Category: Amateur Radio

Receiving WSPR with the RTL-SDR

Recently RTL-SDR.com reader DE8MSH wrote in to let us know about his experiments with receiving WSPR with his RTL-SDR. WSPR is an acronym for “weak signal propagation reporter” and is a software program and RF protocol designed for very weak signal radio communications between ham radio users. With less than 5W of transmitting power, a WSPR signal could potentially be copied all over the world.

To receive WSPR, DE8MSH used a direct sampling modified RTL-SDR dongle together with a 9:1 unun, 10m RG58 coax cable from RTL-SDR to unun and a 12m wire antenna outside his house. Then by using SDR# together with the WSPR software he is able to copy signals from all over Europe and Canada/USA from his home in Germany.

Some Received WSPR Locations
Some Received WSPR Locations
WSPR Report Information Including Distance
WSPR Report Information
The WSPR Software
The WSPR Software

Listening to FreeDV Digital Speech with an RTL-SDR

Over on YouTube user BSoD Badgers has uploaded a video showing his reception of FreeDV digital speech at 14 MHz. He uses SDR# combined with the FreeDV software to decode the signal.

FreeDV is a open source software application that allows digital speech to be sent at HF frequencies in a 1.25 kHz wide signal. The same software can be used on the receiving end to decode the signal into speech.

Receiving Hellschreiber with the RTL-SDR and an Upconverter

Over on YouTube user BSoD Badgers has uploaded a video showing reception of Hellschreiber on HF at 20m. To receive the HF frequencies he used a ham-it-up upconverter. He used SDR# to receive the signal and the Fldigi decoding software to decode the signal.

Hellschreiber is a fax-like communications mode used by amateur radio hobbyists.

Receiving BPSK63 with an RTL-SDR and Ham-It-Up Upconverter

Over on YouTube user Java’s Toys has uploaded a video showing a demo of his reception of a BPSK63 signal using his RTL-SDR and the Ham-it-up upconverter. BPSK63 is a text based digital communications mode used by ham radio enthusiasts to make contacts. It is twice as fast compared to the more commonly used BPSK31 mode.

Java’s toys used HDSDR together with Fldigi to receive and decode the signal.

SDR(X): New Upconverter for the RTL-SDR

A new UK designed and manufactured upconverter that goes by the name SDR(X) has recently become available for purchase. This upconverter connects to a RTL-SDR dongle and allows it to receive from 100 kHz up till 1850 MHz. Some of its features include:

  • Four user selectable HF pre-filters (0-2, 2-6, 6-11 and 11 to 30MHz) or single 0-30MHz pre-filter.
  • Band pass filter after mixer and band pass filter after Oscillator
  • User selectable MMIC 18db amplifier external to RTL chip set (lower noise level, than RTL chip and compensates for pre-filters).
  • User selectable HF and VHF/UHF mode (HF 0-30MHz, VHF/UHF mode 24MHz to 1850MHz).
  • Microchip PIC controller for above.
  • Diode protection on RF input.

The board comes as a prebuilt kit which is currently selling for 79.95 GBP which includes an RTL-SDR dongle. The device also comes with complete documentation. The SDR(X) can be purchased from 6v6.co.uk.

Image of the SDR(X)
Image of the SDR(X)

Using a Mixer to Listen to HF on a RTL-SDR Dongle

Over on YouTube user w2aew has uploaded a tutorial video that clearly explains the theory behind upconverters. Upconverters are commonly used with the RTL-SDR to receive the HF (0 – 30 MHz) bands. In the video he shows how to make a simple homemade double-balanced diode ring mixer for the RTL-SDR and shows its performance in HDSDR.

#174: Using a mixer to listen to HF, shortwave, ham, etc. on RTL-SDR dongle

New Japanese HF Upconverter for the RTL-SDR

A new HF upconverter designed for the RTL-SDR has gone up on ttrftech’s Japanese language blog (use Google Translate). The upconverter is called the ‘SC-HFCONV-100’ and comes with 100 MHz oscillator, SMA connectors, USB mini-B power.

Currently the upconverter is only available for sale on the Japanese Amazon store, but it is possible to still order it through the jzool-agent Japanese shopping service.

Japanese HF Upconverter
Japanese HF Upconverter

Assembling the Chinese RTL-SDR Direct Sampling Kit

A few months ago we posted about a Chinese individual (BA5SBA) who had begun selling RTL-SDR dongle kits for receiving HF frequencies. Back then it wasn’t entirely clear what these kits were or where they came from. Now over on Reddit, poster SidJenkins has bought one of these kits and assembled it. He has uploaded images of the construction which can be found here and the Reddit discussion can be found here. The kit is essentially an RTL-SDR extension PCB board that aids in building a direct sampling RTL-SDR with good performance by including filters and impedance matching.

SidJenkins notes that the kit came with no instructions, so he used this thread in Chinese (use Google translate) to help put the kit together.

Chinese RTL-SDR Kit
Chinese RTL-SDR Kit