Category: RTL-SDR

July 6, 2026

NyxScope: A Windows Multi-Protocol SDR Decoder Program with Multiple Digital Native Decoders

WARNING: Multiple people have noted that this program is not working as expected and may be overly buggy.

Recently, we've learned about NyxScope, a multi-protocol SDR receiver program for Windows that comes with multiple native decoders built right into the software. Their own description describes this all-in-one program best:

You get spectrum and waterfall, multiple concurrent VFOs, trunked-radio following, digital voice, aviation and marine tracking, paging, ISM sensors, HD Radio, and transcription, in one binary.

NyxScope includes decoders for P25 Phase 1 and Phase 2 voice, EDACS and NXDN control channels, ADS-B, AIS, ACARS, POCSAG, FLEX, LoRa CSS PHY + LoRaWAN MAC, Morse, RDS, CTCSS/DCS, Iridium decoding (with voice), and also includes a signal classification tool, Bluetooth LE scanner, and Whisper voice-to-text transcriber. It also outsources decoding of other protocols to mature decoding software such as multimon-ng, rtl_433, dsd-neo, nrsc5, direwolf, dumpvdl2, dump978, rs41mod where required, noting that the outsourced decoders are bundled with the software, meaning no extra installation work is required.

The software supports RTL-SDR, HackRF, Airpsy, bladeRF, SDRplay, Fobos and PlutoSDR. It also supports using multiple SDRs used in parallel.

The software does not appear to be open source, but it is provided for free with a limitation of 3 concurrent VFOs and a limitation on recording, transcribing, and pager messages. A perpetual per-machine license for $89.95 can be purchased to lift these restrictions and add access to their FCC frequency lookup database.

AI-Disclaimer: While the developers have not noted any use of AI tools, we suspect that AI was used in the creation of this software.

NyxScope Screenshot Scanning the 800 MHz Band

July 2, 2026

InmarScope: An Inmarsat AERO and STD-C Decoder with Multichannel Decoding and Automatic Call Following

Over on the SignalsEverywhere YouTube channel, Sarah Rose has released InmarScope, a multichannel L-band Inmarsat decoder that connects directly to an RTL-SDR, Airspy, or HackRF. The software can receive and decode both aeronautical (AERO) and maritime (STC-C / EGC) traffic at the same time. Decoders are dropped directly onto the aligned FFT and waterfall by holding CTRL and left-clicking, and the software lets you stack Aero MSK (600/1200 bps), high-rate OQPSK (10500 bps), AMBE voice (8400 bps), and Inmarsat-C BPSK decoders side by side.

One of the more interesting features is automatic voice-call following. By monitoring the 10500 baud forward-link channels, InmarScope can receive C channel voice assignments and automatically retune the SDR to the assigned frequency, lock the carrier, decode and record the AMBE call, and then hop back to where it was. There is also a two-SDR mode that dedicates a second radio to voice with a live split-view spectrum so one radio stays on the P control channel while the other tunes to voice calls. For assignments that never get broadcast, there is also a Call Hunter feature that uses a squelch threshold to automatically drop the decoder when a call appears. When a call is playing, the built in flight map also decodes the aircraft hex ICAO address and looks it up on airplanes.live, showing the plane's position and route in real time.

Recent updates have added a community-editable band plan, message search and filtering, an IQ recorder that also captures the seconds before you hit record, and a web dashboard for browsing decoded data from a phone.

The software is completely open source on GitHub, and the C++ code can be compiled from source, or a precompiled Windows build is available on sarasforge.dev for $15, with Sarah's Patreon patrons getting it free.

We note that Inmarsat signals such as AERO and STD-C/EGC can be received with our RTL-SDR Blog L-band Patch Antenna, which is available in our store.

Multi-Channel Voice Following Inmarsat Decoder for Windows!

Watch this video on YouTube

Decoding Inmarsat in 2026

Watch this video on YouTube

June 30, 2026

OpenStint: An Open-Source RC Car Lap Timing System Using an RTL-SDR or HackRF

Thank you to Attila for submitting news about OpenStint, an open-source lap timing system for radio-controlled (RC) car racing that uses an RTL-SDR or HackRF One as its receiver. In RC racing, each car carries a small active near-field transponder that transmits a unique identifier on 5 MHz using BPSK modulation. A wire loop embedded in the track acts as the receiving antenna, picking up each transponder's signal only within a short distance, which allows the exact crossing point to be detected. OpenStint digitizes this signal with the SDR and performs the decoding and pass detection entirely in software, with sufficient accuracy for RC racing.

