Tag Archives: SDRplay RSP

The SDRplay RSP1 just turned five years old

Yesterday, @SDRplay noted on Twitter:

It’s 5 years ago today we sold the very first blue and white RSP to someone in Sweden – many thanks to all our customers over the 5 years

Perhaps it’s just because I’m getting older, but it’s hard to believe it’s been five years!

The little RSP1 really disrupted the SDR world. Up to 2014, there were few sub $150 SDRs that included HF reception natively. There were even fewer sub $150 SDRs that I would consider “enthusiast grade”–those that were sensitive, selective, and not prone to overload.

When I initially tested the RSP1 it pretty much blew my mind. I was so impressed by the performance for the price point.

Looking back at my original review, I see that I had a long list of “pros” and only three “cons.” In fact, two of the three “cons” I listed are no longer valid (multi-channel recordings are now an option and SDRplay has their own OEM application, SDRuno).

SDRplay has demonstrated iterative agility with each new product offering and built an impressive community in five years. They have also maintained their position as a price leader even though their products are all designed and manufactured in the UK.

Congratulations, SDRplay! Happy Birthday to the RSP1! Click here to check out SDRplay.

Click here to read my original SRDplay RSP1 review.

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AM Radio: Ivan compiles 2017 solar eclipse logs

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ivan Cholakov (NO2CW), who writes:

I never got a chance to summarize my results of the AM scans I did during the 2017 total eclipse.

I used an SDR and a 40 foot end-fed antenna located in a park near the Nashville, TN airport.

On the plus side I did notice a spike of AM signals and amateur radio signals especially on 40 meters. On the negative side, my AM scans were adversely affected by the nearby powerhouse WSM transmitter on 650 kHz.

I’ve attached my results in a spreadsheet [embedded] below.

Click here to view this Google Docs spreadsheet in a new window.

Fantastic, Ivan! Thank you for taking the time to go through your recordings and make these notes. No doubt, this log took a few hours to compile. I’ve yet to go through my eclipse spectrum recordings–!

Again, thanks for sharing!

Click here to view Ivan’s previous post which includes a bandscan of the 2017 Eclipse QSO Party.

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Video: Comparing the SDRplay RSP1 with the RSP1A and intro to SDRuno

(Source: Jon Hudson on the SDRplay Facebook page)

This latest video from Mike starts by showing the differences between the RSP1 and the RSP1A, and then gives an excellent demonstration of how the latest SDRuno works – this is a great place to start for any newcomers to SDRuno – https://youtu.be/qUZerxeHJvc

We continue to regularly add video guides to our Youtube Channel. The original series are listed in a playlist called ‘Part 1’ – newer guides are listed in a playlist called ‘Part 2’

The SDRplay YouTube Channel can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/c/SDRplayRSP

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A comprehensive SDRplay and SDRuno how-to video series

The SDRplay RSP2

Mike Ladd, with SDRplay, has done an amazing job putting together a comprehensive series of how-to videos for those of us with the SDRplay RSP1 and RSP2 receivers. His first set of videos have focused on using SDRuno (SDRplay’s custom SDR application), and now he’s started an SDR Console series as well.

I’ve embedded much of his video series below, but you can also find them at the SDRplay YouTube channel.

If you own an SDRplay RSP, take time to watch some or all of these videos as they’ll help you unlock RSP functionality you likely never knew existed. I’ve learned something new in each one I’ve watched.

Below, I’ve embedded 23 SDRuno how-to videos, a new SDR Console video and PDF/printable SDRplay documentation. Enjoy! (And thanks again, Mike!)


SDRuno Videos

#1 SDRuno Basic layout and settings

Click here to view on YouTube.

#2 SDRuno with VAC 1 of 2

Click here to view on YouTube.

#3 SDRuno VAC 2of 2 (showing MultiPSK)

Click here to view on YouTube.

#4 SDRuno Noise reduction intro on HF.

Click here to view on YouTube.

#5 SDRuno Memory Panel part 1 of 2

Click here to view on YouTube.

#6 SDRuno Memory Panel part 2 of 2

Click here to view on YouTube.

#7 SDRuno Calibrate your RSP-1 & RSP-2

Click here to view on YouTube.

#8 SDRuno VAC & DSDdecoder

Click here to view on YouTube.

#9 SDRuno Notching filter function

Click here to view on YouTube.

#10 SDRuno FM Broadcast RDS data decoding

Click here to view on YouTube.

#11 SDRuno, FTDX 3000, Omnirig & LOG4OM Logger

Click here to view on YouTube.

#12 SDRuno, FTDX 3000, Omnirig & LOG4OM Logger In Action

Click here to view on YouTube.

#13 SDRuno EX-Control Module

Click here to view on YouTube.

#14 SDRuno with CSV user list browser using virtual com ports.

Click here to view on YouTube.

#15 SDRuno & MultiPSK decoding APRS

Click here to view on YouTube.

#16 SDRuno & MultiPSK decoding ACARS

Click here to view on YouTube.

