Reddit reviews IEIK SDRICE RTL-SDR FM DAB DVB-T USB Stick Set with RTL2832U & R820T Great SDR for SDR# ADS-B Receiver Set Radio Compatible ICE Input
We found 23 Reddit comments about IEIK SDRICE RTL-SDR FM DAB DVB-T USB Stick Set with RTL2832U & R820T Great SDR for SDR# ADS-B Receiver Set Radio Compatible ICE Input. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Best think I can think is to try an RTL-SDR like so http://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-DVB-T-Stick-RTL2832U-R820T/dp/B00C37AZXK
Also check out these subs /r/rtlsdr and /r/amatuerradio
Hmm, automod or something removed my post with no explanation. so without further ado, here's a temporary backup copy as a comment:
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Every day in your life, you use crazy technology that relies on the gypsy magic of being "wireless".
But what if I told you this magic is made of radio waves?
> "Well duh! I have a radio in my car!"
Yes, but what if I told you nearly EVERYTHING that uses wireless technology uses radio waves?
> "Like what?"
Well lets see, we have:
and many more!
> "So what?"
Here's where your mind is either going to explode, gain a few IQ points, or head back imgur because words are hard.
What if I told you that you can listen in to nearly ALL of these things with 1 USB device?!
What if I also told you it was cheap?!
What if I ALSO told you that it makes a neat visual that's trippy enough for /r/trees to appreciate?!
> "I have no idea what I'm looking at, but it looks neat!"
Well Reddit, welcome to the world of Sofware defined radio!
With a single RTL 28xx USB stick, such as this, you use it with your PC to tune to anything between 25 MHz to 1.7 GHz!
> "BUT WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?! WHATS A MHz?! IT LOOKS SCARY!"
Fear not, dear reader. Here's a small lesson. Remember that FM car radio you had? That thing tunes from 87.5 - 108 correct?
> "I guess so. I just preset mine to my favorite station."
Alright. now look closer, what is your radio counting by when you change FM radio stations?
That's right, MHz!
> "Ohhhh. So what you're saying is that MHz is like the stations I tune to on my car radio!"
Yes indeed! Only with this USB stick, you have a thousand more "stations" you can tune to! Not all of them are music though.
> "So what all can I listen to?"*
this is where it gets really cool. you can do ALL of this:
And more!
A quick FAQ:
--------
Q: Can I pick up Aliens?
A: Maybe!
--------
Q: Will this get me arrested?
A: No! Not in the USA, it's fine to listen to these things as long as you dont have malicous intent or attempt to start listening and capturing cell phone data. Check you local laws to be sure though. Since this only receives signals, there is no way for them to detect it anyway unless you talk about it or show people.
However, if you live in the UK, listening to broadcasts not intended for you is Illegal.
tl;dr Check you local laws!
--------
Q: I DONT HAVE A PC!
A: applications to use software defined radio are avaliable for Windows, Mac, and Linux. By using an OTG usb cable and an android phone, you can use the SDR Touch app to listen to things as well!
--------
Q: YOU MEAN I CAN TRACK PLANES?!
A: Yes! planes use a system called ADS-B which broadcasts their location so other planes know where they are.
--------
Q: Can I get HAM radio with this?
A: No. not out of the box anyway, since Ham is often well below 25 MHz. If you have a steady hand, there is a hardware mod that requires soldering a wire to a specific pin on the internal chip, otherwise the safer method is to buy something like Ham It Up to use with your dongle.
-------
Q: What's HAM, is it edible?
A: Not this kind of HAM! HAM, also known as Ameture Radio, is where licenced radio operators send and receive on a licence-specific MHz range.
------
Q: is there a subreddit for these USB sticks?
A: ABSOLUTELY! Come join us over at /r/rtlsdr, we'll be more than glad to help you get started!
-----
Q: Do I need internet?
A: You'll need to download the driver and the visualizer from the internet, but once you do that, internet is no longer needed at all!
-----
Q: Is the antenna built in?
A: No. the device comes with a small antenna that plugs right into the USB device. If you're hardcore and want to use that custom antenna you built, you'll probably want to get a Male MCX to Female SMA adapter too.
-----
Q: I DONT HAVE ANY MONEY, I'M BROKE BUT IT LOOKS SO COOL, HELP! :(
A: You can have a taste of this fun by using a Web based SDR. This one allows you to tune to the HAM bands and some AM stations. you can play with that one until you decide to get your own.
-----
Edit: fixed typos, added on to faq.
Edit2: /u/maximusawesomus points out that listening to broadcasts not intended for you is Illegal in the UK
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An RTLDSR and an upconverter should both be available in your country. This would be the most versatile setup.
Not necessarily what you asked for but have you considered software defined radios?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C37AZXK/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/183-4484228-1642715
http://gnuradio.org/redmine/projects/gnuradio/wiki
Building a AM/FM radio is the Hello World equivalent so it'll get you straight there.
