Tagged: dongle

Buy RTL-SDR Dongles (RTL2832U)

Your cart is currently empty.

Return to shop

Login to your account

Where to Buy RTL-SDR RTL2832U DVB-T Tuner Dongles

At RTL-SDR.com we sell significantly improved premium RTL-SDR dongles but keep our profits low and offer free shipping in order to maintain low retail pricing. We strongly believe that our V3 and V4 dongles are currently the best 'bang for your buck' RTL-SDR dongles available on the market. Please see the V3 features datasheet or the V4 datasheet for information on the improvements made, and our V3 or V4 user guide for information on using special features of our dongle. If you are new to RTL-SDR check out our about page first. Briefly, our dongles come with the following improvements:

  • <1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO) – Accurate tuning and almost zero temperature drift (2 PPM max. initial offset, 0.5-1 PPM temperature drift)
  • SMA female antenna port – Generic dongles use the less common MCX or PAL antenna ports. SMA is more common, so more adapters and antennas are available for it. It is also more durable and has lower RF insertion losses.
  • 4.5V USB powered bias tee - This allows the RTL-SDR to power low noise amplifiers (like the LNA4ALL, HABAMP, RTL-SDR Blog ADS-B LNA) and active antennas through the coax cable. Can be enabled in software (see V3 / V4 users guide).
  • HF Direct Sampling Mode (V3) or HF Upconversion (V4) - Listen to 500 kHz - 28.8 MHz with direct sampling on the V3 model, or upconversion of the V4 model. There is a built-in 25 MHz low pass filter, but additional HF filters may be required for optimal performance (e.g. to attenuate strong MW AM).
  • Aluminium case and passive cooling - These units come stock with an aluminium case and passive cooling via a silicon thermal pad. This stops reception failing due to heat when used above ~1.5 GHz.
  • (V4 Models) - Improved front-end filtering. The V4 model is less prone to being saturated by strong broadcast stations.
  • Improved Antennas - We provide an excellent dipole antenna starter kit for newbies. Use the included mounts and extension cable to mount the dipole in good position for optimal reception. Receives terrestrial and VHF satellite signals.
  • Various additional improvements compared to other RTL-SDRs – R820T2 tuner, higher quality passive components, a choke on the USB line to reduce USB noise, a much improved PCB design for significantly less internal spurs and noise, various break-out pads, improved ESD protection, additional bypass capacitors and ferrite power line chokes, improved front end matching circuit, a modified power design for improved long term reliability, modified PLL circuit for better stability at 1.5 GHz and above, and a better LDO.

US Shipping Worldwide Shipping (EU Excluded) EU Shipping
Purchase on Amazon and receive FREE domestic shipping for orders over $25 and free two-day shipping for Prime subscribers! Or use our international cart for FREE shipping from China. FREE economy-registered air mail from China! Paid express shipping from China is also available. Please double-check your address and enter it using English characters only (except for mainland China customers please use Chinese characters). EU customers we apologize however due to high VAT compliance costs from July 1st 2021 we cannot ship directly to you from our webstore anymore. Please order directly from our eBay or Aliexpress stores where VAT will be automatically collected and remitted by the marketplace. Alternatively, see local resellers below. Thank you.

International Shipping Options

Free Economy Post: Ships from our warehouse in China. Takes anywhere from 1-8 weeks to most countries (usually 2-4 weeks, but near Christmas months or in some rare cases 6-8 weeks). Please see the shipping notes below for information about potential delays.

Express Mail: Shipped with DHL/UPS/EMS/Aramex/FedEx. Fast delivery times to most countries, typically 1-2 weeks.
Amazon: Amazon now offers international shipping for our products, shipped out of the USA. Countries near the USA may experience faster shipping if ordering from Amazon.
eBay/AliExpress: We also have an eBay and AliExpress store. Our eBay account name is "rtl-sdr-blog", and on AliExpress it is "RTLSDRBlog Store" NO:4523039 / 1101427871. Certain countries may experience faster shipping speeds for orders made on Aliexpress as we can book the Aliexpress shipping line. Please be careful of other accounts with low feedback selling our items below the market price on eBay/Aliexpress as these are scammers, and be wary of counterfeit Blog V3 dongles.

