STAY 'TUNED'

At this moment, various parts, kits and modules are on its way to me by mail. That will take some time. Furthermore, I don't have very much time for hobbies at the moment. So it will take some time before an update will appear here!

As soon as there is something new to tell, I will let you know in the SDRplay FB group.

INTRODUCTION AND GOALS

Building the Thing
This blog is entirely dedicated to one project: building both the Airspy SDR (and its future SpyVerter) and the SDRplay in one solid enclosure.

Why two SDR's?
Every SDR has its idiosyncrasies. Building two in one case makes it a solid tool with enough hardware on board to fit different needs. And it offers an ultimate opportunity to compare the usability of both SDR's in the field.

The main objectives are:

* Powering the active devices from separate linear power supplies and batteries, thus cutting the 5V USB lead; A 4 pole male XLR connector will be used as a DC receptacle;

* Apply as much protection as possible against unwanted signals such as USB noise and protecting against cables and leads that may work as an antenna;

* Create a very solid and RF-tight enclosure that can withstand intensive use in the field and leaves room for future hardware extensions that need to be placed 'under the hood'.

'Faraday Cupper Mesh' I picked up at the metal store. Destination still unknown.

The case

Earlier I crawled the whole internet for readily available commercial  enclosures but none of them fitted my needs. So I decided to design my own.

The design…

…includes a lot of room for the units, sidekick devices and possible future extensions;

…is made of aluminium plate, thickness 2mm and aluminium profiles, angled ½π, sides of 20mm, thickness 2mm;

…will be kept together by stainless steel hexagonal screws and NOT by pegs;

…provides easy access to all areas in the case;

...includes an inside area of which the dimensions form a golden rectangle.

Fake branding

In my country, the frequency domain for wireless microphones is rapidly shrinking because these domains are conquered by 4G networks. Soon I will offer on-location RF surveys and advice production companies (TV and live entertainment) which frequencies are vacant for solid wireless connections.

But I don't want them to look over my shoulder and steal the trick. So I will provide the case with a Russian brand name and model designator, such as 'Vasyljev XTR-320'. Googling this will end up in nothing and nowhere. Or herewhere.

[Update:] More secret whys
There are actually a few more reasons than the ones mentioned above. I love craftmanship. I love ruggedized equipment, as I often see in rude environments such as oil and gas production sites and platforms. I love the fun of fake branding. I love to have choices: either switch on SDRplay or AirSpy mini.










WILL BE CONTINUED HERE!