Sdrplay

Available Software

Airspy	SDRplay RSP	HackRF
Native compatibility with SDR# on Windows. Also compatible with HDSDR, SDR-Console and GQRX on Linux. Good support for some other software that is most often used with the RTL-SDR: ADS-B: ADSBSpy & Modesdeco2. Trunking: Unitrunker, SDRTrunk. Also has unofficially developed ExtIO interface allowing it to work with any app supporting ExtIO. For example: DAB: SDR-J.  DRM30, DMR+: SoDiRa. FFT: Spectrum Lab Good support for the Raspberry Pi 2, especially for ADS-B where they have developed an official 20MSPS ADS-B decoder which claims performance as good as or better than a dedicated Beast ADS-B receiver. Linux and Mac open source drivers available, but no SDR# support.	June 2016: Now comes with the official SDRuno software. Compatible with SDR#, HDSDR and SDR-Console through plugins. Though compatibility with SDR# is restricted as third party plugins cannot be used. The RSP is also compatible with any app supporting ExtIO. For example: DAB: SDR-J.  DRM30, DMR+: SoDiRa. FFT: Spectrum Lab Linux drivers available and plugins for SoapySDR, CubicSDR, Pothos and GNU Radio are available. CubicSDR also runs with the RSP on the Mac. Eventual improved support planned for Raspberry Pi 2 and Android.	Compatible with SDR#, HDSDR and SDR-Console on Windows, GQRX on Linux and RF Analyzer on Android.  Several programs in code form on GitHub, but not many «plug and play» apps. Designed to be used more with software like GNU Radio.

One advantage to using the Airspy with its SDR# software is the «decimation» feature. With wideband SDR’s it can be difficult to spot or tune into narrowband signals. You can use the zoom feature, but when zooming you lose resolution. The decimation feature reduces the visible bandwidth, but keeps the resolution high, allowing weak signals to be easily discerned from the noise. An added bonus is that the effective number of ADC bits is increased with decimation, meaning that signals can have higher visual SNR (full audio decimation is performed automatically). This makes the Airspy very good at browsing and fine tuning on small narrowband signals.

The SDRplay RSP can achieve a similar effect by reducing the bandwidth displayed, however this means that a lower sample rate is used, and thus less decimation occurs.

The SDRplay and HackRF do not have the decimation software feature yet, though the SDRplay team write that they have the decimation feature scheduled for an upcoming API update. The RTL-SDR has this feature through a third party plugin written by Vasilli so it seems feasible that this feature can be easily implemented.

Frequency Manager + Scanner and Scanner Metrics and Frequency Entry Package

This is a plugin package which comes with three plugins. It comes with a more advanced frequency manager than the one shipped with SDRSharp.

It also has a scanner option which can quickly scan through a group of your saved frequencies, looking for an active signal.

It also has a scanner metrics plugin, which records frequency activity to a database. Later this database can be analyzed to find out which frequencies are the most active, saving you time searching manually for active frequencies.

Finally, this package also has a frequency entry plugin, which works like the old SDRSharp frequency entry used to work. Basically, it just allows you to choose a center frequency and IF frequency easily by typing it in instead of adjusting it with the mouse.

Install GNU Radio

You will need to install GNU Radio first in order to get RTL-SDR to work. An excellent video tutorial showing how to install GNU Radio in Kali Linux can be found in this video shown below. Note that I had to run apt-get update in terminal first, before running the build script, as I got 404 not found errors otherwise. You can also use March Leech’s install script to install the latest version of GNU Radio on any Linux OS. Installation instructions can be found here. I recommend installing from source to get the latest version. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Acp6_3DA0

Update: The new version 3.7 GNU Radio is not compatible with AirProbe. You will need to install GNU Radio 3.6. However, neeo from the comments section of this post has created a patch which makes AirProbe compatible with GNU Radio 3.7. To run it, place the patch file in your airprobe folder and then run patch -p1 < zmiana3.patch.

Going Further with Decryption

We don’t cover how to decode the actual encrypted GSM data here, but this is possible to do with messages going to your own phone once you extract the encryption code for your sim card. But note that if you want to do this you’ll need to put in some good study and research into understanding how GSM actually works before you can even think about trying it. Disclaimer: Only decrypt signals that you are legally allowed to (such as from/to your own cell phone) to avoid breaching privacy.

