Wideband Antennas for SDR Radios (

Flip, W4FLP, asked about options for wideband antennas for the popular RSP-DX software defined radio from SDRPlay. We cover three that should work fine. One is remarkably inexpensive!
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[@zacki5663]

Im a younger guy and appreciate how much respect you give the newer technology. I know I’ve been in HAM shops before and they sorta roll their eyes at me and my extremely high frequency stuff

[@opticalman1jeffkeokro741]

Thanks Dave, I received a RSP 1A for a gift at Christmas. I have not yet set it up but look forward to doing so. Thanks for the info!

[@jaysmall8780]

I just purchased a rsp1a to play with. On a recent outing my 12 year old grandson (who is very interested in ametur radio) informed me that he was going to invent an antenna that would work on all bands! "Godspeed, child.." Hey, you never know! He is already coding computer software, so I have faith. Thanks for another great video Dave! Jay K7WLE

[@PhilipBallGarry]

Hi Dave. I've had a cheap (£30) "Nooelec" SDR radio for about a year now and have had some great results with it. SDR play very kindly do a version of their sdr software which works with these cheaper dongles. Its called SDR ext/io and supports most of the Chinese RTL-based SDR's. It's not as feature rich as the software designed specifically for their own RSP SDR's but it's still very good indeed. I also have a, Raspi-based ADSB receiver in my loft which uses a Flightaware SDR dongle. These have a 1090MHz bandpass filter which helps them pull in the signals from aircraft without being desensitised by the wide band normally associated with standard SDR receivers. My antenna is made from an SO239 socket with an appropriate length of thick single-core wire pushed into the centre. It's fitted to a plastic bracket pointing vertically up. I soldered 8 radials (same length - made from the same wire) directly to the outer shell of the SO239 pointing down in a fan at approximately 45 degrees. It looks a bit like a mini discone and really works well. Keep up the great work Dave. Yours Garry M7PGB

[@dave10524]

I am having very good luck with a K180WLA on my SDRPlay RSP2Pro, receives well from MW up to 200 Mhz, so it includes 6meters , 2 meters, FM broadcast, air band and a bunch of utilities. Previously had a MLA30 but that was strictly HF, so it is now on an Icom R71A. Both of those I've mentioned work nearly as well as the more expensive loops at about a tenth the price

[@billryland6199]

External LNAs are powered by 5 VDC from the SDR through the coax. I have an RSP1B that works great with a 40/20/15 meter fan dipole.

[@danielwietchy1037]

These SDR units are amazing. My RSPdx is connected semi-permanently to a Skyloop (14 gauge insulated wire / 65ft x 65ft x 65ft x 65f) about 10 ft. off the ground. Described in a pretty old ARRL post. It receives just about everything - VHF thru 160m quite nicely. Definitely need some yard space for this. KL1JP (Alaska)

[@robertl.fallin7062]

Google "flag and pennet" antennas... good information on upping the performance and noise issues of antennas similar to yours.

[@denp54z]

Wow !

[@madmax2069]

4:55 I've mounted my MLA-30 like that and it worked just fine, it was the only orientation I could mount it to null out some interference I was receiving when it was mounted normally. So apparently the noise where I was at was coming from under the room I was at. When I mounted it normally no matter which direction I pointed the interference just wasn't changing or being nulled out, so I laid it flat on the table and sure enough the noise went away, and the broadcast signal I was trying to listen to stayed just as strong as when mounted normally.

[@zaywas]

Hi Dave. I'm the owner of RSPDuo and no it can not display 10M bandwidth on both receivers. RSPDuo datasheet: "The receiver can either operate each tuner individually (one at a time) in zero IF mode with a displayed bandwidth up to 10 MHz or both tuners simultaneously with a maximum displayed bandwidth of 2 MHz." Thanks for the video.

[@davecasler]

Good catch! Thanks.

[@stridermt2k]

Hi Dave, I run my MFJ-1786 in horizontal position in my attic and it has been pretty impressive, at least for me.

