AndyW wrote:
On 09/03/2015 13:22, Brian Reay wrote:

Agreed but the attraction of SDRs is the 'tweakability' and, if you
build it all into a box with, say, a modest uP to handle the comms to
the dongle, drive a display, etc. etc. and run any other software of
course, 'tweaking', while still possible, is more of a faff. Not quite
the worst of both worlds but certainly heading that way.

Of course, others many like this approach, it is a matter of taste.

Likewise, having a control panel, or controls, which connect to the PC,
really doesn't appeal.

Occasionally, I operate a station in the US remotely but I find it a
'fiddle', I don't even care to do it locally. Again, others enjoy it,
each to his own, it just isn't something I enjoy. Just as I don't enjoy
reading books etc. from things like Kindles, although I am trying to get
used to that.

Simple job to add a raspberry pi front end (especially since the Mk II is
out and considerably faster) with a touch-screen. A lot of coding is
required to connect them all together though.
Or add a cheap rooted android tablet like the Hudl Mk I which is
programmable in Java, there are SDR apps for android tablets, not the
best but remarkably portable and it makes a great 'signal sniffer'.
It would be a faff and probably cost more than buying one but then cost
is not the point of self-construction. God knows I spent a fortune and
about 2 inches of hairline in building quiz buzzers based on raspberry
pi, touch-screen and PS2 Buzz controllers. I could have just bought a kit
from Maplins for a tenth of the price and made it in an afternoon.

However there is still something wonderfully tactile about the weight and
inertia of turning a hefty dial that you will never get from a touchscreen.

Andy

Actually, depending on how much existing code you wanted to use, you may be
surprised how little extra code you would need to write if you used if you
used a R Pi. There are packages to use the RTL with the RPi and others to
drive small displays. All you would need is to write something to interface
to your front panel, essentially replacing the keyboard function. Come to
think of it, that would be a way to reduce the faff in maintaining the
flexibility- if you had a front panel but could plug in a keyboard to
'tweak' you own SDR software (if you didn't use off the shelf SW).