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Winradio G303 User Manual

G3 series
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WiNRADiO
G3 Series Radio Receiver
User's Guide
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  • Page 1 WiNRADiO G3 Series Radio Receiver User’s Guide...
  • Page 2 Pty. Ltd. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Patents WiNRADiO technology is protected by US Pat. No. 6,289,207 and other pending US and international patent applications. Printed in Australia - ii -...
  • Page 3 FCC Notice The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This...
  • Page 4 Digital Signal Processor. Your PC probably has more power than even the fastest DSP had only a few years ago. Your new WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver is now ready to take advantage of that power. Enjoy! WiNRADiO provides regular upgrades to our application software.

  • Page 5: System Requirements

    • WiNRADiO software on a CD ROM • Start-up indoor antenna • Audio cable • This User’s Guide • Warranty information In order for the WiNRADiO receiver to function, your IBM PC compatible computer must meet the minimum system requirements specified below. System Requirements Minimum Recommended...

  • Page 6: Software Installation

    7. Extend the antenna so that it is as far away from the computer as possible. Please use only the WiNRADiO-supplied audio lead cable to connect the receiver to the sound card. This is a stereo cable (as is the case with all standard PC multimedia cables).

  • Page 7: Setting Up The Sound Card

    After installing the hardware and software, you will now need to set-up the sound card parameters. This is done both in the WiNRADiO application and in the Windows sound card control panel – this provides the actual connection between the receiver front-end and the PC back-end of your radio system.
  • Page 8 The Wave device drop-down list shows all the installed wave devices: Windows default is the Control Panel setting specified under Start | Settings | Control Panel | Multimedia Properties | Audio. If a sound card is specified in this Control Panel setting for both playback and recording (this is very likely, but not always necessarily so), then you can simply select Windows Default as the wave device for the demodulator.
  • Page 9 Left input instead, the reverse input line needs to be selected from the drop-down list. These are all the settings required on the WiNRADiO G3 SERIES application side. Now you need to set up your Windows sound card control panel, and the marriage between the radio and the PC will be complete.
  • Page 10 If you are using the Microphone input instead of Line input, please check if there is an Advanced button under the Microphone volume control in the sound card control panel. If so, then click on it and uncheck the +20dB gain check box if it exists.

  • Page 11: Getting Started

    Detailed operation is described in the subsequent chapter Using WiNRADiO G3 SERIES Receiver. We hope you will return to that chapter, as the WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver has many fine features which it would be a shame to miss.
  • Page 12 WiNRADiO G3 SERIES Receiver Control Panel The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver control panel has some elements similar to from conventional shortwave receivers, and many additional features as well. The quickest way to get started with this receiver is to check its operation on local AM stations.

  • Page 13: Connecting The Antenna

    If you are still unable to tune to any stations at this point, please refer to Appendix A - Troubleshooting. There are also several other ways to tune the WiNRADiO receiver other than typing the frequency or using the tuning knob. These will be explained in detail in the Using WiNRADiO G3 SERIES Receiver chapter.
  • Page 14 No matter how good a radio receiver is, the performance of the entire receiving system will depend on the quality of the antenna. The same applies to a WiNRADiO receiver. To make most of your WiNRADiO receiver, you should install a proper shortwave antenna. There are many vendors offering shortwave antennas.

  • Page 15: Using Winradio G3 Series

    The default band description is also user modifiable: it resides in the file bands.csv in the WiNRADiO installation folder. This file can be edited using a spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft Excel.

  • Page 16: Fine Tuning

    The Fine Tune knob makes it possible to finely adjust the frequency in 0.5 kHz steps. WiNRADiO G3 SERIES Receiver Tuning Knob To use the tuning knob, position the mouse cursor over the knob (the cursor will turn into a curved double ended arrow) and click on either the left or right mouse button.

  • Page 17: Setting The Modulation Mode

    To select the modulation mode, click on the appropriate Mode button in the Demodulator panel: WiNRADiO G3 SERIES Standard Demodulator Panel The real-time spectrum display shows the output of the receiver (i.e. the intermediate frequency signal) as it is applied to the PC sound card. When you press the mode buttons, you will note that the central highlighted region of the spectrum changes its width.

  • Page 18: Volume Control

    Standard Demodulator. WiNRADiO G3 SERIES Professional Demodulator For details of the additional functions such as continuous IF bandwidth adjustment and other special features of the Professional Demodulator refer to Appendix E - Professional Demodulator.

  • Page 19: Mute Control

    Finally, another convenient way of changing the volume is using the left and right cursor keys on the keyboard. Mute Control Next to the Volume control is the Mute button, which allows you to switch off audio output quickly. It is faster to use than setting the volume to zero, with the added benefit of not changing the set volume level.

  • Page 20: Audio Agc

    IF Gain The AGC can be turned off entirely, using the AGC Off button. The receiver gain must then be adjusted manually. This is done using the IF Gain setting. Note that by setting an excessive gain, the receiver will overload and the demodulated signal will be distorted.

