Do you want to be able to receive satellite images using nothing but
your computer, an old TV antenna, and a $20 USB stick? Now you can. At
last, the technology exists to turn your computer into a super radio
receiver, capable of tuning in to FM, shortwave, amateur ham, and even
satellite frequencies, around the world and above it. Listen to police,
fire, and aircraft signals, both in the clear and encoded. And with the
book's advanced antenna design, there's no limit to the signals you can
receive.
Combine your desktop or laptop computer with easy-to-find, Software
Defined Radio (SDR) equipment, and tune in a wide range of signals in no
time at all. Then, go one step further by converting a Raspberry Pi into
your own dedicated SDR device.
SDR USB dongles are usually designed to receive and decode
high-definition digital television broadcasts, but the rising popularity
of SDR has led to several of these devices being specifically made for -
and marketed to - the software radio crowd. With step-by-step
instructions, you'll have no problem getting everything up and running
on both Windows and Linux.
The antenna is the final piece in the SDR puzzle: Which antenna do you
use? What shape do you need? How big does it have to be? And where do
you point it? Get all the answers you need and learn what's possible
when it comes to picking out or building an antenna. And if you're not
particularly handy, don't worry. You can use an old-school set of rabbit
ear antennas without too much modification.
Discover the fun of this growing hobby and then open your ears to the
hidden signals that surround you.
What You Need:
You will need a relatively recent computer or laptop, running either
Windows or Ubuntu Linux. You can also use a Raspberry Pi. All of the
software necessary is free and open-source, and the book describes in
detail where to get it and how to install it, depending on your
operating system.
