FCC ID: HNL-G5E Report No. M060140_Cert_G3_External_Receiver EMC Technologies Report Number: M060140_Cert_G3_External_Receiver APPENDIX G User Manual EMC Technologies Pty Ltd – 57 Assembly Drive, Tullamarine VIC 3043 Australia www.emctech.com.
® WiNRADiO G3xx VHF/UHF Receiver User’s Guide
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Published by WiNRADiO Communications PO Box 6118, St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004, Australia © 2006 WiNRADiO Communications, Melbourne All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publisher. Trademarks WiNRADiO, G3 and Radio Basic are trademarks of WiNRADiO Communications All other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual FCC Notice This equiment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Table of Contents Table of Contents .................................................................................... 4 Introduction.............................................................................................. 6 G3XX Receiver Models............................................................................ 7 Installation................................................................................................ 9 System Requirements...................
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Squelch Control ..................................................................................... 44 Memory ................................................................................................... 46 Storing a Frequency into Memory ...................................................... 46 Recalling a Frequency from Memory.................................................. 48 Editing Memory ............................................................................
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Introduction Welcome to the WiNRADiO G3XX receiver. This advanced receiver is the result of a quest to combine many years of accumulated know-how in computer-based radio receivers with the latest advances in components and digital signal processing techniques.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual G3XX Receiver Models There are two basic models of the WiNRADiO G3XX receiver: • • G3XXi (PCI card based “internal” model) G3XXe (USB based “external” model) Both receivers have similar parameters and similar software user interface. This manual covers the installation and operational aspects for both types.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The external G3XXe model has three connectors: The power jack accepts 12 V DC (the power adapter must be rated for minimum 500 mA). To minimize interference, a linear-mode power adapter is recommended (as supplied by WiNRADiO). The antenna input is an SMA-type connector with 50 ohm impedance. The USB interface is compatible with both USB 1.0 and 2.0 standards and serves to connect the receiver to a desktop or a laptop computer.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Installation The WiNRADiO G3XX package contains the following items: • WiNRADiO G3XXi or G3XXe receiver • USB interface cable (G3XXe receiver only) • WiNRADiO software on a CD ROM • Start-up indoor antenna • Audio cable (G3XXi receiver only) • This User’s Guide • Warranty information In order for the WiNRADiO receiver to function, your IBM PC compatible computer must meet the minimum system requirements specified below.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Hardware Installation G3XXi model (PCI card) 1. Turn the computer off and disconnect the power cord. 2. Remove the computer case. Choose an empty PCI slot, as far as possible from the power supply and from other cards. 3. First touch the computer metalwork with your hand to drain any static charge, then carefully insert the card into the vacant slot and push down until it is firmly seated. Screw the metal bracket at the end of the card to the computer case.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual With the G3XXe model, the demodulated audio is travelling over the USB interface, so no connection to a sound card is necessary, except, of course, the speaker output. Finally, connect the supplied start-up antenna to the SMA connector at the rear of the receiver. Extend the antenna so that it is as far away from the computer as possible. Software Installation 1. If the PC is off, turn it on.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Setting up the Sound Card The G3XXe receiver’s audio travels via the USB interface in a digitized form, to be played back by the sound card. The volume can be adjusted using the Wave volume slider (which must be unmuted) or the master Volume Control. The G3XXi receiver’s audio output is an analog Line Output. You can connect this directly to standard amplified speakers, an external amplifier of your choice, or your PC sound card.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Connecting the Antenna Unless you already have a proper antenna in place, you might like to take advantage of the supplied start-up antenna which comes with your G3XX receiver. This antenna consists of a 3-metre length of a coaxial lead-in cable, with an additional 3 metres of insulated wire. The thinner, insulated wire at the end of the coaxial cable is the actual antenna.