SDRplay: Antennas and Signals for newcomers to SDR receivers

This video is for newcomers to SDR who wonder what antennas they need and what sort of signals can they easily receive. The video is deliberately simple and shows what you should be able to receive on day one before moving on to the wonders of digital decoding and much much more.
00:00 Introduction
00:25 The SDR box and connecting to a computer and antenna
01:49 The radio spectrum and types of antennas appropriate for different frequency ranges
02:55 Some crude examples of wire antennas (lower frequencies through HF (shortwave))
05:55 Some examples of crude antennas for VHF and above
08:30 Examples of signals you can pick up with an SDR (from Low to High Frequencies)
This is one of many video guides from SDRplay - makers of the RSP family of SDR radios. See the full list of SDRplay videos and applications documents on: www.sdrplay.com/apps-catalogue/
For more about antennas, see our recent blog on the topic: www.sdrplay.com/antenna-sugge...
The RSP family of SDRs from SDRplay cover 1kHz to 2 GHz with no gaps and give up to 10MHz spectrum visibility.
SDRplay is a UK company. The RSP SDR receivers are made in the UK and can be purchased for worldwide delivery directly from www.sdrplay.com/ (click on purchase and select your country to view shipping costs) or you can buy from any of our worldwide resellers listed here: www.sdrplay.com/distributors/ Many of the resellers offer local free shipping and/or local language technical support.
The SDRplay KZbin Channel is: / sdrplayrsp

[@andyschrack4466]

If my father was still alive and I showed him this he would be utterly amazed. He was born in 1919 and passed away in 1989. As numb as we are regarding technology today we don't realize how amazing some things are. This is a brilliant device/system.

[@philswede]

Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪

[@edwarddobrowolski1055]

Excellent presentation and very use-full in helping me setup my new RSPdx

[@joseneves2822]

Thank you very much for the video so enlightening, especially with regard to antennas

[@dazer123]

Glad you read the comments in the old video

[@hamandshortwaveradioirelan4773]

Great information for getting started 👍

[@kaiwest_]

Thank you very much for this information, by the way your property is absolutely beautiful!

[@zywica-music]

Thanks. You got me interested in radio again.

[@petersmith5199]

So very helpful , thank you so much for your time.

[@GaryMcKinnonUFO]

Thank you for this.

[@jeffmothersbaugh]

Very good video. You must have some good antennas attached. I just don't get that many stations using my SDR.

[@frequencymanipulator]

Epic, thanks,

[@vinnieromano1336]

What antennas are use using more specific please. Just bought the RSPdx

[@Fimpiekijke]

Hello John, great explanation, how do you make that ground plate/plane happen with that wire straight into the coax plug as you mentioned around 8:16 min In the video ? What is needed on the end of the antenna wire? Should that be a plastic isolator mount to attach the wire on?

[@SDRplayRSP]

the important thing is to connect to the outer of the coax socket either wires or a surface of say metal foil which is perpendicular to the vertical wire you see in the video (connected to the centre of the socket). The effect you are trying to get is this: www.electronics-notes.com/images/antenna-vertical-with-ground-plane-plate.svg You can improvise with crocodile (alligator) clips and wires, sheet steel, tin lids, oven grilles etc. Better still to solder an SO239 socket into some kin of metal mount or indeed buy something ready made - here's a magnetic mount example where this would sit nicely on a metal surface: cpc.farnell.com/unbranded/mnt040/3-mag-mount-3-8-pl259-2m/dp/AP00544

[@smde1]

I think you did an excellent job of explaining the various antenna options. However, I would like to know if you can configure the SDRUNO software to associate a specific antenna with specific bands?