I was about to blindly post the compilation link until I read you mentioned it. Yes, that's what you need to get going. Knowledge!
Here's my get-up-and-go guide:
You'll need a dongle, a PC, SDR# and Zadig drivers and install instructions, and an antenna...yes an "antenna" comes with the package, but you'll find out it's absolutely awful. You can build your own or buy. You'll need coaxial cable, and an adapter to connect the cable to the dongle.
Put the antenna outside, install hardware, software, play.
I'm assuming that it needs to be fulfilled by amazon also in order to get the free shipping, otherwise there are much cheaper options. The following should do the trick though: http://www.amazon.com/NooElec-RTL-SDR-RTL2832U-Software-Packages/dp/B008S7AVTC
Otherwise, just pick anything that has an R820T tuner and is 'Sold by X and fulfilled by Amazon'.
Edit: Come to think of it, you'll probably save more money by paying for shipping and getting one of the ones for $8. I have the following and it works well: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C37AZXK
It's an SDR (software defined radio).. the SDR usb dongle can be found on Amazon for less than $20 and the software used is free. The kit antenna sucks so you may want to look into adding a better antenna.
Not really, just watch tv with it. this is the one I have and it works very well.
Alternatively, an RTL-SDR Dongle ($13) and an HF Upconvert ($53) is a darn cheap SDR setup as well.
For under $100, the Grundig G3 is a great shortwave receiver. It also does sideband so you can listen to the amateur radio bands (I'm a ham, so this is a nice feature for me). I've got mine hooked up to a 200' longwire outside and it's fantastic.
That app will not do anything for you, no apps will. The frequency range of any current cell phone is well outside the range of any Shure wireless. It's almost certainly an app the monitors the Wi-Fi 2.4GHz spectrum range. Wireless mics operate in the MHz range, a whole order of magnitude difference.
What SkinnyMac is refereing to is an RTLSDR. You can buy one cheap on Amazon, here, and the freeware software is avialable for download, here.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00C37AZXK/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1406636910&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40
:)
I barely even care about airplanes and it is so much fun to watch them float around the map! I feel like a super-spy when I see a private jet and look up its (obviously merciful and benevolent) billionaire owner.
FWIW, I'm just using this kit: http://amzn.com/B00C37AZXK It took maybe 20 minutes to get up and running with ADSB# (included with SDR# download) and Virtual Radar Server.
If all you want to do is listen to VHF and UHF, get a software defined radio like the incredibly cheep but incredibly awesome RTL SDR.
That's the reason I got interested in HAM.
See, when I first got the dongle, payed around 10 usd, with free shipping. It included a decent stock antenna, and the dongle. the software was free and easy to setup. Only later I got the HF kit(ham it up, external antenna). It works fine, with the default if you are outside or near a window for VHF/UHF. I even got WWV on 25mhz with the stock antenna, inside my apartment, no direct sampling or up converter necessary. First I would recommend just buying the dongle from amazon, its 10 dollars and you can't go wrong with that. If you like it, you can later get an upconverter. Also any computer post 2004, should be able to handle the software easily. Core 2 Duo, i3/5/7 Series, amd, ARM, etc. Even an android tablet can be used.
This Alone(RTLSDR) Can: Listen to ~20-1800mhz
one last note:
The RTL-SDR can only be used as a receiver, sadly it won't transmit. but it does receive most signals for listening purposes.
But this and Google for how tos, etc...
http://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-DVB-T-Stick-RTL2832U-R820T/dp/B00C37AZXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420686839&sr=8-1&keywords=Rtlsdr
I tried direct sampling, it's subpar at best. If you don't want a ham-it-up, these work great. You can wire the jumper to a switch and toggle between HF and normal, and same for the amp. I threw mine in some metal project boxes. You'll probably want to pickup an extra RTL dongle too. You can find them cheaper, but this is a good one if you have Amazon Prime and don't want to wait for it to ship from China.
Here is the desktop version of your link
I've just bought an RTL-SDR off of Amazon and so far, I'm not able to get it to work on my Windows 7 machine. I'm finding a lot of people who are also having this problem. Is this what you encountered from the Amazon one, by any chance?
I'm sorry, if he wanted to be truly creepy, he wouldn't use a mobile scanner.
If he wanted to creep you out, he would talk about how he listens to your conversations while playing with his dongle.
Thanks for the reply! This looks pretty great. This is cheap and does the job.
How does this one look?
http://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-RTL2832U-Popular-Software-Packages/dp/B00C37AZXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408850993&sr=8-1&keywords=USB+sdr+tuner#cm_cr_dpwidget
or
http://www.amazon.com/Receiver-Previously-Compatible-Packages-Guaranteed/dp/B009U7WZCA/ref=pd_sim_e_7?ie=UTF8&refRID=1GTFVRQ2YBC6P749ZN8T
I was thinking more like one of these http://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-DVB-T-Stick-RTL2832U-R820T/dp/B00C37AZXK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412096375&sr=8-1&keywords=software+defined+radio that is $8.25 to get into things a little. Not sure it interfaces with the Sound card or not. If I decide it's something I like I could see investing more though.
