SDRplay has recently announced the upcoming release of their "nRSP-ST" networked receiver. The product appears to essentially be an RSP2 with built-in computing and networking. The idea is that this networked receiver will be used remotely, and connected to over a local network connection or the internet.

The device will work with SDRplays SDRConnect software and will be able to transfer RF data in three modes, Full IQ, IQ Lite, and Compact. In IQ lite mode, only the active channels' IQ data are transferred, saving on significant network bandwidth when compared to full IQ mode.  In compact mode demodulation is carried out on the nRSP-ST itself, and compressed demodulated audio is sent over the network, saving on network bandwidth even more.

There are no details yet about the build, but we assume the internal computer is something like a Raspberry Pi 4 compute module or similar.

SDRplay write:

SDRplay is demonstrating a new product at the UK Hamfest today in newark, UK.  It’s an all-in-one, plug-and-play networked receiver which will launch later in the year.

SDRplay Limited is announcing the imminent launch of the “nRSP-ST”, an All-in-one, Plug-and-play Networked SDR Receiver.   The “nRSP-ST” is being demonstrated publicly for the first time at the UK National Hamfest in Newark today.

This exciting new product addresses the needs of radio enthusiasts who want a ‘plug-and-play’ solution for remote reception.  As well as achieving this, we have addressed typical internet bandwidth limitations with the creation of a novel “IQ Lite” mode, which efficiently delivers channels of IQ data. We have also introduced the ability to control and store IQ recordings at the remote location.  We think the nRSP-ST will be ideal for anyone wanting a wideband remote receiver without needing computer skills and hours of set-up time and ongoing maintenance at the remote location. We are very much looking forward to making the product available as soon as possible.  We are aiming to launch the nRSP-ST in time for the holiday shopping season and aiming at a price of just under $500 USD before tax.

The nRSP-ST key features:

• A truly “plug and play” integrated, networked general coverage receiver:
  • Combines a receiver, a host computer and a whole lot more – all in one box!
  • Apply power and connect to the internet (Ethernet or Wi-Fi) and the nRSP-ST is automatically accessible from anywhere
• The 14-bit ADC full featured wideband SDR receiver covers all frequencies from 1kHz through VLF, LF, MW, HF, VHF, UHF and L-band to 2GHz, with no gaps
• Remotely monitor up to 10MHz of spectrum at a time from a choice of 3 antennas
• Multi-platform SDRconnect^TM software supports local operation or remote access on Windows, MacOS or Linux platforms
• The nRSP-ST & SDRconnect^TM are configurable for available network bandwidth:
  • In “Full IQ” mode, the nRSP-ST provides IQ data transfer of the visible spectrum bandwidth (e.g.for high-speed LAN or superfast internet connectivity)
  • In “IQ Lite” mode, the nRSP-ST provides IQ data of channels up to 192kHz wide (e.g. for digital decoding by the client)
  • In “Compact” mode the nRSP-ST provides compressed audio (ideal for slower internet connections)
  • Supports multiple client connections with a simultaneous mixture of connection modes
  • All modes support visualization of up to 10MHz spectrum bandwidth
• Two remote connection options:
  • Use a remote SDRconnect client or
  • Use the built-in web-server for remote access from any web browsing capable device, including Android/iOS tablets and phones
• The nRSP-ST offers the ability to record IQ and audio files to a NAS (network attached storage) device if available on the LAN.
• Flash upgradable for future feature enhancements

The press announcement can be found here

More information will be provided in the coming weeks: https://www.sdrplay.com/nrspst/

Back in May, we posted about the upcoming DeepRad, which is advertised as a modular RTL-SDR system, providing RTL-SDR PCB boards without USB and SMA connectors that are seated into a custom motherboard. A few days ago they released their crowdfunding campaign on Crowd Supply.

The individual DeepRad RTL-SDR units are priced at US$80 each, whereas the 'DeepRad Quad' which includes four units and a motherboard is priced at US$340 with free US shipping and $12 intl. shipping for both products. It appears that the idea behind the modular boards is to allow people designing a custom PCB to easily seat an RTL-SDR on their design.

The DeepRad Quad advertises 'Synchronize TCXO', which implies that the four units can run from the same clock. However, we don't see any noise source, distribution, or switching hardware, and no heat management, so we don't expect it to be useful for coherent projects like the KrakenSDR is.

Over on Reddit there has been some discussion about the system.

Airspy is currently holding their annual summer sale which gives 15% off their line of products until June 30 2024. The sale brings the price of the popular Airspy receiver products down to the following in US dollars (note that actual pricing may vary across local resellers):

• Airspy R2: $169.00 $143.65
• Airspy Mini: $99.00 $84.15 
• Airspy HF+ Discovery: $169.00 $143.65
• Airspy SpyVerter R2: $49.00 $41.65
• YouLoop Antenna: $39.95 $33.95

The sale is active at all participating resellers, which includes our own store where we have the YouLoop on sale for US$33.95 including free shipping to most countries in the world. 

