RF Noise Map 1.2.1 (testing)

RF Noise Map 1.2.1 (testing)

TESTING VERSION: UNTESTED IN THE FIELD. This is a pre-release for testing on more computers. It has passed its self-test with practice data and on one Windows 11 PC with a real RSP1 and USB GPS, but a real drive has not been done yet. The Mac version has been installed on one MacBook (Apple silicon) but has not been used with a radio or on a drive. Please tell KW4EX what works and what does not (open an issue on this page).

Windows installer: Install_RFNoise_Windows.bat. Mac: RFNoise_Mac_v1.2.1.zip.

Windows is the main version (Windows 10 and 11). The Mac version is experimental.

How to download (no GitHub account needed)

Windows: under Assets at the bottom of this page, click Install_RFNoise_Windows.bat, then double-click it from your Downloads folder. If Windows says "Windows protected your PC", click More info then Run anyway.

Mac: under Assets click RFNoise_Mac_v1.2.1.zip, double-click it in Downloads to unzip, open the mac folder, right-click Install_RFNoise.command, choose Open, then Open again. If macOS says it "cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it", click Done, then open System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll down, click Open Anyway and enter your Mac password.

Do not click "Source code (zip)" or "Source code (tar.gz)". Those are for programmers.

The Install and User Guide (PDF) is attached below.

New in 1.2.1 (found by installing on a MacBook)

• Mac installer: Homebrew fixed for Apple-silicon Macs. An older Intel-type Homebrew in /usr/local made every install fail with "not writable". The installer now uses the correct Homebrew (/opt/homebrew), offers to install it, and offers a one-command fix if Homebrew cannot write to its folders. It also checks that the tools really installed before building the radio driver, and says clearly what to do if not.
• Mac data folder moved out of Documents. macOS blocks programs started from the desktop icon from reading Documents, which made the panel blank. Your data now lives in a folder named RF Noise Map in your home folder (earlier data and settings are copied over automatically).
• Mac desktop icon now starts the program in native (Apple-silicon) mode. The icon could be started under Rosetta, where the radio-math library (numpy) could not load and the panel showed errors.
• Mac "Apple cannot check it" warning: the guide, the Mac readme and these notes now explain the exact clicks (Privacy & Security > Open Anyway), and the installer clears the warning for the other files in the unzipped folder, so the uninstaller opens normally.
• Installer closes a running RF Noise Map first, so a reinstall never shows the old program.
• New installer check: at the end of the Mac install it starts the control panel and checks that it answers and can read your data folder, and tells you in plain words if macOS is blocking it.
• Control panel no longer goes blank: if one part cannot load (for example macOS blocking the Documents folder), a red message now says what is wrong and the rest still works. The Full test and Check setup buttons no longer fail when no GPS choice is selected.
• Radio driver build fixed on Macs with incomplete Command Line Tools: the installer now finds the compiler headers inside the Mac SDK, so the SDRplay driver module builds instead of stopping with "cstring file not found".
• Progress message on slow buttons: any button that takes more than half a second (Full test, Make map, Backup, Start logging and so on) now shows a blue banner saying what the program is doing, with a seconds counter.
• Mac radio driver link fixed: the installer re-points the SDRplay driver module at the SDRplay library that is actually installed on the Mac.

No warranty. Use at your own risk. Shared by one radio operator, "as is". Design and on-air testing by KW4EX. Not made, approved or supported by SDRplay, Elecraft, FlexRadio, Thetis or Zeus.

• New: Panadapter. A live spectrum and waterfall of a band, with a built-in receiver (AM, USB, LSB, CW, narrow FM, selectable bandwidth). Click a signal to listen to it, and press a button to use it as one of your 4 mapping frequencies. UNTESTED on a real radio at this point.
• Watch a band while logging: the panadapter picture (spectrum and waterfall) works while a drive is being recorded, for any one of your frequencies. Picture only: you cannot tune or listen while logging.
• Dot spacing is now easy to find and can be changed while driving, with quick buttons (5, 10, 20, 50, 100 ft).
• Panadapter handling: drag the picture (or swipe sideways on a trackpad) to move the view; a typed tune frequency that is off screen re-centres the view; the Up/Down keys and the arrows in the Tuned box now follow the chosen step.

RF Noise Map 1.2.0 (testing)

RF Noise Map 1.2.0 (testing)

TESTING VERSION: UNTESTED IN THE FIELD. This is a pre-release for testing on more computers. It has passed its self-test with practice data and on one Windows 11 PC with a real RSP1 and USB GPS, but a real drive has not been done yet. The Mac version has never been tried on a real Mac. Please tell KW4EX what works and what does not (open an issue on this page).

Windows installer: Install_RFNoise_Windows.bat. Mac: RFNoise_Mac_v1.2.0.zip.

Windows is the main version (Windows 10 and 11). A Mac version is included but experimental and not yet tested on a real Mac (see Assets).

Find power-line and other radio noise by driving a route: an SDRplay receiver and a GPS log the signal level about every 10 feet, and the program draws a street map of blue (weak) to red (strong) dots, so you can see where the noise is loudest.

How to download (no GitHub account needed)

Windows

1. Install nothing first: the installer finds Python for you and offers to install it (Python 3.9 is used because the radio library needs that version).
2. Look at the Assets list at the bottom of this page and click Install_RFNoise_Windows.bat. Your browser saves it, normally in your Downloads folder (if it warns that the file may be harmful, choose Keep).
3. Double-click it. If Windows says "Windows protected your PC", click More info then Run anyway. It asks a few short questions and installs into its own RFNoise subfolder (suggested: C:\RadioScripts).
4. At the end, say yes to the full test, with the radio and GPS plugged in.

Mac (experimental)

1. In Assets click RFNoise_Mac_v1.2.0.zip. Open Downloads and double-click it to unzip.
2. Open the mac folder, right-click Install_RFNoise.command, choose Open, then Open again.

Do not click "Source code (zip)" or "Source code (tar.gz)". Those are for programmers.

The Install and User Guide (PDF) is attached below, and in the repository under docs/guides.

New in 1.2.0

• Installer picks the right Python: the SDRplay radio library for Windows (PothosSDR) only works with Python 3.9; the installer detects this, uses Python 3.9 and installs it if needed. It also repairs pip.
• Find my GPS: finds a USB GPS puck and its speed (4800, 9600, 38400, 115200) by itself, in the window (button), in the installer, or with Find_GPS.bat.
• Full test: Test_Everything.bat (or the Full test button) checks Python, the radio (real readings and gain control), the GPS, and a pretend drive with the real radio and builds a map, in about a minute.
• Radio and GPS busy? Leftover RF Noise Map helpers are closed at launch. Other SDR or GPS programs (SDRuno, SDRconnect, SDR Console, HDSDR, u-center and similar) are listed in a yellow box with a button to close them; nothing is closed without your OK.
• Clearer GPS messages (port in use, wrong speed, no satellites); fixes for the radio library on Windows.

No warranty. Use at your own risk. Shared by one radio operator, "as is". Design and on-air testing by KW4EX. Not made, approved or supported by SDRplay, Elecraft, FlexRadio, Thetis or Zeus.

Testing pre-release: not the final version.