Software Defined Radio with HackRF

by jvermillard • 12 years ago

47 8 12 years ago

acdanger• 12 years ago

Anyone with one of these devices care to share their experiences? I've been looking for a way to get into SDR and DSP, but not sure if purchasing a HackRF would be a good first step considering its price tag ($300) and relative newness.

packetlss• 12 years ago

If you're looking for a good cheap kit to start out with, I suggest a cheap DVB-T card with a Realtek RTL2832U chip.

20 MHz - 2.2 GHz ~2.5 MS/s

Just google for RTLSDR.

You can get started for as little as 15-20 USD.

pmorici• 12 years ago

I second this, one of the links to a site selling the HackRF also sells a USB dongle. He explains in the first video that you will be able to do some of the lessons with this cheaper hardware. The welcome lesson about FM can definitely be done with a cheapo dongle.

http://hackerwarehouse.com/product/dvb-t-usb2-0/

th0ma52• 12 years ago

I definitely agree with packetlss. The ~$20 dongles are way too much fun. They aren't very noiseless or precise, but it doesn't matter given all you can do with one.

I have many of them, and I also have a HackRF. HackRF additionally transmits, which can be cool, and is my first transmit capable SDR. Previously I did build an SDR, an incredibly simple circuit called the Zeta SDR, and then hooked it into a sound card. I've also played around with digital RF synths, but they are not the same, although that is my first experience with transmission, and also the Raspberry PI simple FM transmitter (and I do have my Amateur Radio license, which is often a requirement to transmit at any appreciable power like for outside of a room).

I really like the HackRF so far. It works great on my Chromebook, and playing with the GNU Radio companion is really fun. I'm looking forward to the continuing video series the HackRF creator is making.

I know of at least one person who has a more expensive device, the Perseus SDR. They use it for receiving week signals on the shortwave radio bands.

Edit: checkout the subreddit for the dongles http://www.reddit.com/r/rtlsdr

mhe• 12 years ago

Just curious, which Chromebook do you use and have you experimented with the maximum sample rate it can handle?

CraigJPerry• 12 years ago

The RTL dongles really benefit from a better aerial.

The SkyScanner mobile Scanner aerial is pretty cheap and its effective over the range of frequencies the RTL can tune to.

pietrofmaggi• 12 years ago

You can find here an initial review of this board: http://www.rtl-sdr.com/hackrf-initial-review/

Software Defined Radio with HackRF

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