Nooelec NESDR Mini 2 USB RTL-SDR and ADS-B Receiver Set, RTL2832U and R820T2 Tuner, MCX Input. Low-Cost Software Defined Radio Compatible with Many SDR Software Packages, ESD-Safe

Device comes in a plastic bag with no documentation, and no software. I had to search the internet until I found www.RTL-SDR.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ This answered all my questions and got me up and running. The www.nooelec.com website has links to SDR# and HDSDR software for windows. Both are fantastic programs for listening to various types of signals from 25Mhz up to 1750Mhz. I've been listening to CB radio, FM broadcasts, Fire, Police, Airlines going overhead, and the 2 meter and 440Mhz Ham bands. Interesting thing, when I listen to the Ham bands on a regular Shortwave, I hear the signal about 1 or 2 seconds before I hear it on the RTL-SDR receiver. Must be some kind of lag as the computer processes everything. If you have a Mac, the software works fine under Parallels, however there is a free Mac software for it called GQRX. It works, but is very limited. My favorite is "SDR-Radio v2" I asked Tech Support at NooElec about the Remote Control that comes in the package: It's not for any of the SDR apps, it's for DVB video, which is aTV format that's not transmitted here in the US. If you're in Europe, here's the link to the software: http://f.nooelec.com/TV28Tv2.iso Here's some software tips, in case you get these errors: Program name: SDR-Radio: Error was: “Cannot gain exclusive access to the selected radio.” Solution: Turned out that in Windows Task Manager, an occurrence of “SDR Console” was hiding out that didn’t close when the rest of the program closed. Program name: HDSDR : Error was: "A device ID has been used that is out of range for your system." Solution: Turned out that the program had forgotten the sound card it was to use. (RX input from radio, and RX output to speaker.) Should have been Parallels microphone and Parallels speaker, but the program forgot. Program name: SDRsharp: Error was: "1 compatible devices has been found but are all busy." Solution: Once I got those others going, this one was back to normal.

I purchased this USB-connected software-defined radio (SDR) to set up a Raspberry Pi based FlightRadar24 receiver/reporter. The setup was quick and straightforward. Initially, my FR24 rig with the SDR's included antenna placed near a second-story window captured ADS-B position data from around 12 airplanes. Cool, but I wanted more! After experimenting with the antenna's length and setting the antenna on a makeshift ground plane (an aluminum cookie sheet), the transformation was remarkable. Opting for a half-wavelength setup (13.75 cm for 1090 MHz ADS-B signals), strategically placing the antenna near the exterior window, and using my cookie sheet ground plane, the system went from tracking 12 airplanes to an impressive 32, with position data extending up to 95 nautical miles! These adjustments proved crucial, unlocking the full potential of the included antenna. This USB-connected SDR, combined with the provided antenna, does a great job as part of a budget-friendly FlightRadar24 ADS-B rig. Highly recommended for those willing to explore and fine-tune for exceptional performance.

Worked well, but had a huge amount of drift (~80 PPM). After 9 years of use I finally retired this SDR because the huge drift settings caused issues in newer programs that lacked auto PPM correction.

This is a fairly standard DVB-T receiver stick that is great as a software-defined radio. I haven't actually used it for DVB-T reception. In my case, I use it for receiving ADS-B signals from aircraft, a job at which it excels. It has a pale blue LED to indicate that it's plugged in (though the LED isn't excessively bright) and a common MCX antenna jack. The included telescopic antenna is of good quality, has a magnetic base, and is suitable for most purposes. It comes with an IR remote control, but I've not used or tested the remote. The one minor drawback is that the stick itself is physically large and, while not heavy, isn't exactly light. I ended up putting a little rubber foot on the end of the stick so it doesn't apply any bending force to the USB jack. It also blocks nearby USB ports due to its size. Alternatively, one could use a short, flexible USB extension cable to address both issues.

It was a good cheap first step into RTL-SDR, but the device definitely overheats at ambient temps around 84 degrees (nearby temp sensor). No operating temperature specifications listed anywhere (amazon or nooelec site) so who knows it that's within spec, but I wish I'd spent a little more on another device.

The antenna is quite small, but has pretty good range. I have it sitting inside our basement in a window and I'm getting around 6,000+ ADS-B beacons a day from planes flying overhead. Works out of the box with FlightRadar24's official Raspberry Pi image on a Raspberry Pi 3 B+. For around $30 dollars, you'll net a $300+ business upgrade from them simply by sharing your receiver's data.

Plugged the first one in and its USB connector was dead (computer wouldn't read it). Wrote the company (their support was excellent and responsive) who said it was a factory quality issue and that they would refund and replace. Went through the trouble of getting a second one, and that one is recognized by the computer but flickers in and out (computer just repeatedly dings as it discovers, then re-discovers the usb connection). Support stopped responding when that happened. This is going back too. Going to try a different antennae. Bummer. UPDATE - support has gotten back to me and I'm upping to two stars because they really have tried to be responsive. Here's their latest advice: Also unlikely, as every unit is individually tested post-production. Again, it is possible of course--it's just unlikely. SDRs are especially sensitive to USB voltage issues and transients compared to non-RF USB devices. My best guess is there is an issue with the voltage regulator on your USB hub/controller. We've seen it on occasion. This would cause damage that matches the symptoms described for both units, in fact. Unfortunately those types of issues are usually transient, which means you probably would be able to catch it easily with a multimeter. You'd probably have to monitor the voltage with an oscilloscope for a while and hope to catch it if it is not consistent. Thank you for your feedback, we will be sure to test the devices accordingly when we receive them back from Amazon. If I were you, I'd consider adding a cheap USB card to your PC and using those ports instead :) Better to be safe than accidentally break your new SDR or, even worse, any more expensive devices you may happen to plug in in the future. If we can help with anything else please let us know, otherwise have a great weekend!

I bought this to make a ADS-B receiver for FlightRadar24. It works great! It tracks all the planes in my area and have even used it to listen to the cockpit chatter between the pilot and Air Traffic Control. Getting the correct antenna length was trial and error for me but eventually I found the correct length after I put a pizza pan under the antenna.