Software Defined Radio (SDR) on Android Device

[@JamesEdwards780]

Greatly appreciate the no bla-bla-bla format of your videos. Straight to the point with great info.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks! My approach so far has been to try to create stuff I would want to watch, and I seldom have the patience to watch 30 minutes of something that can be explained in 5 LOL. To each their own though. I do like some vlog channels that are more conversational which I might have a go at if anyone is interested. Maybe I'll call it my ICY GAS vlog...In Case You Give A Sh*t vlog :)

[@Thunderstormworld]

@@TomtheDilettante Question in some smart phones if you plug in headphones or a aerial you can listen to FM radio, does this mean that there could be a SDR built in?

[@jimb1580]

Exactly. Really appreciate the no-nonsense approach.

[@patrickjeromeobaldo2450]

@@Thunderstormworld Built in radio are mostly just FM and AM. SDR receivers are an all around receiver, in which the demodulation of the signals are done in software, hence software defined radio. Think of it as a radio emulator of some sorts.

[@normanheller4174]

@@jimb1580 you guys are doing

[@boba.9169]

Tom, You've pushed me to make the move to experience SDR inexpensively! Thanks Pulled the trigger on this stuff today to experience SDR using my android smartphone (5.93" diagonal screen with 1080p x 2160p resolution): --RTL-SDR Blog V3 dongle (from the official website) --Micro USB Host OTG Cable with USB Power (allows dongle to be powered by phone charger or external battery pack rather than cellphone battery) --SMA Male Plug to BNC Female adapter (allows me to connect some of my old portable scanner antennas / whips to the dongle) --SDR Driver Android driver --SDR RF Scanner Android software Holding off on this for now: --SMA Male Plug to SO239 Female Adapter (allows connection of my outside antennas to dongle)

[@maincharacter4157]

I can't believe this channel don't have more than 60.1k viewers. Keep going Tom, you're a darn good presenter / explainer / teacher.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thank you very much!

[@Marioleye]

first time for me ! i suscribe

[@kripton7120]

I think it' because the topics are too different. He has all kind of videos which makes it hard to get attention from a certain group. I liked and subscribed when I saw this video but was disappointed when I check his channel to see he doesn't have too much ham radio videos.

[@lexscarlet]

Dude the "unexpected interest" you discovered in that comments section may have come from appreciation of you boss tier editing skills and clarity I'll watch any topic you make a video on

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks for your support and kind words. Definitely inspires me to keep my game up. It's been challenging but a lot of fun so far. And seeing folks share experiences, tips and ideas in the comments of these things is awesome to witness. Thanks again!

[@lexscarlet]

@@TomtheDilettante IDK whose idea the zoom in, search and install apps within Android, zoom out sequence was but right there I was hooked. Engaging visualization.

[@TomtheDilettante]

@@lexscarlet Good feedback. Thanks! TBH I just kinda made that shit up on the fly in the "editing room". Seemed like a cool idea at the time.

[@BurninBogey7]

I'd like to see him cover 'marriage'. This outta be interesting. Especially if the husband has a $50K ham radio hobby.

[@MrDeekaph]

Thank you brother! I've had a lifelong interest in radio but have held off investing in heavy duty hardware with the view of SDR on the horizon, and then I forgot about it. Then it dawned on me one day and I looked it up and using your video I put an old Note 3 to work! One thing I will add for anyone looking into this, I followed your instructions to the letter but ran into a "Source not available!" when I first fired up RF Analyzer. If you get this, go to settings (the three dots at the top right and then "Settings") and under "Source Type" select the source from RF Hack to RTL-SDR.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks for watching and sharing that helpful tip. Unfortunately, the app doesn't auto-detect the type of hardware attached so yes, manually selecting the hardware type is a must to get started. Thanks again and have a good one!

[@agomes1234]

You are a star! Helpful, knowledgable, humble, well-spoken, straight to the point! Pity not all humans are like you. Thank you so much .🙏🙏👍

[@TomtheDilettante]

Wow, thanks! I'm sure there are many who are grateful not all humans are like me, but I try to be a pretty good guy LOL. Thank you for watching and I'll endeavor to continue being worthy of such praise.

