Listen Around the World - No Internet Required (HF & Shortwave on RTL SDR) 

WOW. Even without the commercial antenna, just changing those settings I'm now pulling stations that were completely invisible before! Thank you!

Was a 25q in the army and just got back into this. I love radio and should have never stopped

The first video of yours I watched was on the SDR, and have enjoyed them scenes. Looking forward to the next video. Thanks

Tom, that's a great job. I like that antenna, pretty sweet setup for SDR use.

Thanks Tom! Most of my reception using RTL SDR has been in Quadrature sampling such as Aircraft, School Buses, fire, police etc, and did not get any Short Wave until I changed down to Direct sampling (Q branch) So, by dropping down the Cog like you did, and choosing that, Now my Waterfall is Lit Up all over the place with conversations. Time to re-explore! Thank you Thank you!

Thanks for this awesome video. RTL-SDR is a most welcome "anomaly" in the consumer hardware realm. It has enough performance and cheap enough to get hobbyists started. It is also a first class citizen in many SDR software, most particularly SDR# where all the advanced DSP features are available for all the supported hardware. Thanks for the video and the good work.

Looks like a Radio Direction Finding (RDF) Loop antenna. Keep crankin' out the great vids.

Get a 48" Photographers reflector. It is made from a metal loop. You can cut and bend the loop, drill a couple of holes and insert the MA-30A instead of using the supplied loop. Makes a huge difference and you can still collapse the antenna into the bag. Not as good as a dipole, but way easier to set up.

Great stuff Tom!

Very informative and useful. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and insights

Very insightful summary delivered via an easy to grasp video; Thank you! Further proof how military vets ROCK! :-)

Love the RTL-SDR v3. It's a big part of what pushed me to finally get my amateur radio (ham) license. The RTL-SDR v3 is amazing! It "does" have a "mirrored image effect" (for lack of the proper term) based on the 14.400 MHz (14400 kHz) local oscillator. For example: WWV (time) at 10.0 MHz (actual location) will also show up at 18.8 MHz, or WWV at 5.0 MHz also at 23.8 MHz, etc. There is currently no filtering included for this. I have to say, it's a lot of fun though. Well worth the small price for the usb-dongle and some free software to learn. 👍📻⚡

Keep doing these sdr videos!

Informative video. Thanks

Love your way! 😍👍

long time shortwave nut here.

awesome video thanks i enjoyed liked and subbed

im just getting into listening to shortwave. So far I have a small portable and amazon is bring me the RTL-SDR today. The hardest thing for me is what to do about an antenna. There is So much information out there and so much of it is confusing. I like your simple approach.

With this set up I would recommend using the bias tee option that is available with the RTL SDR through software, then you do not have to use the bias tee that comes with the MLA 30 loop. Not only does this remove the need for plugging in a USB power supply to the MLA 30, it may also remove some noise from the signal as the MLA 30's bias tee is quite noisy due to the IC it uses for voltage conversion. It's also very easy to overload the SDR with too much signal which can create ghosting of strong stations and excess noise. If you unscrew the lid of the pre-amp on the loop, there is a gain control which can be adjusted to reduce these issues. On mine it was set at maximum from factory - this was too much. Even with these adjustments made I still got ghosting of strong stations in the wrong places on the dial, which is due to the way that the RTL SDR samples the HF bands, but for the very reasonable price this is still a great way to get started!

Great video. And now the question. RTL-SDR or maybe Nooelec NESDR SMArt HF Ham It Up? There was mention of NESDR in one of your videos but it wasn't much information. 😉

Some grocery stores, self service department market or stores for electronic units have an online market store, where different companies offer things including electronics. It's a bit like Amazon

The timing of this video is perfect. I bought the RTL SDR 2 weeks ago, but so far only had a rubber duck antenna to attach to it. Was doing some research for a budget antenna!

@Tom the Dilettante - Many years ago I owned and used an early Windows 98se compatible VHF USB dongle to watch analogue TV on my desktop PC. Recently though I took an interest in SDR dongles after watching your video and other informative videos like it. For the price they're amazing and they offer a whole new untouched aspect to computing when bored. Shame that broadcasts in the UK are generally fewer and further between anything remotely interesting, but these cheap entry level SDR dongles still provide hours of intriguing eves-dropping entertainment. And no licence required for an RX only device!

Love your channel ! Is there any other antennas that I could get that can be better and thank you for sharing all that you do ! 1-23-23 19:54 EST

There are also TV receivers for the computer, especially for digital terrestrial.

Great video, I’m new to this device and have recently purchased the Ed Fong antennas. The gmrs and the triband. Would the triband antenna work on this device? And is there a link to the antenna you are using? Thanks man! This device has me intrigued!!!

Diggin the Lexus SUV…

Thank you for the informative video that has spiked my interest in this hobby! 2 questions: Will RTL SDR receive the aircraft HF bands 4000 khz to 16000 khz? What would be a good antenna for these frequencies, and other frequency use? I live in a townhome association that prohibits external antennas etc. Thank you for any information!!

I was wondering about radio astronomy. I am a data nerd and always looking for interesting and unique sources of data. I saw your SDR and was wondering if this could provide an easy solution. I live rather remote, and I do have a location that has a good sky view and is radio-quiet. I am looking at something in the 10cm to 10m range at an altitude of 1500'. I have no idea where to start pairing with someone that could use the data.

👀 thanks for the shout out bro 👍

OK, this antenna has sma connectors? One question, how to connect such an antenna to the Grundig Yacht Boy radio? The grundig radio has a 3.5mm mono jack antenna socket, is there an adapter from sma female to 3.5m mono jack? waiting for Your answers for me :)

How long must this pipe for the loop antenna must be? How long is the diameter of the loop?

