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Scott Miller
> 3 dayWorks great on a Pi 3 using OP25 to decode local Sheriff dispatch and stream to Broadcastify.
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Mr. Jackson Stoltenberg I
Greater than one weekThis is exactly as described. I have two of the common silver ones and one is off by 500 PPM, the other by a bit more than that. However, this NESDR is spot-on on the tuning, as promised, and the signal from it is clear and strong. Very pleased with the purchase. I have used it under Windows 10 (use the zadig.exe utility from SDRSharp to set the correct drivers) and Ive used it on Raspbian Linux on a Raspberry Pi 3a+ to run trunk-recorder and liquidsoap streaming the local P25 trunked radio traffic to Broadcastify as a source. I can only get one dongle to work at a time on the Raspberry Pi before the USB bus is saturated (my assumption), but it locks up when I plug in a second silver website branded RTL-SDR along with this one (even after assigning unique serial numbers to each). Luckily everything fits within a 2.4 Mhz band, so I only need one, but Im limited to three simultaneous recordings, when there are five data channels in my system. So I would like to run two dongles and separate the tasks, but thats not possible with my setup. I will try a Raspberry Pi 4, and maybe some other mini computer options in the future. But for now its working. Well built, I havent had any cooling issues, but I have a fan cooled case for the Rasberry Pi and set the dongle next to the case where there is airflow (its on a short usb extension cord). I also have a cheap 800mhz SMA antenna, nothing fancy. Its 15 feet cord length and I placed it in the attic by drilling a hole in the ceiling. I get great reception and clear audio from the scanner.
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MiTreasureHunter
> 3 dayI started put with one of these using the free software SdrTrunk. After I got it working I ordered a 2nd Sdr to be even more efficient. My 2 Sdr setup with the free software is decoding more P25 transmissions then my $650 Uniden SDS100!! I Highly recommend these...cheap, easy to set up, and great entertainment. Pick up 2 if doing P25, you wont regret it!
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MW
15-06-2025Really great SDR for the price. If youre familiar with this type of SDR, youll know its pretty much an accident that these things work perfectly for this application. I really like NooElecs enclosure. Its very sturdy and holds up great. The chip quality is fantastic as well, and I have not had any frequency drift or tuning issues. One really important tip that I highly recommend: Keep it cool. It runs pretty hot. Not hot enough to really decrease its lifespan, but I measured it at around 110 degrees F when set at maximum gain. This temperature increase does add a lot of noise, so if you can keep it cool, you can save yourself a lot of trouble trying to find weaker signals. If you dont need it to be portable, say youre using it with a desktop, find something metal and use some CPU thermal compound to stick it to it. It does the job perfectly, and the temps lowered to around 90 degrees at peak. I stuck it to the steel case of a battery backup I have my computer hooked up to. I just put a drop of thermal compound between the enclosure and the metal of the battery backups case. Then I taped it on with some strong masking tape so it wouldnt come off. Works like a charm.
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Electronics for Dogs
> 3 dayThis works well with GQRX software under Linux, providing good sensitivity and clear reception. The full metal housing does seem to provide good shielding. There are also some disadvantages: it is much longer and heavier than most USB devices, so it takes up more room behind the computer. My other concern is that it runs rather hot, which could lead to eventual failure.
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WB9RRO
> 3 dayThe 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
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Harry Britton
> 3 dayIt has the same images as other SDR’s with the same chipsets. Many optional filters and preselectors available.
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Keith
> 3 dayNo good instructions. Online website followed several time tried loading and it would not load and operate Tech support emailed and they stated they do not assist with any support other than pointing you to website which provided methods that would not work after several attempts Bought a RTL-SDR.com dongle and it loaded up and ran on first try. Then AMAZON will not allow return and refers you to ship back directly to NOOELEC company WHO CHARGES a 20% restock fee for them to take the defective product back. Great way to make money with defective products for them.
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Mickey A.
> 3 dayWorks especially well on 6 meters (50 MHZ). Not bad on 2, 222 and 432.
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Tkdfriend
> 3 dayFantastic SDR! Very compact for traveling and with a USB OTG cable and an android tablet, this dongle makes the perfect gift/stocking stuffer for a techie person or a radio enthusiast. Best price out there and the quality for the price cant be beat. Gets a little warm sometimes but not enough to burn your hand. Overall, I am happy with my purchase and Id definitely recommend it.