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Getting Started There is often a degree of understandable impatience when exciting new equipment such as a new WiNRADiO receiver is acquired. The following fastforward introduction makes it possible for you to start using your new acquisition as quickly as possible. Detailed operation is described in the subsequent chapters. We hope you will return to these chapters, as the WiNRADiO G3XX receiver has many fine features which would be a shame to miss.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Using the keyboard, type in the frequency of one your local AM stations: For example, for 774 kHz, type in 7 7 4 , then k for kHz, then press Enter. The typed-in frequency will appear on the digital frequency display. Then select the AM mode by clicking on the AM button. At this point, you should be able to see the station peak on the real-time spectrum scope, and hear the station.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Tuning WiNRADiO G3XX Manual Frequency Entry To change frequency, simply type the new frequency into the keyboard. As soon as you press a number or decimal point, the frequency display will activate, waiting for a frequency to be typed. You can also click on the display to type in a new frequency in a highlighted field. After typing the new frequency, press Enter and the receiver will instantly retune. To abort, press Escape.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Under these buttons there is a Band description window. This window shows the band allocation of the currently tuned frequency. While the displayed band descriptions are specific to the North American standard, they are based on international treaties and therefore are generally applicable worldwide with minor differences, which can be easily edited by the user.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Tuning Knob The Tuning Knob makes it possible to adjust the frequency in fixed 50 Hz, 500 Hz, 5 kHz or 50 kHz steps. To use the tuning knob, position the mouse cursor over the knob (the cursor will turn into a curved double ended arrow) and click on either the left or right mouse button. If the cursor is on the top half of the knob, the left button will decrease the frequency, and the right button will increase the frequency.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Incremental Tuning Pad This unique tuning tool is located above the Tuning Knob. If the mouse is positioned above one of the coloured squares, the square lights up and the associated tuning increment value appears: Clicking on the square with the left mouse button results in increasing the frequency, clicking with the right mouse button will decrease the frequency. There are several convenient tuning increments to choose from: 1 Hz, 10 Hz, 100 Hz, 1 kHz, 5 kHz, 6.25 kHz, 8.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver AFC (Automatic Frequency Control) The Automatic Frequency Control function is activated by pressing the AFC button. It will keep the receiver tuned to the selected station if the transmitter frequency drifts. While this function is active, the receiver will periodically check the received signal and correct the frequency in approximately five-second intervals. This facility is not recommended for LSB and USB modes with voice modulation.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual This type of fixed-size stepping is convenient if you wish to explore a frequency band where the channels are equally separated. However, you should ensure that the stepping frequencies fall on the actual channel frequencies in the band. If you know the channel separation but are unsure about the exact frequency of the first channel, tune to an active channel using manual tuning first, and only then step up or down in fixed steps.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The Demodulator The heart of the G3XX receiver is its demodulator. The demodulator is entirely software-defined, implemented using optimized filtering and quadrature demodulation techniques and executed inside the receiver’s on-board DSP. All the functions related to the demodulator, i.e.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual In addition to the usual and self-explanatory AM, LSB, USB, CW and FM modes, there is also AMS (synchronous AM), DSB (dual sideband, suppressed carrier) and ISB (independent sideband). For ISB, the audio output can be selected between the lower and upper side bands using two selector USB and LSB buttons accessible under the Setup button: Note: Both channels of the ISB transmission can be recorded simultaneously using the recording facility of the G3XX receiver.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Spectrum trace without video filter The same signal with video filter set at 3300 Hz 24
