Hermes lite 2 back in production I think...

Can I run a Hermes Lite 2 from a Mac Mini? Sure, I can. But that's because I'm writing my own SDR software, mostly from scratch. Currently I've just got basic Rx/Tx functionality working, sufficient for 1 CW QSO from the Mac keyboard, 1 SSB QSO using my AirPods, and a lot of SWL and FT8 skimming. Same software runs on iPads as well. Currently in beta-test.

I also use a Hermes Lite 2 with SDR code on a Raspberry Pi 4 for WSPR beacon transmissions, mostly on 20M.

But you're probably interested in software with a lot more features that's been around a lot longer.

 

Looks like I'm ordering one, too.

Ed

 

Dogpark will work with my flex 6400m and I may try that just for fun, but with the 6400m I think most of the work is done in the radio with its delay.
More interested in running the Hermes, on the I7 windows 10 computer I guess.
It will be interesting to try an Apple computer for the first time...

 

It does not do 6 meters.

 

Actualy, from my reading, it can do 6M with oversampling. Not sure how good, though.

Ed

 

There's a location on the circuit board where you can install a connector to bypass the HF low-pass/antialiasing filter. Then you will likely need to add a 6M bandpass filter somewhere in the the bypassed RF feed. This allows 6M receive via undersampling.

Reports are that this works well for 6M; but the HL2's ADC is fairly deaf when undersampling at 2M and up. For VHF transmit, there seem to be people experimenting with pairing the Hermes Lite 2 with a transverter.

 

I will be using transverters for 6M & 2M. This should be fun, with Larcan 1.5KW amps & pure signal !!!

Ed

 

Works great on my I5 windows 7 computer.
No real latency, cw is fine, audio is great, I am fond of powersdr in all its flavors.
5 watts out on CW but I need to figure out how to get audio into the radio.

I get ADC overload warnings if the gain is all the way up (full size dipoles) but it still sounds good.
Set the Attenuation to 5 or 7 and all is good.
Direct connected by ethernet to the computer, works fine.

For the money its really great as an sdr receiver. No odd overload stuff like dongles or sdrplay radios have,
it just seems to work like a better sdr radio.

 

Nice setup. So, how does the weak signal performance of the Hermes Lite 2 with PowerSDR compare against your more expensive radios?

 

As good as I can tell.
Unlike some other systems like maybe the Icom 7300, I think the AGC is all in the software and there is no control over the ADC input.
Band conditions were really bad tonight, and I am unsure how low the noise level goes around here, it seems very low at times.
I compared the Flex 6400m with the homebrew, the Hermes and the Xiegu G1M on some weak signals and could not really find much difference.
The thing to try is a really weak CW signal with a strong signal close by.

The weak point of the Hermes seems to be the limited dynamic range. Its not bad but on something like the Anan or Flex radios, you never have to worry about overload in normal situations.