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

I bought a pair of these dongles to use for P25 Phase 2 decoding in the 700/800 band and let me tell you, they work really well. Both dongles have less than .2ppm correction and they were super easy to setup in SDRTrunk on Linux Mint with a Radio Reference premium subscription. Dongles do get warm, but I have had them running non-stop for almost 2 weeks straight with 0 issues so far.

It does what the listing says it does. The quality is very nice especially given the very moderate selling price. I especially appreciate the metal enclosure. Its quality is very solid and the USB and RF connectors are of good quality. The receiver works as well as any other RTL SDR I have used and offers reasonably stable frequency accuracy. I wouldnt expect this radio (or many other SDRs) to be highly accurate above VHF without the option for external reference standards. However, you can account for any frequency inaccuracies in software, so this isnt a real problem even when tracking satellites or performing basic radio astronomy. For the price, this is an excellent way to get your feet wet in SDRs. It is also flexible enough to add LNAs, up-converters, down-converters, filters and even improve the frequency stability through upgraded frequency/time standards. RTL SDRs are not just for getting your feet wet. With some DIY skills and commercially available parts, you can make an RTL SDR function well above its price-point. I like it.

I like it when I can plug in a SDR and it works the first time. Im currently using the Nooelec NESDR Smart v4 SDR as one of my tuners for SDRTrunk to monitor a P25 Phase II system. This SDR runs 24/7 and works perfectly!

Liked the display on my computer monitor.

Use this SDR for Radio sonde tracking with an external tower mounted vertical at 403 MHz. Works great!

Works great for my purposes. I am using it as a panadapter connected to an IF tap in my HF transceiver. Great bit of technology. The SMA connector is way better than the tiny MCX connectors on some of the other RTL-SDR dongles out there, particularly if you are experimenting with different setups and need to disconnect and reconnect the antenna a lot. The aluminum case is nice as well. The TCXO appears to be very stable. The radio does not appear to drift from startup.

I bought multiple. Unfortunately,I was sent one unit that was DOA, but they immediately replaced it, so kudos to them for excellent customer service. I then ran it through some tests and noticed some things. On just about every band, it was more sensitive than the RTL-SDR v3, and I was quite impressed.... until I hit 770 Mhz. There is a point, in the upper 700 Mhz band, where a lot of trunking radio systems are, that this unit is just plain deaf to. The unit outperformed the RTL-SDR V3 in every way, except that one crucial (to me) band segment. I had signals that were near full quieting on my other SDR that this one was barely able to receive. This happened with both units, so I just figured it was a design limitation. They were reassigned to a VHF trunked system to monitor, and have been doing quite well for a little over 2 years.... and now...*sigh*.... one of the units has crapped out, not being recognized by any USB port (which was the original mode of failure on the first one).... So, 1 failed immediately, and the replacement failed in 2 years with mild use (maybe 100 hours total). Theyre still a great deal, and if you have to buy a new one every 2 years its not that bad, but my next one will be from a different manufacturer. They are great for what they are, but they do have some limitations, just keep that in mind.

Bought two from Amazon. One arrived fine and works fantastic. Much better temperature stability than any others Ive had. That part I love! The other was DOA, and Amazon quickly sent me a replacement. But when I plugged it into my laptop it fried not only itself, but the laptop too, which is now junk. Good thing it was an old laptop. I have a feeling my experience is not normal, so Ill rate it 3 stars. If I could somehow get two working at the same time, Id certainly rate it higher. The one I have Id give a five, easy. Its really good. Im sorely tempted to order another one and hope for better luck. But, well, who knows...

I 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!

This 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.