The Latest HackRF & Portapak Combo - H4M The Flipper Zero Killer?

[@MrHolozip]

Sold! I already have a HackRF, but without the portapack - I ordered this yesterday. Thanks for the overview😀

[@vincei4252]

Thank you. I'd just bought and took delivery of a standalone HackRF but having this in the shack is a great addition too. Just bought one.

[@kokoso1]

I HAVE IT TOO but there is a noise problem if you use it on low frequencies (im talking about the hackrf one for me the noise is higher for around 20-30 % than on a rtl sdr v4)

[@ТарасКорж-г4т]

Still no good shielding between RF side and digital parts on the top board, which means all the digital noise will appear in many bands just like in the previous verion. Will skip this version, maybe they improve that in future.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

How do you know this if you do not have it? Seriously, what is your source of information or are you just guessing?

[@ТарасКорж-г4т]

​@@TechMindsOfficial I saw the teardown on someone else's video. Even in your video, there is no additional shielding visible from the side. The required shielding here should be heavy, the case should be metallic with a serious metallic separation between digital top and RF bottom parts. Nothing like that comes with this new version.

[@bxqpxd]

@@ТарасКорж-г4т what stops you from modding that in?

[@ТарасКорж-г4т]

@@bxqpxd I did to prove the concept - on the previous version of Portapack. But it was flimsy and thus not usable. The whole physical construction redesign of the top portion is needed to allow a proper shielding and get the noisy digital parts away from the RF input side.

[@3liverse]

@@ТарасКорж-г4тNot sure why they haven’t done that yet. I’ve been waiting for them to. I previously had the Clifford Heath version of the HACKRF but the TX amp came faulty and was unusable.

[@sevenmoons1869]

Just purchased this for the first time given the upgrades made with the V4! looking forward to playing around with it. I’m a newbie in the SDR space but have been looking for something portable like this to take with me places. there’s currently a bounty out there for adding FLEX paging to the POCSAG app, as that’s far more common here in the US. hoping somebody bites the bullet on that. Cheers!

[@rickasisco]

Can't wait to see what people come up with for the GPIO breakout

[@R50_J0]

The sound quality would probably be quite good piped to a set of external desk speakers.

[@ethzero]

Nice looking bit of kit and surprisingly reasonably priced 👍

[@m4rkb0y]

Great review, thank you. Will be interesting to see how clean the tx is on a scope.

[@MyTube4Utoo]

My next purchase.

[@funkymonk2254]

Oh That power button is awesome. Gpio! These are great upgrades.

[@raymondmartin6737]

I thought Mayhem was the poster man for Allstate Insurance Company? 😅

[@yv6eda]

Great device! This version is in my wish list! Thanks Matt!

[@scottwood1143]

Thanks for the heads-up!

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Any time!

[@mikedmann7487]

Think i would 3d print a thicker case to allow a bigger battery to be installed. Looks badda$$.

[@georgeliquor2931]

I expected it to be more expensive, it wasn't so i bought it, thanks for the link

[@sn0ren]

woop

[@ducky1681]

A wild portapack connoisseur appears!

[@kimverboven7908]

Thank You 73s

[@richardharris5819]

I've heard that the H4M-V2 will be out in early 2025

[@joonglegamer9898]

I hope it has the clifford upgrade + maybe if we've been nice, an ESP 32 chip for easy Wifi stuff as well. Then I'd get one.

[@TheRecurrence]

Is there somewhere public that this info is available to follow along for a release date?

[@mrw1160]

GPIO 👏 modules and apps folks get to work! 👏

[@MrHankster49]

Is this a kit, which must be assembled? Or is it a fully complete & tested unit, ready to use? What is the current price approximately? Thanks

[@hansmaier3689]

Can Not recommend the flat dial nob! Hardware Need Build in Filter, the Input is overloaded and so Bad sensitivity

[@georgeliquor2931]

Do you have any issues regarding frying the amplifier as reported on other chanels

[@kb1qzh]

11.11 Sales are up. Do you have a list of links to your favorite products? I was thinking of a Pluto+

[@EI6DP]

Amazing technology - anything beyond the on-off switch and I'm lost. 🤪

[@KnightWolf2012]

I knew I should have checked out the other day, looks like it’s sold out or no longer available

[@timmturner]

Until they add the modification which keeps the amp from being destroyed it's not worth the other IMO.

