6 ms·

I'm a licensed HAM operator. I would start with just listening broadband with an SDR for a while, just to see what's really going on. Something ought to become

I'm a licensed HAM operator. I would start with just listening broadband with an SDR for a while, just to see what's really going on. Something ought to become visible in the spectrum, at least intermittently. Once you get the pattern, you could simply move around and measure the relative intensities, map the numbers, and the epicenter ought to become more or less obvious. Then close in with the SDR, watching the levels on the screen, and hopefully you will walk right into the culprit. An RTL-SDR is a few bucks on Amazon. The software is free. The only other thing you need is a laptop.

vvanders 8y ago
Yeah, RTL-SDR is surprisingly broadband for it's cost. They're truly a marvel of cost/features.
mrguyorama 8y ago
>RTL-SDR Specifically, $27ish dollars shipped, and basically the cheapest still reasonable way to get into SDRs. Receive only though, so while you can explore the spectrum below about 1.9ish GHz, you can't play with it
- xnyan 8y ago
  About 10 bucks shipped: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T-RTL2832U-R820T2-SDR-Digital-TV-Receiver-Stick/32506410349.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T...
  - voltagex_ 8y ago
    Having just switched to an RTL-SDR.com from a myriad of cheap ones, I'll say that yours will get you started but picks up a stack more noise. You'll also want a better antenna.
- waste_monk 8y ago
  For a more capable model, I would recommend the ADALM PLUTO from analog devices. It's ~$150 USD (if I remember correctly)and has a range of 385 to 3800 MHz @ 20MHz bandwidth, but a very simple hack increases it to 70 to 6000 MHz range @ 56MHz bandwith. Check here for more info on the hack: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/adalm-pluto-sdr-hack-tune-70-mhz-to-6-ghz-and-gqrx-install/ https://www.rtl-sdr.com/adalm-pluto-sdr-hack-tune-70-mhz-to-...
lifeisstillgood 8y ago
Can you write this up please - I have lived my whole life with these mysterious radio wave thingamijigs suffusing my world and ... I just don't know how to detect them. TV signals get fuzzy, my loudspeaker crackles just before my phone rings, but being able to deliberately reach out and map them seems almost like magic.
- xnyan 8y ago
  https://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ https://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ They sell a fancy dongle that works 'better' than an off the shelf model but this $10 model will work just fine for learning: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T-RTL2832U-R820T2-SDR-Digital-TV-Receiver-Stick/32506410349.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T...
  - jdietrich 8y ago
    If you can, I'd suggest spending a little more on either an RTL-SDR with a built-in upconverter (~$30 on AliExpress) or an SDRplay RSP1A ($120 from Ham Radio Outlet). An upconverter allows the RTL-SDR to operate in the crucial bands below 30MHz; the SDRplay RSP1A has vastly better performance and will pick up all sorts of signals that an RTL-SDR won't. The RTL-SDR is a really cool and very cheap introduction to radio, but I think you might outgrow it fairly quickly if you're technically-minded and have a serious interest in radio. I'd also suggest seriously considering getting an amateur radio license. It isn't difficult or expensive in most countries, you'll learn a lot about radio in the process and you'll gain the right to transmit on a wide range of frequencies. The /r/amateurradio wiki is a useful starting point. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-100KHz-1-7GHz-full-band-UV-HF-RTL-SDR-USB-Tuner-Receiver-R820T-8232-Ham/32697306316.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-100KHz-1-7GHz-full-band-... https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-015965 https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-015965 https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/wiki/index#wiki_getting_started https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/wiki/index#wiki_gettin...
    - vvanders 8y ago
molticrystal 8y ago
For those who need a more concrete example here is a guy who found a power pole that was malfuctioning doing just that, with an odroid, 5x rtl-sdr dongles, and a gps acquisition device. http://blog.dxers.info/2015/01/ameren-ue-utility-power-pole-572795.html http://blog.dxers.info/2015/01/ameren-ue-utility-power-pole-... More info: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/measuring-power-line-noise-neighbourhood-rtl-sdr-driveby-system/ https://www.rtl-sdr.com/measuring-power-line-noise-neighbour... Would work just fine with a single dongle, a laptop, and a usb gps device or cell phone, just would have to do a few more drive arounds in different frequency bands.

