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Any SDR users?

LeviLevi Member
edited October 2021 in General

Software Defined Radio. Any enthusiasts here? What dongle are you using? What data are you hoarding?

Thanked by 2devp BlazinDimes
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Comments

  • 1nf1nf Member

    I had a little dongle a while back to recieve ADS-B signals from Aircraft. You can also listen to a lot of things eg. air traffic control.

    I need to get it out again and try it.

    Thanked by 2Levi devp
  • I would like to receive the signals of alien traffic.

    Thanked by 2devp yoursunny
  • MannDudeMannDude Host Rep, Veteran
    edited October 2021

    Yes.

    I used two RTL-SDR dongles to build a P25 trunking scanner, used to listen to shortwave, etc.

    But I'm also a licensed amateur radio operator who has worked all 7 continents, all 50 states, 80+ countries... Used to run a APRS digipeter, got a bitx40 kit collecting dust somewhere. Got a stupid amount of antennas that I never use (Like a 6M mag-loop lol)

    FT8, JS8Call, Hell-Mode, psk and more.

    I like radio stuff. I need to get back into it. Winter storm a couple years ago took down my most prominent and used antenna (G5RV longwire). Wasn't getting much action on 10M or 6M at the time using other antennas I already had up. Wrong time of year for good atmospheric ducting so didn't do a whole of 2M/70cm work. (But in years past my Diamond x50A could reach out a couple hundred miles in the right conditions). Got bored, sold off most my radio stuff.

    If you want real fun, build (or buy) a yagi antenna for a 2M/70cm cheap handled and decode SSTV data when the ISS is running events. I've got a small collection of images I've "downloaded" from the ISS. Or if you want REAL fun, get a proper HF rig that you can pump 100W+ into and go for some SSTV QSOs. Always funny sending/receiving memes over radio.

    EDIT: For even more fun, download GPredict (On Linux, probably on Windows too) and track some amateur radio satelites. I've got a handful of 3W QSOs using a handheld yagi pointed to the sky talking to people 700+ miles away for the very short period the appropriate satellite was within my line of sight in the sky.

    Radio stuff is fun.

    73

    The real radio losers will get it.

  • Holy shit, you are a gold mine.

    Thanked by 1MannDude
  • MannDudeMannDude Host Rep, Veteran

    @LTniger said:

    Holy shit, you are a gold mine.

    If you want to get your amateur radio license, or whatever it's called in your country (no idea where you're from) check out https://hamstudy.org - A great way to study by taking practice tests.

    The way (in the US, at least) tests are conducted for the different levels of amateur classes is there is a certain number of total questions for any particular level. The questions and answers are public. Your test will be a random number from the greater pool. So the beauty of hamstudy.org is you can take a ton of practice tests using the same questions you may see on your actual test, read why the answer is why it is and it is just a very beneficial way of learning what you need to learn to pass the test. Doesn't mean you'll actually 'know' all of it, but you'll know what you need to to get that piece of paper mailed to you from the FCC.

    I got my General Class license, studied for Amateur Extra a bit but it's pretty fucking intense.

    I don't even think I could pass the Technician Exam (the easiest / entry level exam) today without having to restudy for it all.

    Thanked by 2devp Levi
  • NeoonNeoon Community Contributor, Veteran

    @default said:
    I would like to receive the signals of alien traffic.

    Buy a Starlink, can forward your messages to Mars via Laser.
    They definitely will call your back.

    Thanked by 1yoursunny
  • MannDudeMannDude Host Rep, Veteran

    If you just want to listen to SDR, here are a ton of public SDR receivers. Tune to whatever frequency you want: http://websdr.org/

    You can even pipe the audio into a virtual soundcard and decode CW (morse code) to read/hear/listen to old men talking about hip pain and the weather, PSK, WSPR, FT8, and other similar digital transmission modes. Turn those mind numbing noises that hurt your ears and give you a headache into decoded readable data to see the communication between two people or just one person trying to be heard by someone else.

    You got me all pumped up to get back into it now for some reason.

    May need to find the charger for my DMR HT and plug the ol' Raspberry Pi DMR hotspot back in for some lazy operating.

