This is just a Thought-project at this stage. Will update later if i recieve hardware and revise it following.
- Dual-Band UHF/VHF Ham Radio.
- Use dual analog & digital meters/interface to allow robust operation. (If possible a LCD for Microcontroller control and waterfall[if possible])
- Expose the GPIO/i2c interface to a SOC to operate the RDA1846S.
- Use rotary nobs and multi/single throw toggles(with software sliders for disabling them if driven by TS-LCD) for tactile control. keypad for DTMF (and touch sensitive LCD if possible)
- Slave as much as possible to the RDA1846S, using SOC in addinum where possible(replace these functions in software optionally via menu/switches?)
- Analog (Direct) & Digitial modes via Software(Seperate SOC for this?).
- Antenna amp external to RDA1846S[I am uncertain if the 1846S has a pre-amp atm, proceeding assuming it exists.]. offering 4-stages: ULP(2w nom, on-chip), LP(5w nom, on-chip), normal(? - ???w, rotary nob set variable amp), line-driven (no-preamp)
- Antenna RX pre-amp.
- Trigger VOX on toggle, rather than microcontroller driven to prevent accidental activation.
- Add software SQ additionally to hardware SQ, with toggle to disable hardware SQ and software SQ on rotary (with LCD menu as well if LCD is present)
- Toggles to disable AFC/AGC
- RSSI with both digital numerical counter and analog meter.
- CTCSS/CDCSS via rotary (with locked range)
- DCS bit/code displayed via small lcd.
- Multi-antenna (RX/TX)
- Duplex capable (optionally dual 1846s or SDR for this mode)
- LCD for fine control and additional options.
- Waterfall? (IDK if the 1846s would even be capable of producing the data for this. need more research)
- include HF tranciever for HF bands with input for CW lever.
- include frequency shifter for 23cm band.
- include SHF tranciever for experimental 3-5ghz bands.
- include SDR to exclusively drive waterfall seperate to transciever (hackRF/RSP1S seems possible, HackRF could do HF/SHF Trancieving but poor interfacing and cost might prohibit. might be better to use RTL and find a way to use the tranciever to do tuning)