[@honestlocksmith5428]

The hackrf and Flipper are very different devices. The hackrf is an expensive AM radio with a lot of problems.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I don't think you have owned a HackRF if you think that. Each to their own I guess.

[@honestlocksmith5428]

@TechMindsOfficial I don't think you know what you own at all. If you think they're even remotely the same device, it's wrong. I have quite a few sdr's, and I find myself using a 5 dollar dongle over the hackrf 99% of the time. Mostly because there's no need to tx on the hackrf. From the hardware, firmware, and functionality, they're completely different devices and only overlap in the 315 and 433 subghz signals, but each saves these files different. The hackrf can't parse these signals either so it never knows what it is. It can only raw record. So can a 5 dollar remote copy device. Everyone is using the buzz words "flipper killer" for everything they find.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I’m referring to your comment about the HackRF being an expensive AM radio with lots of problems. “Potentially” the HackRF could do more than a flipper and with the inclusion of external GPIO on H4M, it could, can it right now? No, course not, there’s no external modules, yet. However, you can run software on windows or Linux which could emulate the same, using the HackRF. HackRF itself can also support upto 6GHz. So my reply to you was based on your comment regarding the HackRF just being an AM Radio. Personally I’ve used the HackRF to transmit a SSB and DATV signal on 2.4GHz to a geo satellite, flipper can’t do that. Right now, flipper wins for what it does. Cheers

[@honestlocksmith5428]

@TechMindsOfficial You're just validating my point that the Flipper and a HackRF are completely different devices designed for different uses.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

@honestlocksmith5428 Currently, but hackrf with H4M will do way more than flipper once modules start appearing, that’s my point. Anyhow, have a great day.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

I wish they'd make it run off 18650's in a battery holder....

[@mrw1160]

Whats stopping you from modding it?

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@mrw1160 Nothing, except it would be external to the protection of the case....

[@mrw1160]

@@edwardfletcher7790 I assume that is why they didn't choose the 18650s. However if you made a mounting bracket by drilling a couple holes in the bottom of the case wiring it in should be pretty easy

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@mrw1160 Thanks for the advice. That's the route I've gone with other units I've modded., Radio, Gameboy etc

[@mrw1160]

@@edwardfletcher7790 Since you mentioned gameboy I opened up a DS Lite and popped off the stock ipex connector and added a new ipex to an sma adapter and drilled a hole where the lanyard holder goes to fasten the sma connector in place when resealing the case, I was able to extend the range of pictochat with various antennas.

[@egbertbotterman7185]

So wait.. You added a superfantastic on-off switch (always found pulling the cable a real hassle!). You left the controls with only the wheel and no other buttons, and you added an external GPIO port which has no software support yet whatsoever? Yeah.. Sounds like a great deal! 🙂 But in its defence.. It does look nice!

[@ralphthebrick]

Guess what Santa 🎅 is bringing me 🎁

[@WX4CB]

Can u add this to a regular hackrf? I have a standalone one that would be great for my work.

[@goiterlanternbase]

So there is an encoder used, that does not suck? The last design tend to fail after some use and at least the replacement is rather easy.

[@thegorkyones762]

Guys, can you advice which one should I get...?? Flipper zero or H4M...??? First time user.

[@scrampker]

Not sure I've ever heard anyone say 'H' quite the way you do. :)

[@TechMindsOfficial]

The letter "H" is commonly pronounced as "Aitch" in most English-speaking countries, including the UK, Canada, and Australia. In some regions, particularly in parts of the US, it may be pronounced as "Haich." However, "Aitch" is the standard pronunciation in most contexts.

[@scrampker]

@@TechMindsOfficial I've spent a lot of time in the UK, and I've never heard them pronounce it 'haich' with the emphasis on the h breathing sound like you do in this video. It must be a dialect I've not come across. All my friends and colleagues there would say it 'aitch,' just like here in the US. Just an interesting sound that caught my ear is all. Dialects vary wildly in the US as well. Someone from New Jersey might sound totally unintelligible to someone who is used to hearing the official "General American" or "American Dialect," which you will likely hear on any official broadcast.

