Where can I buy NESDR SMArt v5?
NESDR SMArt Bundle: RTL-SDR Bundle with 3 antennas (SKU 100700):
Webstore: https://www.nooelec.com/store/nesdr-smart.html
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3EvgqK2
Or search your local Amazon for product ID: B01GDN1T4S
NESDR SMArt SDR: RTL-SDR (SKU 100701):
Webstore: https://www.nooelec.com/store/nesdr-smart-sdr.html
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VosOlP
Or search your local Amazon for product ID: B01HA642SW
What are the important differences between v4 and v5?
- HF frequencies are now natively available through direct sampling (Q-branch) without any hardware or software modification required. The tuning range has been expanded down to 100kHz, so the entire frequency capability of the device is now 0.1MHz-1750MHz
- Improvements to the SNR and noise floor in VHF and UHF
- A reduction in the spurs and harmonics visible in the spectrum, resulting in easier tuning and better performance
- Compared with RTL-SDR v3, HF SNR is improved by up to 15dB, VHF & UHF SNR is improved by up to 6dB and tuning accuracy is improved by an average of 4x
- For more information, please refer to the product datasheet: https://www.nooelec.com/datasheets/100700
How do I know if I have a v5?
NESDR SMArt v5 was 'soft launched' in mid-2021--we delayed the official release until we were certain that supply chain issues were under control--so they are already in the hands of many customers!
You can verify you have a v5 by checking the bottom of the device and looking for the v5 logo. If you do not see a logo, you have a version between v1 and v4.
NESDR SMArt Release Video:
Comments
14 comments
I am not be able to work with hf. How I do It?
Thanks and I apologize myself for my bar english.
iz3npz Ferdinando
Hello! As noted in the product description, you need to use Q-branch direct sampling mode. You will also need to use an antenna suitable for HF reception.
If you have already done the above and still have issues, please use our support center to open a support ticket along with full details of your problem, screenshots and your order number, and someone will be very happy to help!
From the product description, the NESDR SMArt goes down to 100KHz, easily low enough to cover HF ham frequencies. However, the product description recommends adding a Ham It Up upconverter for better quality on HF ham frequencies. Given that those frequencies are within the native range of the SMArt, can you explain what the benefit of the Ham It Up is?
I'm very new to radios, so hopefully I haven't missed something obvious.
Hi Bradley! You are correct, they can both be used for those frequencies. However, the performance and SNR with the Ham It Up will be significantly better than that which can be achieved with direct sampling. If you don't care about this increased performance for your particular application, you would not need to consider adding the Ham It Up for HF. Thanks!
Hello,
How do I use the V5 Q-branch (direct sampling mode) for LF and HF frequencies? Is it activated manually or automatically? Do I need to update the drivers?
Thanks
Hi. I'm 56 and brand new to this hobby but thought it would be a great idea to keep those old brain cells from floating away. I've been working with computers for a quarter century AND thought that would give me an edge but it doesn't. Much of the documentation uses many abbreviation I don't know and while I do have a clear understanding of light, these frequencies can be baffling when not aimed at the VERY beginner. I have a NESDER SMART V5 as well as an ATS-20+ with all updated firmware and a bunch of antennae and connectors. Does anyone know of a beginner's guide to the field (hopefully with a glossary for the abreves? There's IS a great deal out the but I'm something of a manual type of person, as in RTFMS. I've always been fascinated by radio and it looks like I picked the right time to jump in. I used to help my ham radio friends back when dinosaurs still roamed the earth and am dang happy I don't have to climb 30' in the air for my antenna. Anyhoooooow, I was wondering if you can help a befuddled beginner. I'd love a book as I don't much care reading from a screen. May the bandwidth be with you. Jeff
@Nimrod
It is activated manually, and the mechanism is different for pretty much every software package. There is no need for a driver update, however.
If you have issues, please contact support.nooelec.com with full details and screenshots of the problem and someone will be happy to help!
@Jeffrey
Welcome! There is a bit of a learning curve, but nothing to be daunted by. There is a great deal of information to read through on our support site at support.nooelec.com, but you don't necessarily need to read through it all, either. Another good resource would be the software manuals, like this one for CubicSDR: https://cubicsdr.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
There is no substitute for experience, though. Our recommendation is usually to get things installed with http://start.nesdr.com and play around with the software. It's pretty tough to actually break anything permanently through experimentation. Of course, if you do run into snags, feel free to open a support ticket for our team at any time!
What's the name of the connector between the magnetic antenna base and the masts? I'm trying to find an adapter to connect the antenna masts directly to the nooelec sdr but can't find the name of the type of the connector
Hi! It is an M3 screw connector. Thanks!
After changing MacOS from Intel to Apple M3 (new machine with Sonoma) CubicSDR no longer works. When will there be support for it?
Hi @Ingo! It is compatible already (mostly). Please see https://github.com/cjcliffe/CubicSDR/issues/1011
Thanks!
Hello John, thank you very much. I found what I was looking for later. I could not change or delete my comment. It now works with ‘CubicSDR-0.2.8-4-Darwin-arm64.dmg’.
No problem @Ingo, I'm just glad to hear you got it sorted :) I hope you are loving your new SDR!
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