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Why? What? How?

For 10 dollars you can hear most of radio communications: airplane pilots talking to tower, taxis,
mall security, and marine channels: practically anyone using a radio for communications. Free
software even enables you to receive data modes such as weather satellites.
Software used are free, materials are all available around you, tips and tricks are illustrated. Only
necessary information included: no long explanations or hard to understand text, no soldering or
specialised tools required. All software, antennas and techniques tried and tested, test results
included at the end of the book.
Aim is to get you up and running in the shortest and easiest way possible.

Equipment
Usefulness vs. cost
Add equipment in the following order:
1. Coax cable 45 feet / 15m is enough the place the antenna outside, leftovers for filters
and coax collinear antennas.
2.

Toroids best noise reduction, two for the antenna system and one for shortwave.

3.

Adaptors use ready-made antennas.

4. Ferrites further noise reduction.


5.

Shortwave adapter.

6.

Preamp.

Computer
If you bought your computer in the last 5 years it should be OK.
Windows 7 is the most popular operating system so used here, 64 or 32 bit makes no difference. Mac
or Linux users: appropriate software available, Mac / Linux not covered, most readers will use
Windows.
Laptop or desktop, needs an USB port: brick-shaped hole on the side of your computer. If the edges
are trapezoid its not USB, do not use that.

If you get a balloon next to the clock (bottom right corner of screen) This device can perform faster
the USB port is NOT suitable this is unlikely.
Tablets or smartphones running iOS or Android are limited functionality. Use a personal computer, or
a tablet with Windows 8 and an USB port.
In the text, the word laptop means a personal computer, used as most likely you will have one.

RTL-SDR Stick
Ebay keywords RTL2832 and R820T: 9-10 dollars, auction prices: 5-6 dollars, prices include
shipping from China. Domestic supply adds 2-5 dollars to final price, delivery one or two weeks
faster. Terratec (17 USD, from Hong Kong) and Nooelec (20 USD, from States) are proven brands.

A previous version, using a so-called E4000 chip is also available: no longer manufactured, pay
double if you can find one.
RTL sticks can be small or large, all OK as long as RTL2832U and R820T chips used. Other TV
tuners or chipsets will NOT work. Connector can be large hole (PAL) or small hole (MCX). Search
around and get an extendable antenna (better performance) and remote control for same money.
Beware: sellers might show an extendable antenna in Ebay search results and ship the short antenna
confirm before purchase.

In the package you get the stick, an installation CD, the antenna and a remote. Remote and CD only
needed for TV reception, US residents save money and order RTL stick and extendable antenna only,
due to different TV standards stick will not function as a TV tuner in the States.
USB Cable
USB extension cord recommended, RTL stick can be placed further away from laptop. Plug in USB
extension cord to computer and mark with tape, nail varnish, permanent marker use that port for the
RTL stick only.
Repeat: Always use the same USB port for the RTL stick you can plug in other devices e.g.
external drives between removals, but ALWAYS same port / place for the stick.
Maximum length is 10 foot / 3 meters for reliable functioning. Lengths over 5 metres will NOT work.
Powered USB hubs shall be avoided, if you have to, make sure same port used every time.
Adaptors
Adaptors connect components to each other, cost 2-5 dollars each. Local availability will be key
factor, BNC and F-Type can be bought everywhere as used for TV and Satellite installations.

Recommended:
SMA Female MCX Male (3 USD, walkie-talkie antennas and WiFi antennas can be used),
BNC Female SMA Male (2 USD, for scanner and pro radio antennas). BNC female also enables
direct connection of wires, as hole is large enough.

Pigtails there is a cable between the two adapter ends, 2-3 times more expensive.
Adaptor types:
MCX: Used on the dongle. You push it in.
BNC: Push in, then turn this. CCTV also uses this, so if you have a wholesale / electrical shop in
town get them cheap.
SMA: Small screw-type, used on handheld radios, WiFi modems and most consumer electronics.
F-type: Larger screw-type, used for satellite TV.
PAL: old TV connector, used on some dongles.
SO-239 and N-type: Radio amateurs and professional equipment makers use them, cost is 2-5x than
a BNC connector. Only needed for thick and expensive coax.

Words you might not be familiar with:


Male (plug): you see wire in the middle inside.
Female (socket): you see a hole, wire from male goes into.
Coupler: Connects two male or two female adapters.
Close an adaptor turning to the right (clockwise), open turning to left (counter-clockwise).
Clockwise means direction hand on a clock travels (12 1 2 3 and so on).
Coax Cable
Also called TV cable, aerial cable, satellite cable: same stuff. Costs 30c to over 10 dollars per 3 feet
/ 1 metre. Expensive is better, but not 30 times better cheapest available used in this book. Retail

outlets can be really expensive, electrical wholesalers and Ebay are cheapest. 500 feet on Ebay can
cost as much as 30 feet at a local store, so shop around.
Numbers on coax like RG 59U, and / or 75 Ohm is coax type, normally you get 75 Ohm cable, which
is OK. Radio equipment such as scanner antennas, marine and walkie-talkie gear is 50 Ohm they
work too. Thicker cable will be more expensive and requires larger adaptors, use standard TV cable.
Foam or plastic: material around center wire, plastic : you see wire, foam: harder to bend. Plastic is
better for antennas made from coax cable, domestic TV / satellite installations normally use foam.
Double, triple or quad shielding: number of insulators surrounding center wire shiny material (alu
foil) in image below. Triple-shielding seems to be the norm for domestic TV / Satellite installations,
so wholesalers stock them.

Toroids
Buy at least one, best for noise reduction, three is more than enough (two for antenna and one for
shortwave). Ebay T 200-2 (6 dollars each) or T130-2 (4-5 dollars each). Number after T is size,
higher number = larger diameter = easier to work with. Check that metal ring is red in colour, other
colours = different material. = not good.
Shortwave adapter
Ham-It-Up from Nooelec. 50 dollars shipped. More info in the shortwave chapter.
Preamplifiers, hardware filters, antenna tuners, antenna analysers
Preamp useful only after proper noise reduction and good quality coax is in place, otherwise only
amplifies noise, rest from list is expensive or useless. Google LNA4All for a good preamp (30
dollars assembled and shipped, no tracking), otherwise Ebay prices are 100 dollars and up. Avoid
Kits, looks cheaper, you get a bag of components requiring Jedi-level soldering skills.
TV signal amplifiers work, but less than ideal. Antenna placement and noise reduction is more
effective.

Headphone
Built-in speakers are OK for strong local signals, for weak signals good headphones are
indispensable. Cushy, indoor, full-ear headphones make listening enjoyable major brands around 40
dollars, anything with 10 feet / 3 metres or more cord length designed for home or HiFi use, OK to
buy.

Software
Software is doing the hard work, so you need appropriate software. Installation takes 15 minutes.
Essential Software
Microsoft .Net Framework: needed for SDRSharp to work, like a foundation to a house. Normally
comes with Windows, chances are its already on your computer.
Zadig: tells your operating system that the stick is not a TV Tuner.
SDRSharp: The radio software. You listen using this.
Updates: avoid frustration, google and download Service pack 3 from Microsoft.
Additional software
If the received signal is digital (examples: AIS, weather satellites, airplane position signals) you
need one or more software to process the signal further.
VB Cable: moves received audio to other software for further processing.
WXtoImg: receive Weather Satellite images.
Ship Plotter: for ship info / AIS data - if you live near the sea.
adsbSCOPE or Plane plotter: for airplane info / ADSB.
Essential Software Installation
You need a working Internet connection for the following.
Microsoft .Net Framework
Google Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5, first result is the official page, open page, then click on
red chunky Download button.
If installation is not progressing, you probably already have this installed, go to next step.
Plug in the RTL stick now, do nothing, let Windows install drivers, ignore warning messages.
SDRSharp
www.sdrsharp.com, top black menu, right hand side Downloads.
Middle of Downloads page Important note for RTL-SDR Users, download the blue link ending

