Hi!
The inexpensive "RTL-SDR" dongles typically cover from around 24 to 1800 MHz, lack front-end filtering, and in my experiences are useless when there is a transmitter nearby - even a low power transmitter like an HT or FT-817. I have tried them, as well as the original FUNcube Dongle Pro (not the Pro+), and have been unable to work satellites with those as my receiver for full-duplex operation. There are some that work better, and have coverage throughout HF, VHF, UHF, and into the low microwave range...
FUNcube Dongle Pro+ - order from funcubedongle.com in the UK, cost including FedEx shipping to the USA is around US$ 200 depending on exchange rates.
SDRplay - available from sdrplay.com (based in the UK) or at HRO stores across the US for US$ 149.
These two have the front-end filtering that the RTL-SDR type of dongles lack, and have worked well for me as a downlink receiver for satellite work. I have been using an SDRplay for the past few months, and before that I had been using a FUNcube Dongle Pro+. The big advantage of the FUNcube Dongle Pro+ is that it is compatible with the FUNcube Dashboard program for AO-73 telemetry as well as the FoxTelem program for AO-85 telemetry. You can use other SDR receivers with these programs, but you will need to use some sort of virtual audio cable to connect the output from your SDR software to these dashboard programs. I prefer the SDRplay, but either of these units would work well for satellite and other receiving work. Both of these have worked well with the inexpensive Windows tablets I have been using for the past year or so, depending on the software you run on the tablet.
The Airspy R2 has frequency coverage similar to the "RTL-SDR" dongles, only covering 24-1800 MHz, and is sold in the USA by the airspy.us web site for US$ 199, or see airspy.com for sales to other countries. You would need to use an upconverter to get coverage throughout the HF range, and Airspy markets the Spyverter upconverter for US$ 59. There are other upconverters that could work with the Airspy.
Airspy is now selling an Airspy Mini, a smaller SDR receiver with the same 24-1800 MHz coverage as the original Airspy receiver, and airspy.us is selling these at US$ 114.95 initially. I have not tried either of the Airspy receivers, since I prefer to have an SDR receiver that doesn't require an upconverter for HF coverage.
73!
Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK http://www.wd9ewk.net/ Twitter: @WD9EWK
On Fri, May 27, 2016 at 4:00 PM, Joe nss@mwt.net wrote:
yeah and the 20 buck ones are deaf as a dummyload, and once the signals are strong enough there is soo much spurious signals, what one is the real one? Sig The Original Rolling Ball Clock Idle Tyme Idle-Tyme.com http://www.idle-tyme.com On 5/27/2016 10:56 AM, Andrew Glasbrenner wrote:
Less than 20$.
On May 27, 2016, at 10:12 AM, Michael Adams mda@n1en.org wrote:
How expensive is an HF-capable SDR RX dongle these days?
-- Michael Adams | mda@n1en. mda@n1en.org