[@brianclimbs1509]

When is someone going to develop SSB TX for it? It would be worth buying just for a VHF SSB transceiver since there are none on the market now.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

I like that idea!

[@fotografm]

I got one and it's great. Thoroughly recommend !

[@dominiquejones8007]

How much does it cost?

[@fotografm]

@@dominiquejones8007 160 USD

[@brantwinter]

aliexpress link is broken

[@__logan__duvalier__]

on your product links are the hackrf boards included ? no mention of this so very confusing !

[@TechMindsOfficial]

‘Full kit’ vs ‘portapak only’ links. Both are there. What’s confusing about that sir?

[@__logan__duvalier__]

@@TechMindsOfficial Thank you for your kind reply. The confusion being that the aliexpress advert does not explicitly say the hackrf is included and their is no packing list shown. The reason for my suspicions are that I bought an 'amateur HF V antenna' from aliexpress a few months ago. It arrived without the telescopic antenna sections despite the add showing them in the photos and made no mention they were not included. I complained but could not get a refund despite many calls to customer services. I now have an expensive PCB and mast bracket that is of no use to me . Basically I was swindled !

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Ahh I see what you mean. On the opensourcesdrlab website, and the aliexpress full kit link, I think it had an option where it showed a load of antennas with it, that's the full kit which includes the hackrf. I know what you mean though, i have experienced similar issues. cheers :-)

[@digitalmediafan]

I presume you are losing out in some way just upgrading an existing HackRF with the H4M portapak ?

[@rwojo]

USB-C support is all, I think. Also, if you have a Clifford Heath version of the HackRF, you'll have input protection. That is not available on the H4M pre-assembled version sadly.

[@digitalmediafan]

@rwojo ok don't think I'll bother and with mine it does turn off if you double press the knob

[@rwojo]

@@digitalmediafan Yeah, really only worth it if you travel a lot and have a case that doesn't protect the rotary button, or maybe if you need the GPIO.

[@GamingAmbienceLive]

does it have the GPS and 10MHz TCXO like H2M?

[@scrampker]

I don't understand how the full kit with HackRF is only $150, but I paid $330+ for my standalone HackRF One.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

It's because the HackRF boards that come with this kit are essentially a clone, which are a lot cheaper than the original version. IMO though, I have not see much difference between real / clone, but I know some have had issues with front end blowing.

[@scrampker]

@@TechMindsOfficial Cool, I ordered the kit for my pureblood HackRF One. Hopefully it doesn't experience that static/antenna issue you mentioned.

[@S_T.]

If enyone bought it, how long it took to get?

[@BenjiNotknown]

Full Duplex and i'm in

[@TechMindsOfficial]

You can buy two lol.. Not sure if a second receiver could be added to the GPIO port, doubt it, if if you could, then yeh, full duplex. otherwise you will need a PlutoSDR.

[@S_T.]

I have one question. Why on online shop says that it comes with h2 and not h4m?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

The H2M is the older version, the H4M is on the official website, just search for it. Cheers

[@gshockhodinky]

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@Mark_B544]

Why is the flipper zero more expensive than this? Is it better or worse?

[@вечная_мерзлота]

flipper 0 is just a hype . I have it. absolutely useless toy unless u want to impress your friends with TV switching ON/OFF.

[@ethzero]

I have a Flipper Zero too. Sorry to hear some people can't find much use for one but there are plenty of apps, ever expanding it's capabilities. My main use is for electronic diagnosis/control

[@gfuentes8449]

@@вечная_мерзлота huh? I can do that with my phone. Can't you open RFID door locks?

[@LordHog]

Sorry, I am confused. Does the full kit include the HackRF? Generally the HackRF is close to $400 dollar just by itself. This seems to be a lot cheaper than that

[@jmileshc]

It's a clone not a "genuine" unit.

[@LordHog]

@@jmileshc Thank you for the clarifications. I was about to get one, but was a bit hesitant. Sounds like I should be okay. Thanks!!

[@simonbaldwin69]

So what is it like with spurious transmissions?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Add your own filters to use on air.

[@David-UK24]

Page cannot be found 😣

[@cgarzs]

7:40 If the messages aren't meant for other eyes then they shouldn't be so openly broadcast in cleartext.

