rtl-sdr.com

Your "balum" is designed for HF. It's effect at VHF/UHF is probably unknown. Try direct conversion of HF signals and see if you receive anything. If you have a 2m antenna, try that for 2m reception.

I downloaded usbview.exe from Microsoft in a zipped troubleshooting package that they offer. I have since learned that .exe files should be scanned for malware before use because .exe files are an easy way for malware to be spread. I don't know about the above URL - it may be safe or not. Sorry that...

USBview.exe from microsoft helped me solve problems like this.

https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Sy ... View.shtml

I bought a $10 Kindle ebook that has a wealth of information and I recommend it for questions like yours. https://www.amazon.com/Hobbyists-Guide-RTL-SDR-Software-Defined/dp/1514716690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536284955&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Hobbyist%27s+Guide+to+the+RTL-SDR If you go there and click on...

For those of us (hams), more interested in HF (3-30 MHz), an up-converter is preferred to an amp.

What is your noise level on a CB receiver? What is your noise level on a short wave receiver? What is the source of the noise - local or skywave? Are you in direct sample mode? I was not satisfied with the HF performance in direct sample mode and bought a $50 SpyVerter R2 up-converter with which I a...

Strange, they don't specify the frequency coverage in the specifications. Here's a description containing the frequency range: "SDR frequency capability approximately 25MHz-1700MHz. Frequency range can be extended down to 100kHz or lower with the Ham It Up,..." https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-S...

The spec says 260 MHz maximum.

At one point in getting my V3 working with SDR#, Windows 10 asked for my permission to allow SDR# to receive the data stream from the V3 dongle.

Art, you might notice that radio telescope antennas are not located adjacent to their computers.