{"id":34384,"date":"2018-10-07T07:32:04","date_gmt":"2018-10-07T11:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=34384"},"modified":"2018-11-04T09:41:34","modified_gmt":"2018-11-04T13:41:34","slug":"sdr-primer-part-2-exploring-the-world-of-sdrs-for-200-or-less","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/10\/sdr-primer-part-2-exploring-the-world-of-sdrs-for-200-or-less\/","title":{"rendered":"SDR Primer Part 2: Exploring the world of SDRs for $200 or less"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The $22 RTL-SDR paired with a Raspberry Pi and employed as an ADS-B receiver\/feeder.<\/p><\/div>\n

The following article originally appeared\u00a0in the\u00a0July 2018 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine<\/a>:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Welcome back to the world of SDRs<\/h1>\n

Last month we covered Part One<\/a> of our three-part primer on software-defined radios (SDRs). While last month\u2019s Part One<\/a> focused on the nomenclature and components of a functioning SDR system, Part Two will take a look at some affordable SDR station options that will propel you into the world of SDRs for less than $200 US. We\u2019ll cover Part Three in November<\/a>, and we\u2019ll dive a little deeper into the rabbit hole and cover higher-end SDRs and ham radio transceivers with embedded SDRs.<\/p>\n

SDRs are affordable<\/h2>\n

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If there\u2019s one thing I\u2019d like you to take away from this part of our primer, it\u2019s that SDRs are truly affordable. For less than the price of a typical full-featured shortwave portable, you can own an SDR that covers almost all <\/i>of the listening spectrum, and that does so with excellent performance characteristics.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re lucky to live in a time of phenomenal radio innovation. When I first jumped into the world of SDRs, the least expensive SDR that covered any of the bands below 20 MHz was about $500. That was only a few years ago, in 2010 or so.<\/p>\n

Yet in the past three years, affordable SDRs have become the dominant radio product on the market. \u00a0And these modestly-priced products have made the barrier of entry into the SDR world crumble overnight.<\/p>\n

Today, even a $100 SDR has more features, more frequency range, and more functionality than a $1000 SDR from just a decade ago. \u00a0Times have changed dramatically; indeed, the pace of innovation in this craft is simply amazing.<\/i><\/p>\n

Before we begin looking at some choice sub-$200 SDRs, I\u2019d just like to direct your attention to the first part of our SDR Primer (click here to read<\/a>). Specifically, I\u2019d like you to note one element I discussed in that article: \u00a0the vital importance identifying your goals as an SDR owner. In other words, how do you plan to use your SDR? If you\u2019re only seeking an SDR to listen to local ham radio repeaters, track cubesat satellites, or gather ADS-B information from aircraft, a $25 SDR will more than suffice. If you wish to use the SDR as a transceiver panadapter, or you wish to chase weak signal DX on the HF bands, then I\u2019d suggest you invest a bit more.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d also like to remind you, as I noted in the previous article, that this primer will be limited in the SDRs I highlight.<\/em> The reason for this is simple: \u00a0there now exists a vast ocean of SDRs on the market (just search eBay for \u201cSDR\u201d and you\u2019ll quickly see what I mean) so all models simply can\u2019t be included in this introductory foray. I\u2019ll be focusing here on several SDRs that cover the HF spectrum and above. I\u2019ll also focus on SDRs with which I have personal experience, and which I consider to be \u201centhusiast\u201d grade among a healthy community of users. Of course, this part of the primer will only include HF-capable receivers that cost a total of $200 or less.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at what\u2019s on the market in order of price, starting with the most affordable.<\/p>\n

$10-$25: The RTL-SDR dongle<\/h2>\n

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No doubt, many of you reading this primer have purchased an RTL-SDR dongle. Over the years, I\u2019ve owned three or four of them and have even purchased them for friends. These dongles originally appeared on the market many years ago as mass-produced DVB-T TV tuner dongles based on the RTL2832U chipset. Very soon, users discovered that with just a little hacking, the dongle was capable of much, much<\/i> more than its original intended purpose.<\/p>\n

The dongle resembles a USB memory stick. On one end, you\u2019ll find a standard USB connector. \u00a0On the other, you\u2019ll find an antenna port, typically SMA, to which one connects an antenna. Although it goes without saying, here\u2019s a friendly reminder: make sure you\u2019re choosing an antenna to match the frequency range you\u2019re exploring!<\/i><\/p>\n

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I’ve seen this older model of RTL-SDR being sold for $9 at Hamvention.<\/p><\/div>\n

Early RTL-SDR dongles couldn\u2019t cover the HF bands or lower, but many models can now cover a gapless 500 kHz all the way to 1.75 GHz.<\/p>\n

So, what can you do with an RTL-SDR dongle? \u00a0In short, quite a lot! Here are a few of this simple device\u2019s many applications and uses in our hobby. \u00a0It can:<\/p>\n