  • LeviLevi Member
    edited October 2021

    @MannDude said: You can even pipe the audio into a virtual soundcard and decode CW (morse code) to read/hear/listen to old men talking about hip pain and the weather

    Hell yea! I wanna do that. Gonna buy that RTL-SDR dongle and gonna play entire winter.

    Thanked by 1MannDude
  • MannDudeMannDude Host Rep, Veteran

    Oh, and to answer the, "What Dongle" question: I got 3 or 4 of the RTL-SDR v3 dongles, official ones. Beware of the knock offs. I also have a FlightAware 1090MHz Pro Stick Plus dongle for ADS-B data (aircraft data).

    The way I see it is we're constantly surrounded by radio waves. You will be very hard pressed to find anywhere on earth in which some radio signal, of some sort, is not reaching. With the right tools you can collect that data and observe it as it is meant to be observed by the recipient. Sometimes the recipient is anyone who the signal can reach, including you (and anyone else near by with the tools to receive it). Sometimes it's something like weather fax data meant for ships at sea (but still neat as fuck to decode and map, even if you're like me hundreds of miles inland from the nearest coast).

    Like seriously, there is so much data just 'in the air'.

    If we can get 10 LowEndTalk users with a General Class or higher license and all within the same continent they we should schedule a weekly or monthly LowEndNet. I'll buy a HF rig again just to participate.

    Thanked by 1devp
  • MannDudeMannDude Host Rep, Veteran

    @LTniger said:

    @MannDude said: You can even pipe the audio into a virtual soundcard and decode CW (morse code) to read/hear/listen to old men talking about hip pain and the weather

    Hell yea! I wanna do that. Gonna buy that RTL-SDR dongle and gonna play entire winter.

    My bet: After a week or two you'll be studying for your radio license so you can participate.

    Put your antenna outside for best performance and you can use something like GQRX (On Linux, Windows has more options) and just watch your waterfall on the covered spectrum and tune around and mess with filters. You'll have a lot of fun once you realize that, "Holy shit, I'm surrounded by radio waves all the time." Haha.

  • @MannDude said:
    Oh, and to answer the, "What Dongle" question: I got 3 or 4 of the RTL-SDR v3 dongles, official ones. Beware of the knock offs. I also have a FlightAware 1090MHz Pro Stick Plus dongle for ADS-B data (aircraft data).

    The way I see it is we're constantly surrounded by radio waves. You will be very hard pressed to find anywhere on earth in which some radio signal, of some sort, is not reaching. With the right tools you can collect that data and observe it as it is meant to be observed by the recipient. Sometimes the recipient is anyone who the signal can reach, including you (and anyone else near by with the tools to receive it). Sometimes it's something like weather fax data meant for ships at sea (but still neat as fuck to decode and map, even if you're like me hundreds of miles inland from the nearest coast).

    Like seriously, there is so much data just 'in the air'.

    If we can get 10 LowEndTalk users with a General Class or higher license and all within the same continent they we should schedule a weekly or monthly LowEndNet. I'll buy a HF rig again just to participate.

    I have a buddy who got me a little into the amateur radio space. I don't have my license and I haven't had the time to study so been sticking to FRS and just listening. I have a RTL-SDR v3 (official) and a Baofeng UV-82 with a genuine Nagoya NA-771 (on top of the usual midland radios that got me started). The UV-82 is what actually got me into SDR and I thought that was great programming it until I got into the SDR space.

    It's entertaining at times. Definitely something that satisfies my inner nerd. I also live close to the local public relay tower so signals pretty clear.

    Not something I really engage with that regularly as it's just nifty.

    Thanked by 1MannDude
  • devpdevp Member
    edited October 2021

    @MannDude said: there is so much data just 'in the air'

    @MannDude said: I'm surrounded by radio waves all the time.

    Yes. Electromagnetic waves.

  • Have a HackRF One lying around. Never learnt to use that properly though. Just tinkered occassionally.