[@r1w3d]

I just found your channel randomly without watching any RF related anything today, I fucking love this channel and immediately subbed. I'm an RF engineer in north florida that happens to be the youngest at 31. I want to say your speech is extremely coherent and well put together on top of having a solid voice for speaking. I'm currently binging your videos while building a Ramsey FM transmitter from 1994 that I've had since I was 10 that I never got around to making. 🤣 Keep up all of your awesome videos man and again your voice would be great for the broadcast business 👌👌

[@CajunGreenMan]

Your voice sounds like it would be perfect for radio, TV, Internet voiceover. This was a great video. very concise yet still has all the details and you never struggle for your words. Keep up the great work!

[@Daemon0617]

I never heard of it before. Glad that there are devices like this that we can hear radio traffic.

[@xtrekadventure8225]

It hertz me to say this, but I can't afford another hobby! I have to live this one through your channel!

[@TomtheDilettante]

You win the comments section for today. There were some really great comments so far, but I can't resist a good pun. They've just groan on me over the years.

[@dogwalker666]

Groan that's a bad pun lol.

[@Grandassets]

your stimulus should be here any day now :)

[@craigjones9244]

🤦‍♂️

[@craigjones9244]

There's always one that wants to Ham it up😃

[@jeffreycohen3451]

Like others, I appreciate your no-nonsense style of conveying the information. Well done and thank you.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thank you!

[@gerardolebron8838]

I sold. You have earn my subscription. Congrats. Thank you for the outstanding insight

[@FrankFactor]

Tom, thanks for these great videos. You really know how to spend my money! I will be buying a diesel heater this week, and I was able to dig out my SDR (that I have had for years and never really figured it out how to effectively use) and start tinkering with it again. I was up and running in no time thanks to your advice. Going to build some bigger antennas next, very excited. Now you should plug that S9 into an HDMI monitor or TV (using a USB C to HDMI adapter or one with additional power and USB slots) and try out the Samsung DEX desktop. These Androids apps are great full-screen and with a mouse and keyboard, and thanks to being powered by the phone, it makes for a portable option that will make you wanna leave your laptop at home. Thanks for the great content!

[@preyingjaws]

Thanks for the quick overview. I just got the SDR dongle for backpacking. For under 2 ounces this is a welcomed addition to my kit.

[@EvilDaveCanada]

I'm a licensed HAM but predate SDR but this video is a great thin edge of the wedge intro to SDR.

[@joeb3300]

While I have not tried the SDR dongle with an Android device, I have used it for many hours with my PC. I have listened to local trains (including track-side monitoring equipment - "20 cars, 80 axles, noooo defects"), aircraft-to-tower comms, VHF and UHF repeaters (one freq at a time) and simplex signals, municipal agencies (EMS and Fire), local organization's commercial radios, and with the UpConverter, HF SSB signals. I have even been able to Rx VHF APRS packets and pass the audio to another PC to decode. I use SDR# software and the NooElec HW. This ~$20 (the price 3 years ago) toy has supplied me with dozens of hours of fun. Thanks for the video!

[@thegadgetemporiumaustralia8509]

Hi, that all sounds really cool but I'm very new to radio enthusiasm. Would you have any ideas as how to detect UHF or VHF radios from a long distance? Here in Australia on long road trips we would love to be able to tell if a big truck fitted with a radio is coming towards us etc. But the problem is we need something that can detect the radio even when it is not transmitting otherwise there's no guarantee we can be warned of the truck coming. Thanks!

[@joeb3300]

@@thegadgetemporiumaustralia8509 Hi. I can't imagine any technology that will alert you to a radio that is not transmitting. If the driver were occasionally transmitting, but not at this specific time, you could - in theory - "DF" (direction find) his positions when transmitting and infer his direction and speed. But that would be pretty complicated - like something US & allied forces use in Humvees in conflict zones. In that scenario to DF you use two or more receivers, simultaneously, with directional antennas and 'triangulate'. For a stationary transmitter (target), the movement of your vehicle effectively allows you to triangulate due to your changing position by taking different samples (direction measurments) at different times. But when both you and the target are moving AND the target is only transmitting occasionally - the problem becomes pretty much unsolvable. Sorry!

[@shoersa]

@@thegadgetemporiumaustralia8509: Don't think you can detect a radio that is not transmitting at any distance beyond say 100 feet.

[@samuelkearney880]

This is a really well done and helpful video. An operator I talk to on CB radio put me on to the sdr topic and I'm keen to learn more about it. He uses it to locate sources of electrical noise that interfer with his incoming signals.

