RTL-SDR Unboxing and First Look Review

Free SDR Software (see links below)

The Power of Software Defined Radio (SDR) becomes affordable for anyone who has access to even a moderately powerful Personal Computer!

All that is needed is some free software from AirSpy.com and one of the widely available RTL-SDR (DVB-TV) devices.

A lot of good information can be found at http://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ and many more locations on the Web.

The RTL-SDR device used in this video comes in the form of a USB dongle and was purchased from Amazon.com for around $20. It is listed as "NooElec NESDR Mini 2+ 0.5PPM TCXO USB RTL-SDR Receiver" and includes a simple antenna with a magnetic mounting base.

Once you become familiar with the software and the basic hardware, you will probably want to experiment with a more efficient antenna. However, if you are just starting out then this is the kit for you! Later, you may wish to add the NooElec "Ham it Up" upconverter to bring in the lower "World Band" HF signals. That device will be covered in greater detail in an upcoming blog and video post.

There is a remote control which comes with the NooElec NESDR device but it is not being used in this video. There are some videos on YouTube which demonstrate using the device with various SDR software products and I will almost certainly be experimenting with the remote further down the road.

In the video linked below, I unbox and take a quick first look at the NooElec NESDR Mini 2+. The initial trial run involved the use of an old Windows laptop which is nearing the end of its useful life. The laptop employed in this video serves as a sandbox within which the software and hardware can be safely tested and explored.

The segment of video which shows the SDR software at work had to be captured by pointing a camera at the laptop screen rather than being directly captured via software (or by using an external capture device). This created a less-than-optimal video appearance but it still allowed for a useful demonstration of the look and feel provided by AirSpy's free software.

Because the laptop test was successful and the software was deemed safe, the entire setup will be moved to a much more powerful desktop computer. This new computer will also be able to directly capture the entire desktop screen via the NVIDIA GPU's internal ShadowPlay feature.

A future video will include a demonstration showing how to acquire and configure the necessary software. Later videos will focus on specific software suites which can be used with the base system to further enhance the utility of this device. These upcoming videos and blog posts will explore subjects such as Amateur Radio, Weather Satellites, APRS Tracking, Slow Scan TV (SSTV), Emergency Responder communications, Radio Trunking, International Space Station communications and a wide variety of exciting applications.

The Parts in the Kit (see links below)

For now, please enjoy the unboxing and first look at the hardware and software that will enable even the casual user to achieve some spectacular results and explore the world of software defined radio. Go have some fun!

Please fee free to share this page and the linked video with your friends and family. As always, remember to subscribe to be notified of new content as it is released.

Purchase on Amazon.com (affiliate links)...
NooElec RTL-SDR - http://amzn.to/2v9vOb4
Ham-it-Up Upconverter - http://amzn.to/2udRUvy
Ham-it-Up Case - http://amzn.to/2udrOJi

Thank you for visiting and keep coming back!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
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Other Links...

RTL-SDR Blog - http://www.rtl-sdr.com/
NooElec NESDR - http://www.nooelec.com/store/sdr/sdr-receivers/nesdr-mini-rtl2832-r820t.html
AirSpy.com (Free SDR Software) - http://airspy.com/download
Software Defined Radio - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software-defined_radio