[Hackrf-dev] Is my new (old) HackRF Deaf?

[Jerry]

Jake

 

Thanks for the sound advice.  I have had spectrum analyzers and learned early to be careful with nearby RF sources ☹

 

Right now I am getting a wide confluence of signals between 98.5 and 101.5 on the FFT.  If it were my SA I would narrow the bandwidth to improve the signal resolution but on the Osmocom Source changing Ch0 Bandwidth from 10 Hz to 500 Hz doesn’t appear to change the FFT display noticeably.

 

Attached is a picture.

 

Jerry NY2KW 

 

 

From: HackRF-dev [mailto:hackrf-dev-bounces at greatscottgadgets.com] On Behalf Of Gavin Jacobs
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2017 6:22 PM
To: hackrf-dev at greatscottgadgets.com
Subject: Re: [Hackrf-dev] Is my new (old) HackRF Deaf?

 

Jerry, 

Learning how to use Ubuntu, and Gnu, and HackRF is a challenge! I went down that path about a year ago. The issue you describe hits every new user. When you are running GNU radio, you have to turn up the IF gain to about 40 - it defaults to 0. Also, turn up the BaseBand gain to about 30. Leave the RF gain at 0 (that setting is confusing; a value of 0 just means the RF LNA is left off; 14 means it is on; but you rarely need it on). 

 

Also, a word of caution. Since you are a ham, you likely have an HT or a base station. You have to take care to never exceed the maximum field strength anywhere near the HackRF. I don't recall the exact spec, but basically if you transmit with a 5 Watt HT, right next to HackRF, you can fry the RF front end.

 

Hope that helps.

Jake

 

  _____  

From: HackRF-dev <hackrf-dev-bounces at greatscottgadgets.com <mailto:hackrf-dev-bounces at greatscottgadgets.com> > on behalf of Jerry Stern <jsternmd at att.net <mailto:jsternmd at att.net> >
Sent: July 10, 2017 2:54:16 PM
To: hackrf-dev at greatscottgadgets.com <mailto:hackrf-dev at greatscottgadgets.com> 
Subject: [Hackrf-dev] Is my new (old) HackRF Deaf? 

 

Is my HackRF deaf?  I am a ham radio hobbyist and I bought a HackRF One to enhance my deeper learning of SDR but also as a broadband RF source.  To my dismay, installing the software has become days of learning Ubuntu basics and dealing with instructions that are at times outdated or nuanced towards a person with much more than basic Linux skills.  So, I gave up on Ubuntu only because it was faster for me to install and test with Windows 7.   My HackRF One (GreatScott) must have been a leftover as the firmware was dated 2014(August).  I installed the latest version HackRF tools and updated the firmware to Feb 2017.  I followed Mike's video tutorial for creating a basic GNU flow for FM and also installed SDR#.  I have very strong FM broadcast stations in my area which I can easily demodulate with my Rigol Spectrum analyzer using the ANT500. However both with GNU and SDR# my HackRF appears deaf in FM broadcast mode.  I read that a few years back there may have been some issues with cold solder joints on the HackRF pcb....  I have a lot of test equipment - from RF generators up to 2 GHz, etc but before I go that route is there something I am perhaps missing in my setup.  Not sure where or what details to provide here without overloading my question further .





Thanks





Jerry

 


Sent from my iPhone

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