[@ericgulseth74]

Nice follow up on your SDR radio video. Your last video got me thinking about my long desire to get into Ham and I have started studying for my Tech licenses. Hopefully in a few weeks I'll be a new ham.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thank you! Good luck on your exam! It's a fun hobby and like most things it is what you make of it / put into it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have :)

[@QUADBOYification]

Great info, you should tell everybody you can use old stock DVB+DAB+FM Dongles worth $5. They all have the RTL chip and that is what counts. Get a good set of plugs so you can attach PL-259 and SMA/BNC on the fly. A set of antennas to have better reception on VHF/UHF bands and CB (HF). The power consumption is reasonable although these dongles get warm to the touch.

[@DoktorLorenz]

This is all new to me but I love the money saving tip though, much appreciated

[@88njtrigg88]

@@DoktorLorenz A powered USB cable will also help to eliminate coaxial cable loss.

[@mstover2809]

I bought one of them years ago, then found I could use if for an SDR dongle - means I was able to salvage it from the trash bin!

[@denelson83]

But I want an SDR that can receive frequencies as low as 50 kHz.

[@luminousfractal420]

@@denelson83 wire antennae on amazon does 0-40, not sure about the dongle

[@26TM205]

Please note the NESDR Smart only goes down to 25MHz wheras Silver V3 you have covers all the HF SW bands. So if you want to listen to Shortwave you need the Silver SDR you have. Hope that helps

[@jamesbucsis6296]

Be interesting, to set one of these up in an old shortwave radio

[@robertrutherford9057]

You should open an amazon store and offer these for sale. Make a few bucks. This is brilliant.

[@jimaanders7527]

This is incredibly interesting, Tom. I hadn't heard about these devices until I saw your videos. You're a fast learner and a very good teacher, thanks very much!

[@cedricerleward]

GREAT VIDEO EDITING You should do a video on the editing tools you use.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thank you! I just might :) I won't lie, trying to learn that aspect of content creation has been challenging but also a lot of fun. It's rewarding to see it received well. Thanks again!

[@ronlewis6394]

Thanks Buddy. Recently found your KZbin channel and enjoy your straight forward discussion on various topics. Stop selling yourself short. Your a great presenter on topics that has set running looking for some of the stuff you have detailed. Great Job. 👍 keep it up.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks very much for watching and the kind words! It's been fun! Sharing with and learning from viewers has been a great experience so far.

[@RoxyJones532]

*You're

[@ghostmanscores1666]

Some of the most fascinating things I've ever learned were in KZbin comments.

[@Oper8or]

Thank you very much! I wasn't sure which one to trust. Now I know there are more options. You realize that boaters, rv'ers, and hikers LOVE this stuff. It will come in handy when I'm on the trail in the mountains.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Hmm. I didn't realize that / hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks a lot!

[@prof.hectorholbrook4692]

So glad I found your channel! I'm going for it via my Galaxy Note 20 Ultra!.... I've lways been interested in "conventional" worldwide radio from here in the UK and have seen ads for SDR Dongles in various radio enthusiast magazines, but never bothered to "dip my toe in the water" with them. But, your concise (& convenient with those links) vid here has enthused me, especially the portability aspect of tuning, listening & exploring the air waves while on the go. (This planned radio "diversion" may even help me get through my daughter's sudden death back in 2003). Anyway - now I've Subscribed to your YT Channel too, I'm gonna find your other vids. Thanks again!

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks and very sorry to hear of the loss of your daughter. I would never presume to tell anyone how to live their lives, but I'll share my personal philosophy...honor the lives of those you love or have loved you by enriching your life and the lives of others :) Best of luck and I hope you enjoy this and many other new diversions :)

[@prof.hectorholbrook4692]

@@TomtheDilettante That's VERY nice of you Tom & thanks to you for your supportive words very much indeed. Life is tough emotionally for me here. But you are a strong soul and I wish you all the very best in your Vision, Mission & Purpose in sharing your new findings & interests etc. worldwide via YT. Thanks again! Best regards, Hector. (Far North of Scotland, UK).

[@marcd1981]

Thank you Tom, I saw your laptop version first and went to your home page and saw this one as well. You have a great voice for instruction videos, and your editing is fantastic, makes your videos easy to follow. You probably didn't realize those two areas (voice and editing skills) were so natural for you. You would do well in voice over work and teaching video editing.

[@TomtheDilettante]

ha! Thanks so much for the kind words and encouragement! I started this as a COVID hobby / creative outlet just for fun. Didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have been. My only regret is not having more time to dedicate to the channel and content (damn day job :P). Got a lot more video ideas and I'll endeavor to continue being worthy of such praise. Thanks for watching and have a good one!

