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Best sdr dongles - August 2026

Last Updated - August 26, 2026

1
Best Choice

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Our rankings are cleverly generated from the algorithmic analysis of thousands of customer reviews about products, brands, merchant’s customer service level, popularity, trends and more. The rankings reflect our opinion and should be a good starting point for shopping.

RTL-SDR Blog

RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only) (Black)

RTL-SDR Blog

More Details
Main highlights
- Several improvements over other brands including use of the R860 tuner, improved component tolerances, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminum shielded case with thermal pad for passive cooling, and an activatable bias tee circuit.
- Please follow the quickstart guide linked in the included the manual for installation of the drivers and free software. Please feel free to contact us via Amazon messaging for technical support - we're happy to help
- Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog brand R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Dongle (V3) (Dongle Only)
- Can tune from 500 kHz to 1.7 GHz and has up to 3.2 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth (2.4 MHz stable). (HF reception below 24 MHz in direct sampling mode with reduced performance). Please note RTL-SDR dongles are RX only.
2

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Our rankings are cleverly generated from the algorithmic analysis of thousands of customer reviews about products, brands, merchant’s customer service level, popularity, trends and more. The rankings reflect our opinion and should be a good starting point for shopping.

NooElec

Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 Bundle - NESDR Smart HF/VHF/UHF (100kHz-1.75GHz) Software Defined Radio. Premium RTLSDR w/ 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA Input, Aluminum Enclosure & 3 Antennas. RTL2832U & R820T2-Based Radio

NooElec

More Details
Main highlights
- v5 has a frequency capability of 100kHz to 1.75GHz and up to 3.2MHz of instantaneous bandwidth. HF reception below 25MHz is accomplished with direct sampling and requires a suitable antenna. We recommend using a Balun One Nine to make a DIY long wire or dipole antenna (sold separately, product ID B08HGSYB7R or B00R09WHT6)
- Your purchase includes a NESDR SMArt v5 RTL-SDR, a magnetic antenna base with a 2m (6.5') RG-58 feed cable, and 3 different antenna masts for UHF and VHF operation, including a variable-frequency telescopic antenna
- Turn your computer, phone or tablet into a radio scanner/ham radio receiver that can receive nearly all RF signals! Compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android
- Though the direct sampling implementation of NESDR SMArt v5 is much better than any other RTL-SDR, we still recommend using an upconverter like the Ham It Up for a more fulfilling HF experience (sold separately, product ID B076CYK8XZ)
- The best-performing low-cost RTL-SDR available anywhere! Compared with RTL-SDR v3, HF SNR is improved by up to 15dB, VHF & UHF SNR is improved by up to 6dB, tuning accuracy is improved by an average of 4x, and the frequency range is expanded all the way down to 100kHz
- Proudly built by Nooelec in the USA and Canada! Full 2-year product warranty and product support through our support portal at https//support.nooelec.com
- NESDR SMArt RTL-SDR v5 can be used for the reception of broadcast AM radio, broadcast FM radio, shortwave radio, CB radio, public security radio, trunked radio, air traffic control, ACARS (plane-ground communications), ADS-B (plane tracking), AIS (ship tracking), POCSAG (pagers), NOAA and GOES weather satellites (weather images), weather balloons, radiosondes, DAB radio, DVB-T video, Inmarsat, Iridium, and so much more!
3
Best Value

✖
Our rankings are cleverly generated from the algorithmic analysis of thousands of customer reviews about products, brands, merchant’s customer service level, popularity, trends and more. The rankings reflect our opinion and should be a good starting point for shopping.

NooElec

Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 SDR - NESDR Smart HF/VHF/UHF (100kHz-1.75GHz) Software Defined Radio. Premium RTLSDR w/ 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA Input & Aluminum Enclosure. RTL2832U & R820T2 (R860)-Based Radio

