Advertising Disclosure

Best sdr dongles - February 2026

Last Updated - February 21, 2026

1
Best Choice

✖
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 Smart HF Bundle: 100kHz-1.7GHz Software Defined Radio Set for HF/UHF/VHF Including RTL-SDR, Assembled Ham It Up Upconverter, Balun, Adapters

NooElec

$114.95

More Details
Main highlights
- The NESDR SMArt HF Bundle utilizes a well-designed upconverter--the Ham It Up--to receive HF, NOT direct sampling hacks. This results in a vastly different HF experience--much better performance, and no loss of gain controls
- Proudly manufactured by Nooelec in the USA and Canada, with a full 2 year product warranty on all bundle components and 24/7 technical support availability. Please contact our support team any time if you have questions!
- Included is a Ham It Up v1.3 upconverter, installed in a custom black aluminum enclosure; an NESDR SMArt RTL-SDR, 3 antennas, an impedance matching balun for longwire and dipole antennas, and interconnect adapters
- Amazon-exclusive bundle! Only available for a limited time. NOTE: enclosure colors may vary contingent on availability
- A full, wide-band RF solution for those interested in getting started with software defined radio and with a keen interest in HF bands
$114.95
2

✖
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 Ham It Up Plus v2 - Extend The Range of Your RTL-SDR, NESDR or Other Radio Down to 300Hz. HF/MF/LF/VLF/ULF Upconverter and Panadapter w/TCXO & Switchable LNA/Passthrough Options

NooElec

$69.95

More Details
Main highlights
- The high-quality Ham It Up Plus v2 is an addon for your RTL-SDR or other radio that will allow you to extend the frequency capability all the way down to 300Hz. It is built like a tank in the USA and Canada and drastically outperforms every single similar device in its price class--and even devices far costlier!
- Like Ham It Up v1, the Ham It Up can be placed in bypass mode with an on-board physical switch to access the higher bands of your radio without removing the Ham It Up from your signal chain
- Ham It Up Plus v2 will provide a substantial, noticeable performance increase for low frequencies (300Hz to 65MHz in upconvert mode) with nearly every low cost radio and RTL-SDR in existence, whether they implement direct sampling circuits or built-in 'upconverter'-like circuitry
- Easy installation and compatibility with popular software defined radio (SDR) models. Ham It Up Plus v2 has a local oscillator frequency of 125MHz. This means it will shift frequencies higher by 125MHz when in upconvert mode, so will work with any radio which can receive between 125MHz-190MHz, including transmitters and transceivers!
- Designed to be powered through the onboard microUSB port, whether from a PC or a wall adapter. For simplicity, Ham It Up Plus v2 does not require USB data or configuration, so it will not enumerate as a USB device when plugged into a computer
- Designed for professional and amateur radio operators, astronomy enthusiasts, wireless communication enthusiasts, and more
- Backed by a generous 2-year warranty for peace of mind
- A free male SMA to male SMA connector and male SMA to female BNC connector are included in your purchase
- A built-in, HF-suitable low noise amplifier (LNA) circuit is included. This LNA can be bypassed with a physical switch for installations where an LNA is not required or a remote LNA placed close to a remote antenna is preferred
$69.95
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.

RTL-SDR Blog

RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit

RTL-SDR Blog

$49.95

More Details
Main highlights
- Several improvements over other brands including use of the R828D tuner, built in HF upconverter, improved component tolerances, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminum shielded case with thermal pad for passive cooling, improved filtering, activatable bias tee circuit and a much improved antenna set.
- Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Dongle and 1x Multipurpose Dipole Antenna Kit
- IMPORTANT NOTE: The RTL-SDR Blog V4 requires a driver update. Please follow the installation manual carefully! Reviewers that mention receiving no signals have not followed the instructions!
- 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). Please note RTL-SDR dongles are RX only.
$49.95
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 V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only)

RTL-SDR Blog

$39.95

More Details
Main highlights
- Several improvements over other brands including use of the R828D tuner, built in HF upconverter circuit, improved filtering, improved component tolerances, a 1 PPM temperature compensated oscillator (TCXO), SMA F connector, aluminium shielded case with thermal pad for passive cooling, improved filtering, and an activatable bias tee circuit.
- NOTE: The RTL-SDR Blog V4 requires a driver update. Please follow the installation manual carefully! Reviewers that mention receiving no signals have not followed the instructions!
- Includes 1x RTL-SDR Blog brand R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Dongle (V4) (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). Please note RTL-SDR dongles are RX only.
$39.95
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 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

$47.95

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!
$47.95

Best sdr dongles - February 2026

Nooelec NESDR Smart HF Bundle: 100kHz-1.7GHz Software Defined Radio Set for HF/UHF/VHF Including RTL-SDR, Assembled Ham It Up Upconverter, Balun, Adapters

NooElec Ham It Up Plus v2 - Extend The Range of Your RTL-SDR, NESDR or Other Radio Down to 300Hz. HF/MF/LF/VLF/ULF Upconverter and Panadapter w/TCXO & Switchable LNA/Passthrough Options

RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO HF Bias Tee SMA Software Defined Radio with Dipole Antenna Kit

RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only)

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

You may also like...

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

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

ADSBexchange.com Blue R820T2 RTL2832U, 0.5 PPM TCXO ADS-B SDR w/Amp and 1090 Mhz Filter, Antenna & Software on Industrial MicroSD

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

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

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

Nooelec RTL-SDR, FM+DAB, DVB-T USB Stick Set with RTL2832U & R820T. Great for SDR#, HDSDR, and Other Popular SDR Software Packages!

RTL-SDR Blog V4 R828D RTL2832U 1PPM TCXO SMA Software Defined Radio (Dongle Only) (USB-C)

NooElec NESDR Nano 3 - Premium Tiny RTL-SDR w/Aluminum Enclosure, 0.5PPM TCXO, SMA & MCX Input & Custom Heatsink. RTL2832U & R820T2-Based Software Defined Radio

Sign up and get exclusive special deals