As much as I hate to say this, there is a gain difference between the versions 3.7.6-1 and the current version 3.8.4.7 using Ubuntu 17.10. I can take my LimeSDR on the latest release and try to tune the 80/75m band (3.5 MHz to 3.99 MHz) at night and it’s deaf. I can go back to 3.7.6-1 or use SDRConsole V3.0 on my Windows machine and the LimeSDR looks great tuning in those same bands - I’m seeing signals and the receive activity is correct. the latest SDRAngel version makes my LimeSDR seem ‘deaf’ no matter that I’m setting the gain controls to maximum.
This is disappointing…SDRAngel was my ‘go to’ application for receive and transmit for the Lime. I can limp along with 3.7.6-1 forever, but the new features (like the headless design that’s emerging) will not be in that version. Despite what the Lime Team has told you how to handle calibration and gain settings, there’s something wrong with the latest release of SDRAngel. Even with the latest firmware installed using LimeUtil --update and seeing that the latest firmware is installed in LimeSuite makes no difference for the operation - the Lime still seems deaf. Yet I can take it across the room, plug it into SDRConsole V3.0 and it works great for receive.
EDIT: The latest LimeSuite (within the past three days - November 25th to 28th) was compiled with the latest release of SDRAngel, so i’m using the latest LimeSuite and programmed by LimeSDR using LimeUtil --update and the latest firmware was programmed into the Lime - - confirmed by reviewing the ‘INFO’ button within LimeSuite.
There are no issues with LimeSuite or the gains as such. I think there was simply a bug by which the analog lowpass filter is not changed if any calibration triggering change is made at the same time. The fix is at the head of dev branch if anyone wants to try and will make it to the next release.
One can also try to fiddle with the thumbwheels of the LP filter setting because if changed alone then it will go through.
You were able to notice it because 3.5 MHz is relatively far away of the actual center of reception (I suppose you tune the LO at 30 MHz) then if the LP filter cannot be widened to at least 60 MHz (+/- 30 MHz) then the signals at 3.5 MHz fall way outside the passband of the filter. I think the default value is 4.5 MHz (+/- 2.25 MHz).
we are talking about the analog lowpass filter here (LMS_SetLPFBW). Anyway when a calibration takes place the streams are suspended before then resumed with LMS_StopStream and LMS_StartStream so the channels are never disabled until the user effectively releases the channel by selecting another sampling device. So the FIR should work in any case. Anything that takes place in the TSP does not need calibration thus NCO and FIR settings never trigger a calibration.
All good and I’ve seen your recent comments on the IF statements, too - - looking forward to the next update to see if there’s a performance difference from the latest release.
I’m pleased to report this evening that SDRAngel version 3.8.5 for Windows 10 64-bit is working EXCELLENT and the gain is back in the receive again across the entire HF band. I’ve been listening to 80/75m and the receive is just excellent - just like it used to be in version 3.7.6-1. So glad to see this again - it’s running GREAT again. I’m going to try transmit tomorrow and I’m also compiling the Ubuntu 17.10 (artful) version right now to see how it plays on my UDOO card. Stay tuned for more, but I’m REAL happy with this latest 3.8.5 release…!
UPDATE: I started with a usual compile for 3.8.5 for Artful (Ubuntu 17.10) and did not see a difference from the earlier version. So I did a ‘make clean’ and started with a completely new compile. Once it was completed and I did the sudo make install and ldconfig I tried it again and noticed that it seemed dead. So I started playing with the controls and once I adjusted the 30.000 MHz to 40, then 50. and then back to 30 MHz I was able to get good receive as well as I did with Windows out of the chute.Gain in receive seems comparable to what the Windows build is and I’m even able to hear the AM broadcast band very well with this version. Again, seems with Linux that you have to play with the ‘30.000’ (switching it up to 50.000 and then back to 30.000 to make the receive operate normally). Windows doesn’t do this for some reason, but I’m just glad the receive works again. Also I tired transmit and had the same issue - you have to play with the 30.000 (switching to 32.000 and then back) and transmit seems to work great, too…! So while 3.8.5 has some oddities in Linux as compared to Windows, both functions work very well.
the current version of SDRAngel (3.8.5) is having some problems with the latest Limesuite release. If you get a chance, can you please have a look at the comments in the attached link to a thread on Edouards SDRAngel github issues list…
Could you please direct us to the appropriate person to follow this issue up with.
Thanks. When it looks as though there is a problem in Lime Suite it’s best to log this via its issue tracker. Although you could also ping one of the maintainers, @IgnasJ or @joshblum, to check that its not a usage issue.
Would you please share your magloop design?
I just updated to the latest Limesuite and SDRangel and besides losing all my presets it works great for me.
My magloop is made up of 6x 1.5m 28mm diameter copper sections with 45 degree elbows soldered.
It’s gamma matched. The vacuum capacitor is a Jennings 8KV.
I have yet to put it up again as it crashed in 60+ MPH winds and the vacuum cap got smashed.
This time I’ll build a good concrete base to ensure it stays up even when we occasionally get 100 MPH winds.
As always I use a program like magloop.exe to model my loops.
I made my first one in the early 1990’s after I heard a discussion on 80m and at the time playing with a program I wrote and had forgotten about. I joined the discussion and was given one piece of advice - “build one”. I got some 3/8" soft copper the next day and the day after had one (1m diameter) on the upstairs landing working all over Europe on 40m with 7W SSB max with great reports both ways, the max before the variable capacitor would arc over.
Later I picked up a couple of relatively cheap vacuum caps at radio rallies (hamfests as they are known Stateside) to build better loops.
Just to let you know that I tried the latest commit on LimeSuite master and it appears to have fixed the “B only stream” problem. That’s very good news indeed !
