Introduction
Software Defined Radio (SDR) has the potential to revolutionize
the QRP community by replacing many of the analog sections of a QRP
rig with software. While SDR has been experimented with for
over 5 years, it is now becoming more "mainstream" and there are now
inexpensive kits that will allow an operator to become involved with
SDR for under $15 for a single band receiver! Click here for the best kits
available.
New Skill Sets Needed For SDR
QRP has traditionally been about building and operating. I
would venture to guess that 90% of QRPers have built at least half
of the station equipment that they use to operate. And, again,
traditionally the equipment has been of the "analog" variety - such
as a SW-40+ transceiver or a K1EA K12 keyer. And 98% of that
equipment used exclusively through-hole components either on a PCB
or "Manhattan Style" contstruction. SDR is going to require
you to become comfortable with soldering surface mount (SMT)
components from the 1206 size capacitors/resistors/inductors to SOIC
chips and SOT-23/SOT-223 transistors. Also, you will need to
become more "computer literate" as you must deal with the software
side of the equation. Here is a short tutorial I
did about installing and removing SOIC chips.
Potential
SDR has the potential to completely change the way we look at QRP
in the future. Traditionally, CW has been the mode of choice
for QRP as the equipment was easy to design and build as well as CW
being a superior weak signal mode. Some of the newer digital
modes (sound card modes) show great promise in QRP communications,
but they required a transceiver capable of SSB operation. With
SDR, there will be rigs that are capable of transmitting these modes
with a much simpler design.
Goals
My goal is to experiment with SDR as it pertains to QRP
operation, this will include the integrating existing kits and
working with existing software to enhance the state of the art
in QRP operation.
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