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Support for WR-G313i/G315i Receiver |
If you have a problem with installation or performance of your WR-313i/G315i receiver, please follow these steps first: 1. Installation problems (software reports "Can't find receiver" and reverts to demo mode) 2. Performance problems (upon successful installation) 3. Contact us (if everything else fails)
1. Make sure the card is properly seated in the motherboard slot. Make sure you have the latest application software by checking the software download page. Verify that the software is installed correctly using the WiNRADiO G3 Series Diagnostic Tool. 2. If the card is still not detected, remove the G313/g315 application using Start | Settings | Control Panel | Add Remove Programs. Then turn the PC off and remove the card. Then switch the PC on and reinstall the G313/g15 application software. Then switch the PC off again, and reinstall the card. Finally, switch the PC on again and start the G313/G315 application.
Firstly, please check the following: Then check if you see any signal peaks appearing in the spectrum scope in the Demodulator panel (under the AM, AMS, etc., mode selection buttons). If you see peaks but still no sound, check the following: Note: If you have difficulties accessing the sound card control panels (for example if there is no speaker icon), refer to the separate page about Sound Card Controls. If you can't see any noise and signal peaks in the spectrum or still can't hear any sound despite checking the antenna and speaker connections, and making sure the squelch and volume are set to initial levels, the receiver is probably faulty. While such events are very rare, they do occasionally happen. Please accept our apologies and return the receiver to your dealer for a warranty replacement. In USA only, please refer to the product return procedure below. Make sure the Attenuator is switched off ("0 dB"), Preamplifier on (this applies to G315 moels only), and the AGC and SAGC are selected to Medium. Check that your antenna is properly connected, the connector is not loose and that the antenna cable is not damaged. Does the noise floor drop significantly if you disconnect the antenna? If so, then perhaps the antenna is picking up too much ambient noise. Try to improve the antenna, or move it further away from the PC. If you hear severe background noise which disappears when the antenna is disconnected, then the problem is likely to be with the antenna. Perhaps the antenna is located or connected in such way that it picks up radiated noise from the computer more than the useful signal. Your computer noise may be arriving to the antenna either by direct radiation to the antenna or the antenna lead-in cable (impedance mismatching of a "long wire" antenna connected to the 50 ohm antenna input of the receiver may exacerbate this problem), or you may have a ground loop problem. You might also wish to experiment with various EMI reduction measures. The supplied basic antenna is a thin coaxial cable with a length of unshielded wire at the end. This wire is the actual active element, and should be placed as far away from the PC as possible. We suggest you fix it with an adhesive tape on a window frame as close as possible to the glass. Placing the antenna outside the building walls would be best, as they will attenuate the signal considerably. Do not leave the antenna run close to the computer, or even let it lie on the floor. Some domestic appliances, such as fax machines, VCRs and TVs, can also generate interference, so it is best to place the antenna as far away from any appliances as possible. For first trials with WiNRADiO and casual listening, the supplied "start-up" short wire antenna is quite acceptable. However, it is not intended for serious applications. As the lead is short and the antenna is therefore located close to the computer, it may also pick up some of the computer-generated noise, especially on lower frequencies. For optimum reception, a proper outdoor antenna, or an indoor loop antenna, is recommended. Proper impedance matching is also important in order to improve antenna efficiency and to reduce noise: The receiver input is 50 ohm, while the impedance of typical long wire antennas is approximately 450 ohms - it is recommended to use an impedance matching adapter (sometimes incorrectly refered to as "antenna balun"). WiNRADiO does offer offer such impedance matching adapter as a standard accessory. Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) is what prevents us from receiving a clear signal, even when the receiver should be sensitive enough to receive it. There are many types of interference you can experience with radio receivers, emanating from both natural and man-made sources. Natural interference is produced by atmospheric phenomena such as storms and sun activity. Not so surprisingly, man-made interference is often worse. Sources include electric motors, power lines, passing cars, welders, fluorescent lights, fax machines, computer networks, etc. Receiving antennas should always be as far away from sources of electromagnetic interference as possible. One significant source of man-made electromagnetic interference is the personal computer, and the video monitor in particular. Since a WiNRADiO receiver requires a personal computer to operate, this creates a potential paradox. While the WiNRADiO receiver itself is designed to be substantially immune to interference generated by its host computer, any receiver needs to be connected to an antenna, and antennas cannot discriminate between useful signals and interference. The interference from your computer can either radiate directly to the antenna, or it can be conducted to it along the outer conductor of the lead-in cable. Some computers are worse than others in terms of generated electromagnetic interference. The worst culprits are usually video monitors, which radiate radio frequencies at multiples of horizontal deflection frequencies. These frequencies range from about 30 to 100 kHz, and you can sometimes hear their harmonics right across the entire shortwave band. If you find strong signals sounding somewhat like a tractor engine, periodically spaced approximately 30 to 100 kHz apart (on modern hi-resolution monitors, the typical frequency is around 94 kHz), your monitor is most likely the cause. To check this, tune to one of the interfering signals, then switch off the monitor and see if the signal disappears. You could continue using the WiNRADiO receiver, and live with the fact that some useful frequencies will be obscured by your monitor's interference, or you can replace your monitor with a 'quieter' one (modern LCD displays are far quieter than old CRT monitors, and are highly recommended for use with computer-based receivers), or you can try to relocate your antenna further away from your computer.
