HI All, I am not sure about the SDC Skimmer Global Settings and how to get the maximum number of SPOTs viewed in the panorama-spectrum of the ColibriNano.
The SDC software is the last one found on the EESDR dowlnload page.
Connecting the TELNET servers (local SKM + 1 web-cluster) is ok.
In the attached screen crop you see many station signals, but few spots are visible from the skimmer (light-blue) compared to many stations on-air.
The light-maron spot is from web-cluster.
Any suggestion is welcome.
73
Phil

Some tips in case they help:

Your SDC version is a long time out of date. The latest is always at www.dropbox.com/s/e08iorriniwt5o5/SDC_12_setup.zip?dl=0 and is 12.18 with an update due soon.

For maximum spots set Without CQ to 1 though your setting is ok, just that it takes much longer to satisfy the criteria to post a spot when set at 2.

Check on the operation of the skimmer by opening the Skimmer 1 window where you will see the traces and callsigns decoded next to the frequency scale. Do all traces have callsigns and are they mirrored in the panorama?

Let us know.

HI Erik tnx fer replay; I have upgraded to SDC12-18.
At first look it seems that many signals are not decoded\shown either on the skimmer horizontal window nor in the panorama.
Will better try this afternoon\evening.
The option "SIGNAL\NOISE STATIONS DETECT" values does affect the received signals ie: LOW values more decoded signals, HIGH values less signals?
or viceversa ?
Am trying to change it up&down but seems not to be so effective.
73

Good question, Phil. I am not at my station but later I will post my settings here in case some are diferent from yours. Then you can try them. But it might be that you need different settings if your local noise is higher than mine. Still, at least you can experiment. I will be back home around 14UTC and will give a few settings then.

Erik.

OK, in your picture the only difference I have is that the level number is 15 rather than your 10.

In the skimmer setup my signal to noise number is 3.00 and as far as I can remember it is a threshold number so by making it less should give more decoding.

I find the panorama populates very quickly so let's see what the change to the latest version does for you. There have been versions that I've corresponded with Yuri about because they did not perform well but I cannot remember if 12.10 was one of them. Certainly 12.18 works well here.

Erik.

GA Erik, I know I am yet not used to such complex software and I wanted to manage the minimum for the weekend WPX contest ;-))
and I have gotten the COLIBRINano three weeks later than I supposed.
I have chained also N1MM and it flows seemingly well, local and VE7CC cluster.
What is still uncohomprensible is why the skimmer decoding window shows 230/32(decoded-calls&decoders) but I see only 2\two stations in the skimmer window
beside the frequency and also in the panorama.
Note 1: playing with Signal\Noise values moves the cw-decoders too
Note 2: not yet sure what happens if a CALL is not found in the MASTER.SC as it will happen in the WPX
Note 3: the ONLY TEST abbreviation option: during the CONTEST almost all call so : callsign space test , or test space callsign no CQ.
Does the software recognize such procedure ?
73
Phil

Hello Phil, I do not understand it. The settings you showed look good, nearly the same as I have and my panorama fills quickly.

If a call is not found in the master.scp then it will go to the panorama when decoded two times. This prevents the panorama filling with garbage.

Yes so being WPX, you want all callsigns therefore leave the test abbreviation blank.

Erik.

I found the Colibri Nano is a bit different beast.
It could help manually set the samplerate up. Just uncheck the "Auto" button in the SDC skimmer setup, and set the samplerate at half the value present in EESDR.
In addition the IQ-Control panel can help to see where the decoder is working (or is not working). Dragging the panadapter can help to cover the whole CW band.
Lastly, because the Colibri is still missing the sidetone setting, you could see a difference between the spot position in the panadapter and its actual frequency. The offset option in SDC could help to match this difference.

73', iw7dmh

GM Erik, as written by Enzo the ColibriNano is a "different_beast".... ok ; I have used in the last 10 years an SDR_IQ with SDRConsole.
My experience with the VE3NEA skimmer has been different in the way that if the software decoded ie. 50 calls then 50 calls were present
in the window; in the SDC software I do not get a similar evidence.

What I do not understand is why the DECODED number is so high and the effective stations comparing in the SKIMMER window & Panorama is so low.
Am I doing something wrong ?

I have also noted that in a couple of occasions listening to very-low signals ( as I use to do usually) via ColibriNano,
it produced no visible sign in the Spectrum\Waterfall nor any decoded sign in the Skimmer.
But this is another story.

The settings in the Skimmer-Global-Setup are a little "cryptic" (for me ?!) and till now I had no effective response in the visual
indication of the decoded signals.

What I mean is: if I have a spectrum with 10 signals, five low S0toS3 and five S3toS6-8 , only 2 or 3 sigs are displayed with a CALLSign, hence decoded,
being either low or high ones. The rest are "ignored" ?!

That is what I have noted till now.

73
Phil

Can you provide the current "SDC Skimmer Global Setup", "Setup Skimmer 1", "Skimmer Server" windows and the IQ-Control panel?

Hello Phil, ok so I am sure Enzo knows more about the Colibri so let us see the setup screens he lists. I was working on the assumption that ESDR2 with SDC is the same for Colibri as it is for MB1 and the SunSDR derivitives. But perhaps not. I do not know if it is typical of the issue but the screen you posted did show what decodes there were had low frequencies in the band as if there was a hidden cut-off stopping those higher up being decoded by the skimmer. That might well point to sample rate and I think you should, in addition to showing the screens that Enzo lists, also check his direction regarding the sample rate selections.

Let us know.

Erik.

GA dr Enzo and Erik, thank you for the help.
Attached are the setting as I have cropped some minutes ago.
The spectrum tuning is around 14050 with ten stations from the cw-skimmer and one station-red from the web cluster.
But as you see below the decoded stations are 53. Ok maybe my signal\noise setting is too low and some garbage has gone trough the
decoders.... there should be a sort of AGC in the signal\noise setting and\or a cursos to move that setting during reception in this way
the Operator can decide what S\N level needs in that moment, without having to keep opened the relative window.
The IQ setting is grayed, but I have seen it maybe in the previous version and know it is there...
I have to try more...
73
Phil

HI Erik I have forgotten to ask before: what is the SDC-CW-Skimmer setting with which one "sees" ALL the cw-signals present onair ?
73
Phil

Hi Phil, it should see all CW signals. You could try reducing the signal/noise detect figure from 2.9 to 2.0 though I do not think it will help - but maybe. Also uncheck the setting 'check the primacy of the skimmer spot' in case that has a bearing on the situation.

I think you must try Enzo's suggestion: set ESDR2 sample rate to 156, uncheck auto in SDC and set the sample rate to 96. Then re-check the skimmer output.

Let us know.

Erik.

GE Erik I have unchecked the AUTO in the Skimmer Setup and put to 96000 ... seems that many more stations are coming out and the decoded signals jumped to 380 now am
trying also the 192000 but the decoded number reached the 392/34.
One more thing: after cancelling the skimmer spots it takes too long to repopulate. My settings of RESENDING SPOT IS 60 and the AFTER-PAUSE is 30 (minimum limit).
73
Phil

ps sample-rate at 96000 seems better that 192000
ppss ESDR sample-rate has 96k-192k-now and 394 etc