# LimeSDR mini: No reception at all

**URL:** <https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658>\
**Category:** LimeSDR\
**Created:** [17 April 2018 11:31 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658 "2018-04-17T11:31:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![flipreverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@flipreverse](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/flipreverse)\
**Post date:** [17 April 2018 11:31 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/1 "2018-04-17T11:31:14Z")

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Hi!

I’ve just got my LimeSDR mini. 🙂 However, I’m not able to get any signal out of it.  
I tried gqrx, [pothos fm example](https://github.com/pothosware/PothosDemos/blob/master/simple_fm_demod/simple_fm_demod.pothos), the ‘[made simple part 4](https://myriadrf.org/blog/limesdr-made-simple-part-4-pothos-beyond/)’ pothos example, and the LimeSuite. I just get noise… ☹  
To make sure the hw is fine, I run the LimeSDR tester which can be found in of the other threads.  
The fw is already up-to-date. I’m using it with a 2,4/5 GHz WiFi antenna. Although this is not the best choise for FM radio (90-18MHz in germany), it should at least work.

I know this is very little information to start debugging. Which further information do you need?

Regards,  
Alex

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**Author:** ![andrewback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@andrewback](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/andrewback)\
**Post date:** [17 April 2018 12:22 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/2 "2018-04-17T12:22:52Z")

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How did you install Lime Suite, e.g. packages or from source, and versions etc. Also if you could post the output of:

LimeUtil --find

SoapySDRUtil --find

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**Author:** ![flipreverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@flipreverse](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/flipreverse)\
**Post date:** [17 April 2018 12:57 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/3 "2018-04-17T12:57:35Z")

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> [@andrewback](#):
>
> How did you install Lime Suite, e.g. packages or from source, and versions etc. Also if you could post the output of:
> 
> LimeUtil --find
> 
> SoapySDRUtil --find

LimeUtil --find

- [LimeSDR Mini, media=USB 3.0, module=FT601, addr=24607:1027, serial=1D3AC710636CDD]

SoapySDRUtil --find  
######################################################

## Soapy SDR – the SDR abstraction library

######################################################

Found device 0  
addr = 24607:1027  
driver = lime  
label = LimeSDR Mini [USB 3.0] 1D3AC710636CDD  
media = USB 3.0  
module = FT601  
name = LimeSDR Mini  
serial = 1D3AC710636CDD

I installed LimeSuite, Soapy, and Pothos from the respective Ubuntu repositories:

> **[Index of /myriadrf/drivers/ubuntu](http://ppa.launchpad.net/myriadrf/drivers/ubuntu/)**

> **[Index of /myriadrf/gnuradio/ubuntu](http://ppa.launchpad.net/myriadrf/gnuradio/ubuntu/)**

> **[Index of /pothosware/framework/ubuntu](http://ppa.launchpad.net/pothosware/framework/ubuntu/)**

LimeSuite: 18.04.0-myriadrf1~artful (Build: 2018-04-06)  
soapysdr: 0.6.1-myriadrf~artful

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**Author:** ![andrewback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@andrewback](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/andrewback)\
**Post date:** [17 April 2018 17:37 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/4 "2018-04-17T17:37:04Z")

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Thanks!

Not sure if you tried Gqrx with the default device, which doesn’t seem to work. So if you could try it with a device type of other and string “driver=lime,soapy=0”.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![flipreverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@flipreverse](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/flipreverse)\
**Post date:** [17 April 2018 17:51 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/5 "2018-04-17T17:51:04Z")

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Yes, I tried it. Doesn’t work either. I just get noise.  
I even switch the antenna to LNAW, because LNAL\_NC is not supported on LimeSDR mini: “[WARNING] LNAL has no connection to RF ports”.

Here’s the console ouput of gqrx (I did switched the antenna.):

> CGEN: Freq=128 MHz, VCO=2,304 GHz, INT=56, FRAC=629145, DIV\_OUTCH\_CGEN=8  
> CGEN: Freq=128 MHz, VCO=2,304 GHz, INT=56, FRAC=629145, DIV\_OUTCH\_CGEN=8  
> IQ DCR samp\_rate: 1e+06  
> IQ DCR alpha: 9.99999e-07  
> Changing WFM RX quad rate: 1e+07 → 1e+06  
> Generating taps for new filter LO:-80000 HI:80000 TW:32000 Taps: 19  
> Generating taps for new filter LO:-80000 HI:80000 TW:32000 Taps: 19  
> [WARNING] LNAL has no connection to RF ports  
> Rx calibration using INTERNAL loopback  
> Rx ch.A @ 106,7 MHz, BW: 5 MHz, RF input: LNAW, PGA: 18, LNA: 1, TIA: 2  
> Current MCU firmware: 5, DC/IQ calibration full  
> MCU Ref. clock: 40 MHz  
> [INFO] Rx calibration finished  
> RX | DC | GAIN | PHASE  
> —±----±-----±-----  
> I: | 4 | 2046 | 16  
> Q: | 0 | 2047 |  
> Duration: 132 ms

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@jslatten](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/jslatten)\
**Post date:** [17 April 2018 23:38 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/6 "2018-04-17T23:38:13Z")

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Change your bandwidth to about 50 mhz and sample rate should be 5msps to 10 msps. The low bandwidth setting is probably the issue. For the mini I set my bandwidth to 50mhz and sample rate to 5 msps. If that doesn’t work raise your bandwidth to 60mhz. Hope this helps

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![flipreverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@flipreverse](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/flipreverse)\
**Post date:** [18 April 2018 12:04 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/7 "2018-04-18T12:04:29Z")

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Nope. Doesn’t work either. ☹

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![flipreverse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/db5fbb/32.png) [@flipreverse](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/flipreverse)\
**Post date:** [1 May 2018 13:19 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/8 "2018-05-01T13:19:16Z")

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Bump.

Btw, C176 and C181 touch each other on my baord as well: [LimeMini Problems](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limemini-problems/2674)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cal70](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/discourse.myriadrf.org/cal70/32/2714_2.png) [@cal70](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/u/cal70)\
**Post date:** [14 March 2019 03:04 UTC](https://discourse.myriadrf.org/t/limesdr-mini-no-reception-at-all/2658/9 "2019-03-14T03:04:25Z")

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Following… seem to have similar problems not able to get FM channels with the LimeSDR-USB. Swapped out the RXW, to hopefully help… no luck

Anyone/