A few questions prior to purchase. [BBB/BBG differences, GPS antennas]

MA3101SWLMA3101SWL
edited April 2017 in KiwiSDR Discussion
Hi,

I was all set to purchase a kit version of the Kiwi this weekend but it seems it is out of stock so I have decided to purchase the board & Beaglebone separately. I do however have a few questions prior to purchasing.

When purchasing a Beaglebone am I right in saying that there is no difference I terms of performance between the BB Green and BB Black? I gather there is no benefit when it comes to Kiwi SDR of buying the Black over the Green apart from the HDMI output, which I would for setup is not used?

I wish to put the kit into a case, can anyone recommend any?

Finally the kit comes with a GPS antenna, I know zilch about the purpose of the GPS antenna or if it is even required. Will any GPS antenna do the job & any recommendations?

Anything else I need to know?

Thanks

Neil


Comments

  • jksjks
    Correct, no difference between BB Black and Green. HDMI is not used because it is a big noise source. The Debian software distribution shipped with the Kiwi doesn't even contain a window system -- just to prevent you from using the HDMI and having problems! (it also makes the software distribution much smaller so it installs faster).

    Seeed now has the Skeleton enclosure back in stock that ships with the Kiwi kit:
    Most (all?) other Beagle enclosures don't work because of the extra length of the Kiwi board. Someday maybe we'll get a custom all-metal enclosure made.

    GPS is only needed if you want to get your SDR exactly calibrated on-frequency since the Kiwi's main clock is tuned from the received GPS signal. Not essential, but kind of nice. A cheap USD $10 antenna from Mouser or Digi-Key works fine (as long as it has a good view of the sky).

    Definitely look at kiwisdr.com/quickstart  There you'll find recommendations for power supplies, antennas and what to do about noise problems.

    Seeed is gearing up for another manufacturing run. One of the parts has a long lead-time now. Not the FPGA or ADC like you'd expect. But the stupid $3.50 ADC pre-amp part.
    If Seeed sells out of the boards then I have a bunch left.

  • MA3101SWLMA3101SWL
    Thanks very much for your reply, I have just ordered the BB Green and Kiwi board along with a Skeleton enclosure. I'm sure the GPS is something I can do at a later date if I feel its needed.

    Now the twiddling of thumbs while I wait for delivery :)

    Neil
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