sdr-install.zip.
Save the file to your hard drive, after extracting zip file, run install. Black window comes up, let it
work.
You get a folder called sdrsharp.
In this folder, you find a file called SDRSharp.exe, type of file CONFIG or XML Configuration
File.
Open this (Right click, Open with), use Notepad or Wordpad.
Lots of numbers and code appear on the screen, the twenty-seventh (27th) line from the top will be:
<add key="minOutputSampleRate" value="32000" />
Change 32000 to 48000, exit (top right, red cross) when asked, save changes.
Install RTL stick driver
Still in the same sdrsharp folder, last file is Zadig, icon is a screen with the letter Z. Right-click
once, Run as administrator. Small window appears, top row second from left is Options, top
item List all devices. Place a tick / checkmark next to this, in the Drop-down list Bulk-In, Interface
(Interface 0) should appear. Driver below should be WinUSB.
Click on install now the RTL stick will be recognised by SDRSharp.
Run as administrator / Create shortcut to desktop
SDRSharp loves to run in Administrator mode, to enable this:
SDRSharp in the Sdrinstall folder: Type of file is Application (exe). It has an icon of a food blender,
middle of list, blue and white.
Right-click SDRSharp, choose Properties (bottom of list). Properties appear on the screen.
The second tab on the top of the window is called Compatibility, click once on this tab.
Bottom of Compatibility tab next to Run this program as administrator is a square click once, a
small tick / check mark appears.
Youre done, click Apply, then OK.
Start radio software every time without opening its folder, right-click SDRSharp again, and choose
Create Shortcut (right-click, fourth from bottom). Drag and drop, or Copy - Paste shortcut to your
desktop.
Now SDRSharp runs in administrator mode, plus you wont have to go into its installation folder to
start it.
Virtual Audio Cable

Needed for further signal processing, google and download VB cable. Free software, orange
download button in middle column, under VB-CABLE APPLIATIONS. Extract the downloaded zip
file, Right click - run in administrator mode. Installation is straightforward, press OK and Next when
asked.
Using SDR Sharp
Connect supplied stock antenna to stick, press Play button in SDRSharp. Choose RTL-SDR / USB
next to the Play button from the drop-down menu saying Other Sound Card if Play button does
nothing. Long number on top of the screen is received frequency, number reads 105 500 000.
Middle of screen shows a red spike, remove that by clicking on the square next to Correct IQ (top
left of screen, in the Radio panel). Spike disappears.
If you hear broadcast radio, screen shows a red mountain or spike and the waterfall below changes to
red that is your received signal. The small, spiky grey waves at the bottom of window represent
electrical noise.

From top left to top right, buttons and setting to play with:
Configuration adjust gain with slider, dont touch rest for now. Gain is like volume up and down
on a stereo, 15.7 is a good value to start with. Move slider left to right and note how signal and noise
increases.

Long Numbers top of screen - set frequency here. When your mouse is over a number, quickly go up
and down with the mouse wheel, or click on the top of the number (red) to increase, or on the bottom
(blue) to decrease.

Radio Panel
NFM is needed for most signals. Cant understand = try this.
AM for airplane voice and shortwave broadcasts.
WFM for listening to broadcast radio and Weather Fax reception.
Other modes (LSB, USB, CW) used for shortwave.
Window with red line, surrounded by grey area - red line is center of the frequency, adjust with
numbers. Rolling mouse wheel in this area changes the frequency. You can also drag the frequency
display (drag = click with left mouse and hold).
Received signal is always under the red line, grey area left and right from red line is how much you
receive, called filter bandwidth in the radio panel. Move cursor over line edge, left click and hold =
adjust.
Window below red line - called waterfall, signals over time. Change colour with Contrast right
edge of screen. Small amount of yellow speckles is OK, too much colour and you wont see received
signal.

Speed: how fast the waterfall moves. Too fast and your eyes start to water, gentle downward
movement is soothing. Too slow and you wont see a signal. Best compromise: slider slightly below

middle.
Audio - AF makes the audio louder or quieter. Same as system volume control (speaker icon next to
clock).
Output: you want to hear the signal - select Speakers. If you use signals in another software - select
CABLE Input.
Tips and tricks
Roll mouse middle wheel up and down, cursor in the signal area to quickly go up and down in
frequency. How much you move up and down in frequency can be set in the Radio panel, under Step.
Squelch: turn on, no hissing noise, only voice. Slowly increase with up and down arrows until
hissing stops. Great for action e.g. Tower Landing aircraft. Use this with speakers: silence-voicesilence is better than hissing-voice-hissing, plus your significant other will not hate you.
Visible spectrum: In configuration, rate sets how much you see. 2048 MSPS = 2 MHz worth of
signals. Reduce this to 1024 for 1 MHz spread, less fan noise, might solve stuttering problems with
weaker computers. Weather satellite reception: 0.25 MSPS is sufficient, reduces computer load, you
know the frequency anyway. 2.4 MSPS is the maximum.
Proper gain: in Configuration (to the left of long numbers) you have little boxes named RTL AGC
and Tuner AGC. Do NOT use them, small squares should be empty. Always set receiver sensitivity
with the RF Gain slider below. Watch the noise floor (small waves at the bottom of the screen) and
move the slider slowly to the right until the noise floor starts to increase, e.g. move up towards the
long numbers. If a signal is present (spike and red / yellow in the waterfall) listen to it and find the
best compromise. For data e.g. Weather Satellites finding the proper setting is mainly by trial and
error.
Frequency correction: the numbers on screen are not the actual frequency. Solution: find a constant,
steady signal (google nearest airport and ATIS), tune to that frequency with the numbers on the screen.
The received signal will not be under the red line move the line left or right with the small arrows
next to frequency correction until the peak of the received frequency is under the red line.
The frequency correction value is prone to change over time as the stick warms up, this effect can be
reduced with better ventilation / cooling, and by letting the stick reach thermal equilibrium e.g. using
it for half an hour.

FFT Display Panel: Top of panel under Resolution, eye candy setting wave top detail, select 512
from drop-down menu, reduces processor load. Bottom of panel under Spectrum, move Range
slider left to increase visibility of received signal.
Digital Noise Reduction: Useful for weak signals, reduces the hissing noise to a level set by the
slider. Shortwave stations can be enjoyed like local FM broadcasts; use in conjunction with Gain
settings for best results.
Spend time experimenting with SDRSharp, explore Gain and Digital Noise Reduction settings; rest
of this book will be useless if you dont know how to use SDRSharp.

Antennas start here


Remove plastic cover from bottom of stock antenna, see a circle thats a magnet. Remove magnet
with tip of knife or small screwdriver, hollow metal base appears, this is connected to coax braid /
small wires below plastic insulation.
Tune to known FM radio with minimum gain (3.7 7.7, slider to far left in Configuration), station
should be barely audible.
Touch base of antenna audio will be louder and signal strength (height of mountain in SDRSharp)
will increase. Get any length of wire and touch that to metal base. See that the signal increased, audio
is louder?
A wire connected to the base of the antenna improves performance, antenna called a dipole.
Get one more length of wire and connect it to bottom metal part of the antenna base two wires
connected. Signal increases ever further you made an antenna called ground plane.
Three wires, one connected to center (positive), two or more connected to braid (bottom metal /
braid) is a really good antenna.
Stock antenna improvements
- Supplied telescopic has better performance below 400 MHz versus short black one. Both
useable with lots of gain (near maximum).
- Connect one or two wires to base of antenna for a ground plane, works well next to a
window indoors for a basic setup, and receives strong local signals. Length of wire maximum
12 / 30 cm / one feet, too much electrical noise pickup otherwise.
- Another improvement: wrap some wire around the stock antenna even indoors, the
improvement is substantial.

