Hack RF One

The Hack RF One is manufactured by Great Scott Gadgets and has an open source hardware platform. There are a number of fantastic resources available for those seeking support with their Hack RF One. If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in our FAQs, consider reviewing the following sites (which can also be found on the Hack RF One product page) for general FAQs and support topics.

GSG HackRF One Mini-Site

Getting Started with HackRF One - Github

HackRF One Github Repository

The Hack RF One is a half-duplex transceiver, capable of up to 20 million samples per second, and features software-configurable RX and TX gain and baseband filters, and a software-controlled bias tee on the antenna port. It was designed to enable test and development of modern and next generation radio technologies, and can be used as a USB peripheral or programmed for stand-alone operation.

Does the HackRF One work with USB 3.0?

The Hack RF One is a USB 2.0 device. USB 3.0 ports are backward compatible with USB 2.0 devices, so the Hack RF One is compatible, though it will not run at the speed of USB 3.0.

Do I need an upconverter with my HackRF One?

An upconverter is not required for HF communication, but it is recommended, especially for those interested in the lower ranges.

The Hack RF One capable of transmitting and receiving across a huge range - 1 MHz to 6 GHz. However, it was originally specified for operation at 10MHz to 6GHz. The manufacturer changed the specifications before the release of the product, however there were no hardware revisions made to accommodate the lower ranges. Some users may find that an upconverter is required to enhance the performance of this SDR in the 1 to 10 MHz range.

Does the Hack RF One come with a USB cable?

Yes, it does. It is flashed with firmware already (ready to use).

If I buy the Hack RF One for transmitting, can I get a cheaper one for receiving and use them at the same time?

Yes, absolutely, you can use a Hack RF One for transmitting and use one of our NESDRs for receiving and have full duplex communication. Just note that the Hack RF One also has a wider frequency capability and a much bigger instantaneous bandwidth capability than an NESDR - 20MHz vs. 2.4MHz.

My Hack RF One has an intermittent issue where when it is powered on, it does not connect through USB.

This may be an issue with the firmware on your SDR. Please contact our Customer Support team for assistance with this issue.

Can both the Hack RF One & Ham It Up have a common reference 10MHz clock?

The Hack RF One absolutely can be run from a 10MHz clock. Unfortunately, you will not be able to run the Ham It Up from a 10MHz reference without some modification. The LO frequency is 125MHz and though you can apply an external clock, a mixing frequency of 10MHz would be too far out of the ideal range and there is no prescaler. Of course, it is still possible, but you'd need to scale your clock to 125MHz, so it would be a bit of a project if your clock can only output 10MHz.

Check out the HackRF One and associated products in our webstore!

Can’t find the information you need? Contact our friendly Customer Support Team using the Support chat window in the bottom-right corner of the page. One of our Customer Support Specialists would be happy to assist you!