Kiwi: Mk II? [answer: no]

helioshheliosh
edited May 2019 in KiwiSDR Discussion
I'm thinking about buying a second kiwi. Is currently any development for a successor of the kiwi hardware in progress?

Comments

  • jksjks
    No. I think about this a lot. But currently there is no clear case for developing a new version of the hardware. It would take a huge amount of time which would distract from software development. Some of which is desperately needed (mobile interface, et. al.)
  • helioshheliosh
    That's understandable. I must say KiwiSDR is one of the best supported products I have ever owned, and also most valuable for that price. Where else do you get new features and bugfixes almost every week? You do an excellent job. Thank you.
    WA2ZKDG8JNJKA7USWLJO43G0LUJrz3dvp
  • BjarneBjarne
    Maybe someone (not me) would want a VHF-UHF version. That said, in this small global market, the KiwiSDR is a huge success in terms of numbers, and I hope commercially as well. My latest Kiwi is s/n 4340, so I assume 3500 units have been made by now. Look how sdr.hu is totally transformed after the Kiwi came about. There are no other server SDRs even remotely close to the KiwiSDR, even though only a fraction is available for the public. Quite a few of my users are exceptionally happy about it. So, good job!
  • jksjks
    That said, in this small global market, the KiwiSDR is a huge success in terms of numbers, and I hope commercially as well. My latest Kiwi is s/n 4340, so I assume 3500 units have been made by now.

    Sadly, no.
  • helioshheliosh
    My wish-list for a Kiwi MkII would be:

    Important:
    - More receiver slots

    Nice to have:
    - >=16-Bit ADC
    - More FFT bins for the spectrum display (1 per pixel)
    - Faster CPU
    - Integrated WiFi (or a USB port for a WiFi-Adapter, but USB tends to generate noise)
  • jksjks
    edited May 2019
    And would you pay US$600 for such a thing? No, you wouldn't.

    Let's just stop this discussion right here. It doesn't go anywhere and I have much more important things to be doing with my time.
  • helioshheliosh
    edited May 2019
    If it would have the same support as the current kiwi has, It would be worth $500-$1000 for me, depending on the specs.
    Honestly, I spend more time on the kiwi than on the $4000 transceiver.

    BTW, I've paid $360 for my first kiwi. If it had double the amount of receiver slots, it would be worth $720 alone, and I'd still save money on splitters etc.
  • ChrisSmolinskiChrisSmolinski
    I fully understand not wanting to invest significant time required to make a substantially different version of the KiwiSDR that would be much more expensive. I don't know enough about the internal workings to answer this question myself, so I will ask it: Would replacing the FPGA with a larger capacity version (same footprint so no need to change the PCB layout) and a faster Beagle CPU board provide the necessary resources so that the software could be expanded to more than 8 receivers? That's it, no other changes. No wider bandwidth or higher resolution ADC or built in WiFi or anything else.
  • n6gnn6gn
    I would suggest that the KiwiSDR is far more than hardware or even hardware+Software. Much of its value is around the user community, the few motivated developers and the general good will and interest of a wide base. Changing the 'specs', everything including HW, SW and price, makes for a very different animal - I think.
    I'm very pleased with the current situation and interest and don't think I'm going to run out of things to try and applications for any one of my several kiwis. I've thought about changes and additions I might desire, I've even made some add-on pieces such as the Antenna Switch and I may be developing some new ones, but I like the whole package and environment as it is and I hope it can continue to thrive. It's quite all right with me if someone else's opinion is different. I'm glad to hear those as well.
  • KA7UKA7U
    This might be a near sighted idea, but could KiwiSDR's be connected as Beowulf clusters? Or could one KiwiSDR benefit from the additional computing power of additional Beaglebones or Raspberry Pi's added in a cluster?
    Ron
    KA7U
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