#17 SDRuno with the TM-2 USB Controller

Click here to view on YouTube.

#18 SDRuno Tune-LO-LO Lock

Click here to view on YouTube.

#19 pre-selection filters of the RSP-1 and RSP-2

Click here to view on YouTube.

#20 SDRuno and the VRX feature

Click here to view on YouTube.

MISC SDRUno videos

SDRuno EXT/IO Edition for a range of SDRs and dongles

Click here to view on YouTube.

SDRplay RSP with the DX Engineering RTR-2

Click here to view on YouTube.

Using the RSP-1 for the IARU HF World Championship

Click here to view on YouTube.

SDR Console videos (Brand new series)

#1 SDRplay RSP 1 & 2 with SDR Console v3

Click here to view on YouTube.

SDRplay How To documentation

Brand new SDRuno User Manual
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRplay_SDRuno_User_Manual.pdf

Frontend Reset
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRplay_Software_reset.pdf

Optimizing WIndows 7 for SDRuno
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRuno_Windows7.pdf

Setting up VSPE
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRuno_VSPE.pdf

Setting up VAC
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRuno_VAC.pdf

Decoding APRS using SDRuno and MultiPSK
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRuno_APRS.pdf

Decoding MIL-ALE using SDRuno and MultiPSK
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRuno_ALE.pdf

Decoding AIS Marine messages using SDRuno and MultiPSK
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRuno_AIS.pdf

Decoding ACARS messages using SDRuno and MultiPSK
http://www.sdrplay.com/docs/SDRuno_ACARS.pdf

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Video: Ivan shares a bandscan from the 2017 Eclipse QSO Party

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ivan Cholakov (NO2CW) who shares the following:

I finally got around to listening through some of the amateur radio band spectrum captures from the 2017 Solar Eclipse QSO party. I used an SDRPlay receiver with an end fed LNR antenna in portable field setting in Nashville, TN.

About 30 minutes of solar eclipse contacts and chatter:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Thank you, Ivan, for taking the time to put this video together and sharing it. The RSP did a fantastic job capturing this spectrum–I do love the SDRuno application for reviewing spectrum recordings as well. Cheers!

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SDRplay lowers RSP1 price to $99.95 US

The SDRplay RSP software defined radio

(Source: SDRplay Press Release via Jon Hudson)

SDRplay are pleased to announce a price reduction for their entry-level SDR receiver, the RSP1 to $99.95 USD making it the most competitive mid-range SDR to include reception down to low frequencies without the need for an upconverter.

The RSP1 provides general coverage receiver and panadapter capability from 10 kHz to 2 GHz. As well as providing SDRuno SDR software, support for popular 3rd party packages like HDSDR, SDR-Console and Cubic SDR is provided. Recent availability of an SD Card image makes for easy set up on a Raspberry Pi.

Click here to visit SDRplay online.

Click here to read our RSP1 review.

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Receiving Jupiter with the SDRplay RSP1

I’ve been fascinated with radio astronomy since my university days. In the 1980s and 90s almost any radio astronomy experiment equated to forking out some serious money to purchase a wideband receiver (serious money to a student, at least). With the advent of SDRs, though, radio astronomy has become affordable for everyone.

Many thanks to RTL-SDR.com for publishing the following video and post about monitoring Jupiter radio bursts:

Over on YouTube user MaskitolSAE has uploaded a video showing him receiving some noise bursts from Jupiter with his SDRplay RSP1. The planet Jupiter is known to emit bursts of noise via natural ‘radio lasers’ powered partly by the planets interaction with the electrically conductive gases emitted by Io, one of the the planets moons. When Jupiter is high in the sky and the Earth passes through one of these radio lasers the noise bursts can be received on Earth quite easily with an appropriate antenna

In his video MaskitolSAE shows the 10 MHz of waterfall and audio from some Jupiter noise bursts received with his SDRplay RSP1 at 22119 kHz. According to the YouTube description, it appears that he is using the UTR-2 radio telescope which is a large Ukrainian radio telescope installation that consists of an array of 2040 dipoles. A professional radio telescope installation is not required to receive the Jupiter bursts (a backyard dipole tuned to ~20 MHz will work), but the professional radio telescope does get some really nice strong bursts as seen in the video.

Click here to view on YouTube.

Click here to read at RTL-SDR.com.

As Carl mentions above, you do not need a professional radio telescope to receive Jupiter noise bursts, a dipole will do.

In fact, the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) has a dedicated Jupiter receiver–a simple SDR kit called the Radio JOVE Receiver which is promoted by NASA. While PARI has the resources to install any number of antennas, PARI uses two simple dipoles which are mounted only a few feet off the ground as their radio telescope. I doubt their investment in the antennas exceeded $50. It works brilliantly.

The Radio JOVE receiver at PARI

I had planned to purchase and build a JOVE receiver (and, for fun, still may!), but it would be much easier to simply use the SDRplay RSP I already have in my shack. What a great project this fall.

Post readers: Please comment if you’ve used an SDR or JOVE kit to receive Jupiter bursts!

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