[@SDRplayRSP]

Have you tried using profiles? See kzbin.info/www/bejne/a56kd4KMp7OsjbM

[@Fimpiekijke]

Great help video John, what type of antenna do I needto receive both amaterur 2 m band and airbands? I have great results with the 17 meter of wire non grounded and cover receptions from West US to Africa Ivor. coast to the far East. Really nice product exploring the airwaves with the sdrplaydx👌

[@SDRplayRSP]

I'm ignoring directional antennas (e.g. yagis) which will give additional gain in a specific direction, so then a good compromise omni-directional antenna for both VHF airband and 144MHz would be a quarter wave vertical tuned to say 135MHz (Airband VHF goes from below 120MHz up and 2m goes up to nearly 150MHz - using an online calculator like this suggests just over 50cm or 20 inches is the length: m0ukd.com/calculators/quarter-wave-ground-plane-antenna-calculator/ - the link tehre discusses all sorts of secondary considerations but for receive-only, exact impedance matching isn't a worry. Just make sure you have some kind of ground plane/radials connected to the outer coax. For those frequencies a home-made quarter wave should perform as well as a discone. More important will be getting the antenna up in the clear - "line of sight" really is important at VHF (unlike at HF) Thin non-metallic walls are not too much of a problem so high up in a roof-space is better than on a window ledge downstairs for example. You might also enjoy the HF airbands around 10MHz using your current setup.... www.listenersguide.org.uk/swl/hf-air-traffic-control-and-volmet/ Have fun! Jon

[@jagermeister2648]

Thank! Interest to find out which antennas you use for receiving VLF range or how to make a coil of Dilch of reception VLF

[@SDRplayRSP]

I have only used active magnetic loops. I was trying to find a link to a German video by someone who was having great success with some kind of coil antenna but no luck.

[@jagermeister2648]

@@SDRplayRSP Thanks!

[@SteveHcutabovehost]

Not sure what happened to mine, just bought one and it was picking up local radio FM and later that day went back to test it and now it will not pick up anything. I have tried unplugging it and plugging it back in and getting nothing.

[@bluesteelbass]

Look at the specs for the input filters of your device. The block diagram is really helpful. Some inputs have AM and FM notch filters so you can pick up more readily fainter signals.

[@emjay1952]

Could I use a discone antenna?

[@SDRplayRSP]

sure. They work more efficiently than a simple vertical antenna which is not optimum over a wide range of frequencies. See the discone references in this article: www.sdrplay.com/antennasuggestions/

[@vinnieromano1336]

My laptop doesn’t have a mouse just regular pad. Can I still use your sdr?

[@SDRplayRSP]

If you are happy by dragging the signal or typing in frequencies for tuning then it will be fine. I recommend getting a mouse with a scroll wheel if you have a spare usb port. You could always get a USB hub if you're short of USB sockets.

[@flexairz]

Learn to use the pad. Much quicker than a mouse.

[@douggolde7582]

Thanks John. I just ordered my RSPdx. This will be my first radio. I see special antenna wire on Amazon. Is that marketing or for transmitting? For receive does gauge or insulation type matter?

[@SDRplayRSP]

For receive gauge doesn’t matter. Insulation is good against rain conductivity to whatever holds the wire above ground.

[@mikec00566]

What can i use to pickup Air and sat data download

[@SDRplayRSP]

Please be more specific about what data you refer to and then I recommend asking the question on one of the popular forums such as the SDRplay Facebook group or groups.io forum: www.sdrplay.com/communitylinks/

[@Ghostwritersinthesky]

a 30m long wire hung on a tree or somewhere already hears ALOT. a vertical wire is better for DX. a coaxial cable to the wire is useful, better not connect the wire directly into a radio, that picks up lots of qrm from inside the house.

[@radioguy19510]

What do I do when my RSP-1A is less sensitive than my table scanner at 446 MHz?

[@SDRplayRSP]

Visit SDRplay.com/help

[@michaelagner4355]

Who would use a so-called long wire antenna above HF? Not any ham I know. Halos, loops, beams, verticals, yes, but not a wire antenna. I once built a 3 element 2 meter beam out of copper wire for emergency use but a long wire? Nah

[@RadioRich100]

Sdr radios are toys. If you want a good radio get an Icom or a drake.

[@SDRplayRSP]

We like Icom and Drake too. They all complement each other as seen in this video :-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2WlYZmcrbaafrssi=BmOgdrAlBjWxsv5h

[@j.cabarga5971]

the sound volume is TOO low - YES, I AM using an external, AMPLIFIED speaker - what a waste!