Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Hardware

• SDRs based on Realtek RTL2832U and Raphael Micro R820T Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial (DVB-T) Receivers using USB
  • Features
    • 2+ MHz capture bandwidth
    • The RTL2832U streams 8-bit I+Q data into the PC using USB.
    • Frequency Range (approximate) 25MHz - 1750MHz
    • Female MCX Antenna Connector
    • Very low cost ~$20
    • Low cost SDR to learn about using a SDR with software
     
  • In the USA NooElec is a good source for the SDR receivers & up converter.
    • NooElec NESDR Mini SDR & DVB-T USB Stick (R820T) with Antenna and Remote Control
      • Ham It Up v1.2 - RF Upconverter For Software Defined Radio
        • NooElec cable between the and the up converter Male MCX to Male SMA pigtail cable, RG174, 0.5' length
    • NooElec SDRs and up converters are available on Amazon.com
     
  • Antenna Scanner Ant-Base 30-1300 Mhz by Antennacraft, includes 50 feet of RG-6
    • MCX male to F female cable RF coaxial coax cable assembly MCX male to F female 6"
     
  • FM trap is used to remove the strong FM stations from overloading the SDR.
    • Radio Shack FM trap, See the frequency response in the reviews.
    • MCM Electronics FM trap
    
    

    DVB-T (R820T) with SDR# V1.0.0.1193 at 28 MHz showing the CB and 10 meter Ham bands using the Scanner Ant-Base 30-1300 Mhz by Antennacraft and Radio Shack FM trap. Notice the CW transmissions at the center-right of the bottom blue spectrogram widow. Click on the above screen for full resolution screen capture.

     
  • Start using the DVB-T (R820T) with SDR# software before trying other software.
    • A good overview of the SDR# install process with RTLSDR
    • First use the quick installation script (sdr-install.zip PC bat file) on SDR# downloads to download the files to your pC.
    • Next use Zadig to configure the PC USB driver.
      • Installing RTL dongle SDR driver using Zadig by M3GHE
        • The USB ID is needed in Zadig to select the correct USB device.
     
  • Radio Astronomy Projects with the DVB-T (R820T)
    
    

    DVB-T (R820T) with SDR# V1.0.0.500 at 1,200 MHz showing the solar radio emission from the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope LNB output. Notice the 6 dB rise in signal strength (yellow band in the bottom blue spectrogram widow) as the radio dish is positioned across the Sun. The spectrogram window vertical axis is time and the horizontal axis is frequency. Click on the above screen for full resolution screen capture.

    • SDR used with Itty Bitty Radio Telescope LNB (950 MHz to 1450 MHz) output
    • SDR used for 1420.4 MHz hydrogen observations
      MIT Haystack Observatory
      • Use of DVB-T RTL2832U dongle with Rafael R820T tuner PDF
      • Development of a Low Cost Spectrometer for Small Radio Telescope (SRT), Very Small Radio Telescope (VSRT), and Ozone Spectrometer PDF by Marc Higginson-Rollins and Dr. Alan E.E. Rogers
    • RTL-SDR for Budget Radio Astronomy
     
  • Other Sources of Information
    • rtl-sdr.com RTL-SDR (Realtek RTL2832U, Raphael Micro R820T)
    • RTL-SDR & GNU Radio with Realtek RTL2832U (Elonics E4000/Raphael Micro R820T) SDR
    • OsmoSDR
      • rtl-sdr
    • rtlsdr.org wiki
    • Yahoo! Groups RTL-SDR
  
  

• Airspy SDR
  • A new SDR expected in 2014 with a 10 MHz capture bandwidth.
  • With an up converter it may make a great Jupiter and solar spectrum analyzer for 18 MHz to 28 MHz.
  • Other radio astronomy uses include 1420.4 MHz hydrogen observations
  • Used with the LNB (950 MHz to 1450 MHz) output of the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope.
  • Yahoo! Groups Airspy
  
  

• RFSpace SDR-IQ Receiver
  • RFSpace lowest cost SDR.
  • 196 KHz capture bandwidth
  • Yahoo! Groups SDR-IQ
  
  

• FUNcube SDR for satellite observing
  • Yahoo! Groups AMSAT-UK FUNcube Dongle Pro +
    • 192 kHz capture bandwidth (uses the PC sound hardware)
  • Yahoo! Groups AMSAT-UK FUNcube satellites and the original FUNcube Dongle (FCD) Software Defined Radio (SDR)

Software-Defined Radio (SDR) Software

• SDR# Software
  • Spectrum analyzer software RTL-SDR, Airspy, etc.
  • SDR# Plugins
    • Level Meter Plugin used in the itty bitty radio telescope with SDR# Rev: 1193
  • Yahoo! Groups SDRSharp

Other Software

• Spectrum Lab Software by DL4YHF
  • Yahoo! Groups Spectrum Lab users

SDR Tutorials

• An Introduction to Software Defined Radios PDF by Jeff Blaine, AC0C
• Software Defined Radio, SDR, Tutorial by Radio-Electronics.com
• Software-Defined Radio, USRP, and GNU Radio Tutorial Set by Ettus Research
• Software Defined Radio Tutorial For The Beginner by RD Bentley
• Software Defined Radio by ARRL
• Introduction to DSP by BORES Signal Processing
• A Quick little riff on how SDR works by W9OY
• Pentek SDR Handbook
• The ABCs of Software Defined Radio by Martin Ewing, AA6E
• YouTube HF with ultra-cheap-SDR RTL2832U-based DVB-T USB dongle: by balint256

Digital Signal Processing (DSP)

• The Scientist and Engineer's Guide to Digital Signal Processing book by Steven W. Smith, Ph.D.
• Tutorials on Digital Communications Engineering by Charan Langton
• Signal Processing DSP course - Introduction to DSP by BORES
• DSP - Digital Signal Processing Introduction by ARRL

Traditional Receivers for Radio Astronomy

• Icom IC-R75 has AGC off function
• Icom IC-R8500
  Simple modification to disable AGC.