The most complete video guide is probably the YouTube tutorial by Crazy Danish Hacker, and the most complete web guide is the one by Domonkos P. Tomcsanyi available on his blog here.

A reader wrote in to let us know some information on obtaining the TMSI and Kc numbers, which are useful if you wish to go further and actually decode messages coming from your own phone. He writes:

We note that software such as SimSpyII together with a Sim Card reader can also be used to easily acquire the Kc value.

If you enjoyed this tutorial you may like our book available on Amazon. Available in eBook and paperback formats.

Testing Airprobe

Now, cd into to the airprobe/gsm-receiver/src/python directory. First we will test Airprobe on a sample GSM cfile. Get the sample cfile which I found from this tutorial by typing into terminal.

cd airprobe/gsm-receiver/src/python
wget ​https://svn.berlin.ccc.de/projects/airprobe/raw-attachment/wiki/DeModulation/capture_941.8M_112.cfile

Note: The tutorial and cfile link is sometimes dead. I have mirrored the cfile on megaupload at . Place the cfile in the airprobe/gsm-receiver/src/python folder. Now open wireshark, by typing wireshark into a second terminal window. Wireshark is already installed in Kali Linux, but may not be in other Linux distributions. Since Airprobe dumps data to a UDP port, we must set Wireshark to listen to this. Under Start in Wireshark, first set the capture interface to lo (loopback), and then press Start. Then in the filter box, type in gsmtap. This will ensure only airprobe GSM data is displayed. Back in the first terminal that is in the python directory, type in

./go.sh capture_941.8M_112.cfile

If everything installed correctly, you should now be able to see the sample GSM data in wireshark.

3.0.22

General

Narrow FM:

• De-emphasis time constant was wrong, now set to 530µs (300 Hz).
• Gain adjusted, limiter added to avoid overload with over-modulated transmissions.
• Squelch updated to have a short tail (2ms) on strong signals and a long tail (150ms) on weak signals, this is to reduce the squelch ‘flutter’ when a signal is weak.

Performance:

• Improved, most noticeable with low-power (< i5) systems.
• Fixed fatal errors when zooming with fast screen speeds.
• Added better sanity when stopping / starting radios – for example when changing the bandwidth.

Noise reduction:

Serial port (CAT)

• Added SD which returns the signal level in dB above S0
• Fixed SM, now returns correct values

Hermes-Lite 2

Filter board now user-configurable. The filters are set using the transmit frequency. An option would be to switch between RX and TX frequency, can be added later but first let’s check that this options does what’s needed.

Satellites

• Internal timing change to avoid distorted audio.
• Removed many diagnostics as no longer needed.

The filter value in the Select Satellite window  is now persistent.

The visibility logic in the Select Satellite window was wrong, now correct.

The automatic schedule now has an option for antenna switching:

• Switch at end of pass, or
• Switch at 30 seconds after end of pass but at least 120 seconds before the start of the next pass.

Option to display the DDE text (Nova, Orbitron) in the status bar.

Server

Better support for unwanted connection attempts, still more to do but server is more resilient.

• More resilient when connections attempted by other software, in other words better DoS.
• Bandwidths lists are cached, 
• Bandwidths not shown if a radio is in use (caused problems).
• Reduced some diagnostic text in the logfile.
• Fixed ‘invalid argument’ error when selecting V3 Server.
• On-Air server
  now running much better, 99.999% stable!
• Bug searching for V3 server definitions should be fixed.

Transmit

New options in the Ribbon Bar.

Denoiser, Symmetric options now part of the Normal / DX / Other profile.VOX hang range increased to 1,000ms.

Equipment Guide

Currently, the most common RTL-SDR dongle is the R820T/R820T2 which usually sells for around $20 USD. See the Buy RTL-SDR dongles page for more information on purchasing.

Generally at least a dual core processor will be required to run most SDR software smoothly. Some command line software and ADS-B decoders may work on less powerful hardware.

To get the most enjoyment out of RTL-SDR you will need a decent antenna. Our packages that come with the dipole antenna set are a great start. Be sure to get them up high and outside (during good weather only) for best results. Units not sold by us may come with a smaller fixed length whip antenna that is okay for testing, but overall is not that great. The most recommended outdoor antenna for general scanning is a discone due to their wide band receiving properties. You can also cheaply build a wideband planar disk antenna (pdf warning) out of some metal pizza pans.