 

Payment Options

We currently support PayPal, Credit Cards, and digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. Apple Pay is also supported via Stripe.

 

Local Resellers

We now have resellers selling a selection of our products who are based locally in the [UK], [Germany], [Germany 2], [Italy], [Italy 2], [India], [Spain], [Brazil], [France], [Ukraine], [Poland], [Poland 2], [Sweden], [Sweden 2], [Netherlands], [Netherlands 2], [Switzerland], [Serbia], [South Africa], [Australia], [Australia 2] & [New Zealand] who can provide fast local tax free shipping. There is also sometimes stock from resellers on [Amazon EU]. Please note that these are independent resellers who may only carry a selection of our stock, and can charge independent prices.

 

Current International Shipping Notes

Russia/Belarus: Due to war sanctions we are no longer able to ship these products to Russia or Belarus.
Ukraine: Due to the Russian invasion many mail services are not working. However, delivery services to Ukraine via Aliexpress are operational.

EU Customers: Please order from our official Aliexpress or eBay stores using the icons next to the Add to Cart button. Due to new VAT TAX laws from 1 July 2021 we can no longer support EU customer orders directly from our website without incurring excessive compliance costs. You must order from a marketplace like eBay or Aliexpress which supports VAT collection. Thank you.

EXPRESS MAIL: We are currently shipping most DHL/UPS orders with FEDEX due to improved delivery times. Packages typically ship out the next day, but tracking uploads may be delayed until the end of the week.

Counterfeit Warning

No one in particular owns the "RTL-SDR" concept, so anyone can sell their own RTL-SDR dongles. On this site and on various marketplaces we sell our own custom modified and improved RTL-SDRs under our brand "RTL-SDR Blog" and "RTL-SDR.COM". On marketplace sites like eBay/Aliexpress etc scammers may be falsely selling their own dongles under our brand names. The dongles with blue or green cases or square rectangular silver cases with four screws, or those advertised as "Pro" are not ours. Those dongles use poorer quality components, are designed cheaply, and may not have all the V3 features. We cannot provide support for counterfeits and these do not help support the running of the blog and the design of new products. The best place to purchase RTL-SDR Blog V3 or V4 dongles is directly from our store on this page, or the local resellers listed above.

Affiliate Link Disclosure

We use eBay and Amazon affiliate links which gain us a small commission per sale. Affiliate links are used with our own products and some third party recommended products displayed in the store below. 

RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna
RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog brand R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA V4 Dongle, 1x Dipole Antenna Base with 60cm RG174, 2x 23cm to 1m telescopic antenna, 2x 5cm to 13cm telescopic antenna, 1x 3 meter RG174 extension cable, 1x Flexible Tripod Mount, 1x Suction Cup Mount.

The best value RTL-SDR on the market! Several improvements over generic brands including use of the R828D tuner, triplexed input filter, notch filter, improved component tolerances, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminium case with passive cooling, bias tee circuit, improved power supply, and a built in HF upconverter.

Comes with our portable dipole antenna kit. Great for beginners as it allows for terrestrial and satellite reception. Easy to mount outdoors and designed for portable and temporary outside usage. Please do not use outside during poor weather conditions.

NOTE: This is the newer V4 design, and it requires updating to the latest drivers to work. Before purchasing, please ensure that you understand that not all applications work with the V4 yet! Compatibility with most popular software is now okay, but some niche programs are still lagging with support. Please consult the V4 users guide for more information.

Please see the RTL-SDR Blog V4 Release post for more information.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only)
RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only)

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog brand R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA V4 Dongle.

The best value RTL-SDR on the market! Several improvements over generic brands including use of the R828D tuner, triplexed input filter, notch filter, improved component tolerances, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminium case with passive cooling, bias tee circuit, improved power supply, and built in HF upconverter.

NOTE: This is the newer V4 design, and it requires updating to the latest drivers to work. Before purchasing, please ensure that you understand that not all applications work with the V4 yet! Compatibility with most popular software is now okay, but some niche programs are still lagging with support. Please consult the V4 users guide for more information.

