A Better HF SDR Than RTL-SDR?

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The idea is simple: build a low-cost, purpose-built HF receiver around a cheap high-speed ADC instead of repurposing an RTL-SDR.

An RTL-SDR is an excellent general-purpose radio tool, but it was not designed as a high-dynamic-range HF receiver. A direct-sampling design with proper HF preselection, controlled gain, a stable sampling clock and FPGA-based digital down-conversion should make a more interesting homebrew receiver.

The goal is not to claim IC-7300-class performance from a $25 design. The goal is to explore the same broad receiver architecture at a much lower cost and to measure honestly how well it works.

RSP1 Clone SDR Notes (2026)

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Notes to get RSP1 working on Linux and macOS using FOSS drivers (2025)

Prerequisites

Please use a mainstream Linux distribution like Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (or later) or the latest Raspberry Pi OS.

Using a Raspberry Pi is NOT recommended as it has quite a bit of power supply noise on the USB ports, which reduces the performance of the connected SDR.

Linux Setup

On Linux, add the following lines to the /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf file

SDR on Dhiru's Notebook

A Better HF SDR Than RTL-SDR?

RSP1 Clone SDR Notes (2026)

Prerequisites

Linux Setup