Earn more Helium with a RAKwireless Antenna Upgrade
A Helium miner or hotspot comes equipped out of the box with a good antenna so you can start mining. However, you can boost your earnings easily if you optimize …
How Does Portable or Pocket WiFi Work?
WiFi is an absolute necessity if we want to keep in touch with friends, family and work. It gives us the flexibility to stay connected whether we are half way …
Baofeng vs. Yaesu
A walkie-talkie, formally known as a handheld radio transceiver, is a portable two-way radio that can be used for a wide variety of applications including military, amateur radio and personal …
What is Helium IoT?
Helium is a network that connects IoT devices like dog tags, environmental sensors, bike trackers and more. It consists of gateway devices or hotspots connected to one another over the …
ADALM Pluto SDR Amplifier
The ADALM Pluto software-defined radio is our runner up for best SDR. It’s an excellent platform for learning about SDR. By way of specifications, it provides frequency coverage between 325 …
Can I Use an Amplifier with my Helium Hotspot?
In many wireless systems – for instance FM radio, TV, AIS, ADS-B an amplifier can be used to boost the signal and improve performance. So how about in the case …
Why My Helium HNT Earnings So Low – What Can I Do About It?
You discovered Helium, bought your miner and after weeks, possibly months of waiting, it’s finally been delivered to your doorstep. So you plug it in. After it’s all setup and …
Five tips to earn more HNT from your Helium Hotspot
Interested in learning how to increase your Helium HNT earnings? In this guide we will give you five tips to maximize the amount of HNT earned from your Helium hotspot. …
RTL-SDR vs NESDR – which one should I buy?
In this post we take a closer look at two popular SDR dongles – the RTL-SDR and NESDR Smart v4. We will explain the differences between the two and make …
Best Books for Learning Radio Frequency (RF) Engineering
In the last decade we have seen exponential growth in radio communications. From voice communications in the nineties to data, more data and a crazy amount of data over the …
FRS, GMRS, & MURS – Which Two- Way Radio is Best for You?
When out on the trail, working somewhere private, or just travelling somewhere remote, two-way communication requires a tool that’s durable, wide-range, and holds a reliable signal. Two-way radios deliver in …
How to use a Low Noise Amplifier
Low Noise Amplifiers (LNAs) are simply designed to amplify signals such that they rise above the noise floor in radio systems. This is the primary use case of an LNA. …
FM Transmitters – Old technology that’s here to stay!
Frequency Modulation (FM) was invented in 1933 and everyone is familiar with its use in Radio Broadcast. You would think that with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and all the other wireless communication …
mmWave vs Sub-6 GHz 5G – What’s the Difference?
For the past few years we’ve been hearing about mmWave 5G and now, in 2020 it’s finally here! mmWave 5G promises amazing speeds of 10 Gigabits/second, very low latency of …
How to improve ADS-B reception
Automatic dependent surveillance–broadcast (ADS-B) technology enables aircraft to determine their position via satellite and periodically broadcast this location information. An ADS-B receiver system can be used to decode this broadcast signal to …
No better time to be an Amateur Radio Geek
Wired is running an interesting article on how it’s the best time to get into Amateur Radio. With a dramatic increase in forest fires, floods and other natural disasters, there …
Learning Basic Electronics
What’s the best way to learn about electronics? The internet presents us with a wide variety of free instructional material by way of YouTube videos, Blog posts, Tweets and Manufacturer’s …
Designing Radio Frequency RF Filters
As we discussed in this article, filters are a key building block used for eliminating signals that can interfere with the operation of Software-defined radio. An FM notch filter for …
What is Noise Figure?
The Noise figure of an RF component such as a low noise amplifier or a mixer is a measure of how much it increases the noise in a system that …
Getting started with FPGAs
Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are a special type of integrated circuit that consists of logic gates and memory blocks that can be configured with code to implement digital computations. …
What is IP3?
When two RF signals are input to an RF component such as an LNA or a Mixer, it results in the creation of other mathematically-related, spurious signals. This is a …
So… How Do I Get Started With Radio Frequency (RF)?
Exploring the different options available for learning about RF Almost all the 7.5 Billion people around the world rely on RF in some way, whether it be through their cell …
How to fix a broken HackRF
One of the most common reported issues is a significant drop in signal level both in the receiver as well as the transmitter of the HackRF. In this post we …
Software-defined Radios and Bias Tees
We wrote about Bias Tees and their applications within the context of Software-defined Radios in a previous post. The primary use of a bias tee in SDR is to enable …
How Not to Break your Software-defined Radio (SDR) Hardware – Part 1
We discussed a few different Software-defined Radios on the market in a previous post. Once you get your SDR and have it up and running, there are a few precautions …
What is a Bias Tee?
Updated January 2021 A bias tee or Bias-T is one of the most useful Software-defined Radio (SDR) accessories you have likely never heard of. Low Noise Amplifiers are used to …
What is Software-defined Radio used for?
Software-defined Radio technologies have become increasingly accessible these days with low-cost devices ranging in price between $20 and $300 and offering varying levels of performance. Here is a list describing …
Should I place a Low Noise Amplifier Before or After a Filter?
Most Software-defined Radios operate over a large frequency range. The RTL-SDR for instance can operate from 500 kHz to 1.7 GHz while the HackRF can operate from 1 MHz to …
FM Notch Filters – why you need one with most SDRs
FM radio was invented in 1933 and is one of the most popular broadcast technologies out there. FM broadcast signals in most places in the world occupy the frequency range …
How does Software-defined Radio (SDR) work?
Updated January 2021 Most of us are familiar with communication devices such as AM/FM radios, Smart phones and Two-way radios. The radios within these devices are comprised of hardware in …
What is a Hybrid Software-Defined Radio (SDR)?
A hybrid SDR is a radio system utilizes a mix of conventional analog components as well as software and digital technologies to process a radio signal. The picture below shows …
A Technical Introduction to Software-defined Radio or SDR
Updated January 2021 Software-defined radio (SDR) is a radio system where traditional analog components are replaced with digital components and software technologies. In traditional radio systems, a radio was designed entirely …
Best Rechargeable DAB Radio in 2021
Radios have existed for many years, and would not go extinct anytime soon, especially with the development of new types of radio technologies like Digital Audio Broadcasting or DAB. There …
Best Bluetooth to RCA adapter
If your favorite audio system lacks Bluetooth connectivity, you do not have to invest in a brand new system to stream audio from your smartphone, tablet, or TV. A Bluetooth …
Best Antenna for Baofeng Radio in 2021
The Baofeng company is the most popular manufacturer of the best two-way radios. If you are reading this, it means you are interested in ways you can boost the signal …
Best Bathroom Exhaust Fan with Bluetooth Reviews for 2021
You will be surprised to know that bathroom fans are not only used in the bathroom. Contrary to their name, these workhorses can equally be installed and used in any …
Best Cheap Wireless Guitar System for 2021
If a web of wires is preventing you from going all out on stage or during a performance, then it may time for you to consider going wireless while still …
Best Indoor FM Antenna for 2021
FM antennas are a must-have for those who are tired of fidgeting with radios trying to find good signal reception. For many who don’t have access to a roof to …
Best Marine Bluetooth Amplifier for 2021
Sound systems can work wonders in making boat rides more fun. But did you know that there’s a way to level up that experience? Amplifiers. Marine amplifiers help boost audio …