NooElec

More Details
Main highlights
- v5 has a frequency capability of 100kHz to 1.75GHz and up to 3.2MHz of instantaneous bandwidth. HF reception below 25MHz is accomplished with direct sampling and requires a suitable antenna. We recommend using a Balun One Nine to make a DIY long wire or dipole antenna (sold separately, product ID B08HGSYB7R or B00R09WHT6)
- Your purchase includes a NESDR SMArt v5 RTL-SDR. For a version which includes an antenna set, see product ID B01GDN1T4S
- Turn your computer, phone or tablet into a radio scanner/ham radio receiver that can receive nearly all RF signals! Compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android
- Though the direct sampling implementation of NESDR SMArt v5 is much better than any other RTL-SDR, we still recommend using an upconverter like the Ham It Up for a more fulfilling HF experience (sold separately, product ID B076CYK8XZ)
- The best-performing low-cost RTL-SDR available anywhere! Compared with RTL-SDR v3, HF SNR is improved by up to 15dB, VHF & UHF SNR is improved by up to 6dB, tuning accuracy is improved by an average of 4x, and the frequency range is expanded all the way down to 100kHz
- Proudly built by Nooelec in the USA and Canada! Full 2-year product warranty and product support through our support portal at https//support.nooelec.com
- NESDR SMArt RTL-SDR v5 can be used for the reception of broadcast AM radio, broadcast FM radio, shortwave radio, CB radio, public security radio, trunked radio, air traffic control, ACARS (plane-ground communications), ADS-B (plane tracking), AIS (ship tracking), POCSAG (pagers), NOAA and GOES weather satellites (weather images), weather balloons, radiosondes, DAB radio, DVB-T video, Inmarsat, Iridium, and so much more!
4

✖
Our rankings are cleverly generated from the algorithmic analysis of thousands of customer reviews about products, brands, merchant’s customer service level, popularity, trends and more. The rankings reflect our opinion and should be a good starting point for shopping.

RTL-SDR Blog

RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit

RTL-SDR Blog

More Details
Main highlights
- Several improvements over other brands including use of the R860 tuner, improved component tolerances, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminum shielded case with thermal pad for passive cooling, activatable bias tee circuit and a much improved antenna set.
- Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Dongle and 1x Multipurpose Dipole Antenna Kit
- Comes with our portable VHF/UHF dipole antenna kit. Great for beginners as it allows for terrestrial and satellite reception. Easy to mount outdoors and designed for portable and temporary outside usage. Please do not use outside during poor weather conditions. Not suitable for HF reception.
- Can tune from 500 kHz to 1.7 GHz and has up to 3.2 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth (2.4 MHz stable). (HF reception below 24 MHz in direct sampling mode with reduced performance). Please note RTL-SDR dongles are RX only.
5

✖
Our rankings are cleverly generated from the algorithmic analysis of thousands of customer reviews about products, brands, merchant’s customer service level, popularity, trends and more. The rankings reflect our opinion and should be a good starting point for shopping.

NooElec

Nooelec NESDR Mini USB RTL-SDR & ADS-B Receiver Set, RTL2832U & R820T Tuner, MCX Input. Low-Cost Software Defined Radio Compatible with Many SDR Software Packages. R820T Tuner & ESD-Safe Antenna Input

NooElec

More Details
Main highlights
- These are custom USB devices tuned for SDR and include much better components than generics
- RTL2832U interface IC & R820T tuner IC on USB dongle
- Included: Nooelec USB dongle & antenna
- Full 1-year warranty & installation support available!

Best sdr dongles - August 2026

RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only) (Black)

Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 Bundle - NESDR Smart HF/VHF/UHF (100kHz-1.75GHz) Software Defined Radio. Premium RTLSDR w/ 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA Input, Aluminum Enclosure & 3 Antennas. RTL2832U & R820T2-Based Radio

Nooelec RTL-SDR v5 SDR - NESDR Smart HF/VHF/UHF (100kHz-1.75GHz) Software Defined Radio. Premium RTLSDR w/ 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA Input & Aluminum Enclosure. RTL2832U & R820T2 (R860)-Based Radio

RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit

Nooelec NESDR Mini USB RTL-SDR & ADS-B Receiver Set, RTL2832U & R820T Tuner, MCX Input. Low-Cost Software Defined Radio Compatible with Many SDR Software Packages. R820T Tuner & ESD-Safe Antenna Input

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NESDR SMArTee v2 SDR - Premium RTL-SDR w/Integrated Bias Tee, Aluminum Enclosure, 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA Input. RTL2832U & R820T2-Based Software Defined Radio

RTL-SDR Blog V3 R860 RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only) (Black) (USB-C)

NooElec NESDR Smart XTR SDR - Premium RTL-SDR w/Extended Tuning Range, Aluminum Enclosure, 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA Input. RTL2832U & E4000-Based Software Defined Radio

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Nooelec NESDR Mini 2 USB RTL-SDR and ADS-B Receiver Set, RTL2832U and R820T2 Tuner, MCX Input. Low-Cost Software Defined Radio Compatible with Many SDR Software Packages, ESD-Safe

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