2.2.3. Intermodulation interference Another type of interference which you may encounter is intermodulation interference. This is usually caused by strong local stations, whose frequencies combine to create 'ghost' signals on frequencies which are arithmetic combinations of the stations' frequencies. These 'ghost' signals can sometimes coincide with useful frequencies, rendering them partially or completely unusable. They will usually disappear when you switch on the Attenuator in the receiver control panel. You may also try shortening the antenna. If you live very close to a strong local transmitter, these measures may be insufficient. In such case, you should be able to eliminate intermodulation by fitting a special filter to your antenna, to reduce the level of the signals causing the interference. The design and application of such filters falls beyond the scope of this page, since the large majority of WiNRADiO users should not experience this problem (after all, not too many of us live next door to a radio station). However, broadcast frequency filters and tunable preselectors are standard items and can be obtained from good radio equipment suppliers.
Check if the AGC is switched on (i.e. either the Slow, Med or Fast buttons are pressed - usually the medium setting should be used). Also set SAGC to Med. If this does not help, go to the demodulator Setup (click the Setup button) and adjust the SAGC reference level down.
Presuming the volume is set to the maximum level (31) in the demodulator panel, you can adjust the volume also in the sound card control panel, or on the amplified speakers you are using. Also, if SAGC function is turned off, turn it on by clicking the Med button. You can increase the volume when SAGC is on by adjusting the AGC reference level under Setup (excessive level will cause distortion). If you prefer to keep SAGC off, you can increase the volume under Setup, by adjusting the Audio gain level.
2.5. Sluggish or freezing display and sound drop-outs Close all other simultaneously running programs to reduce the burden on the CPU. If the CPU usage shows consistently more than 80%, this may indicate insufficient CPU resources for the G3-series receiver application. Please note that the minimum CPU speed requirement for the G3-series receivers is 500 MHz (Pentium III or equivalent). While in most cases the receiver will run at significantly lower CPU speeds, this is not guaranteed, and individual PCs may significantly vary in performance. Modern PCs with faster CPUs are better suited for CPU-intensive software defined receivers such as the WiNRADiO G313/G315 models. With contemporary PCs with CPU speeds over 2 GHz, the G313/G315 software places a negligible burden on the CPU (typically between 5-20%).
2.6. Can't move program window If you managed to drag the spectrum scope window or the program window to the point where you can't drag it back, you can rectify the situation as follows: 1. You can resize or move the taskbar (just like any other window) to reveal the bottom of the G313/G315 panel. Make sure that Lock the Taskbar is not checked in the pop-up menu (right-click on an empty space on the taskbar). If the taskbar is locked, you can't resize or move it. If you prefer to move the taskbar to the left side of the desktop, just hold the mouse on the empty space and drag it. 2. Another way to solve this problem is to close the G313/G315 application and manually edit the wrg313.ini file in the Windows directory. For example, you will see values similar to these: [Scope-03E27014] where 03E27014 is the serial number of your receiver. Your 'Height' value is probably greater, but you should change it to a reasonable value (about 200).
2.7. Receiver is off frequency The WiNRADiO G313/G315 receiver uses high-precision reference oscillator and is factory calibrated, therefore any remaining frequency inaccuracy is well below that normally available in receivers of this class. For demanding technically-minded users, it is however possible to improve the frequency accuracy yet further, to the level of expensive professional equipment. This is done by individual calibration. The calibration procedure is recommended for experienced users only.
Please use our direct enquiry form. We are always ready to assist.
If your product is faulty and you wish to return it for repair or replacement, please refer to the information on the service page.
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