Nice video! Ham radio whit a waterfall it's another beast, I buy a SDR play and a tx/Rx switch for my TS-480.. amazing.. Btw now I have a TS-590sg and use a SDR receiver as pan adapter whit this rig it's peace of cake 😂🎉❤

@ianxfs

Ай бұрын

Yes, a game-changer to see the band and not scroll past a station unaware 👍🏻

Thanks Ian for putting together that video. It was very informative indeed. I watched it a couple of times already and will watch it again. Lots to digest. Your mobile set up is going from strength to strength. Enjoy the field tests and hopefully you will make some more content to share here. 73's de Syd

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Syd that’s great 😀

Great video Ian and well described. Certainly going to try that! 👍

@ianxfs

Жыл бұрын

Good one Ray 👍🏻

Nice explanation and demonstration- great video 👍👏👏

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mark! There’ll be a short follow-up 👍🏻

Nice job as always, Ian. It looks to operate very well. A decent addition. 👍 Happy new year mate, trust all is well. Cheers for the vid, Mick.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mick and Happy New Year to you too!

Nice job Ian

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Tim 😀

Cheers Ian, very informative and food for thought. Thank you. MW7CIH

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mat 😀

I have added SDRPLAY alongside my TS-590SG. There is an internal T/R switch that protects the SDR during transmission. I have enjoyed using it so far.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Great Brent! Sounds similar setup to my 5000 👍🏻

@brentjohnson6654

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs yes I had a friend/Elmer who had that setup and it looked good to me. I have rig control that will tune when I click on the pan display. All very good. All the best, 73 de KI5HXM

Great video as always. I’m not sure if you know but I have been extremely unwell over the past couple of years but I am now feeling able to play radio a little. Hope to have a chat soon thanks for the videos they help a lot Regards Paul

@ianxfs

Жыл бұрын

Hi Paul! I did wonder where you went?! Thought you’d just taken a rest or focused on another hobby…Great to hear you’re back and will catch you on the air 👍🏻

Hi Ian, good solution. I've been looking at those mfj units for the websdr! So you made the change to the ts2000 just to get a cleaner output on 70cm? But then missed the waterfall of the 991a?

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Yes Ian. Trying to be neighbourly on 70 😀 I’ll try it on 2 & 6 too…👍🏻 The 9700 was just too expensive for a single-band solution 😮

Yeah, I bought a TS2000 new back around 2000 when it was new. Still works, though I think the frequency has drifted off a little bit. Don't notice on FM, but on FT8 I can tell it's off.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Mine too Cathryn. Slightly different I notice on HF, VHF & UHF.

@1OFGODSOWN

7 ай бұрын

2nd biggest POS radio I Ever owned right behind the FT-857D.So happy when those were out of my sight Forever.

Good one Ian, tell us more about screening that RSP1A did you find it made any difference?

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! It was from ages ago. I had rf in the shack and I think it was from my original commercial off-centre fed dipole before I choked it off. I wrapped the RSP1A before I realised it was screened internally, so probably made little/no difference. Rf probably getting in via USB at the time. Been fine for years since 👍🏻

Happy new Year! Great video Ian. Well explained. A bit of deja vu here! Last couple of days I have been contemplating panadapter without buying yet another radio, so I might look at implementing something similar. I guess that the VHF/UHF attenuation is probably partly in the signal split and partly (mainly?) from the connector losses at the higher frequencies. Catch you in a contest. 73 Nick M1DDD

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Happy New Year Nick! Yes I think you’re right. It’s at the top end of its frequency spec. The preamps should sort me 🤞🏻😀

@NICKGAR7

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs hi again Ian. Yes, interesting stuff. It appears MFJ developed this in collaboration with RSP so I guess there is some mutual ‘win-win’. MFJ circa £125, RSP circa £100, display £20 s/h plus sundries so about £250. Have a good week.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

@@NICKGAR7 Yes and any rig, any ant 👍🏻

SDR Console is the best of them, use it daily with the IC-7610..

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Robbie. I use HDSDR on the 5000 but couldn’t get it to load on this old Vista laptop. Not overly keen on Uno, so may look at Console too. I literally only want the waterfall mind, so not fussed about any other features 👍🏻

Your video prompted me to look at review of the FT991A to see just how bad it was, oh dear.... and it's not just splattery on UHF. Regarding keying the MFJ and the amplifier together the usual approach is to use a pair of diodes. Good luck with your contesting 73

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Dave. The aux-out keys the amp ok. I could have split the PTT lead as well I suppose. 73.