Please see the RTL-SDR Blog V4 Release post for more information.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog R820T2 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit
RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 (R820T2) RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog brand R860 (R820T2) RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA V3 Dongle, 1x Dipole Antenna Base with 60cm RG174, 2x 23cm to 1m telescopic antenna, 2x 5cm to 13cm telescopic antenna, 1x 3 meter RG174 extension cable, 1x Flexible Tripod Mount, 1x Suction Cup Mount.

The best value RTL-SDR on the market! Several improvements over generic TV tuner brands including use of the R860 (R820T2) tuner, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminum case with passive cooling, software switchable bias tee circuit, additional ESD protection, lower overall noise and built in direct sampling for basic HF reception.

Comes with our portable dipole antenna kit. Great for beginners as it allows for terrestrial and satellite reception. Easy to mount outdoors and designed for portable and temporary outside usage. Please do not use outside during poor weather conditions.

We are now shipping the new black enclosure design with the dongle plus antenna set!

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog R820T2 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only)
RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 (R820T2) RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only)

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog brand R860 (R820T2) RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA V3 Dongle.

The best value RTL-SDR on the market! Several improvements over generic TV tuner brands including use of the R860 (R820T2) tuner, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminum case with passive cooling, software switchable bias tee circuit, additional ESD protection, lower overall noise and built in direct sampling for basic HF reception.

Amazon USA local warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
KrakenSDR 5x Coherent RTL-SDR For Direction Finding & Passive Radar
KrakenSDR 5-Channel Coherent RTL-SDR For Radio Direction Finding

KrakenSDR - 5 Channel Coherent RTL-SDR. Automatic coherent calibration. Rugged Enclosure. Low noise design. Improved software!

KrakenSDR can be used for applications that require coherence such as radio direction finding (RDF). For RDF we provide a free software stack, including a companion Android app that can be used for live mapping and triangulation of direction finding bearings.

Please see our CrowdSupply page for more information about this product.

 
Discovery Dish
Discovery Dish

Discovery Dish can be used to receive L-band weather satellites like GOES, GK-2A, FengYun, NOAA/Meteor HRPT, METOP, and more!

Other feeds include a hydrogen line feed for radio astronomy and an Inmarsat feed.

Please see our CrowdSupply page for more information about this product.

 
YouLoop Portable Passive Magnetic Loop Antenna
YouLoop Portable Passive Magnetic Loop Antenna for HF and VHF

Includes 1x YouLoop balun "Tee", 1x Coax Inverter Connector, 2x 1 meter semi-rigid coax loop cables, 1x 2m semi-rigid coax feedline.

This is a super portable passive HF/VHF loop antenna designed for super low NF/MDS receivers like the Airspy HF+ Discovery. It also works to some extent with the RTL-SDR V3 in direct sampling mode if you enable RTL AGC. But for radios without super low MDS specs, the signals can be boosted on by using any external low cost HF amplifier, or even our wideband LNA. The receiving range is 10 kHz to 30 MHz on HF, and up to 300 MHz on VHF.

Note: This antenna is designed for portable use and is not weatherproof. Permanent mounting can be achieved with weather proofing tape.

Please see the product release post for more information, or the description on the Airspy website.

Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.  

 
RTL-SDR Blog L-Band 1525 - 1637 Inmarsat to Iridium Patch Antenna Set
RTL-SDR Blog Active L-Band 1525 - 1660 Inmarsat to Iridium Patch Antenna Set

Includes 1x Active RHCP L-Band Patch Antenna (Covering 1525 - 1660 MHz) in Weather Proof Enclosure, 1x 2 meter RG174 extension cable, 1x Flexible Tripod Mount, 1x Suction Cup Mount.

This is version two of our active (amplified + filtered) high performance RHCP patch antenna designed for receiving L-Band satellites such as Inmarsat, Iridium and GPS. Easily mountable outside on a window, surface, stick, tree branch etc. Comes with easy to use mounting solutions and extension coax, and is enclosed in a fully weather proof plastic cover.

Requires 3.3 - 5v 20mA bias tee power. The RTL-SDR V3 provides 4.5v so is suitable.

Please see the Release Post for more information about the product. Note that antenna now ships with gray coloring - not black.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog Dipole Antenna Kit
RTL-SDR Blog Multipurpose Dipole Antenna Kit

Includes 1x Dipole Antenna Base with 60cm RG174, 2x 23cm to 1m telescopic antenna, 2x 5cm to 13cm telescopic antenna, 1x 3 meter RG174 extension cable, 1x Flexible Tripod Mount, 1x Suction Cup Mount.