[@timelake4893]

Exactly, we’ll put about Tom’s gift. Tom has EXACTLY the delivery that I need to concisely understand such lessons and instructions.

[@lutfi9w2upi47]

Good idea Tom. After watching this video, I got another options to go out grid with the simplest tools. Thank you very much for the sharing.😁

[@pandalabtech]

Good to see other people getting into SDR. It's a fascinating world out there even if most stuff is digital or encrypted, there are plenty of oddities, strangeness, cool people, and wonderful broadcasts a lot of people dont know about. Great vid!

[@jamespfitz]

This is a well-done how-to video. And that voice!

[@daviddoch4872]

No blah blah,. to the point and raw, great presentation style

[@walterblanc9708]

I started using an SDR dongles a few years back on my PC but never thought about putting it on my mobile. I figured that it would not have the horsepower, maybe so a few years back I don't know, however thankyou I will have fun doing this and saving money on a handheld airband I was thinking of buying. Excellent video. Subbed :)

[@kennethhill3054]

Major Tom thanks very much for creating this video for I have just moved to Rupert VT where there is extremely limited radio reception. I have been looking all over for an old school radio that has an external antenna hookup but it looks like you have solved my problem for me !!😊 I have subscribed to your channel and have saved this video for future reference, love the radio,Ken

[@kennethhill3054]

Tom can I do this on my android Tablet? Ken

[@daverdal1]

Wow, thanks for the great info. Can't wait for summer so I can spend hours at my off grid land listening to the world !!!!

[@danw1955]

Just ran across this video.. I'm going to have to give this a try! I have a couple older NooElec R820T2's that I was using on Linux mainly for aircraft tracking, but it would be nice to explore other bands with them. I have the same model Galaxy S9+, so it should be pretty much identical to what you're working with. I think I may try to design or buy an inline power adapter though, since they will drain the phone battery fairly quickly. ...and yes, those NooElec SDR's run hot! I usually pop the plastic case off mine when I was using them on a PC to keep them from self-destructing when running for extended periods.😉

[@johnthomas5806]

thanks for this information...it has been 50 years m/l since I used ham in the service but this has renewed my interest............God Bless America

[@sentul5558]

I thank you for your videos. I have just bought an RTL-SDR. I had one similar before and I am re-learning how to use. Some I already knew from before, some I have from the RTL blog. Your videos are different. You don't only show what you can do, more importantly You Show How You Do It. .... Excellent for anyone watching. 'm really looking forward to your HF attempts, I am struggling with this. I have done all RTL Blog says for SDR# and I cannot get one station, meanwhile my SDRPlay blasts them out. Good luck, I am subscribing to your channel, hopefully you will get HF to work and explain how. Thank you once again.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks for watching. Currently experimenting with HF with some success and trying to weave together enough useful information for a script. I've heard good things about the SDR Play...nice to hear your experience with them is positive too. Guess I'll have to put that on my wish list :)

[@sentul5558]

@@TomtheDilettante The SDRPlay is worth looking at if you want to upgrade anytime along with excellent software SDRUno (free download). There are plenty of videos here on it and the development team are very good. Back to the RTL SDR which your video is about. I bought mine because it is more portable and has quite a few Android apps for free. As such it can be taken outside without too much hassle. (SDRPlay only has one app on Android so you need a laptop or good notebook etc at the least to run SDRUno). The RTL SDR is a good little SDR for not so much layout and most people have an Android device of some sort these days. Unfortunately my Android device has developed a fault and I'm going to have to get a new one. As such I haven't used RTL on Android much yet. As I said earlier I'm trying HF and I am using HDSDR, SDR Sharp and SDR Console but I am not having much luck yet on HF. I'm looking forward to se how you get on and hopefully learn a bit more. Thanks for your reply and good luck with your HF endeavours. :-)

[@Conjugate-Match]

If HF is your primary range of interest you'll need something like an Airspy HF+ or an SDRplay .. but much more expensive than the RTL-SDR.

[@sentul5558]

@@Conjugate-Match ... Yes a while ago I would definitely have agreed with you. I have an SDRPlay. (see my comments above) .... quote "" 'm really looking forward to your HF attempts, I am struggling with this. I have done all RTL Blog says for SDR# and I cannot get one station, meanwhile my SDRPlay blasts them out."""" ... end quote ... However, now, please see this link ... kzbin.info/www/bejne/laPGepeKZbOFh6c from Tom above. and my comments today below it. I can get this dongle working OK now but is it as good as my other radios ? I'm afraid my jury is now still out on that ...