  • Page 21: Squelch Control

    Attenuator The Attenuator makes it possible to reduce the receiver sensitivity by 18 dB (i.e. 6 times). Attenuator Why would you ever need to reduce the sensitivity? This is because unusually strong signals from local stations may occasionally cause overloading. This overloading can make the reception worse, and even cause stations to appear on frequencies, where none exist (ghost stations).

  • Page 22: Frequency Stepping

    The squelch is always shown in dBm units. To adjust the squelch control, first tune to an unoccupied frequency that produces only noise. Increase the squelch until the receiver is muted. You will see the red-colored segment of the S-meter growing until it gets higher than the current S-meter value. At that moment the receiver will be muted.
  • Page 23 For example, if you wish to browse the AM broadcast band (approx. 530 to 1620 kHz), set the step size to 10 kHz (for North and South America) or 9 kHz (for the rest of the world), which is the channel separation for AM broadcast stations.

  • Page 24: Storing A Frequency Into Memory

    Frequency Memory The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver has the ability to store up to one thousand frequencies in one memory file. It also allows you to load and save different memory files for a huge amount of total storage, limited only by the size of your hard disk.
  • Page 25 Storing Frequency to Memory At the top of the dialog box is the frequency you are storing. The next line shows the next available memory number. You can change this to another memory number if you wish (including one which is already allocated). The third item contains the group assignment buttons.

  • Page 26: Recalling A Frequency From Memory

    • Most stations have a name or callsign. You can store up to 11 characters in the Callsign field. • For quick tuning to your favorite stations, you can assign Hotkeys (function keys F2 to F12) to up to eleven different frequencies.

  • Page 27: Editing Memory

    Recall Frequency from Memory The assigned memory groups are shown as color bars for a quick visual overview of which frequencies are associated with which groups (see the corresponding colors in the Store frequency window). When you position the mouse cursor over a highlighted memory, the actual group numbers will be displayed in a floating ‘hint’...

  • Page 28: Saving A Memory File

    Save command before exit. Opening a Memory File When WiNRADiO starts up, the most recently used memory file will be opened automatically. To open a different memory file, select Open from the Memory file sub- menu in the File menu.

  • Page 29: Immediate Scanning (Searching)

    Scanning Control Panel Immediate Scanning (Searching) This is the simplest scanning method. Click on the Search button to select this scanning mode, then use the [>>] or [<<] buttons to scan either forward or backward from the currently tuned frequency. To stop scanning, press the Stop button (marked with a green square).
  • Page 30 Scan Settings There are two basic actions the software can do when a signal is found: Pause scanning or Stop scanning. If Pause is selected, then you need to further specify the conditions under which the scanning will Resume. The conditions to resume can be one of the following: 1.

  • Page 31: Frequency Range Scanning

    The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver application makes it possible for multiple frequency ranges to be excluded. This is done using the Exclusions button.
  • Page 32 Setting up Scan Ranges Enter a new range using the New button. This will open a dialog box, where you will be asked to specify lower and upper limit frequencies of the range, the modulation mode, squelch level, and, optionally, a description. You can enter as many such ranges as you like: Adding a New Range - 31 -...
  • Page 33 When the range definition is done, close this window, then close the scanner settings. Then activate the Range button in the Scanning control panel: Scanning Control Panel When you press the Scan Forward button [>>], the scanner will commence scanning from the start frequency of the first range. When the last frequency of the first range is reached, it will then continue onto the next range, etc.

  • Page 34: Memory Scanning

    Enable group restriction in the same window. S-meter The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver Signal Strength Meter (S-meter) makes it possible to measure signal strength in either S-units, dBm or µV (microvolts). The units are selected by correspondingly marked buttons on the right side of the display.

  • Page 35: Tuning Pad

    the squelch level (i.e. the needle falls in the red region and turns red also), the receiver audio will be muted. The squelch value is always indicated in dBm units (even if the signal strength is displayed in S-units or microvolts). Note that when the AGC is off (and manual IF gain control is activated), the S-meter is disabled.

  • Page 36: Power Switch

    When it is off, the receiver circuitry will be powered down and no sound will be heard in the speaker or headphones. When you exit and restart WiNRADiO application, the power on/off status at exit will be remembered. Date and Time Displays The clock displays, located under the Tuning Bar, indicate the current time and date.
  • Page 37 Unlike the spectrum display window inside the Demodulator panel, which is real-time and narrow band, the Spectrum Scope is wide-band and the graph is created by fast tuning the receiver across the specified frequency range. To set up spectrum sweeping, enter the Start and End frequencies, to specify the start and end of the sweeping range, respectively.