vvanders 8y ago

Yeah, RTL-SDR is surprisingly broadband for it's cost. They're truly a marvel of cost/features.

mrguyorama 8y ago

>RTL-SDR Specifically, $27ish dollars shipped, and basically the cheapest still reasonable way to get into SDRs. Receive only though, so while you can explore the spectrum below about 1.9ish GHz, you can't play with it

xnyan 8y ago
About 10 bucks shipped: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T-RTL2832U-R820T2-SDR-Digital-TV-Receiver-Stick/32506410349.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T...
- voltagex_ 8y ago
  Having just switched to an RTL-SDR.com from a myriad of cheap ones, I'll say that yours will get you started but picks up a stack more noise. You'll also want a better antenna.
waste_monk 8y ago
For a more capable model, I would recommend the ADALM PLUTO from analog devices. It's ~$150 USD (if I remember correctly)and has a range of 385 to 3800 MHz @ 20MHz bandwidth, but a very simple hack increases it to 70 to 6000 MHz range @ 56MHz bandwith. Check here for more info on the hack: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/adalm-pluto-sdr-hack-tune-70-mhz-to-6-ghz-and-gqrx-install/ https://www.rtl-sdr.com/adalm-pluto-sdr-hack-tune-70-mhz-to-...

lifeisstillgood 8y ago

Can you write this up please - I have lived my whole life with these mysterious radio wave thingamijigs suffusing my world and ... I just don't know how to detect them. TV signals get fuzzy, my loudspeaker crackles just before my phone rings, but being able to deliberately reach out and map them seems almost like magic.

xnyan 8y ago
https://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ https://www.rtl-sdr.com/rtl-sdr-quick-start-guide/ They sell a fancy dongle that works 'better' than an off the shelf model but this $10 model will work just fine for learning: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T-RTL2832U-R820T2-SDR-Digital-TV-Receiver-Stick/32506410349.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/USB-2-0-Software-Radio-DVB-T...
- jdietrich 8y ago
  If you can, I'd suggest spending a little more on either an RTL-SDR with a built-in upconverter (~$30 on AliExpress) or an SDRplay RSP1A ($120 from Ham Radio Outlet). An upconverter allows the RTL-SDR to operate in the crucial bands below 30MHz; the SDRplay RSP1A has vastly better performance and will pick up all sorts of signals that an RTL-SDR won't. The RTL-SDR is a really cool and very cheap introduction to radio, but I think you might outgrow it fairly quickly if you're technically-minded and have a serious interest in radio. I'd also suggest seriously considering getting an amateur radio license. It isn't difficult or expensive in most countries, you'll learn a lot about radio in the process and you'll gain the right to transmit on a wide range of frequencies. The /r/amateurradio wiki is a useful starting point. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-100KHz-1-7GHz-full-band-UV-HF-RTL-SDR-USB-Tuner-Receiver-R820T-8232-Ham/32697306316.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Hot-100KHz-1-7GHz-full-band-... https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-015965 https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-015965 https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/wiki/index#wiki_getting_started https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/wiki/index#wiki_gettin...
  - vvanders 8y ago

molticrystal 8y ago

For those who need a more concrete example here is a guy who found a power pole that was malfuctioning doing just that, with an odroid, 5x rtl-sdr dongles, and a gps acquisition device. http://blog.dxers.info/2015/01/ameren-ue-utility-power-pole-572795.html http://blog.dxers.info/2015/01/ameren-ue-utility-power-pole-... More info: https://www.rtl-sdr.com/measuring-power-line-noise-neighbourhood-rtl-sdr-driveby-system/ https://www.rtl-sdr.com/measuring-power-line-noise-neighbour... Would work just fine with a single dongle, a laptop, and a usb gps device or cell phone, just would have to do a few more drive arounds in different frequency bands.