Our new portable Dipole antenna set with mounting kit. Allows you to easily get the antenna up high and outside where reception will improve significantly. The dipole base mounts onto a standard 1/4" camera screw, so it can be mounted on to a variety of already available mounts. Included is a flexible tripod and suction cup mount.

Designed for portable and temporary outside usage. Please do not use outside during poor weather conditions.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
QO-100 Bullseye TCXO LNB
QO-100 Bullseye TCXO LNB

Includes 1x QO-100 Bullseye TCXO LNB

This is a TCXO stabilized LNB for the QO-100 geostationary amateur satellite and other Ku-band satellites. Manufactured by Othernet. Standard LNBs used for QO-100 require modifications to be made to the circuit as the crystal needs to be replaced with a TCXO in order to avoid frequency drift. The Bullseye LNB comes with a highly stable TCXO which has less than 10 kHz offset even in outdoor conditions.

The Bullseye LNB is the world's most precise and stable DTH/consumer Ku-band down converter. Even a VSAT LNBF costing hundreds of dollars more is no match for the performance of the Bullseye 10K LNB. Each unit is calibrated at the factory to within 1 kHz of absolute precision against a GPS-locked spectrum analyzer. Under outdoor conditions, the stability of the LNB is well within 10 kHz of offset. As a bonus feature, the Bullseye 10K provides access to its internal 25 MHz TCXO through the secondary (red) F-connector. This reference output can be used to directly monitor the performance of the TCXO over time.

NOTE: Requires a 12-19V bias tee power injector, the V3/V4's 4.5V bias tee is NOT for this LNB. 11.5 - 14V enables vertical polarization and 16 - 19V enables horizontal polarization.

Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog Broadcast FM Band-Stop Filter
RTL-SDR Blog Broadcast FM Band-Stop Filter

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog Broadcast FM Band-Stop Filter and 1x SMA male to SMA male adapter.

Blocks the broadcast FM band between 88 - 108 MHz with over 50dB of attenuation. Insertion loss is less than 0.5 dB between 0 - 1 GHz, and mostly less than 1.5 dB between 1 - 3 GHz. A broadcast FM block filter can help if you have very strong broadcasts in your area that are overloading the SDR dongle. Also known as "FM Trap". Note, designed for RX use only, although several customer tests have confirmed that up to 5W can be put through this filter without issues (but please note that TX damage is not covered by warranty).

See the product release page, for more information and tests.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog Broadcast AM High Pass Filter
RTL-SDR Blog Broadcast AM High Pass Filter

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog Broadcast AM High Pass Filter and 1x SMA male to SMA male adapter.

Designed to block the broadcast AM band between 500 kHz - 1.7 MHz with over 50 dB of attenuation. The 3 dB roll-off point is between 2.5 - 2.6 MHz. Works great with the direct sampling mode on our V3 dongles. This is a high pass filter and not a notch, so VLF will not work. Note, for RX use only.

See the product release page, for more information and tests.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog ADS-B Triple Filtered LNA (Bias Tee Powered)
RTL-SDR Blog ADS-B Triple Filtered LNA (Bias Tee Powered)

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog ADS-B Triple Filtered LNA (Bias Tee Powered) and 1x SMA male to SMA male adapter.

This is a high performance filter and LNA combination for 1090 MHz ADS-B reception with 27dB of gain, a noise figure of around 1dB and over 60dB's of out of band attenuation. Designed to be used with bias tee power from our RTL-SDR Blog V3 dongles with the LNA mounted as close to the antenna as possible. It is triple filtered with a low loss high pass filter on the front end, and two 1090 MHz SAW filters placed in between and after the high performance low noise figure two stage MGA-13116 LNA. The triple filter design should help avoid dongle or LNA overload in noisy/strong signal environments.

Please note again: Requires 3 - 5v, 150mA bias tee power. The RTL-SDR V3 provides 4.5v so is suitable.

See the product release page, for more information and tests.