[@colinhorwood363]

Hi, I have just subscribed to your channel and I am very interested to hear about sdr. As years ago I was a ham operator, but with a young family to raise my hobby got left behind. Wind forward many years family all grown up and the sad passing of my wife of 52 plus years, I asked my children to buy me a rtl-sdr and they did and I am glad they did as I have gotten back into radio and enjoying my old hobby all over again. Keep up the great work and I may pass on some of my knowledge. Colin from the UK

[@K1VV1939]

Tom love this channel may have to spend some time here. Those radios can be coupled in 4 to make a Passive Radar system using a local radio station as the background noise ... that the best and latest Land and Air Radar system in the world right now. Tom if you do a program series on setting that up I'll subscribe. Neal New Zealand.

[@integralogic]

Craaazy thanks

[@markwilliam3162]

i don't understand the thumbs down when its a educational video to help others ,,,,,,thanks tom great info thumbs up from me

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks @mark william! It's all good. Haters are gunna hate. In my experience, most haters look for any opportunity to criticize, berate, or belittle others as a means to distract themselves from a miserable existence ;)

[@thinkingjohn2099]

Excellent, given I live in a small country town in a valley this would be perfect for me as I can travel to higher ground or use it in the City to guarantee receiving something of interest

[@magicdrshoon]

Great video. Just bought an RTL SDR V4 on the back of this video! Thanks for the info!

[@andrehenriquepereira]

The best video on rtl-sdr in KZbin congratulations man

[@TomtheDilettante]

Wow, thanks!

[@shawnstimson239]

Decided to try this with an android phone taking up space in a drawer. The SDR driver is still available, and works with the Nooelec SDR smart. The RF analyzer app hasn’t been updated to work with the newer android builds, but SDR touch seems to work, will test for a bit and see if it’s worth the $12 pro-key. Thank you!

[@daviddoch4872]

The Preppers would love this stuff. Every underground bunker needs this setup

[@tomaims]

Keep up the videos, they are helpful, interesting and sprinkled with your excellent host commentary thanks!

[@parthabhatta1963]

Excellent. Learnt a new thing about radios. Pretty interesting. Will result in draining a few bucks further. Will enjoy it though.😊 Thanks for the upload.

[@danroberts2055]

Thanks for this, I was able to download the driver and RF software and mine came right up after i went into setting and selected the correct RTL driver. hooked it to my 2m antenna and picked up 145mhz just fine! Will say that my RTL-SDR gets pretty hot and my phone drains quick..

[@TomtheDilettante]

glad you enjoyed it. My SDRs get pretty warm too and yes, it does draw a fair amount of power. I think in ghe future if I'm running on my phone, I'll use a power adapter into a portable battery or something to spare my poor phone :)

[@denelson83]

Unfortunately, RTL-SDRs cannot do MF or HF, and that is a dealbreaker for me.

[@jafinch78]

NanoVNA and TinySA might be great topics for DIY Antenna, Feedline, Cables, Filters, etc. tuning. Both handheld portable and with software potential detailing also. Also, might be interesting using the RTL-SDR or other SDR's as Panadapters or Discrimination Taps. That's really interesting also basically taking old school raiods and tapping with the SDR's and doing some DSP and visualization. Great video and thanks for sharing! Cool to see your channel grow. Updated since didn't have the bell rang and now do.

[@jafinch78]

Uh oh... upconverting, downconverting, amplifying and more looks like. Good deal.

[@TomtheDilettante]

LOL! Thanks for watching and for chiming in! Man, that's a lot to unpackage but all super cool stuff! Funny you should mention the NanoVNA and TinySA...I literally just got both last week and am trying to learn how and where to use them. So far I tested SWR on my homebrew VHF/UHF dipole using the NanoVNA, and confirmed I'm not going crazy in that some of my cheaper LED light bars put out a TON of RFI throughout the 2m band (been practically jamming my 2m comms when trying to run both). So much content opportunity and so little time. Guess I need to start getting better and content planning and creation :) KZbin started as a COVID hobby and I've been enjoying it more than I thought I would. The fact that people are actually watching is humbling and pretty cool.

