I have just a few more comments on this. First, I have several users
running the Orion with the 9 mhz IF mod, LP-Pan, and TRX-Pan. This
works quite well and is very stable.
Second, I also have an interface with SDR-IQ. In this setup, no 9 mhz
IF output mod is needed at all on the Orion. Instead, one wire is added
inside the orion that goes between the sub-reciever antenna input and
the spare jack on the Orion. This allows SDR-IQ or the Flex 1500 to
share the same antenna with the Orion. My software keeps the two radios
in lock step, also providing a great panadapter function without the
need for a sound card or 9 mhz IF mode.
Carl Moreschi N4PY
121 Little Bell Dr.
Hays, NC 28635
www.n4py.com
On 7/19/2011 8:46 PM, Floyd Sense wrote:
There are a couple of approaches, both of which work. I first used the
N4PY software along with LP-Pan and PowerSDR/IF. I ended up using an
SDR-IQ receiver and Spectravue software, along with VSPE for sharing the
Orion II com port between Spectravue and my logging program, DXLab
suite. Originally, Carl's program was the only one that got the IF
offsets right for the Orion and that's important so that the signal
you're listening to appears at the correct point on the panadaptor
display. If that's off, then mousing on a signal on the panadaptor
display won't move it into your receive passband and you won't hear it.
Here were my reasons for using SDR-IQ instead of LP-Pan - others will
disagree with which approach is best, but I found that the software was
very dependent upon the version of Windows you're running and on other
mysterious factors that never were identified.
1. With the SDR-IQ, no sound card is required. The processed signal is
sent to the PC via the USB port of the SDR-IQ. That avoids all the
problems involved with finding the right drivers for your sound card for
the version of Windows you're running. Sounds like that should be
simple to do, but it's not.
2. The latest version of Spectravue gets the Orion II offsets right just
as the N4PY software does. I worked with Moe of Moetronics (author of
Spectravue) to get this support right based on IF frequency info I fed him.
3. I found PowerSDR/IF to be unstable on both my XP and Win 7 systems.
It routinely locked things up and couldn't be terminated, requiring a
re-boot of the PC. TRX-Pan simply would not run correctly on either my
XP or Win 7 systems. While the program would execute, some of the
required graphics would not display. Spectravue worked correctly on
both my systems and has NEVER failed or locked up the system.
4. When using LP-Pan with PowerSDR/IF, I found the height of the
signals on the display to be lacking in spite of having adequate gain in
the signal chain. With Spectravue, the sensitivity is superb and you
can adjust the signal height on the display easily.
5. Using Spectravue, one can shrink the display window down to just
show the panadaptor display, scales and mode buttons, so PowerSDR/IF has
no advantage there.
Spectravue is well supported and the author works closely with the
SDR-IQ manufacturer - they were together in the RFSpace booth at
Dayton. The SDR-IQ uses exactly the same Orion IF output as LP-Pan does.
73, Floyd - K8AC
On 7/19/2011 5:51 PM, John Molenda wrote:
In response to my question of TT providing a pan adapter in the near
future several people responded ( thank you ) telling me how they sent
there OII back to the factory and have them pull out the IF to a extra
port on the back of the radio . OK , sounds good anyone remember about
how much the mod cost ? what software and hardware do I need to make
this pan adapter work ? I assume that the hardware extracts the IF info
and sends it to my computer where a special software program turns it
into a pan adapter . Is this correct ? If so any suggestions on the
best route to take ? thanks again to you tech guys ! John molenda kb2huk
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