Many thanks to Benn (AK4AV) for passing along this article from the IEEE which describes how a $20 USB digital TV antenna tuner can be transformed into an impressive, flexible software defined radio:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/hands-on/a-40-softwaredefined-radio
The article incldes the following embedded video from the IEEE:
Here is another informative video via YouTube:
This year at the SWL Winterfest we had a presentation on the topic of $20 SDRs configured like those above. Some scanner enthusiasts had used them to receive satellite and many other VHF/UHF communications. I’ve heard of some devices being nearly plug-and-play easy to install and configure; others may take some minor tweaking. All of the SDR applications and drivers are either open source or free.
This page contains a wealth of information on the topic of RTL2832U based SDRs–it makes for a great starting point.
If you have experimented with thRTL2832U USB SDR, please comment below.
By adding a 3 pole double throw switch and a toroid balun, the device covers LF/MF/HF/VHF/UHF to beyond 1.7GHz. It does AM/FM/SSB/CW/DIGITAL VOICE AND SSTV.
GOOGLE HF SDR DIY
I’ve just got going yesterday with a DTV300 device & SDR# software. had to use Zadig to install libusb Win32 driver to make it work. I’ve been experimenting its receive range. The lowest frequency appears to be about 19-20 MHz. ( I can only Tx locallly at 21.0 MHz and 18.58 MHz – doesn’t hear the latter. Started investigating upper limits this morning. It apears to work as high as 2.5 GHz. I get a comb of signals all the time and very strong burst occasionally from what I think is my WiFi ( Not frequent or long enough to be a leaky microwave oven. Not frequent enough to be a harmonicor image response to 1.2 GHz radar ( haven’t looked for that yet.) Can anyone else receive this high? de John G8SEQ
I have one of the Dongle rcvrs but can’t seem to get the drivers to work right.
Wish they had a plug and play software that I just installed with a install feature.
Hi, Jack,
I have been using RTLSDR for several months now. I have five dongles and a convertor board. Also please see this: http://www.ebay.com/sch/thillarddg/m.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1
The manual on eBay really works and you don’t have to spend $50 on a converter board to receive broadcast to 30 mHz. My E-mail is [email protected] if you have questions.
Bill
You might try this: http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?401865-HF-SDR-DIY
I bought the CD, and it works very well. I have made three conversions.
I have an RTL-SDR system up and running. I have done 2 demonstrations for my local Ham Radio club. One on the basic setup and use of the dongle, using both SDR# and HDSDR. The other presentation showed the remote receiver capability using a Raspberry Pi as the receiver with the dongle attached and a remote SDR# computer decoding the stream over a network connection. Once I compensate for some minor frequency discrepancies it’s a pretty good receiver. The only issue I have noticed with mine (one of the early E4000-based models) is a tendency to overload in the presence of a strong signal. We have a pretty powerful 2 Meter repeater less than a 1/4 mile from our home, and when it’s active it causes some strange results with the RTL-SDR setup.
I have yet to try one of the HF converters they make for these. I hope to do that soon.
Another project I was reading about today that I may try out is using 2 of the dongles at once to create a trunk-tracker scanner.
Hi, Neil,
Wow–I had never thought of using two SDR dongles for trunking, nor of remote access.
We have a very strong AM station on 1010 kHz–I do wonder if these receivers would be overwhelmed by it if adapted for HF listening. Not too many FM powerhouses, though. Of course, I suppose I could try various band filters to help.
Cheers,
Thomas
Even with the strong repeater running on 147 MHz I still receive plenty. One thing it was handy for was spotting 2 Meter USB signals when using my Kenwood all-mode rig.
Here is a review of an UpConverter:
http://www.hamradioscience.com/ham-it-up-hf-converter/
And, a page listing a whole bunch of them:
http://blog.kf7lze.net/2012/09/14/round-up-of-rtlsdr-upconverter-choices/
And, my video (shaky shaky, yes, I know) of my RTL-SDR working:
Hi,
I’ve been using these amazing devices for a few months, with great results.
You can see some catches on my YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/user/aunumero73
Pat.
Thank you, Pat! Some great comparisons with the FunCube dongle!
-Thomas