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

This worked right out of the box on my Windows 10 laptop. I followed the provided instructions for installing the driver, then installed the rtl_sdr package and tested. Im using it in the 915 mhz band to get data from my utility/electric meter and other small/local sensors. The nice aluminum housing dissipates the heat well. It only gets mildly warm when used continuously at 915 mhz. As others have noted, the typical laptop and computer monitor make a lot of radio noise. Its important to use a USB extension cable to get the radio and antenna at least a few feet away from the laptop and monitor. When too close, its hard to find a signal within all the noise. I tested with rtl_sdr, sdr# (also called sdrsharp), rtlamr, and rtl433 -- all on a Windows 10 laptop. Everything worked well.

Ive been using UniTrunker software with a cheaper receiver that had the RTL2832U & R820T Tuner. It worked, but drift corrections were massive, the receiver was easily overloaded, and sensitivity/selectivity was not up to par. This little NooElec receiver basically fixes all of those issues for just a few dollars more. Since it uses the same receiver and tuner, it was a simple drop in replacement of my other receiver. It took off and began working immediately. I track a VHF trunked P25 system that has simulcast issues from time to time. It can really whack the receivers while trying to listen to distant towers. I wont say this NooElec receiver is completely immune to the RF onslaught but it is heads and tails above slightly cheaper versions. I also attempted to listen to an adjoining state 800 P25 system. My old receiver would BARELY register a control channel while the NooElec, using same antenna and gain settings, is easily able to hold the tower and provide reliable decode over 60ish air miles. It also comes with a real connector!!!! Those infuriating MCX connectors so commonly seen are completely negated by the NooElec and its SMA connector. Overall, if your software requires a receiver with the RTL2832U & R820T Tuner, it is hard to beat the NooElec with radios even twice as expensive. Very happy with the upgrade.

This thing is GREAT. I am running op25 for p25 reception. My previous SDRs were so drifty and unstable that on digital signals they were worthless. I plugged this one in and it just worked, right out of the box. Thanks for a good product.

fits in a tight space and works very well. I really like this one

Ok-I had a really hard time getting this set up but do recommend. I tried installing on a Win XP, Win 8 and Win 10 machine with no luck. It turns out you need to configure in Zadig, get the SDR program of choice AND download the rtl-install.bat file from Airspys website. Only after a internet search of my error did I find this as the device isnt shipped with any kind of manual. It took quite a few hours over six days of trying things to get it to work I was about to send it back to Amazon as frustration was high. But after I downloaded the mentioned file above and SDR Sharp it works now!!

TCXO is great, no issues with P25.

I have been using nooelec products for many years with satisfaction. Unfortunately I cannot give a 5 star rating to this product for the reasons I am about to describe. The idea of reducing the dimensions so as to be able to use the SDR receiver even in situations of limited space is admirable, but this also means reducing the heat dissipation surface. The product heats up a lot and the USB connector is really too hot and I think that sooner or later there may be problems with electrical contact and electrical and mechanical stability. I recommend using a heat dissipation system, preferably active and not passive. If you use preselector filters this simple sdr receiver will satisfy you but its sensitivity does not seem satisfactory to me. This is my opinion on this specific product

The aluminum casing, power supply and the newer R820T2 tuner definitely keep the noise floor lower. The 0.5 PPM TCX Oscillator needs no frequency corrections at all in this RTL-SDR. This is my second radio but I will never buy the cheaper ones again and I may give away my older one and buy another SMArt V4 for use with my Ham It Up upconverter.

Really 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.

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.