@g0fvt

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs as long as you found the answer, I think more and more people are discovering VHF/UHF portable contesting over the last 2 years, 73

Happy New Year to you and your family Ian! I was particularly interested in this well made video as I have a TS2000 & a TS2000X. I need to watch the video again but please can you tell me if the SDR screen goes blank when you are transmitting? I'm just wondering if the MFJ unit cuts all signal or attenuates it to the SDR on transmit.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Hi, the SDR doesn’t get a signal via the coax but picks up rf in the general vicinity. Right at the end of the video you can see me RX and TX. This is the same as on my FTDX5000. When TX’ing on 200w, the RSP1A picks up stray rf and you can see your TX on the SDR. No issues with this. Hope this helps!

@acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs Thanks for the clarification. That will teach me to watch KZread vids while I'm cooking, obviously didn't pay enough attention! Thanks again.

Nice Ian. Now, if only we knew someone with the remote control screen for the TS2000...they are like hen's teeth. I tapped into my FT950 ages ago to get the same result but this little black box is so much easier.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Ha ha, yes Tom, if only…. I looked at taps and this seemed so much easier 😁

@adi-hg2zt

2 жыл бұрын

Hello I have seen many people talking about the remote head for the ts2000.You can use the head unit from the Kenwood tmd700 I am not talking about sky command the cable that connects the tmd 700 is the same as the ts2000.There is information out there from others about this.Hope you all have a great day and all the best to one and all.happy new year.73s adi

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

@@adi-hg2zt thanks Adi. Yes I’ve seen that. Looks good 👍🏻

Sir, question for you. Do you have to switch your PTT out to the SDR switch between those RCA pig tail jacks each time you change band operation? Thanks!

@ianxfs

Жыл бұрын

Hi. Yes on the TS2000 if you’re using PTT then the correct band output needs to be inline. Other rigs may only have one PTT output, so fine with those. It would be easy to merge PTTs from the TS2000 for the MFJ. If you’re using amplifiers with the TS2000, then taking the PTTs from the rig and then joining them for the MFJ is also an option. Ultimately, there’s RF switching, and accepting the delay of the relay. Hope that helps and good luck 👍🏻

Happy New nice video, I was wondering if your using omnirig so the SDR tracks with the rig. I'm using a SDR1A connected to my FT1200 by way of RCA jacks of the Mu tuning units with Mu turned on works great without opening rig. 73 John K5JRW

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Hi John. Happy New Year to you also 😀 I use OmniRig for my 5000 & 991A, but I don’t need CAT for the TS-2000. I just need to see the band as I turn the beam looking for contacts etc 👍🏻

Sir does this setup require an amplifier? I ordered a Ext Out 8 DIN cable goes to RCA male. I’m using a Chinese SDR TX / RX switching relay instead of the MFJ. I set up menus 28B through 28E on 1 for 10ms actuation. I only note ground to the end of my cable with rig switched to 50mhz. SDR switch on clicks over with rig to 52mhz and PTT keyed. I noted it did it on RF on 52mhz as well. Forgot to hook up PTT switch. I guessing an external amp is required for this operation as I believe the -7v ALC is required to trigger the internal radio circuit.

@ianxfs

Жыл бұрын

The rig should ground the PTT line. No reason for an amplifier just for the waterfall. If an amp was in-line then the SDR RF/PTT switch would be before it and the rig would key both. Good luck getting sorted 👍🏻

Great vid Ian. Being able to see the full band on contest night will pay dividends. Have you brought a mobile home to have the set up in 😉 Hope to catch you on Tuesday. 73 M7EGD

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Ha ha yes Gary. Getting squeezed!

I did the original mod on these boxes, To make them work with an SDR RX, Then MFJ put them into production after seeing my youtube video on it. Sadly I got no recognition for it so lesson learn't there.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Oh well Dave, at least other amateurs are getting the benefit of your R&D. Thanks anyway 👍🏻

Useful, did you just connect to the VHF in / out on your rig?

