All,

Thanks again for all your help and suggestion and sorry I disappeared for a
few days.  WinSDR has been running continuously without a glitch for three
or four days now, so I'm confident that the problem  is solved and  was due
to a weak data signal due to maybe an inferior USB cable setup.

I was SURE that it was some sort of interference from the local wireless LAN
but it appears I have to eat crow.

Chris, to answer your questions, there is no radio system at all in the
seismo server.  It is dedicated to the seismo and although occasionally I
will open another program, WinSDR is the only program running 99% of the
time.  The other devices on the network are a Clearwire wireless modem, a
wireless laptop, and a  MacPowerBook (connected via ethernet cable).

Geoff, yes, I think there is still some sort of interference from somewhere
but luckily it's not interfering with the program stability.  I will take
your advice and see if I can connect up metallic shielding . Interesting how
no good hobby goes unpunished and every project leads to new and unexpected
projects and expenses!

Dave, I passed my Ham test a year or so ago (KE7NCQ) but have yet to get any
equipment.  Hope to get on the air soon.

Again, thanks and regards to all.

Bob



On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 3:52 PM, Christopher Chapman wrote:

>    Subject: Re: WinSDR Wireless Interference?
>
> No, there is not a totally blank screen.  The WinSDR screen stays there but
> there are no seismometer wiggles (hope we're not losing our layman audience
> here)  on it.  There are no lines at all, no straight lines and no seismo
> wiggly lines.  I have to reboot WinXP to get it up and running again and
> when it comes back, there are the straight green lines for the time period
> that WinSDR was having it's problem.   But again, when the problem happens
> there are no lines at all, just the blank WinSDR system window as if I'd
> opened the program without a seismometer connected.
>
> I have checked the cable connections and all other connections literally
> dozens of times and I also don't get the same symptoms of a blank WinSDR
> screen when I disconnect a cable.
>
> When WinSDR goes into its problem mode, I can't just close it and re-open
> it to get it running again.  It will open but not connect to the seismo.  I
> have to reboot WinXP to get WinSDR running again.
>
> I agree that it seems unlikely that it's a frequency/antenna problem but
> I've convinced myself that it only happens when the router or wireless
> computer starts transmitting data.
>
>      *From:* Robert Thomasson 
>>
>>    I have had some trouble keeping my WinSDR up and running.  It
>> frequently shows just a blank screen, with all helicord traces gone.  Just
>> as if I'd just opened the software without a seismometer connected to the
>> computer.  The computer is an older Dell with a 2 GHz processor and 512 Mb
>> RAM, running WinXP with I think service pack 3.
>>
>> What is interesting about this phenomenon is that there is a wireless
>> router in the house (the seismo server has no wireless capability and is not
>> connected to the network) and WinSDR will work fine until someone sits down
>> at another computer and the wireless network starts exchanging traffic.
>> Then the WinSDR screen loses the displayed data and goes blank.
>>
>> Is it possible that somehow the USB cable from the seismometer to the
>> seismo server computer  is acting as an antenna and picking up enough
>> interference from the 2++GHz wireless LAN system to crash WinSDR?  WinSDR
>> does not actually crash, it just loses the data traces, which disappear.  My
>> next step is to dig out some old books and see if I can figure out what
>> length the seismo cable would have to be to resonate at the wireless LAN
>> frequency.   But I think it would have to be very short?
>>
>> Hi Bob,
>>     Can you tell us what electronics are connected to the various
>> computers, including modems, please?
>>     Are all the computers properly earthed, please?
>>     The velocity of light is about 300 million metres / sec, so the
>> wavelength is likely to be 12.5 cm. Put a ferrite ring on the SDR data cable
>> and see if this has any effect?
>>     Can you physically check that the seismometer computer does NOT have a
>> radio module fitted, please?
>>     The effects you describe might be explained if WinSDR and a higher
>> priority program were on the same port / channel and the reception of the
>> radio signal, or one from a modem, just switched the data source.
>>     Regards,
>>     Chris Chapman
>>
>>
>>
>
>
All,

Thanks again for all your help and suggestion and sorry I disap=
peared for a few days.=A0 WinSDR has been running continuously without a gl=
itch for three or four days now, so I'm confident that the problem=A0 i=
s solved and=A0 was due to a weak data signal due to maybe an inferior USB =
cable setup.



