XPloRR

Hi all,

I’ve been programming a mobile client for the KiwiSDR protocol, and I finally have something worth sharing: QiwiQ. 

It’s a dark-theme, portrait-mode KiwiSDR app for Android.

Instead of running in the browser, my app processes the KiwiSDR stream locally on your phone.

With no official KiwiSDR protocol documentation available, I relied on example Python code and reverse-engineered browser clients to piece together how the protocol operates.

Features:

• Connects to the public shared KiwiSDR network of servers.

• Built-in waterfall FFT display with zoom and pan.

• Direct band buttons for fast hopping between ham/shortwave bands.

• Frequency logging and memory list.

• Audio options: noise reduction, compressor, ADPCM compression.

• Gestures for tuning: swipe digits, waterfall

• Knobs for volume, squelch and filters.

• Theme colors for the LCD display

It’s still early days, but it’s working pretty well, I guess ;-). 

Download my QiwiQ.apk at: https://vanbarel.eu.org/tools/qiwiq/

Side-load on Android, feedback/bugs very welcome!

Just now saw all these comments (i was talking in another thread with jks, will use this one now ;-))

I am currently fixing a lot of problems, like the 2 connections will be 1 for all (wf, snd and ext).

Fixing other problems like enter in the search screen.

Also spend alot of work making the audio packets engine faster (should now be 35% faster).

There is a bit more latency, but fewer packets should be dropped.

Also reacting/closing sockets cleanly when connection cannot be made with server.

Compiling now version 1.39. will test and release soon.

Also working on DRM (can already decode using ext socket, but cannot assemble the audio, sounds like half the frequency, it seems the audio format is different in DRM mode).

Will try to answer other questions asap, note that I am a newbie as far as shortwave is concerned, so I probably made mistakes interpreting what I read the last weeks (only been reading for 4 weeks about the ham/shortwave/amateur radio stuff)

...

Prototype with waterfall is now working:

todo: bugs, bugs, bugs

implement band buttons, nr, squelch, memory handling, serverlist selection box and so much more

@ve6jy thank you for your feedback. I also like those old receivers like the Sony ICF2010 and others.

It is already possible to enter your own kiwi server url: click on the server list and enter your url in the field and click Select.

I will take note of your other suggestion about the custom band buttons. Have to think about it how I can integrate it neatly.

FYI: I am working on version 2 which I will release shortly (I am testing right now). This is a major change in the interface: I listened to users feedback and you will have both a waterfall and spectrum display (with gridlines and dBm meter) on the screen, and the band buttons will be dropdown, step mode, separate station seek button, ...

Check here soon. ;-)

@dl7awl it is now possible to specify/select your private/local Kiwi server.

barneyuk I changed the knob behavior so knob sensitivity is now adaptive based on both the finger travel available in the swipe direction and the remaining value range in that direction.

Swiping from the knob start position all the way to the screen edge (top or bottom) now maps exactly to the remaining value in that direction.

i.e. swipe from current position to the top → reach max.

swipe from current position to the bottom → reach min.

That makes the control naturally more sensitive in the middle (because the remaining range to either extreme is smaller) and less sensitive near the edges (because you have to travel the whole remaining range to reach the extreme).

Small disadvantage: the resolution for the band lo/hi knobs is a bit less (that is the tradeoff).

Download QiwiQ 1.41.15 at: https://bit.ly/3I49LfD

Let me know if that feels more natural.

I understand your point. What I may consider is changing the swipe sensitivity. I could make it so the the full range can be reached in one swipe, without lifting your finger, but then I may loose resolution. I will do some checks, to see if all values of f.i. volume can be reached in one swipe. Could be that I have to change volume in steps of 5 or something. Will see what is the best tradeoff.

Thank you for feedback!

New version of QiwiQ released: 1.41.10

• CW(Morse) decoding implemented

• standardized signal S-meter implemented: S1-3-5-7-9+10+20+40+60 (values above S9 should be read as S9+..dB)

• backup favorites: import/export frequencies from/to clipboard

• support for SAM and NBFM modulation (IQ removed)

• search input field (server+memories) kept during session

• prevent screen from sleeping

• bug fixes + ui-improvements

Download at: https://bit.ly/3I49LfD

Feedback/bugs welcome!

Thank you for your information!

This is the latest release 12 and the new waterfall. Color settings can now be changed.

Still have difficulties to derive a significant s-meter. Help is welcome.

I extended my interface prototype (waterfall not yet implemented here)