Professional timing systems work on the same principle, but rely on dedicated proprietary hardware and software, with even entry-level systems typically costing thousands of dollars. OpenStint is compatible with the transponders used by the vast majority of RC racing clubs (MyLaps RC3 and RC4), while also supporting its own fully open-source transponder design. A complete decoder can be built from inexpensive off-the-shelf components, typically consisting of an RTL-SDR dongle, a simple loop interface, and a laptop or even a Raspberry Pi 3. The software has also been tested with existing timing software including LapBeeps, RCGTiming, and ZRound.

Besides the decoder itself, the project documents an open-source transponder protocol, includes an ATtiny-based transponder reference implementation, and describes the signal processing used for reliable pass detection. Documentation and source code can be found on the OpenStint website and over on the project's GitHub page, with the open transponder design available here.

Atilla also sells the transponder boards on the OpenStint website's sales page for a reasonable €30/panel + shipping (8 pcs per panel), and notes that larger quantities can easily be manufactured by JLPCB.

AI-Disclaimer: We note that Claude is listed as a contributor to the code.

OpenStint: RC Car Lap Timing with RTL-SDR or HackRF

June 24, 2026

Rigflow: A Networked HF SDR Transceiver App in Rust with Real-Time DSP Over UDP

Thank you to David Bourgoyne (KK7TCY) for submitting news about his new software called Rigflow, an open source client/server SDR application for amateur radio written in Rust and released under the MIT license.

The core idea behind Regflow is to split the radio from the operating position over the network. A lightweight server owns the radio hardware and DSP and runs on a low-power machine right at the antenna, such as a Raspberry Pi, while a desktop client provides the spectrum and waterfall display, tuning, and controls. The two communicate over a small WebSocket control channel plus UDP for media, so you can sit anywhere on the network, and one client can work with multiple radios.

For receivers, the RTL-SDR is supported as a source, including direct sampling HF, and you get WFM, NFM, AM, SSB, CW, and Data modes, a real-time spectrum and waterfall, NR2 noise reduction, AGC, squelch, bookmarks, amateur band and privilege overlays, and IQ recording and playback. Paired instead with a TX capable Hermes Lite 2, the software also transmits, with SSB from your microphone, CW via straight key or text to CW macros, and digital modes like FT8 through WSJT-X over virtual audio or TCI. There is also optional Hardrock-50 amplifier control with band tracking, ATU and SWR/power monitoring over USB serial.

Rigflow can be run on Linux(x86/x64) and Raspbery Pi/ARM as well as MacOS. Prebuilt binaries are available on the GitHub Releases page.

June 23, 2026

VibeSDR: A Mobile-First iOS and Android Receiver App for Remote SDR Servers and RTL-SDRs

Thank you to Stuart Carr (Stuey3D) for submitting news about his new software release, VibeSDR, a free and open-source mobile SDR client he has developed for iOS and Android. VibeSDR is designed to be touch-first rather than a desktop interface shrunk down to phone size. It is a fully native client for UberSDR, OpenWebRX/OpenWebRX+, and KiwiSDR with its own GPU-rendered waterfall and spectrum. It also supports local RTL-SDR dongles via RTL-TCP on both platforms and over USB on Android with no extra driver install required.

VibeSDR comes with a long list of features. The app has on-device decoders for RTTY, WEFAX, NAVTEX, SSTV, Morse, and FT8/FT4, plus access to server-supplied decoders, Leaflet-based HFDL and digital spot maps, FM stereo with RDS, a local bookmarks engine with daily EiBi schedule downloads, and full background audio. It also has band-aware blind tuning, where using lockscreen, headphone, or in-car media controls to tune across a band boundary automatically switches to the correct demodulator and step rate for that band and ITU region. The app also has Android Auto support with browsable bookmark and band plan lists and steering wheel tuning, and on iOS, it offers Siri voice commands to work around the current lack of full CarPlay approval.

Stuart is upfront and mentions that VibeSDR was AI vibecoded with Claude, hence the "vibe" part of the name. He notes that while he did not write code himself, he designed, extensively tested, and reported bugs over weeks of late nights. The app is not available on any app store at the moment, but he notes that the app will always be free and open source, with full source, APKs and IPAs available on the VibeSDR GitHub Releases page. He also plans to eventually list it on the App Store and Play Store for a fee of around £3 to cover store and development costs.

AI-Disclaimer: This software was vibecoded with Claude.

