apache-labs.com

To compliment my 7000DLE I waned a second SDR receiver. I have SDR Plays and other SDR's but they are limited by their software, nothing compares to Thetis as far as recovered audio.

So I picked up a TRX-Duo off AliExpress for about $250. The TRX-Duo is a clone of a Red Pitaya and the TRX is using a bone stock Red Pitaya image. Although it can also transmit I am just using the Receiver. It emulates Protocol 1 but uses a 1GB ethernet connection. It will do 2 receivers @ 192K or 1 @ 384K

Here is a quick Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0v8RMp7Log of the TRX running with Thetis 2.9.0.6. With command line switches I can run 2 instances of Thetis (one on the 7000DLE and one on the TRX) with no issues.

That is bad ass, Gary!

Does anyone make an amp to get the +4dBm output of the Duo up to say 37dBm (5W)?

Here's an embed of your video...

There are but didnt look to far into it as I was just interested in the RX side only. But anything for the Red Pitaya would work, like the Charly 25 project items https://smartradioconcepts.com/

https://hackaday.com/2022/10/09/trx-duo ... ned-radio/

Make sure to read the comments, there are links to some amplifiers. Watch the video in my link as well.

This looks like a great winter project. Interesting and more economic way for someone that wanted to learn or test PowerSDR or Thetis. There are those who doubt their skills and are hesitant to fork over $$$$, just to find out later they have difficulty operating the software.

This looks like a much better choice for an amplifier: https://www.ebay.com/itm/334454204211

Gary,

I'm curious - are you running Thetis on-board the DUO or are you running it on an out-board PC?

Gary
K9RX

Thetis must be run on a PC just like an Anan. All the TRX-Duo Red Pitaya image is doing is emulating a 100D (I think) but Thetis has a Red Pitaya selection.

I have a red pitaya, I check today to have one receiver, RX1 working as cw skimmer and the second receiver, RX2 as a normal receiver. It work perfect. Each RX have a different IP, so skimmer connect to RX1 and Thetis to RX2. My angelia board can't do that. This open a window to experiment.

73, Jesus.

EA1DAV wrote:I have a red pitaya

I also have Red Pitaya and TRX-DUO.
And where can I find out about the IP for each receiver.

Do it in the router where DHCPd is running, it is associated with the mac of the red pitaya.
Attached is a capture od the dhcpd in my router you can see rp-XXXX what is the red pitaya ip's.

73 Jesus

I asume your red pitaya is loaded with the firmware from Pavel Demin

http://pavel-demin.github.io/red-pitaya ... dr-122-88/

Yevgeni,
from what I know 2 mac addresses are only possible with 16Bit RP and also TRX-Duo
Please have a look here. https://www.reversebeacon.net/pages/Red ... eparing+42

Thanks
In this option, there is no transmit mode, only receive.

Yes, this is possible with 16 bit version that have a FPGA more powerful.
Explore the Pavel directory, there are only rx version and also transceiver firmware.

w-u-2-o wrote:This looks like a much better choice for an amplifier: https://www.ebay.com/itm/334454204211

To be effective as a 10W transceiver, it needs a switched LPF after the amp in order to meet harmonic spectral purity requirements. That can be accomplished with manual switching, and possibly automatically if the digital I/O pins can be brought out to the panel and controlled in Thetis' OC Control menu.

Under the TRX-Duo GPIO specs, it shows "16 Reserved Digital I/O Pins," but for automatic filter switching, those pins need a hook back into the OC Control menu. The same switched filters could be used for basic low-pass receiver preselection although not as effective as bandpass filtering.

Paul, W9AC

While it would be convenient to gain control of an LPF via onboard digital IO signals, this is by no means a showstopper. There are plenty of serial CAT band decoder designs out there already that can be used to drive an LPF board in an automated fashion.

Or, if you were thinking about the merely being a first stage amp to drive a modified KPA500, as I am, then one could merely rely on the LPF of the larger amplifier.

It's worth noting that there are also plenty of LPF kits and board assemblies available on eBay to match up with that small amp. You'd also need to add a T/R switch of some sort.

Having the Duo as a receiver is straightforward and compelling. Building a useful transceiver starts to add up. Figure $250 for the Duo, $100 for the amp, maybe another $100 for the LPF and T/R assemblies, plus throw in at least $100 for power supplies and enclosures. However, it certainly seems possible to have a very nice transceiver for under $1000, and that's a pretty good deal compared to Flex/Apache/Expert options. But it does start to pale compared to a 7300 or, especially, the new 710.

w-u-2-o wrote:While it would be convenient to gain control of an LPF via onboard digital IO signals, this is by no means a showstopper. There are plenty of serial CAT band decoder designs out there already that can be used to drive an LPF board in an automated fashion.

Or, if you were thinking about the merely being a first stage amp to drive a modified KPA500, as I am, then one could merely rely on the LPF of the larger amplifier.

It's worth noting that there are also plenty of LPF kits and board assemblies available on eBay to match up with that small amp. You'd also need to add a T/R switch of some sort.

Having the Duo as a receiver is straightforward and compelling. Building a useful transceiver starts to add up. Figure $250 for the Duo, $100 for the amp, maybe another $100 for the LPF and T/R assemblies, plus throw in at least $100 for power supplies and enclosures. However, it certainly seems possible to have a very nice transceiver for under $1000, and that's a pretty good deal compared to Flex/Apache/Expert options. But it does start to pale compared to a 7300 or, especially, the new 710.

