Software for SDR

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bearcatrp

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Thanks. My initial interests was scanning and logging the frequencies in my area. But the more I look into the SDR's, seems allot more can be accomplished. Thanks again for the link.
 

TailGator911

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Good recommendation. SDR# is very user-friendly and can be customized with various plugins and addons that enhance its features. I'm still learning it myself and trying out different options for scanning and searching, etc. It's definitely a good program to start with.
 

bearcatrp

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Tailgator911, how long have you been using yours? Any issues installing the software? I plan on hooking mine up to my discone.
 

TailGator911

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I've had it for about a year, I guess. I did have some issues when I neglected it for a while and had to do the zadig fix so my comp would recognize the RTL dongle. I've had to do this a few times, for some reason it won't 'see' the RTL. But, the instructions were easy to follow and it fixed itself every time and reinstalled. I use both my Diamond 300 discone and a cheapie HG window 'pipe' antenna. For a while I used the telescopic that came with it, perched on a metal pie tin but it did not produce so I made room for it on my Stridsberg and with the window antenna. I'm about 7 miles from a big commercial shopping area and a big mall and I get all kinds of hits out there, very busy. I recently installed the frequency scanner plugin but couldn't get it to work, need to sit down with it for a while and work on it. I enjoy it, tho, what little time I have spent with it.

JD
kf4anc
 

bearcatrp

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Thanks. I see all the plug ins. Is that one download for all or each one? Does yours get hot when left on overnight? Have read a few complaints about these getting hot.
 

a417

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They all get warm/hot. I'd be concerned if I started smelling burning plastic or something, but every one I have gets toasty warm...then the crystal stabilizes and they don't drift as much around the spectrum. I've seen some posts by people who "don't think it's working right" because it gets hot, but then they can't explain why they think that. The ones that I bought back in 2013 get just as warm as the newer ones that i've purchased recently, and they are all functioning within spec as i see it. The only real thermal issues I forsee is if they are mounted in a non climate-controlled environment (like a forepeak or enclosure) where they can get UNREASONABLY hot, but sitting on desk or plugged into a RasPi you shouldn't have that much to worry about. If you think you have a legitimate thermal issue, they usually pop open with thumb pressure and you can point a desk fan at it and see if that helps you.



SDR# is a great starter or quick go to - has some nifty plug ins , then theres 'gqrx' which is a little less user friendly but also works well, then you can get into the command line stuff to stream without running a GUI (great if you're on a power-constrained device like a raspberry pi), and then finally there is GNURadio - for when you really hate yourself and feel like making your own systems and such :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:.

The world is your oyster with these things, you can literally make something out of nothing.

Fo' instance = I have a satellite WiFi access point for the garage, it's a Linksys AC1900 AP (blue thing, lots of antennae)...and a USB port. I have rtl_tcp running as a service on the OpenWRT software on the AP, which streams a live RTL-SDR data stream to whatever computer I happen to be sitting at in my house to play with at the time). I can access that antenna (which is very inaccessible - yet in a very good placement with great coverage) like I am sitting at it, and I don't need a long wire or tons of LMR cable between the SDR and my computer.

Basically for $20 bucks I turned that little used access point into a streaming source with the best antenna in the house, and the fewest wires ran.
 

maus92

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Thanks. I see all the plug ins. Is that one download for all or each one? Does yours get hot when left on overnight? Have read a few complaints about these getting hot.
Like Uniden's SDS100 radio, SDR-based radios get very warm when operating, which is normal for this technology. SDR dongles get more than warm - maybe hot in some user's definition - but again, this is normal. Just make sure you buy one that features a temperature controlled oscillator (TCXO) to combat frequency drift when warming up to operating temperature.
 
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bearcatrp

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Got it up and running. Tuned into NOAA to insure I was picking something up. Listened fine. Scanned for awhile but didn't pick anything else up. Guess I need to fine tune it. Reading the instructions as I go. When you shut it off and close the program, (i unhook the coax), will it still get warm? Thanks.
 

dave3825

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Basically for $20 bucks I turned that little used access point into a streaming source with the best antenna in the house, and the fewest wires ran.

Would you have a write up on that by any chance? Sounds interesting.

When you shut it off and close the program, (i unhook the coax), will it still get warm? Thanks.
As long as its plugged into usb, it will stay warm. Shutting down software or unplugging coax will have no effect at all... I'm running 3 at a time and just lay an intel p2 heat sink over all 3. I zip tied a small heatsink to my airspy and that also stays cool to touch..
 

bearcatrp

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Played with it just a bit ago. I can hear NOAA just fine. Nothing else. Been looking at the plugins. Seems most are russian. Trying to figure out editing a file in note pad to add the plugin.
 

vagrant

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I like the RTL-SDR sticks as they have a TCXO and stay pretty tight on frequency. They do get hot, but I had some 20 x 20 mm heatsinks with thermal tape and just stuck a few on the bottom of the stick. It definitely cooled it down. I should have measured it before/after.

Anyways, I use the RTL-SDR 24/7 with a Raspberry Pi as an APRS IGate. Even though the dongle is $25, I added the heatsinks because heat kills over time. I also use a small USB jumper to keep the heat from the dongle further from the Pi, versus direct contact.

As to the software, I have used:
SDR#
Gqrx
CubicSDR
HDSDR

If you're using Windows, SDR# is fine. Lately I have been using the SDRuno software, but I'm not sure if that will work with the RTL-SDR dongle. I use SDRuno with an SDRPlay RSP2 device.
 

BM82557

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For SdrSharp version 1717 and later there are problems with some of the third-party plugins if you use the Dark Theme, see article here -
 

bearcatrp

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I downloaded just the package without the plugins. Just downloaded the package with the plugins. Working great now. I'll check that out. thanks.
 
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