Thanks
>Every day in your life, you use crazy technology that relies on the gypsy magic of being "wireless".
>
>But what if I told you this magic is made of radio waves?
>
>> "Well duh! I have a radio in my car!"
>
>Yes, but what if I told you nearly EVERYTHING that uses wireless technology uses radio waves?
>
>> "Like what?"
>
>Well lets see, we have:
>
> cell phones
> space satellites
> International space station
> police scanners
> pagers
> weather radar
> airplane tracking
> CB radio: the thing truckers always use
> Walkie talkies
> that cheap wireless thermometer you bought at Wal-Mart
>
>and many more!
>
>> "So what?"
>
>Here's where your mind is either going to explode, gain a few IQ points, or head back imgur because words are hard.
>
>What if I told you that you can listen in to nearly ALL of these things with 1 USB device?!
>
>What if I also told you it was cheap?!
>
>What if I ALSO told you that it makes a neat visual that's trippy enough for /r/trees to appreciate?!
>
>> "I have no idea what I'm looking at, but it looks neat!"
>
>Well Reddit, welcome to the world of Sofware defined radio!
>
>With a single RTL 28xx USB stick, such as this, you use it with your PC to tune to anything between 25 MHz to 1.7 GHz!
>
>> "BUT WHAT DO THESE NUMBERS MEAN?! WHATS A MHz?! IT LOOKS SCARY!"
>
>Fear not, dear reader. Here's a small lesson. Remember that FM car radio you had? That thing tunes from 87.5 - 108 correct?
>
>> "I guess so. I just preset mine to my favorite station."
>
>Alright. now look closer, what is your radio counting by when you change FM radio stations?
>
>That's right, MHz!
>
>> "Ohhhh. So what you're saying is that MHz is like the stations I tune to on my car radio!"
>
>Yes indeed! Only with this USB stick, you have a thousand more "stations" you can tune to! Not all of them are music though.
>
>> "So what all can I listen to?"
>
>this is where it gets really cool. you can do ALL of this:
>
> Listen to FM radio
> listen in on old walkie talkies
> listen to CB radio
> listen to NOAA weather radio
> decode NOAA weather satellite images sent FROM SPACE!
> track planes flying above you within about 50 miles
> decode pagers
> Search for number stations used by SPIES!
> Listen in to old police scanners
>
>And more!
>
>A quick FAQ:
>
>--------
>Q: Can I pick up Aliens?
>
>A: Maybe!
>
>--------
>Q: Will this get me arrested?
>
>A: No! In the USA, it's fine to listen to these things as long as you dont have malicous intent. Check you local laws to be sure though. Since this only recieves signals, there is no way for them to detect it anyway unless you talk about it or show people.
>
>--------
>Q: I DONT HAVE A PC!
>
>A: applications to use software defined radio are avaliable for Windows, Mac, and Linux. By using an OTG usb cable and an android phone, you can use the SDR Touch app to listen to things as well!
>
>--------
>Q: YOU MEAN I CAN TRACK PLANES?!
>
>A: Yes! planes use a system called ADS-B which broadcasts their location so other planes know where they are.
>
>--------
>Q: Can I get HAM radio with this?
>
>A: No. not out of the box anyway, since Ham is often well below 25 MHz. If you have a steady hand, there is a hardware mod that requires soldering a wire to a specific pin on the internal chip, otherwise the safer method is to buy something like Ham It Up to use with your dongle.
>
>-------
>Q: What's HAM, is it edible?
>
>A: Not this kind of HAM! HAM, also known as Ameture Radio, is where licenced radio operators send and receive on a licence-specific MHz range.
>
>------
>Q: is there a subreddit for these USB sticks?
>
>A: ABSOLUTELY! Come join us over at /r/rtlsdr, we'll be more than glad to help you get started!
>
>-----
>
>Q: Do I need internet?
>
>A: You'll need to download the driver and the visualizer from the internet, but once you do that, internet is no longer needed at all!
>
>-----
>
>Q: Is the antenna built in?
>
>A: No. the device comes with a small antenna that plugs right into the USB device. If you're hardcore and want to use that custom antenna you built, you'll probably want to get a Male MCX to Female SMA adapter too.
>
>-----
>
>Q: I DONT HAVE ANY MONEY, I'M BROKE BUT IT LOOKS SO COOL, HELP! :(
>
>A: You can have a taste of this fun by using a Web based SDR. This one allows you to tune to the HAM bands and some AM stations. you can play with that one until you decide to get your own.
>
>-----
>
>Edit: fixed typos, added on to faq.
>
>
Please see this dongle!
It is from 24 to 1.766 Mhz, and with Direct Sample Mode you can get from 0 to 1.766 Mhz.
Regards