Amazon USA warehouse out of stock.
Chinese worldwide out of stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog Wideband LNA (Bias Tee Powered)
RTL-SDR Blog Wideband LNA (Bias Tee Powered)

Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog Wideband LNA (Bias Tee Powered) and 1x SMA male to SMA male adapter.

This is a general purpose SPF5189Z based wideband LNA. Works from 50 MHz to 4 GHz with a noise figure of less than 1dB. Requires bias tee power, but there is an internal header which can be used to switch to external power, although for external power wires you'll need to drill a hole into the enclosure. If you're looking to improve ADS-B performance we recommend our Triple Filtered ADS-B LNA shown above.

Please note again: Requires 3 - 5v, 90mA bias tee power. The RTL-SDR V3 provides 4.5v so is suitable.

Please see the product release page for more information.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog SMA Pigtail Antenna Adapter Set
RTL-SDR Blog SMA Pigtail Antenna Adapter Set

Includes 1x SMA Pigtail adapter set (6 adapters)

Set of six SMA pigtail adapters with 20cm of RG316 cabling. Contains five SMA to female (Type N, UHF, BNC, PAL, Type F) adapters and one bonus SMA male to SMA male adapter which is often used to connect to devices like upconverters.

Amazon USA warehouse local in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog SMA Straight Antenna Adapter Set
RTL-SDR Blog SMA Straight Antenna Adapter Set

Includes 1x SMA straight adapter set (6 adapters)

Set of six straight adapters with. Contains five SMA to female (Type N, UHF, BNC, PAL, Type F) adapters and one bonus SMA male to SMA male adapter which is often used to connect to devices like upconverters. Less loss than the pigtail adapters.

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
RTL-SDR Blog Semi-Rigid RG402 SMA Antenna Adapter Set
RTL-SDR Blog Semi-Rigid RG402 SMA Antenna Adapter Set

Includes 1x Semi-Rigid RG402 SMA Antenna Adapter Set (10 adapters)

Includes 10 RF RG402 adapter cables. SMA Male to SMA, BNC, Type N, Type F, UHF Male + Female adapters. RG402 is a semi-rigid cable. Maintains shape after bending. Please do not bend too close to the connector to avoid breakage. Great for tidy cable management in enclosures!

Amazon USA warehouse in stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse out of stock.

 
RSP1A Metal Enclosure Upgrade and Carry Bag
RSP1A Metal Enclosure Upgrade and Carry Bag

Includes 1x black aluminum metal enclosure with two labelled side panels, 1x black semi-hard shell carry case, 1x thermal pad to keep the RSP1A cool and mechanically stable inside the enclosure, 1x accessory set including enclosure screws, GND lug bolt set and 3M anti-slip rubber feet.

This is a premium black metal upgrade enclosure for the SDRplay RSP1A, or RSP1. Helps block RF interference and protects the RSP inside the sturdy enclosure.

Please note this DOES NOT include the SDRplay RSP1A.

Amazon USA local out of stock.
Chinese worldwide warehouse out of stock.

 
NanoVNA V2+ Enclosure and Carry Case
NanoVNA V2+ Enclosure and Carry Case

Includes 1x Plastic NanoVNA V2 Enclosure, 1x Carry Case 1x Battery Terminals (Optional to install), 1x Matte Anti-Glare Screen Protector, 4x Enclosure Screws

Plastic enclosure and protective case for the NanoVNA V2 and V2+. Protect your NanoVNA V2 with a rugged plastic enclosure and carry case. The case case can be used to store the calibration kit as well. A standard 18650 battery (flat top non-protected) can be installed via the battery terminals if desired. Requires assembly - please consult the installation instructions PDF.

Please note does NOT include NanoVNA V2, NanoVNA calibration kit or battery. These are displayed in the photos for demonstration purposes only. 

NOTE: This enclosure is designed for the original NanoVNA V2/+. It should fit most clones, however it has come to our attention that some clones are now using very short buttons which are not long enough to poke through the plastic wall. Please check with the clone seller first if they use the shorter buttons if you are wanting to use this enclosure.

Amazon USA warehouse out of stock. 
Chinese worldwide warehouse in stock.

