Submit a Story/Contact
If you would like to submit something that relates to cheap SDR (a project, blog post, something interesting you have found), please email us at [email protected].
We will look at your submission and if we think it is a good fit for our blog make a summary post about it, making sure to link and credit your original source. If you don't have your own website or blog, don't worry, just write about your project in an email and we will host any images or documents related to your project for you. Usually we will get to your submission within a few days.
Please note that we will not accept payments or incentives in return for any type of post except for product samples for an honest review. If you are interested in writing a non-commercial guest post for us, please also contact us on the above email address.
Product/Shipping Support
If you have a general question about RTL-SDRs or SDRs or third party software we ask you to please ask in our forums. If you email us we may not respond to questions about third party software as this should be asked in the forum.
If you need troubleshooting support please first ensure that you have been through our Quickstart guide and the troubleshooting section on it, as well as our V3 users guide. Common questions like how to use the HF mode and how to activate the bias tee are explained on the V3 users guide.
If you have a question about shipping of an item please first read the shipping policy on our store and see if it answers your question. The shipping information is just under our product listings. If it is a request for tracking details please first check your old/deleted/spam mails for the order confirmation email which contains the tracking details. There will have been two emails from our email at [email protected], the second of which contains the tracking details.
If you suspect a lost postal item please contact your local postal agency first and inquire there. They have more information than we have. If they confirm it as lost or not received after a long time then please let us know and we can open an investigation on this side as well. Usually we must wait at least 6 weeks from the date posted before we can open a lost parcel investigation.
For everything else such as confirmed lost postal items, warranty claims and support inquiries that aren't covered by the quickstart or troubleshooting guide then please contact us at [email protected]. We aim to always reply within 1-2 business days. If we don't respond within 3 business days then the mail may have gone to our spam folder. Please try to email again using different keywords. We do check our spam filter once a week just in case, but some messages could still be missed. Remember, if you have questions about third party software, please ask in the forums only.
I want an admin to contact me about my purchase. You guys have no tracking order information or customer service to call. I purchased an item from your store and I do not have anything other than my money taken from me and the receipt. but yet tracking information is invalid plus all the emails go into spam seriously wtf is all that about. you guys know how to swwindle people out of their products very well i want my money back asap
Amy, please check your emails on your Yahoo email account, we already replied to your email yesterday (replied 1 hour after it was sent), and emails with tracking info were sent within 1-2 days after your purchase.
Your parcel is currently with USPS and everything appears to be normal. Estimated delivery is showing at Thursday 5 September https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction?tLabels=LW974000798CN. It is currently on track for a 2 week delivery time frame.
I’m not sure what you mean by the parcel travelling all over Europe? That is not our parcel. The parcel went from China to US customs within 7 days, and now USPS is transiting the parcel within the USA.
dont purchase from this company this is the worst ran company that i ever purchased something from. obviously they stole my money and refuse to investigate or respond to emails. they even wont allow me to post comments on their site. the tracking number is wrong. and I have the receipt to prove along with my credit card purchase. I want my money back.
Do Not buy directly from this company at all. I have tried to reach out to them via email which is a .com email address there is no contact information for customer service. I’ve tried 4 times to reach out to them to find out where my product is no responses. the unique tracking code they provided stated there is no order and I have the bank statement and the receipt to prove it. they also can look up orders via credit card information and have refused or flat out ignored my emails for a response. and refuse to call me with any information on my purchase. save yourself the hassle and time and purchase elsewhere but not through them. im getting swindled.
Don’t purchase from this company. I’m getting screwed over by them. They have no call center for costumer service, their emails go straight to spam, no one ever contacts you back about the products one has bought.
I want my money back. The shipment when I purchased went all over europe and never even came here to the states and bam just like that my order and information had all disappeared not ever the tracking number works their unique number isn’t even correct. and they cant find my order. well maybe if you called me like I asked I can give you the credit card information that i purchased it on and have proof of sales. and you can look it up that way. save yourself time and hassle go somewhere else to purchase.
Amy, please see the above reply, your order is progressing absolutely normally through the international postal system. Please there is no need to spam the comments. We did reply in 1 hour to yesterdays email that you sent. Normally we will always reply to ordering questions within 1 working day, 2 working days worst case.
Your comments are indeed showing up normally on the blog.
Re: RTL-SDR Blog V3 R820T2 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO
I’d like to buy one but I don’t see any warranty information.
dont buy from this company they are stealing peoples money mine included no customer service center no real tracking number provided they just stole my money and now their server isnt working properly. I keep getting a 404 notice. go somewhere else.
