📻 Tune In, Stand Out! Your gateway to the airwaves awaits!
The NooElec RTL-SDR v5 is a premium software-defined radio that allows users to receive a wide range of RF signals from 100kHz to 1.75GHz. With enhanced performance features like improved SNR and tuning accuracy, this device is compatible with multiple operating systems and is perfect for both amateur and professional radio enthusiasts. Built in North America, it comes with a 2-year warranty and dedicated support.
Brand Name | NooElec |
Item Weight | 1.06 ounces |
Product Dimensions | 3.54 x 0.39 x 0.39 inches |
Country of Origin | USA |
Item model number | NESDR SMArt SDR |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Color Name | black |
N**K
Trusty and Reliable
Great SDR with good sensitivity. I've purchased several of these over the years and they all have performed well. With the onboard TCXO, the frequency is stable and it's easy to tune into whatever you are trying to find. Compared to the SDR-Blog models, these do not feature a switchable bias circuit. While it may not be something that everyone needs, it is extremely helpful when you need to power certain LNAs or amplified antennas further down the line.I expect that I'll probably but more of these. While the ~2.4 MHz slice of bandwidth they provide is less than some more expensive SDR devices, the having several independent tuners for a little over $30 each generally gives you the flexibility to find the pieces of spectrum you are interested in without recording a lot of unwanted transmissions in the process.
B**A
Very affordable Software Defined Scanner Radio
First off I have been a ham radio operator since the 80s and hold an extra class (top) rating. I was looking for a very portable scanner that I could take along on my travels to listen to airline frequencies (also a private pilot) that wouldn't take up a lot of space in my full under seat bag nor look suspicious while in the airport, as a standard scanner might.The good news is that it does work, the bad news is that there are some limitations. The idea of slapping a small antenna on it and plugging into a cell phone or tablet with an OTG adapter is not feasible. The main issue is that the SDR radio draws more power than the OTG via the usb port can deliver. Solution, purchase a powered USB cable. This allows you to plug one end into a charging battery, which I always travel with, which powers the radio and doesn't drain the phone or tablet.https://www.amazon.com/Degree-Angled-Female-Enhancer-Adapter/dp/B071X8BCFH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=powered+usb+cable+otg&qid=1552141974&s=gateway&sr=8-3Then you will need an extension USB cable to the phone or tablet so you can place the unit in suitable position, and any adapters to your particular phone, USB to C, etc. Easily done and not expensive.Then there is the antenna! The beauty of this Radio is that it is extremely wide band covering below commercial FM to 1.700 Ghz or more. This covers most of the commercial bands including Aircraft, first respondeners, most walkie talkie and even cell phones. Note that many systems on those bands are encrypted and not easily monitored.The beautiful thing about this SDR radio is the spectrum display, or "waterfall" which will show you a chunk of the band and all the active frequencies. You are able to simply slide your virtual vernier to a hot spot and monitor the frequency. In addition there is a running visual display of all the activity on that part of the spectrum so you can see frequencies with intermittent activity. You also can easily select all the common radio modulation schemes, like AM, FM, FM narrow, amateur radio SSB USB, LSB and CW, etc.Of course, you will need an antenna and unfortunately antennas are tuned to the frequencies you want to listen to. Very critical if you are transmitting, less so for receiving. For example, international ham radio frequencies have a wave length of around 65 feet (20 meters) the length of a full wave antenna. 1/4 wave antennas also work at approximately 16 feet. Not practical to carry around plus you will need an additional adapter (Ham it up) to receive the lower frequencies. On the other hand a 1700 MX signal close to the top end of LTE cellphone data as a full wave length of 6".For receiving a wide band scanner antenna is probably your best bet like:https://www.amazon.com/AEcreative-Wide-Band-Scanner-BCD396XT-BCD436HP/dp/B07HWLSNQP/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3RCJLW4EP4MW&keywords=wideband+scanner+antenna&qid=1552143429&s=electronics&sprefix=wide-band+scanner+antenna+%2Celectronics%2C205&sr=1-8When looking for an antenna you will need an SMA female connector.Lastly, you will need software for your phone, tablet or computer. Some of it is open source and free (donation) and others have a demo version and a small fee ($5-10) for the Android / IOS versions. Try before you buy!All in all a great product with serious applications.
R**T
Amazing little tool with endless possibilities
This kind of bandwidth, all kinds of decoding, tuning, and demodulating software out there, for <$25? "Back in the day" something that could do this would run you thousands of dollars. What interested me initially was receiving image data from NOAA satellites etc. ( I still need to build the QRP antenna). What sold me on it was everything else you can do with it.Update: I've built a few different antennas for this and got a ham it up plus for it. Tons of fun. I added some NOAA satellite images I aquired from NOAA 19, 18, and 15 recently. I was using a Quadrafillar Helix antenna I made from refrigeration tubing (Booming signal, I don't even need a low noise amplifier. I bought a cheep one but it make no difference). I'm using the HDSDR program. I set to 137.1 MHz for NOAA 19, 137.9125 MHz for NOAA 18, and 137.62 MHz for NOAA 15. I set my demodulation to FM mode and my Bandwidth is set at 96000 (have to make sure you get the whole thing or it turns out grainy if set too narrow). I set my sound output to VB virtual audio cable (it's a program that twitch and Facebook streamers use to pipe audio out to other programs, in this case to your image decoder) My image decoder is WXtolmg. I set it's sound input to the VB virtual audio cable and presto (Theres a few more things like setting up what satellites you want it to hunt for, updating keplers, telling it what your lattitude and longitude are so it knows when to auto record for a satellite pass and stuff). I've decoded some really nice clear NOAA weather photos with this, I'm still surfing the web to find some other cool stuff I can do with it. Track airplanes? eeeh, maybe. Observing the hydrogen line with my dish antenna? (Radio astronomy stuff) ehhh, maybe but I need to buy a Saw filter, FM trap, and a VLNA for it.... I'm trying to keep the cost down but it's an option for later since I have the dish for it. If you have that equipment, you can also pick up GOES satellites. I tried to lock on to one with my crappy LNA and dish, no dice... you need the good LNA and saw filter for that. The most fun I've been having with this thing is the lower frequencies using my Ham it up plus, 40 meter band, decoding really odd conversations in Morse code. then play around in the VLF bands picking up atomic clock signals (60khz from Fort Collins) and who knows what else...
Trustpilot
1 week ago
1 month ago