Just wondering, has anyone here utilised the clock output on an Arduino, to regulate the IF input to a super heterodyne radio ? I am considering trying this, but am interested if anyone else has done something similar ?
Have not, but am interested in this.
If you do it, please make sure to update this thread 8-)
Will Do for sure.
I am waiting for some parts.
I have ordered a couple of Motorola MC3362P Dual-Conversion FM Receiver IC's which the specs suggest accept an RF input of up to 200 Mhz, so at the very least it will be okay to scan through to Air Band channels (Yes I do know they are AM and I am considering a seperate demodulator solution to this external to the chip) and basic HF to VHF freqs.
Now I have also purchased an Oscillator from Little Bird Electronics in Australia, so this will be the same as the one from Spark Fun. It is a DS1077 Programmable Oscillator Breakout - 16.2kHz to 133MHz.
This is what I plan to programme via my Arduino Mega, utilising Processing as the input. All I am going to be doing, is using the oscillator as the 1st Local Oscillator Frequency to the Superhet thus adjusting the IF and hence providing the ability to scan through the RF range accepted by the IC.
What I want to eventually do, is build an scanner, which works through to 3Ghz. This is the start. Problem I am facing, is trying to find an open FM receiver IC, that isnt limited to the FM Commercial Radio band.
I am obviously not going to do this using mostly analogue parts, as I just do not have the ability to build my own PCB's at home.
Whilst I am a Military Communications Electronic Technician, I dont have time at work to be doing this, so whilst I am off work at the moment due to a couple of surgeries, this is what I am trying to do.
It makes me wonder, why there appears to be so little interest in this.
Cheers
Risk
You and I both.
I've been a moderate scanner enthusiast for some time now, and listen mostly a bit lower in the VHF range. Mostly Fire/EMS/RCMP.
Occasionally we'll park at the end of the landing strip of the Airport and listen to cockpit/Radio tower chatter but usually that's a snore for people that come along.
Always in the 400+ range for other stuff, and my current rig only goes into 900mhz range, so I haven't really been exposed to too much there either. No EDACS or other decoders on mine, so also even more limiting in this day and age.
I've pondered doing something similar before, but analog is beyond my skillset. I really wanted to setup a controllable remote scanner back in my home town to listen to over the net. I only need VHF there, but got lost in lack of information.
Sounds good to me, I was actually just thinking about interfacing this project to a web page stream the other day.
What I would like to see is more software controlled radios. Providing you can get an RF feed into a computer, and even if you have to use ADC's to utilise the information for convenience sake, there should be no reason why someone couldnt build a GUI so that you can use building block like modules to take that RF and Demodulate it in any manner available.
So you should be able to convert that RF from any form to something usable whether that Digital or Voice coms, secured or not. You should be in other words, able to build your own radio for whatever purpose, simply by arranging various software blocks.
Anyways, thats my idea.