 
The Hobbyist's Guide to the RTL-SDR: Really Cheap Software Defined Radio (Book)
The Hobbyist's Guide to the RTL-SDR: Really Cheap Software Defined Radio (Book)

A comprehensive guide to the RTL2832U RTL-SDR software defined radio by the authors of the RTL-SDR Blog. This book is about tips and tutorials that show you how to get the most out of your RTL-SDR dongle.

The paperback includes the eBook via the Kindle matchbook program. Amazon Prime customers can borrow the book for FREE. Also available for purchase from Amazon sites in UKDE, FR, IT, ES, JP, IN, CA, BR and MX.

 

[expand title = "Shipping Information / Policy (Click to Expand)"]

If you suspect a lost postal item please contact your local postal agency first and inquire there. Usually 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 at [email protected] 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.

USA

For US customers we highly recommend purchasing our products from Amazon. Amazon will provide you with fast local shipping and shipping is free for orders over $35. If you are a Prime subscriber you also get free 2 day shipping.

US customers may also purchase from our international checkout and choose free shipping from China and we will send via priority air mail (ePacket EMS).

International (All countries outside the USA except sanctioned countries like Iran and NK)

Please enter your address using English characters only!

Please note that we have an approximate 1-2 day working day processing time before international parcels get shipped (even express orders).

Note that we cannot ship to internationally sanctioned countries such as Iran and NK. These orders will be cancelled.

International orders bought on our cart will be shipped from our warehouse in China. Shipping is free. Shipping can take anywhere from 1 - 8 weeks, but typically it is between 2 - 4 weeks. It will normally reach the higher end of the scale during the peak season which is the months surrounding December. Please note that delivery time is also highly dependent on the efficiency of the postal and customs agencies within your country, and please understand that this processing time is totally out of our hands. Countries such as South Africa, Italy, Canada, Brazil, and middle eastern countries are known to sometimes have extremely slow postal and customs agencies. If you need faster shipping please select an express option.

Please note that we cannot cancel an international shipment that has shipped out. This is not allowed by the postal services.

International buyers are reminded that as with any international parcel you are fully responsible for any duties or customs clearance fees required by your country, and that you take full responsibility for the legality of importing. If you have questions about the declared value and customs fees please feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Please watch the tracking information and contact your postal agency if there are any significant delays. If your parcel does not arrive within 4 weeks (6 weeks during December/Christmas period and for known slow countries) and the tracking looks stuck, then please contact us at [email protected] and we will open a postal investigation and resend or refund your item. 

Express air courier shipping is also available but this costs much more and we only recommend this for larger shipments, or for countries that don't support priority air mail. With this option we will normally use FEDEX, but for some countries may use an alternative. Depending on your country your package should arrive within 2-8 business days with express shipping (plus a 1-3 working day processing time). If you wish to use this option then please select your country from the shipping options in the cart. Note that most express couriers will not deliver to a PO BOX and they may charge additional fees for duty/customs processing. Also please note that there is often a slightly longer initial processing time with express couriers, as they are often slow to provide us with the tracking information. You can expect the tracking info to be provided 2-5 working days after your order.

Note that depending on the weight, cost and destination country of your order we may upgrade your shipment to a faster shipping method for free. We will normally only do this for larger orders.

How do I track my shipment?

Please use the tracking link in the second order completed email that you will receive from us.

Please note that tracking updates may initially take a few days to start working after receiving the shipped status.

[/expand]

[expand title = "Product Support (Click to Expand)"]

If you have a general question about RTL-SDRs or SDRs we ask you to please ask in our forums.

If you need technical support please first ensure that you have been through our Quickstart guide and troubleshooting section further down on it, as well as our V3 users guide. Common questions like how to use the HF mode are explained on the V3 users guide.

If you have a question about shipping of an item please first read the shipping policy (above) and see if it answers your question. If it is a request for tracking details please first check your old/deleted/spam mails for the tracking email which is provided by PayPal. You should have two mails from PayPal. The first showing ‘in process’, and the second 1-2 working days after showing the tracking details.

If you suspect a lost postal item please contact your local postal agency first and inquire there. Usually 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 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.

[/expand]

[expand title = "Warranty Information (Click to Expand)"]

We will provide a two year warranty on any manufacturing defects. Please note that if you do any modifications to the PCB (e.g. soldering on it) then any warranty will be voided, so please ensure your dongle is working before trying these.