I was SURE that it was some sort of interference from the local wireles=
s LAN but it appears I have to eat crow.=A0 

Chris, to answer your q=
uestions, there is no radio system at all in the seismo server.=A0 It is de=
dicated to the seismo and although occasionally I will open another program=
, WinSDR is the only program running 99% of the time.=A0 The other devices =
on the network are a Clearwire wireless modem, a wireless laptop, and a=A0 =
MacPowerBook (connected via ethernet cable).



Geoff, yes, I think there is still some sort of interference from somew=
here but luckily it's not interfering with the program stability.=A0 I =
will take your advice and see if I can connect up metallic shielding . Inte=
resting how no good hobby goes unpunished and every project leads to new an=
d unexpected projects and expenses!


Dave, I passed my Ham test a year or so ago (KE7NCQ) but have yet to ge=
t any equipment.=A0 Hope to get on the air soon.

Again, thanks and r=
egards to all.

Bob



On Tue,=
 Sep 13, 2011 at 3:52 PM, Christopher Chapman <chrisatupw@.......>=
 wrote:














=
Subject: Re: WinSDR Wireless Interference?





No, there is not a totally blank screen.=A0 The WinSDR screen stays there b=
ut there are no seismometer wiggles (hope we're not losing our layman a=
udience here)=A0 on it.=A0 There are no lines at all, no straight lines and=
 no seismo wiggly lines.=A0 I have to reboot WinXP to get it up and running=
 again and when it comes back, there are the straight green lines for the t=
ime period that WinSDR was having it's problem.=A0=A0 But again, when t=
he problem happens there are no lines at all, just the blank WinSDR system =
window as if I'd opened the program without a seismometer connected.




I have checked the cable connections and all other connections literally do=
zens of times and I also don't get the same symptoms of a blank WinSDR =
screen when I disconnect a cable.



When WinSDR goes into its problem mode, I can't just close it and re-op=
en it to get it running again.=A0 It will open but not connect to the seism=
o.=A0 I have to reboot WinXP to get WinSDR running again.=A0 



I agree that it seems unlikely that it's a frequency/antenna problem bu=
t I've convinced myself that it only happens when the router or wireles=
s computer starts transmitting data.























From: Robert Thomasson 





=A0











I have had some trouble ke=
eping my WinSDR up and running.=A0 It frequently shows just a blank screen,=
 with all helicord traces gone.=A0 Just as if I'd just opened the softw=
are without a seismometer connected to the computer.=A0 The computer is an =
older Dell with a 2 GHz processor and 512 Mb RAM, running WinXP with I thin=
k service pack 3.





What is interesting about this phenomenon is that there is a wireless route=
r in the house (the seismo server has no wireless capability and is not con=
nected to the network) and WinSDR will work fine until someone sits down at=
 another computer and the wireless network starts exchanging traffic.=A0 Th=
en the WinSDR screen loses the displayed data and goes blank.





Is it possible that somehow the USB cable from the seismometer to the seism=
o server computer=A0 is acting as an antenna and picking up enough interfer=
ence from the 2++GHz wireless LAN system to crash WinSDR?=A0 WinSDR does no=
t actually crash, it just loses the data traces, which disappear.=A0 My nex=
t step is to dig out some old books and see if I can figure out what length=
 the seismo cable would have to be to resonate at the wireless LAN frequenc=
y.=A0=A0 But I think it would have to be very short?





Hi Bob, 


=A0=A0=A0 Can you tell us what electronics are c=
onnected to the various computers, including modems, please?


=A0=A0=A0 Are all the computers properly earthed=
, please? =A0


=A0=A0=A0 The velocity of light is about 300 mil=
lion metres / sec, so the wavelength is likely to be 12.5 cm. Put a ferrite=
 ring on the SDR data cable and see if this has any effect?


=A0=A0=A0 Can you physically check that the seis=
mometer computer does NOT have a radio module fitted, please?

=A0=A0=A0 The effects you describe might be explained if WinSDR and a highe=
r priority program were on the same port / channel and the reception of the=
 radio signal, or one from a modem,=A0just switched the data source. 


=A0=A0=A0 Regards,


=A0=A0=A0 Chris Chapman=A0






=A0