Hi admin,
As we all aware that there are lots of MSI based sdr are coming up on Chinese site with reduce price in which they are using same chip as in sdrplay but how they are getting those chips. It’s not possible to use these chips to improve rtl-sdr from 8 to 12bit sdr.
“SDR Sharp has stopped working” error comes after every five to 10 seconds when software run.
I placed an order on 25 May for an RTL-SDR. The order confirmation number is 31786. My credit card was charged for this purchase. I have yet to receive this order. When can I expect the dongle to be delivered? I will be calling my credit card to dispute the charges within one day if I do not hear from anyone. Thank you.
Hi Art, i’ve already replied to your email earlier today. Your order came with a different email address (@yahoo), and all order confirmation emails and tracking info was sent to those, please check that address. Royal Mail also shows confirmed successful delivery on 31 May, so i’d advise getting in touch with Royal Mail ASAP if you didn’t get it.
But I am seeing some subtel improvements on 10mhz to 13mhz in direct sampling mode while using RTL-sdr v3 with lna4all power with dongle bias-t.
You might be able to eek out a tiny improvement with an out of spec LNA. Adam used to sell the LNA4HF, which was intended for HF frequencies, but unfortunately he’s stopped selling them now. But if you go on eBay you can still find HF capable LNAs that go down to 1 MHz or less. But regardless an HF LNA is not really going to help a lot.
Hello Admin
I have some questions regarding RTL-sdr v3 dongle with lna4all or other LNA. After using lna with dongle bias-t what kind improvement I can expect on hf, will lna4all or other LNA work with direct sampling mode?
Thanks
An LNA like our wideband one or the LNA4ALL won’t work well on HF – they’re not designed for those frequencies. It will actually make HF reception worse. Typically there is no need for an LNA on HF.
But I am seeing some subtel improvements on 10mhz to 13mhz in direct sampling mode while using RTL-sdr v3 with lna4all power with dongle bias-t.
I have a problem with your rtl-sdr v3 dongle , I tried to contact you at admin
rtl-sdr.com but you are not answering.My email is : [email protected]
We already replied 2 hours after your email was sent, please check.
yes I found your response.Thank you
Hello, Will you ever offer a dual unit system to listen to P-25 trunked radio systems?
Probably not because creating a dual system is as simple as using two RTL-SDR dongles.
Hello, quick question. I had smooth shortwave reception the last few days. I didn’t change the antenna or anything and now I have AM broadcast everywhere. I’ve checked the settings up and down and can’t figure out what changed to cause it. Any ideas to what I did?
Could they have boosted the AM TX power in your area recently? In some places they boost power during the day. If the power increased it could be overloading the SDR now.
I wrote custom ExtIO for RTLSDR. I named it ExtIO_RTLSDR#, because it is written in c#. It allows to use direct sampling mode in SDRUno, use custom sample rates, has logging and integrated DC remove filter (can be disabled). It works through standard rtlsdr.dll from osmocom. May be it will be interested for someone… 🙂
Here is download link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xW8YlmQfV-VSsJXnLhXTWZ1mduLQ5Xe2/view?usp=sharing
Since it is written in c#, it requires .NET runtime 4.0 to be installed. Usually it is already present on modern windows systems, but may be missed for some reason, so in that case you can install it from this link: https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-framework/net40
If you found some bug, or want some additional features, please let me know. 🙂
here is a little update v1.0.0.1, fixed setting save for the gain: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z3IzuA6f6252T5pbTz8u3NOePR29gRS7/view?usp=sharing
I checked this plugin and they work good but there is also a plugin already through which you can use q branch. May be a plugin for sdr-console is good because there is no option to choose q or I branch. However, I have internet in source code.
I opened topic on the forum for discussion about it: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4710
http://www.sdrplay.com/software/SDRplay_RPi3_V0.1.zip (2.7 GB) link does not work
I saw a post that showed a photo and circuit diagram of a fairly recent V3 dongle with a jumper going from C3 to the 3.3v land in the expansion port area of the dongle. Someone from RTL-SDR.com said that it reduced noise on HF and that subsequent dongles had the jumper etched on the board. I have a V3 batch 2 dongle and am wondering if that jumper is included on my board (wire or trace), and if not, would it make a significant improvement if I added this mod??? What would the S/N ratio increase be? Thanks, in advance!
I am using Vista Office….is that one of my problems?
I make it to step #7 in the install, but I get an error message that says “zadig.exe is not a valid Win32 application”.
