Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 SDR - NESDR Smart HF/VHF/UHF (100kHz-1.75GHz) Software Defined Radio. Premium RTLSDR w/ 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA Input & Aluminum Enclosure. RTL2832U & R820T2 (R860)-Based Radio

The heat was so hot, as to melt what it was plugged into. And this was in only a matter of 1 or 2 hours, as I was trying to figure out why my computers would not recognize it. If I had plugged it in and let it run( if it has worked) or simply plugged in and left the house, I would have come back to my house burnt down. This is not the normal heat associated with these products. I own multiple SDR RTLs and even multiple of this exact same device/version. This unit was defective out of the box. Not doa because if it was doa it would not have done anything. It also shorted and fried multiple electronic devices that were on the same circuit. Ive had to buy a new SDR, new USB hub, new antenna ( the oddest part as these are RX only should not put power in that direction) and new Raspberry pi 4 , new switches ( that have internal circuit breakers) that controlled the circuit and it blew every fuse it possibly could. Days later and Im am still trying to sort out all the shorts caused to my previous impeccably working HAM/SDR/Nav/Com station. Im estimating the total cost to be a solid five figures. It blew multiple high end digital Ham radios and everything connected....

The aluminum casing, power supply and the newer R820T2 tuner definitely keep the noise floor lower. The 0.5 PPM TCX Oscillator needs no frequency corrections at all in this RTL-SDR. This is my second radio but I will never buy the cheaper ones again and I may give away my older one and buy another SMArt V4 for use with my Ham It Up upconverter.

Nice product, although no documentation was provided. Had to look up how to setup on the internet. Some difficulty in getting the software to recognize this SDR due to driver issues. Receive sensitivity could be better. Hooked up to outdoor scanner antenna. Still not receiving signals as strong as my ham radio.

First off I have been a ham radio operator since the 80s and hold an extra class (top) rating. I was looking for a very portable scanner that I could take along on my travels to listen to airline frequencies (also a private pilot) that wouldnt take up a lot of space in my full under seat bag nor look suspicious while in the airport, as a standard scanner might. The good news is that it does work, the bad news is that there are some limitations. The idea of slapping a small antenna on it and plugging into a cell phone or tablet with an OTG adapter is not feasible. The main issue is that the SDR radio draws more power than the OTG via the usb port can deliver. Solution, purchase a powered USB cable. This allows you to plug one end into a charging battery, which I always travel with, which powers the radio and doesnt drain the phone or tablet. https://www.amazon.com/Degree-Angled-Female-Enhancer-Adapter/dp/B071X8BCFH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=powered+usb+cable+otg&qid=1552141974&s=gateway&sr=8-3 Then you will need an extension USB cable to the phone or tablet so you can place the unit in suitable position, and any adapters to your particular phone, USB to C, etc. Easily done and not expensive. Then there is the antenna! The beauty of this Radio is that it is extremely wide band covering below commercial FM to 1.700 Ghz or more. This covers most of the commercial bands including Aircraft, first respondeners, most walkie talkie and even cell phones. Note that many systems on those bands are encrypted and not easily monitored. The beautiful thing about this SDR radio is the spectrum display, or waterfall which will show you a chunk of the band and all the active frequencies. You are able to simply slide your virtual vernier to a hot spot and monitor the frequency. In addition there is a running visual display of all the activity on that part of the spectrum so you can see frequencies with intermittent activity. You also can easily select all the common radio modulation schemes, like AM, FM, FM narrow, amateur radio SSB USB, LSB and CW, etc. Of course, you will need an antenna and unfortunately antennas are tuned to the frequencies you want to listen to. Very critical if you are transmitting, less so for receiving. For example, international ham radio frequencies have a wave length of around 65 feet (20 meters) the length of a full wave antenna. 1/4 wave antennas also work at approximately 16 feet. Not practical to carry around plus you will need an additional adapter (Ham it up) to receive the lower frequencies. On the other hand a 1700 MX signal close to the top end of LTE cellphone data as a full wave length of 6. For receiving a wide band scanner antenna is probably your best bet like: https://www.amazon.com/AEcreative-Wide-Band-Scanner-BCD396XT-BCD436HP/dp/B07HWLSNQP/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3RCJLW4EP4MW&keywords=wideband+scanner+antenna&qid=1552143429&s=electronics&sprefix=wide-band+scanner+antenna+%2Celectronics%2C205&sr=1-8 When looking for an antenna you will need an SMA female connector. Lastly, you will need software for your phone, tablet or computer. Some of it is open source and free (donation) and others have a demo version and a small fee ($5-10) for the Android / IOS versions. Try before you buy! All in all a great product with serious applications.

fits in a tight space and works very well. I really like this one

The is a very good RTL-SDR. Works great. Much nicer( lower noise floor) than my old original E4000 dongle. Works great with the experiments in the book SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO Using MATLAB and the RTL-SDR

I love these little things Ive got 3 types now ..now Ive got a new one for my carc PC head unit..the programs are a bit tricky but worth the learn..and with a proper antenna I get stations/frequencies like and old school unit

Fun toy to play with but trying to get the drivers to install on several different computers was a nightmare. Google was more help than tech support.

Its all about the antenna. Unit performs fantastic.

Have it connected to my 160M Dipole antenna, 264 Ft long and has NO Receive qualities what so ever! Using with Airspy and HDR Sharp. Great programs that I used with the cheap NooElectric dongle that I broke. Thought Id pay a lil more and get this but VERY disappointed! Dont waste your $$$$