SDR

This is the place to discuss Riverside County scanning related topics. Whether it be something about a particular agency, radios, antennas, or other general scanner related questions, you can talk about it here.
scnradio
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:25 pm

SDR

Post by scnradio »

Ok beside Brandon and myself who here is or has used a sdr radio. What do you think about it? The reason why I am asking is I have done a load of reading on it and I am off work for like 3 months and was looking for something to do. I think I have found what I am going to be playing with. When Brandon told me about it I was like it is not for me and let it fall to the wayside. Now I started reading more and more on it I am like a pig in mud. It can do everything I have been wenting to do and more so I am order the stuff tommo. I am looking for other people in the area to bance stuff off of. If you have not hear about it here is a link to get o started. http://www.rtl-sdr.com/ I know there are a lot more links out there and this is just so the ones that do not know what I am talking about can read and find out.
sp1989
Posts: 1017
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:08 pm

Re: SDR

Post by sp1989 »

Sounds like I am in the same boat as you. it sounds good, but i'm not that technically savvy to proceed from what I have read. Haven;t given up, though, still researching it.
markb
Posts: 98
Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 11:29 am

Re: SDR

Post by markb »

SDR changed my life....literally!!!
sp1989
Posts: 1017
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:08 pm

Re: SDR

Post by sp1989 »

After much debating, I decided to get a SDR dongle for ADSB tracking of airplanes. I got it in the mail today, and after a minimum of computer installation, it is working and I am getting transmissions from aircraft a fair distance away with the little whip antenna that came with it. Using rtl1090 program connected to PlanePlotter for the map. Couldn't get SDR# to work, tried this next and it pretty much installed itself including drivers & stuff that you need. Next step, an outdoor antenna.
cvrules90
Posts: 1393
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:08 am

Re: SDR

Post by cvrules90 »

sp1989 wrote:After much debating, I decided to get a SDR dongle for ADSB tracking of airplanes. I got it in the mail today, and after a minimum of computer installation, it is working and I am getting transmissions from aircraft a fair distance away with the little whip antenna that came with it. Using rtl1090 program connected to PlanePlotter for the map. Couldn't get SDR# to work, tried this next and it pretty much installed itself including drivers & stuff that you need. Next step, an outdoor antenna.
What exactly does SDR stand for? I've never heard of it!
sp1989
Posts: 1017
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:08 pm

Re: SDR

Post by sp1989 »

Software defined radio. It's a TV tuner the size of a thumb driver that plugs into a computer USB port. With the right software, you can have a phase II scanner for $20. Experimenting with the digital and scanning next, if all goes well a HF converter too.
http://www.rtl-sdr.com/adsb-aircraft-ra ... h-rtl-sdr/
brandon
Posts: 707
Joined: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:13 pm
Location: Riverside County
Contact:

Re: SDR

Post by brandon »

Yep SDRs are the future of radio in my opinion. Especially when it comes to scanning in the digital age.

I use them exclusively on HF and starting to use them more and more on VHF/UHF stuff. Have a few RTL dongles, HackRF One and recently ordered an AirSpy unit.

There is some amazing stuff being done with SDR and I'm excited to see what the future brings.

Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk
cvrules90
Posts: 1393
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:08 am

Re: SDR

Post by cvrules90 »

sp1989 wrote:Software defined radio. It's a TV tuner the size of a thumb driver that plugs into a computer USB port. With the right software, you can have a phase II scanner for $20. Experimenting with the digital and scanning next, if all goes well a HF converter too.
http://www.rtl-sdr.com/adsb-aircraft-ra ... h-rtl-sdr/
Holy Grail! So would that work on my BCD396XT?!
sp1989
Posts: 1017
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:08 pm

Re: SDR

Post by sp1989 »

No radio involved, the dongle and your computer are the radio/scanner.
cvrules90
Posts: 1393
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:08 am

Re: SDR

Post by cvrules90 »

sp1989 wrote:No radio involved, the dongle and your computer are the radio/scanner.
So I could hold on and operate like a scanner as long as I have a PC to hook it up to?
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