Finally: AirSpy and SDRplay under one hood

Lately I took my aluminium-cased multi-SDR thing to the next level by adding the AirSpy Mini. Now it has two SDR receivers under one hood. I decided to go for the AirSpy mini because I want to use the rig in the field with a very light-weight 11.6" duocore laptop. It works pretty well @6MSPS and very well @3MSPS. So I am satisfied.

I did some modifications as well. Originally, the USB-cables entered the enclosure through a cable gland. I wanted the cables to be left in one piece, just to keep the number of connectors in the data chain as low as possible. However, an enclosure with cables that are always connected, is not so easy to handle, looks stupid and one day the wires in the cable will break due to metal fatigue. So I mounted the best USB receptacles I could find (Amphenol, mil grade, phosphor bronze...). I works perfectly, no issues found yet.

One day I will finish the project by adding the third module: a HF converter for the AirSpy mini. I am torn between the SV1AFN design and the SpyVerter. It will probably take half a year of indecision before anything happens.

I clamped the AirSpy Mini to the aluminium casing to keep it cool.

A picture tells more than 1000 words.