Rigs currently available (and those that are retired, shaded in red) are shown below
Softrock Rigs - an Overview
Softrock is a term for a software defined radio (SDR) which consists of three major building blocks:
- The SDR hardware (e.g., one of the Softrock kits)
- A PC running special SDR software (which is free to download - see the "some SDR software" section of Alan G4ZFQ's website )
- and a stereo soundcard (with one stereo input for RX and, if TX is desired, a stereo output for TX and a second soundcard to deliver the demodulated RX sounds to the PC's speaker)
These pages concentrate on the SDR hardware. All of the softrock rigs currently
available provide either RX and/or TX capability for signals either side of a "fixed" center frequency.
The term "fixed" is relative. It means that, when working on a particular band, the SDR's local oscillator produces an
unvarying frequency that anchors a "chunk" of RF bandwidth within which you can operate. Some of the SOftrocks allow you to tune
the local oscillator to multiple center frequencies; the earlier Softrocks limited you to a crystal-controlled
center frequency that was, indeed "fixed" (the crystal was soldered into the board!)
The bandwidth provided by these SDRs is a function of the PC Soundcard used. The approximate
tuning bandwidth you can get, given
a specified center frequency (CF) from the hardware's local oscillator and the soundcard's sampling rate (SR)
is a range: [CF - SR/2] to [CF + SR/2].
These pages document the construction of five different types of SDRs from Tony Parks' Softrock line:
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Receivers
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SR Lite V6.2. - Monoband (retired)
A single band receiver. These pages document the construction of the 40m receiver with a crystal-controlled center frequency of 7.056 MHz. Using a soundcard with a sampling rate of 96 kHz, this RX provides a bandwidth of 7.008 - 7.104 MHz. This receiver was very close to retirement and then Tony (Softrock40 Yahoo Group message 25109) refreshed his stocks at the same prices as before (160m, 80m, or 40m kit - $10 US/Canada and $11 for DX; upgraded 30m, 20m, or 15m kit - $12 US/Canada and $13 for DX) For details see the Softrock Lite v6.2 40m home page -
SR Lite II - Monoband
A single band receiver. This is the updated replacement for the just-retired, entry-level SR Lite V6.2 receiver. As in its predecessor, the builder's notes for this new RX will document the construction of the 40m receiver with a crystal-controlled center frequency of 7.056 MHz. Using a soundcard with a sampling rate of 96 kHz, this RX provides a bandwidth of 7.008 - 7.104 MHz. This receiver will be available at the same prices as before (160m, 80m, or 40m kit - $10 US/Canada and $11 for DX; upgraded 30m, 20m, or 15m kit - $12 US/Canada and $13 for DX) For details see the (BETA) Softrock Lite II home page -
Xtall+Lite V8.3 (Retired)
This is a multi-band receiver. The web site documents the construction of this receiver with a center frequency that is switch-selectable from among 16 pre-programmed center frequencies, giving a band coverage of 160 - 10 m. The receiver uses four pluggable bandpass filter (BPF) boards to handle that band coverage. For details see the Softrock Xtall+Lite v8.3 home page.
Note: This kit has been retired. Xtall+Lite V9.0 - Multiband
This multiband receiver replaces the V8.3 receiver. Center frequencies are set via a USB connection to the v9.0 circuit board and any center frequency may be set between 1.8 MHz through 30.0 MHz. Manual changing of the BPF module (by plugging in one of 4 BPF boards) is necessary as frequency changes are made from one band of frequencies to another band of frequencies with frequency ranges of about 1.8 MHz to 2.2 MHz, 2.2 MHz to 9.0 MHz, 9.0 MHz to 20 MHz, and 20 MHz to 30.0 MHz.
