Tagged: openwebrx

Echo iOS KiwiSDR & OpenWebRX App now in Beta Testing

Back in January, we first posted about "Echo", an upcoming iOS app designed for browsing global web-based KiwiSDR and OpenWebRX software-defined radios.

Mark now notes that Echo is now in beta, and has been released to testers via TestFlight. He notes that new users can access the beta by making a small donation on his Ko-fi page. Mark writes:

Users have already reported being able to listen to some euro ham chat on their bike ride today. Where they’d usually have to put their entire iPhone in that locked guided access mode to block touch inputs on Safari, Echo allows multitasking & lock screen playback. For every SDR, any frequency. Someone else throwing the phone in their pocket & taking their walk with AirPods in their ear listening to CW. This was truly the most requested feature by far.

I’ve made several improvements since we last talked, even added support for not just Kiwi & OpenWebRX but also WebSDR & FM-DX. All built in. Over 2000+ global tuners at people’s fingertips. 11,000+ frequencies in a categorized database.

If you were unaware, OpenWebRX is a piece of server software that allows you to access and share SDRs over a network connection, such as the internet, via a web browser interface. OpenWebRX is a core component of the KiwiSDR, an SDR designed to operate as a shared receiver over a network connection. Around the world, many people have set up public KiwiSDR, RTL-SDR, and other SDR systems accessible via OpenWebRX. Echo is designed to make it easy to search for and view public OpenWebRX receivers on iOS devices.

EchoSDR Beta Screenshots
Echo iOS Beta Screenshots

Echo – A Native iOS Client for KiwiSDR & OpenWebRX

Thank you to Mark Garrison Jr. for writing in and sharing with us a new iOS app he's developing called "Echo". Echo is an app designed to provide a streamlined mobile companion for the KiwiSDR and OpenWebRX ecosystems. Note that the app is currently not yet released, but Mark is planning a TestFlight beta in February. Follow his Twitter/X @SDRecho for updates, and sign up to the beta tester waiting list if you are interested.

OpenWebRX is a piece of server software that allows you to access and share SDRs over a network connection, such as the internet, via a web browser interface. OpenWebRX is a core component of the KiwiSDR, an SDR designed to operate as a shared receiver over a network connection. Around the world, many people have set up public KiwiSDR, RTL-SDR, and other SDR systems that can be accessed via OpenWebRX. Echo is designed to make searching for and viewing public OpenWebRX receivers easy on iOS devices.

Mark writes:

[Echo] is a native iOS app built entirely in SwiftUI, designed to provide a streamlined mobile companion to the KiwiSDR and OpenWebRX ecosystems.

The goal is to offer a modern interface optimized for iPhone, making it easier to explore the spectrum on the go.

Key Features:

• Global Connectivity: Access any public KiwiSDR or OpenWebRX server via a live global map with 500+ active stations.

• Smart Scans: Station scanner with presets for Shortwave, Ham, and Military bands.

• Audio Intelligence: Integrated recording with speech-to-text transcription for logging signals.

• Native Performance: 100% SwiftUI for smooth waterfall rendering and low battery impact.

The app is currently in active development. I am sharing progress updates and will be announcing the upcoming TestFlight beta over on Twitter at @SDRecho. I’m planning to launch a beta in February.

Echo iOS App for KiwiSDR and OpenWebRX
Echo iOS App for KiwiSDR and OpenWebRX
Echo for iOS: The Native SDR Experience

TechMinds: Demonstrating OpenWebRX Plus

In one of his videos from a few days ago Matt from the Tech Minds YouTube channel tests out OpenWebRX+, an unofficial fork of OpenWebRX. OpenWebRX is open source software which enables users to put software defined radios like RTL-SDRs on the internet, allowing people from all over the world to access the receiver if desired, or just letting yourself access it remotely if you want to keep it private.

OpenWebRX+ adds several additional decoders and features on top of the official version. In the video Matt demonstrates OpenWebRX+ running on a Raspberry Pi 4, with an SDRPlay RSPdx. He demonstrates the web GUI in action and shows decoding examples of the various decoders that OpenWebRX+ comes with.

OpenWebRX Plus - The ULTIMATE Web SDR Application

OpenWebRX+ Updates: HFDL, ISM Band, FLEX, SELCALL decoders added

Back in March of this year we posted about an OpenWebRX fork called OpenWebRX+, which adds multiple built-in and ready to use decoders such as SSTV, AIS, CW and RTTY. OpenWebRX+ is a fork of the OpenWebRX project which is now officially maintained by DD5JFK.

Since our last post OpenWebRX+ has progressed in development further, and now includes a HFDL decoder via dumphfdl, various ISM band equipment decoders via rtl_433,  FLEX pager decoding via multimon-ng, and a SELCALL decoder has also been added. Many other improvements and changes to the software have also been added, and the full changelog can be viewed here.

OpenWebRX+ is software for Linux. If you want to install OpenWebRX+, an easy path is to use the ready to use Raspberry Pi 4 image available on the releases page, or to use their PPA.

