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

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.

The Nooelec RTL-SDR hardware works really well for RF monitoring and experimentation. I’ve bought three so far and they all work great. Very nice and premium-feeling aluminum outer case. Everything was nicely packaged. I’ve run these sticks on a Raspberry Pi for days at a time with no frequency drift. They all worked with zero or minimal ppm correction needed. If you want some RTL-SDR hardware this is a great option. It’s not perfect, though. While it is technically true that you can run two side by side on a Raspberry Pi, in practice I didn’t find this to be very practical. It will cover all four ports so forget about any other peripherals. When run in this configuration, the two SDRs will get really, really hot. With a little extra separation, they get warm but not hot. (I realize these are designed to run hot, but why do that if you don’t have to?) Even though you can run two side by side on a Pi, you’re better off using a USB hub instead in my opinion. The other problem I’ve found is something about the USB-A connectors doesn’t allow them to make a great connection with the host. I’ve tried multiple USB hubs, and of course connected directly to the Pi and in every case the dongles don’t feel like they are held solidly in place. They are quite loose and slightest bump will disconnect them or give a lousy connection to the host until they are wiggled around some to reseat them. This doesn’t appear to be a problem with the USB connector to the circuit board. It’s something with the connector design and how it mates with the ports — almost as if it’s slightly too long. If you plan on using these with a semi-permanent configuration, you should consider a bit of hot glue or epoxy to make sure they are held in place even if bumped around. I’ve had no problems with the SMA connectors and they feel solidly attached. So, in all it’s great hardware let down by a couple unfortunate but not insurmountable design decisions. As long as you keep these things in mind when you purchase, you’ll be fine.

Very good looking unit. Good luck making the software work. I finally got Airspy to work with it. Took days to figure it out and I am a retired computer tech.

SDR is interesting. As a ham, I had to learn about the area, and decided to get an RTL type device. Works fine, but it gets very warm given the power consumption and space its in. I use it with my upconverter (Ham it up) and find it useful. I had a kit with antenna (s) and cables so it was easy to put together BUT software is ***NOT*** intuitive by any means. It will work with Air Spy V1.0.0.178 and Cubic SDR.

I had noticed that my piaware feeder hadnt been seen much traffic outside of 50nm of late. I swapped these in for the SDRs I had been using, and Im seeing traffic well over 200nm again. Ill have to see how they do long term, but so far, these are working great! I swapped this in late on 9/23, so you can see from the Flightaware stats in the picture, it doubled my reception!

I have both the NESDR Smart v4 and the NESDR Smartee v2 (the same but with bias tee built-in) and they both offer equal performance that is notably better than generic RTL SDR dongles from China. The 0.5 PPM accuracy of the temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO) is great (meaning that it tunes the exact actual frequency you select digitally and stays there) plus the noise level is 2-3dB lower than no-name products. Just as important, the number and strength of interfering signals in the form of images, spurs, and birdies across the bands is substantially lower in these Nooelec products. Well worth the extra few dollars.

Set up was easy. Works as it should.

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.

This is the one to get if you want to tinker with RTL SDR. Nice case for shielding , SMA connector, and dead-on frequency. Good price too.

Its all about the antenna. Unit performs fantastic.