First off I have been a ham radio operator since the 80s and hold an extra class (top) rating. I was looking for a very portable scanner that I could take along on my travels to listen to airline frequencies (also a private pilot) that wouldn't take up a lot of space in my full under seat bag nor look suspicious while in the airport, as a standard scanner might.
The good news is that it does work, the bad news is that there are some limitations. The idea of slapping a small antenna on it and plugging into a cell phone or tablet with an OTG adapter is not feasible. The main issue is that the SDR radio draws more power than the OTG via the usb port can deliver. Solution, purchase a powered USB cable. This allows you to plug one end into a charging battery, which I always travel with, which powers the radio and doesn't drain the phone or tablet.
https://www.amazon.com/Degree-Angled-Female-Enhancer-Adapter/dp/B071X8BCFH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=powered+usb+cable+otg&qid=1552141974&s=gateway&sr=8-3
Then you will need an extension USB cable to the phone or tablet so you can place the unit in suitable position, and any adapters to your particular phone, USB to C, etc. Easily done and not expensive.
Then there is the antenna! The beauty of this Radio is that it is extremely wide band covering below commercial FM to 1.700 Ghz or more. This covers most of the commercial bands including Aircraft, first respondeners, most walkie talkie and even cell phones. Note that many systems on those bands are encrypted and not easily monitored.
The beautiful thing about this SDR radio is the spectrum display, or "waterfall" which will show you a chunk of the band and all the active frequencies. You are able to simply slide your virtual vernier to a hot spot and monitor the frequency. In addition there is a running visual display of all the activity on that part of the spectrum so you can see frequencies with intermittent activity. You also can easily select all the common radio modulation schemes, like AM, FM, FM narrow, amateur radio SSB USB, LSB and CW, etc.
Of course, you will need an antenna and unfortunately antennas are tuned to the frequencies you want to listen to. Very critical if you are transmitting, less so for receiving. For example, international ham radio frequencies have a wave length of around 65 feet (20 meters) the length of a full wave antenna. 1/4 wave antennas also work at approximately 16 feet. Not practical to carry around plus you will need an additional adapter (Ham it up) to receive the lower frequencies. On the other hand a 1700 MX signal close to the top end of LTE cellphone data as a full wave length of 6".
For receiving a wide band scanner antenna is probably your best bet like:
https://www.amazon.com/AEcreative-Wide-Band-Scanner-BCD396XT-BCD436HP/dp/B07HWLSNQP/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3RCJLW4EP4MW&keywords=wideband+scanner+antenna&qid=1552143429&s=electronics&sprefix=wide-band+scanner+antenna+%2Celectronics%2C205&sr=1-8
When looking for an antenna you will need an SMA female connector.
Lastly, you will need software for your phone, tablet or computer. Some of it is open source and free (donation) and others have a demo version and a small fee ($5-10) for the Android / IOS versions. Try before you buy!
All in all a great product with serious applications.
| Brand Name | NooElec |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 1.06 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 3.54 x 0.39 x 0.39 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | 100701 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | black |