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual The zoom in and out buttons change the displayed signal bandwidth in 2 kHz steps, while trying to keep the central red marker as close as possible to the center of the spectrum display. Using the zoom buttons, the displayed bandwidth can be changed from the default 20 kHz down to 4 kHz, making it possible to observe small details of the received spectra less than 20 Hz apart. Setting and Adjusting IF Bandwidth The receiver IF bandwidth can be set in several ways.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver There are three ways you can use this control: • Type the IF bandwidth directly into the edit box, in Hz (type in a number from 1 to 15000, followed by pressing Enter). • Use the small up/down cursor keys to adjust the frequency by 1 Hz steps. • Use the small slider located between the up/down cursor keys and move it up or down. This is quite a fast and convenient method.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual IF Shift and Passband Tuning Dragging the centre red line of the filter passband does not result in the bandwidth change, but rather moves the entire passband. Such IF Shift makes it possible to tune the receiver to where the actual signal is, by positioning the IF filter passband precisely over the real-time signal spectrum.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver To summarize, there are two ways to shift the real-time spectrum: 1. IF Shift (without BFO change) which makes it possible to tune the receiver to another frequency by dragging the entire filter passband over a peak of a visible signal. Use the left mouse button for this. 2. Passband Tuning (with tandem BFO change), making it possible to adjust the filter position in SSB and CW modes without detuning the received station. This is done using the right mouse button.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Software AGC In addition to the usual hardware AGC (Automatic Gain Control), the G3XX receiver also has Software AGC. This facility is used to compensate for audio volume changes when the antenna signals are so weak that the hardware AGC is not yet activated, or when the hardware AGC is disabled and manual IF gain setting is used instead.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The higher the AGC reference level, the louder the maximum audio volume (which can be then reduced by the volume control). However, with a high level and strong signal levels there will be a distortion. Decreasing the AGC reference level will result in lower audio levels. The Audio gain setting is applicable only when SAGC is turned off, making it possible to set a fixed gain level (i.e. the maximum volume) for each demodulation mode separately. Note: 1.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual This is useful to establish the background noise level when no signal is received, so that the AF squelch value could be set suitably lower than the background noise. When a frequency-modulated signal is received, the noise should drop below the AF Squelch level, which will activate the audio. Note that the noise level also depends on the IF bandwidth setting: The wider this setting, the higher the noise level.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The following picture shows a signal with a strong interference in the passband (the large peak right of center). In the resulting audio, typically there would be a strong buzzing sound. After engaging the notch filter and adjusting its center and bandwidth (by dragging the blue area center and edges) to fall exactly over the interference, the situation will look like this: This results in significantly reduced interference and a much more pleasing sound.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Audio Filter The Audio filter makes it possible to apply filtering to the demodulated audio. This is useful in particular for noisy signals, where intelligibility is improved by emphasizing particular frequencies (usually speech frequencies 300-3000 Hz). In the FM mode the audio filter is usually necessary to provide de-emphasis of high frequencies.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The Band-pass and Low-pass buttons make it possible to select the desired type of filter. The filter cut-off frequencies can be either entered numerically, or the filter edges can be dragged with the mouse. For the band-pass filter, the entire passband may be shifted left or right by dragging the top horizontal red line. With a band-pass filter, suitable low and high cut off values for good intelligibility of voice communications are 300 and 3000 Hz, respectively.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual To set up RIT, firstly tune the receiver precisely to one of the stations, until you have perfect sound. Then press the RIT button and adjust the RIT frequency increment (it is shown in Hz) to hear the second station clearly. You can either type the increment value in the edit box (which is a slow way), or use the up/down arrow keys, or the small slider located between the arrow keys, which is the fastest way.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The recorder uses fixed “wav” file formats: 1. For audio recording (except in ISB mode): 16 kHz sampling rate, 16-bit mono 2. For audio recording in the ISB mode: 16 kHz sampling rate, 16-bit stereo 3. For IF recording: 64 kHz sampling rate, 16-bit, mono The recording/playback set-up is done using a dedicated section in the Demodulator settings (under the Setup button): The recorded file path can be set up using the Path edit box.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Auto-increment file name - each time the record button is pressed, a number just before the “.wav” extension, and “.if” for IF files, is incremented; if there is no initial number, 1 is automatically used first. Normally, the recording does not depend on the squelch. However, if the option Pause if below squelch is activated, the recording will pause accordingly.