Category: Reviews

Unattended recording of RDS/HD Radio decodes possible with WyzeCam

Posted on by
Motion-detected and timestamped screenshot of an HD Radio decode picked up by the WyzeCam on 1/19/18.

DXers with RDS and HD Radio-capable receivers now have a new and interesting way of seeing everything that comes across their radio’s screens while they are away — literally.

Wyze is a home security camera company that sells “WyzeCam,” an HD-quality home security camera.  I purchased a few cameras for my home in the previous month, and I have used them for their intended purpose until I realized that the device opens up a new world of capabilities for the average DXer.

Although I always have two radios continuously recording during the Sporadic E season, the problem is that I can only record audio from them, not screenshots unless I was

Continue reading “Unattended recording of RDS/HD Radio decodes possible with WyzeCam”

An honest review of the RTL-SDR USB tuner

Posted on by
Local 103.5 WTOP and 104.1 WPRS tuned in via the RTL-SDR. Note the HD Radio digital signals surrounding both signals.
Local 103.5 WTOP and 104.1 WPRS tuned in via the RTL-SDR in the HDSDR program. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

There have been a lot of recent buzz in the DXing community about software-defined radios, otherwise known as SDRs.  These radios, typically housed in a small USB thumbdrive-like units or small external hard drive-like enclosures without screens, can connect to your computer and can be used to DX multiple radio bands.

Recently Jim H., a DXer who lives in Stanardsville, VA, introduced me to the RTL-SDR USB dongle, which costs a whopping $9.95 on Amazon.com.  I’ll admit, I was highly skeptical of this device’s capabilities due to its price and relatively unknown manufacturer.  Coming from powerhouse DXing radios such as the Sony XDR-F1HD and Denon TU-1500RD, I was expected to be let down.

Unfortunately, I was kind of let down, although the novelty of having a computer-based tuner did amaze me.

SET UP

There was a slight learning curve with using the RTL-SDR dongle.  The device came with no software or instructions.  It also came with a

Continue reading “An honest review of the RTL-SDR USB tuner”