June 23, 2026

A New SDR# Panadapter Plugin

Thank you to Marco Argilli (IU4HMY) for writing in and sharing with us the release of a new SDR# Panadapter plugin that turns the popular RTL-SDR- and Airspy-compatible program SDR# into a panadapter for your transceiver. A panadapter gives you a live spectrum and waterfall view of the band around your radio's tuned frequency, which makes it much easier to spot activity, find clear frequencies, and visually navigate a busy band. Synchronization between the radio and SDR# is handled by OmniRig, so as you tune your transceiver, the panadapter display follows along.

To use the plugin, you connect your SDR to your transceiver's IF or antenna output, then set the receiver IF frequency and a per-mode offset in the plugin settings, with changes saved to a JSON config file. The plugin also has band presets, where a right-click on a preset button stores a snapshot of frequency, demodulation mode, and zoom level, so you can recall a favorite spot instantly. SDR# version 1921 or newer and the .NET 9 framework are required, and it runs on Windows 8, 10, and 11.

There are a couple of limitations worth noting. Marco recommends using Center Frequency mode for the best performance, and because OmniRig exposes the frequency as a 32 bit COM value, frequencies above around 2.1 GHz are not supported. The plugin does not appear to be open-source, but it is free for personal and non-commercial use.

June 22, 2026

Cascade-SDR: A Web-Based Multimode Receiver App for RTL-SDR Dongles

Over on GitHub, developer Jens Engfors has released Cascade-SDR, a free and open source web-based receiver app designed specifically for RTL-SDR dongles. Cascade-SDR uses a Python backend that owns the dongle and handles all the DSP, paired with a browser frontend for the UI, waterfall, audio, and maps. The two communicate over a WebSocket, which means you can run the backend on a Raspberry Pi or mini PC and access it from any browser, phone, or tablet on your network.

Cascade-SDR has a live waterfall and spectrum scope view, with click-to-listen demodulation for WFM, NFM, AM, SSB, and CW, complete with RDS decoding, FM stereo, and a Morse decoder. CascadeSDR also includes a wideband Sweep mode, a channel Scanner, IQ recording and replay, and a built-in antenna helper that tells you how to set up the RTL-SDR.com dipole kit for your tuned frequency.

It also supports decoding of various digital modes, including ADS-B, AIS, APRS, ACARS, DAB+, NOAA APT weather satellite images, SSTV, POCSAG/FLEX pagers, and 315 to 915 MHz ISM band devices like weather stations and TPMS sensors. However, to decode most of these modes it is necessary to install various decoder software that it is dependent on such as dump1090, AIS-catcher, direwolf, welle-clide, multimon-ng, and rtl_433.

Cascade-SDR runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux/Raspberry Pi. The readme includes instructions on installing the software on the various OS platforms.

AI-Disclaimer: This software has used Claude for development.

June 18, 2026

HamDash: A Free Real-Time Ham Radio Dashboard with a Browser-Based RTL-SDR Receiver

Thank you to several readers who have pointed us to HamDash. HamDash is a new free real-time ham radio dashboard that aims to be the always-on monitor for your radio shack. Built by Peter (G0LIW), the web-based app combines HF propagation, space weather, DX cluster spots, POTA and SOTA activations, a contest calendar, and a greyline map into a single customizable view. There's no account or subscription, and it runs in any browser, making it a good fit for a dedicated second monitor, a tablet, or a Raspberry Pi sitting in the shack. We note that despite being free, the project doesn't appear to be open source, as we could not find any public source code repo.

The dashboard includes live solar flux, K-index, X-ray flare, and aurora data so you can tell when the bands are open, plus VOACAP-based propagation predictions and Met Office/MeteoAlarm weather alerts useful for portable operating. A Visual Layout Builder lets you arrange modules into rows and slots exactly how you want, and a touchscreen-friendly on-screen keyboard makes it usable on a mouse-only or kiosk-style setup.

Of interest to RTL-SDR users, HamDash includes a browser-based SDR receiver called SDRCOM that works with an RTL-SDR V3 or V4 dongle over WebUSB, so you can run it in Chrome or another Chromium browser like Edge or Opera directly. The free SDRCOM Lite edition is included with HamDash and covers AM/FM/SSB/CW tuning, a waterfall display, an FT8 decoder, a basic 3-band EQ, and a 100-slot memory bank. There's also a paid SDRCOM Pro edition for a one-year license with no auto-renewal $9.99 fee that adds enhanced waterfalls, FT8 and FT4 decoders, an ADS-B engine with 3D aircraft tracking, 4-band noise-reduction DSP, an auto-lock band scanner, a WAV recorder with scheduler, and a 1000-slot memory bank.

AI-Disclaimer: While not advertised as AI-coded, the author's company, Nemeta AI Software Services LLC, and the UI-style hints at AI development tools having being used.