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Test and Measurement The Test and Measurement function of the G3XX receiver is invoked by pressing the Test button: This causes an instrumentation window to open which contains several facilities to assist with analysis and measurement of the received signal: The real-time Audio Spectrum Analyzer on the left of the window makes it possible to observe properties of the demodulated signal with a 5 Hz resolution.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual The red marker can be dragged with the mouse and the associated frequency and level observed at the top of the marker. To zoom the spectrum graph in and out, use the zoom buttons on the left of the Help button. The Frequency error display indicates the frequency error of the received signal (presuming the receiver is tuned to the correct frequency). The AM depth display measures depth of amplitude modulated signals.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Demodulator Structure The structure of the G3XX demodulator can be accessed and explored using the Study button: The study button reveals the internal structure of the currently selected demodulator, with additional measurement facilities. This function is intended for users wishing to acquaint themselves more deeply with Software Defined Radio principles. It is described in greater detail in Appendix E – Inside G3XX Demodulator.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Other Demodulator Settings Amongst the last remaining demodulator settings are Mute audio on exit and Show frequency in kHz, located at the bottom left of the demodulator Setup panel. As all critical demodulation functions are performed inside the on-board DSP, the receiver can continue playing audio even when the application is closed, as long as power is supplied to the board.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Receiver Gain Control There are three hardware controls related to the receiver gain: AGC, Manual IF Gain and Attenuator. AGC The receiver must process a considerable variation of signals, ranging from very weak to very strong. This requires the sensitivity of the receiver to vary according to the incoming signal strength. This can be done automatically using AGC (Automatic Gain Control) or manually, using manual IF Gain control.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual IF Gain Control The AGC can be turned off using the AGC Off button. The receiver gain must then be adjusted manually. This is done using the IF Gain control. Note that by setting an excessive gain, the receiver will overload and the demodulated signal will be distorted, which can be very easily observed in the real-time spectrum scope. On the other hand, if the gain is too low, it will make the receiver appear “deaf”.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Squelch Control The Squelch control can be used to mute the receiver when no signal is being received. Without a signal, all you will usually hear is noise. Squelch is provided to cut out the noise until a station is found, making the receiver more comfortable to use. There are two types of squelch in the G3XX receiver: Signal level squelch (selected by the Level button) and Audio noise squelch (selected by the Noise button).
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual While both the main panel Noise Squelch and the demodulator AF Squelch act upon the same signal, their usage is slightly different: If the main panel Noise Squelch is set, this also automatically sets the demodulator AF Squelch. On the other hand, when the demodulator AF Squelch is set, this does not automatically set the main panel Noise Squelch.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Memory The WiNRADiO G3XX receiver has the ability to store up to ten thousand frequencies in one memory file. It makes it possible to load and save different memory files for a huge amount of total storage, limited only by the size of the PCs hard disk. Storing a Frequency into Memory With each frequency, you can store several attributes: mode, call sign, user comment, group assignment, squelch and a hotkey.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual At the top of the dialog box is the current memory file name into which you are storing (you can have as many different files as you like). The next line shows the allocated memory number. You can change this to another memory number if you wish (including one which is already allocated). Then follow the current frequency, IF shift and bandwidth parameters. You can alter these if you wish. The third item contains the group assignment buttons.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver There are also several additional items that can be optionally stored with each frequency: • Most stations have a name or call sign. You can store up to 11 characters in the Call sign field. • For quick tuning to your favorite stations, you can assign Hotkeys (function keys F2 to F12) to up to eleven different frequencies. If you then press a hotkey, the associated frequency will be instantly recalled.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual To select a frequency, click on an item in the list, and the frequency will be tuned. Then close the window. Alternatively, use the up or down cursor keys to choose the frequency and press Enter. The assigned memory groups are shown as color bars for a quick visual overview of which frequencies are associated with which groups (see the corresponding colors in the Store frequency window).