[@BeneeUK]

The link doesn’t work for the full kit, any ideas Tech Minds?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

You’ll have to order direct from their website site, link also in the description. Cheers

[@BeneeUK]

@ thank you!

[@BeneeUK]

​@@TechMindsOfficial Oddly the link works now, said not available in your country earlier!

[@AbdiPianoChannel]

The link is not available

[@TechMindsOfficial]

If the AliExprss link is not working, then try the official website link, second link down.

[@bradt5426]

Lets be honest, has anyone ever received POCSAG in the wild regularly?

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Here in UK we have it constant, its used in the medical sector.

[@James-k2c9k]

Link to aliexpress does not work

[@csparty11]

It's not on the site anymore, they took it off this morning. Either it's sold out completely but then there would be other sellers i assume.

[@jmileshc]

@@TechMindsOfficial Hmm, that doesn't work either for me? what's the vendors shop name please?

[@James-k2c9k]

@@jmileshc there are actually no hackrf ones in aliexpress at all anymore for some reason

[@eduarddavidescu119]

I bought one yesterday from Aliexpress. I think it is sold out

[@paulmark63]

Hi Matt does it do FT8. Paul in Kent

[@digitalmediafan]

no digital modes it seems....

[@GeorgeAdams]

Not yet at least

[@christianivancsits6885]

Does it have a TCXO?

[@christianivancsits6885]

FYI OpenSourceSDRLab customer support says "on the H4M there is a tcxo"

[@0xKruzr]

so this is... way, way, WAY more capable than a FlipperZero, right?

[@C4H6As]

You can record and retransmit parts of the spectrum with all the signals inside. You do not have to know what it exactly is, only have to adjust the recording bandwidth. It works for LoRa e.g. Too bad that the SD card only works with FAT32 and has a file size limit of 3GB. So it cannot be used for long term recording even with big cards. If the file size limit is reached, it says "Disk full!" and does not start a new file. I hope this will be fixed soon.

[@virtual812]

@TechMindsOfficial I have yet to make contact with anyone who has had success with the battery management. Issues are battery not cutting off at an appropriate voltage, cycle counter reading 0 regardless number of actual cycles, device failing to function correctly at low voltages (possibly due to regulator dropout voltage / failed 3.3v rail). Can you comment on your experience with this? I'd love to hear at least someone is having some success, or confirm my suspicions of a batch / design issue.

[@BrianHall]

I’m also experiencing major issues with battery charging. I had the unit plugged in to a USB wall adapter but it never charged more than 56%, and seemed to be stuck there. It’s also very confusing because when the unit is powered off with the switch but then plugged in with the USB power cable, the unit turns on. I can’t figure out the best way to charge the H4M beyond 56% despite leaving it plugged in for a couple of days.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

With mine I had to have it powered on for it to charge. It did reach 100% and I used a Raspberry Pi USB mains adapter.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

oh and i had it set to IC and not volts.

[@BrianHall]

@ thank you! That was the trick for me! 👍

[@GeorgeAdams]

This would be sweet for Meshtastic.

[@PengoVK3PGO]

Don't have one (yet), but doesn't look like anyone's seriously attempted to tackle adding Meshtastic and LoRa yet. There's an open feature request on the github though

[@sc20910]

What is BurgerPgr? Can it allow me to order a Big Mac remotely? ;)

[@FNUKSTER1366]

Unfortunately unavailable on Ali express , good video's Matt

[@bashkillszombies]

I'm predicting it will be as janky, broken, and underwhelming as the mayhem edition where it's got a load of features but they aren't implemented yet and never will be - the problem with open source development.

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Your crystal ball is broken then because all of the mayhem apps are working.

[@Un_Pour_Tous]

Why is there this android/apple cult of personality when it comes to these devices? PPL are fuken weird.

[@afb9999]

Meh should be less than $100

[@EnlightenedSavage]

Looks like a zune.

[@Bloke-in-Stoke]

Sold out... not even shown the product details so I've no idea how much it costs 😢Great vid though, thank for sharing. Cheers de G0DUI 🍺

[@TechMindsOfficial]

Try here: opensourcesdrlab.com/products/h4m-receiver-and-spectrum-analyzer

[@lewiskelly14]

The flipper was an awful device

[@kokoso1]

10:43 who cares