Antenna construction tips


All antennas, whether professional or homemade, work on the same principles.
Safety first: wear eye protection not only for cutting wire, but also for handling antennas. Innocent
looking objects are the most evil.
Repeat: Wear eye protection, costs 3-4 dollars, will save your eye.
Aesthetics: antennas described below work, but might not reach spouse or neighbour acceptance
levels. Use your imagination, camouflage, and electrical junction boxes to solve household and
appearance issues. As long as an antenna cannot be seen theres nothing to complain about.
Reception is 80% from the antenna system in use: system because RTL stick, cables, noise
suppression and all components work together. Please read this section to gather time-saving ideas,
then pay attention to noise reduction in the next chapter.
Make antennas a bit longer than dimensions listed, you cant take away material that is not there. A
few mm or an eighth of an inch off from dimensions wont make a huge difference, still, strive for
perfection.
Simple antennas only need a knife and tape; permanent installations require more attention. Time
invested in sturdiness pays dividends on the long run.
Multiple passes with a blunt knife is better than a sharp knife and force; harder to cut into braid, when
you cut your finger wound wont be that deep. When you cut yourself, put tissue and pressure on the
wound, then elevate hand above your head. Wait until bleeding stops, then place tissue and tape on the
cut.
Remember for bleeding: pressure, put hand above head, cover wound.
Tools and materials
Wire can be multi-stranded (lots of small wires) or solid e.g. metal coat hangers, bicycle spokes, car
dipstick or wiper blade metal. If buying wire specifically for antennas AWG 12-14 / 1.5mm thick
solid copper is flexible yet strong enough for antennas requiring a specific shape.
Support: Straws, chopsticks, BBQ skewers, tree branches, PVC pipes, support material must not be
metal. Broom or hoover handles work well.
Wire cutters (diagonal pliers): handles covered in soft foam, anything larger than your palm will be

difficult to handle.
Wood is cheap, easy to work with and can be fixed to any shape with screws. Self-tapping screws
are great, no pre-drilling / pilot hole needed. If you build with wood youll benefit from an electric
screwdriver: bottom-shelf 12V units are cheap and work off car batteries, professional ones (14.4V
and above or over 30-40 dollars) are heavy, overkill for the job. Use proper head attachments, screw
should fit bit with no movement.
Tape: trade suppliers sell best quality, test stickiness: tape to your hand, should be sticky after 3-4
tries. Check combined length for multipacks, seems better value, the overall length can be less than a
single roll. Thrift store / Pound shop / 2 Euro shop tape is frustrating, peels off. Colours help with
identification, white for labelling with permanent marker, red is signal / center wire, black is braid.
Duct / Gaffa / Silver tape is easy to tear and work with, use to keep coax cables together. Threestranded house grounding wire or power cable / extension lead wire is extremely good value.
Organise your working area, lengths of electrical tape cut and ready to go saves time. Antenna
dimensions written out on paper is good reference, place said paper under cable youre working on,
catches small copper wires / braid filaments, easier to clean up. With kids or pets take extra care,
cut-offs will be eaten.
Terminal blocks are great if you do not wish to splice two cables together, and as support for
antennas. Cheap, too: 1 dollar for 30 of them. Match screw head type to screwdriver, screwdrivers
with a spinning top recommended.
Measure required lengths first, then mark with tape: keeps the coax together and provides a
reference point. No tape measure? A4 page is 8 by 12 inch, 210x297mm.
Voltage meter: comes handy, get one which also tests for short-circuiting: touching two ends together
makes a beeping sound. This is useful for coax collinear antennas and eliminates the Did I do it
properly? question.
Soldering: not used here, alternatives demonstrated instead. If you have a solder and you know how
to use it, go ahead. Twisting / splicing cable is quicker and cheaper.
Weather-proofing: two-component putty, hot glue, or filler materials combined with a case e.g.
candle wax into a can provide good weather protection. Chewing gum is readily available and works
really well against moisture intrusion, leave to dry for at least a day.

Connecting two cables


If you have no adapters / do not wish to disconnect cables.
Steps:
1.

Place paper under working area.

2. Cut outer plastic lengthwise / longitudinally. 2 / 5 cm gives you enough material to


work with. Gentle force, do not cut into the braid. Do this on a hard or disposable surface,
knife slips off - kitchen table ruined. Repeat: GENTLE force, multiple passes. No power
please.
3. Force plastic sheath outwards. Grab visible wires inside, including small wires, and
pull out of plastic sleeve. At the bottom of the cut, mark with electrical tape, good distance
marker.
4. Separate small wires, end up with clam-shaped small wires and the center conductor.
Pull small wires to one side, do not twist together.
5.

If foil surrounds the center conductor, snip off with scissors, nail clippers or knife.

6. Cut incision / small hole in electrical tape. Push center conductor through small hole,
pull tape to bottom and wrap around cable body.
7.

Pull small wires gently away from cable, removes small filaments.

8. Cut off plastic or foam insulation at a distance from the small wires (eights of an inch / 4
mm). Gentle force, multiple small cuts until you feel the center insulator, cut all around, twist
plastic surrounding center wire: less chance cutting center wire. So twist, then pull off plastic
cover. Note that with small lengths / thin cables the whole center conductor, including plastic
insulator pulls out, grab other end if this happens.

9.

Repeat steps for other cable.

10. Now you have two cables, make sure lengths are same for braid and insulator.
11. Position two cables parallel, tape cables together. Use a minimum of three complete
turns around the cable.
12. Start with braid / small wires: mix small wires, then twist together.
13. Braid connected, wrap center wires. If one wire is thicker / stronger, wrap weaker one
around it. If both are strong, use pliers - too much power or turns and center wire will twist
off. Do at least three wrist turns.

14. Cut off extra lengths, go for minimum connection / twist area.
15. If missed step above, about 2 inches / 5 cm from visible wire tape two cables together.
Minimum three wraps, the more the better. This will prevent connections coming apart, tape
takes the load.
Terminal connectors
Called wire connectors, insulated wire connectors, chocolate blocks, choc terminals: same stuff.
Screw holds wire in place, internal diameter limits maximum wire size. Note red and black tape
marking no guessing for center and braid connections, especially in the dark in the garden.

Terminal connectors pick up noise (broadcast FM radio, pagers and TV), only a problem if you are a
perfectionist / go after very weak signals.
Minimise noise by using only required length of wire:
-

Screw down the other screw opposite from wire inserted,

Push wire in as far as it can go,

Braid or wire visible cut down to size. Cut only small amounts, try again.

Only insulation visible - length is OK.

Fix wire in place with screw.

Beginner antennas
The antenna is the most important part of your antenna system.
For better performance:
1) Remove obstructions around the antenna place antenna high up,
2) Use an antenna suitable for the frequency you wish to hear,
3) Use better noise reduction.
Path of the beginner
1.

Place stock antenna outside using coax cable, tape one or two wires to metal base.

2.

Identify your interest, learn to use proper gain. More is not always better.

3.

Experiment with different lengths of wire added to screw / stock antenna and metal base.

4. Build a ground plane bottle antenna described below.


5.

Reduce electrical noise see next chapter.

Antennas discussed here receive signals from all directions; orientation should be vertical (up-anddown).
Antennas that receive from one direction are complicated to make: a small error and the antenna is
useless. Google Yagi-Uda or directional antennas if you need one.
Antenna placement
Look around from the antennas perspective: if you cant see the sky, signal reception from that
direction is less than ideal. Metal objects, such as rain gutters or metal roof will shadow antenna real
hard, trees, bushes, house will also weaken signal. However, a metal roof under the antenna e.g.
garage top placement will make reception better.
Antenna(s) in a garden should be at least 7 feet off the ground people might walk into it and damage
the antenna. Higher, the better, the further your antenna sees and receives signals.
Indoors: as close to a window as possible. If you really cant place the antenna outside, twodimensional antennas (e.g. stock telescopic or ground plane with two radials) can be taped to a
window.
Camouflage: Flowering plants, bushes and the like are good camouflage, tie bird food to radials and

get brownie points from local wildlife and neighbours: songbirds are cool. Outdoor shortwave
antennas can be utilised as a clothes dryer: thick wires can take the load, beef up supports.
Antenna construction easy shortcut: use terminal connectors. Wood as a base and terminal
connectors held in place with self-tapping screws, insert wires into terminal connectors and fix them
in place with screws. Wires are easy to remove: only a screwdriver needed, so awkward shapes can
be transported easily.
If no adapters available
Use the supplied stick antenna base: unscrew supplied antenna from top, then wrap coax center
wire around visible screw. Tape braid to antenna base. Route coax outside, wrap center wire from
coax around supplied antenna significantly better performance, only coax needed.