[@jafinch78]

​@@TomtheDilettante You've got skills man and you're not boring to watch nor are the topics. I just received yesterday the second metal case I'll modify to use with the TinySA. First went on the NanoVNA. First case was bought off eBay and was like twice as much as this same one: www.aliexpress.com/item/33051938345.html Exact same and even had the same "Piswords" packaging that I guess had me thinking piswords sort of regarding the price. Yeah, amazing the emissions of stuff now days. Both are handy for sniffing around and spec'ing item out cost effectively. IMSAI Guy and Joe Smith have the best videos I've watched for the NanoVNA and TinySA all pretty much on the wiki referenced by Erik K with both having great groups.io support groups. w2aew has the best presentation for Smith Charts I've found: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqS7lWl9oNmfj7M Anyways, I haven't looked at your site metrics... though seems the content and trajectory is on the right path. Reads like you know what you're doing. Time and resources... such is life in essence. Wishing all the best.

[@Dennyh025]

So I was about to type a question if this could pick up NOAA radio, then as soon as I went to the comment section that is the exactly what you did in your video at 5:00. Thank you for this great video!

[@prof.hectorholbrook4692]

FANTASTIC!!! EXCELLENT!!.... Got the gear you recommended and I'm up & running here in N. Scotland!! Thanks very much for introducing me to a new hobby (& diversion)!

[@timelake4893]

Tom this gift you have, your precise delivery, is what I need to concisely understand lessons and instructions.

[@RadioHamGuy]

Great job on the video explanation. I use SDR on my computer, need to try it on my Android phone sometime.

[@pablod6872]

Nice video - very straightforward. I'm going to get one of those cables and make this part of my backpack EDC.

[@Saber341]

Very cool!! Hoping to see you do a follow-on video that goes into HF listening and mobile antenna setups.

[@blackops84321]

Great video. Thank you. I have sdr for the laptop but always wanted it for the phone. Awesome work.

[@BlueSun4886]

There are dozens of neat subjects for SDR even with only RTL-SDR V4 with Ham upconvert. MultiPSK is a package full of exotic modes of PSK, FSK, Hellschreiber, Acars, & scores of others. You can use your RTL-SDR to get NOAA weather satellite video downloads, analog video (ABC is still broadcast on the original analog channel 6 in my neck of the woods). You could cover all of the commonly used encryption & trunking systems its supposed to be able to handle. I'd like to see one on using VHF/UHF repeaters, specifically how to set CTCSS (PL) codes. I can't wait to see your HF/Android video. I have an image of you walking around, phone in hand, a 30-foot vertical pole strapped to your back with a multi-band Yagi at the top. Tough to get into Starbucks with one of them. I'm planning to get an SDR for my new Raspberry Pi with the 7" touchscreen monitor I got for it. I have it booting Kali Linux & am getting a hat for it next week that will allow M.2 SSDs even up to 2280 form factor for it. Plenty of storage for dozens of playtoys. It uses PCIe with a 2" ribbon cable to a bottom HAT to boot directly from the SSD. For now, on 2 meter & 440, I'm just going to use one of my HT SMA dualband antennas. Small & already resonant on both bands. Probably considerably better than buying the antenna you showed from Amazon where you really have to calculate how much you need to extend it for low SWR on each band. Maybe you could get a metal construction helmet & put a dual-band magnet mount on top of it for mobility 😄. Looking forward to your next SDR video drops.

[@buzzsah]

I bought the SDRPlay 2 about 3-4 years ago, I may have used it 1 hour in that time. I even have it on its own laptop, and every time I see it I think of the money I spent. SDR can be a fun thing at the right price, but when spending over $200 O-well.

[@mikebaruffa5308]

Found a nice use for my old phone. Dedicated SDR! Just subscribed... Nice job, Tom!73s - N8TLS

[@davidthomson5308]

Excellent video. Myself did not know about RF Analyzer. Your basic use of features instructions amazing. What we all need to continue enjoying the hobby. Thank you. Cheers. 😎🇨🇦👍

[@frankjesko8165]

@Tom Wanna have some real fun with this setup? Take what you've got thus far (I'm using the same app & driver) and add a tape measure yagi. Folded it takes up about as much room as an umbrella and you'll never show up unprepared for an impromptu T-Hunt ever again. It's also handy to find the frequency and source of RF interference. Keep up the great work 73s de NM9X

[@JohnL1950]

Now I’ll give SDR another try on my android. Thanks.

[@michaelflores6249]

Honestly, I've never heard of SDR before and this seems really neat. Thank you for sharing this interesting device and topic.

[@MatthewJohnCrittenden]

Welcome to the rabbit hole. 9 months ago I hadn't either. Now I have 2 SDRs, scanning the skies 24/7 with a PiAware device and a 10m fibreglass antenna holder. It gets addictive if you're into it!

