Well, sort of. If you are interested in seeing what all the excitement is about regarding and not want to spend a dime to find out, then this is for you. There are a couple of ways to try out Software Defined Radios. One method is to try out websdr.org. The websdr receivers are attached to the internet by individuals running websdr servers. Users can then access these receivers from their web browser provided they have Java installed on their PC. This method of accessing Software Defined Radio receivers around the world and provides a great basic introduction to the operation and the capabilities of SDR radios. However, these SDR servers are relatively simplistic in nature, and doesn’t allow you access to all the controls and adjustments that modern PC based SDR software allows. If you want to get a more realistic view of what to expect from SDR, download SDR-Radio.com. This software will allow you to operate network connected SDR receivers through the software console as if the radio was attached to your own computer. Most of the radios available over the internet are RF-Space SDR receivers. These excellent RF-Space receivers typically operate between 500Hz to 30MHz with a 196KHz wide spectrum display. These radios are located in several countries, so it is also a unique opportunity to see what you can pickup in Switzerland or California. With SDR-Radio.com you can use the console to test drive these radios as well as SDR in general. All you have to do is download the software, install it on your PC, read the instructions on how to connect to an internet connected receiver, and you are in business. SDR-Radio.com also offers a built in data decoder for several modes. Want to check out PSK31 stations in Europe, you can with SDR-Radio.com. You can play around with other decoding software if you have Virtual Audio Cable or an equivalent. You can route audio fron the SDR-Radio.com program to other software decoders. So, in other words, you can pretty much get the full SDR experience using SDR-Radio.com. However, note that most internet sessions are limited to around 30 minutes to keep you from hogging up the radio. So just don’t sit there give SDR radio a try for free!
I would like to see the activity and the individual signal strength on the 20 meter amateur radio band.
I have a Macbook, and an Icom 746.
What software and hardware do you suggest
TNX and 73
Ubaldo DiBenedetto, WA1TJW