# SDR advice for newcomer? **URL:** \ **Category:** GNU Radio\ **Created:** [August 26, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sdr-advice-for-newcomer/231715 "2014-08-26T05:33:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![addis\_a](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@addis\_a](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/addis_a)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sdr-advice-for-newcomer/231715/1 "2014-08-26T05:33:00Z")
I have experience in DSP but am completely new to Gnuradio and excited to get started. Because I’m also a ham I am thinking of buying one of 1. lp-pan (US $250) 2. softrock Ensemble II (US $87) and have a linux-only computer. With that tiny background, I wonder if any list members would recommend one of these SDRs over the other? Lp-pan works at my transceiver’s IF and would integrate nicely with my ham radio set up. Softrock rcvr is just over 1/3 the lp-pan price, though, and not dependent on my amateur gear. Seems like 6 of one, half dozen of the other - or are there other factors I’m overlooking? Thanks very much! Mike ab3ap ---
**Author:** ![mike-moscow](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mike-moscow](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mike-moscow)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sdr-advice-for-newcomer/231715/2 "2014-08-26T08:55:14Z")
If you are a ham and doesn’t want to spend too much, I would recommend Peaberry SDR V2 (and it’s not just receiver it’s 4-band tranceiver and it doesn’t require sound card opposed to softrock). It will cost you $150 as a kit (quite easy to build) or $250 built. On Mon, 25 Aug 2014 20:50:42 -0400 Mike M. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > Lp-pan works at my transceiver’s IF and would integrate nicely with > my ham radio set up. > > Softrock rcvr is just over 1/3 the lp-pan price, though, and not > dependent on my amateur gear. > > Seems like 6 of one, half dozen of the other - or are there other > factors I’m overlooking? > > Thanks very much! > Mike ab3ap – Alexey B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) ---
**Author:** ![mike-moscow](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mike-moscow](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mike-moscow)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2014, 4:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sdr-advice-for-newcomer/231715/3 "2014-08-28T16:33:55Z")
On Mon, Aug 25, 2014 at 11:54 PM, Alexey B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > > buying one of > > Softrock rcvr is just over 1/3 the lp-pan price, though, and not > > Alexey B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) You can also start with an rtl-sdr (nooelec is now selling them, so supply is easy to come by). As a ham, you’re going to hate a lot of the RF, but it’s cheap, works easily with GNU Radio, and you can find many pre-built examples that use this receiver. It’s also receive only. Still, it’s a great and really cheap way to start, and it’ll give you some time to play and develop better concepts about what else you might need from the hardware. Tom ---
**Author:** ![mike-moscow](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@mike-moscow](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/mike-moscow)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/sdr-advice-for-newcomer/231715/4 "2014-09-01T04:49:52Z")
On 08/28/2014 10:32 AM, Tom R. wrote: > You can also start with an rtl-sdr (nooelec is now selling them, so > supply is easy to come by). As a ham, you’re going to hate a lot of the > RF, but it’s cheap, works easily with GNU Radio, and you can find many > pre-built examples that use this receiver. It’s also receive only. > Still, it’s a great and really cheap way to start, and it’ll give you > some time to play and develop better concepts about what else you might > need from the hardware. > > Tom Thanks, Tom, that’s a great, low risk way to start! Mike