[@vbdon8908]

Hey Tom, thanks for your show. Very informative. SDRs are cool. Keep em coming.

[@LouisHansell]

Dynamite! Looking forward to the 'Hobbyist's Guide' episode. Thanks for all your work.

[@dattatreyanc9690]

beautifully explained. i was listening to RadioGarden , until i came across your sdr youtube video. and got hooked. will listen to your explorations into sdr. thanks for sharing your experience. cheers. c dattatreyan

[@AmazingPhilippines1]

Cool! Thanks for the info. Watching from the Philippines.

[@JRUTHLESS_GARAGE_AND_CUSTOM]

this is exactly what I need , plus you have the sane phone big plus for me

[@karlschulte9231]

These dongles like the ver 5 from noelectric ( made in USA and Canada - go Maple Leafs) are only about $45 with a small antenna. Note that and aligator clip lead hooked end to a curttain by your desk will greatly help reception. The Noelectric item above will do a fair job on HF but and extra upconverter they sell will be even better- it goes between an hf antenna and the main dongle. I jist did this and will use it while recouperating in bed. Great for camping , lonely motel rooms, etc.

[@Breeegz]

I really like that you took the time to chapterize your video. Like many "How-to" videos on KZbin, it's necessary to cover the basics to make sure that anyone can follow along, but like many people watching how-to videos on KZbin, I don't necessarily need to be stepped through how to set up a Raspberry Pi SD card and flash the image again. Likewise, I don't need help installing Android apps. I understand why you included them, and I agree that that portion is necessary. Thanks again for taking that extra effort. I have had a NesSDR (sp?) for a while now, but I haven't plugged it in yet, I wanted to get to the meat-n-potatoes of the capabilities to help inspire me to finsh that particular project in my never-ending list of projects... they never get shorter, do they?

[@TomtheDilettante]

Thanks for watching and the kind words. I appreciate you noticing that as well. It's a conscious choice because like you said, I too don't always need to know every step, but maybe just a part where I'm stuck. When others do that in their videos I'm grateful so I figured I'd emulate it and pay if forward :) And yes, the project list NEVER seems to shrink :P Such is the life of the curious mind :) Have a good one!

[@ejbeekeeper4360]

Great video! I started with SDR radio 2 years ago and build my own antennas for it. I recently bought my first SDR transceiver (Xiegu G90) and enjoy it very much.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Nice on the Xiegu G90! I haven't played with one myself yet, but I hear they make excellent QRP rigs, or even a great shack rig. I hope to have the opportunity to use one someday. Thanks for watching!

[@kurtzFPV]

I'm on a little longer timeline than you, but I started this way too and now have 2 G90s. Love this stuff. I've got one of the G90s hooked up to HDSDR for an expanded and larger panadapter when working from the house. The other is pretty much dedicated for digital using a raspberry pi 4 with KM4ACK'S build a pi installed.

[@ejbeekeeper4360]

@@kurtzFPV Can you please tell me how you hooked up your G90 to your pc? HDSDR sounds very interesting!

[@kurtzFPV]

@@ejbeekeeper4360 It removed my first post with a link to a web address, but you need a sound card with stereo input. Details are shown by a helpful ham at zs1sci dot com. There are also a lot of resources on the G90 group dot io. You do not need the ce19 as shown on the first website and can use a cable that goes directly from the G90s I/q port to the sound card's stereo input. With the right sound card you can see double the amount of bandwidth than on the G90s screen and have full cat control to and from the g90

[@kurtzFPV]

@@ejbeekeeper4360 If you need any more information or a link to the cable that worked for me, you can find my email address from my callsign page on QRZ. KN4EBW

[@benjamindobrowsky1019]

Yeah, This was all new to me when it comes to my recent interest in 2 way radio communication and all it inquiries. Totally Bad Ass. Well explained and I'm definitely going to have to get one of those now. Thanks Man. I have subscribed and look forward to seeing more of your videos. Keep em coming.

[@leesladen]

Oh sh1t! The new hobby I didn't know I really needed. 🤦‍♂️ Great content.

[@sdrsignals]

I use this method with MLA-30+ antenna outside by the pool. HF bands from 0.5 MHz to 30 MHz are coming in great. Much better signals out and away from all the interference of the house.

[@OOICU812]

I appreciate the time, effort, and money you put into making these videos. Years ago I used to own a Brarcat portable scanner and really enjoyed playing around with it. I think I'm going to check this out.

