The Hobbyist’s Guide to the RTL-SDR: Really Cheap Software Defined Radio

TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Hobbyists Guide to the RTL-SDR
Preface
Introduction
What is Software Defined Radio (SDR)?
What is The RTL-SDR?
What Equipment do I need to get into RTL-SDR?
RTL-SDR Technical Specifications
RTL-SDR ADC
RTL-SDR Bandwidth
Input Impedance
RTL-SDR Minimum PC Specifications
RTL-SDR Compatible Dongles
Tips for Buying RTL-SDR Dongles
R820T/R820T2 Packages
Other SDRs worth mentioning
Software Defined Radio Basic Theory
Setting up and using your RTL-SDR
SDR# Setup Guide (Tested on Windows Vista/7 + XP)
Troubleshooting And Common Questions Guide
SDR Sharp Users Guide
Main Settings and Windows
Configure Window
Setting the RF Gain
Setting the Filters
Setting the PPM Correction
SDR Sharp Plugins
SDR# Minoutput Sample rate
Other General Purpose Scanning Software
HDSDR Setup Guide
SDR-RADIO.COM V2 Setup Guide
GQRX
CubicSDR
LINRAD
Installing the RTL-SDR Drivers on LinuxRTL_FM
Examples of RTL_FM use
Installing GNU Radio
Install Script
Pybombs
Package Manager
Linux Live DVDs with Preinstalled RTL-SDR Software
KB1OIQ - Andy’s Ham Radio Linux
GNU Radio Live DVD
Kali Linux
PENTOO
Porteus
BeagleBone Black SDR Image File
RTL-SDR Misc. Information
RTL-SDR Crystal Tolerance
RTL-SDR DC Spike
RTL-SDR Spurs
RTL-SDR ADC Bit Depth
RTL-SDR Sensitivity
Optimizing Tuning
Optimizing Decimation - Improving Reception Quality in Software
RTL-SDR Images
RTL-SDR Temperature Frequency Drift
Using Multiple Dongles with the Same Serial Number
Max Number of Dongles per USB Port
Using the RTL-SDR on a Linux Virtual Machine
Input Static Protection Diode
RTL-SDR Current Usage
Remote Control
Included CD
Dead on Arrival Failure Rate
Image of a Typical RTL-SDR Dongle Circuit Board
RTL-SDR Noise Floor
RTL-SDR Improvements and Modifications
Low Noise Amplification
Receiving LF/MF/HF (0 - 30 MHz)1) Direct Sampling Mode
2) Upconverters
3) Experimental Drivers
Positioning your RTL-SDR Dongle
1) Use an active USB repeater cable or hub
2) Use a mini embedded or Remote computer to transmit the signal wirelessly to your PC
Upgrading the RTL-SDR Drivers in SDR#
Keenerds Drivers
Custom Gain Control and Decimation RTL-SDR Drivers
Dongle Shielding and Noise Reduction
Common Sources of Noise
Dongle USB Cable Grounding Improvement
Testing Changes to Noise Performance
USB Cable Ferrites
Preselector Filters
Designing Simple Filters with RFSIM99
Coax Stub Filter
Adding Phantom Power / Bias Tee
Improving the Stock Antenna
Ground plane
ADS-B
Coax Choke
Replace Stock Antenna Coax Cable
Calibrating the Frequency Offset of the RTL-SDR
Kalibrate
LTE Scanner
Removing the IR Diode
Reducing USB Noise on HF
Stabilizing The Frequency Offset
RTL-SDR Project Tutorials
Audio Piping
General Frequency Guide
ACARS Receiving Guide
Introduction to ACARS
ACARS Tutorial (Windows)
Linux Only ACARS DecodersADS-B Receiving Guide (Tracking aircraft)
ADS-B Introduction
ADS-B Tutorial
Monitoring ADS-B on an Android Device
Feeding Data to flightradar24.com and flightaware.com
Real time Cockpit Instrument Display using ADS-B Data
Monitoring Military Aircraft
ADS-B for Gliders and Helicopters: FLARM
NOAA Weather Satellite (APT) Guide
Introduction to NOAA Weather Satellites
NOAA Weather Satellite Receive Tutorial
Orbitron Tutorial
MeteoR-M Russian LRPT Weather Satellite Guide
Introduction to MeteoR-M
Receiving Meteosat Weather Satellite Images: Windows Tutorial
Receiving Meteosat Weather Satellite Images in Real Time: Windows
Receiving Meteosat Weather Satellite Images: Linux Tutorial
Removing the Fisheye Effect of the Color Image
Weather Balloon (Radiosonde) Guide
Radiosonde Receiving Tutorial
Marine Automatic Identification System (AIS) Guide
AIS Tutorial
AIS Antenna Guide
Software Tutorials
Decoding VHF Data Link Mode 2 (VDL2)
Introduction to VDL2
Decoding VDL2 with MultiPSK
Air Traffic Control / Scanning Guide
SDR# Frequency Scanner
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) Radio Guide
DAB Receive Tutorial With SDR-J
DAB Receive Tutorial with DAB Player
Receiving Analogue TV (PAL/NTSC) Guide