Antenna element lengths

Calculations for a specific frequency at the end of the book, useful lengths:
Airplane chat 125 MHz 24 61 cm.
Weather Satellites 137 MHz 21 1/2 54.5 cm.
Taxi / Marine / Emergency services 160 MHz 18 1/8 46 cm.
Mall security / Signals from a small area e.g. drive-thru 440 MHz 6 7/8 17.5 cm.
A longer / larger antenna will be good on a higher frequency, a smaller antenna wont be as good on a
lower frequency longer antennas are better, more signal receiving area.
Telescopic antennas
Used on old TVs and radios, or buy a new one with BNC connectors (Ebay scanner telescopic
antenna, around 10 dollars new). A 2-foot (extended) with angled joints is perfect. Larger ones (4-5
foot / 1.2 - 1.5m) are suitable to receive strong shortwave stations. Wrap center conductor of coax
around telescopic antenna and youre in business.
Note that telescopic antennas might cause issues at airport security, everyone can identify them as an
antenna.
WiFi antennas
Used on WiFi routers, length around 4 inch / 10cm, usually SMA female connection small screw,
hole in the middle.
Direct connection: Stick small diameter wire in the middle, push other end of wire into RTL stick.
Connection will be fragile, but will work.
Adapter: 1/16th inch / 3 mm wire between antenna and SMA female MCX male adapter, carefully
screwed on provides an antenna suitable for travelling, antenna can be also used with a WiFi dongle.
No worries at airports, RTL stick plus antenna looks like a WiFi range extender. Local low-powered
signals e.g. mall security easily comes in watch out for screen visibility thought.

Rubber duckies

If the scenario calls for a larger antenna, but objectives limit size, use a rubber ducky. Walkie-talkies,
handheld transceivers and scanner radios use these, Ebay SMA female rubber ducky, with an MCX
Male - SMA Male pigtail covert deployment is possible.

Length a minimum of 15cm / 6 inches, also viable alternative for traveling.


Ground plane antenna
One receiving element, two or four elements connected to braid.
Two or four wires connected to braid, called radials, angled like a peace sign or a Mercedes symbol,
45-60 degrees down from horizontal. Two wires will be two-dimensional and can be taped to a
window.

Add two more wires for a one element / four radials configuration, each radial pointing North, East,
South and West.
The bottle antenna described below will be waterproof, portable, disposable: costs a few dollars
and takes maybe half an hour to assemble.
Parts: five wires, each 23 5/8th inch / 60cm / two A4 pages longer side put together, two coax cables
for connection to antenna, chewing gum, empty plastic bottle, knife, electrical tape.
Substitute chewing gum with two-component putty if available.
Steps:
1.

Remove insulation from one end of the four wires.

2.

Do not remove braid from coax cable. Two coax cables must be equal length.

3. Four small, wire-diameter holes 90 degrees apart on side of bottle. Cut with knife or
melt with hot tip of knife.
4. Cable-sized hole for coax connections on the side of the bottle.
5.

Turn the bottle upside down, neck of bottle pointing down.

6. Push four wires one by one through the small hole, so wires come out through the neck of
bottle. A small bend / curve in the wire before inserting helps: wire finds the bottleneck
easier. Equal lengths should stick out.
7.

Push two coax cables through neck of the bottle four wires, two coax stick out now.

8. Electrical tape the four wires together just below the bare wire ends.
9. Mark coax cables with electrical tape 3 / 7.5 cm from end of coax. Use different
colours no guess work later.
10. Remove braid from both coax cables 3 / 7.5 cm. Also remove insulation from center
wire.
11. Wrap one center wire two-three times around the four wire ends.
12. Push the four wires down, through the neck of the bottle as far as it goes. Gently pulling
on the coax cable helps.
13. Push receiving element through cap, connect other coax cable center wire to bare end.
14. Screw cap on bottle.
15. Using coax cable, connect center from four wires to braid and center from single wire to
conductor. This coax cable will bring the signal to the RTL stick.
16. Waterproof bottle openings with chewing gum.

Ugly, but performance comparable to a commercial 80-dollar discone.


Coax cable antennas
Two, four, or eight coax elements connected, calculations for an exact frequency is given at the end of
the book. Use cheapest coax (plastic surrounds center wire), hard-to-bend foam core coax results in
longer overall lengths.
Connections:
-

twisting braid / center cable (quick, plastic or insulation between wires),

terminal connectors,

- pushing center wires of two coax cables between outer plastic and braid (permanent
solution, requires good eye-hand coordination). As long as wires touch each other it will
work.
Two elements are good enough, four and eight elements doubles performance at the cost of longer
overall length.
Discone
A discone is probably the choice for most beginners as more signals are coming in noisy signals,
still, you get the impression of hearing more. Imposing looks, suitably expensive: an all-round
performer for all frequencies. Impression of a proper antenna, promises of good indoor reception

are not true. Stock telescopic antenna at the same outdoor location with two 60 cm wires taped to
bottom metal will be 70-80 % as good as an 80 dollar discone.
Cost: 30 dollars and up from Ebay.
Homemade: same as the bottle antenna, four more radials connected to braid and more receiving
elements on top. Use a bottle with a large cap, then add receiving elements for frequencies of your
interest.
Other designs (Spiral, Bowtie, Double Discone, Yagi, Horn, Reflectors, Log-Periodic)
Too much hassle for minimal gain Id rather listen to radio. Either expensive, complicated to make
or require tools not available outside of a machinists shop. Tried and built many versions, a ground
plane with four 23 5/8 / 60 cm radials and two receiving elements on top (23 5/8 / 60 cm, and 12 /
30cm) will be just as good as exotic designs requiring lots of wire, sweat and pain.

Reducing electrical noise


Signal is by the antenna, measured against noise floor: lower noise floor, get more signal.
Coil extra cable / Air choke / Dirty balun
Different names, same result: Surplus coax cable loosely coiled will reduce electrical noise. No
surplus cable is better, not feasible until final installation of antenna system.
Organise cables
Coil extra lengths of cable into neat circle, or place in a metal box, box size determined by quantity of
cables. Household items, such as metal biscuit / chocolate tins work well, metal case is excellent for
10+ cables. Phone and battery chargers should be unplugged when not in use.
Avoid running coax cable with power cords best is no cables or electric items near the antenna
cable.
USB connector mod
On one end, where you plug in the RTL stick, remove USB metal: can be a solid piece, usually a
small cut is visible. Using pliers, gently pull this metal bit out, so only plastic part remains. Connect
this plastic bit into the RTL stick with no problem, will not fall apart, ensure contacts are facing each
other.

Do not remove the other end of the USB extension lead, the one going into the computer USB port: the

extension cable will easily come out of the port.


Enclosures and wrapping in aluminium foil
Wrapping the stick in alu foil is not recommended, gets hot after prolonged use (1 hour plus).
Enclosures trap air inside, ventilation is a must.
Ventilation and cooling
Level 1: Place stick on table, blue light up, antenna input facing you. Gently pry apart exterior plastic
case with knife or small screwdriver, start at the antenna input, diagonal direction = no components
behind. With plastic case off, cut or drill holes in plastic, especially directly above chip (black
rectangle to right of antenna input). No drill move tip of knife left and right, gentle force, push
against disposable surface.

Level 2: PC fans increase airflow, power supplied by phone chargers (PC fans need 5V). Tried,
unhappy, too much hassle with fans and power.
Level 3 Oil cooling: Connect antenna cable and USB connector, place stick with connectors in
metal tin with lid: coffee cans work well, the larger the better, holds more oil. RTL stick should be
hanging somewhere in the middle. Route two cables (antenna and USB connector) through the lid.
Seal lid well, can should be portable, no wick effect after 2 months use, still, check every day.
Pour ordinary vegetable / cooking oil into the can, fill can to the brim. As condensation is water

vapour, any water will sink to the bottom of can this is unlikely with a fully filled can, hang stick 2
/ 5 cm above bottom of can = no worries.
Seal lid with Duct / Gaffa / Silver tape, connect antenna to antenna cable and USB to computer.

