I wouldn't say that. You just need to order the correct dongle is the real issue here. The NooElec he bought, the one with the MCX connector, is junk. Any dongle ordered these days should be a TCXO variety with SMA connector. There are more choices than just the RTL-SDR.com ones. The FlightAware Pro Stick is great for weak signal work with the built in LNA, if used on normal/strong signals, the gain needs to be turned down much more than usual.From a VHF/UHF perspective - the (real) v3 RTL-SDR and AirSpy R2 are the only ones that are worth the $.
NooElec NESDR SMArt: https://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/sdr-receivers/nesdr-smart-sdr.html
RTL-SDR.com: Buy RTL-SDR Dongles (RTL2832U)
FlightAware Pro Stick (the orange one, not the blue "Plus"): Pro Stick and Pro Stick Plus - FlightAware's USB ADS-B and MLAT receiver - FlightAware