What am I doing wrong?
Is it possible to use rtl-sdr as DVB-T/T2 receiver to watch broadcast ed programs?
How can I get the format of the IQ file (*.wav)?
I am having problems with running FLDIGI version4.0.18 with HDSDR that is controlling the RTL-SDR Dongle. Could someone here assist me with what is wrong. I just cannot get the FLDIGI to receive anything from the HDSDR.
Hello, i ordered 2 RTL SDRS with the Dipole Kit on 18.12.2018. Yesterday the tracking code said it was on air transport(26.12.2018), but today the history just dissapeared and i have information only from 18.12.2018.
What should i do about it?
Hello my orderstatus is complate but …not deliver my package?
I ordered an RTL-SDR package but forgot to mention my mobile number on the checkout. The package will not be delivered to me by the courier service without my phone number. I have mailed all the required information to the [email protected] and admin
rtl-sdr.com. Can my problem be resolved?
Hello yes we already replied to your email. The phone number was actually already provided in your order.
i am amatur user of rtl sdr and know nothing about it’s codes in matlab enviroment .
could you please say where can i find the functions that i need to work with rtl sdr to receive radio .
thanks
Dear Admin,
Can we modify the RTL SDR to record vibration signals from accelerometers? if yes then it may help technocrats in vibration signal processing and condition monitoring.
If you look at the modern MEMS accelerometers that can detect 1g to 150g of acceleration on digikey/mouser most only have a digital output for I²C or SPI it would be cheaper to interface them directly to a SBC.
Hi admin, I am seeing some difference in PCB layout of rtlsdr v3. Is there something changed in new v3 dongle because in my dongle the eeprom placed at bottom place of PCB but now in new dongle they are in middle. If yes, then why?
Yes there have been some small changes in newer batches. Basically we’ve found a way to eliminate a rare RTL2832U chip overcurrent fault with a new design that bypasses the problematic part of the silicon. Although that issue was rare, it’s still better to bypass the issue as we don’t know what the production quality of future Realtek RTL2832U batches is going to be like. The new design reduces the number of spikes seen in the direct sampling mode too.
It is possible for us to perform these new tweaks to over our old rtlsdr v3 dongle. If yes then will you elaborate the process so that we can improve hf reception in direct sampling mode.
Sorry unfortunately a PCB change is required.
🙁
i have the v3dongle from you .would i notice any difference with a upconverter.i get good reception on 20/40m..here in the uk .from all over europe. thanks…
If you’re not noticing any overload or imaging problems with the V3 in direct sampling mode, then an upconverter probably won’t improve reception much.
thanks…
Do you sell through aliexpress.com platform?
Yes we’re trialing this platform at the moment. Not sure if it will be permanent yet.
Is it your shop? https://ru.aliexpress.com/store/4523039 I want to make a purchase there, confirm that it is not a fake.
Yes confirmed that’s our shop. Alternatively you can make a purchase on our store directly at https://www.rtl-sdr.com/store. But Aliexpress is good if you have Alipay etc.
In the SDRSharp installation procedure, in the page “Manual Installation of SDR# – Manual Installation of the RTL-SDR drivers with SDR# for the RTL-SDR” (https://www.rtl-sdr.com/manual-installation-of-sdr/) (i.e. for PC without Internet connection) it is indicated that the version of the ‘rtlsdr.dll’ driver that has been copied to the SDRSharp program folder must be 32 or 64 bits, depending on the operating system installed on the computer. It say: “Download the RTL-SDR Drivers, and extract the rtlsdr.dll file from the x32 folder (or x64 folder if you have a 64-bit OS) into the SDR# folder.”
I think it is not correct, the rtlsdr.dll version is 32 bits (SDRSharp is a 32 bit software). My system uses 64-bit Windos 7 SP1, and SDRSharp could only recognize the RTL-SDR dongle when I replaced the 64-bit rtlsdr.dll driver with its 32-bit version.
Please check this and correct that error in this document for the good of all.
Can you do a article on a way to make wine32 talk with the rtl-sdr on a debian based system? I want to bad to use unitrunker but wine doesn’t talk to hardware except a mouse keyboard and a game controller. I can’t figure out how to make librtlsdr drivers work in wine32
Have a look here https://www.rtl-sdr.com/running-windows-x86-sdr-decoding-apps-on-the-raspberry-pi-3-unitrunker-winstd-c-wxtoimg-dsdplus-and-more/. It’s written for Exagear and the Pi 3, but if you take those out of the equation it should work for just wine as well.