In image above stick is happily working, blue light on, thermal drift and noise greatly reduced. Oil
will dissipate heat, metal can shields from electrical noise (acts as Faraday cage, increase effect with
metal cans cut to size, taped to lid).
Active cooling with pumps is cumbersome and not warranted as minimum heat generated, place can
in fridge or externally cool with ice.
Ferrites
Electricity loves to escape cable at cable ends, ferrites keep it inside. Check cylindrical object at end
of laptop charger or monitor cable that is a ferrite.
Clamp-on ferrites cost 2-3 dollars from Ebay, large (30+) quantities 1 dollar each. Ferrite tubes can
be salvaged from discarded cables for free.
Use ferrites at both ends of power cables. If you have a limited supply, use primarily at extension
cord plug ends, secondarily at TVs / large kitchen appliances / washing machines.

Antenna isolator / 1:1 Balun


Best results. Really. Before you read this sentence go online and order T-200-2 ferrites.
Also called 1:1 current balun, essentially a metal ring with coax cable wrapped around it. More info
under Baluns and Ununs.

Grounding, lightning, electrical hazards


Always disconnect any antenna and RTL stick after use make it a habit. Do not use electrical
grounding by connecting any element of the antenna, laptop or any cable to the third socket of an
electrical plug. Grounding might violate electrical codes of your area, with noise reduction
arrangements in place the extra 2-3 % improvement is not worth it.
Spike on 28.8, 57.6, 86.4, 115.2, 144, 172.8 and multiples of 28.8
Always multiples of 28.8 MHz generated by the RTL stick. Nothing to worry about, harmless and
you cant do anything about it.
Coax filters:
Made from coax cable for a specific frequency, connect length of coax to antenna cable coming from
the antenna, (braid to braid, center to center). Other end of coax left open for stubs, or center and

braid connected for bandpass.

Material surrounding center wire is important, foam core has stronger effect.

You design filters for a given frequency, calculations at the end of the book.
Stubs: Kills a frequency plus-minus few MHz worth of frequencies. Broadcast radio interference?
Use a stub. Leave filter or stub 4 / 10 cm longer than calculated values, tune to strong local station
without stub (e.g. strongest radio station between 88-108 MHz), then insert stub and start cutting away
stub in small increments, noting strongest signal reduction.
Stubs also has some effect on higher frequencies, but only on frequencies 3, 5, 7 times the design
frequency (odd numbers). So a 100 MHz filter will also have an effect on 300, 500, 700 MHz, and so
on. Dont worry about this, effect is minimal, use a stub, see how it goes.
Bandpass: Receive designed frequency, but kills signals plus/minus few MHz away. Useful if you
know the source and want to get rid of nearby interference, e.g. weather satellites: a foam bandpass
filter will clean up received satellite image, less horizontal speckles and dots.
Combine stubs and bandpass filters, stub for 90 MHz (coax cable ends not connected, plastic core:
22 / 55 cm, foam core: 27 / 68cm) and bandpass filter for 137MHz (coax cable ends connected,
plastic core: 14 3/8 / 36 cm, foam core: 17 11/16 / 45 cm).
Noise reduction recommendation
-

USB extension cable, metal removed

Ventilation holes in RTL stick / oil cooling

1:1 Balun and ferrites right after the stick

(Optional) Shortwave adapter / upconverter

Filters: stub and / or bandpass

Coax to antenna, 1:1 balun middle of coax or every 15 foot / 5m.

1:1 Balun and ferrites at antenna connection.

Not counting coax price this solution costs 20 dollars = mainly the cost of toroids and ferrites.

Baluns and Ununs


Technical names for an iron ring with wire wrapped around it, Ebay prices: 30 dollars and up,
homemade 6-7 dollars. Order T200-2 toroids and youre there in a few minutes, really easy to make.
Pay for workmanship with professional solutions, www.balundesigns.com universally acclaimed and
recommended: expensive and excellent.
Aesthetically pleasing homemade solutions can be achieved with electrical junction boxes, speaker
terminals and cable ties. Ugly solutions will work just as well.
Insulated wire from household extension cable or power cord is suitable, diagrams use same brown,
blue and green colours.
1:1 Balun / Antenna isolator
Like a wall to electrical interference, best noise reduction from methods tested, easy to make: grab
one end of coax cable, push through hole and wrap around as many times as you can. Cross over after
two-three turns, tighter turns possible, looks better.
Use stock antenna cable (or thin coax), so one end will connect to RTL stick and other end to main
coax cable leading to antenna keep distance minimum after toroid to connection.
Placement: after RTL stick, at antenna connection and with long cable runs add one every 15 feet / 5
metres.
4:1 Balun (next diagram)
Useful for T2FD antenna and folded dipoles: two wires wrapped around a toroid, parallel winding.
Use terminal connectors to quickly connect wires from toroid to coax, indicated by orange squares in
the diagram.
Two wires, blue and brown, connections:
Top blue: to antenna connection two, one leg of antenna
Top brown: to coax braid
Bottom blue: to coax braid
Bottom brown: to coax center AND to antenna connection one, other leg of antenna.

9:1 Unun (next diagram, not the diagram above)


Used for random wire shortwave antennas.
20 dollars and up from Ebay, do a better version in 10 minutes for 6 dollars.
Parts needed: 3 feet / 1 metre of insulated wire, toroid ring (T200-2, smaller diameters cheaper but
harder to wind), electrical tape.
Wind three cables around the ring nine (9) times, keep wires parallel to each other. Start by placing
four turns in one direction, then five in the other direction less cable to work with and faster. Pulling
wires gently before and during turning helps a tight fit on the metal ring.
Three wires, green, blue and brown, connections after winding:
-

Top brown: connect to antenna

Top blue: connect to bottom brown.

Top green: connect to coax center wire and to bottom blue.

Bottom green: connect to coax braid

Bottom blue: connect to top green and coax center wire

Bottom brown: connect to top blue

Splice wires together (insulate with tape), or use terminal connectors.

Frequency guide What to listen to?


Fun is between 137 174 MHz and 400 470 MHz. Tune between 160 165 to instantly hear local action. Walkie-talkies in hotels,
malls / shopping centres use frequencies around 446, transmissions visible as red lines in SDRSharp.
Every country uses roughly the same frequencies due to international agreements; but local variations exist. Google Frequency
allocation table for your country, or check online sites such as www.frequencydb.com.
At the beginning of the last century and radio, first signals used really long wavelengths, so signals below 0.5 MHz are still called
longwave. With technological improvements medium, then shortwave transmissions were possible. The longer the radio wave, the further
you can receive them, between 1 and 30 MHz signals are from all over the world, called shortwave see next chapter.

30 and 300 MHz are called Very High Frequency, VHF for short. Receive signals regionally, sometimes further, signal source must be
on your horizon, antenna must see the signal. You can receive airplanes from a long distance because the signal source is in the sky,
high up. Around 100 MHz you get FM radio broadcasts, 118-134 MHz airplanes (voice), then business radios, marine traffic, business
users.

300 MHz to 3000 MHz called Ultra High Frequency, signals are local. Radio waves are short, so bounce around a lot: reception is 5-15
miles. Business radios, radio amateurs and many more use frequencies up to 500 MHz, TV broadcasts until 800 MHz, emergency
frequencies (police, fire, ambulance) between 800-900 in the States, then mobile / cell phone signals.
Above 1000 MHz, airplane position signals are fun at 1090 MHz.

Encoded and / or encrypted signals


Used if radio users require privacy, such as police, customs, military etc. Instead of voice, only hissing heard. Names can be TETRA or
P25 similar systems, one central channel allocates frequencies to users, plus voice can be further encoded. As system requires
sophisticated walkie-talkies only rich countries can afford it so police and emergency comms are still out in the open in anywhere but
Western Europe and USA.
Solutions exist to monitor the control frequency and follow conversations during frequency hopping. This is probably illegal - depends on
local laws and whether you act on the received information, certain jurisdictions in the USA allow enthusiasts to monitor emergency
comms between 800 900 MHz, whilst in the UK laws state that any communication not intended for the recipient is illegal this means
opening neighbours letter is unlawful, thought police is fine with lots of us standing at the end of a runway listening to Tower, waiting for
the mighty 747-8.
After all, talk to a law enforcement officer, find out whats OK where you live.