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Saving a Memory File Each memory file, containing up to one thousand frequencies, is stored separately, allowing different memory files to be loaded and saved. To save the current memory file, simply select Save from the Memory file sub-menu in the File menu. If you wish to save it with a different name, select Save as instead, and a dialog box will pop up allowing you to specify the file name.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Scanning The WiNRADiO G3XX application contains a comprehensive set of scan functions to enable the user to search for stations which are currently on the air. There are three basic types of scanning: Immediate Scanning (Searching), Range Scanning and Memory Scanning. The scanning method is selected using the appropriate button in the Scanning Control Panel: Immediate Scanning (Searching) This is the simplest scanning method.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Scanner Configuration When a signal strength level is higher than the squelch level, this indicates that a signal has been found. You can configure the software to specify what action you want to be taken at this point. To access this configuration facility, go to Options | Scanning in the top bar menu. There are two basic actions the software can do when a signal is found: Pause scanning or Stop scanning.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual The scanning speed is determined by the scanning step size. The scanner tunes the receiver in increments of 10 kHz and uses 10 kHz wide “chunks” of the IF spectrum to search for a signal. If the step size is 10 kHz, the typical scanning speed will be approximately 40 channels per second. If the step size is 5 kHz, then the scanner only needs to retune the receiver once per every two steps, which results in a nearly double the effective scanning speed.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Frequency Range Scanning To be able to use Frequency Range Scanning, you need to set up the desired scanning ranges first. This is done using the Ranges button in the Options | Scanning top-bar menu. Note the check box at the start of a range. This is useful in situations where you may have several ranges defined, and you wish to enable only one or several from the list, without the need to redefine the whole range list each time you want to make change in one range only.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual To create a new range, click the New button. This will open a dialog box, where you can specify lower and upper limit frequencies of the range, the step size, modulation mode, squelch level, and, optionally, a description. You can enter as many such ranges as you like. When the range definition is done, close this window, then close the scanner settings.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver You can stop or pause this activity using the Stop or Pause buttons. If you use the Pause button, then restarting scanning using Scan Forward or Scan Backward buttons will resume the action from the paused frequency. If you stop scanning with the Stop button, then using the Scan Forward or Scan Backward buttons will recommence scanning from the initial (or the last) frequency again.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual S-meter The WiNRADiO G3XX receiver is equipped with a very sensitive and selective Signal Strength Meter (S-meter) which makes it possible to measure peak or RMS signal level dBm, µV or S-units, within the IF filter passband. The measurement units are selected by appropriately marked buttons at the bottom of the display. The S-meter also shows the currently selected value of the squelch (the red section at the bottom side of the scale).
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The Avg button, when activated, shows the S-meter level value as a floating average within the preset time interval (settable from 1 to 99 seconds). This is used to smooth the S-meter movements. Any change which may affect the S-meter value (such as tuning the receiver to a new frequency or changing the attenuator setting), resets the averaging interval, so that the S-meter may react immediately to such change. Note: The S-meter relies on the AGC for its proper operation.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Nowadays, most manufacturers, including WiNRADiO, usually implement the ARRL recommendation where the S-units are spaced 6 dB apart and S9 corresponds to 50 µV at a 50 ohm antenna input, or -73 dBm (on HF bands). Power Switch The Power switch, located at the bottom-right corner of the application window, controls the receiver power. When it is off, the receiver circuitry will be powered down and no sound will be heard through the speaker or headphones.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Spectrum Analyzer There are two different versions of a Spectrum Analyzer in the G3XX receiver software. These are selectable by clicking one of the yellow triangle buttons on the left of the On/Off switch. The Spectrum Analyzer display will slide out.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual This smaller version of the spectrum analyzer window can be resized to a convenient size by dragging the bottom edge up or down. The bottom parts of both spectrum analyzer windows are exactly the same. The full-screen version also contains a basic set of the receiver controls at the top, so that the user does not need to go back to the receiver panel to change mode, volume, attenuator, etc.