Аппаратные дополнения

Расширение диапазона поддерживаемых частот

Ниже ~52 МГц / 24 МГц находится бОльшая часть интересного в радиоэфире — поэтому ограничение по минимальной частоте серьезно сужает возможности этих приемников. Расширить диапазон можно, купив up-converter, который сдвинет сигнал с антенны на 100 или 125 МГц вверх. Среди продающихся конвертеров пока лучше всех себя показывает NooElec — Ham It Up v1.2 с кварцем на 125 МГц

Использование кварца на 125 МГц очень важно, так как в районе 100 МГц находится много мощных FM-станций и без очень качественного экранирования всех частей системы они будут мешать приему

RF-конвертер NooElec — Ham It Up v1.2

Этот конвертер можно использовать с любыми SDR-системами, в том числе и работающими на передачу (есть ограничение на мощность).

Для приема на частотах менее 50 МГц придется больше внимания уделить антенне, так как габариты ее растут пропорционально увеличению длины волны. Конструкций антенн для любительской радиосвязи в КВ-диапазоне очень много, но в самом простейшем случае — это спускаемый с балкона провод длиной 5–20 м.

Малошумящий усилитель

И E4000, и R820T — кремниевые микросхемы, и усилитель внутри них шумит сильнее, чем более дорогие отдельные GaAs-усилители. Для некоторого снижения уровня шумов (на 1,5–3 дБ) и улучшения возможностей приема очень слабых сигналов можно купить малошумящий усилитель, который включается между антенной и тюнером.

Один из вариантов — LNA for all.

Малошумящий усилитель LNA for all 

SDR-RADIO V2 Setup Up Guide (Tested on Win XP and above)

To install SDR-RADIO for the RTL-SDR follow the steps below

1. Purchase an RTL-SDR dongle. The cheapest and best for most applications is the R820T/R820T2 dongle. Information on purchasing one can be found here.

1. Plug in your dongle and do not install any of the software that it came with, but ensure you let plug and play finish trying to install it. If you’ve already installed the software drivers it came with previously, uninstall them first.

1. Go to http://zadig.akeo.ie/ and download Zadig.

1. In Zadig, go to Options->List All Devices and make sure this option is checked.

1. Select «Bulk-In, Interface (Interface 0)» from the drop down list. Ensure that WinUSB is selected in the box next to where it says Driver. (Note on some PCs you may see something like RTL2832UHIDIR or RTL2832U instead of the bulk in interface. This is also a valid selection). (Do not select «USB Receiver (Interface 0)» however).

1. Click Install Driver. You might get a warning that the publisher cannot be verified, but just accept it by clicking on Install this driver software anyway. This will install the drivers necessary to run the dongle as a software defined radio. Note that you may need to run zadig.exe again if you move the dongle to another USB port, or want to use two or more dongles together.

1. Download the SDR-RADIO installer from http://v2.sdr-radio.com/Software/Download1.

1. Use the installer to install SDR-RADIO.

1. Download the RTL-SDR support package from the link at http://m3ghe.blogspot.com.au/p/adding-support-for-rtl-sdr-usb-dongles.html ().

1. Extract the SDRSourceRTL2832U.dll, rtlsdr.dll and libusb-1.0.dll files from the x64 folder into the C:\Program Files\SDR-RADIO-PRO.com folder. Or if you have a 32-bit PC extract the files from the x32 folder into C:\Program Files (x86)\SDR-RADIO-PRO.com folder.

1. Open SDR-RADIO. Upon opening it you will be greeted with the Select Radio screen and a prompt saying “List is empty – add radio definition now?” Click Yes. If this prompt does not display, click the + Definitions button.

1. In the new window open the Search drop down menu and select RTL SDR (USB). After clicking it the RTL-SDR will be added to the Radio Definitions list. Click OK.

1. Click on the RTL-SDR click to select it, choose your desired sample rate then click Start.

1. Click on the Span button and adjust the span to the sample rate bandwidth you chose in the last step. This will let you see the whole spectrum.