If you suspect a manufacturing fault please first ensure that you have been through our Quickstart guide and troubleshooting section further down on it, as well as our V3 users guide. Common questions like how to use the HF mode are explained on the V3 users guide.

If you've been through the troubleshooting guide and still suspect a fault please contact us through Amazon if you bought there, or email us at [email protected] if you bought from our cart. Be sure to include your order number and name. Please include details of the fault and a picture of the fault if it is physical damage. If the unit is faulty we will issue either a full refund or send a new unit out depending on your preference.

[/expand]

[expand title = "Wholesale Information (Click to Expand)"]

We can provide bulk rates for order of over 10 units. If you want to buy 10+ units please contact us directly at [email protected] for a wholesale quote.

[/expand]

Recommended accessories from other sellers

Note that some of the links below are affiliate links which help support the costs involved with the running of this blog. However, all the products listed are what we actually do recommend regardless.

Antennas

Probably the most important part of a radio system is the antenna. There is no one size fits all antenna, every different design will have a trade off. For instance, wide band antennas can receive more frequencies, but will have less gain at any one particular frequency. If you want to receive everything then get a wide band antenna. If you want to receive one frequency with optimal reception, find a tuned narrow band antenna.

Discone Antenna
Discone Antenna

Discones are wideband antennas. This makes them ideal for the RTL-SDR as using a Discone will allow you to receive at almost any frequency with decent performance.

 
FlightAware ADS-B Antenna
FlightAware ADS-B Antenna

A 1090 MHz ADS-B antenna from FlightAware. Is weather proofed and has 5 dB of gain. Uses an N-type antenna connector. See our review post for more information.

Upconverters

The lowest frequency an RTL-SDR can comfortably tune to is about 24 MHz. An upconverter allows you to use your RTL-SDR on HF frequencies which are between 0 - 30 MHz. They work by shifting frequencies between 0 - 30 MHz "up" by a fixed amount into a frequency range that is receivable by the RTL-SDR.

Spyverter
SpyVerter Upconverter

Currently we recommend the SpyVerter as the upconverter of choice. Although it was designed to be used with the Airspy, it works perfectly with the RTL-SDR. It uses a 120 MHz oscillator, has excellent filtering and can be powered via USB cable or via the bias-tee on our RTL-SDR Blog dongles. The SpyVerter uses an innovative new architecture that reduces overloading, has better SNR than other options and can operate all the way down to DC.

With the above performance and features, the included metal case and adapters and at a similar or even lower price compared to other upconverters we think this one is the best value. See our review post for more information.

 
SV1AFN Upconverter
SV1AFN Upconverter

An alternative to the SpyVerter is the upconverter designed by SV1AFN.

It based on the ADE-1 mixer chip, uses a 200 MHz oscillator, has good filtering and works almost down to DC.

 
Ham-It-Up Upconverter
Ham-It-Up Upconverter

Another recommended option is the Ham-It-Up Upconverter.

This one like the SV1AFN is also based on the ADE-1 mixer, but uses 125 MHz oscillator and is based on an open source design. There is also a metal case available on Amazon and eBay. However, currently we would recommend the SpyVerter or SV1AFN over this option.

RF Filters

RF filters connect between your antenna and RTL-SDR dongle. They help to significantly reduce out of band interference and noise which is very helpful when trying to improve signal strength.

 
FlightAware ADS-B Filter
FlightAware ADS-B Filter

FlightAware sell a very affordable ADS-B band pass filter. Many users have reported significantly improved reception when they started using this filter. This is probably the best filter to get if you are interested in ADS-B. See our review post for more information.

 
ADS-B HABamp LNA + Filter Combo
ADS-B HABamp LNA + Filter Combo

We also highly recommend the ADS-B HABAmp for receiving ADS-B signals. This is a filter + LNA combination that works very well and will significantly improve ADS-B performance.

We've tested these ourselves with the activatable bias tee in our units and found them to definitely work very well.

