> What you seem to not realize or understand is that the > GNU Radio software that you can compile and putz around > with is worth significantly more to you than any piece of > hardware that will capture or create EM radiation.
Brian is 100% correct. Could I make just a small attempt to amplify it? Once you've compiled and putzed around with GNU Radio you might find that it would be nice to have access to a few live sample signals. You've reached the point where you now simply *must* have a USRP. Correct? No! *Any* old radio receiver (or transmitter for that matter) can be adapted to work with GNU Radio, if you're willing to do a little hardware modification (which can be as simple as connecting a wire from the receiver to your PC's sound card). If you happen to be lucky enough to live in a part of the world where there are "hamfests", (or mail order etc.) you should be able to pick up a used scanner and/or HF receiver for next to nothing. The process of adapting and modifying the receiver and getting it to talk properly to GNU Radio will, I assure you, teach you many lessons that you can't get any other way, nor as well. Here are two places you might start: 1) Search the net for how to perform a "discriminator tap" 2) See my "very poor man's USRP" page http://www.lightlink.com/mhp/iq/ The above link has been out on the nets for a while now and I've gotten a tiny number of emails from interested (mostly) hams. So far it has not been any problem whatsoever to answer all questions. The hardware described is certainly not going to threaten Ettus' business any time soon! It can't handle much of anything wider than 15 KHz or so! But it can handle several "digital" modes. And you might learn something along the way. 73 Max p.s. In case the above isn't clear, you have my permission, and blessing, to copy my circuits or whatever. If you want to provide attribution you may, although the circuitry described is certainly not original by me. There's no PCB though ;-) _______________________________________________ Discuss-gnuradio mailing list Discuss-gnuradio@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss-gnuradio