SSTV Image received by the luarvique fork of OpenWebRX. Credit: Neil Howard
SSTV Image received by the luarvique fork of OpenWebRX. Credit: Neil Howard

Building an OpenWebRX Server with an RTL-SDR Blog V3 for HF Monitoring

Thank you to Ramadhan (YD1RUH) who has put together a brief set of commands showing how to quickly get setup with OpenWebRX and an RTL-SDR Blog V3. OpenWebRX is a web based SDR program that allows users to use their SDR over a network or internet connector. It is compatible with several SDRs including the RTL-SDR.

 The installation is based on Ubuntu, and uses docker for the install. He also shows how to set up the OpenWebRX configuration file so that it will use the Q-branch direct sampling mode in RTL-SDR Blog V3 dongles for HF reception.

A demonstration of the result can be seen on Ramadhan's public OpenWebRX page. You can select between the various enabled HF bands in the lower left.

OpenWebRX HF reception running on an RTL-SDR Blog V3 dongle.

An OpenWebRX fork with additional built in decoders

Thank you to Stefan for letting us know about a relatively modern OpenWebRX fork by luarvique that comes with additional built in decoders and features, such as SSTV, AIS, CW, RTTY, an MP3 recorder and SSTV image browser.

OpenWebRX is an open source web based SDR receiver program that allows you or others (if you allow them to), to access your SDR over the internet. It is compatible with KiwiSDR, RTL-SDR, Airspy, SDRPlay and many other software defined radio hardware. It was originally developed by Andras Retzler, but since abandoned by him, with a semi-official fork being maintained at openwebrx.de. However, other forks like luarvique can exist that implement a new set of features.

The full set of additions and improvements reads as follows:

This is the package repository for the improved version of the OpenWebRX online SDR. The new and original features available in this version of OpenWebRX:

  • Built-in SSTV decoder with background decoding.
  • Built-in AIS decoder.
  • Built-in CW decoder.
  • Built-in RTTY decoder.
  • Built-in MP3 recorder for received audio.
  • Image browser for received SSTV images.
  • Adjustable noise filtering based on spectral subtraction.
  • Adjustable tuning step.
  • Improved touch screen operation, with panning and zooming.
  • Improved scroll wheel support, with tuning and zooming.
  • Improved tuning in CW mode.
  • Bandpass filter adjustable with scroll wheel.
  • More reliable SDRPlay devices operation.
  • Better map information, with distances.
  • Better APRS map information, with weather.
  • Configurable session timeout, with a policy page.
  • HTTPS protocol support (requires SSL certificate).

The code comes packaged for Ubuntu 22.04 (amd64, arm64) and Debian 11 (amd64 arm64, armhf). There is also a ready to use Pi 4 SD card image available, linked on the GitHub readme. The original forked code can be found at https://github.com/luarvique/openwebrx.

According to discussion over on the OpenWebRX groups.io, the fork also runs on a Pi 3. In the image Neil Howard from the groups.io forum demonstrates an SSTV image he received with an SDRplay clone using the luarvique fork of OpenWebRX.

SSTV Image received by the luarvique fork of OpenWebRX. Credit: Neil Howard
SSTV Image received by the luarvique fork of OpenWebRX. Credit: Neil Howard

Stefan also notes:

The maker of OpenWebRX+ Marek and also the maker of the original version of OpenWebRX Jakob are reachable via a Telegram channel: https://t.me/openwebrx_chat

Multiband OpenWebRX Receiver via Multiple RTL-SDR Dongles

Thank you to Marko who has submitted his blog post showing how he's set up a multiband OpenWebRX receiver via multiple RTL-SDR dongles connected in server based network architecture. OpenWebRX is a open source software platform that allows users to set up multi-user network accessible RTL-SDR and other SDR receivers.

In his post Marko explains the architecture he's set up which consists of multiple antennas, and a Raspberry Pi running multiple RTL-SDRs right by each unique antenna. The Raspberry Pi's send the complete receiver bandwidth over the network to a more powerful virtual server running OpenWebRX. This architecture allows for scalability, and for many users to be able to connect at once.

Marco's Scalable OpenWebRX Architecture

The rest of Marko's post shows how he set up OpenWebRX and supporting software such as SoapyRemote, which handles the network transfer of the raw SDR data. Marko has created a YouTube video demonstrating multiple connections to the OpenWebRX server, and you can also try out his server directly via this link https://sdr.v4.si.

An Raspbery Pi running multiple RTL-SDR dongles, sending raw data to the OpenWebRX server.

OpenWebRX Updated to V1.1.0

Thank you to Jason for writing in and letting us know that OpenWebRX Version 1.1.0 has been released on August 03. OpenWebRX is an open source program that allows users to make RTL-SDRs, KiwiSDRs and other SDRs accessible over the internet via a web browser. It is is currently available as a Raspberry Pi SD card image, in the Debian + Ubuntu repositories, as a docker image, or for manual installation. 

The latest version adds an AMBE voice data decoder, new decoders and metadata displays for NXDN and D-Star, and crisper SVG graphics.

Since we last posted about OpenWebRX updates in early 2020, there has also been support added for the Perseus-SDR, RadioBerry 2, Hermes HPSDR, Funcube Dongle Pro+ software defined radios. New decoders and support for external decoders such as JS8Call, FreeDV, Wideband FM, DREAM DRM,  FST4, FST4W, Q65 and M17 digital voice have been added.

There is also now a site called Receiverbook.de that aggregates a list of publicly available OpenWebRX receivers.

OpenWebRX Interface