 
Multi HF Bandpass Filter
Multi HF Bandpass Filter

This product is great for if you are using an upconverter together with your RTL-SDR, or other SDR. Contains seven band pass filters that range from 1.6 - 2.5 MHz, 2.5 - 4.7 MHz, 4.7 - 7.5 MHz, 7.5 - 14.5 MHz, 14.5 - 21.5 MHz, 21.5 - 33 MHz and 33 - 56 MHz.

Low Noise Amplifiers

If you have long runs of coax cable then a low noise amplifier (LNA) can help to significantly improve your reception. Coax cable is lossy and the longer it is the more your received signal is attenuated. By adding an LNA near the antenna this loss can be reduced.

LNA4ALL
LNA4ALL

The LNA4ALL is a very affordable wide band low noise amplifier that is very commonly used with the RTL-SDR. Has the ability to be powered externally from any voltage between 6V - 9V, or with a simple modification with 3V - 5V in bias tee mode.

We have tested the LNA4ALL in bias tee mode with the activatable bias tee in our units and found it to work well.

 
Other LNA's
Other LNA's

There are also several low noise amplifier circuits that can be found very cheaply for sale on eBay and most will do a good job. Unfortunately most don't provide a bias tee option like the LNA4ALL or HABamp does. Currently we recommend LNA's based on the SPF5189Z chip as they have wideband good performance, and are cheaply produced.

Other Accessories

Active USB Extension Cable
Active USB Extension Cable

Ideally you want to get the RTL-SDR dongle as close to the antenna as possible. Normal USB cables have a length limit of about 5m before they stop working, but with an active USB cable this can be extended up to 10 to 15 meters.

We recommend these Monoprice cables as they have been reported to work successfully with the RTL-SDR dongle.

 
Active USB Extension Cable
RG6 Coaxial Cable

We recommend using RG6 coaxial cable for most links between your antenna and RTL-SDR. RG6 is low loss cable and it is also very cheap because it is used commercially with satellite TV installations.

RG6 is 75 Ohm cable. Note that the mismatch between 50 and 75 Ohm impedances is completely negligible for RX applications.

 
Clip on USB Ferrite Core
Clip on USB Ferrite Core

Noise and interference can sometimes be induced in the USB cable itself which can show up in the RF spectrum. To stop this noise use clip on ferrite cores on the USB cable. These cores help to suppress unwanted currents in the USB shield.

 
USB OTG Cable
USB OTG Cable

A USB on-the-go (OTG) cable is required to use the RTL-SDR on Android phones with software like SDR Touch and Wavesink. We recommend trying to find cables that come with power plugs so that you can use it with a power pack. Using an RTL-SDR can increase CPU usage which can quickly drain a mobiles battery.

 
9:1 Balun
9:1 Balun

If you are using a long wire or random wire antenna with a HF modded RTL-SDR or an upconverter you should use a 9:1 impedance transformer to get good SWR.

There are also several other alternatives available on eBay that use a larger iron core.

 
Wideband Noise Source
Wideband Noise Source

A wideband noise source can be used together with an RTL-SDR dongle to perform measurements on filters and to measure the SWR of an antenna.

See our tutorial here for more information.

 

Recommended alternative SDRs

Airspy
Airspy

Airspy SDRs have high performance RX capabilities with mid tier pricing. Their units really shine when used in tough RF environments, such as in RF environments with strong and weak signals together. The Airspy is an excellent upgrade from an RTL-SDR dongle. 

See our review post for a comprehensive comparison between the Airspy, SDRplay RSP and HackRF.

 
SDRplay RSP
SDRplay RSP

Another good mid range SDR is the SDRplay RSP line of receivers. These SDRs are great value for the price and can receive HF frequencies without an upconverter. Previous iterations were behind the Airspy in terms of overall performance, but the RSP1A and newer models are on par.

See our review post for a comprehensive comparison between the Airspy, SDRplay RSP1 and HackRF.

 
HackRF One
HackRF One

The HackRF One is a relatively low cost TX/RX capable SDR. It is designed for radio experimenters and it has a very wide band frequency range from 1 MHz to 6 GHz, and a wide bandwidth of up to 20 MHz and an 8-Bit ADC. It is probably the most versatile SDR that exists at the moment, but in a compromise it does not have the best quality RX or TX performance. Thus it is perfect for experiments like reverse engineering and testing RF devices, but it is not intended to be used as a commercial radio or ham radio.