Articles & Reviews

Start here

If you read one thing on this site, read this one.

thesis

The Integration Article

The station as a set of cooperating programs rather than one console — SDR software with a DAW in the audio chain, scope, propagation, spotting, rotator and logging all talking to each other. The long-form argument this site is built on.

Open PDF → · 3.9 MB

Hardware reviews

Radios and receivers, measured and lived with rather than unboxed.

review

ANAN 100D Review

The Apache Labs ANAN-100D, measured and lived with.

Open PDF → · 1.7 MB

review

Zone QS1R Review

The QS1R direct-sampling receiver.

Open PDF → · 2.3 MB

review

Flex 6700 Review — Part 1

Part one of the three-part Flex 6700 analysis.

Open PDF → · 1.4 MB

review

Flex 6700 Review — Part 2

Part two.

Open PDF → · 510 KB

review

Flex 6700 Review — Part 3

Part three.

Open PDF → · 426 KB

review

KX3 SDR Review

The Elecraft KX3 considered as an SDR.

Open PDF → · 4.1 MB

review

SunSDR2 PRO Review

Expert Electronics' SunSDR2 PRO.

Open PDF → · 1.0 MB

review

AfedriNet Review

The AfedriNet networked SDR receiver.

Open PDF → · 887 KB

review

ColibriDDC Receiver Review

The ColibriDDC direct-down-conversion receiver.

Open PDF → · 426 KB

review

Excalibur Pro Review

The WiNRADiO Excalibur Pro.

Open PDF → · 2.7 MB

review

FUNcube Dongle Pro+ Review

The FUNcube Dongle Pro+.

Open PDF → · 969 KB

review

BitScope — A Quick Look

The BitScope mixed-signal instrument on the bench.

Open PDF → · 1.7 MB

Articles

The technique behind the reviews — audio, FPGA, propagation, and how a station fits together.

article

Software Defined Audio

Treating the audio chain with the same seriousness as the RF chain.

Open PDF → · 2.7 MB

article

Ham Audio Analysis

Measuring what your transmitted audio is actually doing.

Open PDF → · 3.4 MB

article

FPGA Programming Step by Step

Working through FPGA programming from the beginning.

Open PDF → · 325 KB

article

These New DDC SDRs

What direct-down-conversion changed, and why it mattered.

Open PDF → · 343 KB

article

Learn Propagation

Propagation for operators who want to predict rather than guess.

Open PDF → · 358 KB

article

Project Ettus

Working with Ettus Research USRP hardware.

Open PDF → · 2.4 MB

article

The SDR PC

Specifying and building the machine the station runs on.

Open PDF → · 844 KB

article

Shack Diagrams

How the station is actually wired — drawn out.

Open PDF → · 1.4 MB

opinion

Neutrality & The Golden Age

On reviewing without a thumb on the scale, in the golden age of SDR.

Open PDF → · 637 KB

From the archive

Older pieces, kept because they are part of the record.

SDRZone 2014

Memory lane — the site and the state of the art in 2014.

Open PDF → · 720 KB

Welcome to the Zone!

The original welcome.

Open PDF → · 280 KB