How do you notch with the rtl-sdr?? And also make sure you're getting a legit MLA 30+antenna..

I was specifically looking for MW and SW. I guess I'm going to have to make an antenna. The stock dipole wouldn't do.

How much better is that antenna than just hooking up two really long wires to a Balun? Probably a tough question to Answer. My reception sounds about the same as yours. Although it's really hard to compare with such a small demonstration. I'm new to HAM radio and so far have not been very impressed with the reception. Which is almost surely due to my my unrealistic expectations. But, I'm hoping to hear otherwise because I'd love to hear things more clearly and get into HAM more.

Tom, I followed your instructions for using SDR on my smartphone. Do you know if there’s problems with connecting using Samsung devices?

Hi, Sir good video,Sir can I ask question?Sir can I use this rtl sdr for the mobile conversation listening calls?

4:16 I literally had 4 kids because of how much I laughed at that. And I assume that's the Voice of The Dead frequency, correct me if I'm wrong.

I know very little about radios, I live in Iowa but all of my family is in California, I was wondering if this device would allow me to listen the there radios from such a range. And if they had one as well, theoretically could you talk to one another long range using the sdr to receive and a radio to transmit. I hope I worded this all properly.

been following a lot of your videos... i ended up with the RTL-SDR in an attempt to get shortwave, but i havent been able to receive anything or even local AM radio. already got the LNA and was about to buy the 'Spyverter' some have said i need, but you seem to be receiving just fine without any of it - maybe i just need a better antenna - have you tried the same stations with other smaller or different antennas? sadly, i'm currently connected to my home's OTA TV antenna, which is VHF/UHF, but i'm wondering if that or the splitters are impacting me. went and strung a wire to the antenna like you did in a different video and still had no luck! love to hear any thoughts.

Okay yeah I got a quick question why is your air conditioner in backwards

Can you listen to ATC tower and stuff with this?

What is the name of the software you were using and Where can I download it?

Try to look for strong tones around 10-30MHz which I suspect is the main resonant tone of ET scout ships aka flying saucers in the 15meter size range. There is good indication from close encounters that the hull is EM energized and that the shape of the craft is (like an antenna or magnetic coil) due to the physics it employs. Since they run at rather high power levels I suspect that these main tones and indeed complex harmonics can be detected from thousands of kilometers away. Some software to watch that band automatically might catch something within days or less because they frequent our skies quite a bit. Pun intended. If I'm right you'll be able to recognize the stable main tone because it doesn't carry any audio or other signal yet it will have complex patterns anyway. The higher frequency harmonics well into the GHz I speculate form a pattern to match the local mass distribution near it. Because they move by negotiating the local gravity potential energy field. But the main tone will be dictated by the hull size and should be steady. But might fluctuate greatly in amplitude. From bare minimum hover to gigawatt burst climb.

Gosto muito do sdr. deixa o desktop um receptor. 73!

I just did a search and found some rtl-sdr v3, is that correct?

i have many signals can't listen to anyting im so noob ahah i dried all cd dsb usb but noone worked why ?

You mentioned listen world 🌍

RTL SDR V4 is out now

This rtl things rx vhf and uhf ?

try it with the frs and gmrs radios

can multiple channel be decoded at the same time?

Will any of this gadgetry work with iPad platform, please???

73 de ZS5DG!

Ham radio operator here. First, to use shortwave you will need an up converter or version 3 of the silver colored RTL-SDR dongle. Second, yes the rtl-sdr dongle does work in Linux. If you want to use Linux chose a Debian disto like Ubuntu so you can just run apt-get to install the driver and software. If you run Red Hat RHEL 7/8/9 or CentOS 7/8/9 there is no rpm package in the repositories for the rtl-sdr package so you will have to git clone the source code from the Osmocom git repository and compile the code. You will need to run a dnf group install of the developer group packages before you run the compile. I left other steps out because you should not attempt installing the Osmocom software on CentOS/RHEL unless you are intimately familiar with udev rules, pathing and lsmod commands as you will have to remove the native rtl driver that these Linux distros automatically load so that the sdr driver can load. This software is also BASH command line based and must be piped into and sound program called Sound Exchange or SoX. If you are an experienced Linux user this should only be a minor inconvenience for you.

Hello. How do you deal with the sdr hot temprature?

Ham certified here. The ham aps are free.

4:16 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Can the app translate Morse code into text?

can you receive airband?

SDR ANGEL = BEST SOFTWARE

Which is better RTL-SDR vs. RSPduo ?

But does it work with a Mac??

I did these settings and now I can't pick up FM stations.

It's actually a frustrating way to nearly get out of the hobby. Computers and radio? never worked out for me and there's not one person to call and get help so your on a site like this. thanks for the video but non tech people beware -

Been using the RTL SDR with just the included antenna kit. Even after following the instructions on their website I can't pick up jack s--t other than FM. This thing is a dumb waste of money.

Would feel better and be willing to pay more to have these made in USA rather than China.

Had me . . . right up to the point I need a ‘subscription;’ , . . like a preacher . . . gotta put in your tigthe or no jesus . . . 😡

make sure u get v.3 of rtl sdr dongle or u won't get sw bands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it says v.3 their on the left

Hahahaha

Can you listen to the I.S.S.

Use mobile phones please SW band

Great video! de W2CSI

On Linux, "gqrx" works best for me. There is a bit a strangeness where you have to shut it down and start it up again to change from above 26MHz to below 26MHz but once you have that figured out, it is quite nice to use. BTW: For me it is all about the "short wave listening" In the evening you can find some strange and entertaining things to listen to. Many from a long distance away.

20220921-We.1245, 😎 Excellent presentation!

Great video '73 kb3cqm