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver To set up spectrum sweeping, enter the Start and End frequencies to specify the start and end of the sweeping range, respectively. Alternatively, you may enter the Center and Span frequencies. Next select the RBW (Resolution Bandwidth), which determines how detailed the spectrum will be (the lower the RBW, the finer the detail). The finest RBW is 15.625 Hz. The RBW has a proportional effect on the spectrum sweeping speed, i.e.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual The button with a red round arrow selects continuous sweeping mode, which means that the sweep will continue from the start frequency when the end frequency is reached, and continue in this loop until manually stopped. If this button is disengaged, the spectrum analyzer will be in a single shot sweeping mode: When the mouse cursor is positioned over the spectrum graph, a red cursor will appear.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The Min, Max and Diff buttons enable the display of minimum, maximum and differential values when continuous sweeping is selected. (A scale for the differential trace will be displayed on the right-hand side whenever the Diff button is pressed.) The differential trace is very useful when investigating activity on a given band. The receiver can be left unattended in the continuous sweeping mode, and any activity on the band will be clearly visible on the differential trace.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual There are also three zoom-related buttons: The first button centers the zooming action around the marker (if the marker position has been set) - if this button is disabled then zooming will be done with respect to the center of the screen. The next two buttons perform the actual zooming in and out functions.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Appendix A – Troubleshooting Problem: The WiNRADiO application installed OK, but there is no sound coming from the speaker. Solution: Check if you see any noise appearing in the spectrum scope in the demodulator panel (under the AM, AMS, etc., mode selection buttons). When you tune to a station, you should be able to see a peak on the real-time spectrum scope. If you can’t see any peak, please make sure your antenna is properly connected.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Note: If you have difficulties accessing the sound card control panels (for example if there is no speaker icon), refer to Appendix B – Sound Card Controls. Problem: I can hear the audio and tune the receiver, but the sound is distorted. Solution: Check if the AGC is switched on (i.e. either the Slow, Med or Fast buttons are pressed – usually the medium setting should be used). Also set SAGC to Med. In the demodulator Setup, adjust the SAGC reference level down.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Problem: I can hear the audio and tune the receiver, but the volume is too low, even if I adjust the volume control to maximum. Solution: Presuming the volume is set to the maximum level (31) in the demodulator panel, you can adjust the volume also in the sound card control panel, or on the amplified speakers you are using.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Problem: Reception is obscured with a buzzing interference. Solution: Check for the sources of interference in your surroundings: it could be fluorescent lights, a lamp dimmer, or other household appliances. Your PC (especially the monitor) could be the culprit. Unless you are able to suppress the interference at the source, the only solution is to install a better antenna, preferably an outdoor one.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Another way to solve this problem is to close the G3XX application and manually edit the wrG3XXni file in the Windows directory. For example, you will see values similar to these: [Scope-03E27014] Visible=1 Height=300 where 03E27014 is the serial number of your receiver. Your 'Height' value is probably greater, but you should change it to a reasonable value (about 200).
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Appendix B – Sound Card Controls Sound card control panels and their settings can be somewhat confusing. They are also rather inconsistent from one version of Windows to another. The G3XXe receiver requires that the sound card Wave input is unmuted. The volume can be then adjusted using the Wave slider and the master Volume Control. The G3XXi receiver does not require a sound card as the output is already a converted analog Line Output.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Windows 98 Enable “speaker” icon Control Panel | Multimedia Audio-tab Checkbox: “Show volume control on the taskbar” ME Control Panel | Sounds and Multimedia Sounds-tab Recording/playback volume controls Control Panel | Multimedia Audio-tab Sound Playback: Click on Control Panel | Sounds and Multimedia Audio-tab Sound Playback Æ Volume button Checkbox: “Show volume control on the taskbar” 2000 Control Panel | Sounds and Multimedia Sounds-tab Control Panel | Sounds
