I've been working with digital for some time. In my shack it functions famously. I took it portable a week or so ago. My laptop is a generic Dell, the interface is homebrew with total isolation (Transformers for audio and optocoupler for PTT) The waterfall looks BAD, I didn't even try to transmit. The radio (FT-857d) was being run from batteries as was the laptop. I'm guessing the 'noise' was coming from two completely separate power supplies playing together without a reference? Should the laptop be bonded to the radio chassis? In the shack I have a solid earth ground to everything. |