[linrad] Re: Linrad under Windows

[Leif Asbrink <sm5bsz.com; leif@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Alex,

> My question regarding Linrad under Windows still open, as lot of 
> peple claim works fine,  for me dont make sense to invest time in 
> Linux, TNX, I have enought with windows, so please put away a 
> religios fight Linux VS Windows; if some body knows how to properly 
> configure Linrad under Windows I apreciate that information, that's 
> all.

The difference between Linux and Windows is how you have to configure
your operating system. Under Windows you have to find the proper
drive routines for the soundcard that you are going to use and then
install it properly for Windows. Actually this is much easier under 
Linux in case you assemble a computer from bits and pieces that you
can collect from junk boxes. There are many soundcards for which you
can not find the Windows drivers on the Internet, you have to have
them installed with the Windows installation with which they were
bought. On the other hand, in case you already have a working Windows
machine with properly installed sound, it will be far easier to use 
it as it is than to install Linux.

Once the OS is properly set up, (under Windows you might have to 
install DLLs in case you want to control hardwares such as SDR-14 or
the WSE converters while such things are automated under Linux) the
proper configuration of Linrad is OS-independent. How to set up
Linrad depends on what you want to achieve. Like Alice in the
Wonderland. I can not tell you what direction to go if I do not
know where you want to arrive.

The problem with Linrad (and the strength of it) is that the
program itself does not make many assumptions about what you 
actually want to achieve. It means that you can set it up in many
different ways and most of them are inefficient and silly for
one reason or another. Linrad does not know that you did not do 
such things on purpose....

You asked for the optimum settings for WSJT. Here I have no experience,
but what would be optimum may be very different depending on the
circumstances.

First of all, do you need the Linrad noise blanker? If you do,
will it be enough to use the dumb blanker? Maybe you could reduce
the noise floor by a couple of tenths of a dB by using the
smart blanker also. Depends on the bandwidth of your hardware
and your local QRN situation.

Secondly, do you wish maximum visibility for weak WSJT signals
over the entire bandwidth or do you want to zoom in around a 
CQ frequency?

It may be possible for the Linrad AFC to  lock to a sync tone that 
drifts with frequency in a way that your JT decoder can not
handle. If you want to use Linrad to correct for a non-linear
and large frequency drift you should invoke the AFC and learn how to
master the bandwidth, averaging and time delay parameters that
affect its operation.

Generally speaking, and this is for all Linrad users:

1) Set Linrad up as you think should be ok according to what
you have found at various Internet locations or else found
to be reasonable.

2) When you have a situation of any kind where you have real
difficulties to copy, press "S" to save a recording of the
difficult signal during at least 30 seconds. Then pack the
recorded file plus all the par_ files in your Linrad directory
into a zip, tar.bz2 tar.gz file. Then send a mail to me so we 
can agree in what way you can make the perhaps very large 
file available to me. I need real life examples to try to
find out what might be optimal processing parameters in
special situations  Such files might also point to problems
that could be managed by improved processing algorithms.


For the Linux vs Windows discussion:
1) As far as I know there is no difference provided that
the computer is fast enough.

2) A computer that is fast enough for Linux may be hopelessly
inadequate for Windows, but Pentium IV and above is perfectly
adequate for Windows.

3) In case you use USB for the SDR-14 or SDR-IQ, Linux will
allow more bandwidth than Windows.(98, 2000 or XP. I know nothing
about Vista)

4) Linrad is available as source code for both Windows and Linux.
It is extremely easy to install all the free tools needed for
either OS and then make changes in for example the user routine
that can talk to your transceiver. 




  73

Leif / SM5BSZ


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