[@JoshColletta]

Chiming in on horizontal loops: I have an AirSpy YouLoop out on my apartment balcony that connects to a pair of RTL-SDR dongles, and I can tell you from experience that yes, using it on the horizontal plain WILL result in it being omnidirectional. The problem, of course -- especially with cheap SDR's like mine -- is that even the ferrite core antenna in a cheap off-the-shelf pocket radio from Walmart is going to perform better. Directionality is really what you want when it comes to receive-only LF, MW and HF antennas so you can get the strongest SNR possible. If a rotor isn't a workable solution (which, again, being an apartment dweller, it isn't for me), your best bet is to get a couple of loops and orient them perpendicular to each other, then use a switch to choose one or the other.

[@stevesweb]

Thanks for the info. I have a RSPDuo, and is a great unit for listening. I have a Tram 1411 discone with a range of 25Mhz to 1,300Mhz (online at $60). It's about 15ft high. I find it works very well down to about 3Mhz! Of course the wire out to the tree works exceptionally well.

[@woom3]

Thats all i use to a discone up 40feet ,works great all bands right down to AM also,But then again when the skip is running rock solid just about anything will do for a antenna.

[@stevesweb]

@@woom3 I should get mine up higher. I liked the 1411 because you can transmit on 10/11 meter. Never know when I may want to key up the old Land Command CB! 😏

[@rogerlafrance6355]

20-30 foot antenna does fine and can reduce noise if well placed. Back in the day, some hams would use a separate long wire for transmit as it also provided fast break in operation.

[@atakaravelioglu301]

I needed it, thank you very much. 73

[@Dirtyspork78]

Thanks, very useful.

[@justincase3880]

You can use a little Balun One Nine with about 50’ of 22awg magnet wire connected to each side (dipole .. out in the to the front & back yard), will give excellent HF reception ...

[@W9HJBill]

I have an SDRplay RSPdx and at first I just hooked it up to my Terminated End Fed Inverted Vee antenna (which I also use for transmit) and that worked great for 2200M up to 2M. I then went out and got a dedicated receive antenna, which wasn't cheap, but it does work from 30kHz to 2GHz. The AOR SA7000. It's made in Japan and costs about $240 and mounts nicely on a pole.

[@viisteist1363]

why does it have 2 antennas and can you make it yourself too

[@W9HJBill]

@@viisteist1363 Not everyone has the room for a wire antenna. I'm an antenna junkie and like to experiment, this way I use the AOR as a dedicated scanner antenna that works up to 2GHz, which an EFHW won't, and it allows me to keep my SDR up and receiving while I use my other antenna to transmit on when playing radio.

[@derekhatfield8699]

Thanks David G4WBP

[@ManuelPinner]

I have the SDR Play RSP DX, very nic Receiver!

[@KjartanAndersen]

It's powered by the upper side band... Dave, to much radio during Easter? :-)

[@antycyponek2706]

it’s the vaccine

[@dave10524]

I chuckled at that too

[@bobi_lopataru]

he confused the USB in upper side band with universal serial bus, I did the exact same thing but reversed until I found out what USB meant for radio haha

[@ManuelPinner]

I have a SDR Play RSP DX and a Adalm Pluto SDR for DATV Reception with SDR Angel Software! And with DSD plus Solfware You can Decode Digital Voice Modes!

[@alanb76]

The RSPdx has three selectable antenna inputs. One has the bias output built in that some antennas with built in preamps need. The RSPduo has three inputs but two of them feed the same receiver, one is high z the other sma, the second receiver just has the sma input. There are also low cost kits for loop preamps for DIY loops (hula hoop is a common support for a wire version), and the PA0RDT Mini Whip which is a small antenna with wideband preamp that can be purchased or DIY built for a small antenna that covers a good frequency range. 73 de w6akb

[@davecasler]

Thanks for the details!

