SDR Software??

I just got my RTL-SDR dongle other day, brand new version 3... I am wanting anybody's opinions on which software if the best for my SDR dongle? Would like one with a good amount of features/options, but also has good options... Thanks all!

Windows, Mac or Linux?

Sorry, Windows. I have a laptop with Windows XP and 1 with Windows Vista.

I'd start with HDSDR, which appears to do XP as long as it is up to date with the most recent service pack applied. Really, I'd spend time here: The BIG List of RTL-SDR Supported Software - rtl-sdr.com.

I just received the same dongle but since I wanted it for a linux laptop, I'm running GQRX and finding the dongle is decent.

--
Mike

I agree!! I am VERY satisfied with the new dongle! I took it out of the box and fired up UniTrunker and BOOM it started decoding Control Channel data perfectly!!

What antenna are you using?

Well it came with 2 telescoping antennas, a small one and a pretty large one that telescopes up about 3 or 3 feet. I'm using longer one for UniTrunker.

I have a Nooelec and I can only get HDSDR to work. SDR# never worked for me. Seems others have the same issue.

Hmmm, HDSDR, I'll try that one thanks!

poltergeisty said:

SDR# never worked for me. Seems others have the same issue.

Click to expand...

When you extracted the SDR# archive (since it's distributed in a Zip file) did you make sure to run the install-rtlsdr.bat file to have it download the necessary dll files? They can't be distributed directly with SDR# itself so they have to be installed/obtained after you extract that SDR# Zip file.

So many people forget this step and they just figure there's something wrong with SDR# because it won't work without doing that step and running that batch file. This has nothing to do with the Zadig drivers for the RTL-based stick; that's another step that should be done first actually.

So it's technically a 3 step process for SDR# functionality and operation:

- install the Zadig drivers (you'll know if it's done correctly because the installer will tell you, and yes you have to install the driver twice because RTL-based sticks have two components that require the drivers: the first is the tuner itself and the second is the IR port whether you happen to use that or not

- get the SDR# Zip distribution and extract the contents

- run the install-rtlsdr.bat file and let it grab the necessary dll files (it will also grab the latest Zadig driver installer if you haven't acquired it by that point)

Once those three steps are done, I can't think of any reason that SDR# would not work with an RTL-based device of any kind made by anyone. Whole process takes less than a minute typically and you're up and running.

Well when I downloaded SDR# I also downloaded the bundle of DLL files that the website said it needed. I then UnZipped both files into the same directory and tried to run SDR#. I am using a laptop with WindowsXP. Upon trying to run SDR# I get a pop up error stating "SDR*.exe is not a valid Win32 Application"... So I gave up... I've tried installing and uninstalling several times to no avail.

DavidQT69 said:

Well when I downloaded SDR# I also downloaded the bundle of DLL files that the website said it needed. I then UnZipped both files into the same directory and tried to run SDR#. I am using a laptop with WindowsXP. Upon trying to run SDR# I get a pop up error stating "SDR*.exe is not a valid Win32 Application"... So I gave up... I've tried installing and uninstalling several times to no avail.

Click to expand...

Current version will not run with XP. You will need to find an older version somewhere. Not sure how far back one needs to go. Also you have to run a version of zadig for XP,

dlwtrunked said:

Current version will not run with XP. You will need to find an older version somewhere. Not sure how far back one needs to go. Also you have to run a version of zadig for XP,

Click to expand...

What about running SDR# under the lower compatibility? WindowsXP can run programs and spoof them as older Windows versions... Wonder if that would work!

Uh, you'd need to get XP to pretend it was Win7 or Win8, etc. How would it do that?

slicerwizard said:

Uh, you'd need to get XP to pretend it was Win7 or Win8, etc. How would it do that?

Click to expand...

Teaches me to not fully read the comment before replying... When the above poster said current version not compatible I thought he was talking about Windows, not SDR#...

Windows XP is truly beyond use at this point in time and nothing but a security risk in so many ways I can't even begin to count. Vista isn't really much better in many respects, I'd suggest Windows 7 as the bare minimum for anyone trying to get into SDR for monitoring nowadays. I know some folks just love XP and hate to move on but that's just something that has to be done.

Now as for dumping Windows 7 to move to Windows 8/8.1 or even Windows 10, that's not going to happen for me personally - not even the fact that Windows 10 is free can't get me to use that abomination.

Anyway, there's a lot of software that's being produced nowadays that simply won't work with XP at all and some software that can be either configured (using compatibility mode) or potentially tweaked into operating to some degrees - the point is you're better off not using XP to begin with.

But it's up to the end user to make the final decision, as always.

Windows 10 is no longer free. The free period expired over a month ago.

AntiSquid disclaimer: All information provided is personal opinion only and may or may not resemble actual fact.

You can still get Windows 10 free by exercising some of the Accessibility aspects:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade

It requires one to basically tell "a little white lie" I suppose and say that you're making use of the assistive technologies in Windows 10 to get it free, I don't suppose a lot of people will have a major moral dilemma over that. If you've ever enlarged your fonts to be able to read the information on screen better, technically that's a legitimate use of the assistive technologies so so so... that would technically qualify you for this offer.