An independent guide · worldwide
Listen to the world.
A friendly, independent guide to software defined radio for radio enthusiasts, amateur (ham) radio operators and shortwave listeners — receivers, drivers, antennas and the quiet joy of listening across the bands.
For the hobby
A community guide for 700,000+ US licensees and many more listeners.
Amateur radio is a hobby — friendly, curious, hands-on. SDR Receivers Guide helps newcomers find their footing and experienced operators explore further: from understanding what SDR actually is, to choosing antennas that work, to setting up a network receiver you can listen to from anywhere in your home.
We're independent. We don't sell receivers. Advertising space is offered to manufacturers, retailers and software makers on equal terms — and clearly labelled. The editorial is ours.
Guides library
Featured product guides
The chapters
The complete guide
What is SDR
A receiver whose cleverness lives in software — and why that changed the hobby forever.
Read chapterWhy we love it
The spectrum as a living picture, and a hobby with endless depth.
Read chapterWhat you can hear
Broadcast, ham, ADS-B, FT8, weather, satellites, SSTV and more.
Read chapterResponsible listening
Know the rules where you are — the golden rule of the hobby.
Read chapterAntennas & grounding
The antenna comes first — and why RF ground is not safety ground.
Read chapterWhen less is more
Why overdriving an SDR is so easy, and antennas are often over-spec'd.
Read chapterNetwork receivers & drivers
SoapyRemote, SoapySDR and the driver for your radio — Mac, Linux, Windows.
Read chapterThe joy of ADS-B
Watch the sky above your head — your own antenna, your own decode, the 3D sky-dome and the view from the cloud.
Read chapterA guide to drivers
Demystifying driver selection — choose the right drivers for your equipment, with copy-and-paste install commands.
Read chapterSDR software guide
Choosing the right SDR software for your equipment and goals — a friendly, independent tour of every major program: SDR++, SDR#, SDRangel, SDR Console, SDRconnect, SDRuno, GQRX, CubicSDR, GNU Radio, OpenWebRX, KiwiSDR / Web-888 and the browser-based newcomers. Who makes each one, how it's licensed, where it runs, and what it's genuinely best at.
Read chapterFor brands
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Receivers, antennas, software, accessories — request rates and placements. Equal-terms inventory, clearly labelled.
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