Re:Universal Radio Hacker: Investigate Wireless Protocols Li...
by aftbit on Sunday February 28, 2021 @03:16PM
(#26296644)
I have a bunch of RTL-SDRs, the HackRF, and the AirSpy. I have only done VHF -> UHF work with them, never HF. In my experience, the HackRF receive frontend is pretty poor, at least in comparison. I'd use it if I needed transmit or for local strong signals only. The AirSpy has the best receiver of the bunch, but worse software support. I've had quite a challenging time getting it to work with GNU Radio and GQRX. It works great in SDR Sharp but that is no longer FOSS and must be run on Windows IIRC. The RTL-SDR is cheap and has a receiver at least on par with the HackRF and by far the best compatibility.
I'm happy with my rtl-sdr v3 dongle, although living in a very noisy area would like to get something better for HF reception. I don't have a HAM license and no need for the HackRF transmit capabilities, though it may turn out useful for testing remotes, filters, aligning RF stages in diy receivers etc, but the SDRPlay RSPdx or the AirSpy + Spyverter seem better alternatives for receiving only with their 14 and 12 bit ADCs.
Here's a comparison of the three; I'd be interested in reading from other owners as well. https://www.rtl-sdr.com/review-airspy-vs-sdrplay-rsp-vs-hack...