[@justinb1389]

Thanks for the video. You're truly a great youtuber :)

[@rodh2168]

Thanks Tom, an old dog here looking forward to new tricks.

[@TomtheDilettante]

Haha. Nice. Always looking for new tricks myself. Keeps the brain young and engaged :-)

[@dont4450]

Hi Tom, you're channel got me hooked. Really informative and very well presented. I ordered what I needed from Amazon and will have it all within a few days. Already downloaded the software. My question is, if I get tired of using my android phone, can this successfully hook up to my windows laptop?

[@ltpinecone]

Love the to the point presentation style. Subbed!

[@Blackstone.security.utopia]

You know what.. that's good to know. I like your idea. That's will save me lots of money from buying different radios to do all that. I guess just for them parts your showing me it's about $100 for antenna and the donggo USB and USB to type c and I will add a type c to Micro adapter to fit any phone or tablet. Wow thanks for showing me this buddy.. I love this gadget. I'll subscribe to your channel and share it with my brother too. And tell him about this what your showing me. 👍👍😁

[@xavmiz3070]

Partially thanks to your first sdr video, I picked up a dual rtl-sdr. Was able to do some decoding of trunked police/fire/ems radio. Couple weeks later picked up the Nooelec sdr and ham it up package. Haven't gotten into the ham side yet as much, still waiting to take my ham test. I gotta stop watching you though as I can't afford a Subaru too.

[@TomtheDilettante]

LOL! Yeah, I really need to find some hobbies that don't so easily become a money pit. As for the dual SDR setup and decoding trunked radio, that's amazing! I've been wanting to give that a shot myself now that I have a couple SDR dongles. Good luck if you decide to pursue your ham license, and thanks for watching!

[@kc3ppb]

Great video, thank you. Going to amazon now to buy all the components.

[@Payasoplas]

As always... Clear concise and very well explained!

[@AlienRelics]

The best parts of the NooElec are a metal case and a TCXO good to 0.5ppm accuracy. Cheaper than adding them yourself.

[@jimchambers8810]

Dude, and again. Great Narration, lighting, editing. Shit you’re the man.

[@mohamede.1842]

Like n subscribe. Appreciate the informative video. Never knew I could listen to my local radio on Android wow

[@TI3IES]

It is an interesting application, I have used it, the bad thing is the amount of battery it consumes in a short time of work

[@TomtheDilettante]

True. The combo will suck a battery dry pretty quickly. I wonder if I could use a Y-type connector to plug in both the dongle and a power supply to keep it up and running.

[@jonathanjaviervelasquezque2206]

COOOOOOL!!! Thank you so much!! I have a question: Can I listen AM radio stations? I need an extra loop antenna to do that?

[@tarekabulleef8304]

Like him like the way he presents him self.should be a filmstar

[@AaronsLyfe]

Here is a little trick not many know that you can use one of these for. You can use one to read your water and power meters if they are the ones that have rf transmitters

[@TomtheDilettante]

Interesting. I think our meters were recently updated but now you got me wanting to run a spectrum analyzer next to it to see what I see LOL.

[@AaronsLyfe]

@@TomtheDilettante I can't remember all the details. Guess I need to fire it back up. I think mine was running up around 420mhz and was using FSK protocol that was fairly easy to decode. Been several years since I played with it

[@krisssstronggg5178]

holy shit man im blown, thank you so much for the info you gained a sub

[@surenbono6063]

.. great to view the radios nearby

[@tonykeltsflorida]

I can't wait to see if you can get HF on android.

[@danroberts2055]

I got HF just fine! you have to change some settings but it works. at least on 10m

[@KB1UIF]

Check out my reply about KiwiSDRs I use them with my Android phone all the time.

[@tonykeltsflorida]

I have used them. They are pretty cool.

[@BellaVita100]

Nice concise information...subscribed

[@NelsonReyesJr]

I am new to your channel! YOU HAVE GREAT CONTENT!!! THANKS!!!

[@deveshmishra9521]

Subscribing....a nice , well oriented and targetted content

[@jimmiddleton5093]

This might be a silly question but I wonder if you could do this with an Android tablet? A great video. I’d never heard of this before either. Great job on explaining it.

[@edshelden7590]

Great show. Is there any hope to operate a SDR on an IPhone ?

[@bsw6583]

Great channel and lots of information. I'm just starting my adventure, so I have a question about hardware. NESDR Smart vs NESDR Smart HF Bundle vs RTL-SDR. What should I buy?