1. By: Brian Johnson, AB6UI 20 Sept 2017
DIY Software Defined Radio Receiver
By: Brian Johnson, AB6UI 20 Sept 2017

2. Welcome to the world of SDR!
With a few inexpensive parts and free software you can enter the exciting world of Software Defined Radio.
SDR is similar to regular radio but with a twist. Instead of using expensive ham radio gear you are using a Raspberry Pi (computer) and an inexpensive USB RTL SDR dongle & Upconverter.
This system allows you to listen to 0 to 1675MHz AM
FM: both narrow band and wideband.
Upper/Lower Sideband (USB/LSB).
CW: Continuous Wave for Morse code enthusiasts.
You can also receive and demodulate digital modes such as AX25 (PACKET), ADS-B (aircraft positions), AIS (ship positions), AP25 and TETRA (digital trunk radio) and many others.

3. What you need to get started
Raspberry Pi 3B
The NooElec-SDR USB Dongle
The NooElec-Upconverter
GQRX software
7” LCD Display (any HDMI display will work)

4. Raspberry Pi 3B
Based on the latest Broadcom 2837 ARMv8 64 bit processor the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B is faster and more powerful than its predecessors.
Technical Specifications:
Broadcom BCM bit ARMv8 QUAD Core 64bit Processor powered Single Board Computer running at 1.2GHz - 1GB RAM
BCM43143 WiFi on board
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on board - 40pin extended GPIO - 4 x USB2 ports
Full size HDMI - and Composite video port
4 pole Stereo output

5. The SDR Dongle Details:
These units are based on the R820T2-Based Software Defined Radio made by NooElec. They have a frequency capability of approximately 25MHz-1700MHz. There is also an RTL2832U IC on board of course, which acts as the demodulator and USB interface.
The connector type is SMA on the SDR. There are plenty of adapter and adapter cables available and you will need one in order to connect up to your antenna.

6. NooElec Upconverter
This MF/HF converter for software defined radio will allow you to listen to MF and HF through your existing software defined radio (SDR).
The latest model v1.3 include increased sensitivity, ultra-low voltage noise floor, optional battery-powered operation, side-mounted LED indicators, fully-assembled broadband RF noise-source circuit, u.fl socket for optional external clock injection, surface-mount high-accuracy oscillator and much, much more!
It has female SMA input and output jacks, ESD protection on the input to product your Ham It Up and SDR, ultra-high-Q & low ESR components used for all filters, PTC protection fuse on power input, enable/disable passthrough toggle switch, and open-hardware design with full published circuitry and specifications.

7. GQRX
GQRX is a simple, intuitive, small and fast R-Pi based DSP application for Software Defined Radio. Gqrx is an open source software defined radio receiver (SDR) powered by the GNU Radio and the Qt graphical toolkit.

8. LANDZO 7 Inch Touch Screen
Details:
800*480 HD resolution
7 inches capacitive touch area
Supports backlight control
Supports raspberry pi with drivers under Raspbian system

9. Putting it all together
A short video clip of it all in action

10. Other misc hardware you may need:
5V 3A Wall wart
The completed project needs a heavy duty (3A-5V) power supply to run
Micro SD Card
The R-Pi includes a slot for a micro SD card but you need at least an 8GB card to load the OS
Case for the LCD Screen
Headphones or amplified speaker

11. Backup
NooElec