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Panadapter - RTL-SDR dongle


 

I recently tried my new RTL-SDR Nano 3 "dongle" connected to the I.F. output of my X5105.? It worked out nicely, and I could see at least 1 mHz of bandwidth.? I was looking at the AM Broadcast Band and could see carrier spiked on just about every 10 kHz channel.? And I could hear the audio too, slightly delayed compared to the sound from the radio's speaker.

The Nano 3 came in a "kit" from Nooelec, and I got it from Amazon for about $35.? The kit includes a short cable with SMA connectors and an MCX adapter for the dongle.? I had to buy another MCX adapter for the radio end.? It also comes with adapter cabling for connecting to a phone and to a charging system at the same time (there's a USB "Y" adapter too).
The little sdr dongle is hardly larger than a postage stamp.? But it does get very warm - it comes with a small, stick-on heat sink!

I haven't found enough other band activity yet to get a good idea of what it might do for ham band operation, though
--
Doug, K8RFT


 

Hi Doug,

Great news on the RTL-SDR. I have one and it gets very hot as well.

I am still struggling with the correct IF setting in HDSDR so the radio and SDR display show the same frequencies

What SDR software are you using and how did you set it up in the program?

Brian
K0FBS



--
Brian
K0FBS


riushr
 

Guys,
Ive done this awhile back and IIRC it worked very well. I cant remrmber the HDSDR settings but I can tell you there are videos on YouTube that will help you get this set up and operating correctly.
Best 73s.
Rick/K9ete




On Monday, December 7, 2020 Brian <[email protected]> wrote:

Hi Doug,

Great news on the RTL-SDR. I have one and it gets very hot as well.

I am still struggling with the correct IF setting in HDSDR so the radio and SDR display show the same frequencies

What SDR software are you using and how did you set it up in the program?

Brian
K0FBS



--
Brian
K0FBS





 

I can¡¯t let this all go by without a comment.

I read the instructions for the RTL-SDR.

Windows: Twenty plus pages of complicated stuff followed by another ten pages of what to try when the whole thing blows up in your face.

LINUX: Several pages of command line stuff (when will that tedious stuff die!).

OS-X: Download one of two programs and use them.

Almost half of U.S. users are OS-X people and yet they are confronted by this stuff. I guess as long as hobbiests are writing the software.

I know. Buy a windoze machine. I¡¯d rather eat a bug.

Mike
K7ITL

On Dec 7, 2020, at 3:06 PM, Brian <k0fbs73@...> wrote:

Hi Doug,

Great news on the RTL-SDR. I have one and it gets very hot as well.

I am still struggling with the correct IF setting in HDSDR so the radio and SDR display show the same frequencies

What SDR software are you using and how did you set it up in the program?

Brian
K0FBS



--
Brian
K0FBS





 

Yes, Mike it does suck how we are forced to use Windows so often.? I would much rather use OS-X
--
Brian
K0FBS


 

On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 09:07 PM, Mike Colyar wrote:
Almost half of U.S. users are OS-X people and yet they are confronted by this stuff. I guess as long as hobbiests are writing the software.
From what I've read online, and heard from my brother-in-law (who does write some Apple software), it is quite difficult to get 'homebrew' software tested and approved for use on Apples, and listed in their app store.? But windows software can be created by anyone, and distributed in many ways.? It's a bit similar with Android - anyone can write Android software, but to get it onto the Play Store,? Google has to test and approve it.? Fortunately, android users can install apps without the app store.? "VK Porta Log" (designed especially for SOTA activity) is an example.
So, specialized software for Apple products is likely to always be scarcer.?
?
--
Doug, K8RFT


 

On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 06:06 PM, Brian wrote:
I am still struggling with the correct IF setting in HDSDR so the radio and SDR display show the same frequencies
I had (have) the same trouble.? I haven't found a solution, either, and just gave up.? I've tried/used both HDSDR and SDR#.? I've installed CubicSDR too, but I think I had trouble trying to use it and concentrated on the other two.? SDR# seems to quit suddenly on a mouse click, but not on the same click 'object' as the previous time.? And it would be great if it remembered settings and started back up with the same settings as it had when it crashed.? Possibly because they're free, maybe home-brew, software, both HDSDR and SDR# are also not well documented.? There are user guides for SDR# at least, but the 2 I've found seem to be for older versions and some screens & choices don't match my version of the program.? There are also Youtube videos, but I don't seem to have enough patience to get the one minute of information out of a 10 minute Youtube video.? At least that's how most of them seem to be.
?
--
Doug, K8RFT


 

On Mon, Dec 7, 2020 at 09:07 PM, Mike Colyar wrote:
Almost half of U.S. users are OS-X people and yet they are confronted by this stuff. I guess as long as hobbiests are writing the software.

I very much doubt that !!

In computers since 1961, all makes, all O.S's (even wrote a few!)? Apple is a closed system !!

Show me the data !!