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Kevin. Yes it’s all shown on the video. Connect to any antenna socket, VHF, UHF or HF 👍🏻

Just try to find one of those MFJ-1708B-SDR. They are not available ANYWHERE!! (Including eBay). I called MFJ, and they will NOT be going back into production. So I had to buy a SDR RF T/R SWITCH on Banggood. Downside, it was only 100 Watts. :(

@ianxfs

2 ай бұрын

What a pity. Really useful device and was hard to get hold of at the time, so harder now….

@m0cdl

Ай бұрын

@@ianxfs I bought one fro ML&S quite recently!

Do you know of a way to lock the two VFO's together? I would love to be able to change the SDR frequency by spinning my transceiver VFO knob or have my transceiver frequency change if I change the SDR frequency.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, you need a CAT interface Eric and then amend the settings in the SDR software you’re using. That’s how I have it on my FTDX5000 and the RSP1A. The two are in sync 👍🏻

Not quite sure im understanding this. If I have a RSPDX unit I assume the receive signal is from the SDR and not the radio? I want to use my TS2000D as the receiver ..not the sdr as the receiver?

@ianxfs

11 ай бұрын

Yes you are correct. The SDR is used to display the waterfall/panadapter, not the rig, but they share the same antenna. You can take IF taps from the TS-2000, but there's multiple tap points depending upon the bands you're interested in and some are very narrow in terms of bandwidth (so you'll only see a small portion of the band). For a full-band waterfall view using the same antenna as the rig is using, this is a simple solution (assuming you have an SDR). Thanks.

being a passive splitter, you will send half of the signal to the kenwood and half to the SDR. Did you try to se the difference in signal strength with and without the MFJ box?

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

I don’t think it’s 50:50 Ferdinando. See the part 2 update video 😀

@germibestia

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs which video? You have an antenna which captures a given, finite, amount of energy. This antenna + transmission line have an impedance of 50 Ohm. This is the generator of the circuit. The most amount of energy would be transferred into a load having the very same impedance. Very basic stuff. Now if instead of a single 50 Ohm load, you have two loads in parallel, each one of 50 Ohm, the equal amount of power will be absorbed by each of them. Given the law of conservation of energy, each load will get the half of the total energy supplied by the generator. Which means than you have an attenuation of 3 dB -we assume no losses-. If you would attach four loads, you would have a 6 dB attenuation and so on. You can see an analogy: If you have a stack of two identical antennas, they would each capture the same amount of energy. Which means that combined, they produce the double of the energy supplied to your receiver. An increase of 3 dB. If you have a stack of four antennas, you have a gain of 6 dB. But when you transmit things are very different; Your transceiver supply 100 W. If you send this power to one antenna, all of it will be irradiated. If you split the same 100 W to four identical antennas, each one can only irradiate 25 W. So at the end, the total power irradiated is the very same as a single one. You may get a marginal advantage from the slightly different angle of irradiation of each antenna if mounted at different height. Bottom line is, if you want to attach more than one receiver to an antenna and get the same signal as you would with a single one, you need an active splitter, with a very low noise amplifier. This is what I use shop.elad-usa.com/antenna-splitter-switches/asa-15/ Then you need an additional circuit to combine it with a transceiver; one of the five exits will be sent to the TRX while receiving, and the antenna will be connected to it directly while transmitting. If you are able to take a finite amount of energy, send it to two loads, and have each of them absorbing the very same finite amount, then your biggest problem would be to find a tuxedo, since I can't imagine you getting the Nobel price for physics wearing a T shirt 😎

Hi Ian if the RXsignal splits 50/50 Does each Rx lose 3dB S/N. Put another way does each Rx NF degrade by 3dB ?

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Steven, there’s nothing in the specs I could see that showed the attenuation so that’s why I did my own tests. I don’t think it’s a 50:50 split, but I may be wrong? The HF bands were hardly affected at all. 70cms is the top of the usage spec, so that’s where it might start to drop off. I’ve got preamps for both 2m & 70cm so all should be ok 👍🏻

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

@Talk to the hat. Hi, I mentioned that I have a preamp before the switch so I can counter any loss. Thanks.

Friendly note: Audio level is low and you have a deep voice. Difficult to understand even if I put the audio through a quality Bluetooth speaker. Suggest a lavalier mic and maybe running an audio filter on the audio to cut some of the lows and normalize the level.

@ianxfs

Жыл бұрын

Ok thanks Louis. It’s all on an iPhone, so limited editing other than volume.