    Thanked by 1devp
  • yoursunnyyoursunny Member, IPv6 Advocate

    I want the USRP N310.
    It would allow me to build a cellular tower.
    Never pay cellphone bills again!

    Thanked by 1devp
  • @rattlecattle said:
    Have a HackRF One lying around. Never learnt to use that properly though. Just tinkered occassionally.

    That is expensive peace of hardware. Care to sell for 7$?

    Thanked by 1kkrajk
  • @LTniger said:
    Care to sell for 7$?

    Sorry not planning to sell though. May require it in future.

  • I used to use my RTL dongle to listen to the police before they switched to p25, and I can't decrypt that. Nowdays I just use it occasionally to listen to the airport or something, but I've found it way more fun to use the online SDRs which have much better setups and can pick up all sorts of interesting things.

    Look for the number stations, they're really trippy to listen to. Watching the OTH radar on the waterfall is kinda cool too.

    Thanked by 1devp
  • hwthwt Member

    I have a Pluto SDR. Originally got it for playing with 433MHz remotes.

    Thanked by 1devp
  • @default said:
    I would like to receive the signals of alien traffic.

    You're already receiving them, the tricky part is decoding them.

  • @yoursunny said:
    I want the USRP N310.
    It would allow me to build a cellular tower.
    Never pay cellphone bills again!

    I'm pretty sure you can get a ready to go picocell for $13k. I'll ask. How many do you want?

  • @MannDude said:
    But I'm also a licensed amateur radio operator who has worked all 7 continents, all 50 states, 80+ countries...

    Please tell me you got to keep the Air Miles and/or you got the George Clooney 10million miles award or whatever from that movie.

  • yoursunnyyoursunny Member, IPv6 Advocate

    @TimboJones said:

    @yoursunny said:
    I want the USRP N310.
    It would allow me to build a cellular tower.
    Never pay cellphone bills again!

    I'm pretty sure you can get a ready to go picocell for $13k. I'll ask. How many do you want?

    I'd put one in my backpack, so that I'm always in range of my cellular tower.

    Thanked by 1devp
  • MannDudeMannDude Host Rep, Veteran

    @TimboJones said:

    @MannDude said:
    But I'm also a licensed amateur radio operator who has worked all 7 continents, all 50 states, 80+ countries...

    Please tell me you got to keep the Air Miles and/or you got the George Clooney 10million miles award or whatever from that movie.

    Nope, not sure I get the reference and not sure what movie it's from but I did pay to have my QRZ award certificates mailed to me and I framed them and hung them on my wall like a real loser, ha! (Well, the challenging ones).

  • 1nf1nf Member

    @yoursunny said:
    I'd put one in my backpack, so that I'm always in range of my cellular tower.

    I wonder the effects of having a cellular transmitter that close to you....

  • yoursunnyyoursunny Member, IPv6 Advocate

    @evanwalters said:

    @yoursunny said:
    I'd put one in my backpack, so that I'm always in range of my cellular tower.

    I wonder the effects of having a cellular transmitter that close to you....

    📶
    Full signal bars at all times!

  • @MannDude said:

    @TimboJones said:

    @MannDude said:
    But I'm also a licensed amateur radio operator who has worked all 7 continents, all 50 states, 80+ countries...

    Please tell me you got to keep the Air Miles and/or you got the George Clooney 10million miles award or whatever from that movie.

    Nope, not sure I get the reference and not sure what movie it's from but I did pay to have my QRZ award certificates mailed to me and I framed them and hung them on my wall like a real loser, ha! (Well, the challenging ones).

    Up in the Air was the movie. Worth it to watch Vera Farmiga.

    Thanked by 2MannDude skorous
  • I have an RSP2 and it's great. before that i was using the dongle with an HF upconverter. i mainly use it to listen in on the HF data only frequencies

    Thanked by 1devp
  • I got one of these today. It was more than LET normal $7/m($11). At first I thought I just wasted the money when not picking up anything. Now picking up FM signals with SDR++. The antenna is not that powerful though. I am not sure what I can pick up with this.

  • Mostly you can pick up car tyre pressure metter data :) . Pump it into appropriate sftware for hoarding and analysis.

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