[@1crazynordlander]

Dave, check out the $50-$60 MLA-30+ loop receiving antenna 100KHz - 30MHz

[@MrJaz8088]

Works great now add a Multiband Discone and you have 25mhz-1300+mhz

[@Marek_M79]

@@MrJaz8088 better option from discone antenna is all band AA7 active antenna. It's works from 3Mhz to 3000Mh. Very cheap and easy to make. Long time ago Ramsey Electronics, they were selling the kit for about $35. The antenna uses dual gate MOSFET technology for low noise HF amplification, and high gain microwave transistor for VHF/UHF. Please to write in Google browser: Spring 1994 Electronics Hobbyist Handbook, you fill find It as "pdf" file and there is a topic about this active antenna which is AA7.

[@sirisaacnewton998]

Hi Dave! PU2OYT from Brazil here. I'm a long time subscriber and learned a lot from your videos. Now the question... I am a modest contester and I'm always about ways to improve station to be more competitive. Since my Yaesu FT-450 transceiver doesn't have a spectrum analyzer or any visual aid I'm considering to buy a SDRplay to use as a panadapter. I have a 5 elements 10m antenna, so I don't listen almost any DX stations about 20⁰ outside my antenna direction. So, besides the visual aid you think the SDRplay with a loop antena will help me give a extra "listening" capabilities?

[@ManuelPinner]

Yes Loops Antennas can be Mounted horizontally and it's will Work even much better,

[@ericli9292]

Hi, David. I'm wondering what microphone you are speaking into when making this video. It really sounds so natural in such a small size. Would you let me know the brand and model, please? Thanks.

[@fredflintstone8048]

SDR Console is also good and free software that work with the RSP-DX, and also has all the features for tracking and listening to satellites including automatic Doppler adjustments.

[@sammiller6631]

SDRUno works better than SDR Console

[@fredflintstone8048]

@@sammiller6631 I use both, but to me the comparison is apples and oranges. I prefer SDRUno with it's features for standard radio listening. I use SDR Console for listening to satellites. I built an antenna pointing sat tracking device that gets it's sat tracking data from SDR Console pointing the antenna automatically. SDR Console automatically sets up the receiving frequency for a given sat, and also modulates the tuning of the SDR frequency to account for Doppler for the satellite being tracked. SDRUno doesn't do any of that.

[@3asyrider75]

A little mistake. Little black box powered by Upper Side Band. USB should be Universal Serial Bus. Probable so used to USB/LSB and got that mixed up.

[@batica81]

Would bandpass filters, such as those sold by QRP guys, help with noise and overload on a wideband receiver?

[@rogerlafrance6355]

Yes, if you have high power AM and FM stations nearby low pass and band stop filters and are available at low cost. For general listening, band pass filters don't seem to help much, better to invest in a good transceiver.

[@erin19030]

So all the receiver equipment is bigger than the SRD radio?

[@njjeff201]

Thank you!!! N2ZNN

[@walk-tall-hikes]

Dave you ought to review these new loop antennas from China that go for about $55. I have one on order but there's quite a few KZbin videos out there that compare these favorably with the very expensive $300 loops on the market. MLA-30 Loop Antenna, 100kHz-30MHz They are sold on Amazon and eBay to come directly from China.

[@davecasler]

Thanks for the tip. I just placed one on order.

[@jbrase2000]

@@davecasler I am very pleased with the performance of the MLA-30+ into my SDRplay radio.

[@rms8698]

Currently, I have MLA-30+ for my RSPdx indoor by the window. I tried the original 60cm loop that came with it but modified to 1 meter diameter aluminum 8 awg loop. It seems to be working much better on capturing short waves.

[@kosmasdorschel4936]

@@davecasler I was a bit surprised, that you did not mentioned the MLA-30. By the way, there is also a cheap Chinese version of the SDRplay, called MSI.SDR. I have one and it is great. No difference to the RSI1A but less than half price. Maybe you can talk once about the KIWISDR project. I use one receiver close by on some hf bands because my location is too noisy (city lot).

[@sammiller6631]

@@kosmasdorschel4936 MSI.SDR is less than half price because it has less performance. It's just a rebranded TV dongle.