  • Page 38: Appendix A - Troubleshooting

    Appendix A - Troubleshooting Problem: The WiNRADiO application installed OK, but there is no sound coming from the speaker. Solution: Check if you see any noise appearing in the spectrum scope in the Demodulator panel (under the AM, AMS, etc., mode selection buttons).
  • Page 39 • The receiver demodulator has not been set up properly. Make sure that the sound card type and the audio input are properly selected (this panel is accessible under the Setup button in the Demodulator panel): • The sound card has the Left and Right inputs reversed. Normally, the G3 SERIES Demodulator expects the receiver to be connected to the Right input.
  • Page 40 Problem: I can hear the audio, but it is not a pleasant sound. There is an interfering high pitch tone. Solution: You need to mute the Line input in the sound card control panel - see the panel on the next page. (What you are probably listening to is the intermediate frequency signal mixed with the demodulated audio signal.) Sound Card Volume Control Panel...
  • Page 41 Problem: I can hear the audio and tune the receiver, but the volume is too low, even if I adjust the Volume control to maximum. Solution: Check the Input gain in the Demodulator Setup panel: it should be set as high as possible, just below the clipping level. Also, engage the Audio AGC in the Demodulator front panel.
  • Page 42 Appendix C – Dealing With Interference.) Did you know? The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES software is XRS (Extensible Radio Specification) compatible, making it possible to add additional software functions to your receiver. There are many XRS Plug-ins to choose from.

  • Page 43: Appendix B - Sound Card Controls

    For the WiNRADiO G3 SERIES application, there is a need to independently control both sound card sections: The Recording section volume needs to be adjusted to provide the correct IF signal level for the demodulation process;...
  • Page 44 Windows Enable “speaker” icon Recording/playback volume controls Control Panel | Make sure speaker icon is displayed, then double- Multimedia click on speaker icon in task bar to display the Audio-tab Volume Control dialog. Checkbox: “Show Sound Playback: Select Options | Properties | volume control on the Playback taskbar”...

  • Page 45: Appendix C - Dealing With Interference

    To check this, tune to one of the interfering signals, then switch off the monitor and see if the signal disappears. You could continue using the WiNRADiO receiver, and live with the fact that some useful frequencies will be obscured by your monitor’s interference, or you can replace your monitor with a ‘quieter’...
  • Page 46 The design and application of such filters falls beyond the scope of this book, since the large majority of WiNRADiO users should not experience this problem (after all, not too many of us live next door to a radio station).

  • Page 48: Appendix D - Inside Wr-G3 Series

    This receiver and its software have been indeed designed to promote and encourage such experimentation. The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver represents only a half of the entire radio. The other half is your PC. The receiver hardware contains the following functional blocks: The incoming signal from the antenna (in the 9 kHz to 30 MHz range) is filtered and amplified, then fed into a mixer.
  • Page 49 The second mixer again uses a DDS with a PLL to mix the 45 MHz signal down to the last intermediate frequency, which is 12 kHz. Both DDS circuits derive their reference frequency from a 20 MHz reference oscillator. The 12 kHz IF output is then fed to the Right channel of the Line Input of the PC sound card.

  • Page 50: Appendix E - Professional Demodulator

    The WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver has provision for additional demodulators, in place of the supplied standard one. Installed demodulators can be selected via the Demodulators top bar menu. Check the WiNRADiO Web site www.winradio.com periodically, for demodulators available. The Professional Demodulator which is available as an optional extra, takes the concept of software-defined shortwave receiver a step further.

  • Page 51: Adjusting Demodulator Parameters

    The front panel of the Professional Demodulator looks similar to the Standard one. Note in particular the added DSB and ISB modes, the continuous IF filter bandwidth control, enhanced Audio AGC (the time constants are user definable in the Setup window), and a row of IF bandwidth preset buttons at the bottom.
  • Page 52 manifests itself by the computer becoming sluggish or possibly "freezing" entirely. The first parameter, the IF bandwidth filter, is the length of the first filter in the digital path, which is responsible for much of the receiver selectivity. The factory default length is 63. Reducing this value will decrease the receiver selectivity and make the receiver more prone to interference from nearby strong signals.

  • Page 53: Demodulator Structure

    AGC speeds (slow, medium and fast) can be also configured, under AGC Speed Constants on the left of the demodulator settings window. Demodulator Structure The G3 SERIES Professional Demodulator implements the general quadrature representation of all narrow-band modulated signals. Such signals can always be considered as the sum of two amplitude-modulated carriers having a 90 degree offset, usually referred to as I and Q.
  • Page 54 connect the left spectrum analyzer to a particular test point, left-click on the green test point. Its color will change to red. Right-clicking on a dot will connect it to the right analyzer, and the color will change to blue. If both displays are connected to the same test point, the point color will turn magenta.
  • Page 55 The LSB and USB demodulators have basically the same topology. ISB can be thought of as a combination of LSB and USB, where each of the sound card channels is used for one of the independent side bands. - 54 -...
  • Page 56 USB Demodulator Structure The CW received signals are first down-converted to zero Hz, and then, after additional channel filtering, up-converted to a convenient audio frequency. This frequency (a digital BFO) is user-adjustable, by changing the value of the CW tone frequency parameter in the demodulator set-up. CW Demodulator Structure Finally, all frequency demodulators have the same block diagram.

  • Page 57: Appendix F - Developer Support

    Appendix F - Developer Support WiNRADiO has always extensively supported third-party software development efforts with all our receivers, and the WiNRADiO G3 SERIES receiver is no exception. We provide technical details for developers to be able to develop the following: 1.

  • Page 58: Declaration Of Conformity

    Declaration of Conformity This device, trade name WiNRADiO Communications Receiver, model number WR-G3 SERIES complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

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