics without getting too technical. There are no pages of software code or complex mathematics. I find that simple diagrams can often make things easier to understand so I have included some helpful drawings and photographs. The book contains sections on: • What to look for when buying an SDR • What is different about SDR? • What computer skills do you need? • What is digital? – a brief recap on digital theory • Definitions of software defined radio • Generations and types of SDR • Are SDRs better? • Future trends • Common questions about SDR • SDR software on the PC • Audio connections for digital modes • SDR for shortwave listening, CW, digital modes, contesting, interference monitoring, EME, microwave, and satellite operation • SoftRock, Genesis radios, RTL dongle, FUNcube dongle, USB connected receivers, USRP, Noctar, HackRF and Blade RF • SDRs with knobs • On-board or external DSP? • FlexRadio Systems transceivers and SmartSDR • Apache Labs ANAN transceivers and PowerSDR • cuSDR, KISS Konsole, SDR#, and GNU radio software • I and Q signals, Quadrature sampling, Direct Digital Synthesis, Direct Fourier Conversion • The ADC, The FPGA or microcomputer, Server / Client architecture, FFT magic, DSP, Panadapter and waterfall displays • Radio performance testing • Catalog of Software Defined radios – a comparison of 65 SDR receivers and transceivers • Glossary of abbreviations and acronyms • List of drawings and images