Guide to Listening to Trunked Radio: Analogue and Digital P25
Unitrunker Voice Trunking Following Tutorial
Decoding Digital Voice (P25/DMR/Mototrbo/NXDN/ProVoice)Decoding Digital Voice in SDR#
Tuning DSD+
MOTOTRBO Location Request Response Protocol (LRRP) Decoding
CTCSS Trunked Radio
Fleetsync II
Pager Decoding Guide
Tutorial
Other Decoders
Analyzing GSM Signals
Installation of GR-GSM
Installation and Testing of Airprobe
Decoding GSM Messages and Voice
Listening to and Analyzing TETRA Signals
Listening to Unencrypted TETRA
Analyzing TETRA
Radio Astronomy Guide
Observing the Hydrogen Line and Galactic Plane
Meteor Scatter Detection
Solar Interferometry
Other Simple Radio Astronomy Experiments
Doppler Passive Radar
Dual Coherent Passive Radar
HF Modes Decoding Guide
Shortwave Broadcast Radio
CW (Morse Code)
RTTY
STANAG 4285
SSTV
Digital SSTV
WSPR
Marine HF Modes
Decoding Marine Modes with MultiPSK
Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) Guide
HFDL Decoding Guide
D-STAR
Compiling the Latest DSD Version on WindowsRTL-SDR for Android
SDR Touch
Wavesink
FlightAware FlightFeeder
USB ADSB RTL-SDR
ADS-B Receiver
SDR Weather
Receiving 10 GHz Beacons
GNU Radio Introduction
GNU Radio Program: FFT Display
GNU Radio Program: WBFM Receiver
GNU Radio Program: Compiling a WBFM-RDS Receiver
Compiling RTL-SDR Drivers from Source on Windows
Compiling with MingW
Compiling using Visual C++ 2010
Panadapter Guide
RDS Receiving Guide
Listening to SCA/SCMO FM Subcarrier Channels
APRS Guide
QTMM AFSK1200
MultimonNG
APRSISCE/32
AGW Packet Engine and Tracker
Other APRS Software
Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) Decoding Guide
More Information and References:
Using multimonNG on Linux and Windows
Using RTL_TCP
Streaming MP3 FM With Linux: RTL_FM
Heat Map Band Scan
RTL_POWER Flags
RTL_Power GUI
RTLSDR Scanner
Radio Direction Finding with RTLSDR Scanner
Decoding Emergency Alert System (EAS) SAME Messages
Train Telemetry Data DecodingDecoding Funcube Satellite Telemetry
Decoding Orbcomm Satellites
ISS Satellite Reception
Weather/Temperature Sensor Decoding Guide
Decoding Smart Power Meters
NRF24L01+ Decoding
Analysing Unknown Signals
Reverse Engineering Analysis Projects
Audacity
MiniModem
OOK-Decoder
Measuring the Characteristics of RF Filters with an RTL-SDR and Noise Source
Characterizing Filters
Characterizing Filters Tutorial
Characterizing Coax Notch/Stub Filters
Downloads
Measuring the VSWR of an Antenna with a Noise Source and RTL-SDR
Measuring the VSWR of an Antenna Tutorial
Downloads
Receiving and Tracking GPS with the RTL-SDR
Active GPS Antennas and Bias-T’s
Projects For the Future and Better SDR’s
HRPT
HD Radio
Software DVB-T Decoding
DECT Cordless Phones
Other Software Not Mentioned Yet
RTL-Airband
WebSDR
RTL Entropy
SWSCAN
Other Interesting Projects People Have Done with the RTL-SDR
Unknown Signal Identification
DVB-T HDTV on Linux
Drivers
DVB-T TV Watching SoftwareDVB-T on Windows
Quick Way to Change between DVB-T and SDR Drivers on Windows Vista/7/8
Antenna Guide
Antenna ESD Safety
Antenna Adapter Guide
Coaxial Cable Guide
Coax Losses
Velocity Factor
Materials
Antenna Gain/Directivity
Radiation Patterns
Antenna Design Frequency
Standing Wave Ratio (SWR)
Antenna Polarization
Antenna Reciprocity
Antenna Positioning
Common Mode Chokes
VHF/UHF Example Antennas
Discone
Scantenna
Planar Disk Antenna
Quarter Wave Monopole ground plane
Whip
Dipole
J-Pole / Slim Jim
Collinear
Archimedian Spiral
Turnstile / Cross Dipole
Quadrifilar Helix (QFH)
Active GPS Patch
Yagi Uda
PCB ADS-B Monopole Antennas
HF Antennas
Long Wire/Random Wire
Magnetic Loop
4NEC2 TutorialHow to Simulate an Antenna Radiation Pattern
How to Simulate SWR
Changing The Simulated Antenna Ground
Changing Antenna Dimensions/Height
Appendix A: Audio Piping
Stereo Mix
VB Cable
Hi-Fi Cable
Virtual Audio Cable
Setting the Audio Sample Rate
Appendix B: Radio Basics
Propagation
Baseband Signal
Bandwidth
Modes
Decibels (dB) to Times
Appendix C: Multimode Decoders List
Appendix D: Misc
Manual Installation of SDR#
Last Words
Where to Get More Help
Errata And Updates
Legal Stuff