New sdr computer.

[RustySpoons]

The case is a bit bigger than I was expecting to be honest. But its fine even if the mobo does look rather silly cowering down in its corner. Plenty of scope for changing things in the future, adding extra drives, swapping the mobo for a bigger one. Ive got a few old 160/320GB hdd's lying around that I can install for added storage.

Ive had to find a wifi dongle from the junk box as Ive realised there is no ethernet connection where this computer will ulitimately be sitting!

PM me your address and I'll send you a 128Gb SSD for your project.

 

[Analoguesat]

Ive spent a very pleasant evening tinkering, installing win7 onto the new computer & generally enjoying myself using a reasonable spec computer again!

So here is the operational beast - decoding sstv via the hack green sdr & rxsstv software.



That VS550 psu is a nice unit, the only critism is that maybe the cables are a bit too long! I need to do some more cable management before I put it into full service.

128GB ssd is zip tied onto the chassis next to the bottom green drive holder.

Windows performance details for this rig as it stands:



The old Radeon x600 graphics card is letting it down but seeing as this will be running the sdr software for the time being Im not going to worry too much about that

Rough specs:

i3 processor
8GB ram
128GB ssd
win7 home premium 64bit

 

[Analoguesat]

Once this project is complete to my satisfaction Im going to start raiding the spare parts boxes again & build myself a nice new desktop machine to replace my aging and somewhat dilapidated day to day use Dell 5150

 

[Analoguesat]

Im considering repurposing this one to my main desktop machine (since its by far and away the best desktop machine Ive got!)*. My current desktop which is a battered old Dell Dimension 5150 is about 15 years old has about had it (Pentium4 32 bit 4 gig ram) Its performance is just awful these days. If it happens the sdr system will be replaced by a similar spec build in an old case

However I need to work out how to get the video feed from the satellite box working as the mobo in this one doesnt have any pci slots for the tv card.

(*) 7 or 8 base units most of which are in in various states of disrepair since they have been used as parts donors......

 

[Channel Hopper]

The company I’m contracting for last week donated an ASUS mobo with an I7 processor to my cause. I’ll have a closer look at the specification tomorrow and see where I might find a use.

 

[Analoguesat]

The company I’m contracting for last week donated an ASUS mobo with an I7 processor to my cause. I’ll have a closer look at the specification tomorrow and see where I might find a use.

Nice!

So base units swapped over - now I have the fun & games of reloading all the bits of software I use regularly onto the new base.

 

[Terryl]

They make USB to PCi adapters, but now all I see now are USB 3.0 interfaces.

 

[Analoguesat]

They make USB to PCi adapters, but now all I see now are USB 3.0 interfaces.

Interesting - shame this mobo doesnt support usb3.

 

[Terryl]

USB 3.0 is backward compatible to 2.0, but I think you would suffer speed issues.

 

[Channel Hopper]

USB 3.0 is backward compatible to 2.0, but I think you would suffer speed issues.

The high speed part of USB3 is activated by the use of the different 'b' socket, if not present, you get USB2 speeds down the cable.

 

[RustySpoons]

They make USB to PCi adapters, but now all I see now are USB 3.0 interfaces.

These do not actually use USB 3.0, they just use a USB 3.0 cable for both parts to save them designing a new cable.

 

[RustySpoons]

Interesting - shame this mobo doesnt support usb3.

That's surprising! I can see it's a Asus, what model is it?

Hows the SSD doing?

 

[Analoguesat]

Asus P8H61-I LX according to the Crucial UK scan. My word the prices of memory have gone up - this mobo will take 16GB - 2*8GB currently £125 all but a handful of loose change

SSD flies

 

[RustySpoons]

Asus P8H61-I LX according to the Crucial UK scan. My word the prices of memory have gone up - this mobo will take 16GB - 2*8GB currently £125 all but a handful of loose change

SSD flies

I have 2x 8GB DDR3. Can do a good price if you ever want it.

 

[Analoguesat]

Cheap as chips dvd burner installed into the base. The "screw free" clip in drive housings are nifty - no scrabbling round for a screw driver (or dropping the screw into the depths of the base unit!)

And I think this might be useful to bring the (currently useless) front panel usb3 socket into use - a usb2 header adapter

 

[Analoguesat]

Sigh. The comp has turned into veven more of Frankensteins monster this evening. Ive been playing with Oracle Virtual Machines so I can load a copy of xp into a vm just so the missus can run one ratty old bit of family history software that came off a magazine cover in July 2001 which flat out refuses to run on win7 no matter what I do to its p.o.s. executable.

Tomorrows job is to see if I can remember how to disable the internet connection on xp but leaving the network share available before I let her loose on it.....

 

[Analoguesat]

I gave up on the virtual machine & dug a decrepit old laptop out of the junk box. I still have a legit copy of xp lying around plus some keys so the laptop was refurbed with 2gig ram, xp sp3 & the pos family history s/w installed and it was handed over with dire threats of what I would do to it if it went anywhere near the internet

 

[Analoguesat]

So an update on the computers.

The new build on the Asus mobo detailed in this thread continues as my day to day home desktop. I may be adding one or more ssd's to expand its storage as theres plenty of free space.I need more storage in it so a 500gb or 1tb ssd will be going in and at some point I shall put more memory in it. But it trundling along fine for what I want it to do - I dont do gaming so Im not pushing it particularly hard.

The ratty old Dell5150 it replaced is still set up on the desk and has the tv card in it for my satellite receiver until I get the networking for the rx sorted out and I can access the video via the lan connection

SWMBO still uses the clunker xp laptop for her pos family history software and is pleased as anything with the solution.

As Ive bought one of the Lidl "Dremel" equivalents Im wondering if I can get the second Dell5150 case and cut a slot in the back to fit a "normal" mobo into it. I may have a play over the summer.

More ideas than time for future projects!!

 

[Vipersan]

Personally I like the Dell Optplex GX 990 for SDR ..
It runs win7 32 bit as this is more compatible with the multitude of softwares used..
sports 8gb ram
500gb HDD
and a Core I5 2400 cpu@ 3.1ghz
and why I like it ?
Small form factor ...but has 6 rear usb ports ..all assigned to Zadig
and 4 front ports for Keyboard / mouse and general use.
But it Is useful to keep SDR seperate from your main PC ...
..so it can run uninterupted in the background.
rgds
VS