[@mscir]

YOu have a lot of expertise with antennas. IDK if this is apprporiate to ask here, I just bought a BCD996P2 scanner that can operate from 25.0000 - 1300.0000 MHz. I have a 10x38' home with a flat metal roof. Is it possible to build an antenna or combination of antennas that can cover the whole frequency range, like a discone? If so, what equipment do I need in order to tune the antenna?

[@midwestfisherman]

Hook up wire? What exactly is that?

[@m1geo]

The best all around receive antenna is not a bit of wire thrown out of the window. There are many other, better options.

[@stevec5000]

A Discone antenna does work pretty well for this.

[@MrJaz8088]

For me i use a MLA 30+ ( 0.5khz - 30mhz ) and a Multiband Discone to cover 25mhz-1300mhz

[@kosmasdorschel4936]

Same here

[@kosmasdorschel4936]

but with a MSI.SDR

[@ge45gecalled39]

is that a dx25 or a dx28a behind you?

[@GerardWassink]

Hi Dave, you mentioned grounding the RSPdx. How would you go about doing this? 73, Gerard (enjoying your channel from the Netherlands)

[@OldinMariner]

you need to ground it on the ouside of the SMA connector.

[@robertl.fallin7062]

@@OldinMariner A dedicated earth ground really woke up my SDR PLAY. Get a six foot copper rod and heavy duty clamp. I spent about $20.00 and well worth it.

[@SamMontana2008]

@@robertl.fallin7062 Where did you connect the ground on the RSPdx unit?

[@robertl.fallin7062]

@@SamMontana2008 The installation instructions gives the high Z terminal pin out.

[@zarkeh3013]

I like seeing what Yer talking about, butt still liked! it'sa video, and doesn't need to be of You talking, I suppose.... whatevah!

[@g.1100]

USB (power) == upper side band? :)

[@ziamalik189]

great

[@tvm73827]

You look like Steve Wozniak!

[@user-ej4xs4lu1u]

Hello, I am in the country of Iraq, and I do not know the police or fire service frequencies, and there is no site that gives me the frequencies in my area. How do I know all the frequencies

[@kerbalairforce8802]

Hello from America! If you can use a scanner to pick up occasional signals and write them down, you could build out a cheat sheet over time.

[@omnishambles5110]

Use the frequency scanner plugin in SDR# (or equivalent). Note which freqs are going active and keep a log going. As for decoding a digital signal, you'd have to know what they use and that's tricky.

[@americanwarriorrhamspeters7152]

THANKS ..!! K7AER

[@RadioRich100]

The filtering and audio sucks on those things. Ill stick to a good tabletop with good filters and great audio and a spectrum monitor.

[@TwstedTV]

At 5:30 made me laugh so hard 😂🤣 Because THAT is me.... Take a wire and connect it to the radio and take the other end and throw it out the window 😂😂😂 . The reason why most new people dont get into this hobby, is because of the exuberant overly priced hardware. This is why Baofeng is so popular. Most people are not going to spend several grand or even close to a grand for a radio. A lot of these companies want to make Billions of dollars overnight. And the problem with that is that it puts off new comers to ham ecosystem. -- Ill tell you this, if prices were far cheaper than what they are now, ham ecosystem would not have a problem getting new younger people into the hobby. Its one of the main reasons why younger folks dont even bother. I looked at a lot of gear for ham, and I fell off my chair several times when I have seen the prices on many of the products. As I yell out into the air screaming "Thats not worth that much" or "That should not cost that much". its crazy....... And every time I mention this anywhere on the net, I get backlashed for it. people are so quick to spend other peoples money. (as my grandmother says)...lol Anyways, great video. I just wish more of the well known people in the hobby, can talk to companies and tell them to lower their prices. Because its whats preventing new people from getting into the hobby in a major way. I own 4 HT's and trying to figure out how can I use SDRplusplus aka SDR++ as not only a Rx but also a Tx. So my computer can act like an expensive overly priced radio, instead of me shelling out $2k+ . SDR++ is opensource on Github and they are always looking for feedback to improve their Free SDR software.

