Looking for SDR that...

[slicerwizard]

Or one $25 Nooelec/rtl-sdr RTL tcxo dongle

Sure, if you want poor performance in high-RF environments. Like in most cities these days. Or head to that nice hilltop with the great RF view - oh right, those towers pumping out RF... Guess they put them there because of the great RF view...

and a free copy of op25 also makes a very good P25 trunking solution.

Most of us aren't interested in running Linux (native or in a VM)

 

[DaveNF2G]

I have two of the rectangular Nooelec dongles. They get very hot when in operation, hotter than any other model I own.

 

[vagrant]

I am looking for an affordable SDR that can run 24/7/364, it just needs to stay on one frequency(UHF Part-90 frequency). Another problem I had with the previous SDR that I bought is that the SDR itself failed to firmly stay in the USB ports it was placed in.

I opted for an RTL-SDR USB dongle that I believe are around $25 on Amazon. It is use 24/7/365 on one frequency to handle APRS packets. It has a built in TCXO, which is a definite plus. I originally set things up using a dongle without that and the drift was too much without the TCXO.

I use the RTL-SDR dongle plugged directly into a Raspberry Pi. The dongle is warm, but definitely not hot. That dongle is paired with a properly tuned amateur radio antenna sitting 20' AGL using LMR400 coaxial cable. It has been trouble free since I installed it.

Additionally, I use more of that same RTL-SDR dongle for either direct connections to Windows computers or with an Android phone which I use to scan as well. The TCXO works well and avoids having to significantly compensate for the frequency drift.

My favorite thus far is an SDRPlay RSP2, but it is not exactly a dongle even though it connects via USB. If you're having trouble with the dongle staying inserted in the slot, is using a USB extension cable an option for you?

 

[boatbod]

Sure, if you want poor performance in high-RF environments. Like in most cities these days. Or head to that nice hilltop with the great RF view - oh right, those towers pumping out RF... Guess they put them there because of the great RF view...

For $25 what is there to argue about? If you're looking for pro results then spend big $, but for the average joe looking to monitor a P25 system you simply don't need to spend much money.

Most of us aren't interested in running Linux (native or in a VM)

To each their own. Personally I can't stand Windoze and how bloated, sluggish and generally unstable it has become. It's nice that we have options to run on different platforms.

 

[slicerwizard]

For $25 what is there to argue about? If you're looking for pro results then spend big $, but for the average joe looking to monitor a P25 system you simply don't need to spend much money.

I have the $25 dongles as well as Airspy and SDRPlay. In my urban environment, the inexpensive dongles hit their limits too soon. They can't monitor weaker systems because their limited dynamic range just can't deal with stronger in-band signals. But nothing wrong with starting with the dongles - they may do the job well enough.

To each their own. Personally I can't stand Windoze and how bloated, sluggish and generally unstable it has become. It's nice that we have options to run on different platforms.

Options are definitely good and I'm all for them. Don't really see too many average joes installing Linux; sure, some, but not the majority.

 

[Ubbe]

I got several RTL-SDR with proper SMA connectors and I beleive they are v1 and has no bias-t option to power a pre-amp. They have zero drift and all where +0.8ppm high in frequency so -1ppm setting where fine with them. They run continously and have done so for two years without any problems. They are like most dongles with metal encapsling too heavy to have directly connector to a USB port so I use a short extension cable. The dongle also are too wide and cover other USB ports so it is not suitable for a direct connection to a port.

They are $25 and have no antenna filters and the receiver chips have low specs so do not expect too much from its sensitivity and they also have overload issues from nearby frequencies. They work pretty good with bandpass filters, like a 1090MHz with a pre-amp and a 426MHz for the 415-435MHz range

/Ubbe

 

[foxtail]

As boatbod advices, use a usb pigtail. Have you tried the dongle on another pc, maybe another usb port?