My RTLSDR dongle arrived. Installing on Linux Mint. - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My RTLSDR dongle arrived. Installing on Linux Mint.

Posted: 4/15/2021 10:53:14 PM EDT

Newbie here.

Getting 90s on Tech and General practice exams.

Finally found an in stock RTLSDR and pounced.

I am currently trying to install the software to make it work on my Linux Mint laptop.

Prayers are appreciated. This is gonna be rough. I can feel it.

Posted: 4/15/2021 10:56:58 PM EDT

[#1]

I like gqrx-sdr

sudo apt install gqrx-sdr

Posted: 4/15/2021 11:24:02 PM EDT

[#2]

I'm going to try it, but I have to install stuff first for the dongle. My cmake was outdated, the version in the store is outdated, trying to manually install with pip now.

Posted: 4/15/2021 11:41:54 PM EDT

[#3]

None of the supplied commands are working to create the blacklist file and add the line of code.

I can do it from the command line every time I plug the dongle is so I'll do that for... Ever.

Posted: 4/15/2021 11:46:17 PM EDT

[#4]

Sdr dongle tests functional. Installing gqrx-sdr now.

Posted: 4/16/2021 12:02:10 AM EDT

[#5]

GQRX installed. I can see the waterfall. Currently monitoring CB freqs starting at channel 1 (26.965mHz). I live next to a major highway. Seemed like the easiest test set.

Posted: 4/16/2021 12:03:21 AM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
GQRX installed. I can see the waterfall. Currently monitoring CB freqs starting at channel 1 (26.965mHz). I live next to a major highway. Seemed like the easiest test set.

View Quote

Usually the easiest to tune in is commercial FM stations. Strong signal, well known freqs, always broadcasting.

Posted: 4/16/2021 12:10:50 AM EDT

[#7]

I'm going to try to listen to the TIME on google specified frequencies. Personally, I'm not seeing anything on the waterfall but noise patterns and I think the supplied antenna is garbage.

Posted: 4/16/2021 12:39:05 AM EDT

[#8]

I have nothing to add other than I'm reading your updates, kinda interested in trying an SDR out.

Posted: 4/16/2021 12:52:59 AM EDT

[#9]

And that's it. We are done.

Weird stuff started happening. Never got any actual audio.
I think I was seeing the weather transmission on 162.4 mHz but it needed to be aligned.
G whatever started getting really buggy. Lost the water fall. Then I got it back or it came back on because reasons. Then the number keys stopped working to type in frequencies. Just the zero though. Then the down arrow key stopped. Clicking on the number only made it go up.

Not feeling like playing games where I can't win I closed G something and restarted the computer.

Or tried to.

It stalls on the manufacturers splash screen now. Yes, the dongle is unplugged.

I'm going back to my old hobby of making furitive hand movements near my waist around cops.

Posted: 4/16/2021 12:55:45 AM EDT

[#10]

Attached File

Posted: 4/16/2021 3:28:49 AM EDT

[#11]

Follow these directions

https://gqrx.dk/download/install-ubuntu

Or there are appimage versions you can download. Not sure if the volk profile will work with appimage.

Posted: 4/16/2021 6:25:59 AM EDT

[#12]

Try using this on Windows.

Posted: 4/16/2021 10:42:58 AM EDT

[#13]

SDR Uno an SDR Console both work on Windows 10, if you choose to go that route.

I have the RTL-SDR dongle and both work with it.

If Linux is your thing, look for Skywave which is geared towards radio hobbyists and covers many SDR dongles/receivers.

Posted: 4/16/2021 12:07:22 PM EDT

[#14]

I think the current/newer versions of gqrx automatically take care of the kernel driver issue. The newer version from the link I posted is better than what's in the Ubuntu repository.

Posted: 4/16/2021 4:43:48 PM EDT

[#15]

I'm preparing my chromebook via Crostini. Let's see if this works.

Posted: 4/16/2021 5:09:17 PM EDT

[#16]

That didn't work. At all.

Posted: 4/16/2021 6:38:48 PM EDT

[#17]

Dude, while I understand that you may be philosophically opposed to Windows, use the right tool for the job already

Posted: 4/16/2021 8:34:08 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Dude, while I understand that you may be philosophically opposed to Windows, use the right tool for the job already

View Quote

I don't have a windows computer.
The laptop that just died was my last windows computer.
About two years ago when the HDD died I went with an SSD and Linux Mint.
I got a Chromebook back in November before Amatuer Radio Disease struck.
If I had the money for a laptop, I would have a G90.
The SDR dongle is a stop-gap until my buddy finishes a ubitx he wants to give me.
He now has a Kenwood 2000 and a G90.
Sorry for being a "poor".

Posted: 4/16/2021 8:49:10 PM EDT

[#19]

Just set up the computer you have to dual boot. Windows and Linux on the same machine. Best of both worlds.

Posted: 4/16/2021 9:26:45 PM EDT

[#20]

The computer died. It won't boot past the splash screen. I can't even access the BIOS to make it boot from USB.

Posted: 4/17/2021 12:25:50 AM EDT

[#21]

FWIW, I find SDR stuff to be easier on Linux than Windows, with the exception of SDRplay devices.

Posted: 4/17/2021 10:05:04 AM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:
FWIW, I find SDR stuff to be easier on Linux than Windows, with the exception of SDRplay devices.

View Quote

Same here.

I got my "RTL SDR" running on Linux Mint pretty easily, with the only weirdness being having to 'blacklist' the original driver and install the correct one. I never was able to get it to run correctly under Windows 7 on an older machine. I just installed an i7 machine with W7 and a quick try with the RTL-SDR failed, but I do plan to try to resolve that.

I got my RSPDuo to run under Windows 7 VERY easily (for simple reception), on both the older machine and recently on the i7 but couldn't get it to run under Linux. I have stopped using my Linux laptop for anything but travel and probably won't bother trying to solve the RSP/SDRPlay issue on that one.

I tried very briefly to run Dump1090 on my new machine and couldn't get it to run immediately, then must have seen something shiny and never got back to it. Dump1090 ran great on the Linux laptop. I'd also like to run the AIS ship ID software, since I live close to the Chesapeake Bay anyway, and can actually see the ships from my weekend location.

Damn computers...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My RTLSDR dongle arrived. Installing on Linux Mint.

Outdoors » Ham Radios

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