[@lenkubiak3051]

Hey,fan dipole,nuff said

[@I..cast..fireball]

25khz is above audio freqencies. People's ears top out around 15-20 khz.

[@luxorion1]

subject interesting but what confusing comments as it was broadcasted without the least preparation :-(

[@tony2wheelz408]

Dave, I hate computers combined with radios because nothing works for me and I don't know even how to submit files people are asking for to diagnose a simple problem. There is a very big gap between the tech savvy people and the not tech savvy people. Even downloading the sdr software, I don't get the options, the few you tube videos get. Then it doesn't work. It's frustrating and I wish there was a lesson for that. as for now, computers and radios are a big no no

[@user-co2vz4py3r]

Powered by upper side band .....

[@user-co2vz4py3r]

you should have said universal serial bus.

[@puterfixer7857]

never mentions WHAT antennas to buy or what am I supposed to make it myself? I just want to listen and not transmit, waste of time for me.

[@JoshColletta]

Just look up the types of antennas he mentioned. There are tons of options out there.

[@CocolinoFan]

You know what really bugs me? When people talk of 2m bands 10m bands etc. Speak frequency ma man, we don't see the waves, it just makes things more complicated for no reason.

[@GeorgeAdams]

“Two-meter band” is more complicated than “one hundred and forty-four to one hundred and forty-eight megahertz” to you?

[@Swede4Trump]

Ever heard the phrase "Google it!"?

[@1docwebb729]

LOG ANTENNA

[@ChrisGrazioli]

You of course want to ground the radio like it’s supposed to be ground …. Which is how exactly 😂 total noob on the grounding front here

[@johnwalker1471]

3 minutes in and still nothing about antennas!

[@mitchdickson254]

Got no use at all for an SDR Dave. Too much computer in my life now ;) In fact, I look at most computers as "Anti-Ham". It is something the new "Super CBers" use. If I catch someone using RT8, I immediately break off the QSO! I will usually send a big 10-4 to the idiot before I break away. If your too lazy to learn code, stay off the CW bands!!!!!! Go back to your CB. SDRs are even worse!!!! For $150 you can get a real radio used!!! DX 390, 150 or 160, 100, 302 and many other brands. But imitation computer derived radio????? Don't think so. Operating a radio requires skill. The first thing you have to have is a radio ;) AE4YW

[@kerbalairforce8802]

Nothing is more damaging to hobby radio than sad hams

[@greenflagracing7067]

@@kerbalairforce8802 he's probably trolling, or one of those old guys who got his ticket during the Spanish American War and built his first spark gap transmitter when he was 10 years old. Still uses it. You can hear him talking for hours on his home brew repeater about growing his own transistors and making capacitors out of baling wire. Calls his wife "XYL" because he can't remember her name.

[@sonus289]

what would be the best sdr, best cheap, and one(s) to avoid. De n3vxt

[@JoshColletta]

The best dirt-cheap SDR out there would probably be something from RTL-SDR Blog or Nooelec. I have a couple of RTL-SDR v3 dongles, and they suit me fairly well for occasional listening. I haven't tried the Nooelec dongles, but their NESDR SMArt v5 claims to offer several improvements over the RTL-SDR v3 that may be worth checking out, such as including LF reception down to 100 kHz and better signal-to-noise ratios on HF. Both are less than $40 USD for just the dongle alone. But keep in mind, as Dave said in the video, these are based on chips that were originally designed for digital TV receivers, so while they're capable of receiving the frequencies we want to hear, they're never going to offer the performance and capabilities that a purpose-built SDR unit will. Don't buy one of these dongles and expect to be able to pull that really faint signal out of the back of a pile-up; you likely won't hear them. For example, I'll tune around the shortwave bands every so often and, on the waveform, I'll see a carrier from what I know to be a station that's on the air. It'll LOOK like I should be able to hear something, but I won't be able to pull any audio up above the noise floor. Sometimes that's just conditions being unhelpful, and I know my antenna isn't the best, either, but with a better SDR, I would expect to be able to hear something. These things are great for getting into the hobby, but eventually you're going to want to buy something better.