Posted: 5/19/2013 5:38:08 AM EDT
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Ok the wife hates that I hog our laptop whenever I want to get on the radio. I bought her an iPad, but the kids have commandeered that... So it's time to buy a computer for ham radio only and arfcom too. I want a tower, and have no plans on spending a ton of money, it needs to have capabilities to run at least two monitors, have plenty of USB connections and be RF quiet. I run a signalink USB, so it doesn't need to have a sweet sound card, and the less money I spend on it, the better. I am in the works trading my dad for a LP Pan that he doesn't use anymore so I would like it to be able to use that too. I am not the most computer savvy person in the world, and I know if I just ask my dad to help pick one out, I will just spend too much money.
Can you guys give me some specs that I need as a minimum to accomplish what I need. |
| Whenever I want a general-purpose computer, I go up to the local university surplus department and pick one out for ~$40-~$60. Usually I can get a Core 2 Duo with 2GB of RAM. If I need more memory, I can pick it up cheap (another $50 or so), and a monitor, keyboard, and mouse are easy to find (another $100-$200 depending on how big/fancy), or I could get that stuff from the uni as well ($50 total). |
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Whenever I want a general-purpose computer, I go up to the local university surplus department and pick one out for ~$40-~$60. Usually I can get a Core 2 Duo with 2GB of RAM. If I need more memory, I can pick it up cheap (another $50 or so), and a monitor, keyboard, and mouse are easy to find (another $100-$200 depending on how big/fancy), or I could get that stuff from the uni as well ($50 total). Cool idea. I have two friends who work at the local uni. That might be the way to go. I am sure I could add some things like a serial port myself. I have a really nice 20" monitor I use now. A second monitor for said LP Pan would be sweet. |
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Cool idea. I have two friends who work at the local uni. That might be the way to go. I am sure I could add some things like a serial port myself. I have a really nice 20" monitor I use now. A second monitor for said LP Pan would be sweet. Chances are it'd have a serial port already. If you want to run two monitors, you'll need a video card, probably. Figure another $40-$60. |
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Build one yourself. Put a serial port in it, its really not that hard. +1 THIS I asked a local ham/ computer geek who runs a FLEX, which power supply to order. He knew which ones were RF quiet. Serial port is great for programming radios and I used it for HRD when I ran a TS-480SAT http://www.microcenter.com/ and http://3btech.net/ are good places to buy affordable PC parts |
| If you're buying parts, Newegg is pretty much the standard answer. |
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I just picked up a used PC from work. Intel Core I5, windows 7, came with flat screen, keyboard, mouse and even a UPS backup. Used as a CAD machine so it is far more powerful than I'll ever need.
$80 
Planning to pick up a flex sometime soon, this will be its one and only function. It seems that the primary complaint about powerSDR comes from people that have their PC loaded down with crapware, toolbars, porn viruses, etc |
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Build one yourself. Put a serial port in it, its really not that hard. +1 THIS I asked a local ham/ computer geek who runs a FLEX, which power supply to order. He knew which ones were RF quiet. Serial port is great for programming radios and I used it for HRD when I ran a TS-480SAT http://www.microcenter.com/ and http://3btech.net/ are good places to buy affordable PC parts What did he recommend? |
I'm starting to look at new computers, myself. Is a serial port necessary? For firmware updates, I use a USB to serial port cable with the K3 and my current laptop computer. Don't really have any interest in rig control (I like to play with knobs  ) , but that same cable works with HRD.
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I'm starting to look at new computers, myself. Is a serial port necessary? For firmware updates, I use a USB to serial port cable with the K3 and my current laptop computer. Don't really have any interest in rig control (I like to play with knobs ) , but that same cable works with HRD.I don't care to use HRD. I like the knobs too
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My rig computer is a surplus dell Pentium 4. $25 off Craigslist.
I run Linux on it with the standard suite of software. Linux is not hard to use, its free, has a ton o ham programs that are also free. Also in 5 years it will still be running at the same speed. Given the hardware doesn't quit |