Beginner question about rtlsdr

This is merely a historical archive of years 2008-2021, before the migration to mailman3.

A maintained and still updated list archive can be found at https://lists.osmocom.org/hyperkitty/list/osmocom-sdr@lists.osmocom.org/.

Michel Pelletier pelletier.michel at gmail.com
Mon Oct 22 02:13:12 UTC 2012


On Sun, Oct 21, 2012 at 7:00 PM, Jay Salsburg <jsalsburg at bellsouth.net> wrote:
> Hello Michel
>
> OK, I see you are way ahead of me. However, I have some experience using
> these TV Dongles, they have pitfalls. Number one is its frequency Accuracy,
> out-of-the-box; needs calibration. Another is that its frequency accuracy
> drifts over time and from the Ambient temperature necessitating periodic
> offset calibration. While it is possible to create a compensation cure for
> frequency drift vs. temperature, it may be far more prudent to place the
> Dongle in a temperature controlled enclosure (50C Heater) keeping it above
> the ambient to help prevent drift, in your case, the all too important
> Temperature related Phase Shift. I have thought of disconnecting the
> Dongle's Crystal and placing it in a Crystal Oven, but I have not tried
> that. The Entire Dongle is small enough to place it in a temperature
> controlled enclosure which also keeps it dry.

Interesting!  I was actually considering going the other way, and
putting the radio in a Peltier cooled enclosure, but that was based
only on my experience with cooling digital cameras for
astrophotography purposes to lower noise.  I just instinctively
figured that lower temperatures would equate to lower noise in a radio
receiver as well, but I have no experience with the kind of accuracy
drift or phase shift you're talking about.  Well, this is definitely
something I will keep in mind when I try to capture my first baseline.
:)

-Michel




More information about the osmocom-sdr mailing list