Hey
I found on Ebay many R820T Dongel for <10€ but how about the Quality?!
For an small Projekt i need 10x - 20x Dongel and you know the Price happens.
In my local Store i see an E400 Dongel for ~25€ each. ::)
I've purchased this one (http://dx.com/p/235224?Utm_rid=13085873&Utm_source=affiliate) on dx.com and works really fine, even with the supplied antenna. 10€, free shipping. I think this connector type allows you to use the coaxial cable directly to the dongle, avoiding a conversion pigtail which always give a bit loss on signal strength.
Although not reported on this forum, I'm aware that some dongles "fail" after a month or two.
I think I'd buy one and run it for a while before buying another 19.
Mine is just a bit warm after a few days working 24/7. Anyway I'll report here about any malfunction.
Mine have been working 24/7 for over 6 months with no issues.
I bought three (two for me, one for a friend) from reputable suppliers (Jetvision, CosyCave and Nooelec) who had tested them and added an esd diode if necessary (the reason a lot of the cheapies fail is because there is inadequate protection against electrostatic buildup) before posting them.
Admittedly they're not "plug and play" devices, in that you need to do a bit of work with them before you'll see contacts on a map. But with a little patience to get them working they are fantastic. Especially if you chain them together so that the input from multiple antennas can be collected and viewed on the one pc. For the little money they cost they are a great way to get into this hobby.
Stephen
Bethy. They don't like the gain on my pre-amps turning up .Overload easy
Shaky
http://www.ebay.de/sch/?_nkw=R820T&clk_rvr_id=531882009453
http://www.ebay.de/itm/KDQ16-RTL-SDR-FM-DAB-DVB-T-Dongle-Stick-RTL2832-R820T-SPC-0155-/121185138447?pt=DE_Computing_Videoaufnahme_TV_Karten&hash=item1c3732770f
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Hot-RTL-SDR-FM-DAB-DVB-T-Dongle-Stick-RTL2832-R820T-SPC-0155-/360651225927?pt=DE_Computing_Videoaufnahme_TV_Karten&hash=item53f87cfb47
http://www.ebay.de/itm/DE01-einzigartige-Stil-FM-DAB-USB-DVB-T-RTL2832U-R820T-w-MCX-Antenne-/300927990801?pt=DE_Computing_Videoaufnahme_TV_Karten&hash=item4610b4bc11
How about that offer?!
The dongles are great starter devices for those new to Mode S , but are no replacement for the Kinetic family or Beast
The quality of raw data is poor , but useable , as for longevity , only time will tell.
Hopefully those who start with a dongle will go on to buy a used SBS or Beast in due course...or even , a new unit.
QuoteHopefully those who start with a dongle will go on to buy a used SBS or Beast in due course...or even , a new unit.
I want to use it not only for Mode S.
This is where I bought some of mine from (Cosycave as also mentioned above):
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Newsky-TV28T-RTL-2832U-R820T-DVB-T-DAB-FM-SDR-stick-only-/121194726044?pt=UK_Computing_Video_Capture_TV_Tuner_Cards&hash=item1c37c4c29c
Ask them what price for 10 of them - they might offer a price reduction?
ok the pice GBP -> € is very bad. ???
Yesterday my 2,99€ + 5€ Shipping Dongel arive and the work perfekt!!!!
Open the dongle and check that it has ESD protection installed across the antenna input. If it doesn't it will fail soon if you have your antenna installed outdoors (unless it is a loop type antenna such as a folded dipole). This happens because electrostatic voltages build up because of dry winds or electrically charged hail stones and snow. The ESD diodes are back to back connected , low capacitance diodes which short out these voltages. Another way to sort the problem might be to short out the antenna connection with an RF choke or even a 2Mohm resistor. Basically the idea is to cause voltages on the inner coax to leak away to the braid before they destroy the tuner chip or deafen it completely. An RF choke, a pair of low capacitance diodes or a high value resistor can do this without wasting your ADSB signal.