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The concept of software defined radios (SDR’s) is becoming increasing popular in both commercial, military and Amateur Radio circles. In their basic form, using simple front end filtering followed by a Quadrature Sampling Detector (QSD) and post detection processing in software using the sound card found in PC’s, several popular kits have been developed to introduce Amateurs to the concept.
One such product kit, which we have fun experimenting with, is called the Softrock. Using it, or its many variants, and one of several free software programs, one can build a simple receiver capable of receiving many forms of analog and digital modulation. But being simple, the low cost quadrature sampling detector devices (like the Softrock) typically operate below 30 MHz.
So now we have this interesting new receiving (and transmitting) technology and we want to receive VHF and higher “stuff”, and current VHF/UHF converter products have IF’s which are 28 MHz and above. More sophisticated designs will work up to 50 MHz (and higher) but we want to work with the simple, low cost designs similar to the Softrock.
Well, since the design of the Series 525 frequency converters is very flexible, it took very little effort to produce VHF/UHF converters with “SDR Friendly” IF’s at 16 MHz while still maintaining all the great features of our “standard” VHF/UHF converter line.
So if you want to add the VHF/UHF Amateur Radio spectrum to your experimentation with SDR’s, look over our “SDR Friendly” offerings.
Questions? Just email us at sales@hsmicrowave.com
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