1. To change the receive mode use the left menu under the frequency tab. You can also change the signal bandwidth here. NFM signals are typically around 12 kHz wide and broadcast FM is typically around 192 kHz wide.

1. To adjust the frequency, use the VFO tuning box on the right side. If you don’t see it you may need to click on the VFO tuning tab. Also if the screen is too small you may need to expand it’s size to show it. You can also click on the waterfall to instantly tune to the clicked frequency.

1. Be sure to adjust the gain settings using the RF gain button in the top which is under the Home tab. By default it is set to automatic.

1. Also to adjust the waterfall colors so that signals are more clearly seen go to the Display tab up the top and then click on the Automatic Calibration button on the very top right.

Покупка

В розничных магазинах их не найти, поэтому нам поможет aliexpress.com. Пишем в поиске R820T или E4000, сортируем по количеству заказов, внимательно читаем описание (там должно быть явно написано, что тюнер использует микросхемы RTL2832 + E4000 или RTL2832 + R820T), и можно заказывать. Присылают обычно почтой России, в течение 3–6 недель.

В комплекте с тюнером будет и крошечная антенна — ее, конечно, лучше заменить. Хорошие результаты можно получить, используя обычную комнатную телевизионную антенну МВ-ДМВ «рога»

В описании товара также нужно обратить внимание на разъем антенны — и либо искать тюнер с обычным телевизионным разъемом, либо расчехлять паяльник и делать переходник / перепаивать разъем. При пайке очень легко убить устройство статическим электричеством, так что заземляйтесь

Типичный приемник на основе RTL2832 — EzTV668

На многих тюнерах рядом с коннектором антенны отсутствуют защитные диоды (в данном случае U7) — их можно либо впаять самому (один к земле, один от земли — я, например, впаял 1N4148), либо оставить как есть, и антенну голыми руками не трогать и всячески беречь от статического электричества.

Other SDR Windows Software Compatible with RTL-SDR

See the Software Guide for a big list of other compatible RTL-SDR software.

Getting Started on Linux

For Linux we first recommend having a look at Ranous’ Linux Quickstart guide document which can be found here (pdf).

The easiest way on most Debian Linux systems is to install rtl-sdr via apt-get. This can be done with the following commands. We recommend using the most modern version of Linux OS that you can find for your system to get the latest drivers.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install rtl-sdr

Instructions for installing the RTL-SDR drivers manually from source can be found at http://sdr.osmocom.org/trac/wiki/rtl-sdr. Repeated below is the code:

sudo apt-get install libusb-1.0-0-dev git cmake
git clone git://git.osmocom.org/rtl-sdr.git
cd rtl-sdr/
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ../ -DINSTALL_UDEV_RULES=ON
make
sudo make install
sudo cp ../rtl-sdr.rules /etc/udev/rules.d/
sudo ldconfig

After installing the libraries you will likely need to unload the DVB-T drivers, which Linux uses by default. To unload them temporarily type «sudo rmmod dvb_usb_rtl28xxu» into terminal. This solution is only temporary as when you replug the dongle or restart the PC, the DVB-T drivers will be reloaded. For a permanent solution, create a text file «rtlsdr.conf» in /etc/modprobe.d and add the line «blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu». You can use the one line command shown below to automatically write and create this file.

echo 'blacklist dvb_usb_rtl28xxu' | sudo tee --append /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-dvb_usb_rtl28xxu.conf

Now you can restart your device. After it boots up again run «rtl_test» at the terminal with the RTL-SDR plugged in. It should start running.

NOTE: Some devices like the Orange Pi zero have a bug in their current mainline OSes. Instead of blacklisting «dvb_usb_rtl28xxu», you will need to blacklist «dvb_usb_rtl2832u». If you installed rtl-sdr by «apt-get», you will need to update the black list file at /etc/modprobe.d/rtl-sdr-blacklist.conf manually too.

After installing the libraries and black listing the DVB-T drivers we recommend starting off with GQRX, a SDR program similar in operation to SDR#. It can be downloaded via the package manager in your Linux distribution or from http://gqrx.dk/download. We can now also recommend the multi-platform CubicSDR which can be downloaded from http://www.cubicsdr.com/.