Leave encoded / encrypted signals alone, lots of fiddling with software (google DSD decoder if you really cant help the urge, be warned:
its pointless), resultant crackly voice will be normal chat anyway. Sensitive info is always encrypted, impossible to hear (contrary to
popular belief, police is not that stupid).
Repeat: leave law enforcement and / or emergency communications alone, unless you are a criminal / need to know due to work
commitments, nothing interesting there: like taxi drivers, cops and firemen chat about pubs and kids, shifts and plans for the evening.
Boring stuff.

Shortwave
Small MHz numbers, between 1.8 and 30 MHz are called shortwave: RTL stick does not work down
here, you need a shortwave adapter to receive signals.
Adapter / Upconverter
Google Ham-It-Up Nooelec, available from the manufacturer, on Ebay and Amazon, costs 50 USD.
At the same time order an SMA female MCX male adapter to connect upconverter to dongle (1-2
dollars on Ebay). USB printer cable needed for power (1-2 dollars on Ebay, max 5 dollars in any
computer shop), one end is regular USB, other end is large square (USB-A male to USB-B male
officially).

You get a board with lots of components on it, only touch Antenna In (marked RF) and Antenna Out
(below the switch, marked Output), Power in connector (shown at bottom with USB-B) and a large
switch. Power is by computers USB port, small light comes on if power is OK.
Receiving antenna connects to RF, side with no switch (left side on image above). Output is next to
the switch, connects board to RTL stick. Switch turns upconverter on and off, so a physically longer /
larger antenna can be used for shortwave with a flick of a switch. Note that smaller antennas will
only work with really strong stations, e.g. government propaganda.
Antennas
In increasing reception ability, same yard space available, from acceptable to excellent:
-

Larger antennas e.g. bottle antenna

Random wire

Random wire with 9:1 Unun

Dipole no balun

Dipole 4:1 Balun

T2FD

Larger antennas e.g. bottle antenna


Strong stations come in loud and clear, versatility is the key as flicking the switch on the shortwave
adapter enables either Radio China or Approach Ground conversations.
Random wire
Ease of use, throw wire out of the window and listen to the world. Blue wire shown in image above,
one strand of wire plugs into board directly.
Wire can be any material, length depends on location string out as much as possible. Indoor
solutions are far from ideal, if you must, tape wire to a window.
Wire can be connected to 1) receiving element of an existing antenna, 2) directly to center of
upconverter connector, or 3) center conductor of coax cable.
1. With an existing antenna, connect wire to the receiving element, not to radials or any
element connected to braid.
2. Connect wire to center of the RF input: separate one wire from antenna wire, then
gently stick it in as far as it will go. Solid or thicker wire needs a smaller diameter wire
wrapped around, coax center wire works.
3. Use coax cable to route antenna outdoors from the upconverter, then 2-3 metres / 610 feet from the house connect random wire to center conductor: insert wire into female /
socket or twist together with center conductor. Tape coax and random wire together
below connection tape takes the load. Coax prevents noise pickup from your home.
Random wire can be horizontal, vertical, sloping, the higher off the ground, the better. The other end
of the wire, when affixed to a structure, must be insulated from that structure, so do not tie it to a
metal rain gutter. Plastic holder keeping a 6-pack together, rope, plastic bag or any non-conducting
material works.
Add a 9:1 Unun to random wire to improve reception: audible difference, unrecognisable voice
fading in and out becomes comprehensible enough to guess language spoken.
Dont expect to hear a mouse cough in the jungle, shortwave is all about 1) wire length 2) electrical
noise pickup. In a city your options are limited for both.
Dipole
Instead of one wire, use two wires and connect coax in the middle add 1:1 balun at connection for
improved reception.

T2FD
Short for Tilted Terminated Folded Dipole, best antenna for shortwave reception, ready-to-go
package near 250 USD plus shipping, homemade version 5-6 dollars.
Make one and listen to any other antenna back-to-back taking up the same space, youll be amazed.

Total length dictated by available space, the longer the better. Distance between wires is 3.3 percent
of total length / divide total length by 33. 20 feet / 6 m fits most yards.
Imagine two horseshoes, open ends facing each other thats the two wires. In the top, electrical
component between wires, in the bottom 4:1 balun connects antenna to coax.
Electrical component is a 470 Ohm metal film resistor, one dollar on Ebay, or check local electrical
component shops. 300, 680 Ohm resistors work too, best performance with 470 Ohm and 4:1 Balun.
The balun is the 4:1 balun available at the end of TV cables, or make one as described in the Baluns
and Ununs section above.
Supports can be anything, plastic or wood, distance is 12 Inches / 30 cm between wires: wood,
plastic tubing, empty soda bottles work. Top and bottom connections: tape ends of wire together, then
insert resistor on top and balun / coax connection at bottom.
Electrical junction boxes are popular: cheap and available, buy one size larger, easier to work inside
for keeping the electrical component and balun waterproof.

Weather Satellites
Weather satellites can be received in real time with the RTL stick, no internet connection required,
laptop RTL stick antenna does the job: view weather systems real-time in a 1000 km / 600 mile
radius.
Special software required to decode received digital signal, which can be found around 137 MHz
when the satellite is overhead of your location.
A clear view of the horizon, or minimising obstructions is essential for weather satellite signal
reception, even your body between the antenna and the satellite will cause visible image degradation.
To reduce electrical noise interference combine stubs and bandpass filters, stub for 90 MHz (coax
cable ends not connected, plastic core: 22 / 55 cm, foam core: 27 / 68cm) and bandpass filter for
137MHz (coax cable ends connected, plastic core: 14 3/8 / 36 cm, foam core: 17 11/16 / 45 cm).
Software
The digital signal must be processed by software called WXtoImg (other solutions exist, WXtoIMG
easiest to use). VB Cable / Audio piping required to pass signal from SDRSharp.
SDRSharp: Set Mode to WFM, Bandwidth to 40000, Audio output to MME Cable Input. In
Configure, set Sample Rate to 0.25 MSPS, RF Gain to around two-thirds to right, 29.7-32.8 works ok
(depends on location, experiment). FFT Panel: Resolution to 512. No digital noise reduction or
squelch.
WXtoIMG: after installation, set up your home location: Options (fourth from top left), Ground
station location (fourteenth from top). Search for city and country, if unsuccessful, google name of
city lat long.
Audio setup: Under Options - Recording Options, select Cable Output,
Update Keplers: software needs to know where satellites are, File Update Keplers (requires
internet connection)
Click on File Record Auto Record to start recording, WXtoIMG will wait for a satellite, bottom
left of screen says waiting for NOAA 19 (or other number) on 137.100 MHz.
Switch to SDRSharp, tune to frequency given by WXtoIMG, press play button. As soon as the
satellite appears on horizon satellite software will record received image. Quality will depend on
whether the antenna can see the satellite, local electrical noise, antenna and noise reduction
arrangements.

Ground Plane
Five 54.5 cm / 21.5 inch long wires, four sticking out horizontally 90 degrees apart, the fifth element
vertical, acting as receiving element. This is a similar configuration to the bottle antenna, save time
and make the bottle antenna elements 54.5 cm / 21.5 inch long.
Turnstile
Four 54.5 cm / 21 long wires needed, plus two coax cables.
Plastic coax core: Shorter cable 36 cm, Longer Cable 72 cm.
Foam core coax: Shorter cable 45 cm, Longer Cable 90 cm.
Connect coax lengths to wire using terminal connectors or wrap according to diagram, or by the
following:
Shorter Cable Center: West or 9 o clock,
Shorter Cable Braid: East or 3 o clock,
Longer Cable Center: North or 12 o clock,
Longer Cable Braid: South or 6 o clock.

Shorter and Longer Coax cables coming from the antenna shall be connected to Main coax going to
the RTL stick. Easiest are terminal connectors, if not available, splice three center wires and three
braids separately together.
A portable and quick solution can be made with five terminal connectors: four terminal connectors
screwed to wood base, wires and coax connectors held in place with screws. Antenna coax
connected with terminal connectors, with a screwdriver the antenna can be assembled in minutes and
with wires removed takes up little space (read: wont poke passengers in a car).

