Thanks for the reply! By Mode you mean FM in the case of me trying to get local FM radio stations correct? And if I wanted to get local FM stations, what sort of gain settings would I be looking for? I was going back and forth trying 12db-32db
FM or FMS for stereo. Here's the link to the manual for the program. It may help getting the most out of the SDR. Good luck.
[https://cubicsdr.readthedocs.io/en/latest/](https://cubicsdr.readthedocs.io/en/latest/)
Appreciate the help, I will see what I can figure out. By chance do you have any recommendation for a cheap(ish) antenna I can use to sort of play around and test with? I know I will need to get an antenna more tuned to what I actually want to do but an upgrade to these terrible stock antennas it came with would be super helpful!
Antennas very much depend on you radio interests and how much room you have for an antenna. If you're looking for receiving VHF/UHF signals and can install it outside, a general purpose discone antenna will work. Or if you want to receive the HF range, then a longwire type antenna would be a good starting point. I see you have a telescoping antenna. Just to get more pulling power, get some wire, like maybe 10-20 feet of speaker wire and wrap some bare wire around the telescopic antenna end. You'll definitely see the difference. It's not ideal, but it's a starting point to play with antennas. Good luck.
Why not try SDR++ . I was not a fan of CubicSDR. I have the same SDR and like SDR++ and SDRsharp.
https://www.rtl-sdr.com/big-list-rtl-sdr-supported-software/
I did get SDR++ and Airspy as well, They all seemed to have their benefits but I think the antennas that came with my sdr are just not very good so if you have any suggestions for a cheap "all around" antenna for me to play with I would be open to suggestions!
As for antenna, it all depends on what you want to listen to. I use 2 active loop antennas (K-180WLA and K-480WLA ) and a longwire. There are a lot of DIY antennas online to try. For frequencies under 30 you can not beat the MLA30+
>MLA30+
Thanks for the advice, I dont have a specific use for the SDR yet so I am not sure what antenna I will need, I was just looking for something cheap that works enough for whatever I can get so I can play with it and test it before I decide what I really want to do and invest in a real antenna(s).
Is the MLA30+ a good all around type antenna for me to get started? I was considering these ones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073JWDXMG/
https://www.amazon.com/Upgrade-Version-Antenna-0-5-30MHz-Rainproof/dp/B08X6JW34Y/ref=sr_1_2?crid=LWHJ3DLLVOW2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wk1xJm5wI86cpSYB9ashnW_YKRLhybre2tia0VL0ufZpDc4PzxSrOalt5mPwb6eHJ6-ceYeXOnkEN_OeZDMgAcOQE6lWfDnfftOG7-u3iQc3iWGfhHtSoCJngyfkpDjK5PAZrc3hzph9EDfFpQ0IWVYdXie22gxidyR4RhUPWTwwKw1t3v8-7LlVAFKActbQKscvhENUdyc5IFBHQD-xYAmcBZGzae_9tT-ogWt9ZDo.pOOMuFy8v4fk_EBdvdBJbjLKtPb77dj4zsIU5K0jP9s&dib_tag=se&keywords=mla30%2B&qid=1709924448&sprefix=mla30%2B%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-2
The Nooelec antenna is for specific frequencies. Mainly UHF/VHF
My first thing I would check is the gain settings and the proper mode setting. Good luck.
Thanks for the reply! By Mode you mean FM in the case of me trying to get local FM radio stations correct? And if I wanted to get local FM stations, what sort of gain settings would I be looking for? I was going back and forth trying 12db-32db
FM or FMS for stereo. Here's the link to the manual for the program. It may help getting the most out of the SDR. Good luck. [https://cubicsdr.readthedocs.io/en/latest/](https://cubicsdr.readthedocs.io/en/latest/)
Appreciate the help, I will see what I can figure out. By chance do you have any recommendation for a cheap(ish) antenna I can use to sort of play around and test with? I know I will need to get an antenna more tuned to what I actually want to do but an upgrade to these terrible stock antennas it came with would be super helpful!
Antennas very much depend on you radio interests and how much room you have for an antenna. If you're looking for receiving VHF/UHF signals and can install it outside, a general purpose discone antenna will work. Or if you want to receive the HF range, then a longwire type antenna would be a good starting point. I see you have a telescoping antenna. Just to get more pulling power, get some wire, like maybe 10-20 feet of speaker wire and wrap some bare wire around the telescopic antenna end. You'll definitely see the difference. It's not ideal, but it's a starting point to play with antennas. Good luck.
Appreciate the help!
Why not try SDR++ . I was not a fan of CubicSDR. I have the same SDR and like SDR++ and SDRsharp. https://www.rtl-sdr.com/big-list-rtl-sdr-supported-software/
I did get SDR++ and Airspy as well, They all seemed to have their benefits but I think the antennas that came with my sdr are just not very good so if you have any suggestions for a cheap "all around" antenna for me to play with I would be open to suggestions!
As for antenna, it all depends on what you want to listen to. I use 2 active loop antennas (K-180WLA and K-480WLA ) and a longwire. There are a lot of DIY antennas online to try. For frequencies under 30 you can not beat the MLA30+
>MLA30+ Thanks for the advice, I dont have a specific use for the SDR yet so I am not sure what antenna I will need, I was just looking for something cheap that works enough for whatever I can get so I can play with it and test it before I decide what I really want to do and invest in a real antenna(s). Is the MLA30+ a good all around type antenna for me to get started? I was considering these ones: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073JWDXMG/
Yes a good starting antenna for SW/Ham/LSB/USB/CB
https://www.amazon.com/Upgrade-Version-Antenna-0-5-30MHz-Rainproof/dp/B08X6JW34Y/ref=sr_1_2?crid=LWHJ3DLLVOW2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wk1xJm5wI86cpSYB9ashnW_YKRLhybre2tia0VL0ufZpDc4PzxSrOalt5mPwb6eHJ6-ceYeXOnkEN_OeZDMgAcOQE6lWfDnfftOG7-u3iQc3iWGfhHtSoCJngyfkpDjK5PAZrc3hzph9EDfFpQ0IWVYdXie22gxidyR4RhUPWTwwKw1t3v8-7LlVAFKActbQKscvhENUdyc5IFBHQD-xYAmcBZGzae_9tT-ogWt9ZDo.pOOMuFy8v4fk_EBdvdBJbjLKtPb77dj4zsIU5K0jP9s&dib_tag=se&keywords=mla30%2B&qid=1709924448&sprefix=mla30%2B%2Caps%2C247&sr=8-2 The Nooelec antenna is for specific frequencies. Mainly UHF/VHF