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Appendix C – Dealing with Interference Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is what prevents us from receiving a clear signal, even when the receiver should be sensitive enough to receive it. There are many types of interference you can experience with radio receivers, emanating from both natural and man-made sources. Natural interference is produced by atmospheric phenomena such as storms and sun activity. Not so surprisingly, man-made interference is often worse.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver To check this, tune to one of the interfering signals, then switch off the monitor and see if the signal disappears.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Appendix D – Inside WR-G3XX Hardware Technically minded users may like to explore the WiNRADiO G3XX Receiver and experiment with some of the innovative concepts of this Software Defined Radio. The WiNRADiO G3XX Receiver is one of the first commercially available Software Defined Radios, where the Demodulator function is fully performed in software.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver The second mixer again uses a DDS with a PLL to mix the 109.65 MHz signal down to the last intermediate frequency, which is 12 kHz (the last IF frequencies may be selected within a range of 12 to 22 kHz, to suit various special applications). The receiver’s internal reference frequency for both DDS circuits is 16.384 MHz, which is derived from a precise 32.768 MHz oscillator.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Appendix E – Inside WR-G3XX Demodulator The internal structure of the G3XX demodulator is easily accessible by pressing the Study button in the demodulator panel. The G3XX Demodulator relies on a general quadrature representation of the incoming modulated signals. Such signals can always be considered as the sum of two amplitude-modulated carriers having a 90 degree offset, usually referred to as I & Q.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Within the displayed spectra, a red color frequency cursor can be manually dragged, using the left mouse button, over a particular spectral component. The two Vector Voltmeter displays labelled Left/Right indicate the relative amplitude and phase difference between the two spectral components at the cursor frequency.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual The CW received signals are first down-converted to zero Hz, and then, after additional channel filtering, up-converted to a convenient audio frequency. This frequency (a digital BFO) is user-adjustable, by changing the value of the CW tone frequency parameter in the demodulator setup.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Appendix F – Developer Support WiNRADiO has always extensively supported third-party software development efforts with all our receivers, and the WiNRADiO G3XX receiver is no exception. We provide technical details for developers to be able to develop the following: • Third-party applications controlling the WiNRADiO G3XX receiver. • We do this by providing API information making it possible to access the receiver hardware from third party software. (See http://www.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Appendix G – Wide-band FM Option “WFM” option makes it possible to receive wide-band modulated signals (“broadcast FM”) on the G3XX receivers. On the standard G3XX receiver, the wide-band FM capability is not included, because it is not possible to provide this within the constraints of the 15 kHz instantaneous bandwidth of the digitized IF signal and the DSP software processing power. The WFM option is in fact a self-contained “hardware-defined” receiver.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Appendix H – Frequency Calibration The G3XX receiver series features an excellent frequency accuracy and stability for a receiver of its class. It is however possible to improve this accuracy yet further, by individual calibration. The receiver calibration is accomplished by inserting a reference frequency parameter in the wrG3XX.ini file which resides in the Windows directory.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Then scale the frequency difference to 16.384 MHz. For example, if the frequency difference is -152 Hz at 10 MHz, it will be -249 Hz at the 16.384 MHz reference frequency. To arrive at the corrected reference frequency, subtract the frequency difference from 16384000. In our example, 16384000-(-249)=16384249. The entire reference frequency parameter in the wrG3XX.ini file will be then as follows: [ClockCalibration] 02L27011=16384249 Save the wrG3XX.
WiNRADiO G3XX VHF/UHF Receiver Appendix I – S-meter Calibration The G3XX receiver series features a uniquely accurate and powerful S-meter. However, it is possible to improve this accuracy yet further, by individual calibration. The receiver S-meter calibration is done using a special S-meter Calibrator application, which can be downloaded from WiNRADiO Web page www.winradio.com/home/calibrator.htm. The S-meter Calibrator alters the factory-supplied default data in the receiver calibration file wrG3XX.
WiNRADiO G3XX User’s Manual Appendix J – USB Interface Diagnostics The flashing pattern of the blue LED on the external G3XXe model has a diagnostics meaning. Normally, when the receiver is powered up and the application running, the blue LED should flash in a dih-dah pattern (i.e. a short flash followed by a long one). A complete list of the flashing patterns and their meaning is as follows: Pattern Description Mode Off No power - Long flash, equal gap No connection to computer ..
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