If you want to install GNU Radio we recommend using Marcus Leech’s script by typing the following into terminal. This installs the RTL-SDR drivers as well.

wget http://www.sbrac.org/files/build-gnuradio && chmod a+x ./build-gnuradio && ./build-gnuradio

Note that if you want to run Linux in a virtual machine it has been reported that RTL-SDR performance with VirtualBox is rather poor due to it’s slow USB connection. VMWare Player on the other hand has good performance — just remember to set the USB controller to use the USB 2.0 protocol as by default it is set to USB 1.1.

Another good Linux quick start guide written by Kenn Ranous can be found here (pdf).

Getting Started on OSX

As there is a severe lack of SDR software for OSX, we recommend using either Linux or Windows. However, GQRX is a SDR program that works well on OSX. 

We can now also recommend the multi-platform CubicSDR which can be downloaded from cubicsdr.com.

For a comprehensive book about the RTL-SDR you may be interested in our book available on Amazon. Available in physical and eBook formats.

3.0.23

Afedri

• Logic updated, should work with any AD sample rate.
• Gain menu corrected, extraneous entries removed.
• Works with 822x which must be in single channel mode.

Display

• I have made the analog S-meter scaling, so if set to medium or large and there isn’t room for it to display correctly it is automatically reduced in size.
• Found and fixed a reproducible bug related to the analog S-meter where the program could display
  Please Wait when closing..
• Better zooming with narrow bandwidths.
• Various startup fixed for floating windows.
• Less flicker when scrolling the waterfall.

Extras

Extra options which are not enabled are now not initialised (save startup processing):

• Go2MONITOR
• LimeRFE
• Digital decoder
• Geostationary beacon

When closing SDR Console, disabled Extras windows are now closed before the window state is saved.

Hermes-Lite 2

• General Radio Pane UI update.
• Transmit support improved.
• Sidetone added for CW when key / keyer connected direct to the HL2.

Recording

Data

Added three preset definitions for the Data recorder.

From the ribbon bar select
Options (see screenshot). Press Preset 1 … 3 to display the
Recording Definition window.

Playback of chained HDSDR (WINRAD format) and SDRuno recordings now works correctly. Allowed up to 5 seconds between the internal times in the metadata chunk.

Video

• Improved reliability.
• Fixed problem with loss of audio.

SDRplay

• If an API call fails it is retried 4 more times with a 25 millisecond interval between retries.
• At least 10 milliseconds between consecutive API calls.
• AGC now restored correctly from previous session.

Equipment Guide

Currently, the most common RTL-SDR dongle is the R820T/R820T2 which usually sells for around $20 USD. See the Buy RTL-SDR dongles page for more information on purchasing.

Generally at least a dual core processor will be required to run most SDR software smoothly. Some command line software and ADS-B decoders may work on less powerful hardware.

To get the most enjoyment out of RTL-SDR you will need a decent antenna. Our packages that come with the dipole antenna set are a great start. Be sure to get them up high and outside (during good weather only) for best results. Units not sold by us may come with a smaller fixed length whip antenna that is okay for testing, but overall is not that great. The most recommended outdoor antenna for general scanning is a discone due to their wide band receiving properties. You can also cheaply build a wideband planar disk antenna (pdf warning) out of some metal pizza pans.

SDR-RADIO V2 Setup Up Guide (Tested on Win XP and above)

To install SDR-RADIO for the RTL-SDR follow the steps below

1. Purchase an RTL-SDR dongle. The cheapest and best for most applications is the R820T/R820T2 dongle. Information on purchasing one can be found here.

1. Plug in your dongle and do not install any of the software that it came with, but ensure you let plug and play finish trying to install it. If you’ve already installed the software drivers it came with previously, uninstall them first.

1. Go to http://zadig.akeo.ie/ and download Zadig.

1. In Zadig, go to Options->List All Devices and make sure this option is checked.

1. Select «Bulk-In, Interface (Interface 0)» from the drop down list. Ensure that WinUSB is selected in the box next to where it says Driver. (Note on some PCs you may see something like RTL2832UHIDIR or RTL2832U instead of the bulk in interface. This is also a valid selection). (Do not select «USB Receiver (Interface 0)» however).

1. Click Install Driver. You might get a warning that the publisher cannot be verified, but just accept it by clicking on Install this driver software anyway. This will install the drivers necessary to run the dongle as a software defined radio. Note that you may need to run zadig.exe again if you move the dongle to another USB port, or want to use two or more dongles together.

