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Docs Morse & Communication SDR Software Setup

SDR Software Setup

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Setting up SDR software to receive the beacon: driver installation, tuning, and the waterfall reading.

SDR Software Setup

An RTL-SDR dongle is hardware; the software turns it into a receiver. This page is the setup that gets a beacon on the screen in ten minutes.

The install

PlatformDriverSoftware
WindowsZadig (RTL-SDR driver)SDR#, SDRangel
macOSDriverKit drivers (newer dongles)Gqrx, CubicSDR
Linuxrtl-sdr packageGqrx, SDRangel

Newer “RTL-SDR V4” dongles need the current driver versions; older R820T dongles work everywhere. If the dongle shows up but the software shows no signal, the driver is the first suspect.

The tuning

SettingValue for the beacon
FrequencyThe beacon’s channel (e.g. 433.100 MHz)
Bandwidth12.5 - 25 kHz
ModeWFM or NFM (the beacon’s FSK fits either at this deviation)
GainManual, about 60 - 70%: auto-gain ducks weak signals

Reading the waterfall

The beacon’s bursts appear as regular vertical bars: short for dots, longer for dashes, at the beacon’s rhythm. The regularity is the fingerprint: a beacon bursts on a schedule (see Firmware TX Scheduler), while consumer devices transmit irregularly.

The audio path

In FM mode the software demodulates the Morse tones as audio: the same tones the buzzer makes. Record and decode with the Morse Decoder Tools, or listen directly.