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TROUBLESHOOTING WORKSHOP

No reception?

From a silent speaker to an overloaded SDR: work through the receiving chain.

For analogue voice and SDR reception. Use a known station that is actually active. An empty channel alone does not prove a fault.

YOUR NEXT USEFUL TEST

Narrow down interference by comparison

Regular lines can suggest local interference. The pattern alone does not identify its source.

  1. Note frequency, time and pattern. Compare a portable receiver at another location or on its intended battery supply.
  2. Switch your own accessible small appliances off individually using their normal controls and observe the same reception. Do not open mains installations.

What to look for next

A repeatable change when switching a device on and off is more useful than one quiet moment.

Related learning & practice

Technical sources for this check

Background and model-specific guidance; the check sequence is editorial. Match menu names against your own model’s manual.

Show check record
HB3YAQ · Check record: No reception?
Your answers; no automatic measurement.

1. Where is the sound missing?
→ On a web SDR in the browser
2. Is the waterfall updating?
→ Yes, new rows appear
3. Can you hear browser audio now?
→ Yes, I can hear something
4. Do frequency, mode and filter match?
→ Yes, checked against a source
5. What do you observe on the active signal?
→ Broad noise or regularly spaced interference

Narrow down interference by comparison
Regular lines can suggest local interference. The pattern alone does not identify its source.
1. Note frequency, time and pattern. Compare a portable receiver at another location or on its intended battery supply.
2. Switch your own accessible small appliances off individually using their normal controls and observe the same reception. Do not open mains installations.
A repeatable change when switching a device on and off is more useful than one quiet moment.

Analog Devices · Receiver sensitivity: https://wiki.analog.com/university/tools/pluto/users/receiver_sensitivity

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