1. Download the SDR-RADIO installer from http://v2.sdr-radio.com/Software/Download1.

1. Use the installer to install SDR-RADIO.

1. Download the RTL-SDR support package from the link at http://m3ghe.blogspot.com.au/p/adding-support-for-rtl-sdr-usb-dongles.html ().

1. Extract the SDRSourceRTL2832U.dll, rtlsdr.dll and libusb-1.0.dll files from the x64 folder into the C:\Program Files\SDR-RADIO-PRO.com folder. Or if you have a 32-bit PC extract the files from the x32 folder into C:\Program Files (x86)\SDR-RADIO-PRO.com folder.

1. Open SDR-RADIO. Upon opening it you will be greeted with the Select Radio screen and a prompt saying “List is empty – add radio definition now?” Click Yes. If this prompt does not display, click the + Definitions button.

1. In the new window open the Search drop down menu and select RTL SDR (USB). After clicking it the RTL-SDR will be added to the Radio Definitions list. Click OK.

1. Click on the RTL-SDR click to select it, choose your desired sample rate then click Start.

1. Click on the Span button and adjust the span to the sample rate bandwidth you chose in the last step. This will let you see the whole spectrum.

1. To change the receive mode use the left menu under the frequency tab. You can also change the signal bandwidth here. NFM signals are typically around 12 kHz wide and broadcast FM is typically around 192 kHz wide.

1. To adjust the frequency, use the VFO tuning box on the right side. If you don’t see it you may need to click on the VFO tuning tab. Also if the screen is too small you may need to expand it’s size to show it. You can also click on the waterfall to instantly tune to the clicked frequency.

1. Be sure to adjust the gain settings using the RF gain button in the top which is under the Home tab. By default it is set to automatic.

1. Also to adjust the waterfall colors so that signals are more clearly seen go to the Display tab up the top and then click on the Automatic Calibration button on the very top right.

Installation and ease of use for general frequency browsing on Windows

Airspy	SDRplay RSP	HackRF
Installation involves simply plugging the Airspy into the USB port of the PC and letting Windows plug and play automatically install the drivers. The user can then open up SDR#, select Airspy from the menu and push start.	Setting up the RSP first requires installation of it’s drivers from the SDRplay website. As the RSP has no official software, the second step requires the installation of a plugin for SDR#, or other supported software such as HDSDR. The entire set up procedure is simple, but it is not plug and play.	Installation on Windows is similar to installing an RTL-SDR. Just run zadig and install the WinUSB driver for the HackRF. Then it can run on Windows with SDR#.

In this review we installed all three SDRs from scratch. All the SDR’s were easy to install on Windows, but the Airspy was the easiest with its plug and play operation.

Frequency Manager + Scanner and Scanner Metrics and Frequency Entry Package

This is a plugin package which comes with three plugins. It comes with a more advanced frequency manager than the one shipped with SDRSharp.

It also has a scanner option which can quickly scan through a group of your saved frequencies, looking for an active signal.

It also has a scanner metrics plugin, which records frequency activity to a database. Later this database can be analyzed to find out which frequencies are the most active, saving you time searching manually for active frequencies.

Finally, this package also has a frequency entry plugin, which works like the old SDRSharp frequency entry used to work. Basically, it just allows you to choose a center frequency and IF frequency easily by typing it in instead of adjusting it with the mouse.

Using it on a RTL-SDR V3

Whilst the preselector is designed for the Airspy HF+, there’s no reason why it couldn’t also be retrofitted onto other SDRs, such as our RTL-SDR V3, for use in improving direct sampling mode performance.

The V3 has spare GPIO ports that can be used to control the filter, and 5V for powering the filter could be tapped off the PCB as well. Currently we’re considering making a breakout PCB for the filter than might aide with this.

We did a quick test with the preselector connected to the RTL-SDR V3 running in direct sampling mode, and as expected performance is much better, especially above 5 MHz once the second filter kicks in. This is because the second, third and fourth filters all heavily attenuate the MW broadcast AM band, which is the main source of overload issues on HF.

The following screenshots show how much the filter was able to reduce the signal strength of AM broadcast when the second 5.2 — 10 MHz filter was turned on. This reduction was enough to prevent overload on all the higher bands.