QFH
A turnstile is 90 % just as good, but a QFH, if done properly, looks fantastic.
The same antenna type used on the satellite itself, needs a frame and two long semi-rigid wire.
Outstanding performance, distances and dimensions are critical.
Tutorials online use copper pipe (expensive / needs tools), PVC tubing (looks ok, still needs tools) or
coax cable (hit-and-miss due to variations with coax). The following guide uses wood, house
grounding wire and basic tools. If unavailable, substitute screws with tape, pre-cut wood with
branches / broom handles, terminal connectors with wire wrapped around connections and youre
there.
Parts required:
-

Two (2) Six-feet / 2 m wood planks

15 feet / 5 metres two-stranded house grounding wire

Four (4) terminal connectors

Screws long enough to hold two wood pieces together

Steps
1.

Cut six (6) 40 cm / 15 6/8 long pieces of wood. These will be the cross arms.

2. Screw arms together with wood screws, so you end up with three (3) crosses and some
leftover wood. The leftover will be the main antenna body.
3.

Screw on one (1) wood cross to the top of the antenna body.

4. Screw on four terminal connectors to the top of the cross, each pointing 90 degrees apart,
as if facing, 12, 3, 6, and 9 o clock.
5.

Screw on bottom cross to antenna body, 28 3/8 / 721 mm from top terminal connectors.

6.

Antenna body done, do the wiring now.

7.

Remove wire from plastic sheathing.

8. Longer wire length 93 / 2.382 m. Hold ends together, mark midpoint with marker or
tape.
9.

Shorter wire 89 1/8 / 2.263 m. Mark midpoint again.

10. Tape or fix shorter wire to arm pointing away from you / 12 oclock / North direction,
then make a half turn counter clockwise as viewed from the top wire in hand points toward
you / 6 oclock / South position. Run the wire along the bottom cross, fix midpoint with tape,
then run wire up the other side. Temporarily connect with electrical tape.
11. Tape or fix longer wire to arm pointing to left / 9 oclock / West direction, then make a
half turn counter clockwise as viewed from the top wire in hand points right / 3 oclock /
East. Run the wire along the bottom cross, fix midpoint with tape, then run wire up the other

side.
12. Now the antenna starts to shape up, measure distances:
-

Top: Center of connections to start of wire turn: 12 / 30 cm

Longer wire from top to bottom arm: 28 3/8 / 72cm

Shorter wire from top to bottom arm: 27 / 68.6 cm

Bottom: From midpoint of wire to start of wire turn: 12 / 30 cm.

Note that the shorter wire will be physically above the longer one.
13. Double-check distances, then fix wires in place with cable ties or tape.
14. About halfway between top and bottom arm fix third cross arm in place. Fix wire to arm
with cable ties.
15. Antenna body done, do the top connections according to diagram.

Ship Information - AIS


Ships over 500 tonnes are required by law to broadcast info such as name, heading, position,
destination etc. The signal is digital, received on either 161.975 or 162.025 MHz, looks like a small
horizontal line in SDRSharp. The signal is line of sight, so if your antenna sees the ships antenna you
receive the ships signal.
Yachties note that AIS is a navigational aid, you still need to use your head and make decisions - read
COLREGS Rule 7c. The RTL stick will only receive information, it will not transmit your position. If
you do navigation on your laptop it provides useful additional information, dedicated saloon / cockpit
chart plotters can also use decoded AIS data with suitable software.
The RTL stick AIS combo is a cheap secondary or tertiary backup solution, NOT the primary
navigational tool on passage through the Intracoastal Waterway or the English Channel.
AIS Software
Two options: SDRSharp and ShipPlotter, AISMon and Open CPN.
ShipPlotter does the decoding and visualisation in one software, functionality and design aimed at
ship spotting enthusiasts. AISMon and OpenCPN is free, Open CPN is a navigation software capable
of displaying AIS information, targeted at yachtsmen.
Unless youre floating, use ShipPlotter.
SDRSharp setup
Install VB cable if not already done so, received signal can be used by other software.
In Radio panel, select NFM, Filter bandwidth 25000, Squelch turned off.
In Audio panel, from the drop-down list next to Output (black triangle pointing down) select MME
Cable Input.
Tune to either 161.975 MHz or 162.025 MHz, press the Play button. Small horizontal lines will be
visible when AIS signal received.
SDRSharp must be continuously running, do not close it, minimise to Taskbar (top right of screen,
third button from right, looks line small line).
ShipPlotter
Download and install from www.coaa.co.uk, download link middle of page, Version 12.4.8 used
here. Shareware software, 21-day trial period, about 40 dollars to buy. Due to a bug will still
function if system date is reset to an earlier date but please buy it if you can afford it, helps the
developers. If you plan to use this setup on a yacht, and have a collision with an unregistered and

cracked copy, you will be castrated by the authorities (if you survive).
After installation,start the software, click on Options (top left of screen, fourth from left), tenth from
top is Audio, then Soundcard, then click on Cable Output VB Audio Virtual. Now ShipPlotter
receives the signal from SDRSharp.
Still in the Options menu, fifth from top is I/O settings, top right of window place tick / checkmark
next to enable audio input processing. If you wish to use decoded AIS signal with NMEA
compatible chartplotters you may change setting here.
Click on the green circle (top left of screen, fifth from left), this starts the software.
Click on icon resembling a line, middle of screen, 20th from top left, hover the mouse over and text
Raw appears below the icon. Adjust audio volume with system volume (next to clock, bottom right
of screen, small speaker icon) until green moving lines take up about 60 percent of available space in
this Raw window.
With all this done, click on Ships icon, top of screen, 17th from left. Ship data will appear on the
screen.
Under Options Charts you may download charts to show ships relative to your position, this is a
personal choice, experiment with settings.
AISMon and OpenCPN
Free and works well: google and join the Yahoo group AISMon, download and install software. Note
that SDRSharp also needs to be running, just like with ShipPlotter.
Open CPN is a separate, free charting software, which can use the information from AISMonitor to
display other vessels on a chart.
Start AISMon, set up Audio Device (Cable Output), Sampling rate (48000), bottom of screen tick
UDP output, in the IP:Port field enter 127.0.0.1:10110. Then click on Start Monitoring. If AIS
information is received Demodulator counts should increase, green bar on right should be in the
middle adjust with system volume.
Download and install Open CPN from www.opencpn.org, press OK to accept No Charts Installed,
you end up in the Options menu. Second icon from left is Connections, three green circles, click
once on that. Middle of screen shows empty Data connections, click on Add Connection. Properties
appear, click once into circle to left of Network, bottom of screen changes. The next row below
Network will be Protocol, click once into circle to left of UDP. The only empty white space left
will be in the row Address, enter 127.0.0.1. Youre done, press Apply, then OK.
Using OpenCPN and adding charts is well-documented and a personal choice, hence beyond the
scope of this book.
AIS Antennas
A ground plane with 2 radials and one receiving element, each 18 / 46 cm long will be perfect. The

bottle antenna described in beginner antennas reliably decodes ship info 12-15 miles away, antenna
12 / 4 metres above sea level e.g. cockpit height.
Note that on a yacht, vessels causing concern e.g. within 5 nm will be picked up by nearly any
antenna, that includes your rubber ducky. If you do not wish to make an antenna / unwilling to remove
the rubber ducky, use coax cable: route the cable to the cockpit and strip away insulation arms length
from the end of the coax. Tape or fix this bare wire as high as possible the center conductor will
receive the signal.

