CalypsoBTS + GPRS and SDR suggestion

[Mychaela Falconia]

inode wrote:

> If needed to use a GPRS BTS can you suggest the best cheap SDR to use with
> OsmoBTS? (I saw BladeRF and LimeSDR but I was unable to understand if they
> are full supported via OsmoBTS)

I am also interested in the answer to this question, but for a
completely different reason.  I am making my own boards with the
Calypso chipset, intended to be a superior alternative to the very
cripped Mot C1xx phones, I've already made the first batch of boards
and they work nicely (it is my understanding that one of them was
demonstrated at OsmoDevCon), and I am currently working on a few
outstanding minor hardware issues, as well as professional quality RF
calibration.  Once I have all of the outstanding hw and calibration
issues solved and I build a slightly larger batch, my boards will
become available on a retail basis.

However, my FreeCalypso board (FCDEV3B) is intended to serve as a GSM
*mobile station* development board, *not* a poor man's BTS.  But
looking at the traffic on this mailing list, it seems that more people
use Mot C1xx phones and OsmocomBB for CalypsoBTS purposes than for GSM
work in the Calypso's native MS role, thus I need to have some
prepared canned answer to give to those people.  My newly made
Calypso-based GSM MS development boards will *not* be dirt-cheap like
dumpster-sourced Mot C1xx phones, they will probably cost about the
same as the full version of bladeRF, and using an expensive board
meant for the GSM MS role as a poor man's BTS makes absolutely no
sense.  Thus when people will inevitably ask me if my FCDEV3B can run
CalypsoBTS, I would like to be able to point them to some different
product, SDR or otherwise, that is better suited for the BTS role.
My question is: which SDR or other BTS product should I recommend to
those CalypsoBTS-seeking people?

TIA,
Mychaela