For details, see the Softrock Xtall + Lite V9.0 Home page.-
HF-BPF Electronically Switchable 4 Band BPF Board
Newly in production is a multiband bandpass filter plug-in for the V9.0 RX. This kit provides four switchable BPFs on a single board (as opposed to the four separate boards in the original V9.0 design). In its initial design, switching is manual; however, firmware is currently being updated to allow for automatic switching via the V9.0 RX's USB interface. Enhanced Builders notes are in progress.
Kit price for the electronically switched v9.0 BPF is $13 for US/Canada and $14 for DX where mailing costs are included in each kit price. - The v9.0 receiver kit with the CMOS Si570 may be ordered with or
without the electronically switched BPF with the following options.
- Current configuration with the four plug in BPF modules at a kit price of $44 for US/Canada and $45 for DX.
- V9.0 board kit plus the electronically switched HF BPF kit at a kit price of $55 for US/Canada and $56 for DX. Band coverage from 1.8 MHz through 30 MHz. (The current plug in BPF modules would not be included with this kit option.)
- V9.0 board kit plus the electronically switched HF BPF kit but with band coverage from 3.5 MHz through 30 MHz plus 6m coverage at a kit price of $55 for US/Canada and $56 for DX.(The 3.5 MHz through 30 MHz plus 6m version of the BPF board is still needing testing before shipping production kits.)
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Transceivers
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Softrock RXTX V6.2 (Retired)
. This transceiver adds a transmit capability to the base platform of the SR Lite (in fact, the RX section is nearly identical to the SR Lite). The transmittes delivers 1 watt of output into a 50 ohm load. The types of modulation will depend upon the modulation modes which the chosen software program can implement. This transceiver has been retired after a long and successful production run. See the details at the Softrock RXTX V6.2 40/30m home page. -
Softrock RXTX + Xtall V6.3. - Multiband
This multi-band transceiver is the latest in the RXTX line and, like its single-band predecessor, builds a transmit capability on top of the base multi-band rexeiver's platform. Like the RX V8.3, the RXTX V6.3 provides 16 switch-selectable pre-programmed center frequencies which, in the aggregate, provide 160-10m coverage. The TX section very closely resembles the TX section of the single-band RXTX V6.2 and the RX section is a nearly exact duplicate of the RX V8.3. The transceiver uses 4 sets of pluggable bandpass and PA/lowpass filter boards to provide RX and TX coverage of these bands. For details see the Softrock RXTX V6.3 home page.- The RXTX+Xtall v6.3 kit price is $50 for the RXTX board kit along with the receiver BPF kits for all HF ham bands. The $50 price would include the CMOS Si570 device used on the board. (Without the Si570 included in the kit, the kit price would be $35. The RXTXv6.3 board also provides for use of the LVDS Si570 part.) Each PA/Filter kit would be an additional $15 per kit. Thus for two or three band coverage the RXTX+Xtall v6.3 kit group would cost $65.
- Additional PA/Filter modules would expand the band coverage such that all HF bands could be covered at a total kit price of $110 The DX price for the RXTX+Xtall v6.3 kit is $52 and each PA/Filter kit pirce is $16. In each case the kit price includes mailing cost. PA/Filter kits are for band groups: 160m, 80m/40m, 30m/20m/17m, and 15m/12m/10m.
For kit availability and ordering instructions (as of 10/26/2008), see Tony's current availability message (you must be logged into the Softrock Yahoo Group reflector to view the message.
WB5RVZ Website
This site is always under construction. The first effort is a set of "Heathkit"-like builders' instructions for some of the "Softrock" Software Defined Radio (SDR) receiver and transceiver kits.
To date, the kits included are enhanced builders notes for the Softrock Lite V6.2 monoband (40m) RX, the Si570-based Softrock Xtall+Lite multiband RX V8.3,, the Softrock Lite + Xtall multiband RX V9.0, the Softrock RXTX V6.2/a> 40/30m Transceiver, and the RXTX + Xtall V6.3 multiband transceiver..
Most recently completed are the enhanced instructions for the RXTX + Xtall V6.3. The reader is invited to review and/or comment on these.