Airplane position signals - ADSB


Similar to ships, airplanes broadcast info such as position, callsign, speed, altitude and many more on
1090 MHz. The antenna sees the planes (and only planes wants to be seen, its not radar, planes
playing hide and seek remain hidden e.g. military aircraft), software visualises this information on a
map: play traffic controller.
Antenna must be mounted with a clear view of the sky, no obstructions: bushes, trees, anything in the
way means less signal.
Antennas
The signal is strong, so your range will depend on:
-

Antennas view of the horizon, no obstructions = larger range

- Surface between the plane and your antenna signal bounces back from water, so planes
flying over lakes / sea can be tracked over larger distances.
The term ADSB antennas is false: coax braid removed and 10 inch / 25 cm center conductor left
bare at the end of coax cable receives planes within 80 miles, antenna height 12 / 4 m above ground,
antenna has a clear view of the horizon.
Increasing height to 30 / 10 m had little effect, maximum range 85 miles. Adding a preamp, 88 miles.
Interestingly, same setup reliably tracks planes out to 140 miles if the planes fly over the Atlantic.
Similar results with the bottle antenna.
Conclusion: provide a clear view of the sky.
ADSB - Software
ADSBSharp and ADSBScope: both free and easy to use. Planespotter is also widely used, cannot be
used after 21 day trial period, but will work if you set the date back (bottom right of the screen, one
left click on the clock, Change date and time settings, Change Date and Time. Move to the left with the
small arrows above the calendar, or pay for the software). adsbScope is easier on the eyes, though it
is a personal choice.
ADSBSharp receives the signal and send it to the other software repeat: ONLY receives the signal,
other software shows you where the planes are. In ADSBSharp do NOT click the RTL AGC nor the
Tuner AGC squares, leave them empty. Set the RF gain slider somewhere in the middle, and slowly
increase and decrease gain to find the sweet spot. This takes time, the Show Frame rate diagram in
adsbSCOPE (to the left from a hand and a book icon) shows frame rates over time. Gain setting of
37.2 works fine for me with several antennas, this value will depends on your variables (antenna,
noise reduction etc).

ADSBScope setup
-

Set your location under Navigation (Sixth / 6th from left on top of the screen).

- Go to other (Seventh / 7th from left, second from right), first choice is Network, window
to right appears. Choose the first / top of the list, Network setup.
-

New dialog window appears, bottom right button with the text on it ADSB

Thats it, software to show planes is ready to go.

Go to Other Network Raw Data client active (Seventh / 7th from left, second from right, same
place where you were) and you will receive planes in 10-15 seconds.

Theory, test results, more information


Radio waves are electromagnetic waves: they have an electric and magnetic part, move like invisible
waves in air. The magnetic part needs expensive and/or complicated antennas; fortunately the
electrical part is easy to receive. Were talking about really small amounts of electricity, less than
110- millionth part of electricity you have in wall sockets.
Electrical waves are similar to ripples in water: you just cannot see them. The distance between the
top of the waves is called wavelength: the more closer the peaks are, the higher the frequency. It is
measured in Hertz, and this is the number you see on your car radio, like 101.1 MHz. M is million, so
the radio wave has 101 million peaks.
Computer requirements
Insufficient memory or processor: SDRSharp will grind to a halt or stutter. Memory: 2GB seems to be
the lower limit, Dual-core 1.6 GHz processors can cope. With seven computers tested, memory usage
between 1.7-1.9 GB, processor utilisation 7-25 percent, all Windows 7 with firewall and Antivirus
running in background.
A Solid State Hard Drive (SSD Drive, 50 dollars for a 64 GB on Ebay, large enough for Windows
plus applications), especially for Weather Satellite Reception is advised, plus system will be faster
to respond. Computer internal noise is also reduced, in practice this means one or two fewer lines
corrupting the final WXSat image.
USB extension cables and ports
The power adaptor for a USB hub is a switched-mode power supply: you introduce an extra source of
electrical noise into your antenna system. If you have to use an USB hub, reduce noise by wrapping
the power cord of the hub around a ferrite toroid, or use clamp-on ferrites on both end of the power
cable.
Some computer have a limited supply of USB ports, forcing the user to use USB hubs: OK as long as
the same USB port used for the RTL stick.
Daisy-chaining hubs will not work, nor using USB extension leads over 15 feet / 5 metres as the data
signal in the cable must travel within the cable: response time to the computer will be too long,
electricity cannot make a return trip between the RTL stick and the computer. Tested different USB
cable lengths up to 30 feet / 10m, USB device is either not recognised or connection lost.
Maximum lengths is a limitation of USB standard, cant do anything about it.
TV signal amplifiers

Mostly designed to be used indoors, for TV signals. Main issue is high electrical noise introduced
into the system, a low-noise amplifier is called low-noise as the noise will be 30-50 times less
than a TV signal amplifier.
Also, a preamp should be placed right at the antenna, hard to do with a mains-operated indoor-only
unit.
Connecting two cables
2 / 5 cm braid and center wire left bare = strongest FM broadcast pickup after terminal connectors.

Antenna element lengths


To get the best length of wire (Quarter wave element lengths) for a frequency you want:
Result in inches: Divide 3000 by MHz number.
Result in meters: Divide 75 by MHz number.
Result in feet: Divide 250 by MHz number.
Coax collinear exact frequency calculations
Useful for coax collinears, bandpass and notch filters.
Plastic surrounds the center wire (Velocity factor .66)
Result in inches: Divide 1982 by MHz number.
Result in meters: Divide 49.5 by MHz number.
Result in feet: Divide 165 by MHz number.
Foam (white, soft, squashy material) surrounds the center wire (Velocity factor .82)

Result in inches: Divide 2460 by MHz number.


Result in meters: Divide 61.5 by MHz number.
Result in feet: Divide 205 by MHz number.
Google the writing on the coax cable plus velocity factor, for example RG-59A/U velocity factor to
get the exact velocity number for that particular cable (in this case .66). Multiply quarter wave wire
lengths with velocity factor to get required length for your coax.
In practice, you seldom get different values apart from .66 (plastic) or .82 (foam).
Listed data is often misleading, three cheap cables tested, all plastic with supposedly same velocity
factor, ended up with three completely different performance results hence the recommendation to
cut FM stubs until best effect is found.
Electrical noise
If it runs on electricity, it will pollute your environment with noise, called electromagnetic
interference, EMI for short. Electrical noise is emitted by electronic gadgets and necessities in your
home, for example WiFi adapters, long-life bulbs and your toaster. If you live in a metropolitan area
your neighbours will also have them, adding more electrical noise to the received signal.
Consider this: in a quiet room your partner only needs to whisper to be heard, but in a room full of
chatting people s/he needs to increase his/her voice. You need to quiet the crowd down = reduce the
electrical noise received. The process is called maximising signal-to-noise ratio.
Electrical noise is represented in SDRSharp by the small rapidly-changing peaks in the bottom of the
screen, called noise floor: measured -60 dB in an urban environment (huge block of flats), -62 dB in
a suburban house, -64 dB during field trips.
Minimising electrical noise is a cornerstone of using the RTL stick.
Ventilation / Oil cooling
Terratec stick, no antenna, 40.2 dB gain, strongest local broadcast FM station loud and clear. Inside
enclosure with oil cooling reduction is visible and audible.
FM noise reduction is mainly due to metal enclosure, less internal heat is added bonus.

Simply placing the stick inside an enclosure will reduce noise pickup, at the cost of increased internal
heat and noise due to insufficient ventilation. Oil cooling, if done properly, will keep the stick at the
same temperature and the metal receptacle will shield from EMI at the same time.
Weather Satellite background
Around 800 km / 500 miles above your head, weather satellites circle Earth, continuously sending
back what they see. Officially called NOAA 15, 18 and 19, they are truck-sized digital cameras with
a radio link to Earth. Imagine your digital camera circling an orange, always over the top and bottom
of the orange, the North and South Pole. The orange, Earth, is also spinning, so the camera always
sees a different part.

Legal
Receiving radio transmission might be illegal where you live, laws governing monitoring and
enthusiast use are often muddled. Authorities normally turn a blind eye to nerds, as long as you do not
act on the information received, you shall be fine.
Repeat: check local laws before utilising information in this book, you CAN be arrested.
Never use the RTL stick within an airport, especially not on airplanes: bystanders do not know what
youre doing and assume the worst. You might also interfere with the airplanes systems, which is
REALLY stupid, as you are on it.
Radio for fun is viewed as a special case of nerdism or geekness. Decoding police signals is viewed
as a criminal act, acting on received information will add hard years to your sentence.
The author, publisher and anyone connected with this publication in any capacity is not responsible to
any damage, loss, injury, lawsuit, prosecution or any consequence arising from the use or misuse of
information contained herein.
The author receives no compensation, monetary or otherwise, from companies, manufacturers or
suppliers of any equipment mentioned here this is stuff I purchased from my own funds, and
recommend simply because they work.
As a last and final recommendation: do use safety glasses when handling antennas or wires, and pay
attention to bystanders: wire will fly after cutting to size with extreme force.

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