Using the SDRplay and SDRTouch on an Android Mobile Phone
A few months ago the popular SDRTouch software for Android added support for the SDRplay RSP. The RSP is a $149 USD software defined radio with a tuning range of 100 kHz to 2 GHz and a 12 bit ADC.
Over on YouTube user Mile Kokotov has uploaded a video showing the SDRplay RSP running in SDRTouch. He uses it to listen to the 14 MHz ham band in SSB mode and finds that reception is clear and that it is fairly easy to tune around.
In order to use the RSP with an Android device you will need a fairly modern phone and a USB OTG cable. Ideally try to get a USB OTG cable with an external power port as the battery can drain quite fast when using the SDR. SDRTouch also supports the RTL-SDR.
I agree with Skip. That was my experience – in connecting my SDRPlay to my HP Touchpad tablet (running Android 4.0.4 via Cyanogenmod). The tablet would not go into USB Host Mode unless I had the USB Y-cable connected AND an external power source too. I tried the powered USB hub first, and then a USB-battery. Both worked. I removed the external power from the cabling – and it failed to work. I LOVE the simplicity of the SDRTOUCH app coupled with the amazing SDRPlay device. Really great combination! 🙂
It should be noted that the SDRPlay draws less than half the current than an R820T based RTL dongle (120mA vs. 250mA). However, both work fine on my Samsung S3 via a standard OTG cable without external power.
A USB battery pack and a OTG ‘Y’ cable are really needed for portable operation, along with a
power-rated USB cable. Otherwise funny things happen.