I agree 100%. I think it would make a great setup for someone wanted to try Thetis or PowerSDR without a huge expense. The T/R relay setup are already built with boards from W6PQL. I do wonder and it may not be an issue at low levels is RF Delay after PTT is initiated to prevent Hot Switching T/R relays.

Very interesting subject. In my case I was fortunate to be able to purchase a Hermes Lite 2 along with a Hardrock 50 amplifier. That setup came in under $650 and allowed me to try OpenHPSDR and later Thetis ( both modified to work with the Hermes Lite 2) . Using that setup fueled the desire to aquire an Anan radio. I was about to place a pre-order for the 7000DLE MKII ( actually MKIII) when a too good to pass up deal on a lightly used 8000DLE came along.
Best decision in Amateur radio gear I have made in a long time.
I think having choices of other radios that are able to use Thetis is great.
James
WD5GWY

James:

You mentioned "I was about to place a pre-order for the 7000DLE MKII ( actually MKIII)", I don't see a 7000DLE MKIII listed anywhere. Was that a typo or is there a MKIII coming out.

73 De Mike
VE3YF

There is no such thing as an ANAN-7000MKIII. Unfortunately this is what people are calling the latest production units of the 7000MKII because these units contain a new revision of the Orion board called the Orion MKIII, which is also an unfortunate and confusing naming choice. You can read more about this new revision of the hardware here: https://community.apache-labs.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4266

Dxhound wrote:James:

You mentioned "I was about to place a pre-order for the 7000DLE MKII ( actually MKIII)", I don't see a 7000DLE MKIII listed anywhere. Was that a typo or is there a MKIII coming out.

73 De Mike
VE3YF

As Scott mentioned, it isn't an actual designation for the latest production run of the 7000DLE MKII. But, it has been used to denote the newer/ Hopefully improved version of the Orion board used in the 7000DLE radios.
James
WD5GWY

Thanks for the clarification Scott.

73 De Mike
VE3YF

The Red Pitaya code provided by Pavel can already control an external LPF/BPF... likely you would use I2C. The original design was built to control ALEX! When the Codec comes along, the ALEX port is replaced by the I2S port, but I2C is also available. There have been several solutions with I2C controlling the external filters.

There are also 4 ports controlled directly by Thetis similar to Hermes where you can send a 4 bit code to an external filter. You might have to voltage convert it to work.

I wanted to restore the ALEX port to a RP Shield board I designed. So I programmed a PSoC4 from Cypress Semi to do the job. I modified Pavels code slightly to make my life easier on the PSoC - but it would have been possible to use one of the off-the-shelf choices already in the code.

Anyway - lots of choices besides having to build a CAT system for it.

w-u-2-o wrote:While it would be convenient to gain control of an LPF via onboard digital IO signals, this is by no means a showstopper. There are plenty of serial CAT band decoder designs out there already that can be used to drive an LPF board in an automated fashion.
.

What about PureSignal?
Does Pavel's image do the DAC copy business that PS depends on?

Please have a look on Pavel's Github pages. Everything that is on the SD card image is listed here.
http://pavel-demin.github.io/red-pitaya-notes/

Especially for the TRX-Duo (copy of Red Pitaya STEMlab 122.88-16) here the HPSDR emulation. http://pavel-demin.github.io/red-pitaya ... dr-122-88/

Of course, the names of the connectors refer to the Red Pitaya.

If you don't have a pinout for the TRX-Duo, you'll find it here.
https://elekitsorparts.com/trx-duo-sdr- ... rts-guide/

W4WMT wrote:What about PureSignal?
Does Pavel's image do the DAC copy business that PS depends on?

Yes, PS works great with Pavel's code on the Red Pitaya. Take, JA5AEA, made some modifications which allow a step attenuator to be automatically controlled by Thetis on your feedback signal.
More info:

https://groups.io/g/redpitaya/topic/81177883
https://www.qrz.com/db/W1NJC

I'm interested in trying the TRX-Duo. Does anyone know the ADC input impedance? The 14-bit RP I'm using now is high-z and I use transformers.

Nick

50 ohms, you dont need to do any transforming like the older RP required.

wevets@gmail.com wrote:The Red Pitaya code provided by Pavel can already control an external LPF/BPF... likely you would use I2C. The original design was built to control ALEX! When the Codec comes along, the ALEX port is replaced by the I2S port, but I2C is also available. There have been several solutions with I2C controlling the external filters.

Glad I2C was considered for filter switching. Any related documentation available? I side-stepped Red Pitaya and have been experimenting with a Hermes Lite-2 Plus edition with companion LPF and digital audio boards. Thetis has been working very well with the HL2+.

Paul, W9AC

Gary, Thanks for the info on the 50-ohms.

Paul, Pavel Demin has some info on his work here: http://pavel-demin.github.io/red-pitaya-notes/sdr-transceiver-hpsdr/

Nick

I was looking deeper into this. It appears that 60dbm.com has everything necessary to package a 100 watt radio either on the their website or ebay.

I also have seen some discussion of using Pure Signal by providing feedback to RX2 input.

Have you found anything it does not do compared to the 7000 that you wished it did?

Myself I don't have a need to run a bunch of rx slices. I do however enjoy seeing as much of the band as possible. I don't know if you can run it at 384K bandwidth and still use Pure Signal.