When will you be upgrading this to allow APPLE / MAC and iPad users to participate and benefit from you device ?
You are losing a large part of the market and hampering we “Mac Users”.
Thanks for your listening and rapid resolution of our problem
RTL-SDR software is developed by the community. Currently for Macs there are some very good options available such as GQRX and CubicSDR. iPads will probably never be supported and this is due to Apple’s limitations, but if you are willing to connect remotely over a network connection there are a few apps out now https://www.rtl-sdr.com/?s=iPad.
How do i install in mac the sdr radio
Sriram
hi i have a sepura srp2000 and it is showing a “Enter reset pin” message when i have incorrectly entered the unlock pin. please can someone try to help me please.
thank you
to whom it may concern,
First of all, thank you very much for your very fast shipping of my order#21342.It appeared 13 days after my payment. However, when I open the packet, I see that only one SDR device and related accessories are seen although I have ordered two of them. In my bank account, price of amount of two are cut and only one tracking number is given me( RG829301145CN ). In my opinion, while packaging, only one SDR device with accessories are put in rather than two, weight can be a clue, 0.265kg. Please, send me the other package.
Regards,
Muhammed Selman EREL
Hi Selman, please check your email i’ve responded with a solution for the issue.
Thank you dear, I Will waiting for your shipment. Gracias!
Dear rtl sdr the order is arrived but unfortunately there is a missing telescopic antenna, one of the long one.
In the kit I’ve 3 short antenna and one long. Instead of two short and two long. In this configuration the kit is not usable.
Could I’ve the missing long antenna?
Sorry about that, the packers might have made an error on your parcel. Please contact us at admin
rtl-sdr.com with your order number and we’ll replace it for you.
I recently purchased the “RTL-SDR Blog R820T2 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit” and it took 5 weeks to receive it. I have been on the edge of my seat waiting for it but the antenna kit is not complete. It only came with one 1meter telescoping antenna, and one 13cm antenna. I also received a different base from the picture and then I also have the dongle. There are several pieces missing from my order. How can this get fixed in a timely manner?
Basically I received some omni directional antenna instead of the dipole kit.
Hi Zach, I think we’ve sorted you out via email already, but if that wasn’t you please contact us at admin
rtl-sdr.com.
Question on SDR# – and I apologize for the remedial ask…
Does anyone know how to keep the dial locked on a frequency as I use the mouse to move the waterfall around to view other signals? I want to keep listening to the station I have selected while sniffing around for others.
Thanks.
A friend has your receiver kit with the collapsible antennas and base. His kit does not have the dipole but rather a much longer collapsible whip that is threaded at the base so that screws ONTO the mount. I have a need for a long collapsible whip (over 1m) and would like to purchase that antenna or kit if you have them in stock.
Hi Mark, sorry we’ve discontinued the whip kit as we cannot ship magnets through the intl. post system anymore due to tightening air regulations. The new dipole kit is however superior compared to the whip in many ways and it usually will result in much better reception.
Really looking forward to getting my hands on a v3 (just recently learned SDR exists!!). Once received and an SDR s/w loaded on my machine, which addition software could I use to decode CW/RTTY/SSTV/WEFAX from an incoming signal without having to use an external wire from speaker output to mic?
Welcome to the world of SDR! You can use any decoding software with an audio piping program like Virtual Audio Cable or VB Cable. No need for external cables.
Look up decoding software like CWGet, SeaTTY, fldigi, multiPSK, MMSSTV for those modes.
Thank you. I am aware of them all but run into a problem with my Lenovo T450s laptop. It appears they took out the internal speaker-mic bridge and its not an option from the Control Panel. I installed the Virtual Audio Cable as well and that hasn’t worked either. I might have to build an external bridge myself to connect speaker/mic, with my earphones in parallel, but I’d rather not. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
hello
fldigi, or yand, lot more.
Henk
https://sdrleeuwarden.pg0h.nl/index.html
2nd week in March and Amazon RTL-SDR bundle still not available. How much longer or are they available sooner through your web store?
Sorry it’s just been delay after delay with this shipment to the US. But it’s on the final leg now. Assuming no other screwups from the shippers it should be delivered to Amazon this week, and then then Amazon usually takes a few days to process the parcels and put them in the shelves. Probably 1 more week until it’s ready to be purchased again.
Web store ships from China and takes about 2-3 weeks for delivery.
Just saw they will become available on Amazon on March 18th. Already placed an order. Suspect you’ll be out of inventory pretty soon. 🙂