Some good reviews of the YouLoop include the YouTube videos done by Frugal Radio where he reviews HF reception and VLF & LF reception with an Airspy HF+, and later tests it with an RTL-SDR Blog V3 using direct sampling. Techminds also has an excellent review on his YouTube channel. 

If you are on Twitter/X, make sure to also retweet the sale post for a chance at winning something.

Thank you to creators Sergey and Andrew who have submitted news about their upcoming software defined radio called 'xMASS SDR'. xMASS will be a SDR with 8 RX and 8 TX channels, with a max sample rate of 60 MSPS per 8 channels, or 100 MSPS per 4 channels, and a frequency range of 30 - 3800 MHz.

The board comes in a modular PCIe form factor, with 4x FPGAs, and GPS/PPS clock sync input. The system is designed in mind for 4G/5G applications but should be useful for other applications too.

xMASS SDR will be crowd-funded on CrowdSupply, and they note that they expect to launch the campaign soon. So if you are interested, sign up for email updates on their CrowdSupply page.

Sergey and Andrew write:

We’re creators (Sergey Kostanbaev and Anrew Avtushenko) of the M.2 uSDR board that we successfully crowdsourced a year ago. Now we want to share our new invention called xMASS SDR, a modular, high-performance MIMO transceiver. It has 8 RX and 8 TX channels that can be synchronized for directional finding, beamforming and more applications. Each SDR module, called xSDR, is based on the LMS7002M chip and can deliver 2 RX and 2 TX channels. Like uSDR, xSDR shares the same form factor and M.2 pinout and both use the same open-source software and gateware stack.

xMASS SDR is ideal for 4G/5G but can be interesting among academic, industrial and advanced hobbyists. 

Over on Twitter/X @lamdbaprog, creator of Airspy products and the SDRSharp software has teased his next upcoming software-defined radio hardware called the "Airspy HF+ Ranger". The Airspy HF+ Ranger prototype was also seen at the Dayton Hamvention through their local Airspy.us reseller.

The specifications appear to be very impressive, with a wide frequency range of 0.5 kHz to 1750 MHz and excellent sensitivity, linearity, and dynamic range figures. The Ranger is based on the same main RF chips used in the HF+ Discovery, so it will retain the relatively small maximum bandwidth capability of 710 kHz. However, for many use-cases this small bandwidth is more than sufficient.

Currently, there is no word on a release date or pricing but given the prototype status, it must be close. We expect this to be priced higher than the Airspy HF+ Discovery which sells for US$169.

Update: A page for the Airspy Ranger is now on the Airspy website. It shows a block diagram and further details. RTL-SDR.COM reader Ladislav has also sent us a PDF with the specs and a Dynamic Performance graph.

Over on Twitter/X, patrons of the Dayton Hamvention event have posted a few pictures of the display.

@lamdbaprog also demonstrates the incredible dynamic range of the Ranger when up against strong pager signals in Paris.

SDRplay has announced the release of their latest product, the SDRplay RSPdx-R2. The RSPdx-R2 is advertised as an enhanced version of their RSPdx software-defined radio. The press release from SDRplay reads:

Jon Hudson, SDRplay Sales and Marketing Director said “Global supply chain support issues have prompted some redesign of existing products to ensure continued supply for our UK manufacturing partners. With each new member of the RSP family, SDRplay tries to include improvements. This has given us the opportunity to offer performance enhancements at the same time as assuring supply”.

• The RSPdx-R2 provides up to 10MHz spectrum visibility anywhere from 1kHZ to 2GHz with no gaps. It features:
• Improvements to the RSPdx for MF frequencies and below:
  • Improved noise performance below 1MHz
  • Improved dynamic range below 2MHz both in tuner mode and HDR mode
• 3 Software selectable inputs, including a BNC input for up to 200MHz
• A 500kHz LPF for LF/VLF
• HDR mode for enhanced performance under 2MHz
• Notch filters on all inputs
• A rugged steel case

More details on https://www.sdrplay.com/rspdxR2/

The suggested retail price is £188.00 GBP (excluding VAT), $235.00 USD (excluding tax) or €225.60 EUR (excluding tax).

SDRplay recently launched their free multiplatform SDRconnect software which as well as running on Windows, will also run on MacOS and Linux/Raspberry Pi. As with their SDRuno windows software, the emphasis is on “plug and play” making the SDRplay receivers an easy-to-use and low-cost way to discover (or rediscover) the radio hobby for anyone who already uses a computer.

SDRplay has also provided the datasheet of the RSPdx-R2 which can be downloaded here.