V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit

I need to use it more but it has been an awesome gadget to have, especially for the price! I have the V3 and V4 now and they do better at different frequencies. I think these are fantastic for the price, and great for getting into Amateur Radio or simply checking out what type of RF sources you have near you. I was able to listen into local HAM Net's and the repeater, visuaze active frequencies, and it is fun to explore the local spectrum.The price for higher end gear really gets up there, so grab one of these before you go spending that type of money. While I don't use it much, just due to being busy, I still have it and may use it more, and I didn't buy a $500+ box to do the same things. I may build a remote server to collect data from local rf sources and monitor sometime with this, there are a lot of potential use cases, from recording what is going on with a local repeater to figuring out what inteference you have locally, awesome little device!

Had been doing SDR for a couple years using the RTL-SDR V3 and a Spyverter upconverter. Finally got the random wire antenna restrung and wanted to upgrade the dongle. Some have gone through the roof, price-wise, so I went with the RTL-SDR V4 (current price actually same or lower than V3). This is a serious upgrade to the V3, if for no other reason that it has a built-in upconverter. I followed the setup instructions on the RTL-SDR website and had it going in a jiffy using SDR-Console software. Currently, VHF and UHF bands are terrible because of the time of year and solar activity. I sprang for the kit with antenna because it was only $10 more. Quite happy.

I'm just getting into RTL SDS scanning, so I am not an expert by any means, but this one comes highly rated. It's fairly simple to use and connect, but depending on what types of signals you're trying to decode and listen to, the antenna kit that comes with it leads a little to be desired. I suppose it does at very basics what it's supposed to, but if you're looking to do anything real with RTL SDS, you're going to want a better more specific antenna for your signals. If I had to do it over again I would have just foregone the antenna kit all together and just bought the dongle on its own. No complaints about the dongle, it works as intended.

4 stars for the dongle, 1- star for the included accesories.The only drawback of this product is that the included dipole antenna came with manufacturing defects:- The short "telescopic leads" dissasembled themselves when trying to extend them to their full length.- The included "flexible tripod" spherical articulation is defective: the plastic spherical receptacle which contains the inner-articulation sphere, was brittle and lost it's capacity to keep the dipole in place the first day of use...Besides that, it is a really nice product, but they should keep an eye on their accesories quality standards.If you are a buyer: be aware of the above and if you proceed with the purchase, keep an eye for third-party accessories (or try to DIY your own antennae)

I found this SDR kit to be an excellent choice for beginners looking to explore software-defined radio. It works exactly as advertised, and the bundled antenna makes setup quick and easy while providing decent reception across FM, VHF, and UHF frequencies. The included suction cup and tripod have been incredibly useful for positioning the antenna on glass windows or poles to optimize signal reception.I live in an area where buildings are tightly packed side by side, and the units have no balcony, yet I was still able to receive good signals even with the antenna installed inside my unit. This has made the setup incredibly convenient, especially for those in similar living conditions. I’ve tested this unit on Windows, Mac, and Linux machines, and it performed exceptionally well on all three platforms. Overall, I highly recommend this affordable SDR dongle to anyone interested in getting started with SDR.

Installation can be tricky but there are websites and videos to walk you through. Once up and running, you'll be amazed at what you can pick up even with a modest antenna.