Happy new year !!! I can build such a waterfall based rig with a raperry pi 3+ or better 4 using SDR++ for about 80 Euro. And an additional HDMI display will cost about 40 Euro. I am wondering how much will this rig cost.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Happy New Year too Olaf! Sounds like a plan. Good luck 👍🏻

@sirhaugen1025

2 жыл бұрын

Any link?

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

@@sirhaugen1025 Hi, if you search MFJ-1708B-SDR you’ll find this model easy. If you’re after Olaf’s design, then I’ll let him reply 👍🏻

Make sure the IF filters are ok the TS2000 is known to have these fail, there is lots of info out on the web about this, great rig apart from that,

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks.

@sputniksam

Жыл бұрын

The filter issue affected a run of the T2K in 2005.

I think I heard about this from Calum last night ...

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Ah right. Will take a look!

Its can CAT control..? Same freq between radio and freq on waterfall? Thanks..

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, it just depends on how you configure your SDR software on the PC 👍🏻

@happyending486

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs thanks..

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

@@happyending486 Don’t forget, you’ll need a CAT cable between the PC and transceiver…

Never yet seen a video where they actually show where specifically to "tap the IF" on several different models. Wasn't even visually shown here on the TS2000. What's the big secret? Can't be difficult to open the radio and show "here is where I made the connection and how I did it"

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

You can find the instructions online. My concern was the quality/width of the output, plus the 2000 had multiple taps for different bands, so my 6m/2m/70cm requirement was becoming more complex. This one box does it all and on any rig I choose 😀

@624radicalham

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs It's been my experience that most of the videos where an SDR is connected to an older rig lack the simple explanation of where they tapped the IF. Going down rabbit holes online reading text is the way most of the information is gained, if available at all. Which I find strange as there are very few visual examples. People do indeed behave as if it's a secret hihi ... but I do appreciate the response and I'll check more information online! 73

@DanielHallmark

2 жыл бұрын

He didn't show how to tap the IF in this video because this solution doesn't tap the IF. That was the whole point of using the splitter box that feeds the SDR from the antenna signal directly. This was also explained clearly in the video that he didn't want to have to deal with multiple independent taps for the operating bands and didn't want to be restricted on the bandwidth available to display that occurs when using the IF taps. Why are you complaining about something totally irrelevant to the content of this video?

@paul.alarner6410

5 ай бұрын

thats what i was expecting not a vid on how to share an antenna which is all he is doing,its a fail for me.

posso alimentare il MFJ 1708B SDR a 13.8V?

@ianxfs

7 ай бұрын

Yes 👍🏻

@Frank-it9joq

7 ай бұрын

ok non ce rischio che si danneggi?@@ianxfs

@ianxfs

7 ай бұрын

@@Frank-it9joq mine was connected to the same power supply that was powering the rig (13.8v) and all was ok. If you are in doubt you can use a standard wall plug in 12v power supply.

I just want a Spectrum Scope for my ICOM 9100.I have Zero interest in a waterfall since I Hate them.I have the waterfall turned OFF on my ICOM 7610 & it will never be turned ON as long as I own it.

@ianxfs

7 ай бұрын

Great.

Anyone try this on a G90? inquiring minds and all that...

@ianxfs

9 ай бұрын

It’ll work on anything Alvin as it just shares the coax RX feed and switches out (RF or PTT switching and power limited) on TX. Still needs something like the RSP1A to produce the display mind… 😀

Good info. It would be helpful to speak up, as your voice tends to trail off to barely a whisper. Thank you.

@ianxfs

2 ай бұрын

Ok thanks.

Very cool, I have a TS-2000 I bought new a few years ago that I've been planning to put back into action during the remainder of my holiday. Happy New Year.

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

Great! Happy New Year Vince 👍🏻

@DrPanda69

2 жыл бұрын

What software program are you using on your computer?

@ianxfs

2 жыл бұрын

@@DrPanda69 Hi Patrick. It’s SDR Uno. I also use HDSDR on my 5000 but that laptop is windows 10 and it hasn’t enough grunt to to everything, so I resurrected an old vista one for this. I just haven’t managed to get HDSDR to download on vista yet, but SDR Uno seems ok for what I need 👍🏻

@DrPanda69

2 жыл бұрын

@@ianxfs thanks ian for the advise. I will try both as I have windows 10.